The energy department is finalizing the terms of reference (TOR) for a plan to auction off the contract to develop solar-powered charging stations.
“For the construction of charging stations, we need to bid it out. We’re drafting the terms of reference for that. That’s going to take a while. We’re waiting for certain consultants to come in and help us come up with a plan and terms of reference,” DOE Assistant Secretary Leonido J. Pulido III said.
Funding for the charging stations will be sourced from the $4-million grant from Asian Development Bank’s (ADB) Clean Technology Fund. “We were also given the go ahead to use the clean technology fund [CTF] to put up solar charging stations. The consultant will help us with the criteria. It has to meet the objectives of the e-trike project,” the Department of Energy (DOE) official added.
The ADB earlier approved an extension of the expiration of the loan and grant agreements of the DOE Energy Efficient Electric Vehicles project. The loan facility was extended from June 30, 2018, to May 2019.
It can be recalled that the DOE has scaled down its e-trike project, deploying only 3,000 units at a cost of P1.73 billion. Bemac Electric Transportation Philippines Inc. bagged the $30-million contract in 2016 for the supply of the 3,000 e-trikes.
Each e-trike was priced at P450,000.
The original project scope of the project involves the deployment of 100,000 e-trike units nationwide with a total project cost of P21.672 billion that required various arrangements involving the government, the private sector and the ADB.
However, there were very few takers for the units because the initial cost and maintenance was too steep for operators and charging stations in the targeted areas for deployment were still lacking. As such, the DOE decided to scale down the project, saying this was necessary in ensuring the viability of the project at a minimal cost to taxpayers.
The DOE was earlier called out by the Commission on Audit (COA) for its failure to distribute even a single unit of the e-trikes to the intended beneficiaries. As such, the DOE ordered the cancellation of the next production of e-trikes.
“Right now, the number of committed e-trikes is 1,600 or 1,700. Only 30 to 40 units were actually deployed. For the committed units, there are ongoing applications from different LGUs that we are considering. They have to fit the criteria and they have to commit to meet the documentary requirements and actions required by the DOF and the ADB,” Pulido said.
The e-trike program called “Market Transformation through Introduction of Energy Efficient Electric Vehicles [E-Trikes] Project” was signed by the government and the ADB on September 27, 2013.
The 3,000 e-trikes was planned to be initially distributed to local government units in Metro Manila, Region 4A and Region 4B to jump-start the shift to e-vehicles to reduce the country’s fuel imports and lessen annual carbon-dioxide emissions.
The DOE earlier donated 200 e-trikes to the local government units of Marawi as part of its efforts to help rebuild the city. The vehicles are expected to help displaced and affected residents in their livelihood and daily movement.
The e-trike can be charged at home through common electrical outlets, and the local government units of Marawi shall oversee identifying the recipients of the donation.