Environment-friendly initiatives, alternatives
Raymart B. Guinto
The Department of Science and Technology (DOST) has been pushing for environment-friendly initiatives and alternatives, and thus has launched a locally-made 23seater e-jeepney recently.
DOST officials believe that electrifying the country’s transportation sector is one of the ways to free citizens from the skyrocketing prices of fossil fuel and protect the environment.
The e-jeepneys were launched in coordination with the Electric Vehicle Association of the Philippines (EVAP), which studied and developed battery charging and swapping systems using lithium-ion batteries, as well as a workable operations template that involves fleet operations and the collection of daily loan amortization.
The e-jeepney, made by the engineers of EVAP, also features low-carbon electric vehicle technology and production standards. The research and development and prototyping of the vehicles was funded by the DOST for PHP4.9 million.
ToJo Motors has committed to adopt the technology and manufacture the 23-seater jeepney, and the DOST and EVAP are now calling on other manufacturers to be adopters of the project.
They are urging other players in the industry to work together in this journey towards energizing the transport sector for the successful adoption of the e-vehicles.
They are likewise calling on partners in government and in the private sector to come up with creative support mechanisms, like financing and leasing, so that manufacturing of the vehicle or its components could be more attractive for investors, and will eventually benefit the operators and drivers and the riding public.
Standardization of common parts and components are crucial to drive down costs, ensure safety and assure reliability, they added.
Meanwhile, they also acknowledged that the project would not be possible without the Filipino team assembling and supplying the e-vehicle parts and components.
Having the e-jeepney, they said, would help reduce the country's reliance on fossil fuels and improve the air quality in communities.
The author
is Teacher
--oOo-
III at Marcelo H. del Pilar National High School