Two Filipino motorists have completed cross-country journeys behind the wheel of the GAC AION V, testing the viability of battery electric vehicles (BEV) across highways and island sea links.

Romel Emperado logged 1,492 kilometers on an inter-island route spanning Luzon, the Visayas and Mindanao. His trip crossed Samar and Leyte, regions where public vehicle charging stations remain scarce. 

Emperado managed the route by timing charges around daily routines rather than making dedicated stops. He plugged the vehicle in at shopping malls during daytime hours and used overnight outlets at Airbnbs while avoiding nighttime driving to stay rested.

Emperado, who works with solar materials and technology, tracked his energy numbers throughout the drive. He maintained highway cruising speeds between 80 and 100 km/h, turned on power-saving mode, and relied on single-pedal driving alongside regenerative braking. 

The vehicle returned an average consumption rate of 13.9 kWh per 100 kilometers, beating standard estimates by more than 20 percent. He previously spent between P9,000 and P10,000 each month fueling a diesel vehicle. 

Coupling public charging with his home solar setup brought his running expenses down to near zero during the run.

Another driver, Rommel Laranjo, replaced his family diesel sport utility vehicle with an AION V to handle both a 34-kilometer daily work commute and family trips. 

Laranjo drove his unit from Cebu to Mindanao, crossing inter-island waters aboard two Roll-on/Roll-off ferry vessels.

Laranjo pointed out the vehicle’s low energy draw while waiting in line at ferry ports. The electric powertrain allowed the family to run the air conditioning during long loading delays without burning fuel, spewing exhaust fumes, or heavily draining the battery. 

He pulled into his final driveway with 36 percent battery life remaining, translating to 183 kilometers of available driving range after running the climate system all day.

Before buying the electric car, Laranjo spent around P 3,000 weekly on gas for his internal combustion models. Switching to regular home wall charging, backed by residential solar panels, eliminated most of those routine fuel bills.

GAC International chief technology officer Masato Katsumata stated that owner road trips give engineers real-world insights that go beyond controlled laboratory experiments. 

Katsumata explained that driver feedback from the Philippine provinces helps the brand adjust vehicle behavior to match local road conditions and island ferry networks.

The company currently manages 30 brand dealerships across the country and offers test drives for its new energy vehicle catalog. 

The brand supports its lineup through a local central parts depot designed to cut maintenance turnaround periods while marketing its electric line under the global Magazine Battery 2.0 safety standard.