Top Line Business Development Corp. is entering the electric vehicle (EV) charging business through a partnership with Vietnam-based V-Green Charging Stations Philippines Inc. to diversify its fuel retail operations.

The listed fuel retailers said Friday that wholly owned subsidiary Light Fuels Corp., together with affiliate companies Vikingland Corp. and Pier Eighty-Eight Ventures Inc., will develop EV charging and battery-swapping facilities across six Light Fuels service stations in Cebu, Mandaue, and Lapu-Lapu, including sites at Pier88 and Bay Mall in Liloan, Cebu.

Commercial operations are expected to begin in the third quarter of the year, subject to the execution of a definitive agreement, with the partnership set to run for an initial five years and renewable for another five years.

“This strategic move aims to make our core fuel business future-ready in the current energy landscape.

We are optimistic of our partnership with V-Green aimed at capturing EV customers, addressing service gaps by providing a multi-energy platform supporting both traditional fuels and electric mobility solutions,” said Brigitte Carmel C. Lapasaran Lim, senior vice president and chief operating officer of Topline Group.

V-Green, an affiliate company of VinFast, said the partnership will help expand its local charging infrastructure network.

“Huge milestone today for the V-Green and Topline Group Partnership. This collaboration is a massive step forward in expanding our network and bringing sustainable energy to more locations,” said Nguyen Thi Vu An, V-Green’s Vietnamese representative.

Each participating Light Fuels station will initially feature one to two EV charging bays that can accommodate 18 to 20 vehicles daily per bay using the Combined Charging System Combo 2, the universal charging connector mandated by the Department of Energy to ensure compatibility and standardization. 

Charging time is estimated at around 45 minutes per vehicle, depending on the unit.

Battery-swapping stations for VinFast e-scooters will also be installed, allowing riders to exchange depleted batteries for fully charged ones.

Data from the Land Transportation Office showed battery electric vehicle registrations in the region surged to 822 in 2025 from 105 in 2024.

Topline currently operates 18 service stations nationwide, while 32 more are under construction or renovation and are scheduled for phased completion through the end of the year.