The 8th Philippine Electric Vehicle Summit goes digital

MANILA: The COVID-19 pandemic did not stop the Electric Vehicle Association of the Philippines (EVAP) from staging its 8^th Philippine Electric Vehicle Summit (PEVS), which kicked off yesterday, September 24, and will be culminating tomorrow. The theme of this year’s summit is, “Moving Forward to an Electrified Mobility in the New Normal,” and is staged digitally for the first time.

Now on its 10th year, the EVAP brings together different stakeholders across the electric vehicle (EV) value chain to address the current state of EV mobility.

The various opportunities and challenges posed by the COVID-19 pandemic as well as the future of the EV industry are also being discussed during the summit.

The 8th PEVS also enables various experts from other countries to share and exchange ideas and experiences, backed up by relevant research results on all areas of EV mobility and supporting infrastructure.

Among the major topics discussed during yesterday’s afternoon session was the development of public charging infrastructure as a response to the new normal.

The speakers for this particular topic were the European Association for Electromobility (AVERE) Secretary-General  Philippe Vangeel and French Federation of Users of Electric Vehicles (FFAUVE) President Stephane Semeria.

Philippe discussed the background of AVERE and its electromobility vision for Europe. He also pointed out the new and old EV mobility challenges as well as the points included in the European Green Deal.

According to him, around 50% of EV market share is needed by 2030 to attain CO2 emissions targets. He also explained that an increase in EVs necessitates an increase in public charging points.

For the European Green Deal, the secretary-general emphasized the need to phase out internal combustion engines (ICE) and the implementation of more stringent EV-wide CO2 emission limits to reach the targets by 2025 to 2030.

Stephane reiterated the call for “zero emission mobility for all” of Philippe as his talk focused more on the importance of renewable energy-based mobility and the need to provide the essential charging solutions to boost EV mobility not only in Europe, but also in the Philippines and Asia.

He also shared about his experience on EV mobility and what FFAUVE has been doing in France to overcome the challenges that they have encountered and the solutions they have adopted in the aspect of electrified mobility.

A roundtable discussion, moderated by the Executive Director of EVAP Dr. Jose Bienvenido Manuel Biona, was done after the talks of the two European speakers.

The panelists were the Energy Utilization Management Bureau of the Department of Energy (DOE) Director Atty. Patrick Aquino, Electric Vehicle Association of Thailand (EVAT) President-Elect Krisda Utamote, Electric Vehicle Association of Singapore (EVAS) President Terence Siew, Electric Vehicle Association of Malaysia (EVAM) President Dennis Chuah, Nissan Australia Electrification and Mobility National Manager Ben Warren, and EVAP Chairman Emeritus Ferdinand Raquelsantos.

Ideas and experiences were shared regarding the most recent concerns, obstacles, trends, and advancements that the panelists encountered in EV adoption in their respective countries.

Points were also discussed on the importance of preparing for transition towards electrified mobility through proper planning and budgeting for electric charging infrastructures, especially in the Philippines.

The EV stakeholders and industry players will also talk about the proposed Electric Vehicles and Charging Stations Act, wherein it is anticipated that its approval will encourage the public to accept and adopt EVs as the future of personal mobility in the country.

The 8^th PEVS will also highlight the latest EVs from well-known car companies like the Leaf from Nissan Philippines and the Outlander Plug-in Hybrid Vehicle (PHEV) from Mitsubishi Motors Philippines Corporation (MMPC). Both brands will discuss the latest in EV technology that is accessible for current consumers.

Photos from the Electric Vehicle Association of the Philippines 

Also read: 8th PH Electric Vehicle Summit to espouse wider adoption of electrified mobility in new normal