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Electric Jeepney Makes History at Philippine Presidential Inauguration

July 01, 2010

History made! eJeepneys drive VP to inaugural

The inauguration's spokesperson Manolo Quezon, said the VP was on time, on cue, and displayed courtesy by waiting for President Aquino.
The Vice President could have selected to go in the usual gas-guzzling SUV or limousine, ... but it was history that was more important, one which the simple Philippine-made eJeepney helped to write, a vehicle that the Vice President, when he was still the mayor of Makati City not so long ago, helped champion.

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update 2010

The eJeepneys are locally fabricated and assembled in the Philippines by PhUV Inc., the business arm of the Motor Vehicle Parts Manufacturers Assn. of the Phils. (MVPMAP). ... Since its launching in July 2008, eJeepneys are now used by schools, resorts, theme parks, industrial zones, LGUs and other entities such as the Makati LGU, the Dela Salle Dasmarinas in Cavite, Plantation Bay in Cebu, Puerto Princesa City in Palawan, Embarcadero in Bicol, Hacienda San Benito in Lipa, the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas in Quezon City, the House of Representative (Congress), Ilocos Sur provincial government and soon, the Pasig City LGU. -Malaya

To date, the biggest mass application of the eJeepney not only in the Philippines but also in the whole of Asia is the Makati Green Route (MGR) where some ten eJeepneys are now plying the Legazpi and Salcedo routes for free under the Climate Friendly Cities (CFC) program of the Institute for Climate and Sustainable Cities (iCSC). A third route, the Rockwell loop, will soon be implemented.

The e-jeepney has the advantage of reduced start-up and operating costs. Priced at approximately $12,400, an e-jeepney costs at least 25 percent less than the traditional diesel-powered jeepneys that currently dominate the market. In addition, drivers who rent jeepneys from an operator no longer have to pay for gasoline, which allows them to save more of their daily earnings. -ENN

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July 02, 2008

Four "e-jeepneys" began to serve two routes in Makati City the financial district of Manila, the Philippines' capital. This comes one year after the electric minibuses were launched as part of an initiative called the Climate Friendly Cities Project. "In Makati, we have started with the electric jeepneys in the hope that when it becomes commercially viable it will address the problems of rising fuel costs, promote the use of alternative fuels and reduce the emission of greenhouse gases that contribute to global warming," Mayor Jejomar Binay said.

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by Momar Visaya, Exclusive Stories, Asianjournal. com, July 14, 2007

MAKATI CITY, Manila's financial capital suburb - The Philippine jeepney, one of the most recognizable icons of Filipino culture, is getting an upgrade.

Last week, Greenpeace, GRIPP (Green Renewable Independent Power Producers), and the Makati City government, launched the first batch of Electric Jeepneys in the Philippines. The e-jeepneys, the first public transport system of its kind in Southeast Asia, made a historic test drive in this city, the country's financial capital.

"Philippine renewable energy firm Solar Electric Company designed the two E-Jeepneys. The vehicles will undergo technical and commercial tests for 6 months in Makati City and eventually in key areas in the province of Negros Occidental." - www.greencarcongress.com

"Makati City welcomes the opportunity to be part of this initiative and is enthusiastic in pioneering it in the country. It is clear that, in addressing solid waste and air pollution issues, and in offering a much cheaper fuel alternative to jeepney drivers who service the city's main routes, the project will result in clear, tangible benefits for Makati citizens," announced Makati Mayor Jejomar C. Binay.

The Electric Jeepneys under GRIPP's Climate Friendly Cities project are meant to steer clear of fossil fuels and help mitigate climate change even as they address urban environmental problems such as air pollution and solid waste.

"We intend to test-run the project here in Makati for about three months. Right now, the e-jeepneys' route is being discussed," Red Pasetes, a representative of Makati City's Information and Community Relations Department told the Asian Journal. Pasetes added that if the e-jeepneys are found to be "viable, cost-efficient and successful in eliminating waste," then the city would push for the use of more e-jeepneys.

Greenpeace Southeast Asia Campaigns Director Von Hernandez praised Makati City for stepping up.

"The Electric Jeepneys demonstrate how cities can help mitigate the problem of climate change. Given the urgency of the need to address this global threat, it is encouraging to see pioneering cities like Makati take the initiative in implementing measures that would avoid the use of climate change-inducing fossil fuels," he said.

The two e-Jeepneys are part of a fleet designed in the country by Philippine renewables firm Solar Electric Company. They will undergo technical and commercial tests for three months in Makati City and eventually in key areas in the province of Negros Occidental (central Philippines). The electric fleet will be increased to 50 units upon successful conclusion of the test phase.

In the project's MOU, the city will provide e-jeepneys a charging facility that will generate power from the biodegradable wastes from the city's food establishments and wet markets.

The e-jeepneys can run for 80 to 100 kilometers on a single charge over a period of 8 to 10 hours.

"The Electric Jeepneys aim to demonstrate that there are climate-friendly alternatives to the current polluting modes of public transportation in the Philippines. The iconic jeepney remains, but without wasteful and carbon emitting diesel, and while providing increased incomes to the vehicles' drivers," said Athena Ballestros Ronquillo, founder and chair of GRIPP, the lead proponent of the e-Jeepneys initiative.

"The pilot test in Makati is meant to ensure the technical, commercial, environmental and social feasibility of the project. If the project is successful, our hope is that the project will be replicated in other cities in the country and possibly other Asian capitals." she added.

In support of the project, celebrities and Greenpeace supporters Angel Aquino, Amanda Griffin, Raya Mananquil, and Richard Gutierrez also graced the occasion along with officials of Makati's transport cooperatives. Leaders of the city's transport federations expressed their support for the test phase of the project.

"Greenpeace supports solutions-oriented technological and scientific innovations that can help stop climate change. The E-Jeepneys are a clear example of our `Simple Lang' project that calls upon Filipino citizens and institutions to adopt simple yet effective measures to help avert catastrophic climate change. We applaud Makati for showing leadership by taking on the test phase of this project. We challenge other cities to implement similar projects and hope that Makati City can also take this opportunity to lead in the implementation of other solutions particularly in the areas of energy use and efficiency," Hernandez added.

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New electric jeepneys launched to fight Philippine pollution
By Channel NewsAsia's Philippine Correspondent Christine Ong - Posted: 02 July 2008

... "Jeepneys and the transport sector are responsible for Metro Manila's pollution problems. 50 per cent are attributed to the public transport sector and the majority of them are running on diesel powered jeepneys. So if you can transform that one sector, think of the transformation that can take place," said Von Hernandez, Executive Director, Greenpeace Southeast Asia.With eight hours of charging, the electric jeepneys can run at a maximum speed of 60 kilometres per hour and travel up to a distance of 120 kilometres. One time charging of the battery costs about US$3 compared to a full tank of diesel which costs US$35.For a start, there will be around 50 electric jeepneys that will be going around the central business district. But proponents are optimistic that the project will be able to go mainstream in the next three years. 15 other cities have already expressed interest to have their own electric jeepneys.Proponents are now working on building recharging stations that will allow the electric jeepneys to charge up instead of gas up. - CNA /ls

1 new electric-jeepney in CEBU at the Technological University of the Philippines Visayas (TUPV) campus in Talisay City:

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The magic of the Filipino electric jeepney
July 5th 2007

An Electric Jeepney, the first public transport system of its kind in Southeast Asia, coasts along Ayala Avenue in the Philippines' financial capital of Makati City.Makati City, Philippines - Over four years ago we dreamed of revolutionising some of the most iconic public transportation vehicles in Asia by powering them with renewable energy. Now our dream is real as we watched the first two electric jeepneys take off on one of the busiest streets of Metro Manila in the Philippines.Cultural icon of the Philippines, the flamboyantly designed jeepney was initially constructed from leftover American World War 2 troop vehicles. While providing one of the cheapest means of commuting, the diesel-guzzlers are notorious air polluters, posing a health risk for drivers and commuters.

A 16 passenger jeepney uses nearly the same amount of fuel as a 54 passenger air-conditioned bus. With major urban roads clogged by empty jeepneys cruising for fares, there is a government threat to remove the jeepneys from the streets of major cities.

Working with GRIPP we launched the Climate Friendly Cities project to address climate change, urban air pollution and waste management issues in major cities in the region. The trial is taking place in Negros, a Philippino province that made history by stopping construction of a coal power plant because of sustained community-led opposition.

The fleet of electric jeepneys will grow from a pilot set of six to 50. The vehicles will run on batteries charged overnight by a power plant fuelled by biogas generated from the organic waste from the city's markets and households.

For cities like Makati, the environmental, economic, health and social benefits of this project will include cleaner air, better waste management, a healthier population and most importantly a significant contribution to curbing dangerous climate change.

While the electric jeepney fleet is a first in Southeast Asia, each of the project components already exist elsewhere - electric buses in Nepal, biogas generators in many parts of Asia and community charging stations for solar systems in off-grid communities. The `magic` of the project lies in the integration into a cohesive package of cleaner, safer, renewable energy options. It is a concrete embodiment of our energy revolution vision.

By 2050 the transport sector will constitute more than 30 percent of the global greenhouse gas emissions. This small step if replicated and scaled up could make a significant contribution to avoiding emissions from fossil fuelled vehicles. The iconic jeepney remains, but without wasteful and carbon emitting diesel.

The electric jeepneys will also significantly increase incomes of the vehicles` drivers by reducing their expenses on fuel, demonstrating to operators that electric jeepneys are a viable investment because reduced maintenance costs increase financial returns.

Each e-Jeepney costs at least P400,000 to build, around P100,000 more than most shop-built diesel jeepneys.

The electric jeepney represents three good things in one: It's a good for the local environment, a win for the climate and benefits the local economy.

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also see www.ejeepney.org/