“Drive Electric, Love Pinas” Campaign Completes An End-to-End Philippine EV Journey

The “Drive Electric. Love Pinas.” campaign has successfully completed a landmark 22-day electric vehicle expedition across the Philippines, covering over 3,500 kilometres and visiting 102 cities and municipalities. Led by official navigator Wil Dasovich, the journey spanned the country’s three main island groups—Luzon, the Visayas, and Mindanao—demonstrating the feasibility of long-distance electric mobility in a diverse and challenging archipelago. The campaign, organised by BYD Cars Philippines in partnership with ACMobility and the Department of Tourism, utilised a combination of battery-electric and plug-in hybrid vehicles to test real-world usability and infrastructure readiness. The expedition set two Guinness World Records at the Manila International Auto Show 2026, with the BYD eMAX 7 achieving the most cities visited by a battery-electric vehicle and the BYD Shark 6 DMO setting the same record for a plug-in hybrid. Despite the impressive feat, the journey highlighted the uneven distribution of public charging infrastructure, which remains concentrated in Metro Manila and a few regional hubs such as Cebu and Davao. Outside these areas, charging points are sparse, requiring careful route planning and energy management, especially during inter-island ferry transfers where charging facilities are absent. Participants reported no major mechanical issues, underscoring the reliability of the vehicles, though logistical and structural challenges persisted. The campaign provided valuable data on vehicle performance, battery life, and energy consumption under varying conditions, including mountainous terrain, heavy urban traffic, and high-temperature highway driving. These insights are crucial for understanding the current limitations of the EV ecosystem in the Philippines and informing future infrastructure development. Jaime Alfonso Zobel de Ayala, CEO of ACMobility, emphasised that the campaign reflects ongoing efforts to build a comprehensive EV ecosystem in the country. The expansion of the Philippine EV Spine Network aims to establish interconnected charging hubs that support continuous travel across major routes nationwide. While the journey proves that long-distance electric travel is achievable, it also reveals the need for continued investment and planning to close infrastructure gaps and support the broader adoption of electric vehicles throughout the archipelago.