The Philippines’ House of Representatives recently approved the final reading of House Bill 10213, otherwise known as the Electric Vehicle Industry Development Act, according to reports by Autoindustriya as well as the Philippine News Agency.
The bill’s approval, which saw 195 affirmative votes (against zero), is seen as an important milestone in the country’s pursuit to become a hub for electric vehicles. Other ASEAN countries like Thailand and Indonesia have already announced their own EV ambitions, and it’s clear the Philippines doesn’t want to fall behind.
The Electric Vehicle Industry Development Act serves to support the development of a national policy and regulatory framework to increase the uptake of EVs in the country. This will cover not just the local production and use of EVs, but also employment generation and reducing the reliance on imported fuel.
An important factor of the bill is the Comprehensive Roadmap for the Electric Vehicle Industry (CREVI), which will result in a development plan being created to serve as a guideline for relevant stakeholders. The CREVI will include standards and specifications of EVs as well as charging stations, setting up of the local EV manufacturing industry and supply chain infrastructure, strengthen R&D for EV-related technologies, and training the workforce to deal with EVs.
Infrastructure is another aspect covered by the CREVI, which proposes charging stations being a requirement at places like public establishments, fuel stations and EV parking areas. Additionally, certain entities in the private and government sectors with 20 or more motor vehicles in their fleets must ensure that at least 10% of their fleet be made up of EVs. Over time, the percentage will gradually increase until the entire fleet of covered entities becomes fully electric.
To ensure the roadmap is implemented effectively, there will be an inter-agency body called the Electric Vehicles Advisory Board (EVAB) tasked with create the policies to accelerate the development of the EV industry. The EVAB will have members from various government agencies as well as representatives from other relevant players.
Meanwhile, here in Malaysia, the government recently laid out its 12th Malaysia Plan (RMK-12), which details the country’s direction for the next five-year period, including green mobility initiatives. According to the multi-page RMK-12 document, the government will look to promote the usage of green vehicles and review the incentives provided to manufacturers and car buyers.
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