By Erika Mae P. Sinaking
THE Electric Vehicle Association of the Philippines (EVAP) on Wednesday said it expects electric vehicle (EV) adoption in the country to accelerate this year, supported by government policies, volatile fuel prices and an expanding lineup of models.
“We are seeing more Filipinos consider EVs as a practical option, and the ecosystem to support them is growing,” EVAP President Edmund A. Araga told a news briefing in Taguig City, ahead of the 13th Philippine Electric Vehicle Summit (PEVS) in October.
Industry momentum remains strong, he added.
The country’s EV sales are projected to increase by as much as 10% this year from 2024, with units sold in the first seven months already surpassing last year’s total.
“It’s a big difference, and we still have August to December,” Mr. Araga told BusinessWorld. “We’re optimistic that we can somehow increase by 10%.”
From January to July, new EV and hybrid EV registrations reached 28,353, based on data from the Land Transportation Office — more than the 24,00 units that Mr. Araga said were sold last year.
The sales momentum is expected to continue through December, he added.
The expansion of the country’s charging infrastructure is also supporting adoption. Data from the Department of Energy (DoE) showed the number of public charging stations has more than tripled to 992 from just 300 in 2023.
Mr. Araga said the rollout is critical in addressing consumer “range anxiety” and ensuring nationwide accessibility. The Comprehensive Roadmap for the Electric Vehicle Industry (CREVI) targets 7,300 charging stations nationwide by 2028 and 20,400 by 2040.
While most are concentrated in Metro Manila, new facilities have opened in Cebu, Davao and Bicol.
The sector is also benefiting from policy initiatives such as the Department of Trade and Industry’s proposed Electric Vehicle Incentive Strategy. EVAP said the plan could generate as much as P11.4 trillion in economic output and create 680,000 jobs.
Mr. Araga said local manufacturing and battery production are crucial to sustaining adoption. The country’s first lithium battery plant in Tarlac is expected to reach full capacity by 2030, with output enough to power 18,000 EVs annually.
The Electric Vehicle Industry Development Act seeks to promote the development and adoption of EVs in the Philippines by mandating an increase in the share of EVs in corporate and government fleets.
Under the Comprehensive Roadmap for the Electric Vehicle Industry, the business-as usual scenario target is a 10% EV fleet share by 2040, while it sets a clean energy scenario target of at least 50%.
The roadmap also outlines a short-term goal of deploying 7,300 EV charging stations by 2028.
Several electric vehicle companies have established a presence in the Philippines, including BYD Co. Ltd. and China Changan Automobile Group Co. Ltd., Vietnam’s VinFast Auto Ltd. and Tesla, Inc. Local companies like ToJo Motors Corp. make electric public utility vehicles.
Nissan Motor Co. Ltd., Kia Motors and Hyundai Motor Co. are also present in the Philippine EV market with their respective electric models like the LEAF, EV6 and IONIQ 5.
The 13th PEVS will be held from Oct. 23 to 25 at the SMX Convention Center Manila.
