An official of the Department of Energy (DOE) is optimistic about higher registration of electric vehicles (EVs) once an executive order clarifying rules on the use of EVs comes out.

DOE Energy Utilization Management Director Patrick Aquino, in an interview with the Philippine News Agency on Tuesday, said an Electric Vehicle Industry Development Act (EVIDA) technical working group has already submitted its recommendations to the Office of the President.

“But as you are aware, there have been changes in the secretary, our secretary in DOE, DOTr (Department of Transportation) secretary, and then the DILG (Department of the Interior and Local Government) secretary. So, we’re having an EBITDA TWG meeting in the coming quarter. We’ll nudge it, and then we’ll check on OP (Office of the President),” he said.

Aquino declined to give indications on when the EO will be released, noting that “it’s really hard to tell when it comes to the Office of the President.”

“But we’ll make the recommendations. We’ll check on the recommendations again,” he said.

Among the issues that the EO intends to address are the use of EVs along major roads and their registration, as well as uniform policies among local governments.

Aquino noted the rising number of registered EVs, boosted by people’s recognition of the advantage of using these vehicles, after the passage of EVIDA in 2022.

EV industry data show actual sales of four-wheeled EVs in 2024 reached 3,880 units, up from 1,028 units in the previous year.

For two- and three-wheeled EVs, it rose to 43,441 units last year from 172 units in 2023.

Registered EVs in the first seven months this year reached 29,715, around the same volume registered for the whole of 2024, Electric Vehicle Association of the Philippines president Edmund Araga said earlier, citing data from the Land Transportation Office (LTO). (PNA)