Villar Group rides e-vehicle bandwagon

MANILA, Philippines - The Villar Group has decided to ride the electric vehicle bandwagon as it launches an environment friendly transport system in its P50-billion masterplanned community in southern Metro Manila.

The Electric Vehicle Association of the Philippines (EVAP) said the 1,500-hectare Vista City is the latest real estate development to introduce green transport in the country.

“To have a large real estate company such as the Vista Group join the electric vehicle bandwagon is a big boost for the local electric vehicle industry,” EVAP president Rommel Juan said.

Juan said Metro Express Connect  Inc., a subsidiary of Vista Land, has launched two electric jeepneys that would ply the C5 Extension Road or the Quirino Avenue, Pulanglupa to Sucat Road route and vice versa.

The route covers four kilometers round trip suitable for the electric jeepneys, Juan said.

The electric jeepneys were made by PhUV Inc., the manufacturer and supplier of other electric jeepney fleets in Makati, Alabang, Muntinlupa and Quezon City.

“We are very happy that a large company like the Vista Land group of the Villars are now supporting electric vehicles to be used in their real estate developments. This goes to show that electric vehicles are now moving into the mainstream of our mass transport system,” Juan said.

According to Juan, the Villar family is supportive of the electric vehicle movement, believing that such vehicles are beneficial to use in residential and commercial developments because they are environment-friendly and noise free.

Vista City will house numerous office towers, medium-rise condominium buildings, residential communities and commercial centers, making it the flagship project of the real estate firm of the Villar family.

The 1,500-hectare community covers portions of Muntinlupa, Las Piñas, Bacoor in Cavite and San Pedro in Laguna.

“We hope that other major real estate developers will soon follow suit so that our country may enjoy a cleaner and healthier public transport option,” Juan said.

Juan said more than half a dozen electric vehicle initiatives are currently operating in the Philippines at present but more is needed to make its impact in lessening air pollution.