Ideas and designs for homegrown electric vehicles may be germinating in the minds of young engineers who belong to Generation Z that the EV industry hopes to tap through a competition during a coming summit.

The Electric Vehicles Association of the Philippines (EVAP) will hold a three-day summit as part of its annual promotion of electric vehicles and technological advancements in the transportation industry.

In a “Straight Talk” interview on Wednesday, EVAP president Edmund Araga said the summit will feature discussions on sectoral developments, regulations, and policies.

On the third day, a design contest will be held that will be open to senior high school and college students. Participants must submit their electric tricycle designs to EVAP by 10 October.

“(Our target) are universities that would like their students to be involved in this event and for them to be like, ‘hey, we already have this technology,’” Araga said.

“Because of our direction, to sustain the industry we have to come up and address the issues and concerns of future leaders,” he added.

Through the contest, EVAP aims to promote eco-friendly transportation and sustainable mobility in the country while allowing students to contribute their insights with their designs.

The summit will be held in collaboration with EVAP’s co-sponsors and co-presenters, which include BYD Automotive Co., Dongfang Electric Corp., Diamond Motors, Hyundai, VinFast Auto and Nissan.

The 12th Philippine Electric Vehicle Summit will take place from 24 to 26 October at the SMX Convention Center, MoA Complex, Pasay City, with the theme “Spark the Change, Drive Electric.”

Push for sustainable mobility

Araga said that despite criticism of the sustainability of EVs, electric vehicles could become an adaptable form of public transportation in the long run.

With 90 percent of the fuel for land-based vehicles being imported, Araga said alternative and renewable energy sources other than electricity, such as solar and wind, could power sustainable vehicles and thus lessen the country’s dependency on imported oil.

He said that during the Covid pandemic, there was a significant demand in the market for electric cars.

Araga referred to reports in 2020 which noted a sizable reduction in air pollution levels with the implementation of Covid lockdowns, or Enhanced Community Quarantine, particularly in Metro Manila.

The decrease in vehicular traffic reduced pollution as 80 percent of the pollution comes from motor vehicle emissions, based on Department of Environment and Natural Resources data.

“So it makes sense not only for the government but also for the individual user like me. I can save in terms of gas consumption,” he said, “Those are the benefits that each and every Filipino does not realize yet.”

The fully rechargeable battery feature sets the EVs apart from the fuel-powered motor vehicles people are accustomed to.

Aside from its ability to be charged at home, some major malls and gas stations like Shell and UniOil have put up charging stations.

Battery life extension main goal

An EV battery, Araga said, operates under the same principle as a mobile phone.

E-trikes powered by lead acid batteries, for example, can last up to 360 cycles or one year. With a currently limited cycle time, EVAP is looking into improving and extending a battery’s cycle by using lithium.

Under Republic Act 11697, or the Electric Vehicle Industry Development Act Philippines, which was enacted into law on 15 April 2022, a subsidy for EVs will be linked to public transportation funding and non-fiscal incentives such as an exemption from the number coding scheme for six years.

Asian countries like Thailand and Indonesia are frontrunners in developing an electric vehicle market.

China leads globally with the most electric vehicles and EV brands launched and as the major components and parts supplier.

Araga said the association is awaiting President Ferdinand Marcos Jr.’s draft approval of their program’s strategies. The association will hopefully release the EV mechanics and provisions in the current quarter.