Going green is not the future; it is the present: Züm-ing to a greener present

MANILA, Philippines - Mang Berto is just one of the dozens of drivers in Metro Manila who tested the e-trike during a pilot program in Manila, initiated by the Asian Development Bank (ADB).

The ADB in December announced an ambitious $300-million e-trike project that will replace 100,000 gasoline-burning tricycles in the Philippines with clean, energy efficient e-trikes.

The e-trike program is envisioned to help drivers earn more and, at the same time, help the government by saving more than $100 million a year in fuel imports, while decreasing the yearly CO2 emissions by about 260,000 tons.

According to a recent ADB study, gasoline-fueled tricycles account for two-thirds of air pollution generated by the country’s transport sector. At present, there are more than 3.5 million motorized tricycles plying the country’s roads, emitting more than 10 million tons of carbon dioxide and consuming nearly P200 billion ($5 billion) in imported fuel yearly.

The ADB said the e-trikes will be introduced in Metro Manila and other cities across the country under a lease-to-own arrangement in the near future.

Beth Lee, an advocate of e-trikes, commends the ADB for taking a bold lead in espousing a program that will not only reduce carbon emissions in the country, but more so help tricycle drivers earn more and generate more jobs for the Filipino people.

Lee is the CEO of E-motors, one of the manufacturers and developers of e-trikes in the country. The 100-percent Filipino-owned company is the country’s first manufacturer and assembler of e-trikes registered with the Board of Investment’s Motor Vehicle Development Program (BOI-MVDP) under Executive Order No.156. It is also the first to be registered with the country’s EO 226 or Investments Priority Plan, supporting one of President Aquino’s initiatives to clean the air and decrease pollution.

Lee shares ADB’s goal to position the Philippines as a leader in electric vehicle development in Asia, saying the “country is on track for a greener future in transport.”

“The implementation of e-trikes will mitigate the effects of climate change and generate jobs for the people while supporting the local manufacturing industry. More and more Filipinos are getting educated on the benefits of going green – it can save you money, while at the same time, help save the environment,” Lee tells STARweek.

“This is good news for Filipinos as we may be seeing more e-trikes on our roads – made by Filipinos, made in the Philippines. There is great investment potential for e-trikes. I think the key is investment in the manufacture and assembly of e-trikes, If done properly, the Philippines could possibly be the platform to jump start the electric vehicle industry that aims to impact the largest use of public transportation by Filipinos- the tricycle,” she says.

E-Motors recently invested P107 million for the manufacture and assembly of e-trikes for sale to local government units as well as private firms and individuals. Lee said her company’s goal is “to make an impact on four fronts: to provide innovative and affordable basic transport; livelihood and job creation; poverty alleviation; and climate change mitigation.”

But while Lee has high hopes for the future of e-trikes in the country, she acknowledged some challenges, particularly in changing the mindset of people who doubt the viability and sustainability of e-trikes.

 â€œOne of the challenges is the shift in mindset, to use EVs instead of ICEs (internal combustion engine) as an alternative mode of transport. I think slowly but surely, we are moving towards making the use of EVs common place in our daily lives,” she says.

“I think both encouragement and discouragement come with starting something new, especially when we’re initiating an innovative venture in a very young industry that’s just starting to get some attention. The bold thing we did as E-Motors is to take a stand to invest in our country. That’s why we became the first BOI-MVDP-registered firm that manufactures and assembles electric tricycles in the country. We believe in investing in the Filipino. Gawa ng Pilipino, para sa Pilipino (Made by Filipinos, for the Filipino),” she says.

Another common concern is the charging of the batteries. Will the e-trike stop in the middle of the road after it’s drained of its battery?

Lee said there’s nothing to worry about since the batteries can be charged 6-8 hours and yes, if the battery has been depleted, you can always charge it like a cell phone – as long as you charge it properly.

She explains that e-trikes are propelled by an electric motor that draws its fuel from batteries and there are different types of batteries to choose from, like lithium and lead acid batteries. Both require a number of hours to charge, depending on the depletion of charge on your battery.

Lee says the E-Motors’ ZüM electric vehicles are easy to charge; just plug and play on a 220V outlet.

The ADB, for its part, has also put in place measures that will make the program more sustainable. They plan to establish five pilot charging stations for e-trikes to ensure that the power utilized by the e-trikes would cost much less that the fuel used by regular tricycles.

Another top concern is the non-passage of Senate Bill No. 2856 or the Alternative Fuel Vehicles (AFV) Incentives Act of 2011, which could derail the program’s implementation in the country.

The AFV bill provides incentives for the manufacture, assembly, conversion and importation of electric hybrid and alternative fuel vehicles. Although the Senate approved the bill on its third and final reading last April, and the counterpart House Bill No.5460 passed on third reading last year, it is still waiting for a bicameral conference.

Lee is hopeful the bill’s non-passage will not hamper the implementation of e-trikes in the country.

 â€œThe intention is clear. I am not sure what happened but one thing is for sure, things are moving positively forward despite the non-passage of the AFV bill,” she notes.

In fact, Lee says that since the crafting of the bill, there has been some positive movements in the electric vehicle industry’s C-segment (e-trike, e-jeep), particularly in the manufacture and assembly of these electric 3-wheel and 4-wheel vehicles that include those that can be used as PUVs (public utility vehicles).

 â€œIt would be good for the country if the bill supports what is now a growing though nascent electric vehicle manufacturing and assembly industry – particularly the e-trike and e-jeep segment – which can serve the largest segment of the population,” she says.

“Going green is not the future. It is the present. We must get our act together to move forward, faster. It can be done. Our ZüM e-trikes are currently available in the market and come in models that can be used for personal or business use,” she says.

Lee has made the clean and green mode of transportation her lifelong advocacy.

 â€œI wanted to continue to do something that would be socially relevant. In my own small way, I wanted to continue to make a difference in people’s lives,” she says.

Before embarking on her e-trike project, she first started the Nissan “Ur Van, Ur Business” program which she conceptualized with her mother, a program that helped developed micro-entrepreneurs.

The program, according to Lee, has benefited over 7,000 families, creating 7,400 jobs in the supplier and ancillary industries. It even earned praises from Nissan Renault CEO Carlos Ghosn. The program’s success inspired Lee to embark on the e-trike project.

“This experience changed me and served as a validation that what you do matters. And, consequently, we need to make what we do matter,” Lee says.