ADB, Philippines get electronic vehicle project on the road

The Asian Development Bank has confirmed that it will provide $300 million for a clean energy transport project in the Philippines.

The loan was approved Tuesday (Dec. 11) by ADB’s board. It will be used for the Philippine government’s “e-trike” project, a five-year initiative that aims to replace 100,000 fuel-powered tricycles with new units that run on electric motors and rechargeable lithium-ion batteries. The new vehicles will be introduced in Metro Manila and other urban centers in the country.

The project is expected to help reduce the Philippines’ annual carbon dioxide emissions and boost the income of tricycle drivers. It can also help “transform transportation in the Philippines” and position it as a “leader in electric vehicle development in Asia,” according to Neeraj Jain, ADB’s country director in the Philippines.

The main business opportunity offered by the project is in the procurement of the electronic vehicle units. The Philippines’ Department of Energy — the executing agency of the project — has already closed the prequalification period for the first phase of the procurement process, which targets the purchase of 20,000 e-trikes.

ADB and the Philippine government have yet to announce the timeline for the second phase of procurement, which targets 80,000 units to scale up the project.

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