MANILA, Philippines – After the electric jeepneys, the Makati City government is eyeing the purchase of electric tricycles to boost its anti-pollution programs and campaign against global warming.

A prototype of the “e-trike” was displayed after a motorcade of electrical-powered vehicles went around Metro Manila to promote clean air as part of yesterday’s Earth Day celebration.

The motorcade included four electric bicycles, a dozen electric scooters, an electric car, three electric tricycles, and eight electric jeepneys.

After a successful test run of the eight-seater e-trike called “Aerocab” which runs up to 85 kilometers per hour, city transportation consultant Ernesto Camarillo said Makati would soon acquire two of the vehicles.

“Once we complete the technical tests and the Land Transportation Office requirements, we’ll encourage tricycle drivers to shift to the Aerocab. We still have to check because it has to be competitive with regular tricycles [in terms of cost and maintenance],” he added.

He could not say, however, how much the locally manufactured Aerocab would cost although the e-trikes launched last year in Taguig City and Palawan ranged from P80,000 to P140,000 each. Taguig later bought nearly 200 e-trikes.

“The city has money for the environment, but the investment will be quite big,” Camarillo said.

He noted that fuel-powered tricycles contribute to pollution, especially those equipped with a two-stroke engine which produces toxic fumes.

Makati was the first city to roll out electric jeepneys in 2007. The environment-friendly vehicles now ply two routes: The Legazpi and Salcedo loops.

More interest

Meanwhile, owners of subdivisions and beach resorts have shown interest in buying e-jeeps, said Rommel Juan, director for education of the Motor Vehicles Parts Manufacturing Association of the Philippines, the local maker of the e-jeeps.

“We have been dealing with some resorts in Cebu and Boracay. Unlike imported e-jeeps, the advantage of locally made ones is that the parts and services are available here,” Juan said.

He added that the trend of going green in transportation was becoming popular in the country, especially with initiatives by city governments like Makati and Taguig.

“It’s a sunrise industry. Electric vehicles are viable and it has a market in the Philippines,” said Juan.

Makati will also receive 20 locally produced electric jeepneys, thanks to the Green Renewable Independent Power Producers Inc., a non-profit organization which is spearheading the Climate Friendly Cities project.

But the proliferation of electric vehicles has yet to get the full support of the Land Transportation and Franchising Regulatory Board since the city still has no franchise to operate e-jeeps in the whole financial district.