Nissan, Mitsubishi headline Electric Vehicle Summit

Sister Japanese car-brands Nissan Philippines Inc. and Mitsubishi Motors Philippines Corp. were the main stars of the just concluded Electric Vehicle Summit this week at the SMX Convention Center in Pasay City.

Nissan presented the Leaf, one of the best selling electric cars in the world and also one of the most advanced in this technology. Powered by an electric motor that can throw out as much as 150horsepower, the Leaf can be charged in the comfort of your homes.

Dax Avenido, NPI assistant general manager, told the Daily Tribune they are planning to fast track the introduction of the Leaf into the country by installing the necessary charging infrastructure in urban centers like Metro Manila.

“We have asked the pertinent government agencies to help us, assist us in putting up the required charging stations in big cities so that the entry of the Leaf can be more viable,” Avenido said.

The Leaf can run over 100 miles on a single charge, more than the necessary distance a regular motorist in Metro Manila requires for daily travel. Avenido also says the Leaf only eats up battery charge when running and the motor stops functioning when the car stops.

Meanwhile, Mitsubishi had its Outlander PHEV on display right beside the Nissan Leaf. The Outlander plug-in-hybrid-electric-vehicle is powered by a 2.0 liter gas engine and two battery driven electric motors situated at the front and rear.

The Outlander PHEV is the most popular hybrid engine in the UK and accounts for about 50 percent of the EV’s driven in the region.

The Electric Vehicle Summit is an annual event organized by the Electric Vehicle Association of the Philippines help of the Department of Transportation.

Its current president, Rommel Juan, expressed optimism the recently enacted Tax Reform for Acceleration and Inclusion Law exempting electric vehicles from the excise tax, due in part to EV stakeholders’ representation with Congress, would pave the way for more affordable EV models and increased investments in supporting infrastructure which will help sustain the momentum for electric mobility.

According to Juan, “The Department of Transportation’s Public Utility Vehicle Modernization Program is in full swing, targeting to upgrade some 200,000 public utility jeepneys during the next six years, about 10 percent of which will be electric. This is getting a lot of help from the Land Transportation Franchising and Regulatory Board, the Land Transportation Office and the Office of Transport Cooperatives.”