MANILA, Philippines - Global Electric Transportation Ltd. (GET) is aiming to deploy 50 units of its fully electric city shuttle, dubbed the City Optimized Managed Electric Transport (Comet), by 2014, its top official said.
The initial routes will ply from SM North EDSA to SM Megamall, said GET chief executive officer Kenneth Montler.
“GET was formed by a group within the US and the Philippines. The Philippines is a great place to showcase what we want to do because we have a city that suffers from congestion, noise and air pollution,†he said.
The Comet can comfortably seat 16 passengers with a height clearance of over six feet. It also charges on a 220-volt outlet, with its charging system built into the vehicle requiring only a four-hour charge time and has a range of 80 to 100 kilometers on a full charge, GET said.
The vehicle uses lithium-iron phosphate batteries that are enclosed in a watertight casing and consists of less than 300 parts instead of the usual 4,000 parts of a typical diesel-run engine, which translates to cost-efficient manufacturing and minimal maintenance, Montler also said.
The Comet will apply a cashless fare system to ensure secure fare collection, so drivers can focus their eyes on the road, similar to systems implemented by transportation companies in other countries, he said.
Fleet management, meanwhile, will be handled by GET’s Command Center through GPS and Vehicle Telemetry Tracking, the company said.
For its route management, GET said it has a designated team that ensures there are strategic terminals and stops where the passengers can safely get on and off.
“There will be a more orderly system on-ground so traffic flow is not disturbed,†he said.
US-based Pangea Motors LLC earlier announced it has partnered with local investors to create an international partnership called Global Electric Transportation with a Philippine franchise named GET Philippines Inc.