ACMobility ditching Honda for hot new brand (BYD)

Ayala Corp [AC 490.00 up 0.8%; 57% avgVol] [link] said its mobility solutions arm, ACMobility, will exit the Honda dealership business after 35 years to focus on boosting its electric vehicle (EV) portfolio. In a disclosure on 2 October 2025, AC and Honda Cars Philippines Inc. jointly announced the transfer of all Honda dealerships operated by ACMobility through Iconic Dealership Inc. to “new dealer principals” by 1 January 2026. The move marks the end of a partnership that began in 1990, with both companies assuring customers of a “seamless transition” to begin toward the end of the year. The exit follows ACMobility’s recent departure from the Volkswagen and Maxus distribution businesses. Jaime Alfonso Zobel de Ayala, CEO of ACMobility, said the shift “reflects our ongoing effort to optimize our portfolio and focus on new growth areas,” including “initiatives in advancing sustainable mobility and electrification.”

  MB BOTTOM-LINE:  I really like this move if we zoom out: the Zobel Family is detaching itself from legacy brands, and refocusing its efforts on a new brand with proven growth prospects in BYD. That sounds great as a headline, but I’m curious about how the transition will work under the hood, at the ground level. The nine dealerships under ACMobility will be turned over to new management very quickly, but how quickly will they be able to spin up the new BYD dealerships? Are they going to put the BYD dealerships in the same locations as the old Honda dealerships? It doesn’t sound like it. Will the new locations be good? How long will it take to get those up and running?

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