According to  Department of Energy (DOE) Director Patrick Aquino,  out of the 9,666 registered electric vehicles in the country, 8100, or 84%, are e-scooters, e-bikes, and e-trikes.

This doesn’t even include those EVs that fall under the L1a, L1b, and L2a classifications because these are not required to be registered with the Land Transportation Office (LTO).

Naturally, these types of EVs will be the forerunners in the shift to electric mobility simply because they are more accessible to a more significant number of buyers.

The DOE plans to capitalize on this by pushing for the inclusion of electric 2-wheelers and 3-wheelers in the implementation of the Electric Vehicle Industry Development Act (EVIDA) or the Republic Act No. 11697, which lapsed into becoming law in April 2022 and enacted in May 2022. Its implementing rules and regulations took effect in September 2022).

For all or none at all

EVIDA incentivizes EV adoption nationwide—by allocating dedicated parking slots in establishments, assigning green routes across cities and municipalities, and exempting vehicles from traffic coding schemes, among other perks.

Public and private sectors have also been working to make charging stations more conveniently accessible to EV owners. Under EVIDA, EV manufacturers and importers also enjoy a temporary tax break.

DOE also has ongoing development of the Comprehensive Roadmap for the Electric Vehicle Industry (CREVI), which comes with inter-agency support. The department also facilitates public consultations regarding the Vehicle Fuel Economy Labeling Program (VFELP) and the Fuel Economy Performance Rating (FEPR).

Meanwhile, the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) is still preparing its Electric Vehicle Incentive Strategy (EVIS), and the Department of Transportation (DoTr) is keeping its focus on public utility vehicles (PUVs) modernization, with EV as the priority.

Other government agencies are doing their share by including EVs in their fleets. The Department of Public Works and Highways, or DPWH, is leading the pack in compliance with this commitment.

Is everyone on the same page?

For its part, the private sector is actively investing in putting up more charging stations in strategic locations nationwide and using the latest innovative EV charging technology.

Many private companies are also taking the initiative to procure EVs to enhance their fleets, highlighting their efforts to lower carbon emissions and energy dependency on gasoline.

Do these developments encourage you to make the shift to electric mobility?