The Philippines Is Not Ready for Electric Vehicles. Maybe in 30 Years…
Automologist HAROLD is not convinced that the EV is the answer.
Where will these cars and trucks go? They can’t just disappear from the roads. Image source: straitstimes.com
Despite the global trend showing a 40% increase in EV registration in 2022 and Europe surpassing China in EV usage, the Philippines is not ready for EVs, not until 2050 at least—this writer will be 87 years old by then, so what do I care?!
There are clear signs that the Philippines can’t keep up with the trend. Firstly, the EV Bill was just passed into law in 2021 and until today, there are no implementing rules and regulations (IRR). With notoriously slow-paced bureaucracy, maybe we will have the IRR in place by 2028.
Secondly, we do not have a network of charging stations. Despite all the drum-beating from Nissan, Honda, Kia, Hyundai and a little from Toyota proclaiming that hoards of EVs are coming, where and how in the world will they be charged sustainably? I have not seen any serious charging station network being build yet. And, it will take years to build one!
Thirdly, what will we do with all the internal combustion engine (ICE) cars, trucks and buses? We can’t even phase out the World War 2 jeepneys from the roads, how can we expect to remove the other ICE vehicles from our streets? The Philippines has a regulation mandating that cars that are 10 years or older must be removed from roads, but there are still 50-year-old cars plying the streets. The Senate passed a bill, about 5 years ago, to remove all unroadworthy vehicles, but with one group of protesters from the north pressuring the vote-hungry legislators, they backpedalled on the implementation of mandatory comprehensive vehicle inspection prior to registration. Yet we think we can implement the 2021 EV law? We must be dreaming!
Fourthly, Philippines does not have enough power-generating capacity. Our power plants could not even supply the needs of industry and household power right now, and yet we want add EV charging to the grid? Welcome to the return of the days of brownouts! It will take 10 to 20 years to augment the country’s power generating capacities to support EVs.
Fifthly, and most important, is that in the next 5 to 6 years, as EV usage will be full-blown in some countries, the world will realize the lies peddled by these “EV evangelists” and have been taken as gospel truths by mediocre journalists and PR firms. Soon the world will know that EVs do not contribute to overall carbon emission reduction. On the contrary, it adds to global pollution. Soon, the world will realize the shortage of raw materials for battery production. Soon, the populace will be in an uproar as thousands of cars are stranded in the streets due to battery problems!
Don’t get me wrong, I support efforts to reduce pollution. I support efforts to reduce fossil fuel consumption. But I am doing it now (not at some time in the future) with clear, measurable and continuous effects, even in little ways. I promote products that are scientifically proven to reduce harmful emissions by up to 85% and reduce fuel consumption by 10% to 15%. It is called X-1R Engine and Fuel Treatments.
About 300,000 cars and LCVs are using X-1R products regularly in the Philippines alone. Imagine the amount of air pollution X-1R has reduced. X-1R has helped the Philippines save about 100 million litres of imported fossil fuel a year, and has been doing so since the 2003 in the Philippines and since the early 1990s in other parts of the world. WHY HAS X-1R NOT BEEN GIVEN MORE RECOGNITION FOR ITS CONTRIBUTION IN GLOBAL AIR POLLUTION CONTROL AND FOSSIL FUEL REDUCTION? We honour actors and comedians with Oscars, have they really contributed to make our mother earth better? It’s time we give honour to X-1R!
If you want to know more about X-1R products, please call or text +63 956 809 5284, chat at www.facebook.com/X1R Philippines or visit x1rasia.com.
