Wednesday, December 9, 2020

DOE- Visayas launches “Green Ride” to promote fuel efficient, environment-friendly hybrid car

CEBU CITY -- The Department of Energy-Visayas Field Office (DOE-VFO) launched the “Green Ride Experience” to promote the use of the next-generation hybrid cars as one of the highlights in its celebration of the 2020 National Energy Consciousness Month (NECM) in the Visayas this December with the theme, "Building a Sustainable Energy Future Amidst the Changing Landscape" coupled with webinar series on various topics on energy resources and more.

DOE secretary Alfonso Cui, in a virtual opening message of the 2020 NECM on December 7 in Manila said that there is a need to ensure the country’s energy security for the future generation of Filipinos.

Cui said that DOE has been doing periodic reviews of the country’s energy policies to make sure the government will be able to promote all sources of energy and encourage foreign investments.

 According to Engr. Jose Rey Maleza, Chief, Energy Industry Management Division of DOE-Visayas that with the COVID-19 pandemic, the DOE-VFO shifted to hold webinar series instead of face-to-face information campaign to raise public awareness on various energy policies, programs and projects.

The webinar series topics are on Renewable Energy Resources and Technologies, Basics of Solar PV System, Energy Efficiency and Conservation, Alternative Fuels and Emerging Technologies, Electric Power Industry, Coal Trading and Utilization Rules, LPG Industry Rules, and Downstream Oil Industry Rules, Maleza added.

“Here at the DOE-VFO we launched of the “Green Ride Experience” for its partners and stakeholders to promote the next-generation hybrid vehicles that consumes less fuel and emits less carbon dioxide,” he revealed.   

Maleza told Manila Bulletin during the “Green Ride Experience” Wednesday that they allow the members of the media first to ride with them on the Toyota Prius, the hybrid car of the DOE-VFO which is a donation under the Japan Non-Project Grant Aid in 2017.

“This car runs on gas engine and lithium ion battery with both power sources consolidate through the computer. This fuel efficient and environment-friendly car is powered by a conventional engine, an electric motor and a hybrid battery with less noise, less pollution and very efficient,” he said.


According to Engr. Miguel Trenuela, Senior Science Research Specialist of the DOE-VFO Energy Resource Development and Utilization Division (ERDUD) that there are about five or six hybrid cars at the DOE and in various local and national agencies in Eastern Visayas that were donated by the Japan Government at the aftermath of typhoon Yolanda in 2017.

Trenuela went on that hybrid cars can switch between the fuel engine and electric motor or combine both power sources.  It automatically charged their own hybrid battery while on the move.  

In 2018 the DOE had conducted a fuel economy run with all types of hybrid technology cars in the country and the results was a revelation that this type of hybrid car consumes 26km/liter as compared to other cars with 15-20km/liter consumption, Trenuela added.

“Since 2017, we have been promoting the use of this hybrid tech cars, but it seems that Filipinos are still considering the price of cars as the main factor in their purchases, unlike in the U.S. and in Europe where the use of hybrid vehicles are trending,” Maleza told Manila Bulletin.

The DOE’s challenge according to Maleza is to change the people’s behavior and attitude in buying cars not only considering the pricing but also fuel efficiency and less pollution for the environment.

It is only the DOE-Visayas that the “Green Ride Experience” is being mounted.  “Hopefully for the next few weeks, students, tech people and other energy stakeholders are able to take this “Green Ride Experience” advocacy,” Maleza stated.

To cap the DOE-VFO 2020 NECM celebration is an Outreach Activity in the mountain barangay of Danao City on December 11 with the distribution of learning materials, books, clothes and toys to 100 target elementary students who are now into blended learning mode.

 

 

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