OSEÑA-PAEZ:Magandang tanghali, Malacañang Press Corps and welcome sa ating press briefing ngayong araw, April 30.
In today’s sectoral meeting, President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. directed the Department of Energy and other concerned agencies to expedite the implementation of action plans and strategies to develop the electronic vehicle industry with particular focus on the public transportation sector.
President Marcos has instructed the concerned agencies to work together to study the integration of the EV industry so that we can strengthen the local manufacturing of electric vehicles and supporting battery charging mechanisms. This is, of course, in order to encourage the electrification of the public transportation sector.
President Marcos also directed the sector to focus on supporting the acquisition of electric vehicles by commercial fleets like government or private company cars, and public transportation fleets. Because by focusing on the fleets, we will make battery charging and the maintenance simpler and more efficient.
And in order to support the adoption of the EVs, President Marcos also ordered the consolidation of financing schemes to make it easier for EV fleets to be acquired.
And joining us today is Department of Energy Undersecretary Felix William Fuentebella. Good afternoon, Undersecretary Fuentebella.
DOE USEC. FUENTEBELLA: Hello. Good afternoon to everyone.
So, I just attended the meeting with the President where it was presented by not only the Department of Energy but also the Department of Transportation, the DTI, and the DOST, focusing on what is the latest on the comprehensive roadmap for the electric vehicle industry.
So we told him that as of 2023, we only have .001% or 7,000 electric vehicles registered out of the 14,300,000 na figure of registered vehicles. So malayo pa tayo. But under the Electric Vehicle Industry Development Act, these agencies, with the Department of Energy, should push for the promotion of electric vehicles. And we are not only looking into the technology but the President also wants us to focus on achieving the numbers by looking at fleet or the group approach, looking at the consumer experience and identifying iyong mga bumubukol na financing. Because for electric vehicles, halimbawa, ako ay isang nagpa-public utility vehicle or namamasahe ‘no, ang unang gagastusin ay iyong malaking upfront cost ng electric vehicle and later on, as I use it because it has a lower maintenance cost at malayo iyong tinatakbo niya compared sa internal combustion engine vehicles, whether diesel or gasolina, ito ay mas mababa iyong maintenance at mas mababa rin iyong cost ng pag-operate. But ang tinitingnan niya is iyong experience ng consumer na after eight years, kailangan palitan iyong battery.
So nandoon iyong mga concerns na pinapatutukan ni Presidente sa amin. And not only the fleet, not only the financing, but it’s also the infrastructure kung saan ilalagay iyong mga electric vehicle charging stations. So that being the case, we also informed the President that CREVI, the Comprehensive Roadmap for Electric Vehicle Industry, does not only look into the demand, supply and infrastructure pero sinasabayan din po ito ng manufacturing and development component where we have to position the Philippines in the production of the electric vehicles and its other components. Nandoon din iyong research and development, and nandoon din iyong human resource development kung saan iyong workers natin will have to have skills mapping and right skilling of workers right now and iyong workers in the future.
So nandoon iyong four pillars – the electric vehicle demand generation, the manufacturing side of it, the research and development utilizing our natural resources, and the human resource development. So with these, we want to achieve a higher number of instead of having a ten percent target by 2040 for the penetration of electric vehicles, we have to go forward and look into a 50% target. So nandoon iyong pagsi-synchronize, pagha-harmonize ng iba’t ibang policy not only for the DOST, DOTr and the DTI but also for the DOE kasi tinitingnan din ng Department of Energy iyong greenhouse gas emissions reduction na puwedeng mabenepisyuhan dito.
So it’s for the government to look at it. But for the side ng consumer especially iyong titingnan nating mga public utility vehicle’s operators, ang concerns talaga nila, saan magpapa-charge, ano iyong upfront cost, ano iyong maintenance cost, ano iyong kikitain and ano iyong titingnan seven to eight years from now na papalitan iyong battery? So iyon iyong pinapatutukan because we have to be strategic and we have to be responsive to make this a success.
OSEÑA-PAEZ:Thank you, Undersecretary Fuentebella. It’s actually timely because given today being the deadline of the PUV Modernization, how are these strategies going to address the concerns? And how it’s going to address the, like you said, we have a target and we want to encourage not only public utility vehicles but company fleets also to invest in EV?
DOE USEC. FUENTEBELLA: It’s more of giving our consumers more options, whether utility vehicles, private owners and the group company fleets and even government fleet. We have to have this option. But looking into the benefits, malaki iyong benepisyo sa atin, like not only in the development of our local manufacturing but also iyong utilization ng ating natural resources for the battery generation and production, but also looking into iyong workers natin considering that our population is really geared toward supporting all these transitions going on.
So, mahalaga siya lalung-lalo na kung nagkakaroon ng modernization whether you will still pursue, we will still pursue the ICE or the internal combustion engine which is a more complicated technology than the simpler one of electric vehicle which has lower maintenance cost, mas malayo iyong tinatakbo sa input na pera na nilagay natin. But we just have to address the worries kung magkakaroon ng transition, iyon iyong upfront cost; iyon iyong saan ba puwedeng magpa-charge; iyon iyong ano pa ba iyong mga puwedeng pag-ipunan o pagkagastusan; at kung may financing bang available for that.
OSEÑA-PAEZ:Thank you. And questions from Malacañang Press Corps? Okay, Harley Valbuena, DZME.
HARLEY VALBUENA/DZME: Hello. Good afternoon po. Usec., may we have an idea kung magkano iyong average price ng per unit ng basic e-vehicle? And then, pati na rin po iyong cost ng pagpapalit ng battery every seven to eight years?
DOE USEC. FUENTEBELLA: So, magkukodigo ako ha kasi medyo mahirap iyong figures, but I could send to you the—kasi marami tayong tinitingnan not only the four wheels but also the tricycle and the motorcycle. So, iyong electric vehicles have 65% lower operating cost than the traditional, conventional vehicles, PUV. So we estimate na magkakaroon tayo ng 2.4 million savings over a 15-year period using electric vehicles for public transportation. Ito, ang figures na ito ay pina-recheck ni Secretary Go kasi gusto niyang makita in net present value. So, nonetheless, nandoon iyon sa range na iyon.
Then, the electric vehicles require an upfront cost ranging from –ito na iyong iba-iba – 20% to 50% than the conventional vehicles. We also have to address the hidden cost of the electric vehicle ownership especially the battery replacement which costs at most 50% of the upfront cost ng battery. So the battery exchange is estimated to be five to eight years, depende sa bawat manufacturer and depende sa gamit.
Saan naman iyong savings? Sa average estimated fuel economy, ang tinitingnan na figures ng inter-agency is sa ICE – Internal Combustion Engine vehicle gasoline; it’s 14 kilometers per liter. Sa diesel, it’s five kilometers per liter. Pagdating naman sa hybrid electric vehicle, it’s 20 kilometers per liter. Dito kinuwestyun ako ni Presidente, kasi sa battery-electric vehicle, naging 6 kilometers per kilowatt hour, sabi niya, I want apples to apples ang comparison.
So, sabi namin, tingnan natin sa equivalent estimate pesos per kilometer. So, lumalabas na P5 sa gasoline doon sa estimate pesos per kilometer, P11 sa diesel, kapag hybrid or plug-in hybrid, it’s P3.50 and kapag battery-electric vehicle it’s P1.71. So, ito naka-anchor doon sa average AC charging or the fast charging of 10.26 per kilowatt hour. So iyon iyong comparison natin.
Pagdating naman sa Internal Combustion Engine ng motorcycle and tricycle, iyong average fuel economy is at 58.23 kilometers per liter, pero pagdating dito sa electric motorcycle or electric tricycle, it’s at 30.59 kilometers per kilowatt hour. So, nandiyan na naman iyong question ni Presidente, apples to apples, so sabi ko, punta po tayo sa pesos.
Equivalent to estimate pesos per kilometer, sa ICE (Internal Combustion Engine) motorcycle, tricycle, it’s P1.20. Pagdating sa electric motorcycle or tricycle it’s at 34 centavos. So nandoon iyong deperensiya. So, when we transition, sabi nga natin, upfront cost, malaki, 20 to 50% more expensive, kapag pinatakbo, sobrang baba and then tingnan na naman natin iyong cost doon sa battery, pagpalit ng battery after five to eight years.
HARLEY VALBUENA: So, sir, we can say na in the long run, mas makakatipid tayo using the e-vehicles kahit po mas malaki iyong upfront cost niya?
DOE USEC. FUENTEBELLA: That’s true. Ang cost ng pagbabago, iyon iyong kailangan nating i-address – saan magpapa-charge, saan magpa-financing. Siyempre iyong iniisip naman ng government, lalo na ng Department of Health, mas malinis na hangin, DENR din. So health and the kalikasan aspects.
MARIBOJOC/UNTV: Sir, given iyong push sa e-vehicles sa public transportation and also doon the consumers, natalakay din po ba iyong possibility na i-phase out na rin iyong lumang sasakyan na mga private vehicles?
DOE USEC. FUENTEBELLA: Hindi na-tackle, hindi namin pinag-usapan kasi mas Department of Energy iyong sector ko. Ang tinitingnan namin is ano iyong fuel na papaano tayo makaalis sa 100% na importation ng petroleum products and a portion will be electric vehicles na mas malaki and then sinasabayan ng renewable energy. So, kung ano iyong sa option sa mga transition on phasing out or phasing down of certain technology sa transport sector, hindi ko po siya kabisado.
MARIBOJOC/UNTV: Pero, sir, kung hihingiin ang recommendation ng DOE about doon sa pagpi-phase out ng mga private vehicles?
DOE USEC. FUENTEBELLA: The Department of Energy is of the position that we give options to consumers. So, it’s more of empowering consumers and making the right choice. At the end of the day, kung madami masyadong sasakyan, sisikip din naman iyong kalye, so ang magiging diskarte is, ano iyong pino-provide ng DOE na options for consumers in facing that scenario.
FRANCISCO/PTV4: Hi, ma’am. Hi, sir. You mentioned, sir, na it’s giving the consumers an option. So how would it benefit the consumers, ano ang advantage nitong e-vehicles, sir?
DOE USEC. FUENTEBELLA: So, ang advantage niya, iyon nga mas mura siya, mas malayo ang tinatakbo, mas kaunti ang ginagastos natin, lower din ang maintenance cost. So, ang other benefits na nakikita natin is, iyong mas malinis na hangin, tulad noong tinatanong noong iba, ano ba ang ginagawa natin to address this climate issues that we are facing, which is right now, so that these are one of the steps na puwedeng maka-contribute tayo. So, kapag nagtatanong iyong iba, ano iyong magiging ambag natin, ito iyong puwedeng maging ambag at may benepisyo tayo. It’s just that, we have a higher upfront cost and ito po iyong sinasabi ni Presidente, ano ba iyong puwedeng bumukol na cost para mapatupad natin iyong transition.
So, in pushing for the change, kailangan i-address iyong group concerns or having a fleet approach and the second one, ini-emphasize niya is, iyong infrastructure, saan magpapa-charge, so may requirement diyan na sa bawat malls and other condos are required to put them up. But there is also that concern of AC charging and then DC charging, kasi kapag iyong isa mas, kapag normal charging, mas mura siya pero nandoon ka magtsa-charge ng four, five, six hours; iyong mas mabilis na charging, puwedeng less than one hour; iyong battery swapping, sobrang bilis, kaya lang mas mahal. So, nandoon iyong mga ini-introduce natin.
But, ang tinitingnan natin is not only for consumers’ demand-side development. But also, kaya ba ng Pilipinas na mag-produce ng locally-manufactured electric vehicles? And we see these electric vehicles as a simpler technology na puwede or kayang-kaya nating gawin, so sinasabay natin iyon. Sinasabayan din ng DOST ng research and development na sumusunod sa standards ng DTI. So, tinitingnan din natin kung papaano iko-combine lahat iyan, ano iyong skills na kailangan para iyong DOLE (Department of Labor and Employment) ay nandoon din iyong right skilling ng mga tao, ng automotive industry right now and iyong magiging skills na kailangan for the future when we position the Philippines to be a local manufacturer of electric vehicles.
So, nandoon iyong komprehensibong approach, the four major components under the comprehensive roadmap of the electric vehicle and the President also wants to look into government looking into purchasing electric vehicles for its fleet and at the same time iyong mga charging stations na kasama dito.
BAYAN/RADYO PILIPINAS: Good afternoon po, sir. You mentioned po kanina na isa doon sa mga concern na tinitingnan natin is iyong charging stations and battery stations and then kakasabi lang ninyo iyong pag-cooperate with the malls po. Kumusta po iyong ginagawa nating cooperation with private sectors and stakeholders po on this?
DOE USEC. FUENTEBELLA: So, kasama iyon sa ginagawa ng inter-agency. We talk to the private corporations, what is mandatory and then what is voluntary for them to look into. So, sa government, kapag sinabing bumili tayo ng X percent, like for example 10% ng fleet should be electric vehicles, we have to just back it up with financing and we have to comply. But for the private sector, under the Electric Vehicles Industry Development Act, there are things na dapat sundin ng mga condos, malls that they should put up a certain number of units for charging stations. But also, tinitingnan din natin, ini-encourage iyong Government-Owned and Controlled Corporations that have strategic points kung papaano mag-put up ng charging stations para ma-push nga, kasi nagiging chicken and egg situation, bibili ng electric vehicle, pero walang charging station.
But there is also this middle ground, the hybrid electric vehicle and the plug-in hybrids na ang pagtakbo natin is ginagamit pa rin ang gasoline, but may portion doon na nagpapatakbo is electric. So may impact pa rin iyon sa costing na natitipid ng isang owner ng electric vehicle ng hybrid at saka plug-in hybrid. So nandoon iyong options na iyon, but we are also looking at a number of strategies or incentives.
First incentive is we have the reduction or suspension the import tariff, so mayroon diyang most favored nation tariff na zero percent na binigay natin sa four wheel electric vehicles that are battery, scooters and E-bikes. So, pinag-aaralan ngayon kung puwede pa ba siyang i-expand to include the hybrid electric vehicle for example.
The other one is the excise tax for the battery electric vehicle si zero percent and then it’s 50% sa hybrid electric vehicle under the TRAIN Law; mayroon pa tayong motor vehicle user’s charge discount of 30% for battery electric vehicle, and 15% for the hybrid electric vehicle for eight years; mayroon tayong priority registrations sa LTO and priority processing of franchise to operate sa LTFRB.
Mayroon tayong electric vehicle exempted from the Vehicle Volume Reduction Scheme or the number coding scheme, kaya kapag hinuli tayo ng MMDA number coding, kapag nakitang electric vehicle, walang offense exempted.
Tapos sa local government units, identifying green lanes nakalagay iyan sa electric vehicle industry development act. So, iyong pag-identify ng bike lane, sabayan natin ng pag-identify electric vehicle lane, iyon ang tinatawag nating green routes, so that’s important.
But, what is more techie or sexy for the younger generation is we’re developing this app for the electric vehicles, so it’s a combination of Waze and naa-identify natin, if you want yourself to seen by other users, there’s that option na makita ka. Pero ang maganda doon puwede kang magpa-reserve, magpa-reserba kung saan ka magcha-charge, kung anong oras ka darating.
So, I can plot myself going for example to, what’s your province, for example La Union, ito iyong charge ko full charge pupunta ako doon, ano iyong mga charging station puwede kong i-reserve, darating ako doon ng three hours, reserve ako sa isang charging point, tapos puwede akong kumain doon, tapos puwedeng andar ulit.
So, iyong community na iyan na dini-develop namin online with the assistance of our development partners is also another Non-Fiscal Incentives. So, kino-combine natin itong mga ito, because it’s just a matter of us looking into the benefits kung bakit tayo aalis or magbi-veer away from the ICE (Internal Combustion Engine) and go towards sa electric vehicles.
So for us, government, we’re looking at the GHG (Greenhouse Gas) emission reduction, pero malamang sa consumers talaga ang tinitingnan or sa operators is iyong cost. So, nandoon din iyong pagpapaliwanag sa cost kasi marami siyang factors…alam ninyo ba iyong pagmamaneho na parang kuneho? Iyong silinyador-preno-silinyador-preno, nakaka-grabe ng gasolinang ginagamit, ganoon din sa charging mo.
So, that part should connected for efficiency but the jump from one technology to another and the benefits should be properly explained and that’s what we are trying to do.
Q: Sir, second lang po, I don’t know if you can answer this, sir, pero last visit ni Pangulong Marcos sa Vietnam, nakakuha po siya ng commitment sa Vingroup company regarding po ito sa investment ng electric vehicle battery production, baka may update na po?
DOE USEC. FUENTABELLA: Yes, may update ng binigay si DTI secretary, hindi ko lang siya na-capture kasi tinututukan ko iyong utos sa DOE. Sige tanong lang natin sa DTI, mayroon eh narinig ko iyon eh. Sabi nga ni Presidente, “Yes, that was I trying to refer to”, pero doon lang iyong…may limitasyon iyong DOE.
OSEÑA-PAEZ: Okay, let’s go Tuesday Niu, DZBB.
TUESDAY NIU/ DZBB: Hi sir. Sir, sabi ninyo kanina mas malaki ang upfront cost dito sa EVs, kapag ako ang operator or driver na bibili, sir, interesado ako malaman, magkano iyong upfront cost?
DOE USEC. FUENTABELLA: Nandoon siya sa binanggit ko kanina na 20% to 50%
TUESDAY NIU/ DZBB: Iyong equivalent value, sir, peso value, para ano.
DOE USEC. FUENTABELLA: Compute tayo, para tayong nasa UP nagko-compute pa tayo ng…anyway, so halimbawa ang cost is two million, so ang nakikita nating upfront cost is 20% ng 2,000,000 is 400,000 so magiging 2.4; pero puwede siyang maging 50% more, so 2,000,000 ay magiging 3,000,000 so iyan din iyong range.
Kaya nga mayroon tayong strategy na mga fiscal incentives, iyong mga import tariffs mas mababa, iyan ang mga strategy fund.
TUESDAY NIU/ DZBB: Kasi iyon ang isa sa magiging concerns, sir, ng mga operators dahil ito ngang sa consolidation nila para makabili noong mga bagong ano po ngayon, modern jeepney namamahalan na po sila sa two million, so mas malaki pala ito – three million.
DOE USEC. FUENTABELLA: Mas malaki sa upfront, mas maliit at mas maraming income kapag in-operate.
TUESDAY NIU/ DZBB: So, doon iyong kanilang titingnan in long term.
DOE USEC. FUENTABELLA: Tapos, sabi natin hindi naman forever iyon, kaya kailangan mong palitan iyong battery, tiningnan din natin iyon, so five to eight years kailangan. So we have to have financing for both kasi may benepisyo siya sa pag-operate kaya lang may upfront cost siyang ganitong amount and may cost siya na hidden cost, pero nandoon siya. Mas mababa rin kasi iyong maintenance cost ng electric vehicle kasi mas simple siyang teknolohiya.
TUESDAY NIU/ DZBB: So kailangan, sir, ng convincing power po ninyo para iyong ating mga…
DOE USEC. FUENTABELLA: At ninyo.
TUESDAY NIU/ DZBB: Para iyong mga operators and drivers ay mahimok na mag-convert sa E-vehicles.
DOE USEC. FUENTABELLA: At the end of the day, ang dapat decision-making natin is ‘what do the numbers tell us and what will the science tell us?’ And from there, we can jump off and make our calculation which is on the side of business, kung ilang oras ko siyang ginagamit, ano iyong gastos ko ngayon, ano iyong puwede kong ma-save habang ino-operate, ilang oras dapat akong kakayod.
So, nandoon siya, tapos tingnan natin na five to eight years ano ba iyong baterya, I have to save for it also. So at the same time, ang sinasabi nating hidden benefits gawin mong hidden cost is mas malinis iyong lungs noong driver.
TUESDAY NIU/ DZBB: So, another one, sir. Sabi ninyo kanina medyo mahaba-haba pa iyong bubunuin po ninyo dahil kakaunti pa lang iyong E-vehicles natin, how soon or how long na aantayin ng public na makasakay na sila sa ganitong uri ng transportation considering na last day din po ngayon ng consolidation at pinu-push na po iyong transport modernization?
DOE USEC. FUENTABELLA: Depende rin talaga sa appetite ng publiko. So ang ginagawa ng pamahalaan is concentrating on the fleet and the required for example sa government vehicles ay nandoon na dapat pumasok na iyan. Tapos nandoon din iyong gigil or excitement ng mas batang henerasyon.
So, nandoon iyong gusto nilang electric vehicle, kaya lang sinasabi ko nga sa kanila ‘gusto mo ng electric vehicle, but you’re not energy efficient’ like you don’t use the air conditioner properly or you leave the TV open, so nandoon iyong entire discipline. But if you really want to contribute to all these in this transitions, nandiyan iyong options na binibigay natin.
And kapag nakita na kasi natin na may isang kooperatiba na na-convince natin to go into fleet and then we have a local company that’s producing electric vehicles because it a simple one, it a simple technology, then we can position the Philippines. Ang problema kasi or advantage din sa Pilipinas is, it really takes a lot of convincing kasi democracy tayo.
So nandiyan iyong private sector na dapat sumakay at i-push din ito para makita natin na mas aggressive, because if we don’t do anything, the penetration rate that we are seeing is around 10% only. So ten percent meaning gagalaw at gagalaw siya, may mga kasama tayo sa pamilya, one out of ten na bibili ng electric vehicle – ten percent.
Pero, kapag nagkaroon ng pag-uusap sa academe, sa private sector, sa government puwede natin makitang 50% iyan. So lima sa sampu sa ating pamilya ang pupunta sa electric vehicle, considering that there are benefits not only for our health but also for sa cost as we have computed, as we have presented based on the numbers na ginawa ng ating technical team.
OSEÑA-PAEZ:Okay. Let’s go to Jean Mangaluz, Inquirer.net.
JEAN MANGALUZ/INQUIRER.NET: Hi, Usec. So, follow up ko lang iyong question ni Racquel about iyong coordination with private sector. Ano iyong reaction ng mga gas companies, have you speaking with them kasi essentially, there’s a potential na half ng consumers nila ay mapupunta sa e-vehicles?
DOE USEC. FUENTEBELLA: Okay naman iyong gasoline stations because even before the Electric Vehicle Industry Development Act was passed, the Department of Energy has already come up with a department circular encouraging them to look into the charging stations business. Because tama, sila nga iyong puwedeng ma-affect, pero sila rin iyong nasa position na magkaroon na mismo ng transition.
JEAN MANGALUZ/INQUIRER.NET: Are you eyeing any mandates for the gas companies?
DOE USEC. FUENTEBELLA: Mmmm …encouraging.
OSEÑA-PAEZ:Okay. Chona Yu, People’s Journal.
CHONA YU/PEOPLE’S JOURNAL: Sir, how are you going to reconcile: The government is pushing for e-vehicles pero ngayon po, iyong sitwasyon natin, El Niño, mataas ang demand, manipis ang supply ng kuryente?
DOE USEC. FUENTEBELLA: Oo, we computed iyong requirement. Unang-una, I think Asec. Mario already mentioned ‘no that there’s around 2,000 megawatts coming in for Luzon this year; it’s just that it’s a bit delayed. So wala nga siyang one percent na by 2040 especially if we have a lot of the hybrid electric vehicles.
So we have this computed because this comprehensive roadmap on the electric vehicle industry is aligned with the Philippine Energy Plan that looks into the demand and supply outlook ng power. That’s just one of it.
And again, iyong PEP, naka-align sa Philippine Development Plan ni Pangulo. So nandoon iyong pagkakatahi ng mga planong iyan.
OSEÑA-PAEZ:Okay. Sam Medenilla, Business Mirror.
SAM MEDENILLA/BUSINESS MIRROR: Good afternoon, Usec. Sir, itatanong ko lang po kung ano iyong naging result po ng recommendation sa NEDA na i-include iyong hybrid vehicles and electronic tricycles po doon sa Executive Order # 12 po?
DOE USEC. FUENTEBELLA: I think there will be a meeting to finalize that recommendation on Friday.
SAM MEDENILLA/BUSINESS MIRROR: Tapos another question, sir. Na-mention nila na iyong mayroon po tayong tariff reduction for e-vehicles. May proposal din po ba to include subsidies para ma-encourage iyong private sector or iyong public sector bukod doon sa PUVs to adopt e-vehicles?
DOE USEC. FUENTEBELLA: We go to Executive Order # 12 series of 2023, which is what you mentioned. And then, we also go into the excise tax under the TRAIN Law which is already given. And then, we already have the Motor Vehicle User’s Charge Discount of 30% for BEV (Battery Electric Vehicle) and HEV (Hybrid Electric Vehicles) for eight years. So iyon na iyong mga incentives na nakita.
And then iyong sinabi ko kanina na una ka sa pila – parang senior citizens sila ‘di ba – una sa pila sa rehistro sa LTO; una sa rehistro sa operation ng LTFRB kung papasok sa franchising or sa operations ng PUV; and nandoon din iyong number coding exemption, non-fiscal.
SAM MEDENILLA/BUSINESS MIRROR: Bale, sir, mayroon po bang parang computation iyong DOE kung magkano iyong parang total number of incentives or mga savings na binibigay ng government para doon sa mga mag-a-adopt ng e-vehicles kapag iko-combine iyong na-mention ninyong sa tariff reduction, iyong sa TRAIN Law? Mayroon po ba kayong total computation kung magkano, kahit average?
DOE USEC. FUENTEBELLA: Puwede naming i-compute pero nakatutok kami doon sa ilan iyong investments na kailangan at saka employment na magagawa. Pero puwede rin naman, puwedeng ma-compute. Tulad kanina, pinag-compute din ako ni Ivan. Puwede naman kapag given these factors like two million, what’s 20%, 50%? Puwede naman i-compute.
SAM MEDENILLA/BUSINESS MIRROR: Tapos, sir, doon naman sa charging station. Mayroon po bang ideal number of charging stations iyong DOE para maging efficient iyong pag-adopt ng mga tao ng e-vehicles?
DOE USEC. FUENTEBELLA: Yes.
SAM MEDENILLA/BUSINESS MIRROR: At saka sa ngayon po, ilan na po bukod doon sa ideal number?
DOE USEC. FUENTEBELLA: So iyong charging stations natin, nandoon iyon sa situationer, sa una. So, iyong e-recharging stations natin – wala kasi akong salamin – we’re targeting—sorry ha, hinahanap ko siya. I’ll go back to you later. Pero …maliit kasi siya eh. Balikan kita, Sam.
OSEÑA-PAEZ:Ivan Mayrina, GMA 7.
IVAN MAYRINA/GMA7: Usec., is there a way to bring down the cost further? You mentioned that this is a much simpler technology, why then is it more expensive?
DOE USEC. FUENTEBELLA: It’s more expensive, I guess, because the economies of scale, iyong isa; tapos iyong development ng parts especially the battery, it’s still evolving to the point na they’re changing the raw material to make it more mas mura at mas madami siyang napo-produce. Iyong pag-position din – kasama sa instruction ni Pangulo – iyong papaano iyong DOST technology magkaroon ng local investor para magkaroon ng … pati nga tinitingnan iyong dating kaha ng mga bus. For example, tatargetin natin iyong fleet ng mga bus natin, eh sayang naman iyong kaha, so puwedeng parehong kaha pero papalitan iyong makina.
So nandoon iyong mga kasama sa instructions ni Pangulo for DOST, DTI and looking for an investor to bring down the cost and at the same time, have a profit for sustainability.
IVAN MAYRINA/GMA7: Along with this push for electric vehicles, established na ba ang reliability ng electric vehicles?
DOE USEC. FUENTEBELLA: Yes.
IVAN MAYRINA/GMA7: Kasi I think, much of the hesitation, aside from the upfront cost lies on reliability. Baka naman less than five years, sira na, mga ganoon.
DOE USEC. FUENTEBELLA: Sa salita ni Pangulo, para lang siyang 10th generation golf cart.
The charging stations target, I don’t have the figures.
OSEÑA-PAEZ:Okay, Harley Valbuena.
HARLEY VALBUENA/DZME: Sir, are we seeing the heavy traffic as an obstacle to the e-vehicle industry? Let’s say, for example, ang isang e-vehicle hindi nakarating sa charging stations sa takdang oras dahil naiipit sa traffic, tumirik. So how do we resolve that, sir?
DOE USEC. FUENTEBELLA: Totoo, hindi ko alam. [Laughs] Magtutulungan tayo.
HARLEY VALBUENA/DZME: Are we discussing already about that?
DOE USEC. FUENTEBELLA: Ang nilalagay natin is iyong positioning ng charging stations that is strategic. Tapos sabi ko nga kanina, iyong app na community na ginagawa natin, it’s still being developed kasi nasa phase 2 iyon, iyong puwede kang mag-reserve. Ngayon, kung puwede kang humingi ng tulong, puwede ka ring mag-shout out—kasi usually, kapag natirik ka naman, hindi lang naman dahil sa traffic ‘no. Puwede ring nagkaroon ng isyu sa sasakyan mo or sa tires or part of the vehicle, so usually you really call for somebody to help you or to tow. So pareho lang siya sa diskarte sa ICE.
OSEÑA-PAEZ:One more question from Alvin Baltazar, Radyo Pilipinas.
ALVIN BALTAZAR/RADYO PILIPINAS: Usec., good afternoon po. Usec., may directive ba si Pangulo para sa mga government offices na iyong mga service vehicles na ginagamit sa gobyerno, palitan na ng e-vehicle since initiative naman talaga ito ng government eh?
DOE USEC. FUENTEBELLA: Yes, targeting ten percent of the fleet should be electric vehicle. Mayroon siyang pinasang inter-agency na led by the Department of Energy, and nandoon din iyong DBM para maayos iyong procurement niya at para mag-comply. So when the President was looking into that, there was a thumbs up from DBM Secretary Amenah na it’s already in place.
ALVIN BALTAZAR/RADYO PILIPINAS: So timeline natin dito, sir, para sa mga government service?
DOE USEC. FUENTEBELLA: Iyon nga, kasi iyong sa procurement timeline ‘no, ayaw kong makialam. I think every year kasi mayroon tayong procurement ‘no, so I just have to check on that. Sorry, hindi ko lang naano iyong timeline. Ayaw ko kasing magkamali ng bitawan ko.
OSEÑA-PAEZ:We can provide you with the numbers in a little while. But I think—
DOE USEC. FUENTEBELLA: Right now, it’s below one hundred, iyong e-recharging points natin. I think it’s around 73, but we should have reached around 100. So we’re like 27 points short but there are some that we were not able to count because they have not yet registered. So it’s like malapit siya. But I’m basing it on my very unreliable memory but it’s kind of there, malapit siya.
OSEÑA-PAEZ:Okay. Well, thank you so much, Undersecretary Fuentebella, for briefing us on the very exciting developments and the President’s support of the transition to electric vehicles.
Maraming salamat, Malacañang Press Corps. At magandang hapon sa inyong lahat.
##
