Toyota wants HEVs included in additional TNVS slots

MANILA: Toyota Motor Philippines (TMP) is asking the Land Transportation Franchising and Regulatory Board (LTFRB) to open the newly-added 7,500 slots for transport network vehicle service (TNVS) to conventional hybrid electric models.

Acknowledging the release of Memorandum Circular 2026-084, the company expressed the need to open the allocation to hybrids as it also forms part of the government-recognized electrified models in the country. 

“Republic Act No. 11697, or the Electric Vehicle Industry Development Act (EVIDA), recognizes HEVs as part of the EV classification. Furthermore, the Electric Vehicle Incentive Strategy (EVIS) also includes HEVs as part of the country’s vehicle electrification strategy,” the firm mentioned. 

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Aside from that, the leading automotive distributor in the country is confident on the fuel-saving capabilities of compact internal combustion engines.

“We also believe modern low-displacement engine technologies in today’s compact ICE vehicles have significantly improved in terms of fuel efficiency and reducing emissions. Including these vehicles in the options can benefit both the operators and the riding public,” it explained. 

For his part, Toyota Motor Philippines Senior Vice President Sherwin Chua Lim said that the  memorandum failed to provide an explanation for choosing the specific drivetrain included in the newly-opened TNVS slots for the National Capital Region.

Intended exclusively for Metro Manila, the aforementioned volume is part of the 8,750 slots that were opened eyeing to meet the growing demand for public transportation in the country—with the remaining 1,250 slots divided between the Ilocos Region (650) and the Bicol Region (600), where only half of the allocation is reserved for electric vehicles.

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