Updated EV roadmap to be issued this month

MANILA, Philippines — The government is aiming to release the updated roadmap for the electric vehicle (EV) industry within the month, according to the Department of Energy (DOE).

In a press conference yesterday for the upcoming Philippine EV Summit (PEVS) 2024, DOE Energy Utilization Management Bureau director Patrick Aquino said the agency is targeting to issue the updated Comprehensive Roadmap for the EV Industry (CREVI) this month.

The CREVI provides targets to address the barriers to the development of the EV industry.

“The key areas of CREVI that we can look forward to are our targets for the mandated EV share for both government and corporate fleets, the dedicated EV parking slots guidelines, as well as the construction of EV charging stations in parking lots and gasoline stations or retail fuel petroleum outlets,” Aquino said.

According to Aquino, portions of the EV Incentive Strategy being proposed by the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) may also form part of the updated CREVI.

Last May, Trade Undersecretary Rafaelita Aldaba said that the DTI is coming up with a draft executive order (EO) for the proposed incentive scheme to encourage the manufacture and use of EVs targeted to be presented to President Marcos within the year.

For the EV incentive scheme, Aldaba said the DTI is looking at a program similar to the Comprehensive Automotive Resurgence Strategy, which provides fiscal support to vehicle assemblers in exchange for investments for the production of their enrolled vehicle model.

She also said the program would focus on electric public utility vehicles.

Aquino said the DTI is expected to conduct consultations for the proposed EV Incentives Strategy this month or next month.

Following the consultations, EV Association of the Philippines president Edmund Araga said the group is hopeful the EV Incentives Strategy would be approved by the Fiscal Incentives Review Board and submitted to the Office of the President before the year ends.

Aside from the updated CREVI, Aquino said the DOE is also coming up with regulations that will require gas stations to put up charging stations for EVs.

According to Aquino, the draft regulations and conduct of public consultations for such are expected in the fourth quarter.

“We’ve not yet reached a ‘critical mass’ so we have to also be mindful of the business implications of a mandate because under the EVIDA (EV Industry Development Act), it’s a requirement. If you do not put up those charging stations, there are penalties or fines that are involved,” he said.

He said the DOE is looking at using the size of the gas station, as basis for how many charging stations will be required.

“We’ll work with our industry partners in that sector to determine let’s say, if you have more than four pumps, we’ll put up one. We’ll base it on that because you’re also aware there are small stations that only have one (pump). Of course it might be unreasonable for us to require them,” he said.

He said the target is to have the regulations for the charging stations to be in place by next year.