Local EV Manufacturers Group Stages First ASEAN Electric & Hybrid Vehicle Summit

The first ASEAN Electric and Hybrid Vehicle Summit opened its doors yesterday, June 29, 2017, at the World Trade Center in Pasay City. Organized by the Electric Vehicle Association of the Philippines (EVAP), the Chamber of Automotive Manufacturers of the Philippines, Inc. (CAMPI), the Board of Investments (BOI), and the Manila Electric Company (MERALCO), the event has adopted the theme "Strengthening Partnership for Greener Transport in ASEAN and Beyond" as it brings together electric and hybrid vehicle industry players, government officials, technical leaders and executives from global technology companies to discuss technology, innovation, policy, regulatory, environmental, and market topics that impacts all aspects of the industry's value chain. "Outside of the Philippines and in the ASEAN region, there are other developments that positively impact our industry," said EVAP President Rommel Juan in his welcome speech to mark the start of the plenary session. "These are the main reasons why we have organized this EV and Hybrid Summit. For us to share our experiences, learn from each other's best practices, and possibly forge joint ventures that would generate jobs and business opportunities in the communities." The Summit also saw the EVAP, along with CAMPI, sign a Memorandum of Agreement with its ASEAN counterparts, namely the Electric Vehicle Association of Malaysia, the Electric Vehicle Association of Thailand, and the IEVE & Global EV Association Network of South Korea to form the ASEAN Federation of Electric and Hybrid Vehicle Association (AFEHVA). Some of the targets outlined in the MOA for its signatories are: the transfer of technology between countries, specifically from more advanced countries to its less-advanced counterparts; collectively represent the industry players' views to the relevant government and economic bodies on policies, practices, and legislation that may affect the electric and hybrid vehicle industry; and support the regulatory alignment on electric and hybrid vehicle standards in the region and around the world, among others. "We are optimistic that the Summit will serve as a platform for the creation of a roadmap for the successful adoption of advanced/green vehicle technology in the ASEAN region," added CAMPI President Atty. Rommel Gutierrez. "At the local level, we hope that this event will increase awareness and perception levels on advanced/green vehicle technology and generate much-needed support from the government and other stakeholders." Sharing the show floor with the products of local hybrid and electric vehicle assemblers and manufacturers are mass-produced vehicles from CAMPI member brands like the Lexus NX 300h, the Mitsubishi Outlander PHEV and Mitsubishi i-MiEV, the Nissan Leaf and Nissan Note e-Power, and the Toyota Prius PHV. The first ASEAN Electric & Hybrid Vehicle Summit is scheduled to run until today, June 30, 2017.