Sarao–Tembo electric jeepney records 248 km leg with 43% charge left

The Sarao–Tembo electric jeepney travelled 248 km from Lucena City to Naga City with 43% battery charge left, according to operating data released by Tembo after a field trip to Bicol.

The vehicle covered the leg in about six hours after leaving Lucena with a full charge. Its recorded consumption points to an estimated range of about 435 km under similar conditions, although that distance was calculated rather than driven on a single charge.

The trip took place during field activities from August 4 to 7, with vehicle demonstrations and stakeholder meetings in Naga followed by further engagements in Albay.

Equipped with an 82 kWh battery, the electric jeepney began its southbound journey at Sarao Motors in Las Piñas City. It reached Lucena City, Quezon, after roughly 132 km and four hours of travel through mixed road and traffic conditions.

Battery charge stood at 62% on arrival. A 45-minute session at a public DC fast charger brought it back to 100% before the vehicle continued towards Naga.

The next 248 km provided the basis for Tembo’s efficiency figures. The route included rough surfaces and long climbs, with winding provincial sections between stretches of sustained highway driving.

The battery charge fell by 57 percentage points during that leg. Using the stated 82 kWh capacity, Tembo calculated energy use at approximately 46.7 kWh.

That works out to about 18.85 kWh per 100 km, equivalent to 188.5 watt-hours per kilometre or 5.3 km per kWh.

The projected 435 km range applies to the consumption recorded between Lucena and Naga. It is not a measured range for the entire field trip, which involved different road conditions and charging stops.

Naga marked the end of the reported efficiency leg, but the team continued south into Albay after its scheduled activities in the city.

Further field work and project discussions took place in Libon and Camalig before the electric jeepney began its return journey to Manila.

Across the trip, the vehicle moved between expressways and provincial roads, with sustained climbs and slower sections over uneven surfaces. Changes in elevation and traffic placed different demands on the battery along the route.

Tembo reported approximately 760 km of travel for the field trip. Its published account details the two outbound legs to Naga but does not give separate distances or energy figures for the Albay extension and return journey.

The run also documented use of existing public DC charging infrastructure during intercity travel. The detailed charging result covered the Lucena stop, where the battery went from 62% to full in 45 minutes.