UAAGI, BYD & VinFast: These Three Disruptors Are Helping Accelerate EV/NEV Adoption in the Philippines

History teaches us that global economic disruptions such as pandemics, financial crashes, geopolitical shifts, or – God forbid – world wars can cause major changes in the automotive industry. The 1929 Great Depression saw the demise of the small independent car brands. World War II saw the emergence of the Jeep and 4×4 vehicles. The 1973 energy crisis created by the OPEC oil embargo saw the rise in popularity of small, economical cars from Japan. The 2008 financial crisis saw the purging of the once-mighty American car industry. Climate change has pushed the need for environment-friendly and sustainable means of transportation such as electric vehicles (EVs) and new energy vehicles (NEVs). The current war in Iran is disrupting oil prices around the world.

The skyrocketing fuel prices has now compelled a lot of people to look at EVs and NEVs as a viable daily commuter. Only a few people have noticed that EV and NEV distributors here in the Philippines have already established their own EV/NEV ecosystems even before this US/Israel vs. Iran global disruption has come to fruition. Mind you, some of these local distributors were also considered “disruptors” in their own right at one time or another, so they are already used to disruptions as well as causing disruptions themselves. Here are three of the major automotive disruptors in the country today:

UAAGI: Taking a Page from General Motors

The Sytin brothers – Dominic, Rommel and Kenneth – were doing well and thriving in the used vehicles auction business when they founded United Asia Automotive Group Inc. (UAAGI) in 2006. Their first venture as a new vehicle importer was with FOTON, importing heavy duty trucks, commercial vehicles, passenger vans and the Blizzard pickup truck that looked like a clone of the earlier Isuzu Fuego. The Blizzard, which I termed as a reliable and affordable “workhorse”, was one of my “10 Best Editor’s Picks” for the year, which prompted one of my colleagues to call me and ask if I was sure of my choice. I stood firm with my choice as did UAAGI with distributing FOTON.

Over the years, UAAGI has managed the FOTON brand very well, which earned them the trust of other Chinese car brands. In addition to FOTON, UAAGI is the Philippine distributor of Chery, BAIC, Lynk & Co, Jetour, and Radar, similar to what General Motors (GM) did until the early 2000’s when it distributed Chevrolet, Buick, Pontiac, Oldsmobile, Cadillac and GMC Trucks. Like GM’s old annual “Motorama” roadshow, UAAGI organizes a yearly roadshow dubbed as “UAAGI On The Move“, with the most recent one held at SM Mall of Asia in March 2026, showcasing over 20 new EVs and hybrid models. I can only guess that because of the spiraling fuel prices, those who test drove during the UAAGI roadshow are now considering these EVs and hybrids. I just wish the late Dominic Sytin was around to see how his brothers Rommel and Kenneth, and his nephews, Joshua and Timothy, have grown the company to become a major industry disruptor with a six car brands.

BYD: The Future Challenger of Toyota and Lexus

Build Your Dreams (BYD) started as a rechargeable battery manufacturer in 1995 and emerged as a car brand in 2003. BYD gasoline and hybrid vehicles were initially distributed in the Philippines by Solar Transport & Automotive Resources Corporation (STAR Corp.) in 2013 when Chinese car brands were still struggling to get a foothold in the Philippine auto market. When the Ayala Corporation’s AC Mobility took over as local distributor, they focused on building the BYD dealership network while building their own ecosystem to support their EV/NEV venture at the same time. AC Mobility built charging stations at Ayala Malls and other locations, as well as a couple of mobile charging vans under the “Power-On-Wheels” moniker as part of their charging ecosystem. (We’re flattered that it’s close to our “Power Wheels Magazine” brand name. – Ed.)

With the BYD Group emerging as the world’s largest manufacturer of EVs, HEVs and NEVs while focusing on vertical integration, Blade Battery technology, and sustainable energy solutions, it was inevitable that they will take over local operations. BYD and Denza Philippines recently flexed its muscles when it introduced its Denza premium car brand with the debut of the D9 executive MPV and the sneak peek of the B5 and B8 luxury SUVs. Denza is to BYD as Lexus is to Toyota, which is why there’s some speculation that BYD will soon become a worthy challenger to the current market leader. Well, this disruptor encourages you to build your dreams, after all…

 VinFast: Johnny-Come-Lately is Rewriting the Rules

Founded in 2017 as the first homegrown Vietnamese car brand, VinFast pivoted from ICEs to EVs in 2022. It started global distribution in 2018 and officially entered the Philippine market in 2024. VinFast knew that they’d be up against established Japanese, American and European car brands as well as the emerging Chinese ones so they created their own disruptive ecosystem to attract buyers. First, they guaranteed the residual value of their models, which was never done by any carmaker. Then, like AC Mobility, they started building VinFast charging stations and offered free charging but for the exclusive use of VinFast owners only. To further prove the everyday reliability and viability of their EVs, the Green GSM electric taxis (VinFast Herio Green VF5 models) were fielded to ferry local passengers around the metropolis.

With a Filipino, Toti Zara, as the Chief Executive Officer (CEO) for Southeast Asia, VinFast disrupted the auto industry yet again with their Battery Subscription program, where customers have the option to simply “lease” the battery – meaning they can buy the electric vehicle without the battery – and just pay a monthly subsciption fee, which lowers the acquisition cost that budget-conscious Filipinos will find very attractive. VinFast also will replace the battery when the battery health falls below 70% which is designed to remove the customers’ anxiety of replacing the battery after several years of use.  For the sake of the environment, the old replaced batteries will be reused by the VinGroup’s energy generation arm, VinEnergy, so nothing actually goes to waste with this Vietnamese disruptor.

So, there you have it. Three local disruptors who are rewriting the rules of the Philippine automotive industry. Nine car brands – BAIC, BYD, Chery, Denza, FOTON, Jetour, Lynk & Co., Radar, and VinFast – that are busy disrupting norms to capture the Filipino’s hearts and wallets, while challenging the established car brands, and debunking the notion that EVs and NEVs are just passing fads that will soon fade away. The blockage of oil deliveries through the Strait of Hormuz by Iran and the consequential spiraling fuel prices, which may become the biggest economic disruption of the year, has inadvertently boosted the adoption of EVs and NEVs in the country, which may probably become the biggest automotive disruption of this decade!