You know it’s an important event when it’s no less than the President himself who’s in the middle of it — literally.
Dongfeng Motors formally marked its arrival to the Philippines with a grand launch last Monday with President Bongbong Marcos herding three vehicles, one hybrid and two fully electric, out of the giant moving video wall.
It was a debut never before seen in terms of scale. Dong Feng’s distributor here, after all, is Legado Motors Inc., whose chairman is political big wig Luis “Chavit” Singson.
Other A-listers in the crowd that afternoon at the MetroWalk MetroTent in Pasig included former Mayor Benjamin Abalos, and World Cup bowling four-time champion Paeng Nepomuceno.
But of course, it’s the President who took the spotlight.
He said the promotion of electric vehicles is a priority of the government, in accordance to the Paris Agreement global treaty on climate change; that by 2040, 50 percent of the vehicles plying our roads would be EVs.
“Strive with us as we generate more employment opportunities, enrich our people’s quality of life, and foster more environmentally friendly communities,” Mr. Marcos said in his speech.
Already, the government has been giving incentives to EV owners in terms of lower taxes, exemption from number coding, and prioritization in the registration with the Land Transportation Office.
The President then hopped on one of the three vehicles before heading out through the large throng of selfie-seekers and well-wishers.
It was obvious that the organizers worked around his schedule, because after an hour the same exact launch program was repeated.
Out came the Nanobox, Forthing Friday and Aeolus Huge once more to the same disco-vibe hoopla. This time, though, the cars took the stage all by themselves.
Nanobox is a compact sedan meant to navigate through the tight city traffic. The full EV has a 350-kilometer range which will put your mind at ease throughout the daily commute.
Priced at P888,000, the Nanobox is both affordable and environmentally friendly given that it has zero emission.
Aeolus Huge is sporty SUV powered by a 1.5-liter turbocharged engine that’s assisted by an electric motor. HEV has multi-mode transmission that drives the front wheels. It also has three drive modes to choose from: Sports, Eco and Comfort.
Aeolus Huge looks way impressive than its price tag of P1.888 million. It has luxurious interior and striking overall appearance. It’s highly believable that the Chinese premier Li Quiang indeed has this as his ride of choice.
Another full EV, Forthing Friday, comes in two variants. The first variant of this compact crossover SUV has a range of 430km and is pegged at P1.98 million. The higher-end variant could go 630km and costs P2.58 million.
It has a futuristic grille and linear appearance with impressive interior panel and dashboard like it’s straight out of Blade Runner movie.
“Legado Motors Inc. is proud to be at the forefront of the electrical vehicle revolution in the Philippines,” Singson said.
“Our partnership with Dongfeng Motors aligns perfectly with our vision of affordable and sustainable mobility we are confident that these models will be well-received by the Filipino people.”