ZQ: Sustainable Energy Passion, Thai Social Dynamics & EV Adoption Roadblocks - E503

episode

BRAVE Southeast Asia Tech: Singapore, Indonesia, Vietnam, Philippines, Thailand & Malaysia Startups, Founders & Venture Capital VC (English) not yet transcribed

▲ 0

Transcript

This episode hasn't been transcribed yet Upvotes decide what gets transcribed next — 0 so far. Sign in to upvote

More from BRAVE Southeast Asia Tech: Singapore, Indonesia, Vietnam, Philippines, Thailand & Malaysia Startups, Founders & Venture Capital VC (English)

What 500 Harvard Case Studies Actually Do To Your Brain - E729 55 min · 09 Sep 2026

The Truth About China's Competitive Advantage - E728 30 min · 06 Sep 2026

Itamar Novick: Where AI Replaces People, and Where It Does Not - E727 46 min · 02 Sep 2026

$70,000 Per Child: What Singapore's New Family Package Actually Changes - E726 43 min · 31 Aug 2026

The Next 3 Years Will Deliver 30 Years of Innovation | John Lin - E725 39 min · 26 Aug 2026

The Innovation Playbook of 3 Southeast Asian Founders - E724 27 min · 23 Aug 2026

All episodes from BRAVE Southeast Asia Tech: Singapore, Indonesia, Vietnam, Philippines, Thailand & Malaysia Startups, Founders & Venture Capital VC (English) →

Report any issue

Source

Recorded09 Dec 2024

Publisherfeed.pod.co ↗

Handlerec:7817955

Show notes

ZQ, Cofounder of Sleek EV, and Jeremy Au discussed: 1. Electric Vehicle Founder Passion: ZQ shared his unconventional path from university studies to co-founding Sleek EV. Pivotal milestones include being inspired by his parents’ entrepreneurial roots and self-discovery traveling in a self-renovated solar-powered van and a NUS Overseas Colleges internship in New York. Two years after launching, the company has grown to 90 employees and deployed over 3,000 electric motorcycles across Southeast Asia, with its operations hub based in Bangkok. 2. Thailand EV Market Selection: ZQ chose Thailand over other Southeast Asian markets like Indonesia and Vietnam, due to the centralized market, strong motorcycle culture, and rapid adoption of new technologies making it an ideal entry point. ZQ highlighted the challenges of competing with established brands like Honda, which dominates 80% of the local market, and the importance of designing an affordable and reliable product to meet consumer demands. He also discussed the evolving EV ecosystem, emphasizing partnerships with local manufacturers, the role of CATL batteries, and the complexities of developing a standardized charging infrastructure. 3. Balancing Fatherhood & Entrepreneurship: ZQ reflected on the challenges of managing his dual roles as an entrepreneur and a father to his two-year-old daughter. He candidly shared the sacrifices his family has made, including long periods away from home and financial uncertainties. Despite the difficulties, ZQ emphasized that fatherhood has enhanced his leadership skills and emotional resilience, helping him grow personally and professionally. He also discussed his belief in allowing his child the freedom to choose her own path, supporting her dreams—whether entrepreneurial or otherwise. They also discussed the role of ESG values in driving Sleek EV’s mission, challenges in scaling a hardware vs. software startups and the future of EV charging infrastructure for mass adoption. === Zhang Quan (ZQ) is the co-founder and COO of Sleek EV, one of the fastest-growing electric motorcycle companies in Southeast Asia. With over five years of experience in the electric motorcycle industry, ZQ has been instrumental in shaping the landscape of sustainable transportation. Before launching Sleek EV, he co-founded companies that distributed various electric motorcycle brands and developed Thailand's first digital financing platform for electric motorcycle hire purchase. A passionate advocate for the startup ecosystem, ZQ has held positions at tech companies such as Klook in Singapore and collaborated with pioneering Spotify team members in New York City to establish a social networking app, which attracted over 300,000 users within just six months. Currently, he balances his professional commitments with family life, shuttling between Bangkok and Singapore. === Watch, listen or read the full insight at https://www.bravesea.com/blog/thailand-electric-vehicles Nonton, dengar atau baca wawasan lengkapnya di https://www.bravesea.com/blog/thailand-electric-vehicles 观看、收听或阅读全文，请访问 https://www.bravesea.com/blog/thailand-electric-vehicles Xem, nghe hoặc đọc toàn bộ thông tin chi tiết tại https://www.bravesea.com/blog/thailand-electric-vehicles Get transcripts, startup resources & community discussions at www.bravesea.com WhatsApp: https://whatsapp.com/channel/0029VakR55X6BIElUEvkN02e TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@jeremyau Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/jeremyauz Twitter: https://twitter.com/jeremyau LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/bravesea Spotify English: https://open.spotify.com/show/4TnqkaWpTT181lMA8xNu0T Bahasa Indonesia: https://open.spotify.com/show/2Vs8t6qPo0eFb4o6zOmiVZ Chinese: https://open.spotify.com/show/20AGbzHhzFDWyRTbHTVDJR Vietnamese: https://open.spotify.com/show/0yqd3Jj0I19NhN0h8lWrK1 YouTube English: https://www.youtube.com/@JeremyAu?sub_confirmation=1

Ask this episode

“What did the council decide on item 42?” — answered with the speaker and the moment.