The little jeep that could: NGOs, firm, mayor give birth to e-jeepney

Try standing at the corner of Gil Puyat and Makati avenues during rush hour and just observe. Thousands of commuters from all sides of the intersection go through the same toxic routine every single day. Apart from the traffic, there is also the noise from car horns, cranky diesel engines and fumes, all the more apparent to jeepney passengers and drivers without the luxury of air-conditioning. Packed like sardines in rickety reconditioned steel containers, they stop and go, stop and go, stop and go until they finally reach their destination late, sweaty and covered in soot. It's a cardiac-arresting cocktail of high-stress, low pay and minimum productivity. Now imagine the jeepney as a purely electric machine that belches nothing, makes no noise, has a high headroom, comfortable seating and large windows. You may even pass the mike around and enjoy sing-alongs while on your way to work because of the videoke feature in the back. Okay, maybe not – but it has that option. And you're not cramped because, though the maximum seating is up to 6 on either side, the driver regulates it to a comfortable 5. The seven pesos you pay him goes a long way because he's not filling up his tank every two hours with ridiculously expensive fuel he can ill-afford and makes him work more just to get the boundary. He works fewer hours, gets a larger take-home pay, is in much better spirits and will live longer from the clean air he breathes. Sounds like a silly dream? Not anymore. With the help of three headstrong environmentally conscious organizations and a pioneering mayor, the Electric Jeepney will do its initial run in the City of Makati. Solar Electric Co. (SOLARCO), Greenpeace and Green Renewable Independent Power Producer (GRIPP) are all partners in the Climate Friendly Cities Project, and Mayor Jejomar Binay is their first and very enthusiastic customer. SOLARCO, headed by Mr. Panch Puckett, designed the E-Jeepneys to be fully electric, noiseless, light, sturdy, efficient and economical. "It's very easy to drive," declares Mr. Puckett. "Because it's lighter, the jeepney drivers who are so used to the heavy diesel engines will feel a little weird at first, but it only takes a short while to get used to it." Considering it has no gas tank (just a battery compartment) the E-Jeepney runs purely on stored electricity, resulting in a much quieter and fumeless trip. With the traffic conditions and gas prices increasing each year, commuters spend more time idling on the road. "Diesel-powered jeepneys actually waste more fuel while idling," Mr. Puckett explains. "In the case of the Electric Jeepney, when the driver steps on the brake, the engine really stops. It doesn't idle." Without factoring in the driver's skills, discipline and temperament, the E-Jeepney results in a much smoother ride with its automatic transmission and has much less moving parts than its traditional counterpart. “It's a glorified golf cart," says Mr. Puckett. "Have you ridden a golf cart before? It's nice!" Panch Puckett is an idealist. He has been in the business of renewable energy for three decades now, having started when nobody believed it was feasible. He believed in renewable energy with so much passion and has stubbornly remained on track. Now that the world is aware of global warming's adverse effects on the environment and on Humanity as a whole, he beams with pride at the fact that he has been right to advocate pollutant-free renewable energy all along. "I've travelled all over so I know what's going on. I've seen all the pollution – China, United States, Asian countries…lots of Asian countries. It's scary, especially in our case here." The Electric Jeepney is nothing new. The technology has been around for decades, as can be seen in China and around the ASEAN. Nepal uses electric vehicles in their cities, Bangkok has electric tuk-tuks. There have been several attempts by other companies to sell the technology to jeepney operators but they were either too expensive or the manufacturers were unable to provide warranties and service. The SOLARCO E-Jeepneys will have a suggested retail price of Php 550,000 with a 1-year warranty on the engine and a 2-year guarantee on the battery. There is an option for a solar-paneled roof that will help recharge the battery on the go for an additional Php 150,000. SOLARCO will service the units and provide spare parts and accessories. "This venture will not succeed without the service aspect," Mr. Puckett says. "We are here for the long-term sustainability of the project so we will provide the necessary services." The E-Jeepney can run 120 Kilometers on a single charge. If the driver travels at an average speed of 40 Km/h non-stop, that translates to a three-hour working day. But the stops can extend his hours because the battery is not used up – it doesn't idle. The E-Jeepneys can be parked for 8 hours in SOLARCO's centrally located charging stations for a mere Php 150 per charge. At the moment there are 400,000 traditional jeepneys around the Metro. With the advent of the E-Jeepney, one can't help but wonder what SOLARCO has in mind. The company has a limited production capacity of 10 units per month, there are already several cities that have ordered 50 units or more. Are they out to replace the diesel-engine jeepneys and take over an industry that has been around since World War II? "We have no intention of phasing out anybody in this business," says Mr. Puckett. "This is just to keep people aware and open their minds that there are alternative engines – we're not talking about bodies but engines – in the market that can clean the environment…. so that people will come up with ideas to convert their diesel engines to electric engines, and maybe they can use lighter materials instead of heavy-gauge steel. They can use fibreglass. There's really no difference between this and the usual jeepneys. All that one has to do is change the motor, put batteries in them. Whatever their similarities may be, the Electric Jeepney will definitely change the way people think, design, drive, ride and experience the mode of transportation that has become so much a part of being Filipino. The necessary steps have been taken and the idea has been introduced. Filipinos have no choice but to improve our lives according to these innovations because everything just keeps getting better and better. SOLARCO designs the E-Jeepneys but manufacturing is done in China for economical reasons. But if only local manufacturers will follow SOLARCO’s lead, and gain support from environmentally conscious mayors and industrialists, competition may trigger serious economic stimulation. Prices will decrease, employment will increase, technology will improve and commuters can breathe better again. There's so much more to the Electric Jeepney than just clean air. - GMANews.TV