Despite the rising number of electric vehicles (EVs) or hybrids you see on roads, BYD (Build Your Dreams) president Toti Zara says EV penetration in the Philippines is less than one percent. Ayala Corporation (AC) Automotive, which Zara also heads, plans to change all that.

Currently, there are only two BYD dealerships in the country. Expect to see 12 more by the end of the year, which includes locations in Metro Manila, Luzon (Pampanga, Santa Rosa), and Visayas & Mindanao (Cebu, Davao, Cagayan de Oro, Iloilo, Bacolod).

Because of the high rate of EV adoption in other countries – Norway 90%, Sweden 60%, Germany 30%, China 40%, Thailand 10%+ – Zara says it is inevitable that we will see more EVs in the country. He predicts the penetration ratio of EVs in the Philippines will climb to 20% within the next five years.

Will the infrastructure will be able to cope with the expected influx of EVs? Ayala has committed to increasing the number of charging stations to 100 this year, while the DOE (Department of Energy) has reported that 400 charging stations are operational in the Philippines already.

To make it easier to find these charging stations, AC Automotive is working on an app to pinpoint these locations, let you book them, pay, and monitor the charging status of your EV.

What else is coming? Since AC Automotive distributes Kia vehicles in the country, Zara confirmed that the EV5 is coming along with a few other EV models. As to whether other EV brands are on the horizon, Zara’s reply is, “(we are) exploring other opportunities.”