Two GAC Aion V owners, Romel Emperado and Rommel Laranjo, recently shared their stories taking their cars on cross-country trips well over the vehicle’s indicated 602km range. Both owners previously owned diesel SUVs, ultimately making the switch to an EV for the practical benefits it offered.
For Emperado, his journey was a 1,492km road trip spanning across Luzon, Visayas, and Mindanao with the goal of putting his Aion V to the test in real-world conditions. A notable challenge during the drive was the stretch passing through Samar and Leyte, regions that currently have limited public charging infrastructure. This required some planning ahead of time, but never impeded his progress.
Power-saving techniques Emperado relied on include single-pedal driving, steady cruising at 80-100kph, and using the car’s power-saving mode. At the end of his trip, he managed an average efficiency of around 7.2km/kWh.
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It‘s certainly an impressive feat traveling across the Philippines on a drive that’s well over double the car’s declared range, but it wasn’t nearly as stressful for Emperado as it sounds. By sticking to driving during the daytime and letting the car charge while resting at a mall or Airbnb, he was able to keep both himself and his car topped up on energy. Ultimately, Emperado took on this challenge to help dispel fears on EV capability and range anxiety within the EV community.
As for Laranjo, his use case for the Aion V involved plenty of inter-island travel by RORO on top of his 34km daily commute. These journeys are often whole-day affairs that can be heavy on fuel consumption, which is why Laranjo was interested in seeing the difference an EV makes when traveling from Cebu to Mindanao.
One of the immediate standouts to Laranjo was the vehicle’s ability to handle long idle periods well. These are unavoidable parts of his family’s journey when encountering traffic or lining up to embark on the ferry. He notes that his EV uses minimal battery at standstills as opposed to an idling diesel engine. It also has the bonus of being able to keep the cabin cool efficiently, given that there’s no combustion engine to deal with.
GAC International chief technology officer Masato Kumata expressed gratitude to the owners for sharing their stories with the Aion V: “We are grateful to GAC owners for sharing their cross-country experiences. The Aion V was designed around people’s real-world mobility needs, from everyday drives to longer journeys. Their trips across Luzon, Visayas, and Mindanao provide valuable insights beyond controlled test conditions, helping us continuously refine our vehicles for the way Filipino drivers actually travel.”
Have you tried going on long-distance trips with your EV? Feel free to share your experiences in the comments.
