Officials have said light EVs must be registered, and drivers must have a license, but the orders are largely ignored.

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Driven partly by transport restrictions during the Covid-19 pandemic, Filipinos have readily embraced three-wheeled EVs. These are far more affordable than entry-level electric cars; most can easily accommodate a family of four. Most vehicles are assembled locally, with parts imported cheaply from China under a no-tariff policy.

The e-trikes are often customized, with a light roof, and plastic sheets on the sides to shield from the elements. Accessories can include a mini fan, and even Bluetooth speakers. The vehicles come in several configurations: Smaller vehicles can carry one to three passengers. A bigger vehicle, which looks like a tuk-tuk (motorized auto-rickshaw), can ferry up to eight people. These are fast becoming an alternative to aging jeepneys, the iconic Filipino public transport vehicles that are being pushed to modernize.

In hacking affordable alternatives to the country’s poor public transport and pricey fuel bills, Filipinos are doing what people everywhere are doing, from Mexico City to Jakarta, transport economist Robert Siy told Rest of World.