EVS IN NATURAL DISASTERS: BANE OR BOON?

Electric Vehicles (EVs) and Hybrid Electric Vehicles (HEVs) are steadily gaining mainstream traction in the Philippines. The appeal is clear: freedom from volatile fuel prices, potential savings from perks like no number coding (until 2030), and access to free charging stations in select malls.

- Words by Gabriel Pe

Yet, despite the excitement, many Filipino car buyers remain hesitant. Charging infrastructure remains a work in progress, and concerns over build quality, especially among Chinese brands, are still prevalent. More critically, there’s unease about how EVs would fare during natural disasters. These are valid worries, especially when a large financial investment is involved. In this piece, we'll bust a few myths and explore how EVs really perform when disaster strikes.

Myth: EVs and Water Don't Mix

One of the most persistent misconceptions about EVs is that they're overly sensitive to water—as if a few centimeters of flooding could render them useless. It’s an understandable fear. After all, we've all seen what happens when electronics get wet. And while tossing your phone in a bowl of rice might give you a shot at recovery, you obviously can’t do that with a two-ton electric car.