BIZ BUZZ: EV charging race
You may be wondering where you can charge your mammoth of a Tesla Cybertruck, currently a rare breed in the country with only a select few spotted, but only in the more posh Metro Manila areas.
At the same time, the Ayala Group’s move to bring BYD electric vehicles (EVs) in a country that has only seen “regular” cars for decades already bore fruit. The same goes with Megaworld Corp., which was chosen to host Tesla’s showroom in the Philippines.
The fruits we’re talking about are the EV charging stations that seem to be sprouting all over our frequently visited malls, office, as well as condominiums.
This time, the Sy family is putting the spotlight on its 131 EV charging stations installed across the nationwide portfolio of SM Prime Holdings Inc.
“Through this initiative, we are also supporting the government’s vision for an inclusive and future-ready EV ecosystem,” says Jeffrey Lim, president of the real estate giant.
“We are focused on making sustainability practical and accessible,” Lim adds. “Expanding our EV charging network is one way we are enabling Filipinos to adopt greener habits as part of daily life.”
This year alone, SM Prime will add at least 50 more charging stations across its malls and office developments. Soon, residential communities and leisure estates will have a slot for a Cybertruck or a BYD, or perhaps a new EV brand.
As we have established, this kind of venture is not new. In fact, the Zobel family’s AC Mobility is already expanding its charging network across Makati, with 74 stations across 18 locations in the city.
In February, the Gokongweis also rode on the trend and launched Robinsons Land Corp.’s inaugural GoCharge EV charging station at GBF Center 1 in Bridgetowne Destination Estate.
While we’re unsure as to when we can get our hands on our own EVs, one thing is for certain: we’re going to see more of these charging stations, whether or not we use it ourselves.
