E-trike program may cover co-ops

The Department of Energy (DOE) is keen on expanding its $504-million e-trike program to include cooperatives, instead of the original plan to limit availment to government channels.

“We are thinking of including co-ops in the program. Right now it’s only through Landbank. LGUs (local government units) can avail themselves of loans for e-trikes but the requirements are very strict,” Energy Secretary Carlos Jericho Petilla said.

Even LGUs with ready funds for e-trikes are apparently finding it hard to pass requirements such as the seal of good housekeeping from the Department of Interior and Local Government, which essentially certifies the bearer has a good financial record and can be expected to pay back its loans.

DOE Undersecretary Donato D. Marcos said some LGUs thus do not qualify for the Asian Development Bank (ADB) loans that can be accessed only through the Land Bank of the Philippines.

The DOE has already cut its forecast for e-trike deployment and is instead focusing on helping LGUs get qualified to seek multilateral loans.

“Hopefully soon we can launch 500 units,” Marcos said. The initial target was 3,000 e-trike units for 2014 alone. The total rollout under the e-trike program is 100,000 units.

The bidders in the August 2013 auction for the e-trike project were Japan’s Lirica Rising Sun & Shoyo-Terra Group and Uzushio Electric Co. Ltd. (Japan), as well as Eco One Co. of Korea and Teco Electric & Machinery Co. Ltd. of Taiwan. The winning bidders were initially expected to be announced on December 2013 and then again around January 2014, but names have not yet been publicized. Also among those interested in e-vehicle manufacturing locally are Japanese firms Terra Motors and BEET Philippines. Both bidded for the DOE-ADB e-trike project but are considering making the Philippines a hub for e-bike and e-trike manufacturing regardless of the result of the auction.