
Remember the 45 Toyota Prius hybrids that were donated last year to the Philippine National Police-Region 8 for use as patrol cars? Well, it has been more than a year now since that happened, and the Department of Energy set out to check if the cars are still running in good condition after more than 365 days of being in service.
The verdict? The inspection revealed that all the Toyota Prius hybrids are in good condition. For the next five years, DOE will do followup assessments of the cars semi-annually to make sure that the cars will be running smoothly.
In case you’re wondering, it’s not every day that our government gets electric vehicles (EV) as service cars, so monitoring the performance of the cars is important. It’s also a way to remove the stigma on hybrid cars and electric vehicles as unreliable forms of transportation. In other words, if you’re planning to buy a hybrid vehicle soon, you’ll be assured of its longevity since service vehicles go through a lot, and if they can withstand tough conditions, so does yours.
The 45 Toyota Prius hybrid vehicles were part of Japan Non-Project Grant Aid to the Philippines for the procurement and delivery of next generation vehicles (i.e. hybrid vehicles, plug-in hybrid electric vehicles and electric vehicles). The aid was worth 500 million yen, and was donated by DOE to several agencies, such as the Departments of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR), Department of Trade and Industry (DTI), Department of Science and Technology (DOST), Bureau of Fire Protection, Philippine Information Agency, Land Transportation Office, and the Regional Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council. In turn, the receiving agencies will be assisting the DOE in research, performance testing, and promotion activities so we can finally adopt the use of alternative fuel vehicles.
The Philippines isn’t new to using EVs in its agencies. In fact, we now have EV quick charging stations, thanks to the partnership between Mitsubishi Philippines and Meralco.
Get the best deal - Choose multiple dealerships to compare offers!
You can request quotations simultaneously from multiple Toyota dealerships. Select your preferred dealers from the list below.

- Receive quotes from multiple dealers in minutes.
- Check vehicle and color availability.
- Choose the best deal for you.
Latest News
-
Volkswagen Philippines might be launching the T-Cross / News
Launch date has not been disclosed just yet.
-
C-5 South Link imposes 60 km/h speed limit / News
Drivers should be mindful of the newly implemented speed limit.
-
Ford Ranger FX4 Max—a Raptor with increased payload capacity / News
Some of its suspension components were carried over from the Raptor.
Popular Articles
-
Cheapest cars under P700,000 in the Philippines
May 20, 2020
-
Top 10 pickup trucks in the Philippines
Earl Lee · Dec 02, 2020
-
Car Maintenance checklist and guide – here’s everything you need to know
Earl Lee · Jan 12, 2021
-
Most fuel efficient family cars in the Philippines
Bryan Aaron Rivera · Nov 27, 2020
-
2021 Geely Okavango — Everything you need to know
Joey Deriquito · Nov 19, 2020
-
Family cars in the Philippines with the biggest trunks
Nov 14, 2018
-
Head to Head: Toyota Fortuner vs. Nissan Terra
Bryan Aaron Rivera · Dec 03, 2020
-
Why oil changes are important for your car
Earl Lee · Nov 10, 2020
-
2021 Kia Stonic — What you need to know about it
Joey Deriquito · Oct 16, 2020
-
Top 7 tips for buying a used car in the Philippines
Joey Deriquito · Nov 26, 2020