It’s sooner than you think.
Following the showcasing of several cars that run on electricity, gasoline and natural gas at the recently-concluded 2nd Philippine International Motor Show, the Philippine assembler of Nissan cars bared over the weekend that it is targeting a 2012 launch of its own “plug and drive” unit in the Philippines.
“I know this for a fact that Nissan is going to be launching in 2010 an electric vehicle. By 2012, it will be launched worldwide. We’re hoping that the Philippines will be one of the first in the ASEAN to receive those electric vehicles,” said Elizabeth Lee, executive vice-president of Universal Motors Corporation, Nissan’s Philippine assembler.
Lee, who is also president of the Chamber of Automotive Manufacturers of the Philippines, Inc. (CAMPI), said that aside from cars powered by electricity, automakers are working overtime to develop models that run on gasoline and electricity or both — the ones called hyrbid models.
“Each manufacturer is actually accelerating the developement and the launch of these types of vehicles because they reduce carbon emissions,” Lee said.
She added that CAMPI members are looking forward to the launch of these types of cars globally in the next few years.
Lee said that it would take a few more years before these models are seen on Philippine roads.
“The pricing right now is a little costly so if you were to take a look at the other solutions like the hybrids and electric vehicles, they are actually being sold right now in the developed countries, the US, Europe, Japan, [because] of high purchasing power,” she said.
However, Lee said that as costs go down, hybrids will be brought more to the emerging markets, such as the ASEAN.
“As costs go down, once we reach the critical mass, they (hybrids) will going to be disseminated more here in ASEAN,” she said.
And the Philippines, Lee said, should expect the introduction of these hybrids.
“We’re part of emerging economies, and global automakers know that. So as developed countries slightly go down [since] we’re having a global economic slowdown, they (automakers) are actually looking at emerging economies, the bricks, that includes ASEAN, where the Philippines is. So we’re going to be seeing these types of vehicles coming here,” she said.
More hybrids coming; Toyota not too keen
But as Lee voiced her optimism for the market of hybrid cars in the Philippines, the president of Toyota Motors Philippines said the Japanese automaker will not bring in fuel-efficient cars “until driving conditions in the country improve.”
“The market is not yet ready for hybrid vehicles,” the automaker’s president, Horoshi Ito, said.
Ito said Toyota does not see bringing in hybrids to the Philippines in the immediate future.
Ito’s statement came as Toyota unveiled the “A-BAT” concept vehicle during the four-day 2nd Philippine International Motor Show at the World Trade Center in Pasay City over the weekend.
The A-BAT is the same model introduced during the Detroit Motor Show in January.
Toyota has said that the A-BAT uses a “Hyrbid Synergy Drive” technology that is designed to deliver excellent fuel economy.
Aside from the A-BAT, other hyrbid cars that made their debuted in the PIMS were Mitsubishi’s “plug and drive” iMiev (Innovative Electric Vehicle) that runs purely on electricity and Kia’s Fuel Cell Electric Vehicle Sportage model.
Chevrolet likewise introduced its Malibu and Tahoe hybrids while Ford came up with its Focus Fuel Cell Vehicle model. With a report from The Philippine Star
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