Filipinos now can look forward to transitioning towards sustainable transportation with the Electric Vehicle Industry Development Act (EVIDA) already a law.
Senator Sherwin Gatchalian said Republic Act No. 11697, which lapsed into law last April 15, will pave the way for the rapid development of the electric vehicle (EV) industry in the Philippines as well create a generation of new employment opportunties in the transportation sector.
Gatchalian also said the EVIDA Law will also help reduce the country’s and the transportation sector’s reliance on imported fuel.
Even though the cost of EVs are currently high, the senator said he expects it to lower in the next few years especially if the law is implemented properly.
“From the initial proposal of having a national policy and regulatory framework for the use of Electric Vehicles and the establishment of electric charging stations, we have come up with a law that will not only promote the use of EVs but develop the industry as well,” said Gatchalian, principal author and sponsor of the law in the Senate.
“The local production of EVs, which some industry players already initiated ahead of this new law, will not only increase the uptake of EVs but, likewise, pave the way for the generation of new jobs and reduce the transportation sector’s reliance on imported fuel,” the senator added.
The Senate Committee on Energy chief said the new law mandates the creation of a Comprehensive Roadmap for the Electric Vehicle Industry (CREVI) to accelerate the development, commercialization, and utilization of EVs in the country which includes the construction or installation of charging stations in dedicated parking slots and spaces.
The CREVI shall be incorporated in the Philippine Energy Plan and the National Transport Policy.
The EVIDA also requires industrial and commercial companies such as cargo logistics companies, food delivery companies, tour agencies, hotels, power and water utilities to ensure that at least five (5) percent of their fleet should comprise EVs.
Public transport operators and government units are also included under the program, according to the re-electionist senator.
“Mataas man ang presyo sa kasalukuyan ng mga EVs, inaasahan natin na mapapabilis ang pagbaba ng presyo nito at maaaring mas abot-kamay pa sa tradisyunal na mga sasakyan ngayon kung mapapalago natin ang industriya sa lalong madaling panahon (While the cost of EVs are currently expensive, we expect the price to be lower in the future, and possibly more affordable than the traditional vehicles especially if we are able to develop the industry as soon as possible),” he said.
If implemented properly, the EVIDA law can help reduce the country’s oil consumption by as much as 146.56 million barrels per year and create $9.8-billion or almost P510-billion in savings per year based on the current exchange rate.
The new law also provides fiscal incentives to manufacturers and assemblers of EVs, charging station operators, and other companies related to the EV industry.
A set of non-fiscal incentives will also be applicable for a duration of eight years for EV users, manufacturers and importers, Gatchalian said.