MANILA, Philippines – Japanese electric vehicle (EV) maker BEMAC Electric Transportation Philippines Inc., which is ready to mass produce electric tricycles (e-trikes) here plans to make the Philippines its production hub for EVs in Southeast Asia.
BEMAC vice president Koji Yano said during the press conference for the launch of the 68VM e-trike, the firm intends “to make the Philippines the production hub for the Asean (Association of Southeast Asian Nations).”
While the firm’s production facility in Carmona in Cavite would primarily cater to the domestic market, BEMAC president Masato Oda said it would also serve the demand for EVs for other Asean countries.
“We decided to make the Philippines the hub because we found a reliable partner here, Almazora (Motors Corp.),” he said.
The firm is in talks with potential customers both here and in other Asean markets.
While there have been inquiries from countries like Malaysia, Thailand and even India, BEMAC assistant vice president Yvonne Palomar-Castro said the firm would focus on the domestic market first and expects to begin exports by next year.
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The firm has so far invested P500 million for its production facility in Cavite.
The facility, which opened in February, has a capacity of 500 units per month but could be expanded by another 500 units depending on demand.
The first EV to be produced in the facility is the 68VM e-trike which retails for P450,000 and could be charged using any outlet.
The 68VM, Oda said, is the firm’s pledge to help the country achieve clean air.
“Our target market (for the e-trike) can be corporations or organized groups or municipalities and those who can use trikes for income,” Oda said.
Yano said the goal is to sell 3,000 to 6,000 units of the 68VM this year and raise the volume to 10,000 units the following year.
While the firm is focused on e-trikes for now, there are plans to also manufacture and sell four-wheel EVs.
“We will probably launch (four-wheel EV) by mid-2016,” Castro said.
