Philippines' DoE Urges Deeper ASEAN Integration to Strengthen Regional EV Ecosystem
Key Takeaways
- •The Philippine Department of Energy is calling for closer ASEAN cooperation in four areas: charging interoperability, harmonized standards, technology transfer, and cross-border supply chains.
- •Energy Secretary Sharon S. Garin said progress on these fronts would mean fewer market barriers, more competitive industries, and new markets for Philippine enterprises.
- •The Philippine Energy Plan targets EVs making up 50% of the country's vehicle fleet by 2040 and 60% by 2050.
- •EVs accounted for 17.7% of Philippine automotive sales at the end of October, with the segment growing 163% to 54,372 units in the first 10 months while overall vehicle sales fell 10.2% to 307,060 units.
- •Industry leaders said realizing the benefits of electric mobility requires coordinated action across the entire EV ecosystem, including supportive policies, charging infrastructure, financing, local manufacturing, supply chain development, and workforce readiness.
MANILA — The Department of Energy (DoE) said deeper integration within the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) is needed to bolster the region's electric vehicle (EV) ecosystem and reinforce its clean-energy efforts.
"We need closer cooperation with our ASEAN neighbors in four areas: charging interoperability, harmonized standards, technology transfer, and cross-border supply chains," Energy Secretary Sharon S. Garin said on Wednesday at the ASEAN EV Conference. "Progress on these fronts means fewer market barriers, more competitive industries, and new markets for Philippine enterprises."
Charging interoperability and harmonized standards address the practical layer of that integration: vehicles and chargers built to different national specifications are not always compatible across borders, so aligned technical requirements are what would let charging infrastructure function region-wide.
Under the Philippine Energy Plan — the government's long-term energy roadmap — EVs are targeted to make up half of the country's vehicle fleet by 2040, rising to 60% by 2050.
Electric Vehicle Association of the Philippines President Willy Tee Ten underscored the need for the Philippine EV industry to strengthen coordination with its regional counterparts. The group expects EVs to account for 20% of the automotive industry this year.
EVs represented 17.7% of automotive sales at the end of October, according to the Chamber of Automotive Manufacturers of the Philippines, Inc. (CAMPI). Overall vehicle sales fell 10.2% to 307,060 units during the first 10 months, while the EV segment expanded 163% to 54,372 units over the same period, CAMPI said.
Asian Federation of Electric Vehicle Associations President Edmund Araga said the shift to electric mobility would also help attract investment and improve transport resilience. "However, realizing those benefits requires coordinated action across the entire EV ecosystem, from supportive policies and reliable charging infrastructure to financing, local manufacturing, supply chain development, and workforce readiness," he said.
Follow-through on interoperable charging, common standards, technology transfer, and supply-chain links will be the signposts to watch as ASEAN's EV integration effort takes shape.
— Beatriz Marie D. Cruz
Source: BusinessWorld
