Ayala Corp. eyes e-vehicle business

MANILA, Philippines — Ayala Corp., the country’s oldest conglomerate, is looking to expand into the electric vehicle business as part of the group’s efforts to reimagine its different businesses post-COVID pandemic.

Ayala, through AC Industrials, is particularly looking into the potential expansion of its motorcycle business into the electric space.

AC Motors, on the other hand, will beef up digital efforts through virtual showrooms, online sales platforms and mobile after-sales capabilities.

Ayala Corp. chairman Jaime Augusto Zobel de Ayala said the Ayala Group remains committed to contributing in the transformation of the Philippine manufacturing sector “for greater global competitiveness post-COVID-19.”

“We and other private businesses can complement the government’s efforts by creating new jobs aligned with the post-pandemic economy, helping re-skill the workforce, and localizing the high value, complex capabilities required for long-term national competitiveness,” Zobel said.

Zobel believes that establishing a solid, globally competitive manufacturing sector can diversify and strengthen the country’s economic base.

“As we collectively forge past the pandemic, both the public and private sectors thus have vital roles to play – not only in rebuilding the country’s manufacturing capacity, but also transforming it for greater global relevance,” Zobel said in his keynote address at the recent annual manufacturing summit of the Department of Trade and Industry.

Zobel said the group is optimistic on the country’s recovery in 2021 and believes the manufacturing sector can help accelerate this by investing more in digitization and pivoting toward changing global demands.

Arthur Tan, president and CEO of AC Industrials and CEO of Integrated Micro-Electronics Inc. (IMI), said the Ayala Group has chosen to invest in the manufacturing and localization of selected technologies that are aligned with macro and industry developments.

These include electric mobility, connectivity and IoT, and smart energy.

AC Industrials, which holds Ayala’s industrial technologies businesses, has created solutions to adapt to changing market needs that have arisen from the pandemic.

It is investing in data engineering and expanding its real-time analytics capability that could help provide more value to customers and reduce overall operating costs, Tan said.

“As the world gradually shifts toward cleaner, more sustainable living, AC Industrials has invested in manufacturing critical components from power modules and EV charging infrastructure to high-value specialty solar gridded cells and panels,” he said.