Tojo Motors Corp., a local electric vehicle (EV) 'fabricator', has received close to 1,000 orders of EV units for public utility vehicle (PUV) modernization. On the sidelines of the 12th Philippine Electric Vehicle Summit (PEVS) in Pasay City on Thursday, Tojo Motors chief executive officer Ralph Legaspi said the company would need additional capital to boost its capacity to meet the growing demand driven by the government's PUV Modernization Program. A Laguna-based EV fabricator, which designs, fabricates, manufactures, and assembles the EV unit, Tojo Motors is expected to deliver 576 units for the transport cooperative servicing Makati-Manila area, 150 units for Novaliches-Malinta route, 120 units for Blumentritt-Baclaran route, and 120 units in Calamba area. Legaspi said these orders are Class 2 four-wheeler EVs. 'We target to deliver them within two years-maximum,' he said. 'I have to increase the production. We are always looking for funders to invest because our target is to produce more than 150 (units) per month,' the executive said. Its Laguna facility, which has 70 employees, can produce 150 EV units a month. The three-wheeled e-tricycles plying the roads of Boracay Island are made by Tojo Motors. It also deployed EVs in Naga and General Santos. Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) Undersecretary Ceferino Rodolfo said the government's PUV Modernization Program will stimulate the local assembly and manufacturing of EVs. 'If we are to provide support under the PUV Modernization, it should create jobs in the Philippines and not directed to imports. So we are finding and developing the manufacturing solution,' Rodolfo said in a Viber message. 'Recognizing that we are the nascent stage of the industry, and the fast pace of technology advancement, partnerships with other companies who have the technology and who are willing to support localization is important,' he added. Source: Philippines News agency
Friday, October 25, 2024