Philippine vehicle sales fall 20.7% in August

Philippine vehicle sales fell 20.7 percent in August, with 29,611 units sold compared to 37,319 units in July. The Chamber of Automotive Manufacturers of the Philippines Inc. (CAMPI) and the Truck Manufacturers Association Inc. (TMA) attributed the decline to severe weather conditions that disrupted dealership operations and consumer activity.

Despite the overall downturn, the electric vehicle (xEV) segment showed resilience. xEV sales accounted for 34.5 percent of total industry sales in August, and year-to-date xEV sales reached 45,403 units, representing a 146.2 percent increase compared to the previous year.

In the battery electric vehicle (BEV) segment, VinFast led with 749 sales, followed by Omoda and Jaecoo and Geely. In the hybrid electric vehicle (HEV) category, Toyota maintained a significant lead with 1,981 units sold. CAMPI President Jose Maria Atienza expressed optimism that the August dip is a “short-term disruption rather than a reversal of market momentum,” expecting a rebound through the end of the year.