As the rest of the world begins to embrace the electrification of its transport sector, in the Philippines, that shift is still moving slowly. Understandably, there’s a lot of hesitation to make this shift.

After all, it’s quite an undertaking. It involves convincing the public to make the shift in the first place, finding the right vehicles for each use case, purchasing those new electrified vehicles, and building the infrastructure to support their charging. It’s a dilemma much of the world is facing.

Nonetheless, there are many countries that have embraced this shift quite comfortably and can serve as role models. Naturally, there are the usual suspects like Sweden, Norway, China, and parts of the US. However, another unlikely role model turns out to be Portugal.

Just last week, I was invited to fly to the country to test drive a new and upcoming electric vehicle. I’ll share more on that vehicle later on, but back to the point, Portugal is not the kind of country one expects to be leading in electrification.

In fact, it’s still heavily steeped in tradition, with much of its capital, Lisbon, still composed of well-preserved colonial buildings with their distinct terracotta tile roofs, cobblestone streets, and fully functioning street trams. Think San Francisco’s iconic hills, overlooking the bay area, but with a skyline dotted with mid-rise colonial buildings rather than modern skyscrapers. I couldn’t help but be reminded of Manila Bulletin’s own home turf, Intramuros, with all the well-preserved buildings.

Nonetheless, it’s bustling with tourists and alive with activity. These old buildings now house gourmet restaurants, Western fast food joints, music and art schools, and even a mall somehow shoehorned inside.

And despite the steep grade of the hills, the city is quite easy to get around thanks to the abundance of electrified transport. The classic trams still run up and down some streets. One can still easily book an Uber, with your ride most likely to be an EV. Serving as an alternative choice, especially for tourists, are these classic pre-war style vehicles resembling a Ford Model T but powered by electricity. Not quite your style? There are also Thai-style electric tuktuks with extended wheelbases, seating for six, and adorned with flowers, feather boas, and painted in unique liveries.

Not surprisingly, these vehicles are made in China. Nonetheless, these, along with a few BYDs, are the only Chinese vehicles we saw on the Portuguese roads. Their auto market is still very much dominated by European brands.

Having these EVs serve as public transport — particularly tourist transport — is a great way to integrate electrification in the transport sector. The lack of tailpipe emissions ensures these historic sites stay appealing to tourists. You can still get a whiff of the sea breeze from the nearby bay. The high initial torque from the electric motors ensures there’s more than enough power to shuttle a full load of tourists up the steep and narrow streets. And best of all, they’re not out of place with the classic architecture, making any photos taken seem like a time warp to a different time.

It's not hard to find these vehicles, as they’re parked in every square, eagerly inviting any tourist to take a ride. The drivers / tour guides, many of which were women, proudly shared that they typically work just half a day. Granted, this is largely due to the limitations of their EV’s battery. Though they don’t seem too disappointed with that fact, as the tourist fare seems to be more than enough to cover a day’s work.

In Intramuros, this style of tourism has already begun with many enterprising residents offering similar tours of the walled city with their smaller electric trikes. I’m not sure if they’re accredited by the city or tourism department, but clearly, the desire to pursue that kind of work is already there. If the government were to come up with a program to accredit them and help them purchase these larger, classic-style EVs, I’m certain they’d be onboard.

Portugal’s solution to electrification is a unique one. It shows that transport electrification is not like some invasion or colonization that threatens to eliminate our time-honored values. It’s something that is malleable and can be integrated well, even into historic locations like Intramuros.

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