Towards sustainable mobility

The Union of Concerned Scientists has determined that our personal vehicles are a major cause of global warming, with cars and trucks accounting for nearly one-fifth of all emissions worldwide. Burning one gallon (3.78 liters) of gas creates 20 pounds of carbon dioxide, and the average car emits six tons of carbon dioxide every year.

In the Philippines, vehicle emissions contribute 69 percent of air pollution in the country, 90 percent of which comes from Metro Manila.

In this context, with the motorization of the country in progress, and the increasing damage that the growing number of motor vehicles inflict on the environment, natural resources and energy conservation, can we be counted on by our children and our children’s children to leave this Earth a better place than when we found it?

Toyota Motor Corp. believes we can.

TEC 2050. Japan’s biggest car company is spearheading a green movement on the global, regional and local levels called the Toyota Environmental Challenge (TEC) 2050 that aims not only to totally eliminate Toyota’s carbon emissions by 2050, but also achieve a net positive impact on Earth and Society where People, Cars and Nature can co-exist in harmony.

Last Wednesday, TMP, together with government representatives, environment groups, the media, and other stakeholders, held the Toyota Hybrid Electric Technology Conference in Bonifacio Global City to jump-start TEC 2050 locally.

The theme was “Toward Sustainable Mobility” but the focus was on achieving sustainable mobility goals in the Philippines by popularizing self-charging Hybrid Electric Vehicles (HEV) as the future of local transportation.

The main speakers were Trade and Industry Undersecretary Rafaelita T. Aldaba, who spoke on the government’s policy directions for next generation vehicles, Toyota Motor Asia Pacific EVP Vince Socco, who elaborated on TEC 2050, and TMP president Satoru Suzuki, who explained the role of HEVs in contributing to sustainable mobility in the Philippines.

Sustainable mobility refers to transport that is sustainable in terms of social, environmental, and climate impacts, and the ability to supply the source energy indefinitely on the global scope.

HEV’S ROLE. At the Toyota Hybrid Conference, TMP president Satoru Suzuki gave an overview of TMP’s sustainable activities, and how the company intends to move forward under TEC 2050. Then he presented TMP’s strategy to contribute to sustainable mobility in the Philippines through vehicle electrification, and the important role of Hybrid Electric Vehicles in making this possible.

Suzuki pointed out that Toyota Motor’s business in the Philippines for 30 years continues to grow through TMP, and that this country is home to one of Toyota’s manufacturing bases in the region. As such, TMP takes seriously its responsibility to protect its host nation through sustainable business practices as TMP grows its business under the principle of Always Better Cars, Always Better Lives.

After touching on the improved environmental performance of the TMP plant in terms of energy and resource consumption, and plant emissions, Suzuki listed TMP’s four flagship projects for corporate responsibility that impact diverse sectors of Philippine society: the Toyota Road Traffic Safety Project, Philippine Peñablanca Sustainable Reforestation Project, GT Toyota Asian Cultural Center, and Toyota-City of Santa Rosa-Gawad Kalinga Village.

REALISTIC SCENARIO. But the centerpiece of Suzuki’s talk was TMP’s TEC 2050 Roadmap which localizes TEC 2050 strategies to generate the maximum positive impact on TMP’s business operations, the environment and society, under a realistic scenario.

“We believe that environment and energy security are important and urgent concerns that can be addressed through realistic sustainable mobility strategy,” he said.

He enumerated the vehicles or xEV that are propelled by electricity and produce less or zero emissions: 1) hybrid electric vehicle. 2) Plug-in hybrid electric vehicle. 3) Battery-electric vehicle. 4) Fuel cell electric vehicle.

In terms of vehicle efficiency itself (tank to wheel), all xEVs have high mitigation potential and can help achieve sustainable mobility, Suzuki said.

However, to popularize xEVs successfully, many considerations vary across different markets. Toyota evaluates xEV potential based on 1) Customer needs in terms of ownership, operating costs, and user convenience; 2) Availability of charging infrastructure, readiness of electric grid, and availability of adequate electricity supply, and 3) Future impact on energy source.

Among the above considerations, infrastructure and energy source are necessary under the xEV approach, Suzuki contended. Depending on the technology, xEV can have a large impact on electric power generation and distribution capacity, and even possibly on the price of electricity.

LOCAL CONDITIONS. The benefits of xEV vary based on vehicle type and its suitability to local conditions, Suzuki averred. Given these considerations, TMP believes that self-charging Hybrid Electric Vehicles (HEV) like the Toyota Prius and Lexus HEVs can achieve the best outcome for vehicle electrification in the Philippines.

The Prius, launched in the Philippines in June 2009 as the pioneer of hybrid electrification in the country, has been available in the market for almost a decade now.

Considering current Philippine conditions, Suzuki asserted that the best xEV deployment is to start with HEVs. Other xEVs require complementary infrastructure that takes time to develop, such as charging stations, while HEVs can be readily deployed.

Furthermore, the cost gap of HEVs compared to conventional vehicles is not as high as that of other xEVs, Suzuki said.

NO INFRASTRUCTURE NEEDED. Driving a self-charging HEV eliminates range anxiety because its operation does not require off-vehicle charging while with other xEVs, complementary infrastructure will require preparation and perhaps additional support, on top of purchase price, due to high investment cost, Suzuki added.

The TMP president mentioned internal Toyota tests and assessment which indicated that HEVs can reduce fuel consumption and carbon dioxide emission by 50 percent compared to conventional vehicles. Battery electric vehicles (BEVs) can reduce fuel consumption by 100 percent, but this means that for every two units of HEV deployed, almost the same level of benefit can be achieved from one BEV unit.

Therefore, if environment and energy security are the main goals, the Philippines should start with HEVs while preparing for other xEVs, Suzuki said.

“All xEVs are important to achieve sustainable mobility goals, but we can quickly realize carbon emission reduction and fuel saving with HEVs,” Suzuki concluded. “This makes HEVs an ideal strategy for the Philippines. Finally, HEV is a core xEV technology. If popularized in the Philippines, it can contribute to the development of a local xEV ecosystem.”