Dr. J.B. Manuel Briona, a research scientist at the center for engineering research and sustainable research at De La Salle University, told the BusinessMirror in an interview that the main concern now is the low capacity of batteries that prevent e-vehicles to travel long distances within the metropolis.

If the Philippines is really serious in pushing e-vehicles, Briona said car-battery manufacturers should start research and development to produce high-quality batteries, such as lithium ion, to enable e-vehicles to have longer running time on the road.

“Maybe the Department of Science and Technology PA3282U-1ACA,PA3083U-1ACA,PA3282U-2ACA,could provide local [car battery] makers the funds to finance research and development in battery making toward strengthening the industry for the country,” he said.

“The challenge right now is to increase the capacity of the battery without increasing the density of the vehicle. By 2015, experts are projecting there will be more powerful and cost- efficient batteries for e-vehicles,” he said.

According to Briona, the problem does not end there. He said current models of e-vehicles could not expand their running capacity because it would cause problems on the density of the vehicle. He said this would slow down the travel pace of the vehicle, resulting in reduced trips and producing lower revenues for the driver.

Briona said the dearth of battery charging stations is also a major concern of e-jeepneys. With sufficient number of charging stations, Briona said operators would seriously consider getting an e-jeepney to their fleet.

To boost the deployment and acceptance of e-vehicles in the country, Briona said the government must pursue an honest-to-goodness battery recycling program. For a start, he said car-battery manufacturers in the country could start looking at lithium ion as an alternative to lead acid.

Moreover, he said recycling is important because the parts of old batteries can be used in the development of new batteries.

According to Wikipedia, lithium-ion batteries “are a type of rechargeable batteries in which the cathode [positive electrode] contains lithium. The anode [negative electrode] is generally made of a type of porous carbon.”

Briona suggested that the Philippines study the Singaporean model as far as research and development in car-battery technology is concerned.

The Singapore government provides funds to the companies to boost their research-and- development programs. 

In a bid to boost the awareness on e-vehicles in the country, the Makati City government introduced the e-jeepney. The Land Transportation Office was tasked to initially evaluate the road-worthiness of the vehicle.

According to Yvonne Palomar-Castro, PA3097U-1ACA,PA3396U-1ACA,PA3467U-1ACAGreen Renewable Independent Power Producer project director, the e-jeepneys can now be sold to public-transport cooperatives and jeepney operators.

The 14-passenger-capacity e-jeepney is powered by an electric motor with 12 six-volt lead-acid batteries and runs 40 to 60 kilometers per hour.

Meanwhile, Institute for Climate Change and Sustainable Cities director Red Constantino said in a press briefing during the launch of e-jeepneys in Makati that they hope to replicate the program in parts of Metro Manila and the provinces to enable the people to experience a pollution-free mode of public transport.