Initial rollout of e-trikes needs $30-M investment

The winning bidder in the electric tricycles’ ( e- trike) initial rollout of 3,000 units will be investing US$30 million or an equivalent of more than 470,000 per e-trike unit.

This has been indicated by Bemac Electric Transportation Philippines, Inc., the local subsidiary of Japanese firm Uzushio Electric Co. of Japan, that has been declared the winning bidder in the preliminary joint e-trike program of the Department of Energy and the Asian Development Bank.

The company said “3,000 units of electric motor pow- ered tricycles or e- trikes are set to be deployed within the year.” The Japanese firm has its manufacturing base in Imabari City in Japan.

Fundamentally, this first batch of e- trike deployment will replace a fraction of the 3.5 million gasolinefueled tricycles plying through various routes in the country.

Bemac has noted that “after rounds of price negotiations, the final price was settled at around US$30 million for the production, delivery and servicing of 3,000 electric tricycles.”

According to Uzushio Electric president Masato Oda, “the company is very serious in its EV (electric vehicle) business in the country and is looking at possibilities of introducing more variants, including four-wheeled EVs.”

For Bemac, its vice president for operations, sales and marketing Yvonne Palomar Castro has emphasized that they are excited being the transport sector’s game-changer or “catalyst for change in helping resolve transportation problems and their associated impact to the environment.”

Castro said they are “committed to provide an EV technology and after- sales support system that will be the new benchmark in the local EV industry.”

Following the award of the initial 3,000 fleets, it has been the intent of the energy department to widen the base of e-trike deployment.

The higher- end target will be 100,000 e- trike units over five years that may culminate by year 2020.

This will still be underpinned by ADB’s funding support. (MMV)