One in every seven passenger cars bought globally in 2022 was an electric vehicle (EV), according to a recent report by the International Energy Agency. The World Economic Forum said the markets for EVs that stand out last year are in China, where one in every four cars bought was an EV; the European Union with one in five; and the United States, where nearly one in 10 cars purchased was an EV.
Although EVs have been on the road since the 1800s, historians cannot pinpoint the invention of the electric car to one inventor or country. In the US, William Morrison, a chemist from Iowa, introduced his six-passenger electric vehicle with a top speed of 14 miles per hour in 1890. Then electric cars from different automakers began popping up across the US. New York City even had a fleet of more than 60 electric taxis. By 1900, electric cars were at their heyday, accounting for around a third of all vehicles on US roads.
From the US Department of Energy’s “The History of the Electric Car:” “To understand the popularity of electric vehicles circa 1900, it is also important to understand the development of the personal vehicle. At the turn of the 20th century, the horse was still the primary mode of transportation. But as Americans became more prosperous, they turned to the newly invented motor vehicle—available in steam, gasoline or electric versions—to get around.”
“As electric vehicles came to the market, so did a new type of vehicle—the gasoline-powered car. While gasoline cars had promise, they required a lot of manual effort to drive—changing gears was no easy task and they needed to be started with a hand crank, making them difficult to operate. They were also noisy, and their exhaust was unpleasant. Electric cars didn’t have any of the issues associated with steam or gasoline. They were quiet, easy to drive and didn’t emit a smelly pollutant like the other cars of the time. Electric cars quickly became popular with urban residents—especially women.”
“It was Henry Ford’s mass-produced Model T that dealt a blow to the electric car. Introduced in 1908, the Model T made gasoline-powered cars widely available and affordable. By 1912, the gasoline car cost only $650, while an electric roadster sold for $1,750. That same year, Charles Kettering introduced the electric starter, eliminating the need for the hand crank and giving rise to more gasoline-powered vehicle sales. Other developments also contributed to the decline of the EV. By the 1920s, the US had a better system of roads connecting cities. With the discovery of Texas crude oil, gas became cheap and readily available for rural Americans, and filling stations began popping up across the country. In comparison, very few Americans outside of cities had electricity at that time. In the end, electric vehicles all but disappeared by 1935.”
Fast forward to the 21st century: “The major event that helped reshape electric vehicles was the announcement in 2006 that a small Silicon Valley startup, Tesla Motors, would start producing a luxury electric sports car that could go more than 200 miles on a single charge. In 2010, Tesla got a $465 million loan from the Department of Energy’s Loan Programs Office to establish a manufacturing facility in California. In the short time since then, Tesla has won wide acclaim for its cars.”
In the Philippines, the Department of Energy is pushing for a faster rollout of EVs. “The shift to EVs is expected to reduce the country’s dependence on imported fuel and to promote cleaner and energy-efficient transport technologies,” DOE said. The agency aims to roll out around 2,454,200 EVs comprised of cars, tricycles, and motorcycles to help save the environment and generate investments for a new industry by 2028. (Read, “DOE pushes for faster EV rollout in PHL,” in the BusinessMirror, June 5, 2023).
To promote the electrification of transport in the country, several types of EVs have been given tax breaks under Executive Order 12 to mainstream their use among Filipinos. The EO, however, excluded e-motorcycles, which drew the ire of industry stakeholders, as motorcycles comprise the majority of motorists in the country. They said the EO should be revised to include e-motorcycles so Filipinos can afford to shift to green technology amid the soaring prices of gasoline.
Executive Order No. 12 will be up for mandatory review next year. Consumer advocacy groups are hoping that Malacañang will also give import perks to electric motorcycles, which will benefit millions of working Filipinos. Making e-motorcycles more affordable will help promote zero emission commuting for the masses.
