Ayala auto arm bullish on EV growth in PH

AC Mobility, the automotive arm of conglomerate Ayala Corp., is bullish on the potential of electronic vehicle (EV) in the country.AC Mobility expects that 20 percent of all new cars in the Philippines would be battery EVs by 2030.AyalaMobility chief executive Jaime Alfonso Zobel de Ayala said in a recent news briefing three out four EVs being sold in the market are from the group’s EV line-up.“Long term, we believe that 20 percent of new vehicles sold will be battery electric vehicles in the Philippines by 2030. Our goal being a leading EV platform in the country is to have a significant stake of that market,” Zobel said de Ayala said.ACMobility is the Philippine distributor of Kia EVs. It also became the official national distributor of BYD, the largest manufacturer of plug-in hybrid and pure electric vehicles in the world.BYD has three dealers across the country, and ACMobility intends to increase this to to 20 dealers this year.ACMobility is set to open a BYD dealership in Cebu, the first outside Metro Manila this week.Together with its affiliates Ayala Land Inc. and Integrated Micro-electronics, Inc., it launched a network of 33 EV charging stations in 16 locations across the country last year.The Ayala Group aims to add 100 more stations in at least 40 locations within the year.Zobel de Ayala said the company is focused on bringing in a compelling line-up of four-wheel EVs and widening the charging infrastructure, store footprint and its internal capabilities as demand for EVs increases.“We recognize that the shift towards clean technology will take time to materialize. Thus, our focus today is to enable that transition,” he said.ACMobility said that aside from expanding its dealer network, it is also ensuring competitive pricing for its EV line-up.“Our local line-up is the widest in the market with prices, ranging from under P1.4 million to over P3 million. As cost is a key consideration for the broader market, each model is also priced competitively against their ICE and hybrid alternatives,” Zobel de Ayala said.