Last week, I attended the launch of a partnership between a carmaker and a mall—something that I expect to take place more frequently in the coming days. Hyundai Motor Philippines introduced its cooperation with SM Malls for the latter’s electric vehicle charging stations, starting with SM Mall of Asia to be followed by The Podium, SM City Fairview, SM City Clark, SM City Cebu, and SM Lanang Premier.
If you read this motoring section weekly or your favorite automotive website daily, you must have noticed that EVs are regular content for journalists these days. I used to be a big doubter whenever the topic shifted to electric cars. Six years ago, in 2017, Nissan brought me and other writers to Japan to present the second-generation Leaf. Back then, the idea of selling an EV in the Philippines was still a pipe dream. For one, there wasn’t even a concrete set of rules and regulations to determine just exactly how the authorities should manage these vehicles. Mention “electric vehicles” to the average Filipino motorist and you would be met with a sneer.
Fast-forward to the present and the Electric Vehicle Industry Development Act is firmly set in stone, with guidelines to regulate EVs. These vehicles are now recipients of tax breaks, making them cheaper than before. Buildings also should have at least 5% of their parking spaces devoted to EVs.
Naturally, end users have to be wooed and convinced that they will have better motoring lives if they no longer use traditional engines. So government is helping in this regard by promising buyers priority registration and renewal (with a special plate to boot); a 30% discount on Motor Vehicle Users Charge as well as registration fees (15% for hybrids); easier financing deals from banks; and (the most popular of all perks) exemption from the number-coding scheme.
The perks are good. But from where I sit, two things will ultimately persuade car buyers to go for EVs. First (and obviously), the pricing. For now, EVs seem to be for rich people. Which is why EVs are a hit among luxury brands like BMW, Audi and now even Lexus. Until these cars do not have reasonable affordability, they will remain toys for wealthy folks.
Second, the ease and accessibility of charging them. I know that hotel and mall owners are working overtime to make their establishments EV-friendly. How fast they can do this is the crucial question. Remember that countless people live in condos (especially the target market who can actually purchase an EV), and juicing up an electric car will be a challenge. So there is logic in bringing charging stations to where motorists go. While they’re at it, why not dine, shop, and watch a movie? Win-win for the car brands and the establishment owners.
But is this a win for the car owners?
Honestly, I’m still unconvinced. This will still take some time. The places with EV charging stations now are prominent venues that the public regularly visit. What about the middle of nowhere? For sure, no one is prepared to visualize himself/herself getting stranded with a dead battery in a far-flung area with no way to reach a charging station.
But this is a promising start. This is a long way from 2017 when an electric vehicle was just the fantasy of eco-conscious motorists. And Hyundai—with its Ioniq 5 and Ioniq 6—is a good point to start.
FILL YOUR TANK: “Give me neither poverty nor riches—feed me with the food allotted to me; lest I be full and deny You, and say, ‘Who is the Lord?’ Or lest I be poor and steal, and profane the name of my God.” (Proverbs 30:8-9)