Nepal's vehicle market in numbers: FY 2025/26 imports explained

Nepal imported 15,806 cars, jeeps and vans in FY 2025/26, 10.8% fewer than the year before; electric models fell by a fifth to 10,847 but were still about 69% of the total. Two-wheeler imports reached 249,665 in just the first 11 months, already more than the whole previous year.

Nepal does not publish monthly new-vehicle sales figures the way many countries do. The closest thing we have is customs import data: every car, motorcycle and assembly kit that crosses the border is counted by the Department of Customs. Because almost every vehicle sold here is imported, import numbers are a good guide to what the market is buying.

This article explains the figures for FY 2025/26 (Nepali fiscal year 2082/83, which ran from mid-July 2025 to mid-July 2026). Full-year figures for cars, jeeps and vans were reported in late July 2026. For motorcycles and scooters, the latest figures we could confirm cover the first 11 months of the year (to mid-June 2026). We could not open the Customs website directly while researching, so the figures below come from news reports of the Customs data, with each source named. Where sources disagree, we say so.

The headline numbers

Source: Himal Press report of Customs data, 24 July 2026. Electric and petrol/diesel figures add up to the reported total.

Sources: Himal Press, citing Department of Customs data, 23 June 2026 (FY 2025/26); The Kathmandu Post, 28 July 2025 (FY 2024/25). The two outlets may count categories differently, so treat the comparison as approximate.

Three things stand out: fewer cars came in overall, electric cars took the biggest hit, and two-wheeler imports in just 11 months were already well above the previous full year.

Electric, FY 2024/2513,578 units

Electric, FY 2025/2610,847 units

Petrol and diesel, FY 2024/254,142 units

Petrol and diesel, FY 2025/264,959 units

Cars, jeeps and vans imported, by powertrain (units)

Electric, FY 2024/25	13,578 units
Electric, FY 2025/26	10,847 units
Petrol and diesel, FY 2024/25	4,142 units
Petrol and diesel, FY 2025/26	4,959 units

Source: Himal Press report of Department of Customs data, 24 July 2026

Cars, jeeps and vans

Electric cars fell, petrol and diesel cars recovered

Electric models still made up most car imports: 10,847 of 15,806, or about 69%. But that share was lower than the year before, when EVs were 13,578 of 17,720, about 77% by our arithmetic.

Petrol and diesel cars went the other way, rising by 817 units to 4,959.

Why the drop in EVs? Reports point to two things:

• Stock built up before budgets. Importers often rush to clear vehicles at customs before a budget in case taxes rise. The Kathmandu Post reported that more than 1,050 EVs were cleared and stored at Chobhar Dry Port before the FY 2025/26 budget, and that many stayed parked for months after taxes were left unchanged. Stock like that can be sold for months without new imports.
• EV tax changes. The FY 2026/27 budget, presented on 29 May 2026, changed how EVs are taxed, and importers time their shipments around budgets. EVs are now taxed on their import value instead of their motor power. Our guide to Nepal's FY 2026/27 EV tax changes explains what that means for prices.

The pre-budget rush happened again in 2026: The Kathmandu Post reported that 649 EVs were cleared through customs on 26 and 27 May alone, just before the budget, and that authorities later seized 776 EVs over suspicion of a tax leak. Rushes like this move imports between months and years, so one year's figure can look stronger or weaker than real demand.

Value and tax collected

Source: Himal Press, 24 July 2026.

Dividing the EV import value by the number of units gives an average of about Rs 23.6 lakh per electric car at the border. That is the declared import value before Nepali taxes, dealer costs and margin, so it is much lower than a typical showroom price. Browse the EV price list to see what these cars actually sell for.

Which EVs: power bands

Until the 2026 budget, EV tax depended on peak motor power, so Customs reports EV imports by kilowatt band. For FY 2025/26:

Source: Himal Press, 24 July 2026.

Up to 50 kW3,680 units

51–100 kW6,357 units

101–200 kW798 units

Above 200 kW10 units

Unassembled, up to 50 kW2 units

Electric car, jeep and van imports by motor power, FY 2025/26 (units)

Up to 50 kW	3,680 units
51–100 kW	6,357 units
101–200 kW	798 units
Above 200 kW	10 units
Unassembled, up to 50 kW	2 units

Source: Himal Press report of Department of Customs data, 24 July 2026

The 51–100 kW band, which covers many mainstream electric SUVs and hatchbacks, made up well over half of imports. On origin, The Rising Nepal reported that in the first seven months, 71% of electric four-wheelers came from China, followed by India and Thailand.

A note on conflicting figures

Import figures for the previous year differ between sources. Himal Press puts FY 2024/25 electric car, jeep and van imports at 13,578 units, and The Rising Nepal at 13,569. The Kathmandu Post, in July 2025, reported 16,701 EVs out of 22,907 four-wheelers, a 73% share. The difference most likely comes from which customs categories each outlet counts (for example, whether vans, microbuses or kits are included). We use the Himal Press series here because it gives both years on the same basis.

Motorcycles and scooters

Two-wheelers are the bigger market by far. We could not confirm full-year FY 2025/26 figures from an official source or a general news outlet, so this section uses the first 11 months (mid-July 2025 to mid-June 2026). According to Himal Press, citing Customs data:

• 249,665 motorcycles and scooters worth Rs 32.19 billion were imported in those 11 months.
• 227,941 were petrol-powered and 21,724 were electric, so electric models were about 9% of two-wheeler imports.
• Of the petrol models, 206,247 arrived as kits for assembly in Nepal (CKD, short for completely knocked down; see the glossary) and 21,694 arrived fully built. That is about 90% as kits, by our arithmetic.
• Petrol two-wheelers brought in Rs 28.93 billion in government revenue, and electric ones Rs 811.23 million.

• Petrol 91.3%
• Electric 8.7%

Two-wheeler imports by fuel, first 11 months of FY 2025/26

Petrol	2,27,941 units
Electric	21,724 units

Source: Himal Press, citing Department of Customs data, 23 June 2026

On average that is about Rs 1.3 lakh of import value per two-wheeler, again before taxes and dealer margin.

For comparison, The Kathmandu Post reported 55,930 assembled and 146,022 unassembled motorcycles imported in the whole of FY 2024/25, which adds up to 201,952. The 11-month figure for FY 2025/26 is already about 24% higher, by our arithmetic.

Electric two-wheelers are still a small slice, but growing. The Kathmandu Post reported 11,320 electric two-wheelers imported in FY 2024/25, so the 21,724 in the first 11 months of FY 2025/26 is nearly double. The two figures come from different outlets, so the comparison is approximate. If you are weighing the two options, read petrol vs electric two-wheelers and browse the electric scooter price list.

What happened next: the start of FY 2026/27

The first month of the new fiscal year (Saun 2083, mid-July to mid-August 2026) shows how quickly things can move. Ratopati reported 987 cars, jeeps and vans imported, up from 797 a year earlier. Of these, 689 were electric, compared with 160 in the same month a year before. The rest were 219 petrol, 56 diesel and 23 plug-in hybrid vehicles. Two-wheeler imports fell to 27,806 from 30,087, but electric two-wheelers reached a monthly record of 5,174, about 19% of the total. One month is too short to call a trend, especially straight after a budget that changed EV taxes, but it is a reminder that annual totals hide large swings.

What these numbers do and do not tell you

• Imports are not sales. A car imported in June may be sold in October. Stockpiling before budgets shifts numbers between years.
• Kits and complete vehicles are counted differently. Most two-wheelers now arrive as kits for local assembly.
• Units are not value. A fall in units can come with a rise in value if buyers shift to pricier models.
• Definitions vary between reports. Always check whether a figure covers cars only, or includes vans, microbuses, buses or three-wheelers.

Key takeaways

1. Car, jeep and van imports fell about 11% in FY 2025/26, to 15,806 units.
2. Electric cars were still about 69% of car imports, but their numbers fell by a fifth.
3. Petrol and diesel car imports rose about 20%.
4. In the first 11 months alone, 249,665 two-wheelers were imported, already more than the whole previous year, with electric models about 9%.
5. Budget timing and tax changes have a big effect on when vehicles are imported.

To see what is on sale now and at what price, start with our car price list and bike price list, or compare models in the compare tool.