Automobile Business Faces Major Setbacks Due to Disasters During Peak Season
Summary
Heavy rains, landslides and the Bhote Koshi flood have disrupted Nepal’s automobile business during the Dashain-Tihar peak season, leaving thousands of booked vehicles stranded and delaying deliveries. EV imports from China have also been hit hard as the Rasuwa and Tatopani border crossings remain blocked.
Key Points
- Dashain-Tihar is the biggest sales season for Nepal’s automobile sector, but this year floods and landslides have badly disrupted imports and deliveries.
- NADA Automobiles Association of Nepal president Surendra Upreti said vehicles from China are stranded because border checkpoints and highways are blocked.
- Sarada Group director Gaurav Sarda said about a hundred containers carrying Omoda and Jaecoo vehicles may have been washed away or damaged in the Bhote Koshi flood.
- Customs data shows EVs made up 81.5 percent of the 2,632 passenger vehicles imported in Bhadra, underscoring the shift in consumer demand.
