The dream of the electric vehicle industry for a law supporting its development is now a reality.
According to news reports, Republic Act No. 11697, or An Act Providing for the Development of the Electric Vehicle Industry, has either become a law or was expressly approved by the President.
No matter how it came into being, RA 11697 is now in place to promote and govern “the manufacture, assembly, importation, construction, installation, maintenance, trade and utilization, research and development, and regulation of electric vehicles.”
This should be a happy moment for members of the Electric Vehicle Association of the Philippines (EVAP) who have long been lobbying for such a law.
Under the new law, a Comprehensive Roadmap for the Electric Vehicle Industry (CREVI), to be incorporated in the Philippine Energy Plan and the National Transport Policy, will serve to accelerate the development, commercialization and utilization of EVs in the country.
Another thing that should make EVAP members happy is one provision of the RA 11697 which will make it mandatory for establishments involved in such industries or sectors as cargo logistics, food delivery, tour agencies, hotels, power utilities, and water utilities to have at least 5 percent of their motor pool or vehicle fleet made up of EVs.
Automakers and distributors who now have EVs in their local lineup should be elated by government mandating establishments with 20 or more parking slots to dedicate at least, again that magic number or ratio, 5 percent of the slots for use of battery powered vehicles.
Parking lots should also have charging points for EVs.
This should help convince more people to acquire battery powered vehicles for their daily use which should elate global automakers who are betting on EVs as the future of the automotive industry.
Of course this would not happen overnight, various government agencies like the energy and transport departments are tasked to implement these and other mandates of RA 11697.
Timetables still have to be set, the CREVI formulated, policies and manufacturing standards established for “EVs, batteries, and facilities, including recycling facilities, parts and components, and charging stations and related equipment.”
But the EVAP now has RA 11697 to push and cajole government agencies to actively support the industry’s progress.
Meanwhile, makers and distributors of electric vehicles are now dreaming of zero tariff and other fiscal incentives that would make EVs more affordable.
BMW future
One recent joiner to the local EV market is BMW, represented locally by SMC Asia Car Distributors Corp., which has just launched the BMW iX xDrive40.
SMC Asia Car president Spencer Yu said that this was the perfect time to introduce the groundbreaking BMW iX xDrive40 to the Filipino market.
The BMW iX, conceived from the outset as a purely battery powered automobile, signifies SMC Asia Car’s belief in an electrified future for mobility in the Philippines.
“While we are making this model available for pre-orders – starting today – our bigger responsibilities lie ahead. And, that is to ensure every Filipino is fully educated about electric mobility and the infrastructure we have in place becomes more accessible,” Yu said during the launch.
“This is something very special to us as a brand and a member of the San Miguel Group whose efforts towards sustainability in the Philippines have been truly inspiring,” he added.
Vintage victory
Another dream that has turned to reality is that of classic car enthusiasts and collectors who woke up to find that another piece of legislation enacted by Congress and sent to the Office of President for signing has lapsed into law.
This is Republic Act 11698, or the Vintage Vehicle Regulation Act, which covers the importation and exportation, registration, and use of vintage automobiles and other historical classic, or collector motor vehicles.
According to the Philippine News Agency, RA 11698 exempts registered vintage vehicles from complying with clean-air, anti-pollution, safety, road-use, and other standards that were not in force at the time of their manufacture, either as a condition for their registration and use on public roads or otherwise.
The law opens the doors to any person or entity planning to import vintage vehicles, whether concours, resto-mod or for repair or restoration, authentic components, original or replica body shells, engines and transmissions, spare parts and accessories.
A provision of the law that should delight classic car collectors, importers, and even motorsports enthusiasts, reads: “The prohibition on the importation, registration and use of right-hand drive vehicles shall not apply to vintage vehicles manufactured on or before December 31, 1970 or to vintage vehicles intended principally for racing or other motorsports.”
The law agrees with its proponents who argued that vintage vehicles are few in number, would see limited use, and that the technology available at the time of their manufacture would not permit them to meet modern standards.
Happy Motoring!!!
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