Grab Philippines teamed up with BYD Cars Philippines to roll out a pilot study aimed at examining the feasibility of introducing electric vehicles (EVs) into the digital ride-hailing industry.
The pilot study will run for a month and will closely follow the experience of a contingent of Grab driver-partners testing out the BYD Dolphin.
It will examine key operational and economic implications of using EVs as TNVS vehicles.
The EV pilot study will launch in Bonifacio Global City, Makati City, Pasay City and Mandaluyong City, leveraging the areas’ existing EV charging infrastructure.
“Grab is fully dedicated to achieving carbon neutrality by 2040 and critical to this is the inclusion of low or zero-emission vehicles in our fleet,” Grab Philippines head of Mobility EJ Dela Vega said.
“Through this pilot study, we aim to formulate strategic recommendations around the effective integration of electric vehicles in ride-hailing fleets as we proactively co-engineer a more sustainable Philippine mobility ecosystem with all transport stakeholders,” he said.
ACMobility head of retail and distribution Toti Zara is confident that the joint pilot study with Grab is a significant stride towards addressing these challenges. ACMobility is Ayala’s automotive and mobility infrastructure group.
Zara said the collaboration is a crucial step in paving the way to the electrification of local ride-hailing.
“The results of these end-to-end trials will help us create an ecosystem-wide approach to accelerating the adoption of sustainable mobility in our country. We are glad to be pioneering this landmark study with Grab, who share our passion for safe and efficient transportation that is friendlier to our environment,” Zara said.
The dedicated group of Grab driver-partners underwent a special training with the BYD Cars Philippines team to prepare for the deployment of the EVs in the GrabCar fleet.