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Pia Lee-Brago - The Philippine Star
April 14, 2025 | 12:00am
A driver from Quezon City cleans the electric car of his boss on November 27, 2023. He said that a single charge of seven to eight hours of the vehicle gives them 170 km.
Michael Varcas / The Philippine STAR
MANILA, Philippines — This could be the year of the electric vehicle in developing countries, which would help reduce air pollution and allow countries to end dependence on imported fossil fuels, the Sustainable Mobility Unit at the United Nations Environment Program (UNEP) said.
Rob de Jong, head of the Sustainable Mobility Unit at UNEP, said the shift to electric transport has a chance to transform cities around the world, helping them reduce air pollution and rein in planet-warming greenhouse gases.
De Jong, who leads a landmark UNEP effort that is helping some 60-plus developing countries speed their transition to electric vehicles (EVs), said there are several benefits of electric vehicles.
“They would support the growth of domestic renewable energy sources – like hydro and geothermal – which many countries have in abundance… if vehicles were manufactured locally, they could create a huge amount of green jobs. Finally, they would help cut down the greenhouse gas emissions that are driving climate change,” De Jong said.
De Jong noted that EVs are getting close to price parity with petrol and diesel vehicles. EVs are already less expensive to own and operate long term.
“Once their sticker prices reach parity with petrol-burning vehicles, they’re going to take off,” De Jong said.
“I think we’re going to see in many developing countries in West Africa, East Africa and Southeast Asia a very sudden change. Electric motorcycles are now cost competitive. They are cheaper to power, cheaper to maintain and in the not-too-distant future, they’ll be cheaper to buy,” he said.
In many developing countries, EVs are seen as a risky, high-tech, developed-world technology.
“But they’re not. They’re far simpler to make and maintain than petrol-powered vehicles,” he said.
He added that countries need to standardize EV technology, like charging plugs and batteries, noting it is vital if the market is going to grow.
