INDEED, the world is heading to the future where vehicles will be run by electric motors and other alternative green fuels. But years back, various auto makers had already taken their respective steps in reducing carbon footprints and even went as far as zero emission from the array of hybrid vehicles, plug-in hybrids (PHEV), battery electric vehicles (BEV) to plug-in electric vehicles (EV).
In fact, these types of automobiles were already being sold and started plying the streets around the world. Of course, Tesla Motors was among the first to manufacture electric-type entirely and there are others including Nissan’s Leaf, Honda’s Clarity, as well as Toyota’s Prius plug-in hybrid, to name a few. However, mainstream cars powered by internal combustion engines are obviously still the leading choice to this day—factored by affordability and lower cost of ownership, among others.
Somehow, developed countries have started utilizing electric vehicles and the demand continues to grow. To date, China has the largest market as well as in terms of units sold for plug-in electric cars. Europe came in second and followed by the United States. Factors driving sales are, of course, demands from the customers, price points and, more essentially, incentives from the government. While the rest of the world are either beginning to embrace or are continuing to increase the market, several automakers have already taken steps to advocate green solutions and also realigned their respective market strategies to sell more electric vehicles.
The race to electrification
Beyond the advocacy to go green, some car companies have taken the bold move and commitment to lessen their carbon footprint or even zero emission in the near future. For one, Volvo Cars has declared that it is taking the lead into electrification in the auto industry. Spearheaded by its President and CEO Håkan Samuelsson, the premium carmaker aims to have fully electric cars account for 50 percent of its sales by 2025. “We are determined to be the first premium car maker to move our entire portfolio of vehicles into electrification. This is a clear commitment toward reducing our carbon footprint, as well as contributing to better air quality in our cities,” he said. This recent announcement means that all new models released from 2019 will be available as a mild hybrid, plug-in hybrid or battery electric vehicle.
That strategy to generate 50 percent of its sales from electric vehicles by 2025 would mean targeting the Chinese market as the world’s leader in electrified car sales. “Last year, we made a commitment to electrification in preparation for an era beyond the internal combustion engine,” said Samuelsson. “Today, we reinforce and expand that commitment in the world’s leading market for electrified cars. China’s electric future is Volvo Cars’ electric future.”
During this year’s Beijing Auto Show, Volvo Cars visually reinforced the company’s position as an industry leader in electrification with all cars on display plugged in. The event also marked the first time the company displayed only plug-in hybrid vehicles at an auto show. The T5 plug-in hybrid version of the new XC40 also made its debut.
Honda Motor Co. Ltd., on the other hand, also announced the company’s target to achieve two-thirds sales of EV models, including hybrid, plug-in hybrid, as well as battery/FC EV, globally by 2030. But in order to achieve that, the Japanese carmaker has to face several technical challenges, as well as the cost to reduce in order to offer its products at more affordable levels. Another challenge is the infrastructure, but company President and CEO Takahiro Hachigo is confident that it can meet the daily EV requirements with its existing setup. “For 2030, we think that this will be mostly achieved with hybrid and plug-in hybrid and we think that the current infrastructure is efficient. Another is the Hydrogen EV; we have to think about the charging station requirement,” he explained.
When it comes to Europe, China, Japan and North America, the company will have charging stations for Hydrogen EV.
Aside from the drive to see more electric vehicles, Honda Motor Co. Ltd. is also committed to expanding human possibilities, as well as creating enriched lives through mobility. “Honda has strengths in producing a broad range of products, including motorcycles, automobiles, power products and even business jets. Such strengths as a manufacturer and relationship with our customers are proof that Honda has been embodying its passion to ‘serve people worldwide with joy of expanding their life’s potential,’” Hachigo explained.
During the 45th Tokyo Motor Show in 2017, the Sport EV Concept, the Urvan EV Concept, the Honda NeuV and the Riding Assist-e EV bike were the crowd drawers. While Honda has been into developing hybrid and plug-in hybrid models with enduring passion, this further transcended into developing EV models. “Without compromising the merits of electrification, we will create products which will enhance convenience and fun for our customers. We are planning to begin sales of a new model based on this Urban EV concept first in Europe, and then Japan in 2020,” Hachigo revealed.
Currently, Honda’s frontrunner is the Clarity Fuel Cell (FCV)—the world’s first marketed full-electric motor sedan. Impressively, it holds the highest driving range of approximately 750 km. The PHEV model, on the other hand, offers all-electric range plus long-distance capability. Based on Sport Hybrid i-MMD, its two-motor plug-in hybrid has an increased battery capacity and longer driving range compared to the conventional ones.
Meanwhile, even the German sports car company known for producing ultraperformance internal combustion engines has also taken the race to electrification. Recently, Porsche announced its Mission E concept involving the brand’s first fully electric sports car named Taycan. Set to begin production next year, the first purely electric Porsche derived its name’s translation—“lively young horse”—to the imagery at the heart of the Porsche crest, which has featured a leaping steed since 1952. “Our new electric sports car is strong and dependable; it’s a vehicle that can consistently cover long distances and that epitomizes freedom,” Porsche AG Chairman of the Executive Board Oliver Blume explained. The oriental name also signifies the launch of the first electric sports car with the soul of a Porsche. Also, the German sports car maker announced the name for its first purely electric series as part of the “70 Years of Sports Cars” ceremony.
With its electro mobility campaign by 2022, Porsche plans to invest more than €6 billion, which doubles the company’s expenditure as originally planned. Around €500 million will be allotted for the development of Taycan variants and derivatives, then around €1 billion for the electrification and hybridization of the existing product range. Other portions of the budget are for expanding production sites, new technologies, charging infrastructure and smart mobility.
Is the Philippines ready to embrace vehicle electrification?
Right now, we’re still in a continuing momentum stage brought about by the various ongoing public and private initiatives. The recently concluded 6th Philippine Electric Vehicle Summit campaign was to step up partnerships to electrify public and private transport. “Our two-day event was all about building partnerships, aligning objectives, and taking collective action to facilitate further adoption of electric vehicles in the country,” Electric Vehicle Association of the Philippines (EVAP) President and Spokesman Rommel T. Juan said.
Juan is positive that the Tax Reform for Acceleration and Inclusion (TRAIN) Law exempting electric vehicles from the excise tax would make EV models more affordable. This would also increase investments in supporting infrastructure which will help sustain the momentum for electric mobility. With the Public Utility Vehicle Modernization Program (PUVMP) in full swing, there’s a target to upgrade some 200,000 public utility jeepneys (PUJs) during the next six years, about 10 percent of which will be electric.
“In support of this program, the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) and the Board of Investments (BOI) are putting in place an Eco-PUV Program to provide the vehicle solution to the PUVMP by giving incentives to both EV platform suppliers and body builders. LandBank and Development Bank of the Philippines (DBP) now have loans available for the modern PUV. The Technical Education and Skills Development Authority (Tesda) is working on a technical regulation that would allow it to offer EV maintenance, servicing and repairs in all Tesda learning centers nationwide, which will help facilitate EV sales outside of Metro Manila,” Juan added.
Meanwhile, several car companies in the country have already expressed intentions to bring in their respective electric vehicles in the country. Nissan Philippines Inc. is considering bringing in the brand’s best-selling EV model Leaf, which sold over 350,000 units globally, in the future. During the all-new Leaf’s presentation, none other than Nissan global director for EV business Nicholas Thomas conducted the product walkthrough.
“This new Leaf is the new electric vehicle that we’re introducing to the region and we’re very excited about it. We introduced it globally last year and now we’re bringing it around Asean,” he said. The latest model has a bigger battery, which enables the vehicle to travel a longer range of up to 400 km. “It also brings not only a new and exciting contemporary styling, but also sweet technologies as well,” Thomas added.
Mitsubishi Motors Philippines Corp., meantime, is positioning the Outlander PHEV for future introduction in the country. So far, Mitsubishi Motors Corp. (MMC) of Japan has donated five units of this model along with other EV models and quick-charger units to the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) for business use, and probably for evaluation. But MMC CEO Osamu Masuko also sees the advantage of deploying EVs in the country.
“We are in the midst of developing e-vehicles for public transport. We started our production on the CARS Program and we would like to expand our business in the Philippines. The Philippines has so many small islands. In such a small island, an e-vehicle is very safe there because running distance is not so long, maybe 20 or 30 kilometers is enough. E-vehicles are more efficient, more convenient on a small island. I think in the Philippines, e-vehicles will be mainstream in the car lineup. So, we would like to challenge ourselves, someday, to produce electric vehicles in the Philippines, but we need government support to start producing new cars. So, we would like to talk to your government,” he said.
“MMC is part of this turning point. Sophisticated technologies and new values are our contribution to this rich world of exciting automobiles. The new values we provide give customers an experience never had before. We are the brand for customers who want to expand their activities and meet new challenges,” Masuko added.
Meanwhile, Solar Transport and Automotive Resources Corp. (STAR Corp.), the exclusive distributor of BYD vehicles in the Philippines, has already brought in its electric vehicle range in the country. A few years ago, it introduced the Qin PHEV compact sedan. Just last summer, it launched the Tang seven-seater PHEV executive SUV, which can run an 80-kilometer range on pure EV mode. Paired with a 2.0-liter turbo gasoline engine, the combined power output is at 505hp on Hybrid Electric Sport mode. It can sprint from 0 to 100 kph in less than five seconds. The best part is that you can charge the vehicle to your home’s or office’s 220-volt socket.
“Since BYD’s inception in the Philippines, we have been preparing for the day that the Philippines will be ready for electric cars. That day is today. When we started in the Philippines, we launched our e6 and became the first to bring in an electric vehicle in the Philippines. We worked with government and various stakeholders and shared with them the astounding benefits of electric vehicles not only to the environment, but also to the economy and its owners. Today, with the TRAIN law, the leadership in the Philippine government recognized the benefits of electric cars and granted zero excise taxes for electric cars,” said STAR Corp. Managing Director Mark Andrew Tieng.
“We move ahead into changing the game in transportation, guided by our mission to be the leading mobility solutions provider, built on excellence in technological innovations, committed to environmental sustainability and delivering the best brand ownership experience by a team of passionate individuals,” he added.
The next move is to establish more infrastructure to support the need of more charging stations. So far, only the DENR as well as the Department of Trade and Industry have inaugurated fast-charging stations in their offices in Quezon City, Makati City and Davao City, in partnership with Mitsubishi Motors Corp. Unioil Philippines now also has two charging stations in its Edsa-Guadalupe branch.
The motoring public can only hope that Congress would be able to expedite the passing of laws that would provide incentives for EVs just like what the other developed countries are doing—all in the belief that electric vehicles can dramatically reduce carbon pollution from transportation and improve air quality.
Image credits: electirve.com, Volvo Philippines, Randy S. Peregrino, , Volvo Cars, zimbio.com, BYD Philippines