EV uptake pushes targets higher

Driven by an unexpected surge in EV uptake that has surpassed last year’s full-year numbers, the Department of Energy (DOE) is now racing to finalize higher deployment targets, with the updated figures set for release by the first quarter of 2026.

Energy Director Patrick Aquino said in an interview that the agency is recalibrating its numbers after EV registrations from January to September reached over 41,000, equivalent to 4.7 percent of new vehicle registrations. The number already surpassed the 24,286 EVs registered for full-year 2024.

“We are expecting to revisit some of the numbers, meaning the vehicle registrations, allocations for electric vehicles including EV charging stations. We are expecting to revisit them. We're already at 1,260 charging points nationwide,” Aquino said.

Available EV charging points in the country include AC chargers, DC fast chargers, and battery-swapping stations—an infrastructure that continues to expand alongside rising EV adoption. Under the current roadmap, the government aims to deploy 312,000 EVs by 2028, a target that may soon be raised as momentum builds.

Aquino noted that they are “cautiously optimistic” that registrations could climb further, possibly reaching almost 50,000by the end of 2025. 

“So, we are cautiously optimistic that by the end of the year, we may reach almost 50,000 registered EVs… We're doing the midterm review of the comprehensive roadmap for the EV industry, those figures will come out, probably in the first quarter of 2026,” he said.

Beyond the midterm reset, the government’s long-term goal remains steep, targeting 50 percent EV adoption by 2040—equivalent to at least 2.45 million EVs and 20,400 charging stations nationwide.