Nickel, Chinese EVs and a Senate Chase in the Philippines | Franco Varona - E708

When the oil crisis hit, Southeast Asia changed overnight. In this episode, recorded in Manila, Foxmont Capital's Franco Varona joins Jeremy Au to unpack how the energy shock supercharged the electric vehicle boom across the Philippines, Singapore, Malaysia, Indonesia and Vietnam. They break down BYD's stunning climb to become the Philippines' third best-selling car brand in roughly three years, why Filipino consumers now name a Chinese EV as their dream car, and how solar panels are turning electricity bills to zero. The conversation also goes deep on the region's bigger game: Malaysia's fuel subsidy trap, the brownouts and record heatwaves that exposed the Philippine grid, and the high-stakes economics of Pax Silica, the US-led semiconductor and critical minerals pact that the Philippines joined in April 2026. Plus the wild Senate drama that gripped Manila, from gunshots on the floor to a senator's chase. Essential listening for founders, investors and operators building in Southeast Asia. Watch, listen or read the full insight at https://www.bravesea.com/blog/nickel-chinese-evs-philippines  BRAVE is Southeast Asia's leading tech podcast, hosted by Jeremy Au. Honest conversations with the region's top founders, investors, and operators on building startups in Southeast Asia. New episodes every week. Subscribe so you never miss one. Listen & Subscribe YouTube (English), YouTube (Bahasa Indonesia), Spotify (English), Spotify (Bahasa Indonesia), Spotify (Chinese), Spotify (Vietnamese), Apple Podcasts Follow BRAVE LinkedIn, X (Twitter), Instagram, TikTok, WhatsApp Follow Jeremy Au LinkedIn, X / Twitter, Instagram, TikTok, Facebook, Threads, Twitch Resources Get transcripts, startup resources & community discussions at www.bravesea.com #Philippines #ElectricVehicles #Semiconductors #VentureCapital #Startup #Podcast #southeastasia #techpodcast 00:00 Intro 00:36 The new Manila airport 03:16 The oil crisis that shook Southeast Asia 05:09 EV sales jumped 300% in 3 weeks 06:00 How BYD became the Philippines' #3 car brand 12:40 Malaysia's costly fuel subsidy trap 16:15 55°C heat and the Makati brownouts 19:16 The solar boom and $0 electricity bills 20:48 Gunshots and chaos in the Senate 27:10 Pax Silica: chips, nickel and the US deal 34:18 Final takeaways