In a strategic alignment, leaders from the transport, solar technology, and manufacturing sectors united in a signing ceremony that highlighted these stakeholders’ commitment to drive sustainable innovation and operational excellence across their respective industries.
On August 8, SunSmart Solar Power Technology Inc. advanced a new model for Philippine public transportation through the E.V.E. Electric Vehicle Ecosystem Project-a holistic electric vehicle ecosystem – designed to integrate electric vehicles, standalone solar energy, battery storage, smart charging, transport operations, digital technology and livelihood opportunities into one sustainable mobility platform.
Being developed through a cooperation framework among SunSmart Solar Power Technology Inc., Pasig Green City Transport and Multipurpose Cooperative (PGCTMC), and E-VOLUTION Transport Solutions Inc., the E.V.E. Project brings together integrated smart green energy solutions, innovative electric vehicle manufacturing technology and transport-cooperative operations.
Beauty queen, and environmental and humanitarian advocate Jenny Lin Granados Maaño, SunSmart co-founder and president, is the brain and principal visionary behind the E.V.E. Project.
‘E.V.E. was never intended to be simply an electric vehicle project or a charging-station project. It is a vision for a holistic ecosystem,’ said Maaño, the Noble Queen of the Universe 2024 Regality and Compassion. ‘It is not only about the electric vehicle, and it is not only about the charging station. It is about connecting the vehicle, renewable energy, smart technology, the transport cooperative, the driver, the commuter and every Filipino community into one sustainable system.’
WHAT MAKES E.V.E. A HOLISTIC ECOSYSTEM?
Maaño’s vision recognizes that the transition to electric public transportation cannot be achieved by focusing on vehicles alone: The vehicle needs energy. The energy needs infrastructure. The infrastructure needs intelligent management. The transport cooperative needs a sustainable operating model. The driver needs a viable livelihood. And the commuter needs safe, reliable and affordable transportation.
The E.V.E. Project, therefore, is designed to connect these elements into one holistic ecosystem.
At the center of E.V.E. is SunSamrt’s standalone E.V.E. Solar Hybrid Charging Station, designed to operate independently from and isolated from the main power distribution grid through renewable energy systems and battery-energy storage.
The company is responsible for the design, development, supply, installation and implementation of the E.V.E. Solar Hybrid Charging Stations, giving the E.V.E. Project one of its defining characteristics: energy independence.
‘The long-term vision is to establish energy-independent mobility hubs, where solar energy is generated and stored locally and then used to support electric public transportation,’ Maaño noted. ‘For transport cooperatives, the charging infrastructure can become part of their own renewable-energy ecosystem rather than simply another electrical load dependent on the conventional grid.’
LOWERING THE COST OF PUBLIC TRANSPORTATION
The E.V.E. Project also seeks to contribute to the long-term reduction of public transportation operating costs. Electric vehicles reduce dependence on gasoline and diesel, while locally generated solar energy can reduce dependence on conventional electricity sources.
By integrating these components into one holistic ecosystem, SunSmart believes that energy efficiency and renewable power can contribute to a more economically sustainable public transport operation.
‘The goal is not simply to replace a diesel or gasoline vehicle with an electric vehicle,’ Maaño said. ‘It is to create a holistic transport economy, where cleaner energy and lower operating costs can ultimately benefit both the transport worker and the commuting public.’
FROM PASIG CITY TO A NATIONWIDE HOLISTIC NETWORK
The cooperation framework among PGCTMC, SunSmart and E-volution provides a platform for the initial implementation of the E.V.E. concept.
‘But my vision extends far beyond one cooperative or one city. The long-term objective of the pioneering partnership is to partner with more transport cooperatives nationwide,’ Maaño said. ‘Each deployment can become part of a broader nationwide network of standalone smart solar EV charging and mobility hubs.’
THE BIGGER VISION
The E.V.E. Project represents a vision where technological modernization and economic empowerment move together.
‘The objective is not simply to introduce electric vehicles. It is to build a holistic ecosystem where: the sun powers the vehicle; renewable energy reduces dependence on the grid; lower energy costs help reduce transport operating costs,’ explained Maaño. ‘Transport cooperatives become clean-mobility hubs; drivers and transport workers gain new economic opportunities; and commuters can ultimately benefit from a cleaner and more affordable transport system.’