IT TAKES A COUNTRY TO BUILD AN EV ECOSYSTEM

The African proverb which goes, “It takes a village to raise a child”, could not be truer as it applies to building an electric vehicle ecosystem. As Art Tan, CEO of AC Industrials and Integrated Micro-electronics Inc. said during the Liveable Cities Challenge webinar, “The EV revolution, or just the ability to be able to put electric vehicles on the road, is (such that) the vehicle itself is just one part of the ecosystem, and what we need to do is to understand how this entire ecosystem is going to be put in place.” To build a thriving, technically feasible, and commercially viable EV transport system, we will need a ‘village’, composed of the electricity grid, battery systems, charging infrastructure, cleaner energy sources like renewables, and even an EV manufacturing industry.

Mr. Tan goes on to identify an opportunity space for the local industrial sector in anticipation of an EV revolution, “The holy grail for the Philippines has always been how to be able to be part of that automotive manufacturing environment.” Since supply chains for EVs are different from internal combustion vehicles, there is a new level playing field for market entrants. “The nice part  about it is that majority of the electric vehicle components, the critical ones that are necessary to do this, is already existing in the PH, and this is something that we are ahead on.”

He points to the different capabilities within the Ayala Group and local partners on energy supply, vehicle parts and components, assembly, distribution, charging, and payment systems – that can deliver an integrated EV ecosystem.

Mr. Tan’s talk clearly shows that the ingredient needed to raise a viable EV ecosystem is in place. Now, it just takes the village to get behind this to make it happen.

Event partners: Dassault Systemes, Globe Telecom, League of Cities of the Philippines (LCP), and CCI France Philippines.

Other articles on Building an E-Vehicle Ecosystem:

• MOVING PEOPLE TO A BETTER TOMORROW - Freddie Tinga
• PH TOWARDS AUTOMOTIVE ELECTRIFICATION -  Corazon Dichosa
• LGUs AND EMOBILITY - Dr. Manuel Biona
• ACCELERATING E-VEHICLE DEVELOPMENT - Alan Pilz