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Domestic production of electric vehicles is seen at 10,000 for jeepneys and 100,000 tricycles in three years making the country a production hub for environment-friendly vehicles, the local industry said.
Rommel Juan, president of Electric Vehicle Association of the Philippines (EVAP), also said that at this production level the industry would have created 100,000 jobs, including workers of manufacturers, assemblers, drivers and operators.
Juan said this as he noted how the Philippine market has embraced e-vehicles for mass transport.
But Juan said this bullish projection was on the assumption that the industry goes full swing to replace the old and dilapidated jeepneys and motorcycles, which are among the major contributors of pollution.
At present, EVAP has 50 plus members of which about 10 are manufacturers and 15 suppliers.
According to Juan, the public utility vehicle is the first to embrace EV.
The PU potential is huge since there is about 3.5 million tricycles and 370,000 jeepneys that are plying the roads. Once government implements the 15-year limit to vehicles these PUs have to be replaced.
"When this happens, we will see more electric utility vehicles as they are more economical to operate and more people are considering cleaner and eco- friendly alternatives," Juan said.
Aside from being eco-friendly, EVs are cheaper and easier to maintain, quiet and can generate more jobs.
An e-bike costs between P20,000 to P80,000 as against P60,000 to P80,000 gas-fired:e-trikes at P250,000 to P450,000 as against P120,000 gas fired; and e-jeepneys between P750,000 to P1.2 million as against the existing jeepneys of P450,000.
There are also a number of EV initiatives, including the one with Asian Development Bank and the e-jeepney collaboration with the US government.
Although the rollout of the ADB project has been delayed, Juan said this has been instrumental in the promotion of EVs.
"The EV industry is still pushing forward without it. Many e-trike initiatives such as the KEA e-trikes in Bacoor and the EV Wealth Etrikebayan in Mandaluyong are all happening even without government or ADB funding," said Juan.
EVAP Executive Director Atty. Bodie Pulido says that Kea Motors, a pioneer e-trike manufacturer, recently launched a fleet of e-trikes and the very first commercial charging station in Bacoor, Cavite.
There are also three Japanese companies now offering e-trikes locally – Terra Motors, Prozza Hirose and Beet Philippines.
As opposed to other countries where flashy electric vehicles like the Tesla are fast becoming popular, it is the unheralded public transport sector that is generating excitement with electric vehicles.
Since the introduction of the Makati Green Route (MGR) by the Institute of Climate and Sustainable Cities and pioneer EV manufacturer PhUV Inc., there have been steady developments in many LGU and private enterprises on the use of electric jeepneys.
Already the Makati Green Route has utilized over 20 eJeepneys in the Legaspi and Salcedo Villages in Makati in ferrying office workers around the designated routes.
The eJeepneys used at the MGR are the first to ever receive the new orange LTO license plates for e-jeepneys.
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