Philippine Electric Vehicle Summit returns to the physical stage on Oct. 20-21

MANILA: The Electric Vehicle Association of the Philippines (EVAP), in collaboration with the Manila Electric Company (Meralco), Department of Energy (DOE), and Nissan Philippines Inc., will be conducting the 10th Philippine Electric Vehicle Summit (PEVS) on October 20 and 21 at the SMX Convention Center Manila.

“There has been a massive jump in EV adoption worldwide during the past year. Sales of electric vehicles doubled in 2021 from the previous year to a new record of 6.6 million. Back in 2012, just 120 000 electric cars were sold worldwide. Nearly 10% of global car sales were electric in 2021, four times the market share in 2019. This brought the total number of electric cars on the world’s roads to about 16.5 million, triple the amount in 2018. Global sales of electric cars have kept rising strongly in 2022, with two million sold in the first quarter, up 75% from the same period in 2021,” EVAP President Edmund Araga stated, citing the International Energy Agency (IEA) 2022 Global EV Outlook.

“The IEA report stated that the success of EVs is being driven by multiple factors,” Araga added. “Sustained policy support is the main pillar. Public spending on subsidies and incentives for EVs nearly doubled in 2021 to nearly USD 30 billion. A growing number of countries have pledged to phase out internal combustion engines or have ambitious vehicle electrification targets for the coming decades. Meanwhile, many carmakers have plans to electrify their fleets that go further than policy targets. Finally, more new EV models were available in 2021, increasing the attractiveness for consumers. The number of EV models available on the market is around 450. While the 6.6-million EV sales in 2021 were led by China, Europe, and the United States, by contrast, EV sales are still lagging in other emerging and developing economies, where the few models that are available remain unaffordable for mass-market consumers.”

This year’s PEVS will highlight the electric vehicle industry’s solidarity in achieving the policy goals of the Electric Vehicle Industry Development Act (EVIDA), also known as Republic Act No. 11697, which went into effect on May 11, 2022. The Act’s implementing rules and regulations, which were published on September 5, 2022, went into effect on September 20, 2022. The law mandates 5% electric vehicle share in corporate and government fleets, designated parking spaces for electric vehicles, installation of charging stations in parking lots and gas stations, creation of green routes in cities and municipalities, as well as fiscal and non-fiscal incentives for electric vehicle production, charging station importation, and electric vehicle usage. The goal of the law is to encourage the fast adoption of electric vehicles and charging stations in the country.

Araga asserted that the country may anticipate the transition to sustainable mobility with the passage of EVIDA.

“Aside from the climate benefits of electric vehicles, another important benefit of EVs which has come to the fore of public policy attention especially after the beginning of Russia’s iinvasion of Ukraine is that EVs run on electricity and can therefore be an important contributor to reducing the use of oil in the country,” he added.

However, Araga highlighted that the government was prepared to enact fiscal incentives because electric vehicle buyers should not have to pay such a high premium. According to him, promoting electric vehicle adoption along with fiscal incentives in emerging electric vehicle markets like the Philippines will encourage charging infrastructure players to enter the country, fostering a positive feedback loop for electric vehicle adoption.

With the theme “United in Driving Electromobility in Support of the EVIDA or Republic Act No. 11697,” the biggest annual electric vehicle conference and expo in the Philippines will hold its first physical staging after two years of COVID-19 pandemic. In order to promote the adoption of electric vehicles and the development of the electric vehicle charging station in the country, the event gathers stakeholders from across the electric vehicle value chain, including policymakers, regulators, academe, consultants, transport companies, power utilities, and end-users.

A motorcade in the morning of October 20 will kick off this year’s PEVS. It will feature the latest means of electric mobility around the Mall of Asia Complex.

According to Araga, EVAP will also be revealing its new logo during the event. “This is the right time for us to rebrand to reflect EVAP’s vision of a modern and electrified road transport in the Philippines. We also wanted to reaffirm our commitment to advance the country’s transition to EVs by advocating and supporting enabling policies, rules and regulations to accelerate their deployment in the public and private sectors,” he said.

The DOE will also introduce the recently published EVIDA Implementing Rules and Regulations (EVIDA-IRRs) at the event, along with other concerned government agencies, including the Department of Interior and Local Government (DILG), Department of Science and Technology (DOST), Department of Transportation (DOTr), Department of Trade and Industry (DTI), Energy Regulatory Commission (ERC), and Land Transportation Franchising and Regulatory Board (LTFRB), to discuss their individual roles in the implementation of EVIDA.

The 10th PEVS will also honor individuals and organizations for their significant contributions to the development of electric mobility in the Philippines through the presentation of the E-mobility Awards.

Araga also enumerated the topics that will be tackled at the 10th PEVS, which include EVIDA Implementing Rules and Regulations and Updates on the Comprehensive Roadmap for the Electric Vehicle Industry (CREVI), Encouraging More Players in the EV Charging Space, Global Trends and Current Issues Faced by the EV Industry, Asian Federation of Electric Vehicle Association (AFEVA) Policy Dialogue, Spurring EV Manufacturing Through the Strategic Investment Promotion Plan (SIPP) and the EV Incentive Strategy (EVIS), Public and Private E-mobility Programs, and EV Technology Presentations.

Photo from Electric Vehicle Association of the Philippines

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