Channel NewsAsia presents Electric Dream

Channel NewsAsia Presents :

·         Premieres Wednesday, 31 January 2018

·         8pm (SIN/KL/MNL) / 7pm (BKK/JKT) / 10.30pm (DEL)

Here’s the trailer here :- https://youtu.be/w9HI-8kN5gU

Watch ELECTRIC DREAM online from 24 January : - https://www.channelnewsasia.com/electric-dream

This is one of the fastest electric hypercars on earth.

With its bold tear-drop shape and even bolder technological ambitions, the Dendrobium has taken the automotive world by storm. Garnering acclaim are its startling 320 kph top speed, a spectacular design that has its roof and doors open up like an orchid, and, most notably, the fact that this car is created by an unknown startup from Singapore.

The company is Vanda Electrics, whose 12 employees are made up of mostly fresh graduates with zero experience in building cars. The chief designer comes closest with his resume – he had designed toys. With little capital, not much experience and, some may say, too many unrealistic dreams, Vanda Electrics has no business getting into the highly competitive car business.  

But they had the gumption to turn to Williams Advanced Engineering - the big-name British manufacturer behind the F1 racing team - to turn their electric dream into reality. The aim was to make the Dendrobium a brand-making project that would draw worldwide attention to their other products – an electric scooter, an electric utility truck and battery packs.

The Dendrobium made an international splash with her debut at the Geneva Motor Show 2017.  

 Response was overwhelming. The press loved it and news of the hypercar was featured in autoblogs around the world. That was when the Vanda team realised they could actually move their concept car into production. But this would require more money than they have. If they fail, Vanda will become a footnote in the history of electric cars. But if they succeed, this little company would disrupt the world’s automotive industry and possibly herald a new era in made-in-Singapore innovations.

ELECTRIC DREAM is Channel NewsAsia’s documentary about this little startup from Singapore with the mega ambitions.  With unique assess to the team, it charts the Dendrobium’s journey from Singapore to Geneva, gets on the circuit with CEO Larissa Tan, and finds out how the factories in China are helping to deliver Vanda’s other star products.

Larissa Tan, CEO of Vanda Electrics

Larissa is a key figure in the founding of Vanda Electrics. She, along with a research team, created a company specialising in electric vehicles. This would place them on the forefront of an unstoppable trend – the rise of electric vehicles.

Today, Larissa’s deep knowledge of marketing is being put to the test. Her task is to capitalise on the acclaim that the Dendrobium has garnered at the world’s premier motor show, and parlay it into a global marketing campaign that will sell the hypercar. The clock has started ticking.

The Vanda team has 18 months to roll out the first car, and during this time, Larissa has to make sure that the initial buzz over the Dendrobium does not fizzle out. Besides the hypercar, Larissa will also launch the Motochimp electric scooter in Japan. Being a startup, their marketing budget is far too small for their bold ambitions. How will Larissa come up with unconventional methods to reach out to potential customers and get investments? Can Vanda Electrics overcome these roadblocks and help usher in a clean, zero-emissions future?

Left to Right

Electric scooter – Motochimp, Electric hypercar - the Dendrobium and Electric logistics vehicle - Ant Truck.

About Channel NewsAsia

Channel NewsAsia Singapore was established in March 1999 by Mediacorp, and is an English language Asian TV News channel.  Positioned to “Understand Asia”, it reports on global developments with Asian perspectives.  Channel NewsAsia brings viewers not only the latest news but also the stories behind the headlines. Based in Singapore, it has correspondents in major Asian cities and key Western ones, including New York, Washington D.C., London and Brussels.  

The channel is complemented by an online presence at channelnewsasia.com, and social media services like Facebook, YouTube and Twitter.

Channel NewsAsia (International), was launched in September 2000.  It is now viewed in 28 territories across Asia with its satellite footprint stretching across the Middle East, South Asia, Southeast Asia, Northeast Asia and Australia.

Mediacorp is a Singapore-based media company with a complete range of platforms, spanning television, radio, newspapers, magazines, digital and out-of-home media.

For more information, please visit Channel NewsAsia’s website at channelnewsasia.com.

About Mediacorp

Mediacorp has the widest range of media platforms in Singapore spanning digital, television, radio, print and out-of-home media. Its mission is to engage, entertain and enrich audiences by harnessing the power of creativity.

Mediacorp pioneered the development of Singapore’s broadcasting industry, with the radio broadcast in 1936 and television broadcast in 1963. Today, the company has over 50 products and brands in four languages (English, Mandarin, Malay and Tamil), reaching out to virtually all adults in Singapore weekly.

Mediacorp is an active regional player through Channel NewsAsia International, drama co-productions and collaborations in magazine publishing and online media. Its investments include majority share in Kapanlagi Network, Indonesia’s largest independent digital media and in Malaysia’s digital games publisher Cubinet Interactive. It also has stakes in Reebonz, one of the region’s fastest growing luxury online retailers, and Vietnam television’s International Media Corporation.

Mediacorp was named Terrestrial Broadcaster of the Year for the 12th time at the Asian Television Awards in 2015.

For more information, please visit mediacorp.sg.