By Alexander Villafania
INQUIRER.net
First Posted 04:43pm (Mla time) 07/04/2007

MANILA, Philippines -- The ubiquitous jeepney, a brightly painted commuter minibus that has been roaming the Philippines since World War II, has just become healthier.

The country’s first electric-powered jeepneys (e-Jeepney) rolled off Makati City Friday in an initial test drive.

The 10 to 12-seater electric-powered version of the vehicle that has its origin in surplus US Army jeeps were developed by Greenpeace and the Makati City government and financed by the Green Renewable Independent Power Producer Inc (GRIPP) in an effort to encourage the use of alternative fuels as well as to reduce the effects of greenhouse gases on climate change.

The vehicles were made in China.

The e-Jeepneys are powered by five-horsepower electric motor engines with 12 batteries that, at full capacity, allow the vehicles to run 120 to 140 kilometers at around 40 kilometers per hour.

The batteries are charged for eight hours on ordinary 220-volt power sockets at a minimum cost of P120. In contrast, regular fume-spewing jeepneys guzzle P300 (US$6.50) or more of diesel each day.

Each e-Jeepney costs at least P400,000 to build, around P100,000 more than most shop-built diesel jeepneys.

Robert Puckett, president of the Solar Electric Company Inc. (Solarco), which designed the engines, said 50 electric e-Jeepneys will serve as mobile billboards in the promotion of cleaner energy at a time of growing concern over the impact of global warming due to worsening pollution.

Solarco, the sole distributor and marketer of the E-jeeps, will pilot the rest of the 50 units in Bacolod City in Negros Occidental later this month.

"The iconic jeepney remains, but without wasteful and carbon emitting diesel, while providing increased incomes to the vehicles' drivers," GRIPP’s Athena Ronquillo said. "If the project is successful, our hope is that the project will be replicated in other cities in the country and possibly other Asian capitals."

Greenpeace said Makati has agreed to provide a facility that will generate power for the jeepneys using wastes from the city's food establishments and wet markets.

"The electric jeepneys demonstrate how cities can help mitigate the problem of climate change," said Von Hernandez, campaigns director for Greenpeace Southeast Asia.

Ronquillo said drivers were expected to earn two or three times more because of savings on fuel.

"Greenpeace supports solutions-oriented technological and scientific innovations that can help stop climate change,” Hernandez said. “The e-Jeepneys are a clear example of our ‘Simple Lang’ project that calls upon Filipino citizens and institutions to adopt simple yet effective measures to help avert catastrophic climate change.”