Fellow Motorist: Dominic Tan, sales manager, Xpeng Singapore

Mr Tan, 35, is a mechanical engineer who pivoted to selling Xpeng electric vehicles under Premium Automobiles.

When did you get your driving licence? 

When I was 20 in 2009. One try, of course. In this line, have to!

What was the very first car you drove after you qualified as a driver?

A manual Toyota Vios 1.5, which was a car for my whole family including parents. I came up with fun names for whatever car I drove next, such as Xiao Hong and Xiao Huang, all colour-related and easy to remember.

What is your company car?

The Silver Frost Xpeng G6 I'm photographed with.

What is your ultimate dream car? Electric or otherwise.

Nothing comes to mind, there are too many options! 

What do you like about motoring in Singapore?

How well-maintained our cars are, I think most drivers will agree with me. Because a car is probably the second most expensive purchase other than a home, people here do take pride in keeping their car clean and in good condition.

What do you dislike about motoring in Singapore?

Standard traffic, such as peak-hour congestion. 

What is the most satisfying aspect of being the Singapore sales manager for Xpeng?

Seeing the shift in mindset - typical petrolheads converting to EVs themselves. I would say it’s most rewarding when I introduce to customers how efficient EVs can be, and how intelligent Xpeng ADAS is. 

And what is the most challenging aspect of your job?

Navigating discussions with customers around Singapore’s COE system. At the same time, also helping them to understand how Xpeng EVs can give a long-term value proposition. 

If you weren’t handling Xpeng sales, what would you be doing instead?

Still definitely in automotive. Something related to innovation and engineering.

From your viewpoint as a qualified mechanical engineer, what is the most innovative aspect of Xpeng EV engineering?

The X9’s turning radius with rear-wheel steering, which you only see in full-size luxury cars like S-Class and 7 Series. The urban agility of the X9 is remarkable, not only among MPVs but among all cars. 

Another impressive technical aspect of Xpeng is how well its software and hardware work together. What this means is, for our advanced driver assistance system (ADAS), the user doesn’t need to learn how to use it, because the operation is very natural. I feel that it’s effortless and very confidence-inspiring, especially when the customer wants to use new systems. 

If a potential customer walked into Premium Automobiles and asked about the main difference between Xpeng and Zeekr, how would you reply?

The Xpeng owner’s experience from day one would evolve and not stay static until the last day of COE, thanks to Xpeng’s efficient and dynamic over-the-air (OTA) updates, which are cloud-based and self-service. 

Much like smartphones, Xpeng users receive occasional software updates to their cars. They can enjoy improved user interface, enhanced driving systems, and newly-added features. We had a recent OTA update for wired casting, so the user could mirror his or her personal device - smartphone, tablet, laptop - to the infotainment screen.

What are your hobbies? 

I used to play tennis, but hardly nowadays, because finding tennis kakis is quite tough. So I picked up golf, because it’s a retirement sport [laughs]. Never too early to start something. Golf is like a business social sport for mature executives.

What food and drink do you like?

Can’t go wrong with pizza and ice-cold beer. 

Dominic admires the engineering of the Xpeng X9 premium MPV.

Read More: Fellow Motorist: Oliver Ong, managing director, Accord Solutions (Higer Singapore exclusive dealer)

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