E-vehicle firms move on

The decision of the government to scrap the $500-million electric tricycle (e-trike) program was deemed a big blow to the country’s electric vehicle (EV) industry, which continued to work on gaining ground in the domestic market and in the region.

But the Electric Vehicle Association of the Philippines (Evap) is optimistic that this is just a temporary setback. It said the industry can instead bank on a definitive roadmap that will identify the challenges and outline strategic measures for growth over the next decade.

“We are happy with the recent unveiling of the new roadmap for the Philippine EV industry that Evap has produced together with partner Meralco,” Evap president Rommel Juan said.

Juan said the roadmap would empower the private sector to further develop the EV industry in the next five years.