As the government pushes for the public utility vehicle (PUV) Modernization Program, the Department of Science and Technology (DOST) urged the public to look into its electricity and liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) powered public utility jeepneys.
In a statement released on Thursday, DOST said these can be utilized as viable alternatives to support sustainable transport fuel diversification and as the government pushes for the modernization of public utility vehicles.
DOST Philippine Council for Industry, Energy and Emerging Technology Research and Development (DOST-PCIEERD) Executive Director Dr. Enrico Paringit made this pronouncement as the government extended the deadline for the modernization of jeepneys until the end of this year.
Paringit said these alternatives are available for licensing from the researchers and can now cater to the Filipino people.
The 23-seater electric jeepney, is a Philippine National Standard (PNS)-compliant prototype was developed with the Electric Vehicle Association of the Philippines (EVAP).
Powered by a lithium-ion battery, it is a version of the traditional jeepney that produces zero emissions and no noise pollution, making it an environmentally friendly alternative to the diesel-fueled jeepney.
Moreover, it has a range of 55km per full charge and a dashboard panel with a button to open and close the side door, an emergency button that disables the vehicle, and the standard LED display showing speed and remaining range. It has non-metallic body materials that are excellent insulators with high resistance to corrosion and chemicals.
To address range anxiety, the team also came up with battery charging systems and a workable operations template that involves fleet operations and the collection of daily loan amortization.
Meanwhile, the LPG-powered jeepney was developed by the University of the Philippines National Center for Transportation Studies.
The 18-seater PUV showcases seat partitions to prevent passenger compression, distributed and easy access PUV stop buttons, a rear emergency exit door, digital route signage, a cashless payment system, a CCTV camera system, and a dashcam. A cabin public address system was also installed for passenger convenience.
Further, the LPG-powered jeepney includes a ramp that can be used to aid persons with disabilities (PWDs) to get on the vehicle.
