US-based Pangea to bring in electric PUV for Phl market

MANILA, Philippines - United States-based Pangea Motors, LLC (Pangea) is bringing to the Philippines a fully electric public utility vehicle (PUV) next month.

Pangea has teamed up with local investors to create an international partnership called Global Electric Transportation with a Philippine franchise named GET Philippines Inc. to carry out its plan.

 â€œGET has an exclusive arrangement with Pangea for the supply and distribution of the public utility vehicle called the Comet,” Pangea said in a statement.

Pangea said that unlike its competitors, its vehicles are designed to be fully electric from the beginning instead of modifying gas vehicles or golf carts.

The vehicle uses lithium iron phosphate batteries that are enclosed in a watertight casing and consists of less than 300 parts instead of the usual 4,000 parts of a typical diesel-run engine, which translates to cost-efficient manufacturing and minimal maintenance, Pangea said.

To penetrate the Philippine market, the GET team has painstakingly studied different angles of the Philippine transport system to ensure that all members of the community benefit from this endeavor.

“GET Philippines has conceived cashless fare payment and centralized fleet management systems, designated infrastructure, customer service support and adaptable financial models to support the needs of all the stakeholders involved,” Pangea said.

The first vehicle is expected to arrive in the Philippines by mid-September. It will be making its public appearance soon after, the company said.

It is set to serve passengers on its first route by the first week of December.

The Comet can comfortably seat 16 passengers with a height clearance of over six feet. It also charges on a 220-V outlet with its charging system built into the vehicle requiring only a four-hour charge time, and has a range of 80 to 100 kilometers on a full charge.

Power utility giant Manila Electric Co. (Meralco) earlier launched a P1.5-million prototype electric vehicle charging station as part of efforts to promote the use of the more environment-friendly electric vehicles in the country.