Voltai, a startup under 1882 Energy Ventures of Aboitiz Power Corp., unveiled the country’s first large-scale battery swap ecosystem for two-wheeled electric vehicles (EVs).
Fazlur Abdul Rahman, 1882 Energy Ventures Head of Ideation and Voltai co-founder and CEO, said this is tailored to businesses operating vehicle fleets, particularly those with logistical, food and beverage delivery, and ride-hailing services.
‘As a business-to-business solution, it addresses downtime, frequent maintenance, and fuel cost challenges for fleet businesses and riders, while also providing remote visibility on utilization,’ Rahman said on Tuesday.
A pilot preview of the battery swapping station, two-wheeled EVs, and Voltai’s management application software was launched in Pasig City. It was attended by the Private Express and Messengerial Association of the Philippines and logistics associations.
There are currently 15 battery swapping stations deployed and Voltai plans to further expand next year in Metro Manila and nearby provinces. Voltai has partnered with fuel retailer Cleanfuel, as well as co-living and dormitory brand MyTown, to situate the 15 battery swapping stations, which are currently the largest EV swap network in the country.
The venture leases its EVs and batteries for a fixed fee, thereby shielding consumer businesses from rising vehicle costs and fluctuating fuel prices. Battery swapping also allows for faster turnaround when powering up. With consumer businesses switching from gas-powered two-wheel fleets to electric, it also lowers their overall emissions.
Its mobile app, meanwhile, serves as a rider’s interface for checking battery health and identifying the nearest battery swap station, which they can be routed to via Google Maps. Tracking location, swap history, and rider performance are also available in the mobile app.
Customers will also gain access to Voltai’s web-based Fleet Management System where managers can view location, trip history, cumulative mileage, various alerts, and carbon emission reduction, as well as organize riders by area or shift.
‘We are very excited to share Voltai with the Philippine market and provide businesses with fleet requirements a competitive edge through lower costs, higher efficiency, and reduced emissions without the need to shoulder heavy upfront costs,’ added Rahman.
The Electric Vehicle Industry Development Act (Evida) mandates industrial and commercial companies; public transport operators; and local government units, national government agencies, and government-owned and -controlled corporations to ensure that at least 5 percent of their fleet, whether owned or leased, are EVs. The Philippine Energy Plan 2023-2050 targets re-fleeting 10 percent to 50 percent of all fleets with electric vehicles by 2040 onwards under Business-As-Usual and Clean Energy scenarios, respectively.