Manila’s EV ambitions confront economic and energy realities

Philippines wants cleaner ride-hailing vehicles, but a policy reversal exposes difficulties of electrifying commercial transport

Oct 11, 2026

∙ Paid

By: Tim Daiss

Photo from Philippine Information Agency

The Philippine government’s latest attempt to accelerate electric vehicle (EV) adoption in Metro Manila is already facing headwinds, prompting regulators to relax restrictions on which vehicles qualify for newly authorized ride-hailing franchises.

The reversal raises a larger question: Is the country’s…

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