E-jeepney wows foreign investors

Impressed with the electric version of Jeepneys now plying a few routes in the country, some financial institutions have expressed interest to implement similar programs in other countries, according to Philippine Utility Vehicle (PhUV) Inc. Vice President Rommel Juan.

Juan attended the Electric Vehicles Asia conference held from January 26 to 29 in Hong Kong, which aims to promote the development of electric vehicles in Asia.

He said some foreign investors in the conference were impressed when they mentioned that the e-jeepneys are now plying select streets in Makati and other cities.

“They were impressed and they want to study what we did. They also want to visit the Philippines and ride the electric jeepney,” he told The Manila Times.

The e-jeepney seats 14 passengers and has a range of 65 kilometers on a full charge. It is manufactured by the Motor Vehicle Parts Manufacturers Association of the Philippines, which has incorporated a consortium, the PhUV Inc., as its business arm for the e-jeepneys.

In the conference, Juan said he made the foreign investors realize that going electric has become more economical. He said, however, that not all players are willing to invest greatly on electric propulsion for vehicles “because car companies have lots of investments in the current technology.”

“They are still trying to build critical mass,” he said adding that there are some independent efforts from small players though.

During the conference, Juan said various technologies were presented including electric propulsion and market insights but said, “we are the only country that has implemented a program [for electric vehicles] that is already running.”

“It made us really proud that amidst all these heavy weight developed countries—with a lot of government backing and money—we are the only country that has a running program implemented,” he said.

Last year, the Institute for Climate and Sustainable Cities launched the project dubbed as the e-Jeepney Makati Green Route. The project is in partnership with the Green Renewable Independent Power Producer.

Under the program, 12 e-Jeep-neys offer free rides daily in the Legaspi Village and Salcedo Village loops in Makati. Both routes start and end at the Landmark Department Store in Makati Avenue with a 10-second dwell time in each of the 13 marked stops. –CRIS G. ODRONIA Reporter, Manila Times