Japanese e-vehicle maker ties up with Phl firm

MANILA, Philippines - Japanese electric vehicle maker Terra Motors Corp. has forged a  partnership with a local firm for the manufacture of electric vehicles  in Laguna for the domestic market and for export, an official said.   

Terra Motors chief executive officer Toru Tokushige told reporters in  a briefing yesterday that they have partnered with a local firm for  the assembly of electric vehicles here.   

“We have invested $20 million for the production of electric vehicles  here. Most of the investment will go to procurement of parts,” he  said.   

He noted that the facility in Laguna has a production capacity of  10,000 units per year.   

The electric vehicles to be assembled in the site would be for the  local market as well as for export.   

Tokushige said the firm plans to participate in the bidding for  the Asian Development Bank (ADB)  and Department of Energy’s (DOE)  e-tricycle project next week.   

The project involves the roll-out of 100,000 e-tricycles to local  government units until 2016. Tokushige said the firm has already developed a sample e-tricycle unit  based on the design provided by the ADB and DOE.   

If Terra Motors would be selected for the project, he said the  e-tricycles would be manufactured here.   

He added other electric vehicles such as electric-bicycles would  be produced here.   

“We already have orders from customers in Thailand and Indonesia,” he said.   

The firm, he added, plans to seek incentives from the Board of  Investments for their manufacturing operations.    “We are working on the documentation now,” he said further.