Fellow Motorist: Soh Ming, founder & managing director, Dongfeng Singapore

Soh Ming, the 27-year-old MD of homegrown Volt Auto, which brought Chinese state-owned EV car brand Dongfeng to Singapore, is one of the youngest leaders in the industry. 

When did you get your driving licence?

When I was 18. My driving test was in December 2015 and I could only collect my licence after that, so there is no SG50 logo on it.

Remember your first car and other memorable past cars?

Suzuki Swift Sport, manual gearbox, second-hand. I bought it in 2016 after I passed my driving test. I also remember my 2008 Honda Civic Type R, which I drove to poly - shiok! This was in 2018, I had it for about a year. I also got into my first accident in that car.

What is your daily drive currently?

Dongfeng Box! 

What do you like and dislike about motoring in Singapore?

The love-hate relationship with the COE system. I like how the Government came up with it to keep the car population lean and prevent overcrowding, because our land is limited. But I dislike high COEs which make owning a car much more difficult. 

What is your ultimate dream car?

What I really want is to design and build my own car! Probably something sporty, yet it can fetch my family at the same time. Or maybe I’ll just design two dream cars!

The model closest to a dream car for me is the Dongfeng eπ (“e pi”) 007, which is coming to Singapore in the second half of the year. It has sporty performance, zero to 100 km/h in around 3 seconds, and it’s a family-friendly four-door sedan. 

What is the most satisfying aspect of your job role in Volt Auto?

I have two young daughters - four months and two-and-a-half years. I think it’s our duty to make the future sustainable for our next generation and the generations to come. One person’s effort can only do so much, but as a combined effort with the Government and everybody else, sustainable mobility is possible. 

When your kids are in the car and you’re behind a van emitting black exhaust smoke, the first thing you check is that your internal-circulation button is on, because we know subconsciously or consciously that the air is bad. If there’s an EV in front of you, we don’t have this issue. In a world with localised pollution, EVs are the ultimate answer. 

Spearheading this movement towards EVs in Singapore with Dongfeng is very satisfying for me.

What is the most challenging aspect of managing Volt Auto?

Because Dongfeng is new in Singapore and Volt Auto is a fresh face in the authorised-distributor space, we need to put in a lot of effort to help people understand how well-built the Dongfeng Box is and what our upcoming models will be like. But this is also a good thing, because it requires us to see how we can value-add further and think out of the “Box”. The ultimate winners will be our customers.

With the influx of Chinese EV brands, what is Dongfeng’s USP in the Singapore market?

Dongfeng has the most affordable pricing, without shortchanging in terms of build quality and premium features. Basically, it’s affordability plus luxury. 

On top of that, Dongfeng has a deep understanding of the automotive industry, because it has a long 56-year history. It is also a Chinese government-owned enterprise and one of China’s original big four automakers, so Dongfeng would have the tenacity to last in all its markets.

What is your hope for Dongfeng Singapore in the next five years?

To be one of the leading EV brands in Singapore, with one of the most value-added model lineups. Of course, it doesn’t end at just selling a car or being a bridge from ICE to EV - it also extends to our aftersales and customer experience.

If you weren’t the MD of Dongfeng Singapore, what would you be doing instead? 

I haven’t thought about this, because it was clear since day one that automotive has always been a part of my life. Honestly, I don’t have an idea what I would do if I’m not doing this.

What hobby, food and drink do you like the most?

I really love go-karting, but don’t have the time for it. I’ll kart whenever there’s a chance. My favourite food is beef, especially ox tongue. I also love my coffee in the morning. 

Soh Ming at the launch of Dongfeng Singapore and its first model here.

Read More: Fellow Motorist: Sean Ng, director, E-Megavan

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