NEUES Co. Ltd., a subsidiary of the NKC Metalworks Group of Osaka, Japan and Kart Plaza Manufacturing Corp., the Philippine leading electric golf kart distributor and servicing company, today announced a partnership that will see both companies engage in the local manufacturing of affordable and economical Electric Vehicles, which will be made available in the Philippine automotive market.

At a press conference held at the SMX in Pasay City, Johnny Tan, Managing Director of Kart Plaza Manufacturing Corp. said, “The emissions produced by internal combustion engines are contributing to the degradation of the earth’s atmosphere, resulting in pollution that affects our collective health and well-being, not to mention the unpredictable and extreme weather patterns we are now experiencing as a result of global warming. This makes it a necessity for those in the transportation industry to reverse these harmful consequences by exploring alternatives to the traditional modes of mobility. Electric vehicles are one answer to the problems. They are the wave of the future and, today, in the Philippines, we are about to ride on top of its crest with the introduction of an evolving concept in transportation, which is sustainable, economical, and for the Filipino.”

Under the agreement between the two companies, NEUES Co. Ltd. will provide the complete EV platform, as well as stand-alone  charging stations, which Kart Plaza will use to locally develop, assemble, distribute and service the Electric Vehicles that will be offered to the Philippine motoring public as an affordable, “green”, and sustainable transport.

The NKC Group, which is a provider of cutting edge technology and world-class products including bearing retainers, assembly-line conveyor systems, electric forklifts and wind-turbine technology, established NEUES Co. Ltd. which has been hard at  work on the development of electric cars since 2009. In 2013, the company unveiled its compact Electric Vehicle (EV) platform, which is comprised of an EV unit, chassis and wheels that can be customized to suit the preferences of any market.  Kart Plaza Manufacturing Corp. will help design and manufacture the EVs, as well as serve as the exclusive distributor and marketing arm of NEUES Co. Ltd. in the Philippines.

According to Tatsuo Nakanishi, president of parent company NKC Metalworks Co. Ltd., “Air pollution and oil hike cause serious problems to people’s lives all over the world, which is the same situation in the Philippines.  One of the solutions to this problem is electric cars. We are going to push forward with this project by cooperating with the Philippine government, private sector and all of you attending tonight. It is not just a dream to promote the electric vehicle by uniting the power of everyone here. Let us make the Philippines as a front runner of electric vehicles.”

During the program, several EV prototypes were paraded to attendees of the launch, who included DTI Secretary Gregory Domingo, Metro Manila Development Authority General Manager Corazon T. Jimenez, transport industry leaders, and members of the media.

According to Keisuke Imada, Head of the NEUES EV development, “When we designed the platform, the world safety standard rule was integrated into our electric vehicles. We also adopted up-to-date technology for driving and riding comfort at an affordable price. The major costs of the EV are the batteries and its management system. Our Japanese team is composed of experts in developing car chassis but the final styling, assembling and design of the body exterior and interior will be handled by Kart Plaza Manufacturing Corp.