Whenever we get our hands on any vehicle with a modest engine displacement, the most common question we get is: kaya ba umakyat ng Baguio yan (can it get up to Baguio)? Located 1,540 meters above sea level and about 200 kilometers north of Manila, the “Summer Capital of the Philippines” or “The City of Pines” is often an endurance test a car must ace before being accepted by the masses as well-built (matibay). Nowadays, just about any well-maintained modern vehicle can now make it up thanks to a better road network, and of course, better built cars. But what about EVs?
Given the hilly, and sometimes, steep ascent up coupled with the sheer distance from Metropolitan Manila, this could become a great test for electric vehicles—not of its power or torque per se (EVs typically have a lot of that), but of its cruising range. Typically, carmakers love touting the max achievable range on their spec sheets. These figures may be achievable in a controlled environment, but how do they compare to the real world? The situation, we found out, varies greatly.
The challenge
With the current state of the EV industry in the Philippines, the typical mindset is point-to-point charging. This means topping up at every single opportunity whether you’ve reached the office or a mall for some errands. This is all good if you plan to restrict your travel to Metro Manila or if you got one of those dinky Chinese EVs for that matter.
With the current state of the EV industry in the Philippines, the typical mindset is point-to-point charging. This means topping up at every single opportunity whether you’ve reached the office or a mall for some errands. This is all good if you plan to restrict your travel to Metro Manila or if you got one of those dinky Chinese EVs for that matter.
However, because properly engineered EVs are meant to go longer distances, destination charging should become the norm. The biggest advantage to EV chargers is that they can be installed just about everywhere—both private or public—in places a petrol station can’t. Aside from malls, hotels and resorts—are some places that could accommodate an EV charger. Anywhere an EV is parked for some time and is charged is classified as destination charging.
The challenger
We chose the Hyundai Ioniq 6 because it’s the EV with the longest range currently available in the Philippines. Some of you may consider that a bit of cheating, but since this is a proof of concept, we’d take all the buffer its 545-kilometer advertised range could give.
We chose the Hyundai Ioniq 6 because it’s the EV with the longest range currently available in the Philippines. Some of you may consider that a bit of cheating, but since this is a proof of concept, we’d take all the buffer its 545-kilometer advertised range could give.
The Ioniq 6 is powered by a single permanent magnet synchronous motor making 229 horsepower and 350 Nm of torque (read our full review). Those figures are comparable to a sporty compact SUV or sedan, so there’s no question about its climbing ability or performance. Next up, it has a liquid-cooled 77.4-kWh (74-kWh usable) lithium-ion battery, so again there’s no shortage of stored electrons there.
The plan
The plan was simple. Drive from Manila to the Tritium DC fast charger in Baguio City doing zero stops if possible. As a contingency, we noted of a possible top up point in Rosario, just at the rotunda after exiting TPLEX, where there’s another DC fast charger available.
The trip
The Ioniq 6 was delivered with about 90 percent charge the day before. From there, we proceeded to EMICOR, Inc., on Roosevelt Avenue to top up. EMICOR is a distributor of both AC and DC EV chargers, and because they wanted us to test their newly-installed 22-kW AC charger, we decided to charge up there. Their system isn’t the run-of-the-mill wall box. It’s more robust that’s ready to accept payment via a tap card in case establishments wants to start charging a fee. Charge time took 55 minutes and based on our previous driving behavior, the electric streamliner predicted a maximum cruising range of 537 kilometers.
At this point, we knew that the Ioniq 6 will have to go through the flooded portion of NLEX in San Simon which was causing a monstrous traffic jam. Instead of backing out, we figured it’ll add another layer to this test. With no change to our driving behavior, we simply pumped up the tires to the recommended fully-loaded tire pressure (38 PSI front, 42 PSI rear). After that, it was time to buckle up for the long-ass drive up.
Before we hit traffic starting at the Candaba Viaduct, thanks to careful coasting, smart use of the regen braking, and a cruising speed of 90 km/h, the Ioniq 6 was averaging 6.9 km/kWh—not bad considering EVs don’t generally do well at high speeds. Once we hit the start of the three-hour bumper-to-bumper traffic though, that figure gradually crept down. In fairness, the drop wasn’t as significant, and by the time we hit TPLEX, it got back up to 6.9 km/kWh with the battery still showing 65 percent remaining.
Since the condition of Kennon Road was iffy, we decided take Marcos Highway going up instead. It was longer and full of trucks and buses. Because of the constant ascent and the need to overtake, it did a number on our remaining charge. Six and a half hours and 185.6 kilometers later, the Ioniq 6 made it to SM City Baguio with 39 percent battery remaining and 172 kilometers of range to spare. The average consumption? 4.9 km/kWh.
Since the condition of Kennon Road was iffy, we decided take Marcos Highway going up instead. It was longer and full of trucks and buses. Because of the constant ascent and the need to overtake, it did a number on our remaining charge. Six and a half hours and 185.6 kilometers later, the Ioniq 6 made it to SM City Baguio with 39 percent battery remaining and 172 kilometers of range to spare. The average consumption? 4.9 km/kWh.
At the only mall-based DC fast charger in the Philippines, we topped up using the Tritium RTM charger. The 75-kW DC charger topped off the Ioniq 6’s battery in around 75 minutes—just the time it took for our group to finish lunch.
The trip back
With nighttime temperatures dropping down to as low as 18 degrees Celsius in Camp John Hay, the Ioniq 6 lost one percent charge overnight. Still, at 99 percent capacity, it’s more than enough juice for the drive back. And besides, because the first part of the trip was a downhill climb via Marcos Highway (we still didn’t trust Kennon Road), we knew the increased regenerative braking would help us claw back the lost charge.
With nighttime temperatures dropping down to as low as 18 degrees Celsius in Camp John Hay, the Ioniq 6 lost one percent charge overnight. Still, at 99 percent capacity, it’s more than enough juice for the drive back. And besides, because the first part of the trip was a downhill climb via Marcos Highway (we still didn’t trust Kennon Road), we knew the increased regenerative braking would help us claw back the lost charge.
The traffic on Marcos Highway wasn’t a big help though due to some road construction and a major accident. This already cost us an hour of traffic time, and more crucially, drained 10 percent worth of charge. Luckily, traffic enforcers pointed us down some small town roads to avoid the jam. This enabled the Ioniq 6 to claw back the lost charge quickly. With our regen braking set to Level 3 (out of a five-level system), not only did we manage to top up the battery once more (the display showed 99 km/kWh), but the car decided to cut off the entire brake regen system a couple of times! After 49.2 kilometers and about two hours of driving, we finally reached the Rosario DC charger showing an insane 37.5 km/kWh figure. There was no need to charge up here.
Knowing NLEX still hasn’t fixed the flooding problem, we took a bathroom and coffee break at the first service station on the expressway. We also swapped drivers too. In hindsight this was a great move because it took close to five hours to clear the 50-meter flood on the southbound lane near San Simon. The Ioniq 6’s reading? A measly 3.9 km/kWh figure.
After yet break to stretch, the Ioniq 6 finally got back to EMICOR in Quezon City. Total travel time? 7 hours 42 minutes, averaging 6.9 km/kWh. Remaining battery range? 54 percent. Plugged into the 22-kWh charger once again, the top up took 3hours and 50 minutes.
The takeaways
Based on this experience, the Hyundai Ioniq 6’s real-world mileage for a Manila to Baguio climb is 362.6 kilometers, while the Baguio to Manila descent is 510.6 kilometers. We believe that those figures could have been better if not for that flooding along San Simon (perhaps it’s something we can explore next time with the Ioniq 5).
Given the right EV and the right infrastructure, destination charging is not just possible; it’s doable. It may take extra planning and preparation, but compared to driving an internal combustion engine car, we would have just added an extra 75 minutes due to our charging time in Baguio.
Even if we didn’t have access to a DC fast charger, topping up the Ioniq 6’s battery upon reaching Baguio would have just taken roughly three hours on a 22-kW AC charger or six hours on an 11-kW AC charger. The simple 7-kW wall box that comes with every Ioniq 6 would have taken eight hours.
As more and more EVs hit the road, it will ultimately change people’s behavior. Imagine if these chargers were in a hotel, resort, amusement park, or golf course. Instead of having to stop at a gas station to top up, drivers can be greeted by a couple of DC fast chargers for a quick charge at their destination. After that, they can move their vehicles to slower, more battery-friendly AC chargers to complete the charge, or keep them topped up for the night.
Hi would you have list of charging stations going north and their capacity so we can plan our trip. Thank you and very encouraging to travel now.
ReplyDeleteNot the most accurate, but this is what we used:
Deletehttps://www.plugshare.com/
As of last count, there are around 70+ charging outlets compatible with the CCS/Type 2 standard. If you're a Nissan Leaf though (Chademo) you're out of luck. You're limited to select Nissan dealerships.
Thank you but ours is a Tang so need to get an adapter first.
DeleteThe adapter isn't that expensive. EMICOR can source one as they did with a fleet of BYD Dolphins.
DeleteSo, would you recommend people to buy BEV now given the high price or better to wait for upcoming BEVs?
ReplyDeleteThat entirely depends on you. If you want stonking good range and power, and don't mind paying a high price, you can get one right now.
DeleteBut EVs are bound to get more affordable and better as the tech matures. Kia PH, for example, predicts that by the time they compete in the B-segment crossover category with an EV, they'd be able to achieve price parity already with an ICE. That's about in two years time, they said.
If you want to save buy now.
Deleteif you go to baguio, I think only SM Baguio has EV charging stations? So you'd have no choice but to park there.....
ReplyDeleteBaguio has one fast charger and that's in SM City. But there's also another one in Camp John Hay. It's a 22-kW AC charger though.
DeleteWhat will you do if you went out of charge and without nearby charging station. Are there available portable charger?
ReplyDeleteIt's quite hard to deplete an EV's charge. I can't speak for Chinese brands, but in Hyundais, they actually can limit power output and turn off electrical components to conserve power. Also, Hyundai PH implemented a special roadside assistance for EVs. They'll be able to provide an emergency charge.
DeleteYour car should come with one. However do check if it works on a two prong outlets.
ReplyDeleteYou mean the portable charger? It does come with one. On the Hyundai, it's quite slow though. It maxes out at 1.6 kW using a two-prong outlet.
DeleteOops yes portable. 1.6 kW is really slow but at least you don’t burn down houses in the provinces when you charge. Using a 3.5 kW or 16 amp charger is inline with new houses meaning the wires and circuits breakers csn handle the load. While in the provinces most are old houses that still use fuse to cut power.
DeleteGood point. Noticed that the Germans though--the Audis and the BMWs--charge up to 2 kW.
Deletehow many person were on board your ev?
ReplyDelete3 adults with luggage.
DeleteIn the future I predict emergency EV mobile charging stations.
ReplyDeleteHyundai also has emergency roadside assistance for their EVs that can provide power enough for you to reach the next charging station.
DeleteIf you have a house or condo in Baguio, or any provincial destination for that matter, can you charge an EV overnight using the usual home wall socket?
ReplyDeleteIt depends on the EV, but normally, yes. It will charge slowly--like the Ioniq 6 charges at a rate of 1.6 kW per hour, while others like the Ioniq 5, BMW and Audi EVs, charge at 2 kW per hour.
DeleteOthers though...like the Volvo PHEVs and the Outlander PHEVs, it won't work on a domestic 220V socket. It requires a grounded socket.