Nepal, Sept. 15 -- The Rasuwagadi checkpoint that was damaged in last year's flood had just resumed being the main entry point for EV imports from China when it was hit by the massive debris flow on 26 August.

There is no count of the cars and vans that got washed off the road from the border down the Pasang Lhamu Highway that day.

Before the disaster struck, Kathmandu saw two back-to-back auto shows, the NAIMA and NADA fairs. They showcased an unprecedented number of electric vehicles across the two-, three-, four-wheeler and commercial segments.

If there was one unofficial slogan to emerge from the auto shows, it was: get more cars, pay less. In fact, there has never been a better time to buy a car in Nepal, or switch from an older ...