Aiming to enhance the adoption and growth of electric vehicles in order to reduce the local transportation sector’s reliance on imported fossil fuels, EVIDA mandates that industrial and commercial enterprises allocate at least 5% of their vehicle fleets to EVs.
Manny Rubio, President and CEO of AboitizPower, commented on the company’s forward-looking approach, stating, “As a leader in the energy industry, we want to incorporate innovations that will improve the efficiency and sustainability of our operations. The world is facing developments in climate change, global connectivity, population growth, urbanization, and digitalization, and these changes demand that businesses like ours transform to remain relevant.”
Rubio continued, “With an ever-growing demand for powered mobility, we recognize that deeper electrification of mobility is a key enabler in achieving a cleaner and more sustainable world energy system. After all, a broad range of mobility applications can be powered with electricity from cleaner or zero-emission sources.”
The introduced EVs were manufactured by Build Your Dreams (BYD) and are set to be deployed in the key cities served by AboitizPower’s distribution utilities (DUs), including Visayan Electric, Davao Light, and Cotabato Light.
Anton Percides, COO of AboitizPower Distribution Utilities, emphasized the purpose of the EV deployment, stating, “Bound to be deployed in the franchise areas we serve in Visayas and Mindanao, with land areas more than six times the size of Metro Manila, these vehicles are geared to prove their efficiency and reliability in this new age of electric mobility.”
Percides further explained the company’s aspirations, saying, “We aim to achieve 40% electrification for our four-wheeled vehicles and motorbikes by 2030 and finally transform and electrify 100% of the AboitizPower DU fleet by 2040.”
The EV fleet transformation program aligns with AboitizPower’s strategy to increase renewable energy capacity by 3,700 megawatts over the next decade, including solar, wind, and geothermal sources. This approach supports the Philippines’ goal of reducing reliance on fossil fuel imports by tapping into cleaner and locally available energy sources.
In addition to its positive environmental impact, the transition to EVs is expected to improve energy efficiency and transportation economics, with the cost per kilometer traveled by an EV being at least half that of internal combustion engine vehicles.
Anton Percides emphasized the broader benefits, stating, “Electrifying our fleet will help us further reduce carbon emissions, lower operating costs, and contribute to cleaner air in the cities where we operate. This way, we are also helping empower the evolution of the cities we serve.”
AboitizPower, along with its partners, maintains the largest and most diversified renewable energy platform in the Philippines in terms of installed capacity under its operational control. The company has nearly 1,000 megawatts of renewable energy projects, including wind, solar farms, and additional geothermal capacities, in its pipeline.
