LEADING THE CHARGE TO AN ELECTRIC FUTURE
ELECTRIC vehicles (EVs) have long crossed the divide of the conceptual to mass-production reality, but there remains a number of challenges to their adoption — from high cost to lack of charging stations. It thus has been a constant and loud refrain in markets like ours that a multi-sectoral push is needed to realize a more conducive environment for EVs.
Appropriately focused on the fostering of partnerships “to electrify public and private transport,” the 6th Philippine Electric Vehicle Summit was held recently in Pasay City. In a statement, Electric Vehicle Association of the Philippines (EVAP) President and spokesperson Rommel T. Juan said the twoday event is “all about building partnerships, aligning objectives, and taking collective action to facilitate further adoption of electric vehicles in the country.”
A presentation by Paulo Jose Mutuc, Frost & Sullivan mobility practice senior consultant for Asia Pacific, showed global resurgence of electric vehicles has been helped along by declining cost of EV batteries, which have slid below the $200 mark. Last year, global electric car sales surpassed one million units for the first time — reaching 1.2 million “with battery electric vehicles making up the majority of sales.” EVAP projects this number to rise to 1.6 million units by the end of 2018, with public charging stations estimated to reach 100,000.
Here in the country, some 1,400 e- jeepneys and e- trikes ply the roads in 19 locations, according to the Department of Trade and Industry’s Board of Investments. Not surprisingly, the “known” charging stations are also in these locations. EVAP envisions to have 200 of these in place by 2022.
Mr. Mutuc benchmarked five countries — Thailand, Singapore, Malaysia, India, and Japan — with a more mature EV scene than our own. These are “developing domestic EV markets but interestingly enough are already looking into exports… [whether of vehicles or technology].”