For those who’ve been using their electric-powered personal transports (bikes, trikes, and scooters) as their primary means of getting around the cities and the suburbs, and are constantly minding the remaining range on their rides, there’s one less major worry for you, as Robinsons Malls now makes it possible for you to recharge your electric vehicles in its newly installed EV charging facilities.
Actually, two worrying items can now be struck off your stress list: Range and cost of fossil fuels, the latter being the ridiculously high prices of gasoline and diesel fuels which you’ve turned your back on since going EV.
In collaboration with Meralco and e-Sakay, Robinsons Malls launched its first EV charging station compatible with all types of EVs.
The charging stations are initially available at Robinsons Galleria in Ortigas Center in Quezon City, and soon at Robinsons Magnolia along Aurora Boulevard in New Manila, Quezon City, and its first EV charging station outside of Metro Manila, in Robinsons Tagaytay in Cavite province.
According to an Oct. 26 report by CNNPhilippines.com, Robinsons Malls’ EV charging facilities have been supplied and installed by Meralco subsidiary eSakay Inc, an end-to-end EV solutions provider. The charging stations feature charging pods for 4-wheeled EVs and Plug-in Hybrid Electric Vehicles (PHEVs), and pods that can accommodate 2-wheeled and 3-wheeled EVs such as e-bikes, e-scooters, and e-trikes. (https://www.cnnphilippines.com/business/2022/10/26/robinsons-land-meralco-sustainability-initiatives.html?fb&fbclid=IwAR3YQ20G7QbFSNuK7bCic8ka21fdhCSUvDaTsyJ_HB32aZ11K9qs8xREyvk).
In its Frequently Asked Questions section (https://virtualmalldirectory.robinsonsmalls.com/e-charge?), Robinsons Malls revealed that, for just P1, its facilities will allow up to 30 minutes of charging time for e-bikes, trikes, and scooters. Meanwhile, a separate facility for electric cars is free of charge (no pun intended). Here are some of the pertinent FAQs:
“How long will it take to charge an electric vehicle?
“The electric bike’s charging station is configured to charge a bike for 30 minutes for each coin dropped in the coin slot. A timer shall reflect the available e-bike charging time as soon as a coin has been dropped in the coin slot.
“How much does it cost to use the charging station?
“Using the electric bike’s charging station requires the user to drop in a P1 coin that gives a 30-minute charging time. A P5 and P10 coin is also accepted but will give the same amount of charging time.
“Do I need to bring my e-bike’s charger to use the charging station?
“Yes. The e-bikes charging station is equipped with a power outlet which will charge the e-bike as soon as a P1, P5 or P10 is dropped in the coin slot.
“What is the voltage for the eBike charging pod?
“The e-bike charging pod is operated with 220 VAC/60 hertz power requirement.