Electric vehicle imports grew by a modest 4.05 percent over the first quarter of current fiscal year. According to the Department of Customs, Nepal imported 2,620 units of electric cars, jeeps and vans between mid-July and mid-October of the current fiscal year, up from 2,518 units in the same period of 2024/25.
Imports of electric three-wheelers also showed an interesting trend. Nepal imported 2,809 unassembled units and 2,032 assembled units from China during the review period of the current fiscal year, up from 2,635 assembled and 2,051 unassembled three-wheelers in the same period of the previous fiscal year. The increase in unassembled electric three-wheeler imports suggests that local assembly and customization are gaining momentum, potentially helping reduce costs and create domestic jobs.
The total value of these imports were Rs 6.76bn. Such imports in the same period of 2024/25 were worth Rs 6.57bn. Customs revenue from these imports grew to Rs 4.09bn in the review quarter of the current fiscal year from Rs 3.9bn in the same quarter of 2024/25.
In the first quarter of 2025/26, 751 EVs with a peak motor capacity below 50 kW were imported, along with 1,545 units between 51–100 kW, and 323 units in the 101–200 kW category. One vehicle with a motor capacity between 201–300 kW was also imported.
During the same period last year, Nepal had imported 772 units below 50 kW, 1,582 units between 51–100 kW, and only 159 units between 101–200 kW. Three vehicles in the 201–300 kW range and two above 300 kW were also imported in the first quarter of the previous fiscal year.
Nepal levies taxes on electric vehicle (EV) imports based on their motor capacity, with higher-powered models facing steeper duties. Under the current tax structure, EVs with motor capacity of up to 50 kW are subject to a 15 percent customs duty and a 5 percent excise duty. Vehicles with motor capacity between 51 kW and 100 kW face a 20 percent customs duty and 15 percent excise duty, while those between 101 kW and 200 kW are taxed at 30 percent customs and 20 percent excise. For EVs with motor capacity ranging from 201 kW to 300 kW, the government levies 60 percent customs duty and 35 percent excise duty.
EVs with peak motor capacity above 301 kW are subject to 80 percent customs duty and 50 percent excise duty, making high-performance models significantly more expensive to import. China continues to be Nepal’s dominant EV supplier, with popular passenger car brands such as BYD, MG, Deepal, Dongfeng, and Jaecoo/Omoda leading the market. From India, Tata Motors remains the largest exporter of EVs to Nepal, followed by Mahindra.
Nepal imported over 44,500 electric vehicles, including scooters, motorcycles, three-wheelers, cars, microbuses, and buses, worth nearly Rs 44bn in the previous fiscal year. The government collected Rs 22.76bn in revenue from these imports.
