With a string of strong typhoons bashing the archipelago, compounded by a non-existent flood control program, a group of enterprising young Filipinos banded their resources together to create a solution to this problem.
With a body structure designed by the country’s King of Bodykits Atoy Llave, H2O Technologies recently launched their concept vehicles engineered and designed to address our flood problems.
Branded as the Salamander, this first ever Pinoy designed and engineered amphibious vehicle took five years to develop and revolves around the concept of a five-seater motorised tricycle with a sturdy hull and fiber glass body.
It is powered by a 250cc motorcycle engine, and can be controlled by a handlebar or a stick when the Salamander is running on water. The design team is also led by the company’s Chief Engineer, Lamberto Armada who also revealed that they have created two models that runs with either a mechanical or an electric motor.
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Years from now there will be charging stations situated throughout the urban areas but right now, people will have to resort to traditional methods instead. That’s why we created the fuel based version as well to ensure that we were able to bring our innovation to the people who need it today
Lamberto Armada, chief engineer, H2O Technologies
“Electric vehicles and the infrastructure needed to support these vehicles are still in its early stages,” Amanda said.
“Years from now there will be charging stations situated throughout the urban areas but right now, people will have to resort to traditional methods instead. That’s why we created the fuel based version as well to ensure that we were able to bring our innovation to the people who need it today.”
Armada went on further to say “the Salamander will help us to overcome the challenges we have today during rainy season with flooding; but also be ready as the market shifts to more sustainable and eco-friendly electric vehicles in the near future.”
In a country where over half of the 42,000 barangays are prone to flooding, the Salamander would fit well into the Philippines landscape requirements. “This is why we created the Salamander” said David Ong, chairman of the board for H2O Technologies.
Patented by H2O technologies, the Salamander can function like a normal tricycle on land, and transforms into an amphibious vehicle once operated in a watery environment, such as a flooded street. It can reach speeds of up to 80kph on land, and six knots in water with a full compliment of six people including the driver.
Deriving knowledge from his family’s boat manufacturing business, one of H2O’s founding member and CEO Dominic Chung derived his expertise from boat building and coordinated with Atoy regarding the tricycle’s unique body structure.
“The Salamander was designed to withstand a certain degree of impact or damage and can still maintain its buoyancy and stability even rough seas,” explained Chung.
The H2O group is currently in talks with multiple private organisations which has expressed interest in funding the mass production of the Salamander.
“Our target date for actual manufacturing is this year. I just hope that the government sees the potential of this aqua tricycle so we can provide this technology to the people in need,” Chung said.
Price per unit of the Salamander is expected to range between P295,000 to P495,000.
