AboitizPower launches BYD EV fleet program for greener future

Aboitiz Power Corporation (AboitizPower) launched today its corporate electric vehicle (EV) fleet transformation program with the presentation of new plug-in EVs. Held today at an event at the Blue Leaf Cosmopolitan in Quezon City, the launch kickstarts the company's support of Republic Act 11697, also known as the Electric Vehicle Industry Development Act (EVIDA) for greener and cleaner mobility in the country.

“As a leader in the energy industry, we want to incorporate innovations that will improve the efficiency and sustainability of our operations. The world is facing developments in climate change, global connectivity, population growth, urbanization, and digitalization, and these changes demand that businesses like ours transform to remain relevant,” said Manny Rubio, CEO of AboitizPower.

The new EV fleet of the company was sourced from BYD and will soon be deployed to three key cities of AboitizPower distribution utilities (DUs). These include Visayan Electric, Davao Light, and Cotabato Light.

The vehicle that will be used by AboitizPower is the BYD T3 which is an all-electric van with sliding doors on both sides. It's powered by a single electric motor that puts out 100 kW (or 136 PS) and 180 Nm of torque. It is then paired with a 50.3 kWh iron-phosphate battery that gives it an estimated range of over 250 km on a full charge.

The battery itself supports a 7 kW AC charging system and a 40 kW DC fast charging system. The former can fully recharge the battery pack between 6 - 8 hours while the latter can do it in just over an hour.

“Bound to be deployed in the franchise areas we serve in Visayas and Mindanao, with land areas more than six times the size of Metro Manila, these vehicles are geared to prove their efficiency and reliability in this new age of electric mobility. We aim to achieve 40% electrification for our four-wheeled vehicles and motorbikes by 2030 and finally transform and electrify 100% of the AboitizPower DU fleet by 2040,” said Anton Percides, COO of AboitizPower Distribution Utilities.

The EV fleet transformation program reinforces the demand for cleaner energy sources and aligns with AboitizPower’s growth strategy of adding 3,700 megawatts of renewable energy like solar, wind, and geothermal — in its generation portfolio in the next ten years. Overall, this will complement the country's aspiration to reduce its reliance on the importation of fossil fuels for transportation and electricity generation via the harnessing of cleaner and indigenous sources.

Together with its partners, AboitizPower currently has the largest and most diversified renewable energy platform in the Philippines in terms of installed capacity under its operational control. Currently, close to 1,000 megawatts of renewable energy projects - including wind and solar farms and more geothermal capacities are in the pipeline.