Why E-Trikes?

100,000 locally made E-Trikes by 2018

Higher income (low operating cost: 7 kWh of electricity or 80 pesos vs 5 liters
of gasoline 250 pesos)
No down payment: payments from daily savings
5-year or 80,000 km warranty with after sales service
Long-life lithium-ion battery with solar charging options
Modern transport: good looking, no noise, no pollution, safe and comfortable
to ride
What is the E-Trike Project?
The Department of Energy (DOE) is implementing the Market Transformation
through Introduction of Energy Efficient Electric Vehicles Project or the E-Trike
Project to help ensure energy security through the promotion of energy efficient and
clean technologies. As such, the project is expected to insulate stakeholders from
the price volatility of imported petroleum products.
This US$504-million project, largely financed by the Asian Development Bank (ADB)
and the Clean Technology Fund (CTF), is being implemented for 5 years. Specifically,
the project aims to achieve the following objectives:

Deploy 100,000 e-trikes nationwide to replace the same number of traditional

gasoline-fed tricycles
Reduce the transport sectors annual petroleum consumption by 2.8%
(equivalent to 89.2 million liters) per year
Achieve 79% carbon dioxide(CO2) footprint avoidance

Why is there a need for the E-Trike Project?

As Filipinos reap the benefits of economic growth, an increase in energy demand is
expected. As more people are able to afford cars, there will be a hike in the demand
for gasoline, which will lead to an increase in fuel importation. This is exacerbated
by the fact that the price of oil in the world market is very volatile, owing to
fluctuations in the global economy, unstable foreign exchange rates, and security
issues in oil-producing nations.
In the Philippines, there are approximately 3.5 million conventional combustion
engine tricycles and motorcycles, emitting millions of tons of CO 2 to the
environment every year. These vehicles have a dramatic impact on air quality,
affecting many aspects of life in the country, from national health to increased
exposure to climate change risks.
According to an ADB study, emissions from the transportation sector represent 30%
of air pollution in the Philippines, and a large part is contributed by public transport
tricycles with poor quality engines. Carbon dioxide emissions from motorcycles and
tricycles alone account for more than 10 million tons per year. E-trikes are
environment-friendly, so their use can help significantly decrease pollution in the
air.

The use of e-trikes can contribute in addressing these economic and environmental
concerns.
Why are e-trikes better than conventional tricycles?
E-trikes are vehicles that use electricity for power. In general, electric vehicles are
considered highly efficient because they use up to 75% of their energy to power the
vehicle versus the 20% used in most internal combustion engines. The engines used
in conventional tricycles are either 2-stroke or 4-stroke. Two-stroke engines are less
fuel efficient and produce more pollution than 4-stroke engines. These are the
reasons 2-stroke engines should be phased out. However, while 4-stroke engines
are less polluting than 2-stroke engines, they are still more polluting than electric
vehicles. The e-trike, for instance, produces no noise and zero tailpipe emission.
What are the unique features of each e-trike unit?

3-kWh lithium-ion rechargeable battery

Maximum speed of 60 km/h
Can negotiate up to 16 degrees road inclination (more or less equivalent to
30% slope)
Can comfortably seat up to 5 passengers
The entrance is located on the pedestrian side of the vehicle, so passengers
are safe as they get on or off the vehicle
Complies with the Land Transportation Offices (LTOs) Road Worthiness
Guidelines and Regulations
Low energy usage
Requires less maintenance
Designed for easy driving, maneuverability (because of a reverse gear), and
passenger comfort
No noise and has less vibration than conventional tricycles

What are the benefits of e-trike use?

Higher income for driver-operators

Better quality of life for the families of driver-operators due to the increase in
income
Stronger economy due to the creation of local industries such as, e-trike
manufacturing and assembly, parts and supply chain, charging stations, and
other support services
Cleaner air
Decreased incidence of respiratory problems

'One million electric vehicles in PH by 2020'

The cost of charging the battery of a e-trike, for example, is about 5 times less
than what drivers spend on fuel for regular tricycles

MANILA, Philippines Is this being too optimistic for a developing country that has
learned to make do with the cheap and the old?
Electric vehicle manufacturers, both local and foreign, beg to differ.
In the 3rd Philippine Electric Vehicle Summit held in Pasig City on Thursday,
February 27, more than 500 participants from all over the world gathered to
celebrate the achievements of the electric vehicle (EV) industry. The event gathered
major industry players, manufacturers, NGOs, the academe, and government
officials.
"The Philippines is at the center right now. We can be the hub for electric vehicle
production in the region," said Rommel Juan, president of the Electric Vehicle
Association of the Philippines (EVAP).
To prove his point, he announced the ambitious industry target of putting one
million electric vehicles on Philippine roads by 2020.
"It's not impossible because this includes two-wheelers like electric bikes, electric
motorcycles, 3-wheelers like electric tricycles, and the e-jeepneys," Juan said.
The Asian Development Bank (ADB) and the Department of Energy (DOE) are about
to finalize a project to replace 200,000 conventional tricycles with electric versions.
The 5-year project will see to it that 100,000 electric tricycles or e-trikes will be used
all over the country by the end of 2017.
The DOE is set to announce the winner of the public bidding for the supplier of the
first 3,000 e-trikes in the next few weeks.
"The e-tricycles will be distributed all over the country starting with 500 in
Mandaluyong City, 500 in Manila, 500 in Tarlac, and others," said ADB principal
energy specialist Sohail Hasnie.
The DOE will coordinate with local government units, local industry players, and
associations of tricycle operators and drivers to make this happen.
E-future?
The e-vehicle industry is poised to take flight in the Philippines for several reasons,
said Juan.
The biggest driver is the amount of fuel costs saved by using an e-vehicle. A
motorist saves up to 80% of the money they would normally use to gas up their car.
An ADB study shows that regular trike drivers spend P250 ($ 5.6) a day on fuel. An
e-trike would bring that down to P50 ($1.1), the cost of charging the battery for
around two hours that would allow the trike to travel 40 kilometers.
The fuel savings are a consolation for the still high prices of e-vehicles typically
double the price of conventional vehicles. A normal tricycle costs around P100,000
($2,200) while an e-trike costs between P250,000 to P300,000 ($5,600-6,700).
But even these prices are going down because the cost of manufacturing batteries
the most expensive and important part is also slowly but steadily dropping. In
2012, the price of a lithium-ion battery was around $650. Today it's at $500.
Another factor that could help lower prices is to set up the stage for e-vehicle
manufacturing to be done locally instead of importing from abroad. Some players
have already started.
E-jeep maker PhUV designs, fabricates, and assembles their vehicles in the
Philippines. COMET e-shuttles the first fleet operational in Metro Manila in April
will be assembled in Cavite.

That e-vehicles emit no harmful chemicals has earned the approval of the
Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR). Around 80% of air
pollution in Metro Manila comes from motor vehicles. (READ: Outdoor air pollution a
leading cause of cancer WHO)
"That's why the level of air pollution in the megacity, 114 total suspended
particulates (TSP), is above the safe standard of 90 TSP," said DENR Environment
Management Bureau NCR regional director Vizminda Osorio.
Added to these benefits is the measure from the Land Transportation Franchising
and Regulatory Board (LTFRB) imposing a 15-year age limit on jeepneys and buses.
"Now the operators are seeking electric jeepneys to replace their regular jeepneys,"
said Juan.
In fact, many of the e-jeeps showcased at the summit were based on requests for
jeepney operators themselves.
Juan's PhUV made sure to accommodate requests for a good sound system, more
dome lights to prevent hold-ups, a side entrance so passengers are safer entering
and exiting the jeep and even a Filipino-speaking voice-over to announce the
jeepney stop.
The ADB-DOE e-tricycle project will also make adoption of the technology easier for
tricycle drivers. To make the shift, drivers will not have to pay any cash upfront.
They pay a monthly amortization using the amount of money they save from not
having to gas up.
"In 5 years, they would have already paid in full," projected Hasnie.
Government support needed
But catapulting the EV industry in the Philippines won't happen without government
support.
The Alternative Fuel Vehicles Incentive Act was well on its way to becoming a law in
the 15th Congress. Senate and Congress had passed their respective versions of the
bill. But before a bicameral conference committee could convene to reconcile the
two versions, the 2013 national elections kicked in, nullifying the bills for the 16th
Congress.
Some solons are trying to revive the bill. One of them, Senator Benigno Aquino IV,
said: "If you look at the overall goals in terms of the health side, the environmental
side, I think it makes sense for the government to support the use of electric
vehicles. And it's not just a trend. It's happening already all over the world. You have
a lot of countries that do provide incentives for electric vehicles."
The bill aims to provide incentives for e-vehicle manufacturers to invest in the
country and for Filipino motorists to buy e-vehicles. It includes fiscal incentives, like
eliminating value-added tax and excise tax for a certain period of time.
Motorists who drive e-vehicles will also be given preference in terms of registration,
color coding and even parking in certain establishments, said Aquino.
With the technology improving and burgeoning government support, there's no
reason why the Philippines can't have one million e-vehicles in 6 years.
According to Juan, "The market is here now. This year will be a tipping point. Finally,
we are ready." Rappler.com
DOE targets e-trikes award this month
MANILA, Philippines - The government hopes to award this month the contract for the supply of electricpowered tricycles (e-trikes) under the Asian Development Bank funded electric vehicle program.

The government has successfully negotiated with the winning bidder for the supply and delivery of 3,000
e-trikes to lower the cost per unit, Department of Energy (DOE) Undersecretary Loreta Ayson told
reporters on the sidelines of the Philippine Economic Briefing in Pasay City.
She said the agency negotiated with Japanese firm Uzushio Electric Co. Ltd. the sole bidder during the
auction held in August last Friday.
I was talking with DOE Undersecretary Donato Marcos yesterday and it loos like they agreed to lower the
price just to let things start and finally deploy the 3,000 units, she said.
Following negotiations, the DOE is now awaiting the approval of the ADB to push through with the
awarding of the contract.
Ayson said the ADB is expected to issue a no objection letter (NOL) soon, which is a critical component
for the e-trike program to move forward.
Once the ADB issues the NOL, I think it can already be awarded, the DOE official said.
The supply of e-trikes is the initial phase of the $504-million electric vehicle (e-vehicles) program, a joint
undertaking of the DOE and the ADB.
These units will be delivered to local government units and will be used by drivers through a lease-to-own
arrangement. Drivers will be required to pay a daily boundary to their respective LGUs.
Originally, the bidding of the 3,000 e-trikes was supposed to take place in 2014 but was put on hold due
to high costs of the units.
Once awarded, the initial e-trike project will be the deciding factor for the succeeding procurement of
more e-trikes, especially with the upcoming elections, Ayson said.
From there, they can see if the program is workable, if it would it be welcomed by the local government
units. So they will decide later depending on the outcome of the deployment of the first 3,000, she
explained.