Remember Maxus? You probably don’t, but it’s one of the brands that Ayala’s automotive arm, ACMobility, dropped this year in favor of more profitable brands. The brand is back but now fighting at a different segment – the local commercial truck market.
Maxus is slated to get into the commercial truck market of the Philippines with a slew of new models. But get this – the company’s not going at it alone for this venture, as it has teamed up with Pioneer Trucks as its distributor.
The party responsible for this promising partnership is SAIC, Maxus’s parent company, which has appointed Pioneer as the distributor. Pioneer will be responsible for distribution, sales, and services for all upcoming combustion- and electrified Maxus trucks in the Philippines.
“Pioneer Trucks has built its reputation on providing durable and dependable transport solutions for the Filipino market. With Maxus now part of our portfolio, we’re not just introducing new vehicles—we’re helping drive the shift toward cleaner, more efficient logistics while continuing to support businesses that rely on proven diesel power,” said Benedict Allen Go, Pioneer Trucks Philippines CEO.
Pioneer intends to make this announcement at the 13th Philippine Electric Vehicle Summit, where the four and six-wheeled variants of the ES80 will make their debut, giving commercial buyers a taste of what this new partnership has to offer.
Acting as the face of Maxus’s Philippine truck lineup are the four and six-wheeler variants of the ES80. Starting with the four-wheeler variant, this light truck is powered by a 41.8 kWh lithium-ion battery, paired with an electric motor making 80 hp and 200 Nm of torque. Offering a range of 260 km at half load, the battery is also capable of fast charging, going from 15% to 100% in an hour and a half with a 1.5-ton payload. Possible tasks suitable for this model are short deliveries within the city.
Moving on to the bigger sibling of the two, the six-wheeler variant on the ES80, powered by a more powerful 53.58 kWh battery paired with a motor capable of 134 hp and 270 Nm of torque. Giving this truck a range of 302 km at half-load, with the max payload going up to 2.5 tons.
Aside from the aforementioned two, other Maxus models being brought over locally are the EH300 and T1. Starting with the EH300, a single-cab six-wheeler, powered by a 106.95 kWh battery, with an electric motor capable of 160 hp and 361 Nm of torque. This electric truck has a range of 450 km on half load. Making this unit a capable workhorse for large-scale deliveries.
And last but not least, the T1, powered by either a 100 or 120 kWh battery, produces 160 hp and 360 Nm of torque. providing a range of 510 km at half-load, making this unit a versatile pick, from a drop-side truck to a wing van.
After all is said and done, will this Maxus-Pioneer partnership prove its worth in the Philippines’ commercial truck market? With tough competition like Isuzu, the reigning king of the commercial truck market, as well as other contenders like Toyota’s Hino, as well as other tough competition like Foton and Dongfeng, it looks to be quite a challenge.
