Father, son team launches E-trike

MARILAO, Bulacan – Move over electric jeepney, here comes the first Filipino engineered and assembled electric tricycle (E-trike).

The E-trike was designed and modified from a regular motorcycle with the sidecar of a regular tricycle by Antonio Aguilar, a former overseas Filipino worker, and his son Allan.

The Aguilars are both engineers by profession, but Allan is currently a municipal councilor of this town.

The elder Aguilar said that the E-trike is powered by four 12 volts rechargeable batteries that can last for eight hours and can run for 80 to 100 kms.

He said that charging time for batteries can be done on slower pace or six to eight hours, a faster pace of one to two hours.

Like a regular tricycle, the E-trike can have four passengers including the driver with combined weight of 250-kilograms, and can cruise at a speed of 30 to 40 kms. per hour.

Each E-trike costs between P150,000 to P175,000, and goes with a battery charging kit with watt hour meter, ampere/voltage meter, built in automatic overcharge protection timer.

The younger Aguilar said they started building the E-trike about this time last year after Marilao Mayor Epifanio Guillermo challenged fellow municipal officials to come up with ways and strategies that can help protect the environment.

He said that Guillermo’s exhortations challenged him and his father as they started working on the E-trike.

“Gawang Marilenyo ito, proudly Bulakenyo and truly Filipino,” the young Aguilar said.

He added that the E-trike can help protect the environment as it uses no gas and oil, doesn’t emit smoke and it is noiseless.

“Based on DOTC records, there are at least 2.8-million tricycles in the country and they far outnumber cars and jeepneys. That means tricycles can be considered as one of the major air polluters and the E-trike is our answer,” the young Aguilar said.