Crossover specialist Chery Auto, distributed locally by United Asia Automotive Group Inc. (UAAGI), is crossing over to a new genre—not just for them, but for the whole Philippine car industry.

They’re bringing in an electric car.

Not a hybrid, but a 100-percent pure electric vehicle. The Arrizo is Chery’s sedan line, with the 5 denoting its compact size contender. The “e” designation at the end identifies this model as the full-electric variant.

The Chery Arrizo 5e is a sharp-looking purely electric compact sedan with a sleek, couple-like profile. A cutting-edge permanent magnet synchronous motor generating 120-kW (approximately 160 horsepower) and 250Nm of torque drives the Arrizo’s front wheels. It can accelerate from 0 to 50 km/h in 3.8 seconds and reach a top speed of 152 km/h.



The Arrizo 5e uses a state-of-the-art lithium-ion battery with a 53.6-kWh capacity — good for a maximum 500-kilometer driving range between full charges (under ideal conditions of a constant cruise at 60 km/h). More realistic driving under the international NEDC standard yields a still-impressive 401-kilometer range. Like a growing number of cars and almost standard on all hybrids and EVs, the Arrizo 5e uses regenerative braking to capture kinetic energy from braking and storing it in the battery as electrical energy.

The Arrizo 5e can charge from 30 to 80 percent power in 30 minutes under fast-charge mode and 7 to 9 hours under normal charging.

Inside the spacious and finely crafted two-tone interior, the Arrizo 5e has a large 9-inch touchscreen infotainment system on the central part of the ergonomically designed dashboard. Below is an 8-inch touch panel for the climate control. Unlike most cars which use lots of plastic in the interior, 65 percent Arrizo 5e’s cabin is covered in leather.


Reflecting the high-tech nature of the vehicle, a round polished silver auto-retracting knob takes the place of the traditional gear lever. Smart technologies include battery temperature intelligent control for the lithium-ion battery as well as wireless smartphone connectivity, smart entry system, a 360-degree and reversing camera with video monitor, and an electric parking brake with auto-hold feature. 

Safety features include six airbags, Electronic Stability Program, Anti-lock Braking System, Electronic Brakeforce Distribution, Hill Hold Control, a tire pressure monitoring system, and the use of 60 percent high-tensile strength steel in the NCAP five-star-collision test-rated body.

Chery Auto Philippines doesn’t expect immediately big sales numbers for the Arrizo 5e, but is positioning the car as a showcase of Chery’s advanced global technology. Sales will be via indent order at a price of around P 1.9 million.