BACOLOD CITY - The Cebu People's Multi-Purpose Cooperative (CPMPC), owner-operator of the modernized People's Jeep, launched the initial five units of China-made electric (e)-jeeps that will operate in this city as part of the implementation of the Public Transport Modernization Program. The e-jeepneys, which will ply the Fortune Towne-Central Market loop, are supplied by Chinese-Korean electric vehicle company e-Future Motors Philippines (PH). Robert Cerrada, chief operating officer of e-Future Motors PH, said Wednesday that the delivery of the e-jeeps is the result of the memorandum of agreement signed by the company with the CPMPC last year. "This is the first in Bacolod, the culmination of our almost a year of planning and coordination with the local government unit. Our operators can really save on cost by using e-jeep. At the same time, it is environment-friendly,' Cerrada told the Philippine News Agency. Bacolod-based e-Future Motors PH is a subsidiary of Jiangsu Fengchuen New Energy Power Technol ogy Co. Ltd. Fengchuen, with its head office in Wuxi, Jiangsu province, and a factory in Jiangyin City, China. Each unit, which costs about PHP2.4 million, is being supplied to the CPMPC on a rent-to-own arrangement directly financed by e-Future Motors PH. 'For now, we provided them with slow chargers. Charging stations are also available at the Bacolod City Government Center and Ayala Malls Capitol Central,' Cerrada said. In a video message after the launch on Tuesday, Renalin Martem, managing partner of CPMPC Bacolod Satellite Office, said they have signed up for 10 units, and the remaining five are still coming from China. 'After this, it will take one to two weeks before the units can start operation since we still have to process the documents and permits with the Land Transportation Franchising and Regulatory Board (LTFRB),' she said. Martem said that aside from being environment-friendly, e-jeeps also require lower operating costs. 'Based on our experiment, we can have big savings on fuel for ope rations. It's really lower. We can save as much as 54 percent compared to using (diesel). This is the first in Bacolod and also in Negros Occidental,' she added. Macario Quevedo, CPMPC director for transport operation, said the 10 units are part of the 60 franchises awarded to them by the LTFRB to operate modern jeeps in Bacolod. Source: Philippines News Agency