*Corresponding author: mborpilla@yahoo.com
Comparative Study between Conventional and Converted Electric Tricycle
Michael B. Orpilla, Arthur G. Ibanez, Florentina S. Dumlao, and Harley B. Tolentino
Electromobility Research and Development Center, Cagayan State University, Carig, Tuguegarao City 3500 Cagayan, Philippines
In the Philippines, tricycles are the most popular short-distance mode of transportation, and they are considered one of the major sources of air and noise pollution. Shifting to an electric tricycle (e-Trike) is seen as the solution, but it is hindered due to its high investment cost. One way to reduce the investment cost while having the benefit of an e-Trike is by converting the conventional tricycle to an electric tricycle (c-Trike). This study compares the performance and economic potential of conventional tricycles with the c-Trike. Mileage efficiency, climbing ability, and emissions are the factors considered in comparing these tricycles. The c-Trike has a better mileage efficiency of around 268 and 365% compared with 4- and 2- stroke counterparts, respectively. Climbing ability is tested considering different loads on the sloped roads available within Tuguegarao City. Due to the absence of a transmission, the c-Trike can only climb a 13-degree sloped road at a maximum load of 250 kg, compared to the 300 kg of the conventional tricycle, which limits its application to relatively flat terrain areas. The c-Trike emits half and a third less CO2 than the 2- and 4-stroke counterparts, respectively. Converting all 2-stroke units to c-Trike in Tuguegarao City will result in yearly environmental savings of around 16,000 tons of CO2. Economic analysis performed shows that the c-Trike is more economically feasible – having a 242.38% rate of investment (ROI), an 877,748.16 net present value (NPV), and a 0.41 payback period compared to 241.29%, 708,761.96, and 0.41 for conventional tricycles. The result of the study provides valuable input for the TODA operators, especially those with 2-stroke units, on which option is the most feasible as they are mandated to upgrade their tricycles. This could also be useful information for lawmakers in drafting legislation and policies supporting transportation modernization.
Keywords: climbing ability, CO2 emission, converted tricycle, economic analysis, mileage efficiency
INTRODUCTION
The Philippines has a growing demand for fossil fuels in the transportation sector, which largely contributes to global warming and climate change. Tricycles are the country’s most common mode of short-distance transport, which constitutes about 4 million (PSA 2018). In Tuguegarao City, there are 7,067 registered tricycle units,
of which roughly 50% are still 2-stroke units, as per the Land Transportation Franchising and Regulatory Board.
Studies claim that the tricycle is one of the top contributors to noise and air pollution and one of the most inefficient users of gasoline fuel (Greyson et al. 2021; Luansing et al. 2015; Reynolds et al. 2011; Biona et al. 2007) Fuel consumption and maintenance costs of these tricycles are high, thus reducing the potential income of drivers. If the authorities strictly implement environmental standards, ISSN 0031 - 7683
Date Received: 12 Jan 2023
many tricycles – especially those powered by 2-stroke engines – will no longer be permitted to operate. If this is the case, many units of tricycles will be junked, even though the body and frame are still in good condition.
The adoption of electric vehicles (EVs) is seen as one of the sustainable solutions to mitigate the harmful effects of climate change (Reksowardojo et al. 2020; Islameka et al. 2019; Aziz and Budiman 2017) Issues such as the high initial cost and the lack of standards and clear policies regarding their implementation inhibit the widespread utilization of EVs.
Several comparative studies are performed for conventional tricycles and e-Trikes (Balaria et al. 2017; Sarsalejo and Preciados 2018; Charadsuksawat et al. 2018). Some results indicate that e-Trike’s larger capacity and lower maintenance costs have a potentially higher income (Sarsalejo and Preciados 2018). However, because of its high investment cost, its ROI is lower compared to the gas-fed tricycles. There are many initiatives to lower the investment cost for the e-trike to be more competitive.
One option is to convert the conventional tricycle to a c-Trike. The conversion is made by changing the gasoline engine and other parts associated with its gas-fed operation and replacing them with an electric conversion kit. Compared to the commercially available e-Trike, this has a significant cost reduction since the existing chassis and frame of the tricycle are used.
In Tuguegarao City, 2-stroke tricycle owners are mandated to upgrade their units before they are allowed to renew their franchises and business permits. Two possible options are given for the upgrade – drop the 2-stroke unit and substitute it with either a 4-stroke unit or convert the existing 2-stroke unit to a c-Trike.
In some situations, converting an existing conventional tricycle into a c-Trike is more expensive than just buying a new motorcycle that could be used to replace the existing old motorcycle in the tricycle, particularly when using a motorcycle of a lower brand. However, compared to a traditional gas-fed tricycle, the c-Trike’s operating costs are significantly lower.
Members of the Tricycle Operators and Drivers Association (TODA) are uncertain about which option is better to adopt upgrading to a 4-stroke engine or choosing conversion. Comparative studies published are usually between conventional tricycles and commercially available e-Trikes. There have been no conducted studies on the comparative study between conventional tricycles and the c-Trike that could be used as the basis for the TODA members’ decision-making.
The main objective of this paper is to assess the performance of the c-Trike against the conventional
tricycles and provide recommendations as to which is more viable to use. Specifically, the objectives of the study are to:
• conduct experiments to assess the performance and mileage efficiency of the conventional tricycles against the c-Trike for various loads and terrains,
• compare the overall emissions of the conventional tricycle vs. the c-Trike, and
• conduct economic analysis to determine which is the most viable option.
The result of the study will help the TODA members in their decision about which option to adopt. The result of economic analysis is also a good input for policymakers in the creation of business models and policies supporting conversion.
MATERIALS AND METHODS
Study Area
This study was conducted in Tuguegarao (Figure 1), which is the capital city of the province of Cagayan where the regional government centers and big universities in Region 2 are situated. Tricycles are the main form of transportation in and around Tuguegarao City, which has a size of around 145 km2 (philatlas.com). Records from TRU reveal 7,067 registered tricycles, of which 50% are still 2-stroke units.
To fully compare the performance of the trikes, a deployment was undertaken to cover as many of the city’s tricycle routes as possible. There are 49 barangays in the city served by the 35 registered TODAs. In the deployment, the 35 TODA routes are clustered into 11 – considering the length, the terrain, the traffic condition, and the road overlaps. The trikes traveled on each cluster for 12 d over the course of 2 wk, with 1 d of restriction per week (coding).
Other controlled experiments like the effect of varying load and inclination are performed at a specific location and time.
The daily mileage traveled, the speed-time profile, the amount of fuel used (in the case of a conventional tricycle), and the amount of energy used (in the case of a c-Trike) were the data acquired during the deployment. To gather this data, a GPS mobile application was installed on the driver’s mobile phone, which they carried during the trip.
To accurately determine the daily fuel consumption of a conventional tricycle, they started the data collection at full tank. The amount of fuel needed to fully fill the
tank at the end of the data collection is the amount of fuel consumed in a day. On the other hand, the c-Trike energy consumption was determined through the digital cycle analyst (V3 CA) that was installed at the battery bank. The cycle analyst has the capability of measuring the c-Trike’s output voltage, current power, and energy.
Performance Assessment
The tricycle model used in Tuguegarao City has a 5-passenger capacity and has a baggage carrier to carry extra passengers’ luggage (Figure 2). The c-Trike is built to have the same capacity as the conventional ones. Table 1 shows the general specifications of the trikes being compared.
To assess the performance of the e-Trike, they are compared in terms of the mileage efficiency and climbing ability.
Mileage efficiency. Mileage efficiency is the ratio of the distance traveled to the fuel consumed. Most conventional vehicles mileage efficiency is measured in kilometers per liter (km/L) or miles per gallon (MPG). EV mileage efficiency, on the other hand, is measured in miles per kilowatt-hour (mi/kWHr) or kilometers per kilowatt-hour (km/kWHr). These mileage efficiencies, for them to be
comparable, are converted into pesos per kilometer (PHP/
km), considering the current price of gasoline (PHP/L) and electricity (PHP/kWHr).
𝑀𝐸���� = 𝑑 𝐿 (1)
𝑀𝐸�� = 𝑑𝐸 (2)
where:
𝑀𝐸���� is the mileage efficiency of conventional tricycle in km/L,
𝑀𝐸�� is the mileage efficiency of c-Trike in km/kWHr,
𝑑 is the distance travelled,
𝐿 are the liters of gasoline consumed, and 𝐸 is the energy consumed in kWHr.
The mileage efficiency is affected by many factors such as driving habits, load, road conditions, etc. For this experiment, the mileage efficiency for the mixed road will be taken from the average data from the 6 mo of deployment within the city. The effect of the varied load and inclination on the mileage efficiency is considered in
Figure 1. Screen shot of the map of Tuguegarao City and TODA Parking Station.
Table 1. Specifications of the conventional tricycles deployed.
Specification Tricycle type
2-stroke 4-stroke c-Trike
Make model Yamaha Haojue Converted
Engine displacement (cc)/ power (kW) 100 cc 125 cc 5 kW
Weight (kg) 310 ± 2.32 350 ± 4.50 365 ± 6.36
Frontal area (m2) 2.1716 ± 0.07 2.2129 ± 0.06 2.2567 ± 0.06
Fuel Unleaded gasoline Premium gasoline Powered by battery (100 Ah LiFePO4)
Figure 2. Common tricycle models used in Tuguegarao City.
a controlled experiment set-up. For the effect of varied load, this was taken in a relatively flat terrain, and the experiment was performed starting from the base load and with additional load increments of 50 kg until it reached its capacity of 300-kg additional load. Since there are no available variable ramps, the effect of varied inclination on mileage efficiency is tested, considering the available sloping roads in the city with a maximum load of 300 kg.
Climbing ability. In this experiment, trikes are tested on a steeply inclining road to see how much load they can carry successfully while overcoming the slope. The steepest road available within the campus is 13 degrees with a length of 50 m. The experiment started with the base load of the tricycle with the driver, then an increment of 50 kg was added until it reached the maximum load of 300 kg.
Weighed gravel and sand are used for this experiment.
Environmental saving. Global warming is attributed to carbon emissions. One of the significant sources of carbon emissions is the transportation sector. Two-stroke and 4-stroke tricycles use different technologies and fuels. Along with this, they also emit different pollutants. Therefore, it is necessary to measure and compare their emissions and determine the impact once they shift to c-Trike.
The pollutant assessed in this paper is carbon dioxide (CO2), which is the main contributor to the greenhouse effect that accounts for global warming. At present, the EMRDC has no installed dynamometer with a gas analyzer. Also, there are no data made public by the Department of Environment and Natural Resources–
Environmental Management Bureau in the Philippines regarding the distinct emissions of 2- and 4-stroke tricycles. Due to a lack of equipment, emission factors are used to estimate the CO2 emissions of conventional tricycles. The result of this comparative analysis is an essential input for the estimation of tricycles’ contribution to the nationwide emission.
C-Trike is known to have zero tailpipe emissions.
However, because the source of electricity where its charge came from is not 100% clean energy, there are still emissions associated with it. C-Trike emission is calculated by getting the total energy consumed and deriving the emission using the blended emission factor of the current generation mix in the country.
The emission of conventional tricycles and the c-Trike is then calculated as:
𝐶𝑂₂𝐸 =𝐸𝐹 𝑥 𝑑𝑀𝐸 (3) where:
𝐶𝑂₂𝐸 is the carbon dioxide emission in kg, 𝐸𝐹 is the emission factor,
–2.32 kg of CO2 per L for gas-fed engine –0.61kg of CO2 per kWHr for c-Trike 𝑑 is the distance traveled in meters, and 𝑀𝐸 is the mileage efficiency in (km/L for gas-
fed and km/kWHr for c-Trike).
The CO2 emissions produced by each 2-stroke and 4-stroke trike unit are multiplied by the overall number of 2-stroke and 4-stroke tricycle units to determine the total CO2 emissions generated by tricycles in Tuguegarao City. The environmental savings can be calculated as the reduction in emissions after the conversion of the conventional tricycle to the c-Trike.
Economic analysis. Existing 2-stroke tricycles in Tuguegarao City are required to be upgraded to 4-stroke or c-Trike units. However, drivers find it difficult to determine which option is more economically viable.
Conventional tricycles have lower investment costs but higher operating costs, which is the opposite of the
C-Trike, which has a higher investment cost but a lower operating cost. This section calculates and compares the conventional tricycle’s economic side against the c-Trike.
The economic measures used in the comparison are the ROI, payback period, NPV, and B/C ratio. Considering the two alternatives, the option having the higher ROI, NPV, and B/C ratio and a lower payback period is considered the best option. Below are the formulas for solving ROI, NPV, B/C, and payback period.
𝑅𝑂𝐼 = 𝑁𝐴𝐼 𝑥 100
𝐼 𝐶 (4)
(5)
(6)
𝑥 100 (7) 𝑁𝐴𝐼 𝑃𝑎𝑦𝑏𝑎𝑐𝑘 𝑝𝑒𝑟𝑖𝑜𝑑 = 𝐼 𝐶 where:
𝑁𝐴𝐼 is the net annual income, 𝐼 𝐶 is the investment cost, 𝐴𝐵 are the annual benefits, 𝐴𝑑𝐵 are the annual dis benefits,
𝐴𝐶 is the annual cost,
𝑛 are the number of years, and 𝑖 is the interest rate.
RESULTS AND DISCUSSION
Performance Comparison
Drive cycle. At the end of the data gathering, the drive cycles for the 2-stroke, 4-stroke, and c-Trike were determined. Figure 3 shows the drive cycle generated for the c-Trike. Its parameters are tabulated in Table 2 together with the established data based on the data gathered in the city using conventional tricycles. It shows that the c-Trike’s parameters were closer to those of the 4-stroke tricycle, having an average relative error of 7.93%
compared to 10.11% for the 2-stroke unit.
The average relative error of the c-Trike to the conventional tricycle’s maximum speed, average speed, and average running speed was 4.11, 10.11, and 6.25%, respectively.
This indicates the c-Trikes’ comparable performance to
the conventional tricycles in actual road conditions. The average positive acceleration of the c-Trike was higher due to its easier maneuverability and wider RPM range.
Mileage efficiency. Mileage efficiency was significant, especially in the conduct of economic analysis. For the conventional tricycle and the c-Trike to be comparable, their mileage efficiencies were converted into pesos per kilometer (PHP/km). During the period of the study, the average conversion rate of USD 1.00 to PHP was PHP 52.00. The prevailing prices of gasoline and electricity are PHP 75/L and PHP 11/kWh, respectively.
The mileage efficiency of the conventional tricycle and c-Trike were compared for flat and sloped terrains with varied loads. Generally, as the load and the road inclination increased, the consumption increased for both the conventional and the c-Trike.
Mileage efficiency on mixed roads. The c-Trike, 2-stroke, and 4-stroke tricycles were deployed within the city for 6 mo. After the deployment, the recorded average daily
Figure 3. Tuguegarao City drive cycle generated from the gathered data using the c-Trike.
Table 2. Parameters of the drive cycles generated by the different types of tricycles for Tuguegarao City.
Parameter 2-stroke 4-stroke c-Trike
Percent idle (%) 34.86 ± 2.68 28.84 ± 2.43 33.46 ± 3.40 Maximum speed
(kph) 30.06 ± 2.78 30.31 ± 1.79 31.48 ± 3.30 Minimum speed
(kph) 0 0 0
Average speed
(kph) 10.76 ± 2.30 13.28 ± 2.10 12.46 ± 2.61 Average positive
acceleration ( ) 0.205 ± 0.02 0.208 ± 0.01 0.238 ± 0.02 Average negative
acceleration ( ) -0.311 ±
0.05 -0.248 ±
0.02 -0.276 ± 0.03 Average running
speed (kph) 16.74 ± 1.58 18.83 ± 1.04 18.97 ± 0.87
mileage efficiencies were 12.53 km/kWh, 31.78 km/L, and 23.36 km/L for the c-Trike, 4-stroke, and 2-stroke units, respectively. For comparison, these values were converted into pesos per kilometer (PHP/km), considering the prevailing price of gasoline and electricity. Table 3 shows the mileage efficiency in pesos per kilometer. The c-Trike mileage efficiency is 268 and 365% better than the 4- and 2-stroke units, respectively.
Figure 4. Mileage efficiency of the conventional and converted tricycles on varied loads.
Based on surveys conducted on tricycle drivers, they are permitted to travel 6 d/wk, and the usual distance traveled is 100 km/d. Based on these assumptions, c-Trike drivers have a potential yearly income increase of around PHP 72,000.00 and 46,000.00 compared to 2- and 4-stroke units, respectively.
Effect of varying loads in mileage efficiency. An experiment on varied loading conditions while measuring the mileage efficiency was conducted to determine the effect of loads on the consumption of the c-Trike and conventional tricycles. Generally, the c-Trike’s travel expense per kilometer is lower than that of conventional tricycles.
The result of the experiment (Tolentino et al. 2022) shows that an additional load of 1 kg on the 2- and 4-stroke tricycles decreased the mileage efficiency by an average of 0.5258 and 0.5372%, respectively. For the c-Trike, an average reduction of 1.9167% in mileage efficiency is recorded. The added weight has a more significant effect on the mileage efficiency of the c-Trike due to the lower torque of direct-drive hub motors.
Effect of inclined roads in mileage efficiency. Table 4 shows the mileage efficiency on selected inclined road sections with a total driver plus dummy load of 300 kg.
The travel expense per kilometer of the c-Trike, when
Table 4. Mileage efficiency of the tricycles on inclined roads.
Location Road inclination (degrees)
Mileage efficiency (PHP/km)
2-stroke 4-stroke c-Trike
Location 1 8 28.46 ± 1.60 22.04 ± 1.33 2.58 ± 0.16
Location 2 10 31.30 ± 1.09 24.13 ± 0.84 3.73 ± 0.15
Location 3 11 36.73 ± 1.36 27.72 ± 0.87 4.07 ± 0.16
Table 3. Mileage efficiency of the different types of tricycles on mixed roads.
Tricycle type Pesos per kilometer (PHP/km)
2- stroke 3.21 ± 0.11
4- stroke 2.36 ± 0.13
c-Trike 0.88 ± 0.04
assessed on different road inclinations, is less than that of conventional tricycles. With a total load of 300 kg, the average fuel costs of a conventional tricycle compared to the c-Trike were 9.5 times and 7.3 times higher for 2- and 4-stroke units, respectively. The climbing ability of the C-Trike was limited due to its gearless direct-drive hub motor. Conventional tricycles can climb steep roads due to their 4-speed transmission. The C-Trike could only successfully climb 13 degrees with a 250-kg load.
Effect of traffic conditions on mileage efficiency. It was observed in the previous study (Tolentino et al. 2022) that around 30% of the conventional tricycle’s daily travel in Tuguegarao City is idling due to traffic conditions. During idling, conventional tricycles consume gasoline without accumulating additional distance.
Based on the experiment, the operation cost per km increased due to traffic conditions. The operation cost increased by 59 and 48% for the 2- and 4-stroke units, respectively (Figure 5). On the other hand, the c-Trike only recorded a 26% increase. Therefore, c-Trike is less sensitive to heavy traffic conditions, which is especially favorable for city driving.
Environmental Saving
In this section, emission factors for tricycles and electricity-generating plants were used to estimate the emissions. Based on the Department of Energy (DOE
Table 6. Potential CO2 reduction when converting 2-stroke tricycle to c-Trike.
Percent (%) of 2-stroke
converted Total annual
emission (tons/yr) Percent re- duction (%)
0 18,980.93 0
10 18,711.19 1.42
20 18,441.44 2.84
25 18,306.56 3.55
50 17,632.19 7.11
60 17,362.44 8.53
75 16,957.81 10.66
80 16,822.94 11.37
100 16,283.44 14.21
Table 5. Estimated emission of a tricycle per type per year.
Tricycle type Emission CO2 (kg/yr)
2-stroke 3093.33 ± 101.72
4-stroke 2278.38 ± 126.08
c-Trike 1514.97 ± 68.40
2018) report, conventional tricycles emit 2.32 kg of CO2 per L of gasoline. Considering the generating plants’
blended operation, the emission factor is 0.61 kg of CO2 per kWh of electricity consumed (Econometrica 2011).
Given that the tricycles are permitted to travel 6 d/wk at an average daily journey of 100 km, Table 5 presents the estimated yearly emissions produced by these three types of tricycles.
Figure 5. Operational expenses (in PHP/km) on traffic and non- traffic conditions.
It shows that the 4-stroke trike emitted 1.5 times as much CO2 as the c-Trike, whereas the 2-stroke tricycle emitted twice as much.
Currently, there are 7,067 registered tricycles in Tuguegarao City, and around 50% are 2-stroke units. Table 6 shows the estimated emission and possible reduction of CO2 if a certain percentage of the 2-stroke tricycles
upgrade their tricycles to c-Trike. These results show a significant reduction in CO2 emissions in the city.
It is evident from the data that the c-Trike had lower emissions compared to conventional tricycles, even without considering the emissions due to the refinery process of gasoline fuels. The c-Trike’s emissions could be reduced further if the source of electricity shifts to green technologies like solar, wind, hydro, and other green renewable energies.
Economic Analysis
This section presents the results of the comparative economic analysis between the conventional tricycle and the c-Trike to determine which option is more viable.
The overall cost of converting the conventional tricycle to a c-Trike comes from the material cost of the conversion kit, manpower costs, equipment costs, and utility costs.
The total production cost of a c-Trike is estimated to be PHP 107,200.00.
To compare which is more advantageous to drivers when upgrading their tricycles, Table 7 shows the investment cost and list of parts, the usual frequency of replacement or repair, and their incurred cost. Information was collected through surveys from tricycle drivers, local motorcycle parts stores, and service shops.
Based on the survey (see Table 8): the average daily distance traveled by the drivers is 100 km. The average fuel price per liter was PHP 75.00, whereas the energy price per kWh was PHP 11.00. Drivers’ gross income per day can reach PHP 1,000.00.
With all these assumptions, the calculated ROI, payback period, NPV, and benefit-cost ratio favor the c-Trike, as shown in Table 9.
The low operation and maintenance costs of the c-Trike outweighed its high investment costs.
CONCLUSION
The converted tricycle’s performance was compared to conventional gas-fed tricycles. It consumes less fuel when subject to weights, road gradients, and traffic conditions.
However, the climbing ability of the c-Trike is limited due to its gearless hub motor. It could only climb 13 degrees of inclination with a 250-kg additional load, which limits its application to relatively flat terrains.
The c-Trike’s drive cycle parameters were very similar to those of a conventional tricycle, demonstrating that it performs comparably to conventional tricycles under
Table 8. Parameters and assumptions used for economic analysis.
Parameters 4-stroke c-Trike
[1] Average daily travel 100.00 ± 10 100.00 ± 10
[2] Fuel efficiency (km/L) 32.00 ± 1.85 N/A
[3] Energy efficiency (km/kWh) N/A 12.54 ± 0.62
[4] Average fuel price (PHP/L) 75.00 ± 2.55 N/A
[5] Average energy charge (PHP /kWh) N/A 11.00 ± 0.31
[6] Average daily expenses 234.38 ± 25.42 87.72 7.76
[7] Average daily gross income 1,000.00 ± 50 1,000.00 ± 50
[8] Average daily profit 765.63 ± 54 912.28 ± 44
[9] Average yearly profit 220,500.00 ± 15,560 262,736.84 ± 12,672
Table 7. Investment cost and annual operation and maintenance cost comparison.
Cost involved Conventional 4-stroke tricycle Converted e-Trike
A. Investment cost 87,000.00 107,200.00
B. Annual operation and main-
tenance cost Frequency in
a year Unit cost Annual cost Frequency in
a year Unit cost Annual cost Parts
B.1 Front wheel 2 400.00 ± 14.32 800.00 1 400.00 ± 14.32 400.00
B.2 Rear wheel 2.00 670.00 ± 13.69 1,340.00 1.00 670.00 ± 13.69 670.00
B.3 Bearing 2.00 80.00 ± 4.18 160.00 N/A
B.4 Chain sprocket set 2 550.00 ± 7.91 1,100.00 N/A
B.5 Sparkplug 1 70.00 ± 3.54 70.00 N/A
B.6 Battery 1 750.00 ± 4.18 750.00 N/A
B.7 Brake shoe 2.00 100.00 ± 3.54 200.00 2.00 100.00 ± 3.54 200.00
B.8 Oil seal 1.00 100.00 ± 5 100.00 N/A
B.9 Clutch cable 1 70.00 ± 5 70.00 N/A
B.10 Brake cable 1 70.00 ± 5 70.00 1 70.00 ± 5 70.00
Service
B.11 Vulcanizing 6 50.00 300.00 6 50.00 300.00
B.12 Cylinder head cleaning 1 500.00 ± 17.68 500.00 N/A
B.13 Carburetor cleaning 12 50.00 ± 3.53 600.00 N/A
B.14 Repacking 1 50.00 50.00 N/A
B.15 Change oil 12 30.00 360.00 N/A
B.16 Tune-up 12 80.00 ± 10 960.00 N/A
B.17 Overhauling 1 1,500.00 ± 50 1,500.00 N/A
B.18 Wheel alignment 1 150.00 ± 3.54 150.00 1 150.00 ± 3.54 150.00
B.19 LTO registration/emission
- Emission testing 300.00 N/A N/A
- Insurance 700.00 700.00 700.00
- LTO registration 500.00 350.00 350.00
Annual O&M 10,580.00 2,840.00
Table 9. Simple economic analysis on the 4-stroke and c-Trike.
Economic analysis 4-stroke c-Trike
ROI 241.29% 242.44%
Payback period 0.41 0.41
NPV (using 5-yr horizon) 708,761.96 877,748.16
BCR 9.15 9.19
real-world road conditions.
It is also proven in this study that the c-Trike had better mileage efficiency, so drivers spent less on fuel. The price of gasoline had increased from PHP 50.00 to PHP 75.00, or around 50%, since the start of this study. The current price is still expected to escalate due to low supply. On the other hand, the fluctuation of energy cost per kWh ranges between PHP 11,000–12,000, which is only an 8% increase.
Considering Tuguegarao City’s relatively flat terrain and the results of the comparative analysis, the c-Trike is a more advantageous option for drivers who are updating their tricycle units. In addition to these benefits, incorporating viable business models and financial and infrastructural support from the local government will make it more appealing to TODA members.
ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
This study was funded by the DOST-PCIEERD (Department of Science and Technology–Philippine Council for Industry, Energy, and Emerging Technology Research and Development). This study was made possible through the cooperation and support from the Local Government Unit and the FeTODA (Federated Tricycle Operators Drivers Association) of Tuguegarao City.
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