00:00 [Music]
00:05 This well-known local Jeepney manufacturer is not only offering affordable modern PUVs,
00:11 it is also committed to pioneering hydrogen-powered Jeepneys in the country
00:15 in a partnership with an international hydrogen market.
00:19 To tell us if this innovation is worth the ride, we have E-Francisco Motor Corporation Chairman
00:25 and CEO Elmer Francisco joining us via Zoom.
00:28 Good afternoon, sir. Welcome back to Traffic Center.
00:31 Hey, good afternoon, Sam. Thank you for having me back.
00:35 Sir, so hydrogen as fuel is a concept that's new to many of us here in the country.
00:41 So first and foremost, what exactly is it and how is it different compared
00:45 to the mainstream fuel that most of us are using now?
00:49 To give you a background, I myself am a physicist,
00:54 so I know what I'm doing and I know what I'm talking about.
00:58 First, the difference is the byproduct.
01:02 So unlike fossil fuel, the byproduct is toxic.
01:05 Hydrogen's byproduct is just simply water.
01:09 So water that you can drink.
01:10 So sir, as a physicist, based on your research,
01:17 what are the benefits of using a hydrogen-powered vehicle?
01:20 And are there any downsides to it as well?
01:24 First, it's fuel efficient.
01:26 And number two, it's abundant.
01:28 It's very about hydrogen is very abundant.
01:31 And the best of all is that it's clean.
01:34 So the byproduct is not toxic.
01:37 It's simply water that you can simply drink.
01:38 The problems before of hydrogen fuel,
01:44 before it was, it's an explosive, it's flammable.
01:49 But with solid state hydrogen, it's non-explosive.
01:52 And it's non-explosive and not flammable.
01:55 So that's the technology that we're currently doing.
01:58 Okay. How would you compare it to the e-Jeep, sir?
02:00 Okay. Electric jeepneys, since we're doing it,
02:06 we're rolling out on the second quarter of 2024.
02:09 With hydrogen, we have pure hydrogen or hybrid hydrogen.
02:15 So with hybrid hydrogen, we can simply add this to our electric jeepneys
02:20 and it will extend the range.
02:22 Because before we have, not now, we have hybrid electric systems
02:29 of which gasoline fed engines are charging the electric motors or the batteries.
02:38 But in this case, it's hydrogen, not gasoline.
02:41 Okay.
02:42 So it's basically the same concept.
02:45 Okay.
02:45 Only that we have more fuel.
02:48 Sir, so you've partnered with international hydrogen market, HDEX,
02:52 to bring these hydrogen powered vehicles in the country.
02:55 Can you tell us more about this partnership and do we have any update?
02:58 Okay. Regarding HDEX, it's a global exchange of anything about hydrogen.
03:06 So it's HDEX group.
03:09 So I'm actually the chief science officer of HDEX group.
03:13 Wow.
03:14 It's a big group that is based in UK and also in the US,
03:20 of which everything that contributes to the development of the hydrogen market
03:28 is connected to this.
03:30 So the main thing here is we want to bring hydrogen fuel production here in the Philippines.
03:37 So we will add it to our economic zone in Camarines Norte.
03:41 Okay.
03:42 So it will be locally produced.
03:44 Right. Actually, Sir, you once said that hydrogen fuel isn't only an alternative fuel,
03:48 but you said it's the fuel of the future.
03:51 Why is that?
03:52 Yes, it's the fuel of the future because it's among the most abundant fuel that we could ever have.
03:59 And of course, if electric vehicles, you will have range anxiety.
04:06 With hydrogen, it will extend the range of your vehicles.
04:11 Right.
04:11 How would it be charged, Sir?
04:14 Would we have stations, I assume, in the long run?
04:16 Yes, because with our electric jeepneys,
04:20 Francisco Motors will set up the charging stations, the charging infrastructure nationwide.
04:28 With that infrastructure, we will also add our hydrogen refueling stations.
04:34 So that's what we're also doing.
04:36 So the e-jeep, Sir, and this hydrogen powered fuel actually go hand in hand?
04:41 Yes, because now what we're doing is the full electric ones,
04:47 the battery operated electric vehicles.
04:50 But later on, we can also shift entirely to pure hydrogen powered jeepneys.
04:56 So the reason behind this is many of our jeepney operators are requesting
05:03 for an alternative, a variant from your electric jeepneys.
05:08 They want an internal combustion option.
05:12 So what I'm saying is the hydrogen is an internal combustion fuel,
05:17 but unlike gasoline or diesel, it's non-toxic and it's not from fossil fuel.
05:23 So Sir, if successfully brought in, this could be a groundbreaking feat
05:27 for Filipino transport system.
05:29 But I'm sure motorists are wondering, will this be cheaper or more costly?
05:35 Actually, in everything, it's all about the economies of scale.
05:40 So when we have the economies of scale, everything will become cheaper.
05:44 So that's actually our goal, of which with the jeepneys,
05:50 and as I've mentioned before, we're not only building jeepneys,
05:53 we're also doing trikes or e-trikes and utility vehicles.
05:59 So it's not just the jeepneys.
06:00 So we have a huge market here for the electric vehicles.
06:04 Therefore, we'll also have a huge market for hydrogen,
06:08 which will give us the economies of scale and it will bring the costs down.
06:12 Right. I wish we could discuss this more, Sir, but we're running out of time.
06:15 Thank you, E. Francisco, Motor Corporation Chairman and CEO Elmer Francisco.
06:20 Francisco.
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