Soaring pump prices push Filipino taxi operators to deploy hundreds of electric vehicles on GrabTaxi Electric
Uncontrolled fuel price hikes are accelerating the shift to electric mobility in the Philippines as Filipino taxi operators deploy hundreds of hybrid and electric taxis on GrabTaxi Electric to shield their businesses from rising operating costs.
Operators including EV Taxi Corporation, EnviroCab, TaxiKo Transport Services, KateMikylla, CMAIII, ManilaTrans Taxi Corp, and Sun & Bin Transportation Corporation have activated hundreds of EV and hybrid units on the platform.
The expansion comes as pump prices continue to surge nationwide, squeezing conventional taxi operators already burdened by shrinking margins. The Department of Energy earlier flagged possible diesel hikes of ₱17.50 to ₱24.25 per liter and gasoline increases of ₱7 to ₱13 per liter during one of the steepest fuel adjustment periods this year.
EV operators say electric taxis cost around 75% to 87% less per kilometer to run than traditional combustion-engine units, giving fleets a major cost advantage amid volatile oil prices.
Operators added that GrabTaxi Electric has also improved fleet utilization by providing consistent app-based demand. Some report that over 80% of daily bookings now come from the platform, significantly increasing revenue stability.
The partnership supports the implementation of the Electric Vehicle Industry Development Act (EVIDA), which promotes faster franchise processing for EV public utility vehicles and encourages wider adoption of electric transport nationwide.
“When we invested in an all-electric fleet, the challenge was never the vehicle—it was the demand,” said Eric Ke, Chief Mobility Strategist of EV Taxi Corp.
‘GrabTaxi Electric gave us the utilization needed to make EV fleets commercially viable and scalable.”
GrabTaxi Electric is currently in beta across major Metro Manila hubs, with expansion planned for Cebu and Davao as EV adoption accelerates.
Grab Philippines said the initiative highlights how platform-driven demand can help make EV investments commercially viable while supporting cleaner, more resilient urban transport.