Ayala makes big bets on electric vehicles

AYALA Corp. is increasingly investing in electric vehicles (ev) as its research showed that as much as 20 percent of automobiles that will be sold in the Philippines by 2030 will be electric.

Jaime Augusto Zobel de Ayala, the company’s chairman, said there will be growing consumer preference for evs due to more favorable government regulation and the construction of more charging stations.

“And i think people forget, and we’d like to highlight that as the Ayala group moves towards electronic vehicles, it has a massive environmental effect as well,” Zobel said.

With the government’s aim of reducing greenhouse gasses by 75 percent by 2030, putting up infrastructure that will encourage people to use evs will make a “massive difference to the way the country moves forward,” Zobel said.

“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.”

AC Motors is handling the sales and maintenance for Byd’s evs, a Chinese brand, through its sales network.

taiwan’s Gogoro inc., which operates in battery-swapping ecosystems that enable sustainable mobility solutions for cities, was launched in december. it made available its smartscooters and battery swapping ecosystem in Manila.

Zobel said the company is building more charging stations and is utilizing its real estate properties 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 and young and adaptable population is the source of the country’s potential.”