10th PH Electric Vehicle Summit returns to physical venue in a grand conference
The Electric Vehicle Association of the Philippines (EVAP) wants the public and private sectors to work together to speed up the adoption of electric vehicles (EVs) in the country. This is the primary message of the industry organization as it organizes the 10th Philippine Electric Vehicle Summit (PEVS) on October 20 and 21, 2022 at the SMX Convention Center in Manila.
This year’s PEVS occurs one month after Republic Act No. 11697’s implementing rules and regulations went into effect. The law, also known as the Electric Vehicle Industry Development Act (EVIDA), aims to accelerate the adoption of electric vehicles (EVs) in the United States by granting incentives and mandating that 5 percent of business and government fleets consist of EVs. It also allows for the provision of specific parking spaces for electric vehicles, the installation of charging stations in parking lots and gas stations, and the designation of green routes in cities and towns.
“Now that the implementing rules and regulations of EVIDA law are set, we count on public and private sectors to work hand-in-hand to make the switch to EVs faster,” said EVAP President Edmund Araga during the opening rites of the 10th PEVS. “Hence, our 10th summit theme goes, ‘United in Driving E-mobility in Support of EVIDA.”
Araga reiterated that the current thrust of the EV industry is aligned with the strong message of ‘unity’ of the government under President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. “I am confident that moving forward, we will observe a steady acceleration towards electro-mobility. Solidarity will push our relatively young industry to achieve our goals,” Araga added.
The 10th PEVS marked the return of the EV industry summit to its physical venue, with a kick-off motorcade by the EV Owners Society (EVOS) preceding the opening ceremony, following two years of being held virtually due to early constraints imposed by the current epidemic. Simultaneously, it served as a forum for the debut of EVAP’s new logo, which represents the organization’s and the industry’s shift in emphasis toward the adoption of electro-mobility supported by legislation.
“This is the perfect time for us (EVAP) to rebrand and highlight our vision of a modern and electrified road transport in the Philippines. This transformation also embodies our reaffirmation of our commitment to advance the country’s transition to electric vehicles by advocating and supporting enabling policies, rules, and regulations to accelerate deployment among public and private sectors,” Araga explained.
The two-day EV summit brings together industry and government leaders who are openly supporting the introduction of electric vehicles. EVAP recognized partners who have provided unwavering support to the cause during the opening rituals. The conference has also scheduled many plenary sessions to go more into EVIDA regulation, worldwide trends and concerns affecting the EV business, public and private mobility schemes, and incentives for manufacturers. The meeting is also promoting a policy dialogue held by the Asian Federation of Electric Vehicle Associations (AFEVA).
