The founder and CEO of Mober, the country’s first green logistics firm, is urging the government and private banks to provide financing for independent commercial electric vehicle (EV) players and major e-vehicle logistics providers.

As EVs are seen as the future of Philippine mobility, Dennis Ng, Mober’s founder and CEO, emphasized that greater financial support is needed to achieve net-zero emissions.

“We have tried getting loans from sovereign banks (LandBank and Philippine National Bank). Unfortunately, they are not yet ready to finance commercial EV-players,” Ng said during the launch of Mober's Central Charge, the country’s largest commercial EV charging hub, on Monday.

Ng revealed that each Mober EV truck costs P1.8 million, while setting up a dedicated charging hub, such as the Pasay Central Charge, requires P14 million. Of this amount, P10 million goes toward electrical infrastructure, while the rest covers hardware charging equipment, rent, and other operational costs.

The 3,000-square-meter Pasay Central Charging hub can accommodate 62 of Mober’s more than 200 EV trucks at the same time.

“The challenge for us, even if we raised a lot of money, is still financing. The first bank that trusted us was BDO, making us buy around 70 EV units. But if our requirement is 500 trucks, then we have to find other sources. I hope some financial institutions would help Filipino EV brands with regards to funding,” Ng told reporters.

“We have to invest in our electrical transformers and cables. Our transformers are 2 kilovolts. Transitioning to EV is not easy,” he added.

In January 2024, BDO Unibank, Inc. and Mober secured a landmark agreement to fund the acquisition of 60 new EV trucks. Currently, Mober operates around 200 EV units. Additionally, Mober secured a $6 million blended investment from the Southeast Asia Clean Energy Facility II (SEACEF II), managed by Singapore-based Clime Capital, which supports businesses transitioning to clean energy and low-carbon solutions.

Expansion plans

Following the Pasay Central Charge hub, Mober is planning to build similar hubs in Bulacan or Pampanga in the North and Laguna in the South, where many manufacturing firms and warehouses are located.

“The funding for the Northern and Southern charging hubs in those areas is massive. We are acquiring 6,000 to 10,000 square meters of properties, not like here in Pasay, that are being leased for five years. So, it means the investment will be twice,” Ng explained.

The company aims to complete the Southern charging hub by the end of this year. If financing aligns with their plans, Mober is targeting 500 EV trucks by the end of 2025 and 1,600 EV trucks within the next four years.

Mober currently serves blue-chip clients, including IKEA, Nestlé, Maersk, Monde Nissin, Starbucks, and Kuehne+Nagel, offering sustainable logistics solutions aligned with global net-zero commitments.