Most countries have their own way of providing public transportation and for the Philippines, jeepneys are perhaps that common way to travel if you want to save on cost and get away from the usual traffic. But the problem here lies in the fact that majority of these jeepneys run on diesel fuel and are thus harming the environment as well with their smoke belching exhaust.

However all is not yet lost. With the green technology that is available, it all depends on how these jeepneys can be re-designed in a way to which their mode of operation can be improved. It all starts from their mechanical components, most of which are being addressed by the part makers of these locally assembled vehicles in the Philippines.

Jesus S. Bautista, secretary general of the Motor Vehicle Parts Manufacturers Association of the Philippines, said in an interview that the group recently signed a memorandum of agreement with the Green Renewable Independent Power Producers (GRIPP) to produce 44 e-jeepneys.

Led by Greenpeace International, GRIPP has secured foreign funding for some 50 units of the electric jeepneys that would be distributed to local government units.

Under its Climate Friendly Cities program, GRIPP has so far turned over six e-jeepneys brought from China to Makati, which received two units, and Bacolod, which got four.

In 2007, in a “desperate move” to revive the local auto parts making industry, MVPMAP designed, developed and launched a prototype of the PhUV that was intended for small and medium enterprises.

(Source) Philippine Daily Inquirer