Globe pilots electric vehicles as employee shuttle service

MANILA: In order to cut fuel consumption and greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions from its fleet of vehicles, leading digital solutions platform Globe has teamed with Global Electric Transportation (GET) to introduce electric-powered shuttles for its employees in January.

GET first gave Globe two electric vehicles (EVs) to act as employee shuttles as a way to recognize this relationship. The GET shuttle began providing transportation for employees to and from the Globe offices in Makati and Mandaluyong City as well as the Globe headquarters in Taguig on January 23.

The partnership is an important step towards a more environmentally-friendly fleet of company vehicles, and demonstrates Globe's commitment to sustainability and its focus on reducing its carbon footprint.

Globe aims to convert 5% of its service trucks to EVs during the next six years as part of its effort to make EVs a significant portion of its fleet.

EVs offer several benefits such as zero fuel emissions and fast-charging lithium-ion batteries. They can also accommodate more passengers than traditional shuttles and come with an intelligent fleet management system that includes GPS tracking, route optimization, and maintenance alerts.

Particularly, GET's electric shuttle Comet offers convenient and safe transportation while reducing carbon emissions. With its fast-charging lithium-ion batteries and all-electric design, GET reduces its annual carbon emissions by 40,000 kg.

The shuttle features a wheelchair ramp for PWD customers to utilize and can carry 30 passengers at once. Through GCash, it also permits cashless transactions.

In order to help the Philippines meet its promise to cut greenhouse gas emissions by 75 percent by 2030, Globe must significantly reduce its Scope 1 GHG emissions. This is also in accordance with Republic Act 11697, generally known as the Electric Vehicle Industry Development Act, which requires corporate fleets to guarantee that 5% of all cars in their fleets, whether owned or leased, are electric vehicles within a set period of time.

Through its corporate venture builder 917Ventures and significant stakeholder Ayala Corporation, Globe recently partnered with the world's leading provider of two-wheel electric vehicles and battery-swapping technology Gogoro to bring the technology to the Philippines. This was done as part of its investments in sustainable transportation.

Gogoro's Smartscooters, which will begin testing in Metro Manila in Q1 2023, will provide a greener option to the fossil fuel-powered vehicles now employed by the logistics and last-mile delivery sectors. Gogoro's battery swapping infrastructure powers Gogoro Smartscooters through conveniently situated stations, where users can instantly swap out low batteries for fully charged ones in a matter of seconds.

Globe also supports the Ayala Corporation’s commitment to respond to an urgent call-to-action for companies to set emissions reduction targets in line with a 1.5°C future, backed by a global network of United Nations agencies and business and industry leaders.

"Globe is committed to making its operations more sustainable, and we are pleased to be partnering with GET in this effort. We believe that transitioning our fleet operations to electric vehicles will help us make a positive impact on the environment while providing our employees with green transport options,” said Globe Group President and CEO Ernest Cu.

Photos from Globe

Also read: 5 interesting facts about electric vehicles