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MANILA, Philippines — Department of Trade and Industry Undersecretary Rafaelita Aldaba pushed for the development of a local industry for electric vehicles.
The local industry will help equip the developing market demand for electric vehicles globally and locally, according to Aldaba in a recent webinar.
Aldaba further explained that the country would continuously depend on imports should the local industry refuse to take this opportunity.
The official added that the government is now giving attention on “establishing regulations and standards, ensuring fiscal and non-fiscal support to both consumers and manufacturers, human resource development, and information, education, and communication,” among others, as the Philippines transitions to the adoption of electric vehicles.
Aldaba also shared the government’s key priorities in developing the electric vehicle industry: electric vehicle assembly; automotive electronics and other parts manufacturing; electronic vehicle battery charging, energy storage systems, and recycling; and engineering service outsourcing.
Based on data, the share of imported vehicles to total market sales spiked to 70 percent in 2020 from 49 percent in 2008.
Despite this, the country has been “active in manufacturing parts and components, particularly in electric components, wiring, electrical, electronics, and chassis systems.”
From 2010 to 2020, over 12,000 electric vehicles have been registered to the Land Transportation Office, most of which are e-tricycles.
Further, internal projections showed that 6.6 million electric vehicles would be on local roads by 2030, half of which are sought to be manufactured in the country.
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