Mitsubishi, Meralco launch clean energy infrastructure

MANILA, Philippines — Mitsubishi Motor Philippines Corp. (MMPC) and Manila Electric Co. (Meralco) launched yesterday a clean energy infrastructure that will allow electric vehicles (EV) to charge and supply electricity to a home or building.

A first of its kind in the Philippines, the Dendo Drive Station piloted at the Mitsubishi dealership under Peak Motors Philippines Inc. (PMPI) in Pasay City. It features a clean energy ecosystem enabled by the services provided by Meralco subsidiaries eSakay, Spectrum and Meralco Energy Inc. (MServ).

The PMPI Pasay dealership uses solar panels and vehicle-to-home (V2H) equipment with bi-directional chargers.

The V2H system enables the charging of EVs or plug-in hybrid EVs (PHEVs) at home using solar energy, while also supplying electricity from the EV or PHEV to an entire house or in the case of the Dendo Drive Station, the Mitsubishi branch.

The Meralco subsidiaries provided the tailor-fit sustainable solution for the pilot station, with Spectrum installing a 28-kilowatt peak (kWp) solar panel and the facility’s inclusion to the net-metering program, eSakay providing two EV charging pods, and MServ handling the electrical works and system integration for the Dendo Drive Station.

Mitsubishi’s flagship plug-in hybrid SUV, the Outlander PHEV launched in 2020, is also part of the Dendo Drive Station. When purchased, the Outlander PHEV will come with a conventional charger, allowing it to be charged directly from a home socket.

In a statement, MMPC president and CEO Takeshi Hara said the Dendo Drive Station is a manifestation of the company’s dedication to continuously study technologies and gain expertise when it comes to vehicle electrification, as this brings a new kind of value in terms of eco-mobility.

“Designed to be part of our commitment to help achieve a sustainable society by 2030 while at the same time impact the communities where Mitsubishi dealerships are located. We hope to get more support in helping instill confidence among Filipinos when it comes PHEVs and more importantly shed some light on environmental sustainability,” he said.

Meanwhile, Meralco first vice president and chief commercial officer and head of customer retail services Ferdinand Geluz said the Dendo Drive is a testament to the shared commitment of Mitsubishi and the One Meralco Group to promote a new energy ecosystem where consumers can generate, store, and share energy.

“You can be assured that Meralco will continue to drive renewable energy solutions as a way forward to augment the capacity of our generators and to support the sustainability endeavors of our customers through decarbonized energy sourcing, as together we journey towards economic recovery,” he said.

Meralco and Mitsubishi’s partnership go way back to 2013 when the power distributor installed the country’s first commercial EV charging station in its Pasig City compound.