Groups link to produce P300K Pinoy electric car

Several government and private groups have linked together to manufacture the Philippine Electric Vehicle (PEV) which will run exclusively on automobile batteries. This was revealed by Roel John Judilla, an engineer and director of Mapua Institute of Technology's Alumni Liaison Office, who said that a prototype of the vehicle has already been finished and set to be dispatched to the Cavite Export Processing Zone. “We have proven that it can be done, so now we are developing a more efficient technology," Judilla said. On Wednesday, he said that representatives of Francisco Motors Phils., Philippine Batteries Inc., Asahi Glass Philippines, Yazaki-Torres Manufacturing, Yokohama Tire Philippines Inc. and Sun Power Corp. - which would provide the solar panels to charge the batteries - Mapua and government agencies formalized their commitment to the project. The private firms will provide the vehicle body and chassis, batteries, safety glass, wiring harness and tires. Mapua has been tasked to develop the technology while the Philippine Council for Industry and Energy Research and Development will initially manage the project's funds. Representatives of the said firms signed a memorandum of agreement with the Philippine Economic Zone Authority (Peza) and the Department of Science and Technology (DOST) for the project Wednesday. Judilla said they are currently negotiating with three other private groups to raise additional capital for manufacturing and operating expenses, adding that they need at least $2 million to manufacture the initial 50 units of the PEV. The PEV will tested in select Peza sites where they would be used as service vehicles for the workers. The prototype unit is powered by 15 automotive batteries and can run for 80 kilometers when fully charged. However, Judilla said they still have to find a way to save on the consumption of the power as the prototype consumes energy even if it is not running. Aside from this, Judilla said additional capital is needed for the acquisition of more solar panels to charge additional units. By using solar panels, the PEVs will be 50 percent more cost efficient than the vehicles running on conventional engines. Judilla said the development of the PEV will mean a lot for the domestic manufacturers of auto parts as 70 percent of its material would be sourced locally while electric motors and controls, which cost $3,000, will have to be imported. The prototype PEV entailed P600,000 in production cost. However, Judilla said once they start producing more units through their assembly lines, the cost per unit would go down to as low as P300,000 per unit. - GMANews.TV