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DoE e-trike program seen
to boost auto parts industry

MANILA – The Electric Vehicle Association of the Philippines is eyeing the Department of Energy's Electric Tricycle Program to fill in the vacuum in the production plants of local auto parts makers.

The initiative is motivated in part with the local auto industry's reeling from the impact of the departure of some local auto assemblers and lesser value-added parts and labor in most vehicles being sold currently.

EVAP president Rommel Juan has said that EVAP fully supports the ETrike Program since this will provide a fresh source of income and employment for the local auto parts making industry.

EVAP is an organization of some 40 electric vehicle manufacturers, assemblers, importers, suppliers, dealers, enthusiasts and even members of the academe.

On the other hand, the $500 Million DOE ETrike Program proposes to replace 100,000 units of conventional, smoke-belching, gasoline-powered tricycles with ETrikes nationwide.

Under the program, an initial 20 prototypes will be locally assembled and tested within 150 days. Once it passes the tests, the total initial order of 5,000 units must be delivered within the next 150 days.

The next phase will involve 15,000 units which must be delivered by December 2013. The final order of 80,000 units must be completely deployed nationwide by December 2016. Funding will be provided by the Asian Development Bank, Clean Technology Fund and by the Philippine government.

Juan stressed that given the large volume of ETrikes that needed to be produced during the next four years, foreign investors are now looking at the Philippines as the possible manufacturing hub for the region not only for EV parts but even of the EV itself.

Right now, we do not view foreign investors as competitors but as joint venture partners…many of them are now here in the Philippines exploring possible joint venture arrangements so they can source the materials, labor and facilities needed to locally assemble the ETrikes, he also said.

They are also interested in setting up the much-needed infrastructure like charging stations, service centers and parts supply depots, Juan added.

EVAP has also pushed for the inclusion of EVs in the road map for both the auto and auto parts making industries.

We are also pushing for the immediate approval of the Alternative Fuels Vehicles Bill authored by Sen. Ralph Recto and now pending in the Senate that seeks to grant both fiscal and non-fiscal incentives to EV manufacturers and end-users, Juan said.

We are optimistic that these initiatives will jumpstart the local EV industry and make us competitive in the region, he said.*PNA

 

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