The rapid and largely unregulated expansion of battery-run rickshaws and vans is placing growing pressure on Bangladesh’s electricity system, raising concerns over energy security, subsidies, and grid stability.
Experts estimate that more than 10 million battery-powered vehicles are currently operating across the country, most of them unregistered. With each vehicle consuming around 4–6 units of electricity daily, the sector is estimated to use nearly 40–50 million units of electricity every day, costing over Tk10,000 crore annually.
Energy analysts say a large portion of this power consumption remains outside official monitoring, as many vehicles are charged through residential connections or illegal power hookups.
In Dhaka alone, authorities estimate that thousands of unauthorized charging points are operating, contributing to system losses, transformer overloads, voltage drops, and localized blackouts.
Experts also warn that the widespread use of inefficient lead-acid batteries and low-quality chargers wastes significant electricity and increases dependence on costly fuel-based power generation.
