BYD has requested the Uzbekistan government to limit the "unregulated" import of electric vehicles into the country. This comes as part of the presidential decree on March 18 approving an investment agreement for the organization of electric and hybrid vehicle production in Uzbekistan.
The document highlights that BYD has approached the government regarding the "restriction of unregulated import of electric vehicles that do not meet local climatic and road conditions, and do not have official guarantees."
The President has instructed the Ministries of Economy and Finance, Investments, Industry and Trade, and the company "Uzavtosanoat" to submit proposals to the Cabinet of Ministers by July 1 to implement the investor's requirement to regulate the import of electric and hybrid vehicles under the BYD brand.
It is worth noting that "Uzavtosanoat" and BYD Europe B.V. (Netherlands) have established a joint venture, BYD Uzbekistan Factory, for the production of electric vehicles with 60% and 40% shares respectively, with an authorized capital of 55 billion soums.
During a state visit to China in January, the President visited BYD's headquarters and launched a project for the assembly of hybrid and electric vehicles in the Jizzakh region. They agreed to increase production capacity to 500,000 units in the near future and supported BYD's plans to start assembling BYD electric buses in Uzbekistan.
President Shavkat Mirziyoyev also instructed to expedite projects in the electric vehicle industry and localize components for electric vehicles with Chinese BYD.
In late December, "Gazeta.uz" reported on a government resolution project aiming to tighten rules on the import of automobiles and electric vehicles. Among other measures, there was a proposal to prohibit individuals from importing cars for commercial purposes starting from 2024 and to reintroduce the requirement to sell new foreign cars only through official dealers, although the document was not adopted.
