The Electric Vehicle Association of the Philippines (EVAP) is calling on both the public and private sectors to collectively push for the further acceleration of electric vehicle (EV) adoption in the country. This is the industry group’s main message as it mounts the 10th Philippine Electric Vehicle Summit (PEVS) on October 20 and 21, 2022 at the SMX Convention Center Manila.
This year’s PEVS comes a month after the implementing rules and regulations of the recently enacted Republic Act No. 11697 took effect. The law, also known as the Electric Vehicle Industry Development Act (EVIDA) aims to speed up adoption of EVs in the country through offering incentives and requiring corporate and government organizations to account 5 percent of their vehicle fleets to EVs. It also paves the way for allocation of dedicated parking slots to EVs, installation of charging stations in parking lots and gasoline stations, and designation of green routes in cities and municipalities.
“Now that the implementing rules and regulations of EVIDA law are set, we count on public and private sectors to work hand-in-hand to make the switch to EVs faster,” said EVAP President Edmund Araga during the opening rites of the 10th PEVS. “Hence, our 10th summit theme goes, ‘United in Driving E-mobility in Support of EVIDA.”
Araga reiterated that the current thrust of the EV industry is aligned with the strong message of ‘unity’ of the government under President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. “I am confident that moving forward, we will observe a steady acceleration towards electro-mobility. Solidarity will push our relatively young industry to achieve our goals,” Araga added.
The 10th PEVS is marking the return of the EV industry summit to its physical venue—with a kick-off motorcade by the EV Owners Society (EVOS) prior to the opening ceremony—after two years of going virtual due to the early restrictions of the still ongoing pandemic. At the same time, it also served as a venue for the unveiling of EVAP’s new logo, which symbolizes the organization’s and the industry’s shift in focus into faster electro-mobility adoption backed by legislation.
“This is the perfect time for us (EVAP) to rebrand and highlight our vision of a modern and electrified road transport in the Philippines. This transformation also embodies our reaffirmation of our commitment to advance the country’s transition to electric vehicles by advocating and supporting enabling policies, rules, and regulations to accelerate deployment among public and private sectors,” Araga explained.
The two-day EV summit is gathering business and government leaders who are openly backing electro-mobility adoption. During the opening rites, EVAP conferred recognitions to partners that have been extending unwavering support to the cause. The conference has also lined up several plenary sessions that tackle deeper discussions about EVIDA law, global trends and issues affecting EV industry, public and private mobility programs, and incentives for manufacturers. The summit is also facilitating a policy dialogue hosted by the Asian Federation of Electric Vehicle Association (AFEVA).
To know more about EVAP and the 10th PEVS, visit www.evap.com.ph and www.evap.com.ph/summit.
