Charge to experience
YES, IT’S ALREADY been a full year since ACMobility — the Ayala Group’s end-to-end mobility solutions provider — started its partnership with BYD Cars.
Boracay News Syndicated Daily 
This BYD Cars hub is a fitting primer in electric mobility
By Angel Rivero
YES, IT’S ALREADY been a full year since ACMobility — the Ayala Group’s end-to-end mobility solutions provider — started its partnership with BYD Cars. We have watched its steady growth with the introduction of noteworthy, electrified vehicles that are clearly becoming increasingly popular among motorists (with the latest product being the affordable BYD Seagull EV).
And naturally, to match all this positive momentum, ACMobility and BYD Cars Philippines launched the nation’s first so-called BYD Experience Hub — the brand’s one-stop shop to explore everything that is BYD in the Philippines. It is located right inside the mall of Glorietta 1 (which frankly, seems to be the current trend as I have seen newer car dealerships popping left and right inside malls, in neighboring countries such as China and Thailand), just before the mall exit that fronts SM Makati. The hub is operated by Iconic Dealership, Inc., the retail arm of ACMobility.
“To celebrate our first year with BYD Car Philippines, we mark this milestone by bringing the future of mobility closer to Filipinos through the BYD Experience Hub,” shared ACMobility’s Chief Executive Officer Jaime Alfonso Zobel de Ayala during his speech at the grand opening. He added, “Every effort is a step closer to achieving our goal to build and sustain a better future for the next generation. As an innovative retail experience that demonstrates how sustainable mobility can uplift the lives of our customers, the hub will not only showcase our cutting-edge vehicles and technology, but will also serve as a gateway to explore the opportunities that come with an electrified future.”
It’s branded as an “experience hub” and not just your regular car showroom because the space has interactive things to offer for any curious visitor. Among them are guided tours, live BYD technology demonstrations to give a better understanding of how the brand’s products work, and technical conversations with expert staff. There are also displays that provide useful data comparing the efficiency of EVs with that of ICE (internal combustion engine) vehicles. But of course, the main goal of the hub is to showcase BYD’s latest vehicles alongside interactive displays that describe their key features, and even provide spec comparisons among the different models.
Test drives and other experiential opportunities with the products are most available at the BYD Experience Hub. “(It) is a novel way for us to reach out and explain to more people the advantages and benefits of electric mobility,” explained Iconic Dealership, Inc. (IDI) Chief Operating Officer Dennis Salvador. He continued, “As the BYD brand grows, IDI is always on the lookout for more opportunities to connect with our customers. The BYD Experience Hub provides a differentiated automotive experience in that mallgoers can learn about BYD products and services, and even avail of test drives on the spot. This new center provides an interactive touchpoint for mallgoers to understand how electric vehicles and the BYD brand can support their evolving lifestyle.”
Another brain-picking feature of the BYD Experience Hub in Glorietta is its display of its proprietary Blade Battery, which is at the core of what differentiates BYD from its EV competitors. BYD’s battery technology is often hailed as one of the best-performing in the industry… with top-notch efficiency, impressive durability and, most of all, proven safety.
Future-forward customers can also learn more about the simplicity of charging an EV via a practical and on-site demonstration of how it is done. They are also able to share data about existing charging infrastructure in the Philippines in order to help reduce range anxiety.
As a matter of fact, the top four new energy vehicles (NEVs) sold here from January to August 2024 are all BYD vehicles. BYD is currently the number-one NEV brand in the country, with an impressive market share of 70.5%. It is also the number-one BEV (battery electric vehicle) brand with a 66% year-to-date market share. That’s great news for a brand that only recently underwent a change of local management.
BYD Cars Philippines continues to expand its dealership network and has set a goal to have 25 dealerships by the end of the year. Eight more dealerships are expected to open by early 2025.
Like I said, that’s great momentum for BYD Philippines. Here’s to seeing more affordable EVs on our roads!
