Meralco eyes partnerships with electric vehicle makers

January 21, 2019 | 12:01 am

https://www.bworldonline.com/meralco-eyes-partnerships-with-electric-vehicle-makers/

MANILA ELECTRIC Co. (Meralco) is considering a partnership with makers of electric vehicles as it aims for wider adoption of the environment-friendly mode of transportation in the Philippines, company officials said.

“Hindi lang namin alam (We still don’t know) which arm of Meralco will do that,” Meralco Chairman Manuel V. Pangilinan told reporters last week.

Asked about which segment of the e-vehicle business that Meralco was planning to be part of, he said: “Probably assembly.”

Alfredo S. Panlilio, Meralco senior vice-president, confirmed that Mr. Pangilinan brought up the idea when he was riding one of the eJeeps that the group launched on Friday.

“That’s the next step siguro (maybe). And I think our chairman, MVP (Mr. Pangilinan), when we’re in the [electric] vehicle when we toured around, [said] we wanted to explore some form of cooperation with people like Star 8, but we haven’t started those discussions,” he said.

Star 8 is the assembler of the 15 eJeeps that Meralco unit eSakay, Inc. presented to the public. Of these numbers, five have started plying the route from Buendia-MRT station to the Mandaluyong City Hall on Dec. 17, 2018.

“I think what MVP and the group were thinking, is really how do you propagate electric vehicles. The key to that is supply, and then the supply of these types of vehicles,” said Mr. Panlilio, who is also chairman of eSakay.

He said Star 8 is led by an Israeli national who has small assembly plants in the Philippines. He added that parts that go into making the eJeeps were made and imported from China.

“Obviously China is building a lot. So Star 8 could be one partner but we obviously know that there a lot more suppliers out of China,” Mr. Panlilio said.

The officials said e-vehicles would be complementary business to Meralco, which is the country’s biggest power distribution utility with around 6.5 million customers.

The eJeeps of eSakay are fully electric, emission-free, and compliant with the government’s public utility vehicle innovations for convenience and safety. The vehicles are equipped with side entrances, onboard Wifi and USB ports.

Although the fare for eJeeps rides is paid in cash, it will eventually be under an automated fare collection system. The vehicles also has GPS tracking system and CCTV cameras. The service will also have priority seating for senior citizens and persons with disabilities.

Mr. Panlilio said eSakay had invested close to P2 million for each of its eJeeps.

Meralco’s controlling stakeholder, Beacon Electric Asset Holdings, Inc., is partly owned by PLDT, Inc. Hastings Holdings, Inc., a unit of PLDT Beneficial Trust Fund subsidiary MediaQuest Holdings, Inc., has a majority stake in BusinessWorld through the Philippine Star Group, which it controls. — Victor V. Saulon