Filipino EV fans, owners and aspiring owners curious about life using an EV all got together last Sunday, May 26, 2024 at Ayala Malls Manila Bay to basically hang-out, check out the various electric cars, try them out for size and to connect with like-minded people. The casual get-together was organized by the Philippine Electric Vehicle Community Facebook Page Group. The group was formed last year to help promote, educate and attract Filipino motorists to a cleaner, more cost-effective means of motorized mobility. 
Keen to connect with a concentrated audience, the event was supported by automotive brands like BMW, BYD, MG, Hongqi, Hycan Motors, Kia, Mercedes-Benz and Nissan who brought their latest electric vehicle models for people to test drive or simply checkout. Even converted electric vehicles were present, as was light two-wheeled electric vehicles from Segway.
Starcharge, Panthera, and in particular, Evro part of the Ayala Group, were also present from the charging infra side. Evro created the country’s most comprehensive local EV charging network mobile phone app to date, allows EV owners to search for charging stations near them, see its availability, reserve and pay. For public charging stations, it allows these private entities to monetize their chargers without worrying about creating a remote, online payment system. Evro says there will be over a hundred charging points soon within Metro Manila and the surrounding provinces of Metro Manila, plus chargers in select popular driveable destinations in Luzon and eventually, down south in Cebu.
Philippine EV Community co-founder and Facebook Page administrator Rico Severino says, “we wanted to have a medium to exchange knowledge and information amongst EV enthusiasts. We were amazed at how fast the community has grown since its inception. We wanted to meet the members of the community and hear their own EV experiences. Despite the weather conditions, we had a great turnout at the meet and greet. Our friends and partners from the industry came and fully supported us. We had over 100 members attend and it was interesting to hear their stories and their reasons for owning an EV.”
The e-mobility landscape in the Philippines is evolving. Obstacles remain, but so do opportunities. The recent approval of the expanded Executive Order 12 of President Ferdinand “Bong-Bong” Marcos Jr., further lowers EV import rates from between 5 and 30 percent, to zero. In 2023, over 10,000 electrified vehicles were sold in the country, and the group feels it can easily double in 2024 with more attractive pricing, plus a wider array of electric and hybrid vehicle brands and models.
Full hybrids and plug-in hybrids are also now included in the expanded EO12’s benefits, paying zero import tariffs but still paying 50% of the mandatory ad valorem / excise tax based on the TRAIN Law. The presumably reduced retail prices should hopefully entice more motorists to consider an electric vehicle.
Electric vehicles might not be for everyone, but there is so much misinformation and unrealistic expectations behind them. Ultimately, the Philippine EV Community wants to help bridge the gap between truthful and relevant, empirical information to the general public, and allow them to make a proper informed and educated decision. This is core to the group’s advocacy.
Have you considered driving an electrified vehicle, whether full EV or hybrid?
