ACMobility takes over electric vehicles charger locator

MANILA, Philippines — The automotive unit of the Ayala Group has acquired a startup that promotes the shift to electric vehicles by pointing drivers to the nearest charging station wherever in the Philippines.

ACMobility yesterday said it has taken over Evro from 917Ventures, the corporate incubator of Globe Telecom Inc., to expand its presence around the country.

Evro, recognized by the Department of Energy, is an app that e-vehicle drivers can use to locate the closest charging station, providing details on both availability and compatibility.

Further, the app can monitor the charging progress of the e-vehicle it is hooked up to, providing the driver with real-time updates. Evro can also be used to pay for the charging service either by card or GCash for ease of transaction.

Evro seeks to consolidate within the app all of the e-vehicle chargers around the Philippines. The app will integrate their locations regardless of operator, making it brand agnostic for the benefit of motorists.

It features 33 live charging stations managed and operated by ACMobility, located in the prime areas of Bonifacio High Street, Greenbelt 3, Alabang Town Center, Trinoma, Nuvali Solenad 1, Baguio Ayala Technohub, Ayala Center Cebu, Abreeza Mall Davao, and Anvaya Golf and Sports Club.

Evro is in the process of adding more charging stations on the platform, and users can expect that its network would grow further next year.

ACMobility CEO Jaime Alfonso Zobel de Ayala said acquiring Evro supports the company in its push to promote e-vehicles among Filipinos.

“Evro is changing the game for electric vehicle adoption in the Philippines. Alongside our efforts in ACMobility, it will address a range of anxiety concerns and empower EV owners to have full control of their charging experience,” Ayala said.

917Ventures managing director Vince Yamat said the incubator developed the app to simplify the charging journey of e-vehicle drivers. 917Ventures turned over Evro to ACMobility in the hope that it can unlock its full potential.

ACMobility is keen on expediting the growth of electrified transport in the Philippines by closing the infrastructure gaps for e-vehicle adoption.

The e-vehicle industry in the country eyes to grow sales by 10 percent this year and hopes to sell 2.45 million units and operate 65,000 charging stations across the archipelago by 2028.