New Terrafirma-Dayun alliance aims to sell all-electric trucks, PUVs

The local industry’s transition to electric vehicles (EVs) is understood more than ever as a growing number of players are starting to join the fray. Terrafirma Motors Corp. (TMC), a company under the Columbian Group, is one of these as it signed a strategic partnership with Chengdu Dayun Automobile Co. Ltd.

The partnership between Terrafirma Motors and Chengdu Dayun is official

Present at the Memorandum of Agreement (MOA) signing were key officials from concerned parties including TMC Chairman Bienvenido Santos, TMC President Felix J. Mabilog, Jr., and Chengdu Dayun Vice General Manager Xie Ping.

“We are very proud to be partnering with the Chengdu Dayun group. With Terrafirma’s expertise in vehicle assembly, the Dragon EX5 is set to become a fixture on Philippine roads,” said Santos.

The signing ceremony saw the preview of the Dayun Dragon EX5

The partnership allows TMC to distribute Dayun vehicles and modify them to various configurations in a bid to cater to market demand. To provide a glimpse of what’s to come, TMC previewed a prototype of the Dayun Dragon EX5.

Categorized as an all-electric light-duty truck, the Dayun Dragon EX5 offers a payload capacity of 3,000 kg, a 90 km/h top speed, and a 250 km EV range. These are made possible with the truck’s 65 kW electric motor paired with an 81.14 kWh battery, producing 188 horsepower and 360 Nm of torque.

Department of Transportation Secretary Jaime Bautista attended the ceremony

TMC can benefit from Chengdu Dayun’s manufacturing expertise as it is the fourth leading private automotive company in China.

Once this prototype makes it to the assembly line, the Dayun Dragon EX5 will join the Foton Tornado EV as one of the pioneers of the all-electric light-duty truck market in the country. This will be a significant step in the local market’s adaption of EVs.

Terrafirma is looking forward to a brighter and cleaner future with Chengdu Dayun

TMC also touched on the possibility of producing all-electric modern PUVs during the MOA signing. The company aims to support not only the government’s PUV Modernization Program but also transport cooperatives who wish to acquire new and greener units.

“We are in talks with Meralco, the country’s leading electric company, to find ways to bring these cleaner emitting vehicles to more industries throughout the country. Terrafirma’s goal is to remain relevant in the area of mobility even as we adapt to the needs of the times. We aim to electrify the future,” ended Santos.

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