E-vehicle sales continue to grow

Despite challenges, electricity vehicle (EV) adoption and sales will continue to expand, supported by enabling policies as well as various ongoing public and private initiatives, officials said during the 6th Philippine Electric Vehicle Summit yesterday.

The Electric Vehicle Association of the Philippines (EVAP) expects momentum for EV sales to continue following the support to the motor vehicles under the Tax Reform for Acceleration and Inclusion (TRAIN) Law.

Under the TRAIN Law, EVs are exempted from the higher excise tax.

“This would pave the way for more affordable EV models and increased investments in supporting infrastructure which will help sustain the momentum for electric mobility,” EVAP president and spokesperson Rommel Juan said.

The tax exemption will also drive expansion of the EV market not only in cities but also in the countryside, Department of Energy (DOE) Secretary Alfonso Cusi said in a speech read by DOE Undersecretary Felix William Fuentebella.

“We are looking at the local auto industry to be part of the EV development. And with the passage of the TRAIN Law which gives incentives to EVs, the penetration of these vehicles to the Philippine market will surely be evident,” he said.

To spur EV adoption, the DOE has committed to develop alternative fuels as well as to reduce energy consumption through improved energy efficiency, consistent with its goal to reduce the country’s oil dependence.

“The DOE has been working on initiatives that will support the EV program, as well as multi-sectoral reform that will aid in the vision of having a greener form of transport in the Philippines. We have also established the Alternative Fuels and Energy Technology Roadmap which aims to address the country’s immediate and long-term needs in support of government initiatives like the EV Program,” Cusi said.

The agency is also working with the Department of Transportation (DOTr) in the implementation of the Public Utility Vehicle (PUV) modernzation program, which aims to transform the country’s public transport sector into a more efficient and cleaner medium of transportation.

The DOTr program intends to upgrade some 200,000 public utility jeepneys (PUJs) in the next six years, of which 10 percent will be EVs, Juan said.