If the e-jeepney survives the test, Bautista said the City Government would help the manufacturer in selling the vehicle.
Baguio and the cities of Cebu, Manila and Davao are members of the Clean Cities Coalition -- a group which promotes the use of renewable energy for the motor vehicles, eventually leading to a decrease in the amount of pollution emitted in the atmosphere.
An e-jeepney costs about P900,000 while an ordinary jeepney costs around P150,000 to P300,000. It does not use fuel, instead it moves by using electricity, stored in its battery.
"The e-jeepney was first showcased in Bel-Air, Makati City. However, its capacity to endure Baguio's winding and uphill roads have yet to be seen," Bautista said.
The e-jeepney is a project of the climate friendly cities led by the Green Renewable Independent Power Producer Inc. in partnership with Greenpeace, Bacolod and Makati cities, Solar Electric Company, Philippine Biosciences Company and the Motor Vehicle Parts Manufacturers Association of the Philippines.
The project aims at using energy from biodegradable waste from waste markets, food establishments and households to power an environment-friendly public transport system.
In Baguio, emissions from vehicles were identified by the Environmental Management Bureau (EMB) as the leading source of air pollution.
Electric powered motor vehicle is nothing new around the world. In Europe, a company is already testing the capability of a hydrib bus capable of transporting more than 50 passengers at a time.
Hybrids are those which use electricity to run a motor with a regular gasoline or bio-diesel or natural gas engine as back up when the bus could not manage steep climbs.
Although the e-jeepney is not equipped with a back-up engine, this could be modified to include such engines if it is proven that the terrain in Baguio is too much for the regular electric motor. (RO/SB)
