Manila: The Philippines' electric vehicle (EV) industry has strong growth potential as consumer demand rises with greater awareness of EV benefits, an industry official said Monday. "Definitely it will grow. So, if we talk about EV, new electric vehicle segment, I do believe it will be growing very fast," Denza Country Head Adam Hu said during a briefing. "And for the big EV segment, though in 2025 it's just a minor part of the entire EV segment, but I do believe in 2026 it will take more percentage of the PEV (plug-in EV)," he added.
According to Philippines News Agency, data from the Chamber of Automotive Manufacturers of the Philippines Inc. and Truck Manufacturers Association showed electrified vehicles (xEV) accounted for 7.01 percent, equivalent to 32,489 units, of total vehicle sales among their members. Of the total, hybrid electric vehicles (HEVs) comprised the majority at 25,737 units, followed by battery electric vehicles (BEVs) with 4,613 units, and plug-in hybrid electric vehicles (PHEVs) with 2,139 units.
The government has been supporting the EV sector as part of its shift to clean energy and environmental protection. It is promoting EV adoption through the Electric Vehicle Industry Development Act (EVIDA), which exempts EVs from the Unified Vehicular Volume Reduction Program for eight years from the law's implementation. The measure also grants tax incentives and a temporary zero-tariff policy for manufacturers to attract investors.
The Department of Energy (DOE) aims for EVs to make up about 50 percent of vehicles on the road by 2040, equivalent to around 2.5 million units. Among other initiatives, the DOE issued a circular encouraging distribution utilities to integrate EV charging stations into their development plans. It is also pushing more establishments to install charging stations in their facilities.
The government targets the rollout of about 7,300 EV charging stations nationwide by 2028, up from roughly 1,100 stations today, most of which are in urban areas. Hu said Denza, the premium EV brand of BYD Group, is exploring partnerships with technology providers to expand charging infrastructure and encourage more customers to shift to EVs.
He said EV adoption in the Philippines mirrors growth in neighboring countries but faces a distinct challenge. "A unique part about the Philippines is due to geography, you have more than 7,000 islands. So, it's quite big challenge for us to establish the charging network in the Philippines," he said.
Hu said the company is addressing this by coordinating with mall owners to speed up the installation of charging stations and by seeking local technology partners. "We can openly discuss with the local companies who are interested in building the charging infrastructure. We are willing to provide the charging products or the technologies and the local companies, they can contribute their own charging technology," he said.
