Pres. Aquino wants shift to electric tricycles to ease impact of high oil prices, pollution

Pres. Aquino wants shift to electric tricycles to ease impact of high oil prices, pollution

13-Apr-11, 5:31 PM | Chichi Conde, InterAksyon.com
 
MANILA, Philippines -- The Philippines will shift to electric tricycles from oil-powered ones as part of measures to ease the impact of rising prices of oil and petroleum products, President Benigno Aquino III said on Wednesday.

Aquino, who made the announcement during the launching of “e- tricycles” in Mandaluyong City, said an initial 20,000 units will be built under the program. He pointed out that some 3.5 million oil-powered tricycles in the Philippines consume $2 billion dollars worth of petroleum products annually.

Aquino transferred 20 of these e-tricycles to Mandaluyong City. The Asian Development Bank, which donated the vehicles, called today’s event an “important first step towards a sustainable, energy-efficient transport model for the country.”

In a statement, the bank said it “is currently in discussions with the government and other development partners on a proposed project to significantly scale up the rollout of energy efficient e-trikes in Manila and other urban areas as early as 2012.”

The president said e- tricycles will be “cheaper” to operate than fuel-powered ones. The e-tricycles will run on lithium-ion batteries that are commonly used in cell phones and laptop computers. Although more expensive than the ordinary lead-acid battery used in motor vehicles, lithium-ion batteries can be recharged more than 2,000 times, allowing operators and owners to save money in the long run.

The ADB said it will install four charging stations in Mandaluyong City, which will be able to charge the e-tricycle batteries to 50 percent capacity in less than 30 minutes. One of the charging stations will use solar energy, the bank added.

Apart from being cost-efficient, e-tricycles, like electric cars, are decidedly environment friendly.

According to the ADB, motorized tricycles in the Philippines produce more than 10 million tons of carbon dioxide. "Every 20,000 e-trikes that are introduced to Manila's streets will save the Philippines 100,000 liters of foreign fuel imports each day, saving the country about $35 million annually," said Sohail Hasnie, ADB's Principal Energy Specialist. "This initiative not only benefits the environment, but it also supports the Philippines drive to become more energy independent."

Aside from emitting carbon dioxide, motorized tricycles are also a major source of noise pollution. Many villages in the Philippines disallow these tricycles from entering their communities, especially during the night, because of the noise they make. “Noise coming from these vehicles is measured at a range of 90-97 decibels (dB). Studies suggest prolonged exposure to noise levels at or above 80 dB can cause deafness,” the Asian Development Bank said in an earlier report.

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