Ayala Corporation, noting that up to 20 percent of all vehicles sold by 2030 will be electric, has made big bets on the EV space.
Jaime Augusto Zobel de Ayala, Ayala Corp. chairman, said consumer preference for EVs has grown more or less in lock step with favorable government regulation and with more infrastructure for chargers are being built.
“People forget, and we like to highlight that as the Ayala Group moves towards electric vehicles, this has massive environmental effect as well. Health is a big cost carrier in the country, and with lower pollution levels in the city of Manila, for example, the shift to EV in the next decade or two can have tremendous impact on the health of the city, which kind of clogged up in many ways,” he said.
The government is dead set on reducing greenhouse gasses by 75 percent by 2030 and has started putting up the infrastructure for people to use EVs which will make a difference in the way the city and the country moves forward, he notes.
“At Ayala, we continue to make significant investments in electric mobility through BYD and Gogoro, signifying our strong belief in the potential of this sector for growth and economic and sustainable impact, according to the executive.
AC Motors handles sales and maintenance for BYD EVs, a Chinese brand, through its sales network.
Taiwan’s Gogoro Inc., which operates a battery-swapping ecosystem that enables sustainable mobility solutions for cities, launched in Manila in December and made availability its smart scooters and battery swapping ecosystem.
Zobel said the business is building more charging stations and makes use of the company’s real estate properties for the purpose and in partnership with several companies and associations.
“Building and modernizing our infrastructure is just one element of this equation of growth and global competitiveness,” Zobel said.
“Equally, if not more important, is ensuring the health and well-being and capabilities of our people. We frequently mention that our demographic dividend, our young and adaptable population is the source of the country’s potential,” he said.
For the Philippines to stay globally competitive in the EV space, both the government and the private sector need to work together to resolve “persistent challenges that appear to hamper our development,” Zobel said.
