Is the Philippines ready for EVs?

The biggest roadblock by far to owning an electric vehicle in the Philippines is the lack of charging stations. While one may find charging stations in malls such as Estancia, Eastwood, and Uptown, they remain a scarce resource all over the country—which suggests EVs have a primary use case of city driving. Motorists who go out of town regularly for business or pleasure might see an EV as an unattractive option. “If you’re an owner of an EV, there’s no way you can keep using it without charging stations. It’s the same principle as having a combustion engine—you won’t travel very far if you don’t have a gas station. It’s significantly worse for EVs because it’s rare to find places to charge,” says Jimeno.

Read also: On the road to Wimbledon: Range Rover takes Tatler to the world’s most prestigious tennis tournament

Another barrier stopping EVs from rising to prominence is the people’s cognition towards them. Living a sustainable life is already seen as a luxury, which extends to driving electric vehicles. Not only do fully electric cars have steep prices, but they also present plenty of deal breakers for the common man. For instance, charging your EV may take 20-30 minutes compared to gasoline or diesel, which only takes a couple of minutes maximum. Additionally, the Philippines is largely a coal-consuming country—reaching around 25.48 million metric tons in 2021. Owning an EV to help the environment is defeated by how it gets charged. “Many owners would think, ‘Why am I sacrificing my combustion engine for something that’s also emitting indirectly through coal power plants?’” quips Jimeno.

The idea that EVs are only suitable for city driving constantly clashes with what most car brands claim. On the one hand, we have EVs that supposedly can travel to the farthest provinces and back to Manila on one charge. On the other, we have range anxiety. Range anxiety gets the best of people when it comes to driving in general. When you’re low on fuel with a gas-powered engine, getting to the next gas station is crucial, lest you run out and have to call a tow truck or push to the nearest one. This fear is amplified when driving an EV, as charging stations are only in specific spots around the Metro.

Also see: Angie Mead King on the cars she loves, modding, and the automotive industry

Assistance from the government is needed for EVs to be properly introduced in the Philippines. In 2022, the Department of Energy (DOE), together with the Department of Transportation (DOTR) and the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI), passed the Electric Vehicle Industry Development Act (EVIDA) to reduce reliance on imported fuel for the transportation sector—with the main goal of bringing EVs to the forefront of public and private transportation. While the law sounds promising, the Comprehensive Roadmap for the Electric Vehicle Industry (CREVI) is projected to come to fruition in 2040—when the Philippines is expected to have 40,000 charging stations and over 6 million EVs on our roads.

“Right now, there’s no clear incentive for the private sector to put up charging stations apart from car brands since they’re the ones selling the cars… The government would either need to introduce policies incentivising the private sector to put up charging stations or fund it themselves… We have PPP (Public-Private Partnership) projects for infrastructure, so why not have PPPs for charging stations?” shares Jimeno

So, to answer the question, ‘Is the Philippines ready for EVs?’

Perhaps not now, at least in the near future. There are too many factors that the government needs to address before EVs become the primary mode of transportation. Apart from making it more accessible with charging stations and lower prices, we need to stop using coal for electricity before we can call ourselves EV-ready. “Currently, it has not happened because of the lack of infrastructure. But are we capable of being ready? Yes. It’s up to the government to make it mainstream,” says Jimeno.

NOW READ

Jeepney’s enduring journey—origins, cultural value, and the threat of being phased out

Mercedes-Benz EQE SUV: A marriage of style and efficiency

Tatler test drive: How the new Lexus LBX feels on the road