Sepang goes electric as over 100 EV owners experience racing at SoyaCincau x Dongfeng track day

Malay Mail

SEPANG, June 7 — The bustling sounds of engines were replaced by the serene hum of electric vehicles (EVs) as over 100 EV owners from Malaysia and Singapore took to the Sepang International Circuit for a unique track day event.

Organised by tech media outlet SoyaCincau and EV brand Dongfeng, participants experienced the thrill of racing on the iconic track yesterday.

In a significant leap from last year’s inaugural event, which attracted around 30 participants, this year’s turnout surpassed expectations with more than 100 EV enthusiasts queuing to enter the track by 5pm.

According to SoyaCincau co-founder and chief executive officer Amin Ashaari, the enthusiastic response was overwhelming.

“The event is not about racing on the track but more to allow EV owners to experience the track and test their vehicle’s capabilities. We want to prove that EVs don’t have any limitations,” he stated.

Amin expressed satisfaction with the turnout, acknowledging the current small market share of EVs in Malaysia, where sales don’t even reach 30 per cent of total car sales.

“We feel that EVs are the future, and we have been focusing on these cars over the past few years to educate the public about pricing and charging solutions,” he added.

The day kicked off with a parade lap, allowing EV owners to familiarise themselves with the Sepang track.

Following this, participants engaged in three 40-minute track sessions, testing their vehicles’ performance.

Among the notable EV models represented were those from Dongfeng, Tesla, BYD, BMW, Proton, and Porsche.

Volt Auto Singapore and Malaysia chief executive officer Soh Ming expressed his excitement about the inaugural event, which he described as a first for the brand.

“It’s a great experience for us as we get to test our cars on the track and gather data on where we can improve further,” he said.

Looking ahead, Soh emphasised his desire to organise more track events, noting his brand’s sponsorship of sports like football and pickleball in Singapore.

Dongfeng showcased three of its models — 007, Vigo, and Box E2 — during the event.

Participants also had the opportunity to experience a track taxi ride in the 007, driven by a professional.

Kim Chan, 39, who had never experienced the track before, shared her excitement.

“It was fun and I enjoyed it. I have been here before to see other races, but this is the first time I came to the track, and it was quite strange to see it so quiet,” she said, adding that she is considering purchasing an EV in the future with the improvements in charging infrastructure.

Returning for the second time, EV owner Ee Sheeden aimed to beat his previous lap record of 2:34.344 with his Tesla Model 3 Performance.

Last night, he completed the time attack challenge with a time of 2:27.90.

“It is great to have such an event for EV cars to bring them together. The EV community is still small in Malaysia, and we need such events to encourage more people to learn about EVs,” he stated.

As the founder of Exotic Mods, a one-stop centre for Tesla modifications, Ee said he is an EV enthusiast and spent a few years modifying his car to suit the track.

“I removed the rear seats and replaced the rear doors with fibreglass doors to reduce the weight by 60kg,” he added.

Ee said he enjoys the track and always looks forward to such events to test his cars.

Other winners of the time attack challenge were Tesla Model 3 Performance owner Firhat Mokhzani (2:32.42) and Tesla Model 3 Performance owner Ryan Woon Tian Chong (2:38.20).