Updated DOE guidelines and classifications

What category does your new energy vehicle (NEV) fall under?

Here are the amended Department of Energy (DOE) guidelines for EVs—for if you want to delve deeper into how the Philippines classifies the many types of EVs you will encounter on local roads

There are now six classifications of electric vehicles (EVs) in the Philippines—up from the previous four—based on the amended Department of Energy (DOE) guidelines.

According to DOE Department Circular (DC) No. DC2025-09-0015, which is an amendment of the DC No. 2023-05-0012 and published on its website on last September 2025, EV classifications are namely:

1. Battery EVs (BEVs), or those with a traction battery as power source, including the pure electric vehicles.

2. Hybrid EVs (HEVs), or those with both rechargeable energy storage system (RESS) and a fueled power source, and have tailpipe emissions.

3. Light EVs (LEVs), or those used in micromobility such as electric scooters, electric bicycles or those that weigh less than 50kg.

4. Plug-in Hybrid EVs (PHEVs), or the HEVs with RESS that can be charged from an external energy source and have tailpipe emissions.

5. Range Extender/d EVs (REEVs), or the HEVs propelled by an electric motor only with a fueled power source specifically used for charging the RESS; and

6. Fuel Cell EVs (FCEVs), or those with no tailpipe emissions that use a fuel cell to generate power.

Previously, EVs were only classified as BEVs, HEVs, LEVs, and PHEVs. Does this help clear things up?