'Gawang Pinoy para sa kapwa Pinoy:' This jeep manufacturer sells cheaper e-jeepney with iconic 'King of the Road' look
One of the main concerns with the Public Utility Vehicle Modernization Program (PUVMP), which aims to improve the country's mass public transportation, is the whooping price of modernized jeepneys that cost more than a million pesos.
Under the said program, jeepneys, UV express, and buses older than 15 years will be phased out to be replaced with modern ones that are Euro-4 compliant vehicles, further supporting the government's goal of providing a "more dignified [and] humane" transport system.
To address the concerns about the costs of modern jeepneys, Francisco Motors, one of the jeepney manufacturers in the country, launched its version of an e-jeepney dubbed "Francisco Jeepney." Its price? P985,000, a significantly lower rate compared to the proposed modern e-jeep which ranges between P1.3 million to P3 million.
Made by a Filipino, for the Filipinos
In an interview with Gising Pilipinas of Radyo 630 last December, Elmer Francisco, the owner of Francisco Motors, said the cost for the first 1,000 units of their proposed electric jeep is P985,000 each.
"Pinababa natin ang cost of production. Unang-una, gawa ito ng mga manggagawang Pilipino. Hindi ito kailangang i-import galing sa ibang bansa. Kada piyesa nyan dito sa Pilipinas gagawin," he said.
Elmer also stated that a Special Economic Zone will be built to produce these electric jeeps. He also claimed that if they proceed with full operations, they could produce up to 25,000 e-jeeps annually.
In a Facebook post, Francisco noted that the jeepney manufacturing company will no longer create diesel-empowered jeepneys for several reasons: the need to modernize, combat the alarming increase in fuel prices, and "mitigate climate change."
"Replacing old fossil fuel-powered Jeepneys with new fossil fuel-powered ones is not changing anything. Francisco Motors have decided to go all in and go full electric and set-up charging nationwide stations powered by renewable energy," he said in a conversation with PhilSTAR L!fe.
According to Elmer, this move will also cater to more job opportunities for Filipinos.
"Among the impacts that are very close to our hearts is that we can generate tens of thousands of direct jobs and millions of indirect jobs for our fellow Filipinos at home. If we simply import mini-buses to replace our Jeepneys, we would be giving away jobs that are supposed to be for our fellow Filipinos to foreigners mostly to China," he told L!fe.
Maintaining the traditional jeepney look
Tembo E-LV, a subsidiary of the NASDAQ-listed B Corp, VivoPower International, has signed a joint venture agreement with Francisco Motor Corporation to develop and supply electric utility vehicle (EUV) electrification kits for a new generation of electric jeepneys. However, for Francisco, the iconic 'King of the Road' look will remain despite the modernization process of the vehicle.
"We came up with the modernized full electric Francisco Jeepney in order to preserve; moreover, celebrate our culture, of which the Jeepney is a huge part," Francisco told L!fe.
"Anywhere you go in the world when you mention 'jeepney' to any foreigner, the only place that will come to mind is the Philippines. It is often part of their bucket list to have their photos taken in one of our very colorful Jeepneys," he continued, adding that removing the iconic designed Jeepneys with mini-buses from other countries is like removing a piece of our identity.
"So, why replace these beautiful iconic designed Jeepneys with mini-buses from other countries when we Filipinos practically invented the jeepney? It would be like remov[ing] a piece of our identity."
Other features
More than the exterior, the Francisco Jeepney also features an
Moreover, the full electric jeepney also has a 4-channel CCTV system, Dashcam, GPS, and speed limiter (80kph) for security purposes. It will also use an "Automated Fare Collection System" wherein passengers may pay using their phones' QR codes or NFC (Near Field Communication) Cards that they can simply tap.
Other features include onboard audio and video equipment for passengers' entertainment, seat belts, and a WiFi system. All units are also fully airconditioned and can accommodate 30 passengers, with 11 seated on each side plus eight standing passengers. Fransisco also emphasized that a passenger up to 5'9" tall can stand comfortably inside the e-jeep.
How to avail?
Potential buyers can reserve their units here. They can also receive updates on Francisco Motors' electric jeep by signing up on its website.
"Other than these, we have already received Letters of Intent to purchase of over 37,500 units from various transport cooperatives and corporations of which we have already received over 1,300 units of purchase orders out of the 37,500 to date," Francisco shared.
The rollout of the Francisco Jeepney will be by batch starting in the second quarter of 2024.