AYALA Corp.’s automotive unit AC Motors has tied up with the local unit of German engineering firm Bosch in a partnership deal that targets the opening of 60 service facilities in the next five years.
“Our immediate plan will be to open up 20 service facilities within the first 12 months. We are looking at at least 60 service facilities in the next five years,” Antonio A. Zara III, president of AC Motors, said at the signing ceremony on Wednesday.
“We are proud to embark on the journey alongside our strong partner the Ayala Group, to reshape the car service scene today in the Philippines by incorporating integrated vehicle technologies and expanding our global network of independent workshops,” said Marcio Coelho, vice-president of Bosch Automotive Aftermarket ASEAN.
Currently, 12,000 Bosch Car Service centers are spread across 150 countries, with 12 of them in the Philippines, Mr. Coelho said.
“In the last quarter of 2023, our immediate priority is the conversion of the 12 existing outlets into the new standards that we have,” Mr. Zara said.
Bosch Car Service is said to offer one-stop-shop services as it covers mechanical repairs to intricate electronics, engine systems, safety features, comfort upgrades, transmission expertise, and a host of other services and diagnostics.
“Accessibility to these services is paramount, especially in the Philippines, where the pace of transportation infrastructure and demands result from the rapid growth of the country’s economy,” said Paulo Duarte, managing director of Bosch Philippines.
AC Motors President Jaime Alfonso Zobel de Ayala said: “We are very encouraged with the growth that we are seeing in the market right now. There is tremendous growth in the new segment and new technologies that we are seeing.”
“I think right now, we are looking to develop an ecosystem that services the customers of today and tomorrow and the partnership with Bosch represents exactly that right now,” he said.
Under the partnership, AC Motors will be the master franchisor of Bosch Car Service in the Philippines, giving the Ayala company the ability to serve owners of internal combustion engine vehicles. — Justine Irish D. Tabile