Mitsubishi Philippines: No Alternative Fuel-Fed Vehicles for RP

The lack or real demand and necessary infrastructure in the country made Mitsubishi Motors Corp. hold back on bringing its alternative fuel-fired vehicles to the local market.

MMC president Osamu Masuko said the company was already selling its biofuel-fed models in Europe, as well as compressed natural gas-fired vehicles in Thailand.

“If the Philippine market needs CNG and biofuel vehicles, we can supply such cars anytime,” he said.

Mitsubishi Motors Philippines Corp. president and chief executive Masahiko Ueki said, however, that this decision was hinged on whether the was big enough market here such vehicles. Read more

Goodyear Philippines Launches Search for ‘Bayani ng Kalsada’

Goodyear Philippines takes motoring safety beyond defensive driving by enjoining drivers of public and private vehicles to be heroes on the road via its Bayani Ng Kalsada (BNK) program, an annual nationwide search for Filipino drivers who have exhibited heroic acts of courage or extraordinary selflessness while on the road.

“Through this corporate social responsibility initiative, Goodyear Philippines underscores an important aspect of ensuring road safety: that it is everyone’s responsibility,” Goodyear Philippines managing director Gerry Alava said.

“Being a company whose products people entrust their lives to as they traverse the roads and highways across the Philippines, we are compelled to push this road-safety message to our consumers. Our commitment to this effort is nonnegotiable. More than a popularity contest, BNK is a concrete manifestation of what road safety is all about—going beyond our personal levels of comfort and becoming more aware of others who are on the road with us,” Alava said. Read more

Total Philippines: Ethanol Supply to Boom in Next Two Years

THE next two years may be the banner year for the local ethanol-supply industry, Ernst Wanten, Total (Philippines) Corp. president and managing director, indicated to reporters in an interview on Friday.

“Though there is an ethanol-supply shortage today, the government needs to encourage more local ethanol producers to put up the needed processing plants,” Wanten said.

The recently appointed Total official said there is a problem in securing ethanol owing to the shortage in local and international supply.

Wanten said his company has already fully complied with the 10-percent ethanol blend as mandated in the Biofuels Act of 2006. He even shared that there could even be a supply shortage in 2011, when all oil companies blend 10 percent of ethanol (E10) in their entire gasoline product line. Read more

Honda Philippines Partners with Fleet Accounts in Promoting Fuel Efficieny

Honda Cars Philippines, Inc. recently partnered with its corporate fleet accounts in promoting the importance of fuel efficient driving and in making it a habit. Taking into consideration the number of cars being managed by these accounts, a simple tweak on driving habits makes significant difference in extending fuel mileage.

The increase in CO2 emissions, rapid depletion of fuel supply and threat of global climate change make the need for any form of savings and corrective measures highly essential.

Accordingly, Honda invited 10 fleet accounts and embarked on a fuel efficient driving competition entitled, Honda Challenge Cup to demonstrate practical driving methods under real-world situations. Encouraging everyone to drive every drop, the competition posed various challenges in both city and highway driving conditions using normal, day-to-day driving style and with a running airconditioning system. Read more

Unioil Petroleum Cuts Gasoline Prices by Up to P4.75/liter

Independent oil player Unioil Petroleum Philippines Inc. Monday slashed the prices of its gasoline by a hefty P4.75 a liter, diesel by P3.50 a liter, and kerosene by P1.50 a liter—the biggest rollback yet this year.

Unioil general manager Chito Medina-Cue Jr. said the drastic drop was due to the continuous downward trend in world crude prices and the company’s commitment to sell high quality petroleum products at fair prices.

With the rollback, Unioil’s unleaded gasoline will retail at P35 a liter; its Quantum Premium gasoline at P35.44; regular unleaded, P34.66; Pure Diesel Plus (B1), P27.54; and kerosene, P38.44 a liter.

Medina-Cue said the company decided to bring back its “big-time rollback” strategy, which it started last year, to help the public weather the high prices of everything. Read more

Nissan Planning to Launch Electric Cars in RP

Nissan may introduce electric vehicles to the country after it penetrates the Japanese and United States market.

In an interview, Universal Motors Executive vice president Elizabeth H. Lee said their mother company is seriously considering the Philippines as one of the countries where they could sell their electric vehicle.

In fact, Lee together with Nissan Asia Pacific managing director Steve Ardianto made a courtesy call to Board of Investment managing head Elmer C. Hernandez yesterday to discuss the matter. Read more

Toyota Philippines to Launch Prius at P2.25M

Toyota Motors Philippines is finally launching its hot-selling Prius hybrid in the Philippines next week, but the ecologically-correct car could carry a price tag of around P2.25 million.

“Toyota wants to be the first to locally introduce hybrid, environment-friendly cars as alternative vehicles,” said Raymond Rodriguez, Toyota Motor’s first vice president for vehicle sales.

The third-generation, 1.8-liter Prius would be imported completely built from Japan and subject to a 30-percent tariff in addition to the excise tax and 12-percent value-added tax, Rodriguez said in explaining the hybrid’s higher price.

By contrast, Toyota’s most expensive sedan available locally, the 3.5-liter V6 version, retails for P2.005 million. Read more

C5-Kalayaan Elevated U-Turns Inaugurated

President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo led yesterday the formal opening of two elevated U-turn slots on C-5 Road in Makati City, shortly after she arrived from her official visits to Egypt and Syria.

Metropolitan Manila Development Authority (MMDA) Chairman Bayani Fernando and other local officials welcomed the President as she headed the 200-meter inaugural drive aboard a pickup truck.

During a short briefing on the project, Fernando said the P350-million road project would ease traffic on the 24-kilometer C-5 Road. Read more

Makati City to showcase E-jeepneys on Earth Day

To promote alternatives to fossil fuels, the city of Makati will showcase its electric jeepneys in a motorcade of electric vehicles on April 22, Earth Day.

Makati will join the “Byaheng Malinis, Byaheng Kay Ganda [A Clean, Beautiful Trip],” a motorcade around Metro Manila to advocate the use of vehicles powered by engines that do not use fossil fuels, which cause pollution and global warming.

The country’s financial district is known for rolling out the Philippines’ first electric-powered jeepneys in 2007. Read more

Construction of Skyway Extension Begins

Citra Metro Manila Tollways Corp. recently announced that it will start construction on the second stage of the Skyway by the end of the week.

Stage two will extend the existing 9.5-kilometer Buendia-Bicutan elevated toll road by about seven kilometers, from Bicutan to Alabang. The construction area at the median section of the toll road in Bicutan will be initially extended to Sucat and fenced off with concrete barriers. While three travel lanes in both directions from Bicutan to Alabang will be maintained, buses and trucks must stay on the center lane only and Class 1 vehicles (cars, jeeps, light pickups or sport utility vehicles) can use the narrowed inner and outer lanes until after the construction area in the northbound direction.

During construction, motorists are advised to factor in longer travel time. The project’s traffic manager, Skyway O & M Corp. (SOMCO), is providing additional traffic enforcers round the clock to guide and assist motorists. Construction and safety signages and devices are also installed strategically at the approaches to and within the project site. SOMCO will also implement traffic counterflow during peak traffic hours. Motorists are reminded not to swerve abruptly when switching lanes. Towing services will be provided by the Automobile Association of the Philippines. Read more

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