GREEN LOGISTICS SERVICES provider Mober Technology Pte., Inc. (Mober) said it aims to charge up to 200 electric vehicle (EV) trucks per day with the opening of its Pasay Central Charge hub.
“For this central hub, we have invested around P14 million,” Mober Chief Executive Officer Dennis O. Ng told reporters on the sidelines of the facility’s inauguration on Monday.
Located in Pasay City, the facility spans 3,000 square meters (sq.m.) and has a 56-port capacity to serve Mober’s mixed fleet of e-vans and e-trucks.
Equipped with 50 7-kilowatt (kW) direct current chargers and two 60-kilowatt-hour (kWh) fast-charging units, Central Charge enables Mober to streamline operations and minimize vehicle downtime.
“At Mober, we’ve been committed to finding solutions to infrastructure challenges since our transition to EVs in 2021. Central Charge demonstrates our vision to pave the way for a cleaner, more efficient future for our clients and solidify the Philippines’ place at the forefront of sustainable logistics in Southeast Asia,” Mr. Ng said.
Mober is exploring the installation of solar photovoltaic panels and a 500-kWh battery energy storage system at Central Charge to reduce its carbon footprint.
The opening of the new facility follows the launch of the company’s first charging hub on Zamora Street, Pasay City, in 2023. That hub spans 800 square meters and has 30 charging units.
Meanwhile, Mr. Ng said the company is looking to establish a network of charging points across southern Luzon by the end of this year.
Last year, Mober announced its partnership with BDO Unibank, Inc. to finance the acquisition of 60 new EV trucks to expand its commercial fleet.
The partnership with BDO follows the company’s successful securing of a $6-million blended investment from the South East Asia Clean Energy Facility II, managed by Singapore-based fund manager Clime Capital.
Mober aims to scale up its fleet to over 500 EVs by 2026.
Meanwhile, Senator Sherwin T. Gatchalian said it might be more appropriate to exempt EVs and hybrid EVs from the motor vehicle user’s charge (MVUC) until 2028 or 2030 rather than provide subsidies.
MVUC is a fee collected by the government to help fund the maintenance of national and provincial roads and mitigate vehicle-related air pollution.
“After this event, I realized that instead of giving subsidies, why not exempt EVs and hybrids from MVUC? Because we already exempted them from excise taxes. And it’s time-bound — it’s not going to be perpetual,” he told reporters in a separate interview.
Last year, the National Economic and Development Authority approved the extension of tax breaks for two- and three-wheeled battery EVs, plug-in hybrid EVs, and hybrid EVs until 2028.
Under the Comprehensive Roadmap for the Electric Vehicle Industry, the business-as-usual scenario targets a 10% EV fleet share by 2040, while the clean energy scenario sets a target of at least 50%.
“It’s quite challenging. So, we need to provide as many incentives as possible for people to adopt EVs,” Mr. Gatchalian said. — Sheldeen Joy Talavera
