DOE eyes to increase electric vehicle rollout beyond mandated 5% of fleet

The Department of Energy (DOE) on Friday said it is eyeing to boost the share of electric vehicles (EVs) in the country beyond the mandated 5% mandatory share of EVs in public and private sector fleets as it works on the Comprehensive Roadmap for the Electric Vehicle (EV) Industry (CREVI), which will provide the timeframe for the mandate.

In a statement, the DOE said it will be conducting a series of nationwide public consultations from March 20 to 23.

The agenda of the public consultation include the presentation of the CREVI and three other EV-related Department Circulars —guidelines for the accreditation of EV Charging Stations (EVCs); the unbundling of the EVCs fees; and the recognition and adoption of EV standard classification on road transport for incentive eligibility.

“Through this, the DOE is pushing for an increase in the rollout of EVs in the country to 10% from the original 5% mandated under the Electric Vehicle Industry Act (EVIDA) or Republic Act No 11697,” the Energy Department said.

The RA 11697 mandates industrial and commercial firms, public transport operators, national government agencies, local government units, and government-owned-and-controlled corporations to have at least 5% of their fleets to be composed of EVs, within a timeframe set in the CREVI.

As it works on formulating the EV industry roadmap, the DOE said it is “batting for a faster and broader commercial scale rollout of EVs in the country once the CREVI is approved, as the 10% EV roll out under the clean energy scenario will be increased to 50% by 2040.”

Under the short-term period or from 2023 to 2028, the Energy Department said it targets the roll out of 2,454,200 EVs comprising cars, tricycles, motorcycles, and buses plying nationwide while 65,000 EV charging stations will be installed nationwide.

For the medium-term or from 2029 to 2034, the DOE said it will push for additional 1,851,500 EVs and 42,000 EV charging stations.

Under the long-term period or from 2034 to 2040, the agency said that 2,001,600 EVs will be added along with 40,000 EV charging stations.

“These actions are consistent with EVIDA’s thrust of creating an enabling environment for the development of the EV industry in the country,” the DOE said.

“The shift to EVs is expected to reduce the country’s dependence on imported fuel and to promote cleaner and energy efficient transport technologies. With the CREVI, the DOE expects to attract more investments,” it said.

EVs remain a tiny fraction of the market.

Citing data from the Land Transportation Office (LTO), the Electric Vehicle Association of the Philippines said that 13,934 EVs have been sold in the Philippines to date.—AOL, GMA Integrated News