E-vehicles pushed to replace jeeps, tricycles

The Electric Vehicle Association of the Philippines has called on transport groups and the government to consider electric vehicles (EVs) as a viable replacement for jeepneys and tricycles under a public transport modernization program.

“The EV industry is now ready to cater to the local public transport market. Its members now have the technology and facilities to supply the local public transport sector with cleaner and more modern versions of the jeepneys and tricycles known as the e-jeepneys and the e-trikes,” Evap president Rommel Juan said in a statement.

According to Juan, e-jeepneys have been running in Makati since 2008 under its Makati Green Route project. They can also be seen plying routes within or near Filinvest City in Alabang, Ateneo de Manila University, De La Salle University and Manila Electric Co. compound in Ortigas. E-trikes are also operating in many areas in Metro Manila, including Quezon City, Mandaluyong City and within the University of the Philippines Diliman campus as well as in Bacoor in Cavite and Boracay, Aklan.

Evap executive director Bodie Pulido has assured interested companies and individuals that the group would lend its support to those who would help in the promotion and massive use of these EVs.

“We will connect you with our members. Our main vision is to promote the use of EVs in the Philippines since we believe that this is possibly one of the better ways to modernize our public transport system. We have found out that it is cheaper for operators to use electric vehicles than regular internal combustion engine vehicles because of the lower power cost and less maintenance,” Pulido said.

“However, funding is now a major impediment. We need funders to come in to finance the initial equity needed by the bank to finance a fleet of EVs. And we also need fund managers to help us make creative schemes to get funding for these EV projects,” he added.

He said the EV industry needed the support of the government through the passage of the Alternative Fuel Vehicles Incentives Bill as this outlined fiscal and non-fiscal incentives that help EV players based in the Philippines compete with their counterparts in the region.

“Many foreign players are now in the country because they have identified the Philippines as possibly the best place to develop the EV industry and maybe make it the EV manufacturing hub in the region. Companies from Japan, Taiwan, South Korea, China, Turkey, Australia and the USA have been coordinating with Evap to establish possible joint ventures with Evap members and set up local operations,” Pulido added.