EXCLUSIVE: BYD to expand in PH market, targets late 2023 start

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 confirmed that the Chinese carmaker is planning to grow its Philippine operations. “Yes! There is some plan coming out soon. We are aggressively looking for partners as well,” shared Ng.

Since 2012, Solar Transport and Automotive Resources Corp. (Solar Transport), a wholly Filipino-owned and Philippine-based company, has distributed BYD vehicles. But since BYD  has shifted to producing electric vehicles, the Philippine market numbers have yet to equal the interest and demand seen in neighboring ASEAN countries.

“BYD and Solar are still together,” said Ng. “We are looking to make it bigger. Because of the tax structure we have,  we find there is a good opportunity now. So we will try to see what we can do to expand the market. Definitely,  BYD is in the Philippine market,” he added. 

Ng was in Brunei Darussalam to attend the launch of the BYD brand and the introduction of its first model, the ATTO 3, under its official distributor in the Sultanate,  Maju Motors Sdn Bhd. It is the latest ASEAN country to officially have BYD after its successful launch in Malaysia and Thailand.

“We believe that the buying trend is almost the same as Thailand,” said Ng when asked about the Philippine market. “Because this vehicle (ATTO 3) has a high quality-price ratio, the receptiveness from the public would definitely be better. So we believe once we roll out the ATTO 3 or other brands, more than what we are doing now, that means BYD will be better.”

BYD Philippines under Solar Transport previously announced the BYD ATTO 3’s availability back in October 2022 for ₱2.498 million for the standard range 320-km range (WLTP) version and ₱2.798 million for the 420-km (WLTP) variant. 

Also Read: 2023 BYD ATTO 3 now available for pre-ordering, starts at PHP 2.498M

The model's price increased to ₱2,598,000 and ₱2,898,000 for both variants in November last year. These prices were before the implementation of President Ferdinand Marcos Jr.’s Executive Order No. 12 in early 2023, which lowered the import duties of battery electric vehicles to 0%. 

However, BYD Philippines, through its social media account, has confirmed to Autofun Philippines that it is not accepting ATTO 3 orders at the moment.

Do you think lowering its EV models' prices and expanding its dealership footprint will help BYD sell more in the Philippines?