HIGHEST BYD

With over 20 EV charging stations across the National Capital Region, Ayala-led AC Motors said it expects to even increase this number to 100 this year. To date, most of these free charging stations are located in several Ayala properties like Vertis North, TriNoma, One Ayala, Greenbelt and Seda BGC.

In last year's event that previewed the initial EV models that the company will be bringing into the market, AC Motors head Jaime Alfonso Zobel de Ayala said: "We remain committed to our goal of becoming the leading EV platform in the Philippines, in support as well of the Philippine government's own ambition of transforming half of all cars on the roads into electric vehicles by 2040."

Early last week, Ayala Corporation announced that it has finalized the deal to be the official Philippine distributor of BYD, the world leader in hybrid and pure electric vehicles.

Zobel de Ayala described this partnership between one of the largest multi-brand automotive groups in the Philippines and the world's leading EV brand is a cornerstone of the group's goal of accelerating the future of mobility in the Philippines.

"Our long-term vision is for AC Motors to become the leading platform for EVs and other new energy vehicles in the Philippines. This includes building up BYD in becoming a key brand in the Philippine market."

Prioritize electric mobility

The Ayala Group has been prioritizing electric mobility vehicles as the catalyst of Ayala's ecosystem. For EV buyers, they would find the Ayala Group a dependable partner as it has most of the critical components of the EV ecosystem.

The group has assets in renewable power generation, automotive distribution and dealerships, property development and management, manufacturing, financing and insurance and digital connectivity.

Meanwhile, BYD has an expansive lineup of both passenger and commercial vehicles at competitive price points. Last year, the Chinese automaker sold 242,759 vehicles outside China, a 336-percent improvement from the previous year (55,656 vehicles sold in 2022).

Here in the Philippines, BYD decided to bring in the Dolphin, a compact EV hatchback that costs P1.398 million. It's one of the safest EVs in the market, with a 5-star ANCAP safety rating.

On a full charge, it could reach a maximum range of 405 kilometers, which is more than enough in keeping the driver worry-free from battery charging concerns. Outside China, this model sold 74,884 units in 2023, making it among BYD's best seller overseas.

When it comes to battery charging, the Dolphin will come equipped with a CCS2 charging connector, which offers better compatibility than the previous GB-type connectors.

The Dolphin, which was just launched last year, has been quite successful in achieving such sales results and has recently surpassed ATTO 3 in sales in many markets.

Important offering

The BYD Atto 3 is AC Motors' other important offering. At P1.598 million for the Dynamic variant and P1.798 million for the Premium variant, the Atto 3 is BYD's primary overseas model, having sold 100,020 units in 2023.

While both are powered by a 201-hp electric motor (310 Nm of torque), the Dynamic accelerates from zero to 100 km/h in 7.9 seconds while the Premium in 7.3 seconds. The Dynamic has a maximum single charge range of 410 km while the Premium could reach 480 km.

Across BYD dealerships in the Philippines, AC Motors is also set to offer the luxury executive sedan BYD Han, and the spacious 7-seater family SUV, BYD Tang.

"These are all compelling models that target different market segments and allow us to promote EV adoption across a wide range of customers. With BYD's leading presence globally in EVs and given its recent success in other Southeast Asian markets, we at AC Motors, aspire to build the same level of respect and relevance for the brand in the Philippines," Zobel de Ayala said.

For those wanting to switch to EVs, you can check out the Dolphin and ATTO3, along with the rest of the BYD lineup, at BYD Philippines' flagship dealership at Quezon Avenue in Quezon City.