Coming on the heels of the success of Filipino-made e-jeepneys, Francisco Motors (FMC) is now preparing to launch its own electric utility vehicle. FMC is known as the maker of Harabas and Anfra, Asian Utility Vehicles (AUVs) originally used as workhorses, or "pang-harabas" in local parlance.
CEO Elmer Francisco has announced via Facebook the development of a new Harabas model by FMC, powered by versatile commercial electricity instead of diesel. This vehicle will use LiFePO4 batteries with a range of 400 km per charge and can be charged from 20% to 80% in just 30 minutes. Francisco mentioned that this new Harabas model incorporates new components that are different from traditional jeepneys that rely on surplus truck parts.
Francisco also unveiled different configurations for the Harabas EV, including high-roof, low-roof, transport, cargo, and ambulance variants for different applications. However, he cannot claim that the vehicle is 100% Filipino because the commercial van components were sourced from various countries such as the US, Germany, China, Taiwan, and Australia. Nevertheless, he vows to make the Harabas truly Filipino-made with the support of the government.
As for the commercial availability of the Harabas EV, Francisco said it could happen "very soon." Their prototypes will be ready for road testing within a week or two, followed by cost evaluations before launch, assuming there are no obstacles from the government.
