EDITORS DESK

Last week saw the 11th staging of the Philippine Electric Vehicle Summit (PEVS), organized by the Electric Vehicle Association of the Philippines (EVAP). For more than a decade, the organizers have been strong proponents of sustainable mobility, steering both literally and figuratively what were once concept vehicles, and CSR projects into what is now a booming new automotive segment.

Just a few years ago, I struggled to find any peers from the beat covering the event when it was staged at Meralco’s auditorium. Back then, there already was some support from brands like Mitsubishi that already saw electric vehicles as the future and was displaying its i-MIEV as a proof of what electric mobility could be like. Motolite had even created its own vehicle, similar in size and shape to an i-MIEV.

There were also other locally made electric vehicles; though most were golf kart-like vehicles intended to transport small groups around a private compound. There were already a few electric scooters too, though because of the size and weight of the electrical components at the time, seemed a bit too heavy and unwieldy to be practical. There were also a few enterprising companies that offered solutions to convert your ICE vehicle into an EV. As expected, with battery technology very different at the time, most were powered by lead acid batteries, making them heavy and a bit too unwieldy for most riders.

At that time, the most pressing concern was how to charge these electric vehicles, as it was already pretty clear that depending on our current crop of power plants wouldn’t be enough. There wasn’t any discussion on charging cable standards as, at that time, the Japanese auto brands were leading in the field, and it was assumed theirs would be the world standard. Tesla and its supercharger system was still in its infancy at the time.

Fast forward to today and the electric vehicle industry in the country has evolved quite a bit. Many thanks are owed to EVAP for continued push over the years.

These days, the event proper is now three days long, staged at the SMX Convention Center, and draws quite the crowd. There’s no shortage of options, information, or resources when it comes to EVs as there’s now a bumper harvest of auto brands, mobility vehicles, affiliated industries, and suppliers.

In fact, many new and upcoming models for sale were already unveiled at the show, whetting the appetites of those still pondering what electrified vehicle to purchase. We’re no longer limited to quaint little city hatchbacks. EVs these days range from small but adorable vehicles, modern fastbacks, sports cars, luxury sedans, large SUVs, pickup trucks, to even commercial vehicles. One of the fastest luxury SUVs you can buy in the country, the Lotus Eletre, was unveiled at the event. And while the price is a bit eye-watering, it’s a relative steal compared to a similarly speedy ICE SUV from Ferrari or Aston Martin.

Besides the cars, there’s also a wealth of power solutions. Regardless of where your electric vehicle is made and what charging standard is used, there’s likely a local supplier that offers a wall charger, with a variety of charging capacities and charger ends to fit your vehicle.

Want to use your car to power your home or appliances? Hyundai and Nissan EVs let you do that, turning the vehicle into a massive power bank in the event of a calamity.
For those that want to charge their vehicle sustainably, there were also many suppliers of solar and wind power solutions for home use. Not only are they familiar with what you might need to charge a car, they also have suggestions on how to use it to lower your electric bill when not charging.

Quite appropriately, EVAP’s latest achievement is the establishment of a battery consortium which will take on the task of collecting and reappropriating old batteries from these EVs in the future. While this may still be an issue that’s five to 10 years away, especially for the cars being sold now, it’s certainly reassuring to know they are concerning themselves with it already.

For those that say the EV industry is still in its infancy in the Philippines, where we are now has been more than a decade in the making. And it’s come so far thanks to EVAP’s tireless efforts.

(Iñigo S. Roces is the Motoring Editor of Manila Bulletin)