The government and the private sector are being urged to accelerate the installation of electric vehicle (EV) charging stations to keep pace with the increasing adoption of EVs in the Philippines.

Maria Fe Perez-Agudo, Vice Chair, President, and CEO of Hariphil Asia Resources (HARI), stated that expanding the charging infrastructure would help reduce range anxiety among EV users.

HARI is the official distributor of Hyundai commercial vehicles in the Philippines.

"Infrastructure development needs to proceed at a faster pace. Therefore, the challenge for both the public and private sectors is to improve logistics and infrastructure, particularly the installation of charging stations," Perez-Agudo said during the Hyundai Truck and Bus Mobility EV-olution Expo, held in Muntinlupa City on 2nd May.

The Electric Vehicle Industry Development Act (EVIDA) requires both government agencies and private firms to comply with a five percent EV fleet mandate.

Perez-Agudo stated that the government may consider raising this target as infrastructure expands, noting the need to align vehicle availability with infrastructure development.

She observed that vehicle sales may initially grow faster than infrastructure, but at some point, infrastructure is expected to reach parity and then grow at a quicker rate. She also noted that although the government has a dedicated budget for infrastructure, it is currently encouraging private sector investment to support development.

According to a statement released by the Electric Vehicle Association of the Philippines (EVAP) in February, there are currently 500 operational charging stations across the country.

However, industry estimates indicate that at least 5,000 will be needed by 2030 to meet projected demand.

Perez-Agudo noted the infrastructure requirement as HARI launched three new electric commercial vehicle models under the Hyundai brand on 2nd May: the HARI Cab, the Mighty Electric, and the County EV.

The company stated that the HARI Cab is available in several body configurations, including the HARI Cab Aluminium Van, HARI Cab Shuttle, and the HARI Cab School Bus. These are intended for use by small businesses, cooperatives, local government units (LGUs), and logistics providers.

The HARI Cab is equipped with a Euro 4 D4CC diesel engine that delivers 160 PS at 3,000 rpm and 392.2 Nm of torque between 1,250 and 2,800 rpm.

It has a 2,891-cc displacement, a 100-litre fuel tank, and a 14-feet deck. The Mighty Electric is a light-duty electric truck powered by a 114.5 kWh lithium-ion battery.

According to HARI, the Mighty Electric has a range of up to 260 kilometres on a single charge. It can be recharged in approximately 71 minutes using a 100 kW DC charger. Also introduced was the Hyundai County Electric, which is the company's first fully electric minibus.