Hybrid cars fail to crush Pakistan winter gas shortages 19th January 2014

Hybrid cars fail to crush Pakistan winter gas shortages 19th January 2014

A month after winning the general elections, PM Nawaz said it would slash import duties on hybrids.ISLAMABAD (AFP) - Pakistan last year announced measures to boost the hybrid car market, hoping they might help wean the country off its costly addiction to imported fuels, but seven months on the plan looks to have stalled. Hybrid vehicles, which use a combination of an electric motor and regular fuel combustion, are touted in many countries as the environmentally friendly future of motoring.But in Pakistan, the government hoped they might also address a more immediate concern -- crushing winter gas shortages.Compressed natural gas (CNG) is widely used as fuel by Pakistani motorists as a cheaper alternative to petrol, but demand far outstrips supply in winter.The result is gas shortages that mean people cannot cook or heat their homes and which damage the economy by halting industrial work.