Is it time to go electric? With rising fuel costs and worsening air pollution, electric vehicles (EVs) are no longer a futuristic concept but a necessary shift in transportation. However, the Philippines lags behind in EV adoption.
To promote the transition to sustainable transportation, the first-ever Build Your Dreams (BYD) Tech Tour made a pit stop at the Henry Sy Sr. Hall grounds last February 10 to 12. Hosted by the Eco Archers Team in collaboration with ACMobility, the three-day event displayed several of BYD’s latest vehicles alongside vehicle charging infrastructure, merchandise booths with giveaways, and product specialists.
The “Green” Car Team
According to Eco Archers Team Manager Lorenz Martin Wee (III, BSECE), the tour originated from a partnership with ACMobility, the Philippine distributor of BYD and the team’s Diamond sponsor. Sharing a vision for sustainability, both parties seized the opportunity to launch the tour at DLSU. “[The tour] helps people adapt [to a new] shift in mobility since with electric vehicles compared to usual gas-powered vehicles, [as] it’s more favorable in terms of sustainability,” the team’s manager stated.
Since 2010, the Eco Archers Team has been churning out multiple designs for energy-efficient vehicles. Their latest creation, Zeta, is the team’s ninth iteration for a shift to an Urban Concept vehicle, which is a car resembling a typical passenger vehicle.
The development of Zeta came with many challenges, including the application of classroom theories into real-world practice. “Most of [the development] are trial and error, but also aligned with technical theoretical concepts,” Wee narrated.
He explained how the team focused on notable developments for Zeta, such as the integration of a motor-controller with a battery-electric and electric-motor design. Trial runs were also conducted in the Razon building and off-campus to measure the vehicle’s performance.
With the team’s hard work and perseverance, Zeta managed to pass the inspections for regulation during the 2024 Shell Eco-Marathon in Indonesia. There, Zeta reached an efficiency record of 80 kilometers per kilowatt-hour, indicating the car’s capacity to maximize distance per unit of energy. It was also among the displays in the tour, marking its first on-campus appearance since the competition.
Steering their vision toward the future, the team aims to improve the car’s structure, reliability, and telemetry system for better data analysis and efficiency. They will also participate in the Qatar Shell Eco Marathon next year to surpass local and international teams.
The electric dream
Apart from Zeta, the tour also highlighted BYD’s Dolphin, Seal EVs, and Sealion 6 plug-in hybrid electric vehicle (PHEV), allowing Lasallians to get a first-hand look at the future of personal transportation.
BYD Marketer Carlos Mendoza points out how EVs generate less carbon emissions than internal combustion-powered vehicles (ICEs). “When you use an EV, you’re already reducing the carbon emissions that you would be producing if you would be using a conventional ICE,” conveyed Mendoza. Despite their higher cost, “[EVs] give you around 71 percent savings in terms of fuel costs,” he continued.
Maintenance is another advantage. Unlike ICEs which require frequent repairs, EVs have fewer moving parts from the lack of an engine or transmission. Additionally, BYD’s Super DM-i technology allows their PHEVs to travel farther than 1,000 km without refueling.
EVs also offer inherent performance and safety advantages. They have instant acceleration and a lower center of gravity due to their floor-mounted batteries, enhancing their stability on the road. Meanwhile, BYD’s Blade battery adds vehicular rigidity.
From BYD’s DiPilot driver assistance system—which can help drivers avoid accidents—to the infotainment karaoke system that kept Lasallians inside the display models, there is more to BYD’s electrified vehicles than saving money or the environment. “It (the car) carries a lot of the entertainment and the infotainment features that could be really essential for us people,” Wee stated.
Amped for the future
Looking at the road ahead, Mendoza mentioned the possibility of BYD expanding its business in the Philippines to include its electric buses, which can aid in the electrification of public transportation.
However, several challenges slow down the transition to EVs. Cathlyn Manahan, another BYD marketer, lamented that the government’s push toward electrification is not aggressive enough. “We’re at the scale already that we’re selling a lot of electric cars, but the infrastructure has not caught up.” To address this, ACMobility is working with LGUs in Manila and Valenzuela to build more charging stations in the country.
Furthermore, Wee underscored the importance of education in acknowledging technological advancements, particularly EVs, starting with the Tech Tour at DLSU. This initiative helped dispel negative perceptions of EVs while driving demand for them. By igniting conversations on EVs, the Eco Archers Team and ACMobility strive to bring people closer to a future with cleaner transportation.
