'First EV to serve Baguio': Irisan jeepney drivers coop receives electric PUV

BAGUIO CITY —  The first unit of electric vehicle (EV) to serve Baguio City was turned over to the Irisan Jeepney Operators and Drivers’ Association (IJODA) Transport Cooperative in a ceremonial rite at the Ibaloy Heritage Garden in Burnham Park on Friday.

The EV worth P6.5 million was funded by the Global Environment Facility (GEF) and implemented by the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) under the Promotion of Low Carbon Urban Transport Systems in the Philippines (LCT) Project for sustainable transportation.

Programme Analyst Gwyneth Anne Palmos, UNDP Climate Action Team said IJODA will be the first recipient of the project’s Electric Vehicle Incentive Programme (EVIP), which aims to support the shift of transport cooperatives’ fleets towards EVs for a safer, healthier, and more comfortable transportation.

The EV has a seating capacity of 22 plus 10 standing passengers to service IJODA’s main road route from Irisan to Baguio City Plaza and vice versa.

IJODA chairperson Anert Bangsael said that the EV unit will be added to the existing 11 modern jeepneys and 78 traditional PUJs of the transport cooperative following the approved fare matrix of P15 minimum fare for modern PUJs plus P1.80 per kilometer.

Bangsael said that the cooperative agreed with Benguet Electric Cooperative to provide an adjusted charging station of the EV from 380 volts down to 220 volts metered facility to be paid by IJODA.

The EV can be fully charged overnight at 20 kilowatts through regular charging and 60 kilowatts at fast charging mode.

 During the test run, Bangsael said that the fully charged EV can run up to a hundred kilometers before the 20 percent low battery indicator prompts.

While the EV was given to the IJODA for free, the cooperative’s counterpart is a commitment to buy at least another unit of EV in the future in support of the government's Public Utility Vehicle Modernization Program (PUVMP).

Baguio Mayor Benjamin Magalong said thAT THe awarding of the electric vehicle marks a significant milestone for the city, becoming the first EV to be deployed to serve the riding public.

“This is just one part of our initiatives towards realizing a low carbon urban transport