Clark Dev’t Corp. seeking to attract more EV locators

CLARK Development Corp. (CDC) said it hopes to attract more electric vehicle (EV) manufacturers to the Clark Freeport Zone.

“Right now, we have one. It’s an American company. But we need more,” CDC President and Chief Executive Officer Agnes VST Devanadera told reporters last week.

“We have available area and you know, they don’t really require big sites. That is why we want manufacturing and the information technology investment — they only require small areas,” she added.

She said that some foreign investors have expressed interest in investing in the freeport, “but again, some are looking at our policies.”

She also added that Filipino investors in the EV industry have also indicated interest in Clark.

“There is one that expressed interest. I think it’s serious about manufacturing electric motorcycles and also electric golf cars,” she said. 

“We are shifting from just inviting foreigners to also inviting Philippine entrepreneurs,” she added.

Earlier this year, US EV maker Envirotech Vehicles, Inc. signed a lease agreement with Berthapil, Inc., a real estate developer in the freeport, to build a plant in the zone.

“They want to move to Asia and they think that politically and in everything else the Philippines is more stable than other Asian locations,” Ms. Devanadera said.

Envirotech hopes to start operating its assembly plant in Clark this year, Ms. Devanadera said.

“We have existing facilities … (so locators can) plug and play,” she said.

The facilities, she said, were used by previous locators who closed during the pandemic.

Asked about the size of Envirotech’s site, she said: “It is not big, that is why we were so encouraged to invite more because they don’t really need big facilities.” — Justine Irish D. Tabile