Last year during the Nissan Futures symposium in Hong Kong, the Japanese carmaker announced that it would be introducing the Leaf electric vehicle (EV) in the Philippine market. Well, we’re still waiting, but thankfully, it looks like the EV is slowly inching its way towards local availability and feasibility.
Nissan Philippines head Atsushi Najima, Electric Vehicle Association of the Philippines (EVAP) president Edmund Araga, and Philippine senator Win Gatchalian recently sat down to talk EVs ahead of the 2020 Philippine Electric Vehicle Summit, with the latter even taking a unit out for a test drive. Look:
“It was a pleasure to have senator Win Gatchalian be one of the first test drivers of the Nissan Leaf,” Najima shared on his official Facebook page. “The honorable Senator is one of the advocates of electric vehicles adoption in the country, and we are honored to have him experience this exciting technology.”
Gatchalian also took to social media following his meeting with the two auto industry officials, calling their discussion productive and pushing for an Electric Vehicles and Charging Stations Act to help spur EV adoption among Filipino motorists.
“Bumisita po si Nissan Philippines, Inc. President Atsushi Najima sa senado para ipakita ang mga benepisyo ng electric vehicles. Ang Electric Vehicles and Charging Stations Act ang magiging daan para magkaroon tayo ng isang sustainable EV ecosystem sa bansa,” he said.
This is a very promising development for two reasons: 1) There’s a Nissan Leaf driving around the Philippines, and 2) the vehicle has at least one friend rooting for it in the Senate. Najima says we can expect more details regarding the Leaf at the 2020 Philippine Electric Vehicle Summit from September 24 to 26.
No word yet from Nissan regarding when the vehicle’s 2020 launch will be, but this news has us hoping it will take place sooner rather than later. Are you excited, too?
