Runner, the country's first motorcycle manufacturer and exporter company, is set to launch a three-wheeler by September next, said State Minister for Information and Communication Technology (ICT) Junaid Ahmed Palak. As a result, Bangladesh will no longer have to import CNG from abroad. Later, this engine powered car will be replaced by electric three wheeler and step by step, affordable, sustainable electric two-wheeled and four-wheeled vehicles will be produced and Runner will become 'Tesla' of Bangladesh one day. Also read:Bagh: Environment Friendly Electric Three Wheelers to Hit the Roads in Bangladesh

Four banks and a financial institution have teamed up to finance Tk 334 crore primarily under a syndicated loan agreement to set up an electric vehicle-manufacturing plant in Mirsarai, Chattogram by a private company. Agrani Bank, Islami Bank, First Security Islami Bank, Bangladesh Development Bank and Bangladesh Infrastructure Finance Fund Limited (BIFFL), a financial institution (FI), will arrange the fund to set up the car plant. A loan agreement was signed among the banks, FI and manufacturer Bangladesh Auto Industries Ltd (BAIL) in the city on Wednesday. BAIL is setting up the electric vehicle manufacturing plant in the Bangabandhu Shilpa Nagar. Lithium-ion battery, motor and controller for the vehicles will be manufactured under the project to ensure 75 per cent local value addition to the vehicle making it available at an affordable cost. Read: Introduce customer-friendly electric vehicle recharging policy: Nasrul

State Minister for Power, Energy and Mineral Resources Nasrul Hamid has advised the authorities concerned to make a customer-friendly electric vehicle (EV) recharging policy as EVs will dominate the future transport sector. “We’ve to put in place a pragmatic policy on this most burning issue considering its various aspects,” he said while speaking at a virtual meeting on “Guidelines for Electric Vehicle Re-charging” on Sunday. Read Quick energy supply: Cabinet approves 5-yr extension of special provision The location of recharging stations, the types of the vehicles and other issues should be brought under consideration while framing a policy guideline for recharging electric vehicles, Nasrul said. Power Secretary Md Habibur Rahman, chairman of Bangladesh Energy and Power Research Council Satyajit Karmakar, chairman of Sustainable and Renewable Energy Development Authority (Sreda) Mohammad Alauddin, chairman of Bangladesh Power Development Board (PDB) Belayet Hossain, chairman of Bangladesh Rural Electrification Board (BERB) Moin Uddin, director general of Power Cell Mohammad Hossain and heads of departments of various organizations also attended the virtual meeting. Read: Uninterrupted affordable energy main challenge in future: Nasrul Hamid

Though the rise of electric vehicle is assumed as a new technology, it was invented long ago. Looking back to the history, we found that electric vehicles debuted in the mid-era of the 19th century.