Thursday, September 16, 2010

Electric tricycle taxi for Puerto Princesa Airport


The Et4 etrike has removable doors

First electric tricycles as taxis for Puerto Princesa - the eTraxi.

Mayor Edward Hagedorn of Puerto Princesa City, Palawan has recently ordered the first batch of forty (40) electric tricycles (eTrikes) to serve as taxis to and from the Puerto Princesa City International Airport. The eTrikes will be supplied by local assembler Green Tech EcoCenter (GTE) in partnership with PhUV Inc., the business arm of the Motor Vehicle Parts Manufacturers Association of the Phils. (MVPMAP).

"Since the eTrikes will be locally assembled using a fiberglass body that is also locally made, this project not only helps clean the air in Puerto Princesa but also provides local employment and marginal businesses for local enterprises", says Mayor Hagedorn after inspecting GTE's prototype of the eTrike, the first ever fully assembled in Puerto Princesa.
Et4 shown with doors removed.

He explains that his long-term vision is to actually replace all 4,000 gasoline-powered tricycles in Puerto Princesa City with eTrikes as part of his Clean Air Project aimed at preserving the blue skies and fresh air in the city. "Aside from helping protect our environment, this project will also transfer electric tricycle technology to our locals and enhance the skills of our local tinsmiths, welders, auto painters, auto mechanics, auto electricians, upholsterers, trimmers, assemblers and fiberglass makers".

Diana Limjoco, GTE president, says that what GTE will make commercially available is the 4th generation of GTE's eTrike or the ET4. "This will be a full electric vehicle running solely on pure battery power. It will be powered by a 5 kw electric motor that can more than cope with large loads of luggage and six passengers comfortably seated, without straining the motor. This electric motor is of a more advanced technology as it is equipped with an internal cooling fan", she explains. The genius behind the development of the current etrikes is Limjoco hubby, Dave Dewbre who has acted as consultant on the project.

ET3 - 3000 Kw motor - very reliable etrike but not sufficient for the heavier demands of the e-traxi for the Puerto Princesa Intl. Airport.