Driven by the aim of convincing the transportation industry that clean, electric-powered vehicles are viable and commercially-competitive alternatives to internal combustion engine vehicles, especially this Clean Air month, top electric vehicle proponents will stage the 1st Philippine Electric Vehicle Summit to assess the country’s EV sector, the consumers’ readiness to adopt EV technology and to explore the best ways to develop the domestic EV industry.
Indeed, this is good news, especially to the ailing mother Earth.
Atty. Gia Ibay, WWF Climate Change and Energy Programme Head says that:
“A switch to electric vehicles will significantly improve air quality in Philippine towns and cities, as electric vehicles have zero tail-pipe emissions. Electric motors are also much more efficient than internal combustion engines, generating less heat and providing more propulsion.”
Ferdinand Raquelsantos, President of PhUV Inc., the business arm of MVPMAP and a local assembler of electric jeepneys, says the summit theme summarizes the organizer’s goals. “The summit expects to be able to formulate a road map for the EV industry for at least the next five years. We have to be ready with the solutions to overcome the current technical hurdles and with the needed infrastructure to enable us to nurture the domestic EV market.”
"A diesel-powered Jeepney and a new-generation e-Jeepney roll side by side along Ayala Avenue in Makati City. The Summit aims to usher in a new dawn for the Philippine transportation industry." (right photo)
A fleet of e-Jeepneys now ply Makati’s Green Routes under iCSC’s Climate friendly Cities Program, transporting office workers for free in Makati City, the country’s financial district, through the Legazpi and Salcedo Village routes. This makes the e-Jeepney probably the first EV to be used for mass transport applications not only in the Philippines but in Southeast Asia as well.
Further, the e-Jeepney “Puts into practice a sustainable transportation solution,” according to Nobel Prize winning scientist Dr. Daniel M. Kammen who reviewed a variety of low-carbon, sustainable energy technologies and practices featured in Discovery Channel’s Ecopolis, including the e-Jeepney. He indicated that the e-Jeepney would effectively reduce carbon dioxide emissions by 80% if everyone would take the public transport.
This early, they are developing the infrastructure needed such as either battery swapping or charging stations in malls, supermarkets and private and public parking lots. The US currently has around 500 electric vehicle charging stations. This number is expected to increase up to 20,000 by 2012.
However, consumer adoption of the EV technology can be a problem. A study shows that EVs are more expensive than conventional cars, and many people are still not ready to pay more for a ‘green’ car. According to a recent Financial Times survey, 65% of Americans and 76% of Britons are not yet willing to pay more for an electric car above the price of a gasoline car.
Sales forecasts are therefore tempered. The global electric vehicle sales is predicted to grow to only 2.7 million cars by 2015, with around 885,000 located in North America and around 780,000 in Europe.
On the other hand, EVs have an average efficiency of 80%, which is much better compared to conventional gasoline engines that can effectively use only about 15% of the fuel energy content, and diesel engines are not much better either as they can achieve efficiency of around 20%.
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| First Philippine Electric Vehicle Summit |
A few days before an upcoming Philippine holiday, the First Philippine Electric Vehicle summit will cover domestic scene to be tackled by resource persons such as Jose Maria Lorenzo Tan of WWF, Ferdi Raquelsantos of MVPMAP, Red Constantino of iCSC, Bert Fabian of CAI Asia Center, Makati Mayor Junjun Binay, Puerto Princesa Mayor Edward Hagedorn, Dr. Manny Biona of Don Bosco, Dr. Jose Regin Regidor of UP NCTS, DOTC Undersecretary Aristotle Batuhan, DOTC Assistant Secretary George Esguerra, Jon Croeni of Eonlux Singapore and representatives from Motolite, the Board of Investments, the Department of Energy, the House Committee on Transportation and the Senate’s COMSTE.
Sources and for more information:
Atty. Gia Consuelo IbayWith the help and cooperation of manufacturers, battery and other parts suppliers, NGOs, LGUs, the government led by DOTC, the academe, advocates of environmental protection, the private sector led by Motolite and Meralco Energy Inc. (a Meralco subsidiary), and various stakeholders within the EV industry, the First Philippine Electric Vehicle Summit can help the domestic EV industry is ready for a take-off.
Climate Change and Energy Programme Head
WWF-Philippines
gibay@wwf.org.ph
Gregg Yan
Information, Education and Communications Officer
WWF-Philippines
gyan@wwf.org.ph
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