12th Philippine Electric Vehicles Summit: Sparking the Change to Drive Electric

The 24th day of October 2024 proved to be a hectic day. There were two major motor shows that happened on that day – the 9th Philippine International Motor Show (PIMS 2024) and the 12th Philippine Electric Vehicle Summit (PEVS), which was hosted by the Electric Vehicles Association of the Philippines (EVAP). Unfortunately, that day also marked the tail end of the Super Typhoon Kristine that devastated most of the country. The floods that swept Southern Luzon and the National Capitol Region and destroyed crops in Northern Luzon showed that climate change is real and its effects are disastrous.

As a gearhead and a motoring journalist, I would normally be drawn to the motor show since it would feature new models and concept vehicles. But because the opening dates of PIMS 2024 and the 12th PEVS coincided that stormy Thursday, I opted to cover the electric vehicle summit while another team covered the motor show. While listening to several of the symposiums that were held at PEVS, I realized that it was not just another motoring event that showcased the latest electric vehicles, charging stations, and other EV-related technologies. It was becoming a choice between contributing to the reduction of carbon emission and helping fight climate change, or remaining in the status quo.

Sparking the Change

The motto of this year’s PEVS is “Spark Change, Drive Electric”. It reminded me of the song, “One Little Candle” and the lyrics, “Better forth that you light just one little candle, all you need is a tiny spark” because EVAP, which is on its 15th year, through their yearly PEVS, is actually creating the spark to make people change their minds and their driving habits to consider driving an EV. EVAP started by organizing small EV shows at Meralco’s basketball court in 2010 and then started organizing the PEVS in 2012. The “tiny spark” has now become a call for change.

EVAP was instrumental in having the Electric Vehicle Industry Development Act (EVIDA) enacted in 2022 and remains committed to monitoring and further pushing the implementation of every important aspect of the law. During his opening remarks, EVAP President Edmund Araga reiterated that there’s still a long way to go before achieving the industry goal of selling 2.45 million EVs and opening around 65,000 EV charging stations around the country by 2028. He added that EVAP continues to uphold their unwavering support for the Comprehensive Roadmap for the Electric Vehicle (CREVI) of the Department of Energy (DOE).

Building an Entire Industry

Araga emphasized that EVAP is helping build an industry that is focused not just on electric cars, SUVs and pickup trucks, but also on e-bikes, e-tricycles, e-buses, e-boats, and soon, electric-powered airplanes. Backed by existing laws and regulations, EVAP is likewise making plans and programs to aid the current and future leaders. They want to provide students, who comprise the future leaders of the nation, and the academe, who will educate the students, with the initial exposure in EV technology and innovation through EVAP’s extensive and growing network across Asia, specifically through the ASEAN Federation of Electric Vehicle Association (AFEVA), where Araga is currently the President.

After the EVAP President outlined the activities for the 3-day summit and shared that the sessions were being translated to Chinese, Araga commended internationally renowned musician Apl.de.Ap, who has Filipino roots. In partnership with the Asian Development Bank (ADB), the musician’s Apl.de.Ap Foundation will open the country’s first EV Center for Excellence that aims to boost the electrification of the country’s transport sector and help create a sustainable ecosystem that will include skilled workforce, resilient infrastructure, and informed decision-making.

Creating Awareness and Excitement

To stir up the public’s curiosity and generate awareness, EVAP announced the “12 Best Reasons” to attend the 12th PEVS in its press releases. After the summit was concluded, we went through these reasons one-by-one to see if the 3-day expo lived up to their promise and this is what we found:

1. Be amazed by the showcase of latest electric vehicles. Indeed, the 12th edition of PEVS occupied three halls of the SMX Convention Center in Pasay City to showcase several electric vehicles and EV technology that are available in the local market today.

2. Sign up to test drive. The SMX basement parking served as the base and start/end point for the test drive of various EV models from different manufacturers. Despite the heavy torrential rains brought about by the typhoon, a lot of people signed up to experience an electrifying drive with an EV.

3. Get updated on the state of local EV industry. A press conference with EVAP officers, EV brand heads, and government representatives that came after the opening ceremonies and a plenary session in the afternoon of the first day ignited a lively discussion about the challenges, government policies, incentives, opportunities, and new trends concerning the electric vehicle industry.

4. Debunk the myths about EV driving. A session where actual EV owners shared their driving and charging experiences helped break the general misconceptions about owning, driving, charging and maintaining an electric vehicle.

5. Check out EV safety sessions. A 4-part EV safety training series was conducted for engineers, technicians, and fire fighters focused on the prevention of overcharging, overheating while charging, and fires caused by neglect and disregard of charging precautions.

6. ASEAN Federation of Electric Vehicle Associations (AFEVA) conducts policy dialogue. On the second day of the PEVS, AFEVA members convened for a public policy dialogue on how the promotion of the widespread use of electric vehicles are conducted in the ASEAN Region as well as the current state of battery technology and charging technology are faring in each country.

7. Know the latest about EV charging infrastructure. A panel of industry experts and officials from concerned government agencies discussed the current status of the charging infrastructure across the Philippines, financing, green energy transition, and effective efforts to bolster sustainability in EV use as well as plans for future expansion.

8. Be awed by EV technology presentations. Several participating EV manufacturers showcased the latest innovations in EV technology during the PEVS. Some brands like BYD and VinFast launched their latest EVs while AC Mobility showcased their Power-On-Wheels mobile charging capabilities.

9. Connect sustainability and electric mobility. We think that the afternoon session of the second day was very important since it focused on protecting the environment, promoting a green future, and the sustainability using electric vehicles, especially when EVs are charged using alternative energy sources such as solar, wind, or wave generators.

10. Spark the change among the youth. EVAP designed the 12th PEVS to appeal to the academe, students and the next generation of leaders through participative presentations, discussions, sessions and a design competition.

11. Meet and network with fellow EV enthusiasts. EVAP and its affiliate, the Electric Vehicle Owners Society (EVOS) helped spread camaraderie among owners and enthusiasts of electric vehicles at exhibition and conference halls with the general aim of creating a friendly and environmentally-conscious green community!

12. Be among 12 raffle winners of e-scooters! Aside from giving away twelve e-scooters to lucky show goers to mark the PEVS’s 12th edition, EVAP raffled off a DongFeng Nanobox 5-door electric hatchback worth P888,000 to a lucky media attendee.

Mission Accomplished

Despite the heavy rains, the threat of floods and another incoming super typhoon, as well as the polarizing effect caused by the simultaneous holding of another nearby motor show, we believe that EVAP accomplished all its goals with the 12th PEVS. It created a renewed excitement for electric vehicles, sparked even more curiosity for the latest trends, challenges, and opportunities in the local EV industry, shared the collective experiences of actual EV owners, involved the academe and students, and helped debunk the myths, biases, and the fake news that are spreading against EVs.

The 12th PEVS showed that EVAP continues to promote EVs as the top choice for mobility in these trying times, especially with the devastating effects of climate change. The 3-day event emphasized cooperation as an integral part of EVAP’s organizational core and showed their openness to work along with groups from the public and private sectors to spark change towards a cleaner, more efficient, and more electric future. Indeed, the Electric Vehicles Association of the Philippines, through its annual Philippine Electric Vehicle Summit, continues to offer cooperation to everyone in and out of the EV industry to work collectively and help build this nation for the generation of today and the future.