okebet Chavit, partner firms to produce 500 e-jeepneys per month

Screengrab from Luis Chavit Singson/FACEBOOK

Former Ilocos Sur governor and businessman Chavit Singson said his company, along with his partners, are planning to produce 500 e-jeepneys each month as part of their private sector initiative to help local jeepney drivers shift to cleaner and more sustainable technology.

This was after the country’s headline inflation further slowed to 1.9 percent in September, the lowest recorded since the 1.6 percent rate logged in May 2020.

“We plan to produce an initial 500 units per month of e-jeepneys, along with about 2,000 e-bikes and 1,000 e-tricycles. We will ramp up production in the coming months,” Singson said in a statement sent to reporters.

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Singson, who is running for the Senate in the upcoming elections, said the e-jeepneys will have a set price of P1.2 million per unit.

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READ: Senatorial candidate Chavit Singson wants PH transport modernized with e-jeepneys

Late last month, the LCS Group of Companies owned by Singson, in partnership with the Electric Mobility ON (EMON), and Korea’s Automotive Technology Institute (KATECH), launched their e-jeepney program in Pasig.

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The event hosted by Legado Motors unveiled the e-J01, a modern electric jeepney, which they target to sell to the local market.

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Singson said they will offer soft loans for drivers and operators to help them cope with the financial demands of the government’s Public Utility Vehicle Modernization Program (PUVMP).

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He said that their e-jeepneys could be acquired without requiring a down payment and with zero interest, making the transition to electric vehicles more accessible to drivers and transport operators.

“To date, we’ve consolidated 3,000 units as initial orders for the PUVMP, and these units will not only be available for the PUVMP but will also be sold to private buyers,” he said.

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Aside from the launch of their e-jeepneys, Singson also said they have plans to establish an e-jeepney manufacturing plant in Lipa City, Batangas, leveraging advanced Korean technology for production.

Establishing charging stations at transport terminals to ensure that e-jeepney services to commuters run smoothly is also part of future plans, he said.

Data from the Chamber of Automotive Manufacturers of the Philippines, Inc. (CAMPI) shows that EV sales in the country reached 10,602 units in 2023, marking a 2.5 percent share of total vehicle purchases.

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Meanwhileokebet, the sales volume of EVs reached 304,765 units from January to August of last year, leading to a market share of these vehicles rising slightly to 3.7 percent.

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