Meralco chairman Manny Pangilinan imports a Tesla Model S from US

As we reported yesterday, Meralco officially inaugurated its prototype electric vehicle charging station called the Meralco eVehicle Power Station. To show his commitment to the company\'s project, Meralco chairman Manny Pangilinan imported a fully electric Tesla Model S sedan from the US, with the car arriving less than two weeks ago.

Powered by an 85kWh battery, the Model S has an output of 416hp and 600Nm of torque, rides on an active air suspension, and can sprint from 0 to 100kph in 4.2 seconds before reaching a top speed of 210kph. At an average speed of 90kph, the Model S\'s estimated range is 480km.

Depending on the type of charger used, the charging time for the Model S ranges from 12 to 15 hours for a 300km charge.

We asked Pangilinan why he decided to bring in a Model S and not the sexier Fisker Karma. He said: \"I believe the Model S is the best example of a vehicle of its kind, so it only made sense to buy it.\"

Considering that Meralco already has the Mitsubishi i-MiEV at its disposal to test its electric vehicle charging station, we also questioned Pangilinan on why he felt he needed to buy the Model S.

\"Electric vehicles will be the vehicles of the future,\" Pangilinan replied. \"The Model S is my personal commitment for Meralco to power electric vehicles in the future.\"

Of course, we didn\'t dare ask one of the richest and most influential figures in the country how much he paid to bring the Model S to the Philippines. Instead, we asked a highly placed source from one of Meralco\'s partners in the electric vehicle charging station. The price, according to this source, is a staggering P9 million, including taxes and duties.

We can only wonder how much the Tesla S would cost if the Alternative Fuel Vehicles Incentives Act were passed into law.

Photos by Patrick Everett Tadeo