Gov’t to issue new EV industry road map this month

Department of Energy facade from DOE / FILE

The government will issue within this month the updated road map for the local electric vehicle (EV) industry, which, among others, will mandate all private and public sector fleets to include such environment-friendly vehicles.

Patrick Aquino, director at the DOE energy resource development bureau, said that the updated Comprehensive Roadmap for the Electric Vehicle Industry (CREVI) would also contain new guidelines for dedicated EV parking slots and the construction of charging stations at parking lots and gasoline stations.

“We believe that our Philippine CREVI this year will spark the change to further push the adoption of EVs offering greater opportunities for its development and strengthening our local EV industry and partners,” Aquino said during a press conference organized by the Electric Vehicle Association of the Philippines (EVAP) at F1 Hotel Manila in Taguig.

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Aquino said that once the guidelines were in place, gasoline stations in the country would be obliged to put at least one charging station.

According to the energy official, there are at least 84 accredited charging station providers in the country, with around 639 charging points registered with the government.

“These are clear indications that the interest in electric vehicles, as well as EV charging stations are now going mainstream and will be further stimulated with our updated Philippine CREVI this year,” he said.

Under Republic Act No. 11697, or the Electric Vehicle Industry Development Act that lapsed into law in April 2022, public and private sector fleets are mandated to have a 5 percent share of EVs.

Data cited by EVAP president Edmund Araga from the Chamber of Automotive Manufacturers of the Philippines, Inc. and the Truck Manufacturers Association showed that 10,602 units of EVs had been sold in the country in 2023.

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These include 9,293 of hybrid electric vehicles,106 units of plug-in hybrid electric vehicles and 462 units of battery electric vehicles.

The EVAP is holding its 12th Philippine Electric Vehicle Summit from Oct. 24 to Oct. 26 at SMX Convention Center Manila in SM Mall of Asia complex to showcase the latest EV models available in the local market.

According to the energy official, there are 554 available EV models in the Philippine market as of the start of this month. INQ