EDITORS DESK
The shift to electrified vehicles is gaining momentum in the Philippines. This can easily be seen in the number of hybrids (HEVs, PHEVs), and fully-electric vehicles (EVs) on our roads.
Toyota and BYD have been at the forefront of this transition with the former leading in hybrid sales, and the latter leading in EV sales. However, let’s not forget that many other brands are contributing too. Lexus, Honda, Nissan, Kia, and Hyundai hybrids are plying the roads as well. EV models from brands like Audi, BMW, Mercedes-Benz, Jetour, Dongfeng, Tesla, and Hongqi are populating the roads as well.
Not enough chargers
With the increase in the number of these vehicles, so too is the increase on infrastructure demands, particularly on public chargers. While there are already a lot within Metro Manila and a few new ones sprouting up outside the city, there still aren’t enough to support the current number of EVs already on the road. One can only imagine how much harder it will be in a few months’ time.
ACMobility of Ayala Corp, and Shell have begun implementing rates on their EV charger use. Many EV owners may not be happy about this, but it helps decongest the public chargers, discouraging EV owners from staying plugged in longer than they need to be.
However, chargers in malls of chains like Robinsons and SM continue to be free. Sometimes, however, there are some drivers of electrified vehicles that take advantage of the spaces, not necessarily to charge.
I hadn’t noticed this issue until I was offered an EV to use for a few days in order to write about the experience. The problem is that, when I did need to charge, finding an available charger to use proved to be quite challenging. I wouldn’t have minded if they were being used by fellow EV owners. However, there are times when the chargers were occupied by PHEVs that can actually charge themselves.
PHEV vs HEV vs EV
For the uninitiated, PHEV stands for plug-in hybrid electric vehicle. They may even be called REEV, or EREV (range-extended / extended range electric vehicle), however, the way they work is essentially the same. These vehicles not only have an electric motor and battery, but also an internal combustion engine (ICE) and fuel tank. As such, these vehicles boast of two power sources: gasoline and electric. They can seamlessly switch between the two or even use both in combination. The ICE is there to either propel the car or charge the onboard batteries, or do both simultaneously. The difference between PHEVs and regular hybrids (HEVs) is their ability to plug in to an EV charger in order to power up their internal batteries.
EVs only have one power source: their battery. This is slowly depleted as the car travels and can only be replenished by plugging it in. As such, it’s evident that EVs are in more dire need of public chargers. PHEVs, by contrast, will simply have their ICE turn on automatically the moment their onboard battery charge is low. Granted, it will consume gasoline at the owner’s expense, but this is precisely the feature that has made them so popular of late. Thus, while they have the option to charge at a public charger, it is not essential to their operation. The same cannot be said for full EVs.
Preferred parking
The reason these EV charging spaces are often full these days is because these special spaces are often close to mall escalators and elevators; an added convenience offered to early adopters.PHEVs, because of their ability to be plugged-in can enjoy the same privileges as EVs, and are free to park in these EV charging spaces.
Thankfully, there’s a growing community of electrified vehicle owners who formed a group on Facebook. This issue has been brought up and the community has already found a remedy for it.
Some have suggested leaving notes or tags on the charger end that indicate until what time they plan to charge. This lets the waiting EV owner know when they can return to move their car to the space.
There’s another clever suggestion too. When these EV charging spaces are full, and you’re driving an EV that needs to be charged, they recommend parking right beside one and leaving the charging port door open. It’s hoped that the electrified vehicle owner will see the open charging port door of the car beside and plug the charger in after they are done. Some EV owners were delighted to note that this has indeed worked for them.
It’s nice to see that these early adopters are already finding ways to solve the current shortage of public chargers, without complaint or intervention from the mall operators. More car communities need to be as friendly and considerate as this one. I’m certainly looking forward to owning an EV soon.
(Iñigo S. Roces is the Motoring Editor of Manila Bulletin)