3rd Electric Vehicle Summit

It was a gathering of major players in the EV industry. More than 500 participants all over the country and across Asia attended at the Meralco Multipurpose hall. Electric Vehicle Association of the Phils. or eVAP for short, already has 56 active member whom 26 are corporate members.

This summit has become more relevant now after the events of the Yolanda tragedy. "People are more conscious of the negative effects it brought from neglecting the environmental preservation that resulted in climate change," says Rommel Juan; president of eVAP.

Rommel Juan(EVAP president) and Jay LC Huang(Special Assistant for Business Dev't Center,TECO)

According to Mr. Juan, the Philippines is ahead in the Asian region in using e-vehicles. Makati has a special e-jeepneys that shuttles within the Makati Loop. De la Salle-College of Saint Benilde has e-jeepneys to shuttle their students between their college buildings to main campus.

E-vehicles will help lessen smoke belching and will probably lessen the cost of fuel. Each year, the gasoline rates increases because it is always being shipped out. What's new with this summit that it unveiled the new e-jeepney prototype which is rhe result of the dialogue with jeepney operators.

Their demands were simple. More capacity, the entrance will be on the rear right near the driver instead on the back so passengers will pay first hand before going to their destination, and make it more higher to walk in.

In addition to that, the new prototype e-jeepney will have a system for designated terminals with GPS and an alert for approaching destinations just like in the LRT/MRT stations. This is a good idea because it will be more secured for the passengers to lessen theft. Also, there will be an option for Tap and Pay system like Smart Cards do so you need not worry to prepare exact amount. The batteries are made specially for the e-jeepneys by TECO.

TECO batteries

Most are still uninformed about the benefits of e-vehicles because they still have fears. Most misconceptions are that it is dangerous on the main road, it's expensive, and a lot more. The truth is, e-vehicles will require motorists to have a fixed speed limit, it will also cost less because it will only require charging batteries at designated areas.

If this pushes through, more jobs will be available. It may even change the jeepney drivers' lifestyle for the better and will probably get benefits like a stable payment instead of commission basis. I took a ride with the prototype e-jeepney within the premises and it really runs smoothly. This is definitely the possible future I look forward to.

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