My ‘myth-busting’ trip to Subic and back in the 2024 BYD Dolphin EV
4:30 p.m. Araneta Avenue.
Our windows stay down as we traverse the last agonizing kilometer of our splendid trip from Subic. We are completely surrounded by Quezon City gridlock, with the din of idling cars and motorcycles made more bearable by Anita Baker playing through the standard Android Auto system.
Our BYD Dolphin can contribute nothing to this familiar urban cacophony – this little hatchback is a full-fledged electric vehicle (EV). With around 30 percent battery charge left after 299 kilometers of careful, long-distance driving, there would be no question that we would make it back to the BYD Quezon Avenue showroom.
But would we succeed in our intrepid mission to return with the most charge and, thus, win BYD Philippines’ coveted prize?
9 hours earlier
7:30 a.m. BYD Quezon Avenue.
Our day started with a marvelous breakfast at the Chinese EV brand’s sparkling showroom, which officially opened on August 2023. Sitting with me was my friend and racing student John Agustin (on his first media drive, no less), along with Reygan of “Reygan’s Rides.”
After our sumptuous meal, AC Mobility marketing director Patrick Manigbas briefed us on our mission – drive the Dolphin EV from the showroom to the Subic International Golf Club and back, all in one full charge.
In an internal-combustion engine (ICE) car like, say, my 1996 BMW 320i, this 300-kilometer journey would be a cinch. But we’re talking about an EV here – and many harbingers of doom harp on about “range anxiety” and the possibility of being stranded at the roadside looking for a plug in the woods.
Veteran racing driver Georges Ramirez assured us that this journey isn’t as perilous as it sounds, largely because he and his superb team had already done it beforehand. And there’s an extra challenge – the team that finishes the entire trip with the most remaining charge would receive Marshall Major IV Bluetooth headphones.
Tantalizing, I thought, but economy runs bore the living daylights out of me. I told my tablemates (who, incidentally, I would also be sharing Dolphin #6 with) that we should drive as we normally would.
So off we went in our convoy of eight BYD Dolphins, out to verify whether or not this little EV hatchback really could make the journey.
Patience, patience
9:00 a.m. Total North Luzon Expressway (NLEX).
John took the first leg from the showroom to our first stopover of the day, with Georges’ advice replaying in our minds – use only enough throttle to consume no more than 20 kWh of electricity. For fun, we decided to give this a try and were surprised to discover that we were among the cars with the most remaining charge after this leg.
We decided to fully commit ourselves to this exercise in prudence and economy. I buckled myself into the Dolphin’s plush leather seat and took the hugely demanding leg from NLEX to a lay-by at the Subic-Clark-Tarlac Expressway (SCTEX).
The Dolphin comported itself very well on the wide-open asphalt, unlike little EVs of yore that felt like these could be knocked over by a light breeze. That’s because BYD’s little hatchback has a kerb weight of 1,405 kilograms, which is around 50 kilograms more than my BMW.
This heft is largely from the 44.9-kWh BYD Blade lithium-ion battery pack located under the floor, which helps keep the center of gravity very low. The planted feeling is also aided by the 2,700-millimeter wheelbase and 16-inch alloy wheels wrapped with 195-millimeter tires.
I say my leg was hugely demanding because, unlike ICE cars, EVs are less efficient at expressway speeds. Very careful planning ensured we had adequate momentum to deal with climbs, while the mild braking action provided by the regenerative braking system helped charge our 44.9-kWh lithium-ion battery pack.
This all paid by the time we arrived at the SCTEX lay-by, where we were still among the leading cars in terms of remaining charge.
Safe and sound
12:00 noon. Subic International Golf Club.
Reygan had taken over from the lay-by and we were blessed to have plenty of downhill sections where we could recharge the battery. As we entered Subic and were thus limited to 60 km/h, we put our windows down to save energy and enjoy the fresh morning air.
By noontime, our group drove into the posh development located in a quiet enclave of this former military base – a vestige of American post-colonial might before opposition to this foreign presence grew louder. The massive destruction wrought by the Mount Pinatubo eruption in 1991 put the final nail in the coffin.
We had a hearty lunch with a spectacular view of the golf course – greens seemingly extending into the horizon and large, man-made lakes providing an added challenge to the handful of players working on their game (it instantly reminded me of Inquirer Motoring editor Jong Arcano, who happens to be a formidable golfer).
Going all-in
After our photo shoot on the golf course, we piled back into the Dolphin, where we discovered that we were the leading car with 55 percent of charge remaining.
With John taking the first leg back, we were determined to take our little EV home and win that challenge. As before, our aircon stayed off until we exited Subic and headed to the first lay-by, where I took the wheel again.
This time, we used our ingenuity and looked for large trucks that we could safely follow. These wheeled leviathans cleared the air ahead, which allowed us to drive with minimal wind resistance.
We kept this up even after the NLEX stopover, where we were told that we had a slim lead from the next most economical Dolphin. Reygan was behind the wheel for this leg and by the time we got back onto the Skyway Stage 3, we were enjoying the wind at 60 km/h from our open windows.
Myth busted
And so we’re back on Quezon Avenue – aircon still off and Anita Baker belting from the speakers.
Given our smooth journey throughout the day, the gridlock was threatening to eat away at the 30 percent remaining charge we had. But there really was nothing to fear – we drove our little Dolphin back to the showroom at 5 p.m. with 30 percent remaining charge and handily clinched those Marshall headphones.
And for those who think that such a trip could only be done if you had the right foot of a water strider, here’s news for you – our other colleagues didn’t bother to participate in the challenge and drove with the aircon on full blast all day, but the least efficient Dolphin still got back with 12 percent charge.
BYD Philippines had clearly busted the EV range anxiety myth, even for those who drive like Speed Racer. And another myth was actually busted, at least personally – economy runs aren’t always miserable, especially when you have so much fun along the way!
