Edward Tan has been with Hong Seh Motors since 1997. From 2000, he served as Government Director of Hong Seh Group, his household’s enterprise based in Singapore in 1936. In 2008, Tan created Hong Seh Marine to diversify pursuits and construct on a relationship with Riva because the late Nineteen Nineties. The corporate’s new yachts portfolio now consists of Ferretti Yachts, Pershing, Riva, Sunreef, Boston Whaler, Schaefer and Zodiac. Hong Seh is an official sponsor of the Singapore Crusing Federation, together with for the 2024 Olympics in France.
He’s an advocate of the transfer in the direction of clear motor propulsion.
I’m the third era of the Hong Seh household enterprise, which was based in Singapore in 1936. We’ve been concerned within the automotive business for a very long time.
In 1982, we began automotive leasing, then represented Ferrari in Singapore from 1983 till 2008. We constructed the ‘Ferrari way of life’ and market in Singapore, reaching 80 items a 12 months. We additionally represented Maserati from 1999 to 2018.
In 2018, we checked out electrification within the automotive business. It was new, modern and we cherished it. It’s a special world. We discovered ourselves in a gray market in Singapore, bringing over Tesla vehicles earlier than the model was obtainable right here. Tesla doesn’t appoint sellers, so we leased and bought them.
Tesla was the primary mass-produced electrical automotive model obtainable available on the market, so we shortly discovered in regards to the electrification system. As there have been a small variety of electrical passenger vehicles, we began taking a look at electrical industrial autos.
Whenever you calculate the CO2 and cash saved through the use of electrical energy as a substitute of petrol and take into account the use, upkeep and life cycle of highway autos, the primary environmental and monetary saving is by electrifying industrial vans, lorries and vans as a result of they’re used a lot, so typically. Upkeep prices of electrical autos are additionally decrease.
Electrifying autos is a implausible resolution, so we wish to champion the thought and have an effect on change. Our portfolio consists of DFSK, SRM and Farizon, and we’re sourcing extra manufacturers. Singapore’s electrical energy runs predominantly from pure gases. We don’t burn coal for our power, so it’s lots cleaner.
We’re working with electrical vehicles, vans, college buses, small and huge buses and lorries. We will provide an SRM T3EV electrical lorry with a variety of 300km, electrical vans for work, an electrical 19-seat bus or an electrical tour bus that may convey workers, crew, and staff and transport them anyplace inside Singapore.
We additionally introduced in a passenger bus that was on trial with the federal government, who’re in search of tenders for electrified public buses, so we hope they like our proposals. We’ve labored with the producers to stick to the federal government’s requirements and specs for each the buses and charging amenities.
We’re totally behind the federal government’s drive for extra charging stations. I feel Singapore’s goal for the top of this 12 months is 12,000 electrical charging stations and this quantity will continue to grow. Singapore’s
Inexperienced Plan is for half of highway autos to be electrified by 2030.
In actual fact, if we electrify all highway autos in Singapore, it can assist obtain 14 p.c of the federal government’s total goal for decarbonisation and CO2 reductions.
Singapore can do it as a result of we’re in a managed surroundings and it’s a small island with a restricted space to drive in. It’s an ideal nation to implement electrical autos.
Hong Seh’s automotive enterprise additionally has a physique store and paint store, the place we are able to work on aluminum and metal. For autos, we moved into water-based paints to be extra eco-friendly. I consider we had been among the many first in Singapore to make use of PPG’s pure water-based paints in our paint store, for after-sales. That’s the automotive aspect of Hong Seh. We find it irresistible and we’re shifting ahead.
Hong Seh in Yachting
Throughout our time working with Ferrari, we had the chance to work with Riva [Yacht] within the late Nineteen Nineties. We thought-about it, as we love the water and the Italian way of life. We regularly took shoppers to Europe for the meals, wine and automotive expertise.
Riva added one other luxurious providing, so we gave it a shot and by no means appeared again, establishing Hong Seh Marine in 2008 (Hong Seh Yachting was created in 2022 to concentrate on Ferretti Group manufacturers). From coping with one or two small boats a 12 months, we’re now coping with all sizes of yachts, even above 80m.
We love the yachting business in Singapore. Nonetheless, I consider yachting continues to be very younger in Asia, particularly in Singapore, as a result of it’s not a giant focus. Singapore, slightly island surrounded by water, doesn’t utilise it as a lot as we should always. We use it as a port greater than anything.
We’ve obtained implausible islands and places on this space. On [Peninsular] Malaysia’s east coast, we’ve obtained Tioman and Redang, the place I like to go as a result of the waters are superb.
In Singapore, we’ve St John’s and Lazarus Islands, which the federal government is encouraging use of and creating properly. I consider the federal government will do extra to encourage using water. There’s additionally Pulau Hantu to the west and I prefer to go close to the Raffles Lighthouse on Pulau Satumu for slightly little bit of quiet fishing, which has been implausible since Covid. It’s a special way of life, a special feeling there.
After beginning with Riva, we additionally started representing different Ferretti Group manufacturers together with Ferretti Yachts and Pershing, whereas we’ve additionally been promoting Wally and Customized Line fashions in newer years. Ferretti Group is implausible, the standard and repair is nice and I feel it’s the one model that has a giant workplace in Asia to help sellers.
As well as, they invite shoppers to the annual Ferretti Group Personal Preview, a consumer-centric occasion in Monaco held in early September forward of the Cannes Yachting Pageant. Purchasers can see the total vary of yachts in an incredible location and revel in spectacular events.
Yachting is a implausible way of life to get pleasure from and develop. It’s a great way for family and friends to have the ability to reside, work, play and have enjoyable collectively. It brings individuals nearer.
In regular life, individuals have a telephone in entrance of their face however once you’re on a ship you place it down and soak up who and what’s round you. Even higher, cruise to a spot with no reception. Folks don’t speak as a lot as up to now and yachting is an effective way to reconnect with one another.
Eco-friendly Cruising
Singapore could possibly be an excellent take a look at mattress for electrical boats as many of the marinas are only a few miles from the principle cruising spots. We hope the yacht producers be taught from the automotive aspect and battery producers step by step cut back the costs of the techniques.
Singapore’s MPA (Maritime & Port Authority) has already launched into a programme to impress its fleet of service vessels, and has chosen companions to develop, function and preserve charging factors for electrical harbour craft (e- HC), together with at Marina South Pier, throughout a two-year pilot scheme that started in March.
I do know ONE°15 Marina Sentosa Cove is seeking to go ‘blue’ and can help any electrical initiatives. It’s price noting that from 2030, all new harbour craft working within the Port of Singapore should be totally electrical, be able to utilizing B100 biofuel, or be appropriate with net-zero fuels resembling hydrogen.
Among the many manufacturers we symbolize, Riva not too long ago debuted the manufacturing model of its first all-electric boat, the El-Iseo, and the Ferretti Group can be creating hybrid fashions and eco-friendly expertise. The Ferretti Yachts Infynito 90 has photo voltaic panels on the roof that may energy the electrical batteries to function the lodge load. It means that you can be carbon-zero at anchor.
We additionally symbolize Sunreef crusing and energy catamarans which have an Eco vary, with ‘photo voltaic pores and skin’, electrical batteries, hydrogeneration and different fuel-saving, energy-light techniques. There’s a generator for emergencies, however in any other case there’s no sound, no air pollution. It’s a slower life however higher for the surroundings. Within the final eco-challenge, a Sunreef Eco crusing cat is the way in which to do it.
We have to go away earth in the identical situation or higher than it’s now. We have to protect the planet for so long as we are able to. Having spoken to individuals inside Elon Musk’s firms, it looks like that is one in every of his motivations.
edwardtan@hongseh.com.sg
www.hongsehmarine.com.sg
This text was first seen on YachtStyle.co.
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