Mobility

Chinese electric vehicle maker XPENG has officially entered the Philippine market, launching six variants across two models as it expands its footprint in Southeast Asia.

A car can tell you many things. It can tell you that a door is open, a tire needs air, a passenger has forgotten to buckle up, or that you are getting dangerously close to the vehicle in front of you. What it cannot tell you is why you have been sitting in the same spot for 23 minutes. This is the peculiar economics of driving in the Philippines. We fork over a great deal of money buying cars that can go very fast, and then spend a considerable portion of our lives making sure they do not.

Toyota Motor Philippines Corp. (TMP) is taking on a broader role in Toyota’s Asian operations as the automaker taps its Philippine unit to train technical instructors from affiliates across the region.

Electrified vehicles could account for as much as 30 percent of Philippine automotive sales by yearend, underscoring the rapid shift toward alternative powertrains even as the broader vehicle market is expected to contract.

Philippine commercial vehicle sales are expected to grow by at least 10 percent this year, but the shift to electric trucks and buses is likely to remain gradual as fleet operators grapple with charging, range and infrastructure constraints.