PH association, China group push e-bike sharing program

The Electric Vehicle Association of the Philippines (Evap) has firmed up plans for an e-bike sharing program as it partnered with the China Bicycle Association (CBA), which has a successful similar project in Zheijang province in China.

Evap president Rommel Juan Friday said his group had signed with CBA a memorandum of understanding following a special business mission to China in November.

“We visited CBA’s bike sharing program in Hangzhou City and learned from their best practices,” Juan said. “The program fields 78,000 bikes in the city and has become part of the local transport infrastructure, and we hope to do the same in Metro Manila.”

Under the MOU, the CBA will help in the development, diffusion, promotion and subsequent commercialization of both the conventional and electric bicycles in the Philippines.

Juan said Evap planned to pilot test the first e-bike sharing program in the country, considering the encouraging success of CBA’s project.

“We have had initial discussions with some CBA members to get the program off the ground,” he said. “We are now just scouting around for the most appropriate site for the pilot test.”

Juan said the Metro Manila Development Authority (MMDA), which has its own small-scale bike sharing program, as well as the League of Municipalities (LMP) have expressed support for Evap’s plans.

“With them behind us, we will soon be seeing more commuters shifting to e-bikes for short trips thus lessening the burden on our overloaded mass transport system and lessening air pollution as well,” the Evap president said.

The group is also pushing for an electric tricycle program, which it believes could pump in an additional P22 billion to the domestic economy.

According to Evap, a mass adoption of e-trikes may spawn support industries like body fabrication, tricycle parts and accessories, chassis manufacturing, paint, trims, electric motor supply, batteries, battery charger and infrastructure like charging stations and repair shops.

The Evap is pushing for the passage of an Alternative Fuels Vehicle Law that will grant fiscal and non-fiscal incentives to manufacturers, assemblers and users of electric vehicles.