Home-grown technology firm Innovatronix Inc. will distribute to the market by the middle of 2013 around 200 units of electronic vehicle (EV) that it claims to be the first all-Filipino designed commercial EV.
Having produced first Philippine-made electric bicycle (ebike), Innovatronix is now set to market its EV.
"We're still in the prototype production stage. We still don't know how many we can produce per month. But maybe our target is 200 units when we start mass production by the middle of next year," said John Paul Famero, Innovatronix research and development engineer, in an interview.
Markets for the EV are golf carts, village service vehicle, and tricycle public transportation.
To sell at a P380,000 per unit, the "Tronix" EV will be 10 to 20 percent cheaper than what is currently available in the market. Capacity of the vehicle is six passengers including driver.
Aside from being environment-friendly, the EV will give motorists a big savings since a single charge costs only P50-P50. That will enable EV to run 100 kilometers (KM). In a traffic, the battery does not really consume much power, so the 100 KM distance per charge stays. Top speed is 40 kilometers per hour.
"You can save on gas since it costs only P0.50 per kilometer," he said. "A tricycle's gas consumption costs around P2 per kilometer if it runs at 20 kilometer per liter at P50."
While most of the other EV manufacturers just assemble many auto parts in the country that are mostly imported from China, Innovatronix claims to be offering an effective after-sales maintenance system.
"We already have many manufacturers in the country. But most of them import electronic and other parts, even the body, from China and assemble them here. But we do all the electronic parts like controllers, converters," said Famero. "If a part breaks down, it can be bought from any auto shop. And since we did all the parts, we can serve whatever we promise in our warranty."
The Electronic Vehicle Association of the Philippines (EVAP) has been optimistic about the market for EVs in the country and for locally-manufactured EVs meant for export. EVs will have an orange plate upon registration with the Land Transportation Office. From being smoke emission free, EVs automatically omit LTO omission test.
The use of more environment-friendly vehicles has been favored globally as the automotive sector is the single most important contributor to air pollution.
Famero said Innovatronix has started to bring out the best in Filipino engineers which is now obvious in its products.
"Filipino engineers are among the best. They just move to other countries because the compensation here is low. But they excel in other countries. (Fortunately), Innovatronix comes up with products that are all designed by Filipino engineers."
A basic electronic part designed in this Tronix EV is the integrated circuit where all operations are processed, explained Famero. This includes acceleration, braking so that motor is disabled, and turning on and off of signal lights.
Charging of the Tronix EV lasts three to six hours, depending on battery exhaustion extent. Its motor is a four horsepower three kilowatt series. It has front disc and rear drum brakes. Battery, of deep cycle type, lasts three to five years with a replacement cost of P20,000. It has a high efficiency PWM-type charger.
It is almost maintenance free, and given technical problems, the company offers a warranty.
The company plans to offer the EV in showrooms off-the-shelf, or available at display area. Or it may also be promoted through its Tronix photography supply distribution centers at major malls nationwide where orders may be received.
The company has introduced many innovative products locally. Among these are a powerful battery pack to power photography facilities for outdoor or on-location photoshoots; automatic night light (ANL), a heavy-duty sensor switch that automatically turns fluorescent lamps on during nighttime; multisport portable scoreboard; energy-saving electric ballasts; power on delay that protects appliances from electrical surges from brownouts; energy-saving refrigerator clock saver; digital photo printing machine with continuous ink system for cheap cost; and wireless queuing system.
The company's Tronix ebike travels up to 22 kilometers at a speed of 35 kilometers per hour.
A company that has a chain of 150 stores nationwide, Innovatronix has registered an average monthly export revenue of $100,000 in 2010 from just an average of $60,000 in 2009, according to Innovatronix founder and president, Ramon I. Castillo.
Its expected export revenue was $1.2 million in 2010. Its export revenue stream comes mainly from photo imaging products sold to 80 countries primarily US and Europe.
The company has around 500 employees and keeps its plant in Antipolo and also has operations in Davao and in Laoag City in the Ilocos Region