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With the interest of his constituency in Quezon City, Mayor Herbert “Bistek” Bautista is trying out e-tricycles, or better known as e-Trikes, and is thinking of replacing its current roster of gas-guzzling, smoke pollution emitting tricycles.

Here are some details on the e-Trikes:

• It costs PHP 117,000 per unit.
• It can travel 100 to 130 kms on a single charge
• It can carry up to four persons
• It takes eight hours to charge
• The charger is solar-powered, using 2,500-watt tiles

Transportation fares should be similar to how much the operators charge with four or two-stroke engines.

The e-trikes were developed by the Kasangga Party-list and Netherlands-based Technostrat Design and Research Corporation it also includes Winace Holdings Philippines as project partner.

Article via: Manila Bulletin | Image via Philippine Star

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The Philippine Hyundai distributor, Hyundai Asia Resources Inc. (HARI) has posted a 3 percent growth from January to April this year. This is in comparison to same time last year.

“The sales prove positive for Hyundai, as the figures show that Filipinos are growing increasingly supportive of ways to minimize fuel consumption and their carbon footprint with their patronage of vehicles that are energy-efficient,” said Fe Perez-Agudo, president and chief executive of HARI, noting the significant gains of Hyundai’s fuel-efficient range of vehicles.

Although the high sales of the auto industry for the first quarter this year have been reported by CAMPI, HARI is no longer a member hence they are reporting their own sales figures.

Article via Malaya Business Insight | Image via Wikimedia Commons (Public Domain)

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According to Frank Nacua, secretary-general of the Philippine Automotive Federation Inc., the Philippine auto industry is expecting a flat sales growth this year.

“Flat growth will be expected this year for the local car industry,” Frank Nacua, secretary-general of the Philippine Automotive Federation Inc., told reporters in a chance interview. He said the industry’s growth target of 4 percent to 5 percent drawn up at the start of the year would not be possibly achieved and that a revision of goal was imminent.

This was somewhat mirrored by Elizabeth Lee, Chamber of Automotive Manufacturers of the Philippines Inc. president:

“Although the supply of vehicles to date is ample to meet the market demand at this time, common problems across brand makes are starting to affect the production of vehicles locally,” she said, adding that common issues include logistics and the disruption to the supply chain for some key parts.

It seems that it’s better to have lower expectations of sales rather than higher at this point of the year after how the Japan quake has affected the local auto industry.

Article via: Manila Standard Today | Image via: Open for Business

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If you or anyone you know has a Ford that is out of warranty, then you should check this out.

Ford Group Philippines (FGP) is offering service and original parts for out of warranty Ford car owners.

“In addition to providing world-class Ford vehicles, we continuously aim to further enhance and improve our already best-in-class customer service experience,” said David Macasadia, vice president of Ford’s customer service division. “This new campaign will help further strengthen our leading cost-of-ownership equation, and help our customers continue to feel the difference of today’s Ford.”

But that’s not all, they’ll also give free oil filters to those who’ll avail of periodic maintenance service within May.

All of this is only available for the following models bought within 2004 to 2007:

• Escape
• Focus
• Ranger
• Everest

Article via: Top Gear PH | Image By Bull-Doser (Own work.) [Public domain], via Wikimedia Commons

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In the interest of pushing the Philippines away from oil dependency, Senator Recto is proposing that tax incentives be given to those who import, convert, manufacture, or assemble green cars.

“Other countries like Israel and China are already declaring freedom from petroleum dependence in the next three or four decades, we want to start the ball rolling by paving the way for a legislation that would fast track our shift to e-vehicles,” he said.

It’s great that the senator is looking towards a future where the country will be rid of oil addiction. We have yet to see whether this will result in the reduction of taxes or prices on green cars like hybrids and EVs. For one, giving the public access to inexpensive hybrid vehicles or cheap car hire for green-oriented rentals and public utility vehicles will help reduce pollution and greenhouse gases in the country, particularly the metropolitan areas. Current tax and price structures are steep, though, and you even get to pay more for green cars like EVs and hybrids, which are seen as a luxury.

Sen. Recto’s bill is Senate Bill 2536. Will we see a green revolution here anytime soon?

Article via: GMA News | Image By Mike Gonzalez (TheCoffee) (cropped from File:Ralph Recto.jpg) [CC-BY-SA-3.0 or GFDL], via Wikimedia Commons

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Good news for the moment? Honda Car Philippines Inc. (HCPI) promises that there won’t be any price hike because of the low supply of car parts coming from Japan.

However, they won’t say until when the price will remain at the same rate.

“Everything is unstable at the moment,” Natsume said. Aside from the shortness in supply, he noted that the price will be dependent on foreign exchange, prices of materials and oil.

So if you’re thinking of buying that Honda vehicle, you’d better do it now as the prices of its cars may go up in the coming months.

Article via: Philippine Star | Image by StaraBlazkova at the Czech language Wikipedia [GFDL or CC-BY-SA-3.0], from Wikimedia Commons

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Senator Trillanes wants to even further limit the speed of Public Utility Vehicles (PUV) with his Senate Bill No. 2790 or the proposed “Speed Limiters Act of 2011.”

“It is hoped that by enforcing strict compliance with the mandated speed limits in various streets, highways and thoroughfares, vehicular accidents caused by speeding is reduced and that lives will be saved,” said Trillanes.

The proposal suggests that PUV operators/owners will shoulder the cost of buying/installing speed limiter and the Department of Transportation and Communication (DOTC) will observe the installation. The proposal also says that the Land Transportation Office (LTO) will not register PUVs without any speed limiting device.

Once passed and implemented, violators will be fined PHP 30,000 and a jail term of up to 3 years.

[Article via: Top Gear PH | Image via: 9shaun at the English language Wikipedia [GFDL, CC-BY-SA-3.0, GFDL or CC-BY-SA-3.0], from Wikimedia Commons

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This is one of the biggest rumors to come to the Philippine automobile industry: Lamborghini is coming to our shores!

Sources say the Italian supercar brand is coming here courtesy of PGA Cars, which also distributes Porsche and Audi. And according to these sources, the Lamborghini showroom will be located at the facility that PGA Cars has been constructing at the Bonifacio High Street complex in Bonifacio Global City–which we initially thought to be reserved for Volkswagen.

If this is real at all, then it would be interesting as to how many people in the Philippines can afford to buy a Lambo and still be able to drive it down the streets without getting a ticket for looking so good.

[Article via: Top Gear PH | Image via: Wikimedia Commons (CC by-SA 3.0)]

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Eventhough the Japan quake happened over a month ago, the economic effects are still being felt across the shores; and the Philippines is one of them.

It has certainly affected the car manufacturers such as Honda and Ford, and they’ve done some measures to alleviate the effects. Toyota Motors Philippines (TMP) is doing its own share by not laying off anyone, but instead implementing a 3 day workweek.

Under the adjusted work schedules, the TMP production workers at its Sta. Rosa plant will operate three days on two shifts from a five-day work week on two shift operation. While the other workers go on regular shift, the others would be undergoing some training, rotate their shifts, among others.

The schedule implementation will depend on when the plants at Japan will resume full operation, reportedly at latest June this year.

[Article via: Manila Bulletin |Image via: StaraBlazcova (CC by-SA 3.0)]

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If someone offers you a car with an 8 plate number, don’t buy it, instead go to the police and report what happened immediately.

The car being sold maybe one of the vehicles stolen from the Land Transportation Office (LTO) in Quezon City a few days ago. According to LTO officer-in-charge (OIC) Raquel Desiderio:

“The intruders reportedly looted the desk of Leda Jose, head of the Plates Unit in the adjoining Property Office, who said she lost about P136,000 in cash, at least two ‘8’ protocol car plates, and a still undetermined number of unused plate stickers,”

Remember that buying stolen goods is illegal.

[Article via: Inquirer | Image via: Wikimedia Commons (Public Domain)]

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