Charging while you shop, not planning your life around finding a charger
Partnership combines RLC's real estate footprint with ACMobility's technical platform to address charging infrastructure shortage outside major cities. GoCharge initiative operates as open-system platform supporting multiple EV brands, scaling from 42 existing charging points to 500 stations.
- 500 EV charging stations to be deployed nationwide by end of 2026
- Partnership between Robinsons Land Corp. and ACMobility
- Scaling from 42 existing charging points to 500 stations
- GoCharge platform operates as open system supporting multiple EV brands
- Charging corridor planned from Pagudpud, Luzon to Pagadian, Mindanao
Robinsons Land and ACMobility partner to deploy 500 EV charging stations nationwide by year-end, targeting commercial and residential properties to expand sustainable transport infrastructure beyond major urban centers.
Two of the Philippines' largest conglomerates have joined forces to build out the country's electric vehicle charging network in a way that reaches beyond the usual urban strongholds. Robinsons Land Corp., the property development company owned by the Gokongwei Group, and ACMobility, the mobility arm of Ayala Corp., signed a partnership agreement in May 2026 to install 500 EV charging stations across the nation within the year.
The scale of the rollout is significant partly because of where these stations will go. Rather than clustering them in Metro Manila or Cebu, the two companies plan to weave them through Robinsons Land's existing portfolio—shopping malls, office towers, hotels, residential developments, and destination estates scattered across the archipelago. The initiative, branded GoCharge, addresses a real gap in the market: drivers outside major cities have struggled to find reliable places to charge their vehicles, a friction point that has slowed EV adoption in the provinces.
Robinsons Land already had some infrastructure in place. Over the previous two years, the company had grown its active charging points from 14 to 42, installing them at properties like Opus and Robinsons Galleria, plus several regional locations. This new agreement with ACMobility represents a tenfold acceleration of that pace. The partnership pairs Robinsons Land's real estate footprint—its network of properties across the country—with ACMobility's technical expertise and digital platform, which includes EVRO, an app for tracking and paying for charging sessions.
The timing reflects broader shifts in the Philippine business landscape. Corporations are increasingly adjusting their operations around environmental, social, and governance standards, and fuel price volatility has made alternative transport more attractive to fleet operators and individual consumers alike. Interest in electric vehicles has been climbing domestically, according to Jaime Alfonso Zobel de Ayala, ACMobility's chief executive, who noted that the company is simultaneously building what it calls the Philippine EV Spine—a charging corridor stretching from Pagudpud in the far north of Luzon all the way down to Pagadian in Mindanao, designed to enable long-distance driving across the islands.
The GoCharge platform itself is built as an open system, meaning it will work with any electric vehicle brand or model and can integrate charging services from multiple local and international providers. This flexibility matters because it removes a potential barrier to adoption: drivers won't be locked into a single ecosystem. Mybelle V. Aragon-GoBio, Robinsons Land's chief executive, framed the partnership as a way to make sustainable transport practical for commercial fleets, retail customers, and tenants while simultaneously increasing the long-term value of the company's real estate holdings.
The expansion sits within a larger sustainability strategy at Robinsons Land. The company is also investing in rooftop solar installations on its commercial properties and pursuing green building certifications. Jericho P. Go, the senior vice president overseeing GoCharge, emphasized that the charging infrastructure supports the company's broader carbon reduction targets and efforts to mitigate environmental impacts locally. Initial deployment will begin at selected commercial and regional developments, with the aim of creating a more interconnected transport corridor that makes EV ownership feasible for people across the country, not just those in the capital.
Notable Quotes
The partnership aims to make sustainable transport more practical for commercial fleets, tenants, and retail customers while increasing the long-term asset value of the company's real estate developments.— Mybelle V. Aragon-GoBio, Robinsons Land CEO
Consumer interest in EVs is increasing in the domestic market, and the company is building out its regional charging network to support long-distance driving across the islands.— Jaime Alfonso Zobel de Ayala, ACMobility CEO
The Hearth Conversation Another angle on the story
Why does it matter that these charging stations are going into shopping malls and residential developments rather than, say, dedicated charging hubs?
Because that's where people already are. If you live in a condo or shop at a mall, you can charge while you're doing something else. It removes the friction of having to plan a trip around finding a charger.
But 500 stations in a country this size—is that actually enough?
It's a start, and it's strategic. They're not spreading them thin everywhere. They're placing them at properties that already have foot traffic and infrastructure, which means the stations are more likely to be used and maintained.
What's the real business incentive here for Robinsons Land?
Real estate value. A property with EV charging becomes more attractive to tenants and buyers. It's a long-term asset play dressed up as environmental responsibility.
And ACMobility gets what?
Market share and data. Every charge, every transaction goes through their platform. They're building the nervous system of EV adoption in the Philippines.
The article mentions they're already at 42 stations. Why announce 500 now instead of just quietly building?
Because it signals commitment to the market. Consumers and fleet operators need to know the infrastructure is coming. Without that signal, they won't buy the cars.
Does this actually change anything for someone in, say, Davao?
Eventually, yes. If the rollout happens as planned, someone in Davao could own an EV and charge it at a mall or their residential development. Right now, that's not really possible outside Metro Manila.