Voltai gears up for nationwide expansion

MANILA, Philippines — Voltai, the electric mobility startup backed by Aboitiz Power Corp., is doubling down on Metro Manila while gearing up for expansion into other key urban centers across the country.

“Our current priority is first to saturate Metro Manila and then go up to the north and south of Metro Manila,” Voltai co-founder and chief product officer Nico Policarpio said in an interview.

Beyond that, the company also plans to bring its battery swapping and fleet management solutions to Cebu and Davao as part of its medium-term growth strategy, Policarpio said.

Last year, Voltai launched the Philippines’ first large-scale battery-swapping ecosystem for electric two-wheelers, giving businesses a cleaner and more cost-efficient alternative to gas-powered fleets.

Its current network of 15 battery-swapping stations allows riders to quickly exchange depleted batteries and get back on the road with minimal downtime.

Looking ahead, Policarpio said Voltai aims to expand that network to around 1,000 battery-swapping stations over the medium term.

“Our current network density is already sufficient to cover our targets for the next year or so. We’ll probably see more of a network expansion by next year,” he noted.

For now, Voltai serves only electric two-wheelers, but bringing its battery-swapping ecosystem to four-wheeled electric vehicles is also on its long-term radar.

“It’s not something that we’re discounting. It could be a natural expansion, but right now the opportunity is too huge where we are currently,” Policarpio stressed.

As it scales its business, he said, Voltai is also in talks with potential strategic partners to strengthen its position in the electric mobility space.

During its pilot phase last year, Voltai partnered with fuel retailer Cleanfuel and co-living brand MyTown to roll out its first battery-swapping stations.

Complementing its network, the company also offers a mobile application that allows riders to monitor battery health, locate the nearest battery-swapping station and track their trips.