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Located at the border of Lipa City and Malvar Town in Batangas, approximately 100 kilometers south of Manila, the LIMA Industrial Estate is now home to South Luzon’s first electric vehicle assembly plant: LCS-EMON e-Jeepney Manufacturing Corp. This facility, launched in May 2024, represents both a significant milestone and a crucial development for the Philippines’ Public Utility Vehicle Modernization Program (PUVMP).

CleanTechnica waited two months to release this story, allowing time to verify the production of the Korean-designed e-Jeepney. Indeed, the factory is producing e-jeepneys, though not yet at its target pace of 500 units per month. The manufacturing team is currently focused on completing an initial export order of 60 units, which are slated for delivery to Paraguay.

Completion of the assembly line to meet the monthly target is currently impeded because not all the necessary machines and jigs are in place. The factory is staffed with skilled workers from Batangas. Electric motors, batteries, software, and designs are all sourced from Korea, not China.

The manufacturing facility is backed by the LCS Group of Companies (LCS), which holds diverse business interests including mining, energy, telecommunications, finance, and a chartered plane service called Platinum Skies. For this project, LCS partnered with South Korean electric vehicle technology specialist Electric Mobility ON (EMON), which is why the assembly plant is called LCS-EMON e-Jeepney Manufacturing.

The chief executive of LCS-EMON is Luis “Chavit” Singson, a Philippine businessman who transitioned into politics and is now a visionary entrepreneur. Many consider “Manong Chavit,” as he is more popularly known, a hero and patriot.

Once the governor of the fortified Ilocos Sur province, he ran for senator in the Philippine mid-year elections this year, but withdrew just before the campaign’s intensity peaked. He instead focused on what he believed was his true calling: to revitalize the local transport industry, restore the iconic Philippine jeepney, modernize it with green powertrain technologies, produce it in significant numbers, and sell it affordably to replace the smoke-spewing “rolling coffins” known by Filipinos as the “king of the road.”

Manong Chavit pursued his vision. He stated in a 2024 Facebook post that better public mobility was his political platform, but by dropping from the senatorial race, he pivoted directly into e-jeepney manufacturing.

His thrust was to make the jeepney affordable, even to subsidize the cost, as long as he could achieve his desired price range for the public transporter — between P1,200,000 to P1,500,000 ($21,300 to $26,500) per unit.

During the factory ribbon-cutting, he confirmed the final pricing at P1,200,000 for the LCS-EMON e-jeepney.

Once in full operation, the production of 500 electric jeepneys a month will significantly help meet the demands of the public transport sector, which currently faces the decommissioning of old jeepneys that fail to pass emissions and safety standards under the renewed Motor Vehicle Inspection System (MVIS). The supply of these green, PUVMP-compliant people transporters is expected to begin by the end of the second half of the year. The plant also promises substantial growth and economic development for the province of Batangas.

The e-J01 prototype electric jeepney was first unveiled by another LCS company, Legado Motors, in July 2024. Legado Motors was the distributor of the Chinese car brand GAC Motors and also manufactured purpose-built bulletproof personnel carriers for Filipino politicians under its Baluarte Motor Works brand.

According to Singson, the e-J01, fully built in Korea and shipped over, was designed to handle the daily grind of Filipino commuters and boasts a range of 100 kilometers (62 miles) per full charge.

“Its quiet engine and advanced battery system provide a smoother ride with less pollution. It can seat 22 passengers with six more standing, and is equipped with air-conditioning,” Chavit said, speaking in Tagalog. Although the full specifications of the e-jeepney have not yet been disclosed, the prototype was built with ease of assembly and component integration in mind.

Chavit also noted that the plant’s strategic location ensures the e-jeepneys come with the crucial advantage of local parts and maintenance support. Lipa is less than 40 kilometers (25 miles) from the port of Batangas, where most vehicle CKD and parts shipments arrive.

When the design was presented online, critics deemed it “backward.”

One commenter stated: “The design of the modern jeepney feels a bit mediocre — a parang okay na ito (that’s good enough) mindset. I know we can do better. With all the talent and creativity in the country, we deserve something more inspired and forward-thinking.”

Another comment suggested, “This design is suitable only for field trips and tours in historical or cultural places. The front area should be redesigned to accommodate three people, including the driver, in a modern bus-front style, and must consider the need to move more people, especially in crowded Metro Manila.”

However, Manong Chavit, as early as January 2024, was very firm about his design philosophy. “It must carry the iconic jeepney look, which is considered a cultural heritage,” he said.

The Philippine National Commission for Culture and the Arts (NCCA) has not formally designated jeepneys as “cultural property,” even if they are often referred to as “popular art.” Many jeepney operators and cooperatives agreed with this approach.

Chavit’s e-jeepney addresses the most critical challenge of the PUV Modernization Program: the high cost of modern jeepneys.

Traditional jeepney operators have long cited the prohibitive price of new, compliant units (ranging from P2.5 million to P3 million) as a major impediment to their participation in the program. For example, even the FMC Pinoy Transporter costs nearly P3 million.

Since the target price for the LCS-EMON e-jeepneys is P1.2 million ($21,300) per unit, this affordability is a game-changer, potentially allowing drivers and cooperatives to recover their investment within an estimated two to three years, instead of the five to seven years required for more expensive vehicles.

Chavit informed the media that the locally assembled units guarantee accessible servicing, fostering confidence among operators regarding long-term viability. This localized approach is expected to spur a more efficient and sustainable transition to modernized public transport.

The e-jeepney factory is situated within the dynamic LIMA Estate industrial hub, an economic driver for Lipa City and the South Luzon (Cavite-Laguna-Batangas-Rizal-Quezon or Calabarzon) region. The economic benefits of the factory go beyond direct job creation and industrial development.

The plant’s operations, from the procurement of raw materials to the assembly and distribution of finished units, will generate a multiplier effect across various sectors of the local economy. This includes an increased demand for logistics, warehousing, and energy infrastructure to support the factory and its associated charging requirements.

Drawing from Legado Motors’ earlier success in customized vehicle manufacturing, LCS-EMON’s venture also demonstrates a potential for further public and private investment in the region’s infrastructure, such as road networks and dedicated charging stations, to support the burgeoning e-jeepney ecosystem.

Lipa City is notably advanced in its sustainability efforts. It is one of the first local government units in the Philippines to promote the use of electric buses equipped with solar panels. Many factories at the LIMA Industrial Estate utilize solar power. Within the province of Batangas, COMET electric buses are also utilized inside First Philippine Holdings Corporation (FPH) industrial parks.

“After we begin producing 500 e-jeepneys per month, we aim to manufacture 2,000 e-bikes and 1,000 e-tricycles monthly as well,” Singson told the media.