The Manila Electric Company (Meralco) is deploying 69 electric vehicles (EVs) as part of its heightened efforts to adopt sustainable modes of transportation under its Green Mobility Program.
The new batch of EVs composed of cars, vans, pick-up trucks, and motorcycles will cater to the transportation needs of its Business Centers and Sector Offices – adding to the nearly 60 EVs currently used by Meralco field personnel. With these new EVs, Meralco is on track to electrify 100% of its vehicle fleet, with its Metro Manila service vehicles now all electric.
Through its Green Mobility Program, the Company aims to reduce its greenhouse gas emissions and to promote the country’s transition to electrified transport.
During the ceremonial unveiling and blessing of the new EVs on December 7, Meralco President and CEO Atty. Ray C. Espinosa announced that the Green Mobility Program would be extended to all Meralco subsidiaries, making it a One Meralco initiative.
“Through this Program, we express our full support to the Philippines’ transition to electric transportation. As we look forward to the government’s enactment of the EV Bill—which will provide incentives to both EV suppliers and users—we welcome a greener, cleaner, and safer environment in our streets and thoroughfares,” Espinosa said.
To support the charging requirements of its EVs, Meralco is also installing five charging stations in strategically located Company facilities across its franchise area.
Through its subsidiary eSakay, Inc., Meralco also offers end-to-end EV and charging infrastructure solutions to institutional customers and to the riding public.
“Beyond delivering accessible and reliable electricity service to households and businesses, we, in Meralco, are also at the forefront of providing sustainable solutions to our customers. With our important and intensified shift to vehicle electrification, we hope to influence and inspire others to follow suit and to likewise embed sustainability in their operations,” said Meralco Chief Sustainability Officer and eSakay President and CEO Raymond B. Ravelo.
The Green Mobility Program is among the core initiatives under Meralco’s sustainability agenda, which is rooted in and supports the United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goals.
Other key priorities in this agenda include the Company’s just, orderly, and affordable transition to clean energy through 2030 and beyond; the shift to plant-based ester oil for its distribution transformers; and the One for Trees Program, through which Meralco aims to plant five million trees by 2025.
“All these important initiatives are a testament to One Meralco’s pledge to protect and preserve our planet—and ultimately, to power good lives not only for ourselves today, but also for our children’s tomorrow,” Espinosa concluded.