In 2021, Kyrgyzstan, as part of the Paris Agreement, submitted an updated nationally determined contribution – NDC. According to the plan, the country committed itself to reduce the greenhouse gas emissions by 16.63 per cent by 2025, and by 15.97 per cent, including motor vehicle emissions. Among Contact online >>
In 2021, Kyrgyzstan, as part of the Paris Agreement, submitted an updated nationally determined contribution – NDC. According to the plan, the country committed itself to reduce the greenhouse gas emissions by 16.63 per cent by 2025, and by 15.97 per cent, including motor vehicle emissions. Among the measures suggested is popularisation and transition to electric vehicles being a low-carbon transport.
National authorities have taken a few legislative measures to support the initiative. Among the first steps is the extension of the duty-free import of electric vehicles until 2025. The second one is the introduction of special green number plates for the owners of electric vehicles and granting of special privileges, namely: reduction of vehicle registration cost, tax preferences, special rules for paid municipal parking facilities.
According to Iskender Sharsheyev, representative of the Union of ElectricVehicle Users ''Eltrans'', there is a growing interest in the green transport on the electric vehicle market of Kyrgyzstan. The main countries suppliers of electric vehicles to Kyrgyzstan are China, Japan and some European countries. China is a highly competitive supplier with competitive prices and a variety of models.
According to the representative of the Union, there is a prospect for popularisation of electric vehicles among Kyrgyzstanis. The key factors contributing to it are state support, including tax benefits and subsidies for a purchase of electric vehicles, as well as the development of the charging station infrastructure.
Raising awareness of such benefits of electric vehicles as cost effectiveness and eco-friendliness can also stimulate the demand. A cut in electric vehicle prices and their maintenance combined with the rise in fuel prices for conventional vehicles may contribute to the increase in electric vehicle demand.
So far, Kyrgyzstan is only importing electric vehicles. The case of manufacturing of low-carbon vehicles has not been implemented yet. Nevertheless, this initiative is in the plan. Thus, at the end of February, S. Japarov broke ground on the new automotive manufacturing plant, which would also manufacture electric vehicles. The volume of first-stage investments is 115 million dollars, the project will be implemented by a Chinese company ''China Hubei Zhuoyue Group''. According to preliminary information, the production will be launched by the end of the year.
"It helps to reduce the amount of harmful substances such as nitrogen oxides and carbon dioxide. Electric vehicles are more energy efficient than conventional vehicles, their efficiency equals to 98-99 per cent, not a drop of energy is wasted, which also contributes to reduction of total power consumption," said Iskender Shersheyev.
However, the environmental efficiency of electric vehicles largely depends on the source of electric power. If it is generated by means of renewable energy sources, the environmental impact increases significantly. Otherwise, if electric power is generated at coal-fired or gas-fired power plants, the ecological footprint of electric vehicles can also be significant.
"Emissions are equal to zero if renewable energy sources are used. Compared to them, petrol vehicles emit 55.44 tonnes of CO2 (nearly 28,000 cubic metres), 30 kilogrammes of NOx, 15 kilogrammes of hydrocarbons during the lifetime of the vehicle, i.e. 20 years," said Sharsheyev.
Economist Marat Musuraliev shared his opinion with CABAR about the initiative of popularisation of electric vehicles as low-carbon vehicles. He emphasised the following advantages of the green transport:
Toxicity of manufacturing of energy storage units (batteries, either lithium-ion, iron phosphate, or other batteries).
According to eco-activist Vlad Ushakov, electric vehicles is more about business than ecology because electric vehicles often have more load than conventional vehicles.
"Besides, Kyrgyzstan does not have a proper battery recycling system. Watch battery recycling is environmentally unfriendly, and batteries are simply thrown away and go into the environment and cause much damage," said Vlad Ushakov.
"Such cars had been driven a lot abroad and then they were brought to our country to avoid scrappage. Thus, we have poisoned the air these years and now there will an extra burden because of electric vehicles because we do not have a proper battery recycling system. So, a relevant infrastructure needs to be created before making the initiative," he said.
For example, trolley bus wires were dismantled in the southern part of Bishkek during road paving works on Sovetskaya/Baitik Batyr Street on a pretext that trolley buses needed to be replaced with buses. So, one electric means of transport (trolley buses) will be replaced by another one (electric buses).
"But it will cause the need to recycle electric energy storage units, while no EIA (environmental impact assessment) has probably been performed. Therefore, we have no recycling technologies, or estimation of their consequences," the economist said.
According to economist Marat Musuraliev, there is one serious risk posed by the popularisation of electric vehicles in Kyrgyzstan – Kyrgyzstan has been experiencing shortages of electricity since 2020.
According to the economist, the domestic electric power consumption in 2023 was 17.2 billion kilowatt-hours, by estimate, while domestic production was only about 14.7 billion kilowatt-hours. So, the republic has to import about 2.5 billion kilowatt-hours of electric power from abroad.
"Moreover, the rise in the proportion of electric vehicles causes further expansion in electricity consumption, and increase in its shortage, respectively. Anyway, we consume 17 per cent more than we produce," Musuraliev said.
According to I.Sharsheyev, Kyrgyzstan may face several problems when
"If the country imports 100 thousand electric vehicles, the country will stand it. If it imports over 820 thousand electric vehicles, we will need 2 billion kilowatt-hours more per year, and the main consumption will be in winter. Moreover, we will save about 3 billion dollars per year if we stop paying for the fuel as a country. It equals our volume of negative trading balance," Sharsheyev said.
According to economist Marat Musuraliev, given the shortage of electricity in Kyrgyzstan, hybrid vehicles may become the most efficient solution to a problem of emission abatement in the environment from motor transport.
"But during deceleration they, just like electric vehicles, convert the kinetic energy into electric one and store it in the battery. In other words, recovery occurs when energy is not lost during braking, but is captured into batteries and reused during acceleration. There are plug-in hybrid cars that can be either fuelled by gasoline or charged using a wall outlet," said Marat Musuraliev.
Mutual approval of abatement in customs duties on small cars with internal combustion engines and hybrid vehicles at the level of the Eurasian Economic Commission.
"In Japan, kei car owners have very low taxes and parking privileges, so 38 per cent of Japanese already replaced their large and medium cars with such mini cars. They require little room; their small-volume engines emit fewer harmful substances into the atmosphere, and they help the city to avoid the problem of traffic jams and parking," said Marat Musuraliev.
IWPR supports local reporters, citizen journalists and civil society activists in three dozen countries in conflict, crisis and transition around the world. IWPR contributes to peace and good governance by strengthening the ability of media and civil society to speak out.
About Bishkek lithium-ion batteries
As the photovoltaic (PV) industry continues to evolve, advancements in Bishkek lithium-ion batteries have become critical to optimizing the utilization of renewable energy sources. From innovative battery technologies to intelligent energy management systems, these solutions are transforming the way we store and distribute solar-generated electricity.
When you're looking for the latest and most efficient Bishkek lithium-ion batteries for your PV project, our website offers a comprehensive selection of cutting-edge products designed to meet your specific requirements. Whether you're a renewable energy developer, utility company, or commercial enterprise looking to reduce your carbon footprint, we have the solutions to help you harness the full potential of solar energy.
By interacting with our online customer service, you'll gain a deep understanding of the various Bishkek lithium-ion batteries featured in our extensive catalog, such as high-efficiency storage batteries and intelligent energy management systems, and how they work together to provide a stable and reliable power supply for your PV projects.
