Energy dept pushes e-trike program

A NATIONWIDE contest to draft a design for an electric tricycle is being pushed by the Department of Energy (DOE).

During a Kapihan forum by the Philippine Information Agency (PIA) in Cebu, Energy officials said the contest dubbed as “Bright Now! Do Right. Be Bright. Go E-trike!” is aimed at creating the Philippine version of the so-called “green vehicle.”

“The E-Trike contest is for the adoption of the national design for the E-Trike (program) nga ato nang gi-implement, said Eduardo Amante, chief of the DOE’s Energy Resource Development and Utilization Division (ERDUD).

The contest is open to Filipinos residing in the Philippines who must be 18 years old and above. They can participate either individually or in groups.

Amante said the contest would require 2D and 3D computer-aided drawings of the best aesthetic and functional design for the Philippine electric tricycle or e-trike.

He said the design must look modern, yet distinctly Filipino.

Deadline for the submission of original designs will be on February 17.

“The Top 10 chosen entries will be displayed on February 24,” said Amante.

The top 3 winners will receive P200,000 each while seven consolation prize winners will get P50,000 each. The pilot project was launched in April of 2011.

The electric tricycle program is a partnership between the DOE and the Asian Development Bank (ADB) as part of the national government’s Electric Vehicle Strategy.

“The basic concept (project) is that instead of drivers paying their own boundary for their vehicle. They will be driving their own and pay for the amortization,” said Amante.

Amante said initial studies showed that average expenses for gasoline would cost P250. In contrast, E-Trikes only cost P50 per charging.

“The difference is P200 and that difference can be used to pay amortization instead of spending that money for gasoline which will not return to them,” he said.

In Mandaluyong City, 20 e-Trike units have been running in the area under the e-Trike Project of ADB and DOE, as of last month. The electric tricycle (e-trike) is a specially designed, highly efficient tricycle that runs on a battery-powered motor.

“With these vehicles, pollution is non-existent,” Amante said. Correspondent Tweeny Malinao