The Department of Energy (DOE) has endorsed to the Board of Investments (BOI) a project that will save P8 billion in fuel costs and accelerate adoption of electric vehicles(EVs) in the country.
DOE Secretary Alfonso Cusi told the 9th Philippine Electric Vehicle Summit yesterday the project involves the deployment of 20,000 imported EVs and up to 5,000 EV charging stations in the next five years.
When completed, Cusi said, the project will lead to the reduction of as much as 145.0 2 million liters of fuel or the equivalent of P7.99 billion reduction from fuel costs.
Cusi did not give the details but said he looks forward to more similar projects to accelerate the country’s shift to EVs.
Upon checking, the BOI has not approved the project.
In his opening statement, Edmund Araga, president of the Electric Vehicles Association of the Philippines (EVAP) said interest in EVs among Filipinos is getting stronger but admitted the pandemic has significantly slowed down the EV industry.
In 2020, the registered EVs in the country dropped 35 percent to 1,015 units from 1,570 units in 2019. The Philippines now has 12,965 registered EVs from 2010 to 2020 composed of e-trikes, e-motorcycles, e-jeepneys and e-cars.
Araga said EVAP is looking forward to the enactment Electric Vehicles and Charging Stations Bill passed by both houses of Congress.
The EVAP said the recently released guidelines and policy on the development, establishment, and operations of EV charging stations nationwide provide a pathway for fiscal incentives to motivate businesses to put up and adopt EV charging stations.
Araga said a Land Transportation Office administrative order that consolidates the guidelines on the classification, registration, and operations of types of EV paves the way for further guidance for consumers’ purchase decisions and for local manufacturers to plan out strategies. – Irma Isip
