China EV brand Weltmeister coming to PH market this year

Chinese car brands in our market have so far met with varying degrees of success, and now another one of their compatriots is arriving in the form of Weltmeister. This isn’t just any automaker in the mainland, as Weltmeister is known for manufacturing electric vehicles.    

Chinese EV maker Weltmeister will be bringing its products to our shores 

The brand is owned by WM Motor Technology Co. Ltd. which will be distributing its models here through its local partner, WM Philippines (WMPH). This will reportedly be the first full-play electric vehicle distribution in the Philippines, spanning the EV ecosystem from distributorship and dealership to service, parts, and even charging stations. 

WM Motor Asia Pacific (WMAP) and WMPH recently signed their distributor agreement, with key officials in attendance. Among them were WMAP CEO Yedhi Sondhy, WM Asia Pacific Chairman & Founder Sri Hascaryo, and WM Motor International Director Huang Qinglai. 

“The adoption of EVs has been an ongoing trend mostly seen in developed countries like Norway, the U.S, and China,” said Rashi Delgado of WMPH. “We are excited to see the Philippines take this path and embrace the benefits of a more sustainable mobility solution.” 

Part of the Weltmeister M7's quirky design are the three external lidar sensors on its body 

Customers can expect the first showroom to open at the 7NEO in Bonifacio Global City, Taguig, by the second quarter of this year. The Philippines is the first market outside of China to officially receive the Weltmeister range of EVs, including the W5 electric compact crossover (known as the EX5-Z in its home market) which is slated for a Philippine debut. 

Other models that Weltmeister currently offers in the mainland are the W6 electric midsize crossover and the M7 electric sedan, the latter equipped with external lidar (light detection and ranging) sensors which the carmaker claims make the vehicle capable of Level 5 autonomous driving.            

Weltmeister was founded in 2015 by Freeman Shen, a former Geely executive who also served as chairman of Volvo’s China operations. It counts Chinese tech companies such as Tencent and Baidu among its investors. The automaker operates its own manufacturing facilities in Zhejiang and Hubei Provinces, employing 1,000 engineers and maintaining R&D facilities in China, Germany, and the U.S.   

Keep tabs on upcoming automakers who plan to make a splash in our market at Philkotse.com.