The Daily Tribune <<< Without Fear or Favor >>>

»HEADLINES

»NATION

LTO awards first license ever to electric vehicle

By Ayen Infante

11/18/2008

The Land Transportation Office (LTO) has released the first-ever license plate for an electric vehicle to a locally-assembled electric jeepney that was issued to the green-colored e-jeepney undergoing pilot testing at the Legaspi jeepney route in Makati City.

“This is a very significant milestone in the local auto industry as it signals the birth of a cleaner alternative in the mass public transport system in our country”, according to Philippine Utility Vehicle (PhUV) Inc. president Ferdi Raquelsantos.

PhUV Inc. is the business arm of the Motor Vehicle Parts Manufacturers Association of the Philippines (MVPMAP) and is the first to locally design, fabricate, assemble and actually put on the road an electric vehicle in the Philippines called the e-jeepney.

“We laud and truly appreciate the assistance of LTO chief Alberto Suansing and MVIS head Joel Donato for this breakthrough. This will encourage us as we begin the next phase of the program, the mass production of more electric jeepneys in the next few months. As a matter of fact, a second e-jeepney will soon be added to ply the Salcedo Village route in Makati City,” he added.

As an offshoot of the recent official visit of President Arroyo to China, Green Renewable Independent Power Producer (GRIPP) recently signed a memorandum of agreement with PhUV Inc. for the supply of more locally designed and assembled e-jeepneys.

During Mrs. Arroyo’s recent China visit, PhUV Inc. officials headed by MVPMAP chairman Eddie Jose and its Chinese supplier of electric vehicle components presented to her a plan on accelerating the local assembly of e-jeepneys.

GRIPP is a group of environmentally-minded entities and is at the forefront of the vision to use locally-assembled e-jeepneys to reduce air pollution. Its purchase of more e-jeepneys is part of its Climate Friendly Cities Program aimed at helping mitigate climate change in the country.

The two other major components of this program funded by Doen Foundation of Netherlands are a biodigester to generate electricity from biodegradable household wastes and a depot to house it and serve as the terminal and charging station for the e-jeepneys.

Raquelsantos said that because an official LTO vehicle classification has already been established for electric vehicles that would ease its registration, PhUV Inc. plans to include the smaller electric tricycles in its product lineup of locally-assembled electric vehicles. Ejeepney is priced at P625,000 per unit while an etrike costs P250,000.

“Available in three different body configurations, the e-trikes will be the alternative for cleaner mass transport in the countryside. As a matter of fact, we will soon submit a proposal to some LGUs and transport cooperatives for the e-trikes to possibly replace the gasoline-powered tricycles in their localities as part of our comprehensive Climate Friendly Cities Program,” he added.