IT won’t be long, yeah, when electric vehicles will finally ease out fossil fuel-fed cars out of our garage. The earliest prediction is 1935.
As of June 2022, there are already 1,013 electrified vehicles sold in the Philippine market. That’s a huge jump from the 843 units purchased in 2021 and 378 in 2020. Of those figures, 962 were Toyota and Lexus models.
But by the time that car electrification has come full blast, what is going to happen to our “old” cars? Will they be junk-bound?
I don’t know.
What I do know, intend to do, is to probably put my car in a museum for the next generation to gawk at. Oldie is always a goldie—a beauty.
Always, there is a lasting significance, if not a much-cherished value, to anything that has had a special attachment to our hearts.
But before I stray into the boulevard of my dreams and start waxing sentimental, here is an electric story from Sunshine Cabrera, the no-nonsense Toyota communications front liner.
“The shift to electrified vehicles (xEVs) is rapidly accelerating in the Philippines, with the industry seeing the fastest adoption rates yet since the very first Hybrid Electric Vehicle (HEV) was introduced commercially in the country in 2009.
“Toyota Motor Philippines (TMP), whose ground-breaking HEV Prius in 1997 pioneered the electrification movement, is leading this shift with 95 percent of xEV users in the Philippines today driving an electrified model from its Toyota and Lexus lines.
“Toyota and Lexus offer the widest range of HEVs in the country today with multiple variants across 10 models: Toyota’s Corolla Altis, Corolla Cross, Prius, Camry, and RAV 4; and, Lexus’ IS, ES, LS, NX and RX.
“Globally, Toyota’s wide range of xEVs include Hybrid Electric Vehicles (HEVs), Plug-In Hybrid Electric Vehicles (PHEVs), Battery Electric Vehicles (BEVs) and the hydrogen-powered Fuel Cell Electric Vehicles (FCEVs), which are being rolled-out to different regions based on the readiness of the market and infrastructure to power these vehicles with clean energy. Already, Toyota and Lexus have sold more than 20 million units of their electrified models around the world, helping reduce CO2 emissions by more than 160 million metric tons.
“TMP President Atsuhiro Okamoto is optimistic that vehicle electrification will fast track carbon neutrality or net-zero carbon dioxide emissions nationwide.
“Said Okamoto: ‘The positive impact of xEVs can only be observed once we achieve a wide scale adoption of these vehicles. The exponential growth and the rate of new xEV model introductions in the country are providing Filipino customers more options and easy access to greener technologies. Toyota’s mantra of ‘Mobility for All’ where ‘no one is left behind’ is in line with electrified cars.’
“TMP’s range of HEVs are positioned not to rely on charging from fossil-based power sources, but instead generate their own power through self-charging systems.
“Okamoto said that the Corolla HEV models Altis and Cross have become attractive to clients, what with incentives like the extended 8-year battery warranty.
“Concluded Okatomo: ‘This is in line with Toyota’s challenge of achieving carbon neutrality by 2050 and continuing our pioneering role in environmental leadership towards all of society.”
Our motorists can only applaud—lustily.
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