MANILA: It is not just their colourful and flamboyant look that is creating a buzz in the Philippines.

Noise and smoke-free, electric tricycles – also known as E3s – are now becoming the transport of choice for Taguig City's busy office workers.

Noisy and smoke-belching tricycles used to rule the streets of the bustling business district south of Manila but these days, busy office workers in Taguig City are now able to smell a different atmosphere.

Carol Sapida, an office worker in Manila, said: "I don't drive my car anymore. So this saves on gasoline. And I also get to breathe fresh air. The tricycles before emit dark smoke that worsens my allergy and my sinusitis. So this is better."

Even tricycle drivers prefer these green machines over their old vehicles.

Alfredo Dela Cruz, a tricycle driver, said: "Not only did our incomes increase by about 40 to 50 per cent, driving this electric tricycle is better for us because we don't inhale black smoke anymore."

Equipped with five 12-volt batteries running solely on electricity, these E3s can run at a maximum speed of 45 kilometres per hour and can travel up to a distance of 120 kilometres.

One-time charging would cost less than a dollar compared to a full tank of diesel which costs about US$4.

There are at least three million tricycles all over the Philippines, and they far outnumber cars and jeepneys. These electric tricycles therefore play a huge role in the fight against global warming.

With the transport sector contributing a majority of Metro Manila's pollution problems, Taguig City hopes that other cities will be able to follow suit, and lessen the city's worsening air pollution.

Freddie Tinga, Mayor of Taguig City, said: "You don't want to be in a situation where your back is against the world and pollution is so bad that you really can't do anything anymore. So this is important for us to do now."

Sean Gerard Villoria, president of Electric Vehicle Solutions, said: "Our offer is at no acquisition cost to the drivers and operators. With the joint venture with the LGU's, we will co-finance the E3 with the LGU's so that people have no reason not to use it."

With a price tag of about US$3,000 per unit, the city government says the E3 is much cheaper than a brand new gasoline-fed tricycle.

Proponents are now working on building recharging stations that will allow the electric tricycles to charge up instead of gas up.

- CNA/yb