The Department of Science and Technology (DOST) on Thursday launched the country’s locally developed electric tranvia (e-Tranvia) in Intramuros, Manila, as part of efforts to promote cleaner transport alternatives amid rising fuel prices.

Unveiled at the Centro de Turismo, the 18-seater electric vehicle will serve tourists visiting historical sites within the walled city.

The e-Tranvia features a heavy-duty steel chassis, a specialized suspension system, and lightweight abaca-glass fiber composite body panels. Its structure was refined using 3D CAD modeling and finite element analysis, while its 96V DC, 10-kW electric powertrain was designed based on real-world driving conditions to ensure efficiency and performance.

DOST said the project is part of a broader push to develop sustainable transport systems that can be deployed in other heritage and tourism areas.

Push for renewable-powered transport

DOST Secretary Renato Solidum Jr. said the initiative is timely as the country faces potential risks in oil supply due to tensions in the Middle East.

"Because there is a risk of losing the supply of oil to vehicles, we need to rely on renewable energy as well. That's why the charging that we do, with direct conversion to electricity, is solar. And as you can see, it's usually hot here in our country," Solidum said.

"So, aside from the first source of money to buy vehicles, the second source of money to buy vehicles is charging stations. The power and energy that we buy is solar. That's what we can really save. And we rely mostly on oil, which is coming mostly from the Middle East," he added.

Solidum said DOST is also developing an electric boat for tourism use in selected provinces and expressed confidence in scaling up production.

"We are very confident that once there are companies that are interested to mass produce the various vehicles that we already prototyped, more of our countrymen will benefit," he said.

"And while more people want it, it will be cheaper, and if more people want it, the vehicles will be cheaper. We are confident that we have researchers and, of course, people from the government are really pushing for it," he added.

The DOST chief also underscored the environmental and economic benefits of electric vehicles.

"Converting to electric versus using diesel protects the environment and protects the people. The health effect of pollutants while riding it on the road," Solidum said.

"Second is on the cost of running an electric vehicle versus a diesel vehicle. That is why it is easier to convince people now because of what is happening in the Middle East," he added.

He also urged local government units to adopt electric shuttle systems for employees to reduce costs and emissions.

Free rides, tourism boost

Intramuros Administration Administrator Atty. Joan Padilla said the e-Tranvia will initially offer free rides to visitors while global fuel concerns persist.

"We will provide free rides to our tourists so that they can also experience what we experienced earlier during the rolling guided tour," Padilla said.

"So it's not just a free ride, it has a tourism and educational component because our tourism officer is included in the free ride who will provide historical data to the places you will visit here in Intramuros. This is our first unit of e-Tranvia. And I hope the budget will be released so that we can have three additional units of e-Tranvia, so that our tourists and stakeholders in Intramuros can benefit from a diesel-powered Tranvia to an electric Tranvia that is more friendly to our environment. And also, the operational cost will be less compared to using diesel," she added.

Padilla said tourist arrivals in Intramuros have already surpassed pre-pandemic levels.

"In 2019, there were only 3.3 million visitor arrivals in Intramuros. But last year, we already had 7.1 million visitor arrivals," she said.

Support for displaced workers

Padilla said the agency is preparing support programs for pedicab drivers who may be affected by the transition to electric transport.

"Actually, we have a plan for our pedicab community. We are already in the stage of profiling. Meaning, we are getting their names and other data. We really plan to improve the pedicab system here. I don't know if you are familiar with Bambike, but they have bamboo pedicabs," she said.

"Because their facilities and the pedicabs they use are a bit eyesore. We also want to help them. Like our help to vendors, we were able to provide new food stalls in collaboration with the Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE). We will also bring them closer to DOLE so that the pedicab community can upgrade their pedicabs. We hope that they will have bamboo pedicabs," she added.

Padilla also encouraged Filipinos, particularly the youth, to visit Intramuros and experience history firsthand.

"Don't just read books. It's better to experience the history. Go to Intramuros to experience it," she said.

"As we said, explore, experience, love Intramuros," she added.