9TH PH ELECTRIC VEHICLE SUMMIT GEARS UP TO HELP ACCELERATE NATION’S SWITCH TO ELECTRO-MOBILITY
TWO-DAY SUMMIT IS ALL SET ON SEPT. 23 AND 24
The Electric Vehicle Association of the Philippines (EVAP) is all set to stage the 9th Philippine Electric Vehicle Summit (PEVS) on Sept. 23 and 24. The two-day annual conference will still be facilitated online in partnership with the Manila Electric Company (Meralco) and the Department of Energy (DoE).
With the theme ‘Accelerating the Switch to Electro-Mobility in the Philippines,’ the second online edition of PEVS during the new normal will focus on fast-tracking electric vehicle (EV) adoption in the local transport sector in line with the government’s medium-term goal of attaining a low-carbon economy.
“We need to step up our efforts to achieve our goals for rapid EV deployment and to do this, government and private sectors need to collectively reaffirm their commitment to do so,” said EVAP President Edmund Araga. “This year, we are convening key stakeholders from the public and private sectors as well as the civil society to discuss policy issues and solutions in accelerating the adoption of electro-mobility in the country.”
Speeding up the switch
For EVAP, the transformation of the local transportation sector to electro-mobility is “very slow compared to our ASEAN neighbors like Thailand and Singapore.” Among the indications of this pace is the dismal modernization of public jeepneys into environmentally-friendly vehicles. As of June 2020, the Department of Transportation reported that only 18,000 jeepneys across the country have been modernized—out of over 200,000 registered public jeepneys.
“Accelerating the switch to electro-mobility can only take place with synergies of the government providing the enabling policy environment and infrastructure combined with the eager participation from the private sector in innovating electric vehicle technology solutions, facilitating technology transfer, and offering financing options. For its part, the civil society can help educate consumers about the benefits of e-mobility,” Araga added.
Two-day conference highlights
Day 1 of the online conference will focus on policy
dialogues about technologies and solutions. Opening the 9th PEVS are keynote messages by the leaders in the public and private sectors including Rep. Juan Miguel Macapagal-Arroyo, House Committee on Energy Chairman; DOE Secretary Alfonso Cusi; and Sen. Sherwin T. Gatchalian, Senate Committee on Energy Chairman, who is pushing for the passage of a Senate Bill to create an Electric Vehicle Roadmap under the Philippine Energy Plan.
Aside from the symbolic reaffirmation of EV transition commitment, the first day will also mount sectoral policy dialogues. The discussions will include proposed policies for the EV Roadmap, setting of regulations, research and innovation initiatives, and traction system technology adoption.
Day 2 will tackle EV value chain development and market opportunities. The sessions will include discussions about manufacturing of electric vehicles and batteries, establishment of charging network and infrastructure, and viable business models.
The 9th PEVS is also supported by its major sponsor, Nissan Philippines with other sponsors—Mitsubishi Motors Philippines, Power Equipment and Supply, Inc. (PESIN), Integrated Micro-Electronics, Inc. (MI), and Delta Electronics International (Singapore) Pte Ltd.
Registration to the 9th PEVS is still ongoing through www.evap.com.ph.