Stakeholders to sign MOU for electro-mobility at 9th PH Electric Vehicle Summit

After expressing concern over the slow adoption to electric vehicles in the country, the Electric Vehicle Association of the Philippines (EVAP) said that there is a need for stakeholders to reaffirm their commitment toward the common goal of achieving low-carbon economy.

EVAP President Edmund Araga made this call ahead of the 9th Philippine Electric Vehicle Summit (PEVS), saying that this is needed to step up efforts for rapid electric vehicle (EV) deployment locally.

“Among the highlights of the 9th PEVS will be the symbolic signing of the stakeholder Memorandum of Understanding, which is aimed at speeding up the switch to electro-mobility by 2025,” Araga added.

Themed “Accelerating the Switch to Electro-Mobility in the Philippines”, the target for this year’s PEVS is to focus on fast-tracking EV adoption “in the local transport sector in line with the government’s medium-term goal of attaining a low-carbon economy.”

EVAP shared that apart from them, government agencies, the academe and civil society groups will reaffirm their vow of working toward the transition to a more sustainable transport system.”

Further, the group claimed that it is continuously working closely with government and industry stakeholders “to catalyze a behavioral change towards a more sustainable future, through the modernization and electrification of public and private transport.”

For the first day of the online conference, the program will focus mainly on policy dialogues about technologies and solutions. “Aside from the symbolic reaffirmation of EV transition commitment, the morning session of the first day will also host the signing of the memorandum of understanding between the Asian Federation of Electric Vehicle Associations (AFEVA) and the ASEAN Center for Energy (ACE),” the statement mentioned.

“Session on EV policy and Standards Regulations are also featured in the morning session. The summit promises an exciting afternoon for technology junkies with sessions on what is in and what will be the future of EV technology,” it added.

On the second day, the sessions will concentrate on EV value chain development and market opportunities. This, as EVAP explained, will include discussions about manufacturing of EVs and batteries, the establishment of charging network and infrastructure, viable business models and financing EV programs.

In partnership with the Department of Energy (DOE), the two-day summit—now on its second year of being held on the virtual stage—is slated this coming August 26-27, via the Zoom online platform.

Relatedly, EVAP stated that the “government is working to attain the goals of its EV Industry Roadmap (2016-2024) as set by the Department of Trade and Industry-Board of Investments (DTI-BOI)”, which includes provision of incentives to stakeholders involved in adoption of low-emission technologies.

Aside from that, it also cited that the both House of Representatives and Senate are also working to pass the Electric Vehicles and Charging Stations Act to boost consumer demand for electric vehicles (EVs) in the country and make EVs more affordable in the long run.

“The Department of Transportation (DOTr) has also launched a public utility vehicle modernization program that will replace traditional vehicles for public transport with new and environmentally-friendly alternatives that comply with global standards. The Land Transportation Office has also very recently released the regulations on electric vehicle use in the country,” the EVAP added.

Photos from Electric Vehicle Association of the Philippines

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