
After almost two decades silently making preparations from the sidelines, the Electric Vehicle Association of the Philippines (EVAP) shifts into high gear, culminating in the 11th Philippine Electric Vehicle Summit (PEVIS), a three-day event which will be held on October 19 to 21 at the SMX Convention Center in Pasay City. The said event will be organized and hosted by EVAP with the Manila Electric Company (Meralco) and in partnership with the Department of Energy (DOE) and Nissan Philippines Inc.
PEVIS will also be the venue where the Philippine Battery Consortium will be formally launched and presented to the public. The consortium’s aim is address important concerns on EV battery cost, recycling, disposal and care.
Electric vehicle sales and adoption have been on the rise since 2020, when the industry, despite being in COVID, sold 378 EV’s, followed by 843 units in 2021 and 1,013 units in 2022. EVAP expects 2023 to yield even greater sales results, as the EVIDA Law came into being in May of 2022, followed by its implementing rules snd regulations (IRR) in September of the same year.
“Implementation remains a big challenge as it involves extensive output and promotion,” according to EVAP President Edmund Araga. “The EV industry is still making necessary adjustments in terms of supplies and infrastructures. Transitions are on the way in terms of regulations being set by different government agencies involved.”
Araga also cited the Department of Energy for their on-going development of the Comprehensive Roadmap for the Electric Vehicle Industry which comes with inter-agency support.
In further support of the EV industry, the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) is still preparing its Electric Vehicle Incentive Strategy (EVIS). Meanwhile, the Department of Transportation (DoTR) is keeping its focus on public utility vehicle modernization, with EV’s being the top priority. Other government agencies are contributing to these efforts by including electric vehicles into their fleet of service vehicles, with the Department of Public Works and Highways leading the way.
For its part, the private sector has started investing into the EV industry by primarily investing on public charging stations. This should allay fears of range anxiety typical to electric vehicles.
With more EV’s launching in the next 12 months, it will be interesting & exciting for this segment, and the buying public!