'World champion' Weltmeister has global ambitions

Of course, a country known for developing advanced electronics such as mobile phones and computers will roll out battery electric vehicles (BEV). Since its founding, startup Weltmeister from China intends that after seeing success in its home market, its BEVs go worldwide. 

Founded in 2015, the carmaker also known as WM Motor takes its name from the German word "world champion." Weltmeister was founded under the leadership of former Geely and Volvo executive  Freeman Chen.

Within 16 months after its founding, WM Motors constructed its first 4.0 manufacturing plant in Wenzhou, Zhejiang. Here, the first EV from WM Motors, the EX5, was born. The brand's pioneer EV arrived in the Chinese market in September 2018, and its successor, the EX5-Z, sold over 30,000 units in 2020.

Weltmeister believes that its EVs center around what it calls the "Living, EVolved experience." This vision is composed of four different parts: The Living Architecture, The Living Motion, The Living Pilot, and the Living Engine.

These qualities that make up the WM Motors EVs can be seen in their "innovative technological structure to its support system that aims to give every family worldwide a smarter and more energy-efficient way of traveling," the carmaker boasted in its website. 

But before it can fulfill its mission to deliver efficient forms of mobility the world over, WM Motors acknowledged its need to collaborate with various firms.

WM Motors partnered with Skorpius Auto Limited, a car tuning and export trading company for British-branded automobiles. It also acquired Polarsun Automobile in August 2017, a leader in licensed passenger automobiles in China. Weltmeister also aims to provide the best service and product in the EV industry by acquiring supplies from the automobile industry’s top supply chain.

Now, since Weltmeister is proud of its success in China — which it credits to its partnerships and collaborations — it has taken another step in expanding its reach. Its Asian arm WM Motor Asia Pacific (WMAP) aims to champion the brand to this side of the global market.

And bringing the brand's vision and EVs to the Philippines is WM Motor Philippines (WMPH) — which is said to be WM's first distributor outside China. Backed by WMAP CEO Yedi Sondy and headed by WMPH CEO Rashid Delgado, the company will bring WM Motors charging stations, services, and parts along with the EVs. 

The WM Motors W5 is the first model WMPH has introduced to the market. The W5 packs a claimed range of 403 kilometers when its 52kWh ternary lithium battery is fully charged.

There are convenient ways to charge the W5. Its DC charger port at the EV's front end enables fast charging, while the AC charger port at the rear allows a solid charge at home. The W5's versatile charging cable is also compatible with a three-pronged, type B adapter that you can use to plug it in wall sockets for a quick emergency charge.

Lastly, the W5 can be had with the WM Motors Exclusive Home Charger, a 7kW wall mounted smart home charger that can easily be installed in one's home. 

Underscoring the brand's local presence is its WM Motor Lifestyle Hub and Service Center and showroom in Western Bictuan and Bonifacio Global City, both located in Taguig City, respectively.

The Hub is touted to be the first-of-its-kind service and lifestyle center in the Philippines, complete with a full-service workshop for WM EV's after-sales needs. It will also be a hub for educating customers about sustainability and the potential of EVs.

In these WM Motor hubs, Filipino motorists can learn about the W5's advanced infotainment that's linked to the car's driver assistance software, among the EV's highlight technology onboard. Other Weltmeister vehicles (that are yet to be introduced here) feature the similar modern equipment that was likely developed with the carmaker's partners. 

In one particular Weltmeister car, it features seven eight-megapixel high-definition cameras, super-vision solid-state Lidar with three autonomous zooms, and NVIDIA Orin-X autonomous driving chip that make up the car's intelligent driving functions. 

Given how smart WM Motor cars are, the brand looks ready to serve today's modern world. 

Photos from WM Motor Philippines, WM Motor