AC Motors, the automotive arm of the Ayala Group, has partnered with BYD, the world’s largest electric vehicle (EV) manufacturer, for the distribution of EVs amid growing demand for clean mobility in the country.

Jaime Alfonso Zobel de Ayala, CEO and President of AC Motors, announced the partnership with BYD, during a press conference Friday, August 11 in Makati.

AC Motors will offer the luxury executive sedan, BYD Han; the spacious 7-seater family SUV, BYD Tang; and the compact hatchback, BYD Dolphin. By the end of this year, Ayala will also introduce the BYD ATTO 3, a highly awarded EV model that is globally hailed for its outstanding design, comfort, quality, practicality, and performance.

“Our long-term vision is for AC Motors to become the leading platform for EVs and other new energy vehicles in the Philippines. This includes building up BYD to become a key brand in the Philippine market, with leading share among EV brands and meaningful presence in the automotive market as a whole,” said Zobel. 

Zobel said id they intend to open 12-13 dealerships this year, mostly in Metro Manila. The country’s oldest conglomerate is relying on its vast network of business units from energy, property, shopping malls, banking, to complement its infrastructure buildup for EVs.   

Antonio 'Toti' Zara III Toti Zara, who will also hold leadership position in the new BYD Philippines on top of his current position at AC Motors, added they plan to establish 40 BYD outlets in five years. 

Zobel added that the distribution agreement with BYD gives AC Motors the opportunity to provide a very strong and compelling portfolio of customers who will easily view the new technology as a product with the best price ratio in the market at this point. AC Motors is a multi-brand distributor for Volkswagen, Kia, Honda, Isuzu, and Maxus. 

“This agreement with BYD puts us in an incredibly strong position to meet that proposition for the wide range of customers that exists here in the Philippines because of the wide portfolio that they have,” he said.

Ultimately, Zobel said, ”What we'd like to achieve over an extended period of time is to be the leading EV platform in the country, in terms of market share and sales as well as engagement to our ecosystem.”

Zobel said they have five EV models including KIA EV6 and four BYD’s, with plans to augment the product lineup with focus on passenger cars. He noted that EVs are expected to account for 10 percent of the domestic industry’s local sales in the five to six years. 

On the question if they plan to move forward into manufacturing in the Philippines, Liu Xueliang, general manager of BYD Asia Pacific Auto Sales Division and president of BYD Japan, noted of the huge demand for EVs globally and they want to bring their products to more customers.

He said that for the ASEAN region, they have a manufacturing hub in Thailand but they are “always ready to do some adjustments depending on the local market.”  

For his part, James Ng, managing director of BYD Philippines and Singapore said, “BYD looks forward to working hand-in-hand with Ayala to promote the development of new energy vehicles industry in The Philippines. Together, we create a greener, more sustainable and brighter future, as we embark on this exciting journey.”

Ayala has been prioritizing the electric mobility vehicles as the enabler of Ayala’s ecosystem. The group is uniquely positioned to provide long-term value to EV customers, given its assets in renewable power generation, automotive distribution and dealerships, property development and management, manufacturing, financing and insurance, and digital connectivity—all of which are critical components of the EV ecosystem.

Meanwhile, BYD has an expansive line-up of both passenger and commercial vehicles at competitive price points, allowing the vehicles to be deployed at a larger scale. Its operations as an automotive manufacturer are also fully integrated, with capabilities not only in designing and assembling the final vehicles, but even in battery technology, electric powertrain development, and semiconductors. In addition to the automotive space, BYD also has investments in rail transit, renewable energy, and battery storage.

“These are compelling models that target different market segments and allow us to promote EV adoption across a wide range of customers,” Zobel said. “With BYD’s leading presence globally in EVs and given its recent success in other Southeast Asian markets, we at AC Motors aspire to build the same level of respect and relevance for the brand in the Philippines.”