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Manila Bulletin devider Business devider The Stock Market devider Fuel retailer Top Line moves into EV charging as local demand surges

Fuel retailer Top Line moves into EV charging as local demand surges

Published May 8, 2026 11:09 am  |  Updated May 8, 2026 01:06 pm
From left: Carl Iman, V-Green Visayas network development manager; Brigitte Carmel Lapasaran Lim, Topline Group senior vice president and COO; Nguyen Thi Vu An, V-Green Vietnam representative; and Heather Annang, V-Green head of legal.
From left: Carl Iman, V-Green Visayas network development manager; Brigitte Carmel Lapasaran Lim, Topline Group senior vice president and COO; Nguyen Thi Vu An, V-Green Vietnam representative; and Heather Annang, V-Green head of legal.
Top Line Business Development Corp. is moving to future-proof its energy retail footprint in the Visayas through a partnership with Vietnamese infrastructure firm V-Green Charging Stations Philippines Inc. to install electric vehicle (EV) hubs across its fueling network.
In a statement on Friday, May 8, the Cebu-based company said that its subsidiary, Light Fuels Corp., along with affiliates Vikingland Corp. and Pier Eighty-Eight Ventures Inc., signed a memorandum of understanding with V-Green to deploy charging and battery-swapping stations.
V-Green is an affiliate of Vietnamese automotive manufacturer VinFast Auto Ltd.
The initiative targets the expanding electric mobility market in the region. Data from the Land Transportation Office in the region showed an acceleration in adoption, with battery electric vehicle registrations jumping to 822 in 2025 from 105 a year earlier.
Top Line said the partnership aims to address this demand by converting traditional fuel stations into multi-energy platforms that support both internal combustion engines and electric motors.
Under the agreement, Top Line will allocate space for EV infrastructure at six Light Fuels service stations located in Cebu, Mandaue, and Lapu-Lapu. The rollout will also extend to the Pier88 smart port and Bay Mall in Liloan, Cebu.
Brigitte Carmel C. Lapasaran Lim, Top Line senior vice president and chief operating officer, said the move is designed to make the company’s core business resilient by bridging service gaps in the current energy transition.
Operations are expected to begin in the third quarter of 2026, pending the execution of a definitive agreement. Each designated station will feature one to two charging bays equipped with the Combined Charging System Combo 2, the universal standard mandated by the Department of Energy. These facilities are expected to service up to 20 cars daily, with an average charging time of 45 minutes per vehicle. The stations will also include battery-swapping modules specifically for e-scooter riders.
Nguyen Thi Vu An, a representative for V-Green, characterized the collaboration as a critical step in the firm’s Philippine expansion. The partnership carries an initial term of five years with an option for a five-year renewal.
Top Line currently operates 18 service stations and has another 32 locations under construction or renovation, all of which are scheduled for completion in phases by the end of 2026. (Gabriell Christel Galang)

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