CAUAYAN CITY, Isabela—In pursuit of its dream to meet the “Smart City” standards outlined in a 2016 local ordinance, the city government here collaborated with various stakeholders to launch the first electric-powered vehicle charging station in the Cagayan Valley region, along with several E-trike prototypes.
Dubbed as the “Charging in Minutes” or CHARM project, Cauayan City paraded prototype models on Monday in collaboration with the Department of Science and Technology, Isabela State University, University of the Philippines-Diliman, and various private sector groups who make and sell E-bikes and E-Trikes.
Quoting a report from Asia Climate Journal, DOST Region 2 Director Sancho P. Mabborang said the E-trikes “will decrease carbon monoxide emission by 260,000 tons if we replace 100,000 gasoline-fed tricycles with electricity powered ones.”
The “Charging in Minutes” station was strategically located near the gate of ISU Cauayan City campus as budget conscious college students were being eyed as primary users of E-bikes and E-trikes.
Engineers Leo Allen Tayo and Rovinna Janel Cruzate from the Electrical and Electronics Engineering Institute of UP Diliman were the brains behind the charging station’s design.
CHARM was made commercially viable by DOST’s funding support.
Tayo said local stakeholders who are willing to develop cost-efficient prototypes would solve the affordability issues raised by DOE Secretary Alfonso Cusi, who shot down the $500-million Asian Development Bank-funded project to replace 100,000 gasoline-fed tricycle units with energy efficient electric vehicles.
The P450,000 price tag of the DOE’s abandoned prototype is simply not affordable to the masses,” says Christopher Capistrano, a top official from the Ropali Group based here, who is leading a team working on E-Trikes and E-Bikes.
The Ropali Group paraded cheaper and smaller prototypes designed to accommodate two passengers only.
A model like the DOE Prototype presented by the Providers Cooperative based in Naguilian, Isabela can accommodate 8-10 passengers, which is ideal for passengers from villages far from the city.
A similar variant with a solar panel on its roof and back to charge the battery while running was also presented.
The Land Transportation Office and the Electronic Vehicles Association of the Philippines has recently arrived at a win-win solution on safety and other issues surrounding the use of electrically powered vehicles in main thoroughfares in the country.