CHAPTER 49: SETTING OFF

He got out of the reconstructed EV vehicle with the blueprints and schematics that he had grabbed from the backseat.

There, he saw an elaborate detail on how the vehicle was built from raw materials to a fully functional unit. Every part, from the alloy frame to the last circuit board, was laid out like a manual written by the future itself. The car’s design was unlike anything from an existing brand, so he definitely had no fear of lawsuits for copying.

But what stunned him most was the battery.

According to the reconstruction system, this new technology was called "Lithium-X Composite Battery"—a hybrid evolution that combined the best of today’s lithium-ion with cutting-edge ceramic and graphene-based solid separators.

It has triple of that of Tesla’s 4680 cells. Where Tesla promised 600 km, Lithium-X could deliver over 1,000 km on a single charge without adding extra weight. Had zero thermal runaway, no chance of ignition, even when punctured or exposed to extreme heat.

As for charging, traditional lithium-ion needed 30 minutes on superchargers for a decent top-up. Lithium-X compressed that into under 10 minutes for a full recharge—without degrading the cells.

In terms of durability, BYD’s LFP packs were long-lasting, but Lithium-X boasted a 15-year lifespan with over 10,000 cycles, barely losing 5% of capacity even after a decade of use.

And lastly and most importantly, temperature. Unlike Tesla’s batteries that struggled in extreme cold or heat, this design functioned perfectly from -40°C to 70°C, opening markets in places where EVs were impractical before.

Timothy’s hand trembled as he skimmed through the schematic notes. This wasn’t just a better battery—it was the endgame of the EV industry. A technology that could dethrone every giant in the game: Tesla, BYD, Volkswagen, BMW, Mercedes.

Now he needed a lineup. He now has a sedan but it’s midsized. He needed a compact design and a full-sized one. For SUV, the same, midsize and full-sized. An MPV, Crossover, a hatchback, et cetera. But he’ll do that in the future. For now, he needed to plan his automotive business. Starting from how to start one.

Timothy exited the dealership and got into his parked Ford Raptor. The streets of Tondo were quiet at that hour, lit only by scattered lamps and the occasional headlight from a tricycle still prowling for passengers. He drove back to Bonifacio Global City.

By the time he pulled into One Serendra’s underground parking, it was already past midnight. He stepped out of the truck, carrying the blueprints and schematics tucked under his arm, and made his way to his unit.

Inside the condo, silence greeted him. The television in the living room was off. Angela and his mother had gone to bed early, worn out from the day’s surprises. Timothy peeked briefly, Angela curled up under her new blanket in her room, Evelyn asleep in the master bedroom. A faint smile crossed his lips before he finally headed to his own room.

He closed the door behind him, set the documents on his desk, and flopped onto the bed with his iPhone in hand. Sleep could wait. His mind was racing too fast.

He opened his browser and typed: how to start an automotive company.

Dozens of articles filled the screen. Requirements, regulations, licensing, supply chains, legal structures—it was overwhelming, even for someone with billions in his account. He read line after line: incorporation papers, government clearances, import and export permits, environmental compliance, safety standards, crash testing approvals. Each one sounded like another mountain to climb.

But then he remembered something: he already had a holding company established in Singapore.

His eyes narrowed. That was the answer.

Instead of starting from scratch in the Philippines, where bureaucracy was a nightmare, he could simply create a subsidiary under the TG Enterprise dedicated to automotive manufacturing. Singapore offered lower taxes, cleaner paperwork, and credibility in the eyes of international investors. From there, he could expand operations into the Philippines, using it as the manufacturing hub.

And as for a manufacturing hub, if he wanted to dominate the EV industry, he needed a factory—no, a gigafactory.

Not a warehouse with a few lines and forklifts. He pictured a city inside a fence: stamping halls, body shops, paint tunnels, pack lines, end-of-line dynos, test tracks, battery cleanrooms, materials silos, water treatment plants—the works. Cars in on one side as raw metal and chemicals; cars out the other side as quiet, lethal range monsters.

He opened Maps, zoomed north of Manila, and his finger hovered over the water.

Subic.

Deep-water port. Wide roads left behind by the American base. Existing power and water corridors. Away from Metro Manila traffic and flooding. And most important: freeport incentives.

He typed fast: Subic Bay Freeport incentives. Page after page said the same thing in different words—Subic’s SBMA gave "PEZA-like" benefits: income tax holidays, a 5% gross income tax in lieu of all national and local taxes after the holiday, duty-free importation of capital equipment and raw materials, 100% foreign ownership allowed inside the zone, simplified customs at the freeport gates. Exactly what he needed for high-capex, high-throughput manufacturing.

"Subic it is," he murmured.

Timothy sat up in bed, his phone’s glow reflecting in his eyes. The excitement of Subic and the gigafactory plan was still buzzing in his veins, but reality tapped him on the shoulder, before steel, robots, and assembly lines, he needed the skeleton: the company itself.

He swiped back to his Notes app and started drafting the foundation.

Step one: He must rename the TG Enterprise into a TG Mobility Holdings Pte. Ltd, he was told he can use the shell company to be a proper company since it’s already a proper one. Then, he’d establish a subsidiary, TG Motors Philippines, Inc, which will be the main operating company for automotive, build the electric vehicles, and run factories.

Step two: Find suitable candidates for C-list executives which would help him run the holdings and the TG Motors.

Step three: Fund a construction of a gigafactory, preferably a 20 GWh factory that can manufacture up to 200,000 - 300,000 cars. It will have an area of about 140 to 180 hectares. Battery park, vehicle plant, supplier park, logistics yard will be there.

Now, he doesn’t know how much would it take for him to build a gigafactory but it’s definitely in the hundreds of millions and even possibly billions. But with the eight billion dollars in his company account, capital won’t be a problem.