PEZA Initiates Feasibility Study for EV Fleet Transition

THE Philippine Economic Zone Authority (PEZA) said it signed a memorandum of agreement with Clean Air Initiative for Asian Cities Center, Inc. (Clean Air Asia) to study the viability of transitioning the agency’s vehicle fleet to electric technology. Clean Air Asia has signed up to conduct a feasibility study that will assess the technical, operational, and financial viability of transitioning PEZA’s fleet to electric vehicles (EVs). “Subject to the study’s findings and applicable requirements, the partnership will also support the provision of electric vehicle charging stations (EVCS) to enable the deployment and operation of EVs,” PEZA said in statement on Tuesday. The Mactan Economic Zone has been designated as the site for the study and initial deployment area, it noted. “Through this partnership, PEZA is taking concrete steps to make decarbonization part of how we operate, develop, and grow our ecozones,” PEZA Director-General Tereso O. Panga was quoted as saying. The study will be undertaken in support of Republic Act No. 11697 or the Electric Vehicle Industry Development Act, which calls for the integration of EVs into government fleets. PEZA’s EV adoption is being pursued via the e-mobility ASAP (Accelerating the Adoption and Scale-up of Electric Mobility for Low-Carbon City Development in the Philippines) Project, a Global Environment Facility-funded project implemented by the United Nations Industrial Development Organization, the Department of Trade and Industry, and Board of Investments. Clean Air Asia is a non-governmental organization headquartered in Pasay City. It is part of a consortium with De La Salle University, the Electric Vehicle Association of the Philippines, and Urban Electric Mobility Initiative GmbH. According to the Philippine Energy Plan, EVs are expected to make up half of the country’s vehicle fleet by 2040. — Beatriz Marie D. Cruz