MANILA, Aug. 15 — The major players in the electric vehicle industry have expressed their full support for the initiative of Metro Manila Development Authority (MMDA) Chairman Francis Tolentino to exempt electric vehicles from the Unified Vehicular Volume Reduction Program (UVVRP) or the number coding scheme in the metropolis.
Rommel Juan, president of the newly-organized Electric Vehicle Association of the Philippines (eVAP), said that the MMDA policy being drafted would go a long way towards helping the growth of the electric vehicle industry in the country.
“The EV industry is still in its infancy stage and this MMDA initiative is a major first step that could result in a giant leap. It is an incentive that we hope will cover not only eBuses but all electric vehicles as well, from eBikes to eScooters to eTrikes to eQuads to the now-popular and tested eJeepneys. Electric buses, on the other hand, are now widely used in China and England. Chairman Tolentino is therefore on the right track and we commend him for it,” he said.
eVAP brings together under its fold all the major players in the EV industry, including the manufacturers, assemblers, dealers, parts suppliers, academe, non-governmental organizations (NGOs), enthusiasts and advocates of electric vehicles. It aims to educate the public on environmental awareness and to accelerate the country’s conversion from using gas-powered vehicles to electric vehicles.
On the other hand, Ferdi Raquelsantos, president of electric jeepney maker PhUV Inc., said that the MMDA initiative is welcome news.
“The eJeepney blazed the trail for EVs in the Philippines. Its use has grown since we introduced it two years ago. It has proven to be more economical to run and less expensive to maintain. There is no cooling system, no exhaust system, no fuel system, no engine, thus there is no harmful exhaust fumes to contend with. This will surely help improve air quality not only in Metro Manila but in any locality where it operates," Raquelsantos said.
"We are hopeful Chairman Tolentino will extend to the eJeepneys and all EVs the proposed exemption from number coding,” he added.
PhUV Inc. is the business arm of the Motor Vehicle Parts Manufacturers Association of the Philippines (MVPMAP) and supplies the numerous electric jeepneys now plying the Makati Green Route (MGR) in its Salcedo and Legazpi Village loops. It is the only eJeepney that can be registered with the Land Transportation Office (LTO) and be given its unique orange plate.
It also supplies the eJeepneys for the Quezon City government’s "Hatirang Bayan" program, the House of Representatives, the Puerto Princesa local government unit (LGU), Plantation Bay in Cebu, De La Salle University- Dasmarinas, Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas, among others.
“There is also no noise pollution. In fact, as proof, the MGR program in the densely-populated and chic Makati City is probably the first and most successful use of EVs for mass transport in Asia,” Raquelsantos said.
Earlier, the MMDA urged public utility bus (PUB) and taxi cab operators to invest in E-buses and E-cars, saying the agency would exempt such units from the Unified Vehicular Volume Reduction Program.
Tolentino said that bus and taxi operators should invest on such vehicles instead of buying second-hand units from Japan and South Korea which, he said, cost more in term of maintenance as well as adding pollutants to the air in Metro Manila.
“If we have this E-buses and E-cars as public transport, we are prepared to exempt them from the UVVRP. Aside from being cost-saver for using petroleum products, it is also environment-friendly and it lessens air pollution in Metro Manila,” said Tolentino, who is also an environment lawyer.
Authorities said studies have shown that every liter of diesel avoided results in a reduction of 3,140 grams of CO2 (carbon dioxide) and 16 grams of NOx (nitrous oxide) released to the atmosphere.
At excessive levels, the emissions contribute to climate change, which has recently been blamed for the extreme typhoons and floods that have devastated the country. (PNA) scs/CLTC