The Electric Vehicles Association of the Philippines (eVAP) has urged the government and the public to support the use of electric vehicles (EVs) and promote their environmentally friendly benefits.

On DAILY TRIBUNE’S “Straight Talk” show on Wednesday, eVAP President Edmund Araga stressed the need for additional support for electric vehicles, such as e-jeepneys.

`Araga confirmed that only a few areas in the country had functioning e-jeepneys, which was part of the automotive industry’s evolution in public transport since 2008, supported by various suppliers.

“Unfortunately, it evolved from Makati to transfer to Alabang. Then, the operations of the jeeps are no longer seen,” he said.

“It was distributed and sourced from others. Like before, there is also Taft, in the La Salle area, that uses e-jeeps. There are units in Alabang, the Filinvest area, that’s it,” he added.

According to Araga, eVAP’s current efforts to launch EVs nationwide involve a collaboration with AFEVA, the ASEAN Federation of Electric Vehicle Associations. This partnership includes members from Malaysia, Thailand, Singapore, Laos, and Indonesia who are committed to promoting the rise of EVs in Asia.

The current number of electric vehicles (EVs) in public transportation under the Public Utility Vehicle Modernization Program (PUVMP) remains low, with only about three to five percent of electric vehicles represented among the overall cooperatives or transport operators in the e-jeepney modernization program.

“From the 80 percent that complied with the requirements of the LTFRB, maybe just a handful, maybe less than 300 or 400 [included EVs],” Araga said.

Despite the still-growing numbers of EVs in the country, the Land Transportation Office (LTO) recorded 2,557 registered EV units from January to June in 2023, a significant increase from the previous 1,072 registered units in 2022.

Electric Vehicle Act

Enacted on 15 April 2022, Republic Act 11697, or the Electric Vehicle Industry Development Act Philippines (EVIDA), is a law aimed at outlining an improved regulatory framework and comprehensive roadmap for EVs in response to the ever-increasing consumption of fuel and its prices.

Under the EVIDA law, the government has proposed the operation of electric vehicles (EVs) and is overseeing their overall “manufacture, assembly, importation, construction, installation, maintenance, trade, utilization, research and development, and regulation.”

This initiative comes as the country continues to grapple with the declining supply of fossil fuels on which many have relied.

The proposal to launch EVs in the country posed a great financial challenge for the association during its first establishment as the authorities and the public began questioning their basis, standards, and regulations.

“We will address this by cooperating and collaborating with the government programs established to create regulations. From there, we aim to gain the trust and confidence of consumers as a whole, as well as of investors, to ensure their protection,” Araga said.

During the deliberations on the EVIDA law, Araga said that the eVAP was a part of the technical working group during its development by providing inputs, technicalities, and information aided by their academe chapter.

After the law had been lobbied for more than 10 years and could not get past the third and second readings in the Senate, EVIDA reached the bicameral legislature under former President Rodrigo Duterte’s administration.

This enactment of the law gave the push for EVs as it helped “ignite the industry.” Araga said the law allowed potential buyers, investors, and manufacturers to slowly recognize the significance of EVs to the general public and the evolving automotive industry in the country.

“That’s the beauty of it. The effects are already visible; we have regulations in place that need to be followed. And this applies not only to consumers but also to government departments and other private stakeholders,” he said.

Araga reaffirmed their commitment to complying with all requirements of the electric vehicle law and expressed the hope of achieving their 2040 goal of converting all government vehicles to electric vehicles through their support and efforts, emphasizing that “implementation is key.”