One of the biggest vehicle manufacturers in China is seeing the potential of the electric vehicle (EV) market in the Philippines. Dongfeng, a Chinese state-owned automobile brand, is confident that the local EV market will turn out to be robust, especially after the implementation of the Republic Act No. 11697 or the Electric Vehicle Industry Development Act (EVIDA).
The EVIDA law aims to incentivize the rapid adoption of EVs and charging stations across the country. It mandates companies and government offices to allocate 5% of their total service fleets to EVs.
In the Philippines, Dongfeng is positioned to target businesses and government service units. “The brand is focused on utility or commercial vehicles in the country,” said Arlan Reyes, Marketing Head of Pilipinas Auto, the official distributor of Dongfeng locally.
Dongfeng Rich 6EV
Auto Pilipinas started distributing the 53-year-old EV brand in 2019. It was supposed to mount a grand launch in March 2020, but Covid-19 lockdowns happened during that month. Dongfeng in the Philippines initially sold light and commercial trucks that cater to the practical logistics industry.
“We have recently sold 40 pickup units to i-Sakay, a local transport group. Mober also recently bought two EV delivery vans,” Reyes shared.
When asked what Dongfeng’s advantages are, Reyes quickly emphasized their strong aftersales service. “We have trained technicians and our parts warehouse is complete with all the auto parts that will be needed for maintaining Dongfeng EVs,” Reyes said.
Reyes is also confident that Dongfeng inherently addresses the two common concerns of EV users—range and anxiety. To date, Dongfeng Philippines is selling passenger vans and commercial pickups that can travel about 300 kilometers to 340 kilometers on one full charge.
Dongfeng’s sought-after EC36 passenger van can travel up to 300 kilometers on one full charge, which can last 10 to 12 hours using the standard EV charger and 30 minutes using the fast charger. One full charge can consume electricity equivalent to just around ₱500 to ₱600. In comparison, a counterpart gas-powered van of the same size could consume gasoline worth ₱3,000 to ₱4,000 in one full tank. This EV has an SRP of ₱2.1 million in the local market.
Another popular Dongfeng EV is the Rich 6EV, a pickup truck that is becoming popular among local businesses. The EV can travel up to 340 kilometers on a single full charge, which takes 12 to 15 hours to complete using a standard EV charger. Rich 6EV costs ₱2.7 million.
Dongfeng plans to put up its own local showroom in 2023. For now, it takes orders from interested businesses and public agencies. “We clearly see the potential in the Philippine EV market especially when more quick-charging EV stations are established in more areas,” Reyes said.
Dongfeng was one of the exhibitors at the recent 10th Philippine Electric Vehicle Summit.
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