Aboitiz InfraCapital (AIC) has cemented a deal with Global Electric Transport (GET) on its planned deployment of electric vehicle (EV) fleet for its Lima Estate in Batangas, an 800-hectare economic zone development that hosts export-oriented investors.
In an announcement to the media, Rafael Fernandez de Mesa, head of AIC Economic Estates and president of Lima Land, noted that the tie-up they sealed with GET will require the latter to “supply a fleet of electric minibuses to operate the inter-Lima shuttle system by the second quarter of 2023.”
According to the AIC, the agreement that was signed last month, sets the preliminary rollout of seven (7) COMET buses which will be servicing 65,000 workers in the economic zone; as well as residents in the nearby communities of Malvar town and Lipa City.
Fernandez de Mesa similarly explained that such business move is part of the decarbonization goal that the Aboitiz group has been pursuing for Lima Estate – which is host to various local and foreign company-locators.
He added “one of our priorities is decarbonizing Lima Estate’s transport system through the introduction of electric vehicles and improving public spaces and greenscapes to enhance walkability and bikeability, among others.”
The overarching goal linked to this initiative, the AIC executive noted, is to “lay the foundation for next-generation smart cities and are key to future-proofing our estates and the communities we serve.”
The electric mobility being pushed at the Lima Estate serves as a follow-through to the initial step taken by the Aboitiz group on deployment of COMET EV buses at its Mactan Economic Zone II in Cebu.
As emphasized by Fernandez de Mesa, “the company remains committed to its goal of developing smart and next-generation economic estates anchored on sustainable development,” taking off from its BERDE 5-star certification by the Philippine Green Building Council (PhilGBC).
The next target of the company by 2024, he conveyed, is to secure the same BERDE certification for the Lima Tower One development, which is within the estate’s central business district.
Onward, the company said it will strive to be at “the forefront of smart and sustainable industrial estate development in the Philippines and at a level (on a) par with industrial powerhouses in the ASEAN region.” ###