Meralco inaugurates commercial EV charging station prototype

Meralco, the country\'s leading electricity distributor, has officially inaugurated its prototype charging station called Meralco eVehicle Power Station.

The first of its kind in the Philippines, the eVehicle Power Station is a test bed for Meralco\'s \"business case premises and technical competencies in providing different charging technologies.\" It also serves as its signal to electric-vehicle stakeholders that the utility company is readying itself to support the industry\'s requirements.

\"We want to be instrumental in building the complete ecosystem for the expected influx of electric vehicles in the country,\" said Meralco senior vice president Alfredo Panlilio. \"Meralco will assist in making the electric vehicle charging technology available to interested partner companies and priority sectors like public transport operators. We will be ready when the market for EVs becomes ripe and stakeholders start adopting the technology. We will be there to meet the demands and requirements for this environment-friendly initiative.\"

The eVehicle Power Station features a Meralco-designed charging equipment and caters to the practical needs of its future customers, specifically electric public transport vehicles like the electric tricycle and the electric jeepney. As such, Meralco\'s equipment has the capability to provide partial or \"sachet\" charging at an economic price point. Of course, the charging equipment can also recognize when the vehicle\'s battery is fully charged, and automatically cut off the system. An LCD display then shows the rate per kWh, the total kWh consumed, and the equivalent peso amount.

Fully mobile and weather-proof, the eVehicle Power Station is ideal for high-traffic areas like malls, parking lots, convenience stores, and PUV terminals. As proof of its feasibility, the e-shuttles used by Meralco employees around Ortigas Avenue are recharged by the prototype charging station.

According to Meralco, its charging facility can also be powered by renewable energy sources like wind and solar power, a \"testament to Meralco\'s commitment to searching for clean and alternative sources of power for its consumers.\"

\"Our chairman, Manny V. Pangilinan, has provided all of us at Meralco the mandate and the guidance to make a bright and energy-smart future possible,\" said Meralco president and chief executive Oscar Reyes. \"This includes, as an integral part, the prospect of driving an e-vehicle and charging in a smartgrid-integrated EV power station which we hope excites you as much as it excites us. The prototype you see today is a product of both hard work and promise. We will be ready if the market is there, and customers demand this service. I would therefore say, welcome to the future.\"

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