(Taguig City) – The Department of Energy (DOE) launches its “Bright Now! Do Right. Be Bright. Go E-trike!” design-an-electric tricycle contest to promote the innovation and ingenuity of the Filipinos in creating the Philippine version of the so-called “green vehicle”.

The "design an e-trike" contest is open to all Filipino citizens of legal age (18 years old and above), whether individual or group residing in the Philippines. Contestant/s must generate 2D and 3D computer-aided drawings of the best aesthetic and Functional design for the future Philippine E-trike look (AutoCAD). Entries should feature a design that can accommodate a maximum of six (6) passengers excluding the driver. It must also be a three (3)-wheeled electric vehicle. Examples of three-wheeled electric vehicles and other detailed information on the contest can be viewed at the DOE website, www.doe.gov.ph.

“We want a design that can be used here in the city, and at the same time it can also be used by people in the provinces,” DOE Secretary Jose Rene D. Almendras said noting that the electric tricycles can be promoted as a “rural electric vehicle” or “RUV” since some provinces only have tricycles as their mode of transportation. 

The electric tricycle program is a partnership between the DOE and the Asian Development Bank as part of their National Electric Vehicle Strategy. While the strategy is being developed, DOE will start introducing e-tricycles, e-jeepneys, e-buses, and e-cars with the help of local entrepreneurs and technical experts. The agency is currently developing a sustainable model for introducing electric tricycles.

The DOE envisions that the promotion of e-tricycles; will eventually translate to the development of local capabilities to design and maintain small-sized electric cars. Secretary Almendras said that a couple of car manufacturers have already expressed interest in setting up local manufacturing facilities that will lead to the creation of more jobs and a dynamic market for locally assembled units for export to the ASEAN region in the future.

Another parallel program is the DOE’s Fueling Sustainable Transport Program (FSTP) which seeks to convert public and private vehicles from diesel and gasoline to compressed natural gas (CNG), liquefied natural gas (LNG), liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) and electric power. With this program, the government hopes to reduce the carbon footprint of local road transport and cut 30% of the number of gasoline and diesel-fed transport vehicles in the country by 2020.