Pakistan Petrol Pumps Expand Despite EV Growth

Pakistan’s move toward electric vehicles has not slowed the spread of petrol stations. Oil marketing companies are still opening new outlets because the country’s roads are still powered mostly by petrol bikes, cars and rickshaws.

That is the main reason the fuel network is still expanding. EV charging is being added at the same time, but it has not replaced the need for conventional fuel. For now, Pakistan is living through a mixed transition, not a sudden switch.

PSO, Shell and Attock are still adding outlets

Pakistan State Oil added 37 retail sites in the first quarter of FY2026-27, lifting its nationwide network to 3,727 outlets. Before that, PSO had already added 92 outlets during FY2025-26.

The company is also building an EV side to its business. It commissioned chargers in Faisalabad and Multan, taking its charging network to 16 locations.

Wafi Energy Pakistan, which runs Shell-branded stations in the country, added 54 retail sites in the nine months ending September 30. It also opened nine EV charging locations during the same period.

Attock Petroleum also kept growing, though more slowly. It added five outlets, closed six weak sites, and had 816 outlets in operation as of September 30. The company installed EV chargers at the Dandiwal Service Areas on the M-4 Motorway and at a site in Islamabad. It plans to expand charging to 13 more locations.

This dual approach shows how fuel firms are thinking now: keep serving petrol users while slowly preparing for electric vehicles.

Petrol demand is still the bigger force

The petrol network is still being supported by a very large existing vehicle base. An industry estimate put Pakistan’s fleet at around five million cars, 30 million motorcycles and 10 million rickshaws.

That matters because motorcycles and smaller cars are the backbone of daily transport in Pakistan. Even as electric two-wheelers are growing quickly, petrol bikes still dominate overall use.

Electric two-wheeler sales climbed to about 240,000 units in FY2025-26, up from around 60,000 in the year before. That is a sharp jump, but it still does not change the fact that most riders depend on petrol today.

For drivers, this means petrol stations will remain important for a long time. They are still the easier option for intercity travel, commercial use and routine fueling outside major city routes.

For readers tracking fuel costs and station trends, DrivePK has also covered Pakistan fuel prices and Punjab’s rule on EV charging stations at new petrol pumps.

What this means for buyers

For now, petrol car owners do not need to worry about stations disappearing soon. EV buyers, however, should check charger access on the routes they actually use, not just in city centres.

Motorcycle buyers face the clearest shift. Electric two-wheelers are growing fast, but petrol bikes still have wider support and easier refuelling.

Anyone choosing between petrol and electric should look at daily travel needs, charging access, service support, running costs and resale value before deciding.

Pakistan’s fuel future is unlikely to be all petrol or all electric in the near term. Both systems are growing side by side, and fuel retailers are clearly betting that this transition will take time.

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