As electric vehicles become more visible on Philippine roads, parking spaces are taking on another role. They are becoming potential points of access to the country's growing EV charging infrastructure.
This is not simply a matter of putting an EV charger in a parking slot. It raises a bigger question for property owners, developers, building administrators, and businesses:
Is the parking infrastructure we are building today ready for the vehicles that we will use in the future?
That question is becoming increasingly relevant under Republic Act No. 11697 or the Electric Vehicle Industry Development Act (EVIDA).
What EVIDA means for parking spaces
EVIDA established a framework for accelerating the development and adoption of electric vehicles in the Philippines. One of its important provisions addresses something that may seem simple at first: where do EVs park?
Under the law's implementing rules, private and public buildings and establishments are required to designate dedicated parking slots for EVs, including light electric vehicles.
For buildings or establishments with 20 or more parking slots, at least 5% of the total parking space should be dedicated to EVs, subject to the requirements and timelines under the Comprehensive Roadmap for the Electric Vehicle Industry, or CREVI.
But the more important point for property owners is what comes next.
EVIDA also provides for the construction or installation of EV charging stations in these dedicated parking spaces. The CREVI determines when these spaces are to be equipped with charging stations, whether by the property owner or an EV charging station provider.
In other words, EV parking should not be viewed simply as a different parking designation Rather, It is part of a larger shift toward EV-ready properties.
Five percent sounds simple. Installing it isn't.
At first glance, a 5% parking requirement sounds simple. A property with 100 parking spaces, for example, would need to set aside five slots for EVs.
But making those spaces truly EV-ready takes more than simply marking a parking slot. Property owners need to think about where the charger should go, whether the building’s electrical system can handle the added load, what type of charger makes sense, how long vehicles are usually parked, and whether the site can support more EVs in the future.
Even details like cable routing, electrical upgrades, and how charging stations fit into the existing parking flow should be considered. These decisions cannot be made by looking at the charger alone. They require a good understanding of the property, its electrical setup, and how people will actually use the charging spaces. That is why a charging project should start with site assessment and planning, not choosing a charger.
A charger is only as good as the infrastructure supporting it
The charger may be the most visible part of an EV charging installation, but it is only one component of the system.
Behind it are electrical connections, protection equipment, cabling, distribution systems, communications, civil works, and the physical layout of the charging area.
EV charging can be considered earlier in the design process of commercial buildings, allowing electrical provisions, parking layouts, cable routes, and future expansion to be incorporated before construction is completed.
Charging infrastructure is electrical infrastructure.
It needs to be treated with the same level of planning, engineering, safety, and technical discipline expected from other building systems.
The best time to plan the parking space is before you need it, because the Philippines' EV transition is happening gradually, will not happen overnight. The more forward-looking question that business owners should now be asking is:
“What will it take to make our property EV-ready?”
That means considering the parking space, the charger type, the electrical system, installation requirements, user experience, and the possibility that charging demand will look very different a few years from now.
An office building can provide charging for employees, a hotel can offer it as an added service for guests, and a mall can give customers the option to charge while they shop. Residential developments can also prepare residents who may eventually make the switch to electric vehicles, while fleet operators can use charging infrastructure as part of their day-to-day operations.
But there is no one-size-fits-all approach. The right charging setup depends on how the property is used, how long vehicles typically stay parked, and how much charging demand the site may have in the future.
The EV transition is changing the vehicles on our roads.
It is also changing the places where those vehicles park.
And for Philippine properties, the parking space may be where the electric mobility transition becomes most tangible.
The best way to determine the right setup is through a professional site assessment that evaluates your available space, electrical infrastructure, charging demand, and business goals.
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¹ Inquirer.net, “EVs coming, but are there enough charging stations?” https://newsinfo.inquirer.net/1849381/evs-coming-but-are-there-enough-charging-stations