Up to this point, electric vehicles in the Philippines have predominantly been second cars for the rich. For those who can afford them, EVs usually function as a non-fuel-consuming alternative for taking kids to school, buying groceries, and doing errands. Because of their prohibitive pricing, only a few can consider buying one. And because the affordable ones are either too small or are range-limited, and given our country’s sparse charging station infrastructure, only a few would consider buyi

Jetour Global reports it has already reached 720,000 units sold since it was established in 2018. And with production ramping up and more global markets being tapped, the Chinese SUV brand aims to get 500,000 cars sold this year alone. According to a statement released by Jetour Auto Philippines (JAPI), its parent company sold 200,000 vehicles from January to May 2023 and is well on track to achieve its target. Jetour also aims to sell 1,000,000 units by 2025 and 1,270,000 by 2027. JAPI is looki

BYD, the Chinese electric vehicle maker giving Tesla a run for its money as the largest EV manufacturer in the world, is set to formally announce its expansion in the country by the latter part of 2023. This is according to James Ng, Managing Director of BYD Singapore and the Philippines. He is also currently holding office in BGC to supervise the BYD brand’s expansion efforts in the country. In an interview on the sidelines of the official launch of BYD in Brunei Darussalam on July 8, 2023, Ng

A decade ago, if you told us that Chinese car brands would be among the top 10 sellers in the Philippines, we’d tell you to get lost. But the latest data from the Chamber of Automotive Manufacturers of the Philippines Inc. has proven just that – Geely and Foton were 9th and 10th, respectively, in terms of units sold locally in 2022. This is all the more notable given that Geely only started operations locally in September 2019, while Foton had been notorious for producing cheap but questionable-

With more and more government incentives, electric vehicle (EV) prices are going lower and lower. Perhaps the most extreme example is the 2023 Nissan LEAF, which plummeted from a rather eye-watering ₱2,798,000 to a more palatable ₱1,998,000. This puts the LEAF in the firing line of yet another battery-electric hatchback. The 2023 BYD Dolphin, much like the Nissan, has five doors, five seats, and zero emissions. It also has a plush interior and dramatic styling, all for ₱1,688,000. Which of these

With the average price of electric vehicles in the market being close to ₱3,000,000, it may seem daunting for many mass-market buyers to consider it for their next car purchase. Fear not, because there are some cheap EVs available to the average buyer, and most of them won't cost an arm and a leg. Wuling Hongguang Mini EV Arguably the cheapest is the grey market-sourced Wuling Hongguang Mini EV, priced at ₱650,000 for the Macaron version. With four seats, air conditioning, and a media player (no