Electric vehicles (EVs) have sustained the downturn of overall automotive sales, according to the Chamber of Automotive Manufacturers of the Philippines Inc. (Campi) and Truck Manufacturers Association Inc. (TMA). Vehicle sales have fallen 2.5 percent to 37,219 vehicles in July 2026 compared to the previous year. This is driven by rising gas prices that have stemmed from the Middle East conflict. Data gathered from the Department of Energy shows that prices for RON 91 (petrol) averaged 74.80 pesos per liter, while diesel prices averaged 90 pesos per liter.
Electric Vehicles: Cheaper to Run
Where gasoline and diesel-powered vehicle owners take the brunt of sustained fuel price hikes due to the Middle East crisis, EV owners are more insulated from the impact. Granted, electricity prices have also risen due to the energy crisis – up to 14.80 pesos per Kilowatt Hour from January’s 12.95 pesos; this increase is less than the exponential increase in fuel prices.
An average fill-up for a petrol vehicle, of 50 liters in gasoline, is 3,780 pesos; meanwhile filling up a diesel vehicle of the same tank will cost a staggering 4,500 pesos. This is assuming the baseline ‘grade’ of fuel. 93 and 95 RON gasoline cost 2-10 pesos higher per liter.
An electric vehicle, on the other hand, with an average battery size of 55 kilowatt hours costs 814 pesos at current electricity prices—18% of what it costs for a diesel vehicle. EVs, however, typically have lower ranges compared to their combustion-engined counterparts: around 500 kilometers at best, where realistic figures hover around 250-300 kilometers. There are also fewer charging stations than gasoline stations, making long trips a case of finding a charging station near the destination; this is not a problem for typical vehicles.
Infrastructure versus Cost
The electric-charging infrastructure in the Philippines is growing, but still not at the rate of gasoline stations. There are fast-charging options in malls—and even at participating gasoline stations—but owners who charge where they live must have a special charging outlet. At the rate that a home-located outlet charges, owners should expect around 3 hours (or more, if plugged in at a normal outlet) for their vehicle to fully charge. This is in stark contrast to 5 or so minutes it takes for fuel-powered vehicles. That said, a fast charger brings down the time to around 30 minutes. Fast chargers at participating locations do charge more, however: around 1.5 to 2x the price.
Fuel Supply becoming Elastic
Though infrastructure for electric vehicles is still not as prevalent or widespread as it is in European or American countries, the increase in demand for such cars are down to a few factors. Price hikes have changed the demand elasticity of fuel. Elasticity, in short, is the willingness of demand to seek alternatives in times of supply shortages. An inelastic demand means a demand that rarely shifts even with a shortage of said supply.
In the 1970’s fuel crisis, fuel was inelastic—there were no alternatives. Yet, consumers have sought alternatives in the form of fuel-efficient cars. Now, fuel is becoming an elastic entity. There are alternatives to fuel, chiefly in the form of electric propulsion. This is the very reason behind EV sales sustaining growth amidst overall declining vehicle sales. Consumers are becoming price-sensitive, and the sentiment towards fuel is shifting.
This is the reason that there are also electric jeepneys, or E-Jeeps. Traditional jeepneys run on diesel, and current operators have noted a decrease in daily profit—fuel has eaten into their margins. There is a sad reality, though: most operators cannot afford new electric jeepneys. They are forced into a corner of dwindling profits. They are the most exposed to the Middle East crisis.
EVs. More Accessible
Car owners are more insulated from the crisis precisely because they have more capital. And thus, they have the luxury to either sustain the soaring fuel prices or purchase an electric vehicle (either as a secondary car, or a city car—as some users report). Even with this luxury, the demand is clear: so long as fuel prices increase, the electric vehicle market—now filled with cheaper options from Tesla to BYD, from Chinese to American alternatives, have made the switch easier for car owners. It used to be that electric vehicles have little dealer support as most were gray market imports. Now, there are a plethora of legitimate dealers that sell and maintain electric vehicles directly. Access to electric vehicles—and the support system of official technicians—have served to simplify the ownership process.
What’s more, electric vehicles, with fewer moving parts, (compared to the thousands of parts in a combustion engine alone) have resulted in lower maintenance costs, increased reliability, and comparable resale value. The question only remains whether combustion vehicles can keep up. So long as EVs are at a comparable purchase price, fuel prices continue soaring, and dealership networks exist, the EV market will continue growing. The EV manufacturers will continue to innovate.
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