TNG PayDirect and RFID users get 20% rebate on toll

                PETALING JAYA: From now until June 30, Touch ‘N Go (TNG) users who link their physical TNG cards to their TNG e-wallet will enjoy a 20% rebate at tolls across Duke Highway, Kemuning–Shah Alam Highway (LKSA) and Smart Tunnel.

The linking feature, billed as PayDirect by the company, allows users to connect up to three TNG cards to the TNG eWallet app to pay for toll, as well as other services that accepts the payment method.

The rebate is extended to existing PayDirect users, as well as new and existing RFID users. However, the rebate is limited to 10 toll trips only.

The maximum toll fare amount eligible for the rebate is RM3 per transaction, and users can only receive 20% rebate of the toll transaction or a maximum of RM0.60 (whichever is lower).

Those using the PayDirect feature will have to use the physical card, and not their smartphones, when entering toll lanes with TNG or SmartTag facilities. Fares will be deducted directly from the e-wallet. The rebate will be credited into the users TNG e-wallet accounts.

TNG is planning to make the PayDirect payment feature available on most highways, starting with those in the Klang Valley including the Damansara-Puchong Expressway (LDP), New Pantai Expressway (NPE), Maju Expressway (MEX), and more.

For more information visit tngdigital.com.my.


Royal Dutch no more, just Shell now

                LONDON: Shell officially changed its name on Friday, ditching "Royal Dutch", which has been part of its identity since 1907, following plans to scrap its dual share structure and move its head office from the Netherlands to Britain.

"Shell announced the Board's decision to change its name to Shell plc on December 20, 2021. This change has now taken effect," Shell said in a filing.

The London and Amsterdam stock exchanges will reflect the name change on Jan 25 while the New York Stock Exchange will follow on Jan 31.

The change will not affect share ownership and the A shares and B shares will remain unchanged for the time being, Shell said.

The shares are planned to be assimilated into a single line of ordinary shares on Jan 29.

Shell announced in November it would scrap its dual share structure and move its head office to London from The Hague, pushed away by Dutch taxes and facing climate pressure in court as the energy giant shifts from oil and gas.

The firm has been in a long-running tussle with the Dutch authorities over the country's 15% dividend withholding tax on some of its shares, making them less attractive for international investors.

Shell introduced the two-class share structure in 2005 after a previous corporate overhaul.

Shell held its first board meeting here on Dec 31.


Isuzu Malaysia thanks fleet customers and dealers

                KUALA LUMPUR: Isuzu Malaysia Sdn Bhd feted its fleet customers and dealers to a dinner last night as a gesture of appreciation for their support over the years.

Some 200 guests turned up at the Glasshouse events venue here. Aside from fleet customers and dealers, they included members of the media as well as management and representatives from Isuzu Malaysia head office.

The highlight of the Customer Appreciation Night 2018 were awards given to selected Isuzu fleet customers from 50 companies. These companies had chosen Isuzu trucks as their choice for commercial vehicles, in which 17 of those companies received special awards and acknowledgements from Isuzu Malaysia.

The evening kicked-off with a rousing Japanese Taiko drum performance, followed by a speech and a toast led by Isuzu Malaysia chief executive officer Koji Nakamura.

 A Japanese Taiko drum performance livens up the mood at the Isuzu Customer Appreciation Night 2018.

Chief operating officer Atsunori Murata revealed that Isuzu had outsold its rivals for four consecutive years from 2014.

According to the company's aftersales chief operating officer Ryo Kakogawa, it strives for a quick turn-around time for vehicle servicing to ensure its customers' business operations are not disrupted. Key to that brand promise is the Isuzu Service Centre, its flagship aftersales facility in Shah Alam, he added.

At the event, guests were entertained by a sand art animation performance and a stand-up comedy routine by Dr Jason Leong.


Ferrari CEO search may take months, cover non-car candidates

                MARANELLO: Ferrari NV may take months rather than weeks to name a new boss after chief executive officer (CEO) Louis Camilleri abruptly left the Italian supercar maker, according to people familiar with the matter.

The company is taking a thorough and deliberate approach to resolve its second leadership crisis in as many years, the people said.

Ferrari’s board was to meet today for a preliminary review of candidates for the role, they said, asking not to be named as the company’s plans aren’t public.

Fiat Chrysler automobiles NV chief executive officer Mike Manley, who media reports have linked to the job, isn’t currently in the running, the people said. Manley has previously said he’ll stay at the Italian-American carmaker even after its planned merger with France’s PSA Group.

A spokesman for Ferrari declined to comment.

Chairman John Elkann is taking over the CEO role on an interim basis until a replacement for Camilleri is found.

His departure comes at a difficult time. The coronavirus pandemic has depressed auto sales just as the industry is shifting away from the internal combustion engine — a key feature of the high-powered Ferrari cars.

The executive search could extend beyond the car industry, following Camilleri’s attempts to transform Ferrari into a fully-fledged luxury brand. The company introduced five new models in 2019, which helped increase annual sales to more than 10,000 units for the first time.

The board already includes executives close to both the luxury and technology industries, including Louis Vuitton executive vice president Delphine Arnault and Apple Inc. senior vice president of Internet software and services Eddy Cue.


VW Sharan can be an office on wheels

                WOLFSBURG: With people all over Europe practically working from home, Volkswagen has suggested turning their Sharan multipurpose vehicle (MPV) into a mobile office.

Admittedly, those with children can have situations complicated during a video conference or telephone call. Hence, the suggestion.

Working from the car could be the best solution for anyone needing a few hours a day to concentrate on completing some tasks for their job in peace.

The Sharan can be transformed into a mobile office in no time with its variable seating configuration which can be used as an office chair or a shelf.

To transform the Sharan into an office, as soon as a quiet and possibly scenic place has been chosen that has a mobile signal, use the cup holders to store coffee cups and water bottles with available in each row of seats.

Documents can fit into side pockets in the door trim, glove box or on the folding front passenger seat, meaning they are always within reach.

Once the Internet connection has been established with a mobile hotspot or LTE dongle, there is nothing stopping incoming and outgoing emails as well as video conferences with colleagues.

Thanks to the intelligent spatial concept in the Sharan that's 4,850mm-long and 1,900mm-wide, it is possible to set up your own workplace the way you like it or even change things around.

 Whether in the front, or in the second or third row of seats – an outstanding view through the panoramic roof awaits.

If you prefer to not have the notebook resting on your lap, you can either place it on the folding seat in the centre or use one of the folding tables fitted to the front seats as a desk.

The Sharan also provides enough space to stretch your legs and enjoy the view through the tilting panoramic sunroof in creative breaks.

The Sharan also features USB ports and an optional 230V socket in the rear centre console to recharge laptops and smartphones.

The "We Connect Go" app indicates the exact amount of energy remaining in the car battery at any time.

And once you have finished in the (literally) mobile office, there is nothing nicer than bringing the day to a close with a walk.


JPJ to introduce star rating system for driving schools

                KUALA NERUS: The Road Transport Department (JPJ) will implement a star rating system for all 205 driving schools nationwide.

Its director-general, Datuk Seri Ismail Ahmad, said the rating system, slated for implementation in November, was to ensure healthy competition.

"Driving schools which offer the best services will get five stars followed by four stars and so on," he said after launching the upgraded circuit of PSM Driving Institute here yesterday.

Driving schools which receive five stars will be rewarded with incentives such as being allowed to process driving licences by JPJ.

Ismail said a total of 205 driving schools nationwide have upgraded their driving circuits to conform with the guidelines set.

"Upgrading of circuit is in line with the driving curriculum for new drivers introduced in September last year," he added.


Omologato watches celebrates Le Mans with limited edition watches

                LONDON: Omologato watches is celebrating Le Mans with a pair of limited edition watches that are specially designed to pay tribute to the oldest and greatest 24 hours endurance race in the world.

The Le Mans Racing Black and the Le Mans Racing Blue both honour the epic annual 24 Heures du Mans race.

Both watches have a bespoke design, with the Le Mans Racing Blue evoking some of the most famous colours in Le Mans history. The white face features white arms, and it has a thick light-blue strip running to the right of the centre. The strip is finished with a dark-blue edged orange line down the middle. The watch features three dials in the middle of the face, with the right hand one displaying a large ‘24’ in recognition of the famous race.

The Le Mans Racing Black honours what is probably the most difficult part of Le Mans – racing at night. It takes a more subtle approach, with a black face and a plain blue stripe running to the right of centre. It is finished by eye-catching orange arms, designed to stand out and be seen with ease by the drivers at night, when their eyes are tired from racing and are regularly blinded by the lights on the other cars and around the track.

Both watches are 45.5mm in diameter, and are made from stainless steel. The Le Mans Racing Blue retains a natural finish, while the Black gets robust, black IP plating. Both come with 22mm black Italian grain leather straps. The Le Mans Racing Blue strap features orange stitching, while the Black has blue and orange stitching.

Both watches are limited to 250 examples each and are both priced at £249 (RM1,457). This year’s 24 hours race at Le Mans takes place on June 18-19.


Slow-moving traffic on several highways on Oct 24 afternoon

                KUALA LUMPUR: Traffic was slow-moving on some of the country's major highways this afternoon following the Deepavali celebrations.

The Malaysian Highways Authority informed via Twitter that areas affected were the eastbound route just before the Kuala Lumpur-Karak Expressway Toll Plaza (KLK) and from Senawang to Port Dickson on the North-South Expressway (PLUS).

"Two accidents that occurred respectively at KM46.2 westbound of the KLK (Lentang-Bukit Tinggi) and KM354.6 southbound of PLUS (Sungkai-Slim River) also caused traffic to slow down," it said.

The Highways Authority also reported slow traffic flow from Juru Autocity to the Juru Toll Plaza and at Bangunan Sultan Iskandar heading south towards Singapore.

The public can get the latest traffic information via the toll-free Plusline at 1800-88-0000 and Twitter at www.twitter.com/plustrafik or its hotline at 1800-88-7752 and Twitter at www.twitter.com/llminfotrafik.


RON97 petrol price to be floated, RON95 and diesel fuel prices fixed

                PUTRAJAYA: The Pakatan Harapan Cabinet today has decided that diesel and RON95 petrol prices will remain at current pump prices, whereas RON97 petrol will be floated and its price will be determined by the market.

The mechanism would be announced soon, said Prime Minister Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad. The existing fuel pump price is at RM2.20 per litre for RON95, RM2.47 for RON97 and RM2.18 for Euro 2M diesel.

He also announced the date for the return of the Sales and Services (SST) and discounted toll for Hari Raya.

Dr Mahathir said that with the Goods and Services Tax (GST) to be zero-rated from tomorrow, SST will make a comeback from Sept 1. However, the Cabinet has yet to determine the rate or percentage to be charged on consumers.

“We haven’t decided, but before this, SST was at 10%.

“We will have to study a suitable rate, but will look at the implication of levying it at 10%.”

For those travelling during the Hari Raya festive period, toll charges will be reduced by 50% two days before Hari Raya, which is expected to fall on June 15.

More cheer for motorists came from the Malaysian Highway Authority, which said today that toll would be abolished from tomorrow for the Kuala Lumpur-Seremban Expressway and Salak Expressway.

In other words, motorists would have to pay less toll when leaving the Sungai Besi toll booth after using either highways.

“The prices will drop between 40 sen and RM1.70 depending on the distance travelled and vehicle classification,” said the authority in a statement.

“Users who pass through Sungai Besi toll plazas will only need to pay the tolls within the North-South Expressway (PLUS) alignment that they are traveling through," said the statement, adding the lower toll charges would benefit 130,000 motorists who use the toll plaza daily.

The latest toll rates are shown at the PLUS Highway website.


Not all fuel pumps are created equal

Black Mamba is arguably the 'Mother' of all pumps.
DETROIT: US fuel pump assembly retailer Auteria has published a new graphic that compares the amount of fuel pumped through a variety of hard-working fuel pumps.

The team at Auteria looked at funny cars (a type of drag racers), cargo ships, planes, Nascar cars, and other vehicles that demand a lot from their fuel pumps. The graphic illustrates fuel consumption at a gallon-per-hour rate and, for fun, does include one vehicle that uses a nominal amount of fuel each hour.

"For those of us who like mechanical trivia, this was a lot of fun to create," said Auteria product manager Ana Rivera. "We have a huge inventory of fuel pumps that are identified with letters and numbers, but it turns out one amazing fuel pump has its own unique name - Black Mamba. This pump by Rage Fuel Systems pumps fuel faster than pumps used in cargo ships and airliners."

Using information collected from sites like fuelly.com, mpgomatic.com and fueleconomy.gov, the team at Auteria used the following methodology to find their answers:

Fuel consumption rates are in gallons per hour (1 gal/hr = 3.8 l/hr) and are either sourced from manufacturers or calculated based on range divided by average cruising speed divided by fuel capacity. The result is the fuel consumption rate (in gallons-per-hour). In the case where an average cruising speed is not known, estimates were made.

Here are some highlights from the chart:

> The Rage Black Mamba can pump 7,400 gallons of fuel per hour (28,120 l/hr), but it only runs for a few seconds.
> A Nascar Cup Series car pumps 40 gallons of fuel per hour (151 l/hr).
> A cargo ship consumes about 4,364 gallons of fuel per hour (16,519 l/hr).
> The Honda Ruckus fuel pump only needs to move .2 (2/10ths) of a gallon of fuel per hour (0.7 l/hr).
> The fuel pumps in a Boeing 777 need to move 2,966 gallons of fuel per hour (11,227 l/hr), but the labour is split among two to six pumps.

Auteria is a nearly 50-year-old US company that provides fuel pump assemblies built to OEM specifications.


Michelle Yeoh hits the streets with road safety campaign in London

                PETALING JAYA: With about 500 children being killed in road accidents around the world every day, Tan Sri Michelle Yeoh has taken to the streets of London – kind of – to remind road users about the importance of child seats and safety belts.

Posters of the actress were recently seen at bus stops all over London, part of a campaign urging motorists to use safety belts for children travelling in the car.

Yeoh also posted a photograph of the road safety campaign poster on Facebook.

"This poster is seen in London, Australia, (and) Malaysia so far ... road safety is crucial for all of us!" she said.

"Today, 3,500 people will die on the road ... Use a child safety seat,” the poster reads.

Yeoh is currently Safe Steps Road Safety Ambassador for the UN Decade for Road Safety 2011-2020 and a spokesman for the International Automobile Federation (FIA) High Level Panel for Road Safety. She is also the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) Goodwill Ambassador.

The worldwide campaign seeks to reduce road fatalities by five million before 2020.

In a 40-second video released by the FIA, Yeoh can be seen educating viewers on how to protect children. She called on viewers to ensure that "each child fastens their safety belt and younger children are seated on a child safety seat when travelling in a vehicle."

She has also appeared in a series of 60-second educational videos and a 45-second video for the Safe Steps Road Safety campaign highlighting why road safety is a crucial issue.

Yeoh has starred several acclaimed movies including Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon, Tomorrow Never Dies, and Memoirs of a Geisha.

She is currently working on her upcoming film Crazy Rich Asians, and television series Star Trek Discovery.


Tesla's Roadster shipment to be delayed to 2023, says Musk

                SAN FRANCISCO: Tesla Inc boss Elon Musk on Wednesday signalled a one-year delay in the shipment of Roadster sports car to 2023, citing global supply chain bottlenecks.

Musk had in January hinted that the Roadster, which was originally set to be launched last year, would be released in late summer of 2022.

"2021 has been the year of super crazy supply chain shortages," Musk tweeted. "Assuming 2022 is not mega drama, new Roadster should ship in 2023."

Global automakers, including Ford Motor, Honda Motor, General Motors and Volkswagen, have been caught off guard by a prolonged global chip shortage, forcing many to idle or curtail production.

A year ago, the Silicon Valley billionaire had said in comedian Joe Rogan's podcast that Roadster was lower priority and compared it to a "dessert". "We gotta get the meat and potatoes and greens and stuff," he said.

He had said a ramp-up in production of sport utility vehicle Model Y and the construction of a vehicle factory in Berlin were more important.


Renault Megane RS Trophy-R sets new Nürburgring record

                MUNICH: The Renault Megane RS Trophy-R set a new record and reference time on 5 April, 2019 for a front-wheel-drive production compact car on the Nordschleife of the Nürburgring.

It covered the 20.600 km in 07’40’’100, and the official whole lap length of the Nordschleife 20.832 km in 07’45’’389.

The Renault Megane RS Trophy-R will be sold this year as an exclusive limited edition of a few hundred units.

While the Megane RS Trophy-R uses the same 300hp engine seen in the RS Trophy car, its faster speed is due to a weight reduction (up to 130kg), better aerodynamics and chassis development.


2018 Bangkok Motor Show: 42,499 vehicles booked

                BANGKOK: The 39th Bangkok International Motor Show (BIMS) was another exceptionally successful edition, as it closed after 12 days with 1.62 million visitors and 42,499 vehicles booked.

For the motor show's organiser Grand Prix International PLC, the 2018 edition was a triumphant accomplishment (the 2017 edition saw 1.6 million visitors and 36,093 vehicles booked).

"This affirms that the Bangkok International Motor Show is Thailand's number one car show as well as Asian. This is the world's largest exhibition. We are grateful for the trust from car, motorcycle, and automotive entrepreneurs, who are willing to spend huge investments for booth design and showcases,” said Jaturont Komolmis, vice chairman of BIMS and chief operating officer of Grand Prix PLC.

The motor show was held at Challenger Hall 1-3, Impact Muang Thong Thani, from March 28 to April 8.

Vehicle bookings at the 2018 edition consisted of 36,587 cars and 5,912 motorcycles.

Toyota has the highest bookings with 5,689 units; followed by Honda with 5,133 units; and Mazda with 5,021 units.

As for motorcycles, Honda Motor Co had the highest bookings with 2,628 units; followed by Yamaha with 737 units; and Kawasaki with 554 units.

"Based on our data, small and medium cars, and commercial vehicles remain popular while SUVs (sport utility vehicles) continue to see growing market demand. The electric cars at the motor show also received a lot of attention from visitors," said Komolmis.

READ MORE:
2018 Bangkok Motor Show: Electric push forward
2018 Bangkok Motor Show: Top motor show in Asean
2018 Bangkok Motor Show: Show Girls


Special permit needed to buy petrol, diesel exceeding 20 litres using drums, containers

                PUTRAJAYA: Small-scale companies and organisations, as well as individuals wanting to buy petrol and diesel from petrol stations for personal use using drums or any suitable containers in quantities exceeding 20 litres are required to apply for a special permit under the Control of Supplies Act 1961, says Domestic Trade and Consumer Affairs Minister Datuk Seri Alexander Nanta Linggi.

He said purchases under 20 litres including emergency cases are allowed without the special permit.

He said this in a statement issued today to clarify reports in connection with the purchase of petrol and diesel using drums or containers without permission under the act.

Nanta said the Control of Supplies Act 1961 states that petrol stations must have a licence to sell petrol and diesel, adding that the petrol stations are not allowed to sell diesel and petrol of all grades except when it is filled into the original tank of the vehicle or which has been approved by the relevant agency; and parties authorised by the Ministry of Domestic Trade and Consumer Affairs, among others.

Nanta said those authorised to buy petrol and diesel through the special permit can use drums or any suitable containers according to the daily quantity approved.

He said among those granted the special permit are forklift drivers, those involved in the agriculture and livestock sectors, food industry operators, rural residents, users of water transportation, as well as part-time fishermen (not e-nelayan card holders).

Nanta said the application for the special permit can be submitted through the Mysubsidi Special Permit system at http://permitkhas.kpdnhep.gov.my or any Ministry of Domestic Trade and Consumer Affairs office, and approval will be granted in less than seven days, adding that the special permit is free.


Xiaomi to open auto plant with 300,000-car capacity in Beijing

Lei Jun (centre) and his management team.
SHANGHAI: Chinese smartphone giant Xiaomi Corp will build a plant that can produce 300,000 vehicles annually in Beijing for its electric vehicle unit, authorities in the capital said today.

The plant will be constructed in two phases and Xiaomi will also built its auto unit's headquarters, sales and research offices in the Beijing Economic and Technological Development Zone, the government-backed economic development agency Beijing E-Town said on its official WeChat account.

Beijing E-Town said it anticipated the plant reaching mass production in 2024, a goal announced by Xiaomi's chief executive Lei Jun in October.

In March, Xiaomi said it would commit to investing US$10 billion in a new electric car division over 10 years. The company completed the business registration of its EV unit in late August.

The company has been opening thousands of stores to spur domestic sales growth for its smartphone business but eventually intends to use these shops as a channel for its plans to sell electric vehicles.


Self-driving tech firm Aurora mulls sale to Apple or Microsoft, says report

                NEW YORK: Aurora Innovation Inc chief executive Chris Urmson recently outlined several options for the self-driving tech firm to combat challenging market conditions, including a possible sale to Apple Inc or Microsoft Corp, Bloomberg News reported on Friday.

Many electric-vehicle and self-driving startups that had raised cash easily through IPOs and mergers with blank-check firms during the market boom are now scrambling to launch vehicles and burning cash rapidly amid a bleak economy and supply-chain snarls.

Reuters reported in 2020 that Apple was moving forward with its self-driving car technology and was targeting 2024 to produce a passenger vehicle that could include its own breakthrough battery technology.

Microsoft, on the other hand, has invested in San Francisco-based self-driving car maker Cruise, which is valued at US$30 billion and counts General Motors Co as a majority stakeholder.

Urmson, who co-founded Aurora after running Google owner Alphabet Inc's self-driving car project, also floated measures including cost cuts, taking the company private and spinning off or selling assets, the report said, citing an internal memo.

The company has a market cap of about US$2.4 billion.

Last month, Aurora said it would delay the delivery of its scalable autonomous freight trucks by a year to the first half of 2024, citing supply constraints.

Other options Urmson suggested in the memo were to buy companies in the sector with US$150 million to $300 million of cash, and to freeze hiring and lay off employees, the Bloomberg report said.


Trucks crossing Europe’s busiest Alpine pass may need to reserve

Trucks parked near the Brenner Pass on the border between Austria and Italy. — AFP

VIENNA: Truckers hauling goods between German and Italy through the Austrian Alps may soon need to book a reservation, after officials agreed to regulate queues and manage the environmental impact of traffic clogging the Brenner Pass, Europe’s busiest mountain corridor.

The plan highlights Europe Union’s latest effort to manage supply chains that deliver goods to the trade bloc’s 447 million people. Recent bottlenecks prompted by Brexit, Covid restrictions and climate change have snarled freight and helped fuel rising inflation.

Leaders from Germany’s Bavaria, Austria’s Tyrol and Italy’s South Tyrol signed an agreement to develop a digital traffic-management system for the Alpine highway used by 2.5 million trucks last year.

At a standard length of about 13 metres that number of vehicles would stretch 32,500km parked end-to-end, just short of the Earth’s circumference.

Transit via Brenner Pass has surged from about 1.1 million in 2000 and now accounts for about 40% of all freight crossings in the Alps. The road runs through Europe’s customs-free Schengen area and reaches an elevation of 1,374 metres.

The proposal needs to be approved by national parliaments, but may offer a solution to political tension between Austria and Italy due to frequent restrictions imposed to help car traffic.

“It will be a bookable highway with slots like an airport, free but mandatory“ Bavarian Premier Markus Soeder said at a briefing in Kufstein, Austria, Wednesday.

The Brenner Pass has a history of controversy. Italian fascist leader Benito Mussolini and Adolf Hitler cemented their partnership in World War II there.

More recently, Austrian authorities limited transit at the onset of the coronavirus pandemic, and earlier to stop immigrants.

A 64km-long railway tunnel system under the pass, the world’s longest, is set to take over some of the traffic once completed in 2032, for an estimated €9.57 billion (RM46bil) cost.


Catch the Volkswagen Tour at 1Utama, Petaling Jaya

                PETALING JAYA: The Volkswagen Tour is back at 1Utama Shopping Centre and will showcase four new Volkswagen models, including the R-Line trinity of the new Passat R-Line, the all-new Arteon R-Line, and the all-new Tiguan Allspace R-Line, from the Aug 12 to 16, 2020.

Also making its first public debut at the Tour is the all-new Tiguan Allspace Highline.

Other crowd favourites on display will be the Vento JOIN, Tiguan Highline, Golf R-Line and Passat Elegance, which are available for test drives.

There are plenty of attractive offers, and visitors who place a booking at the Volkswagen Tour will receive an additional RM1,000 (terms and conditions apply) rebate on top of ongoing promotions.

The Tour is located at the Oval Centre Court, Ground Floor (new wing) and is open from 10am to 10pm daily.

This will be Volkswagen’s first public event held during the Recovery Movement Control Order and there will be strict SOP and guidelines in place to ensure the safety of visitors.

Visitors are required to wear face masks and will have their temperature taken before entering the event space. All display and test-drive cars would be sanitised and disinfected regularly.


Malaysia wants to make a 'Detroit' out of Tanjung Malim

                PETALING JAYA: The proposed Automotive Hi-Tech Valley (AHTV) project will propel Tanjung Malim into a world renown motoring hub in the region, says Datuk Seri Ismail Sabri Yaakob.

The Prime Minister said the AHTV will enable Malaysia to be a manufacturing hub for electric vehicles (EV) and components to the Asean region.

"This development will attract the interest of foreign investors, specifically from China and other countries, as it has the potential of strengthening the global automotive ecosystem in a large area.

"If other countries such as the United States can be proud of Detroit, which is a district known for automotive manufacturing, it isn't impossible that one day, Tanjung Malim can be known as a great motoring hub in this region," he said.

Ismail Sabri was speaking when launching the development plan of the AHTV at the Proton City Sports Complex this evening.

Ismail Sabri also reiterated that the AHTV could generate 370,000 new jobs when it is being constructed and another 160,000 jobs when it begins operations.

 Ismail Sabri (centre) launching the AHTV project at the event. With him are Saarani (left) and Wan Zulkiflee.

"Other development, such as industrial parks and real estate development for commercial purposes, has a potential to generate RM32bil as a whole by 2030," said Ismail Sabri.

The RM32bil AHDB that is set to be developed by DRB-Hicom Bhd was first announced during the Umno General Assembly last March 19.

Meanwhile, Ismail Sabri said AHTV is aiming to be a research and development centre for climate-based technologies, as it plans to set up a university research centre.

"Indirectly, the development can place emphasis on the development of EV, by incorporating artificial intelligence (AI) and the latest technology," added Ismail Sabri.

Efforts to develop AHTV into an EV manufacturing hub is in line with Putrajaya's commitment in ensuring Malaysia becomes a carbon-neutral country by 2050, said Ismail Sabri.

"The government hopes this project will propel the urban industry and other sectors to reduce greenhouse emissions.

"God-willing, with thorough planning, the AHTV will benefit not just locals (at Tanjung Malim), but Malaysians in general," added Ismail Sabri.

Also present during the launch was Transport Minister Datuk Seri Dr Wee Ka Siong, Finance Minister Tengku Datuk Seri Zafrul Abdul Aziz, Perak Mentri Besar Datuk Seri Saarani Mohamad, DRB-Hicom chairman Tan Sri Wan Zulkiflee Wan Ariffin and its group managing director Datuk Seri Syed Faisal Albar.

Wan Zulkiflee, who spoke in a speech earlier, said the AHTV development could raise RM24.5bil in Malaysia's gross domestic product (GDP).

"It is our vision and ambition to ensure AHTV can be a renowned regional automotive hub, which will ensure prosperity for Keluarga Malaysia (Malaysian Family)," added Wan Zulkiflee.

Wan Zulkiflee said 600,000 cars are sold annually in Malaysia, making the country's automotive industry the 23rd largest in the world.

"The automotive industry contributed RM30bil to the GDP, and direct employment of more than 710,000 people.

"Nearly 30 factories for the assembly and manufacturing of vehicles are present in Malaysia, alongside hundreds of other factories manufacturing car components in the country," Wan Zulkiflee added.


Threat to road safety from cost-of-living crisis, warns UK firm

                LONDON: Halfords Plc, a British bicycle and car parts group, said the cost-of-living crisis is threatening Britain’s road safety as cash-strapped motorists keep cars running for longer.

The UK company said the average age of a vehicle on British roads is now 8.7 years, more than a year older than it was a decade ago.

In addition, while the average age of a car at scrappage is 13 years, the most recent industry data shows there are 8.4 million cars over 13 years old still running. That’s almost a quarter of all cars in the country.

"Based on what we’re seeing in our garages and taking into account continuing issues with the supply of new cars, we believe the average ages of cars will pass the nine year mark very soon and could even creep above 10 years before the cost-of-living crisis eases,” Graham Stapleton, chief executive officer of Halfords said in a statement today.

Older cars are more likely to develop faults, are more costly to maintain and are more polluting, he added.

However, vehicle reliability has improved in recent years, which means cars can run for longer than before.

Halfords offers a range of car services from MOT tests to tyre changes.

The company said it is introducing price cuts to help hard-pressed motorists and is offering free MOTs to its workforce of more than 10,000 employees.

Stapleton made the comments as Halfords reported more than 30% total revenue growth in the 20 weeks to Aug 19, compared to the same period last year.

The company said it’s on track to generate underlying pretax profit of between £65 million and £75 million (between RM338mil and RM390mil).


New Proton Perdana may be priced up to RM150K, order taking starts

PETALING JAYA: Proton has opened its order books for the new Perdana and has also announced a recall of over 94,000 cars to fix a defect.

The price of the Perdana flagship model, to be launched by the first quarter of this year, is expected to be from RM100,000 to RM150,000

It comes with a 2.4-litre engine that delivers 181hp and 222Nm of torque. Features will include paddle shifters, cruise control, an infotainment system with reverse camera, GPS navigation, dual-zone air-conditioning, powered driver's seat, and tilt and telescopic steering.

Besides airbags, safety kit includes ESC (Electronic Stability Control), ABS with EBD (Electronic Brake Force Distribution), and front anti-trap powered windows.

On the recall covering 94,577 cars comprising Exora, Preve and Suprima, Proton said the recall is with immediate effect.

It said it would spend over RM2mil on the fix to replace burst cooler hoses. The recall would is expected to take six months to complete.

“The hoses are cheap, about RM17 each, but labour cost will be expensive. So we expect the cost to be over RM2mil,” CEO Datuk Abdul Harith Abdullah  said at a media briefing today.

He also said that Proton would rebrand itself "as a step to break away from unfavourable market perception." The exercise will also see a fresher corporate logo and improved ownership experience for customers of Proton, which marks 31 years in business this year.

Amongst the initiatives to improve Proton service is a 7-day a week service at 50 of Proton’s service outlets nationwide and pick-up and delivery services in busy areas of the Klang Valley which involve four branches - Mutiara Damansara, Setapak, Bukit Maluri and Section 13, Petaling Jaya. The company is looking at three more Klang Valley branches to implement this service soon.

 Proton chairman Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad and Harith showing the hotline to call in case of breakdowns.

Harith also said Proton would also increase the number of courtesy cars and carry out a My Taxi Service programme to help taxi drivers service their cars more efficiently, a 24-hour Proton Mobile Breakdown Assist and 80-minute quick service bays.

“In terms of engagement with customers, we have recently launched the 'It's In The Drive' campaign to encourage people to come and test drive our cars so that they can experience for themselves that Proton has come a long way since its first car - from the smooth handling to the interior finishing and to the technology aspect of the cars that are installed with the latest safety features. We have also open up free safety inspection mobile services nearer to where customers are, to encourage them to check their cars before the long festive holidays recently."

 Proton detailing how it would make customers happy.


Ford's Europe car lineup to be all-electric by 2030

                LONDON: Ford Motor Co on Wednesday said its car lineup in Europe will be all-electric by 2030 as the USautomaker races to get ahead of CO2 emissions targets and looming bans in some countries on fossil fuel vehicles.

The carmaker said it will invest US$1 billion over the next 30 months to convert its vehicle assembly plant in Cologne, Germany, to become the US automaker’s first electric vehicle facility in Europe.

“This reinforces our commitment to the European region,” Stuart Rowley, head of Ford’s European operations, said during a news conference.

Ford said its first European-built, all-electric passenger vehicle will be produced at the facility from 2023 and is considering building a second model there.

The carmaker has a strategic alliance with Volkswagen AG, under which Ford will use its German partner’s MEB electric vehicle platform to build some models. Rowley said the model out of Cologne will be the first to use Volskwagen’s MEB platform.

The No.2 US automaker said that by 2026 it will have electric versions of all its passenger cars on sale in Europe and that by 2030 two=thirds of its commercial vehicle sales in Europe will be fully electric or plug-in hybrids.

The company said it will have plug-in hybrid or fully-electric versions of its entire commercial vehicle range available by 2024.

Ford currently dominates the USand European markets for gasoline-powered commercial vehicles with shares of 40% and almost 15%, respectively.

The carmaker said its commercial vehicle business is “key to future growth and profitability.”

Ford said this month it was “doubling down” on connected electric vehicles and said it will invest $22 billion in electrification through 2025, nearly twice what it had previously committed to EVs.

This week Jaguar Land Rover, owned by India’s Tata Motors, said its luxury Jaguar brand would be entirely electric by 2025 and the carmaker will launch e-models of its entire lineup by 2030.

Last month, Ford’s Detroit rival General Motors Co said it aims to an entirely zero-emission lineup by 2035.


Renault taps software company Atos to help cut costs

                PARIS: Renault is teaming up with software company Atos, the companies said today, to collect and analyse data in a "strategic collaboration" which Renault said would result in cost savings.

Renault and Atos said their data partnership would allow manufacturers to collect and structure data from industrial equipment at scale to improve operational excellence and product quality.

"Renault Group is already saving €80 million (RM372mil) per year and aims to deploy this solution across the remainder of its 35 plants, connecting over 22,000 pieces of equipment, by 2023 to generate savings of €200 million (RM931mil) per year," the company said.


Festive tyre warranty promotion by Goodyear Malaysia

                KUALA LUMPUR: Under the Raya Bergaya Bersama Goodyear campaign, held till May 31, 2023, those who buy either four units of the 16-inch and 17-inch tyres, or two units of the 18-inch and above tyres will receive an exclusive Goodyear umbrella, while stocks last.

Also, customers can register for the Worry Free Assurance warranty programme which offers a 1-year road hazard warranty to protect customers against road hazard damage; two times free tyre safety checks; and five years warranty for any manufacturing defects of the purchased tyres.

To participate:

Step 1: Purchase four units of the 16-inch and 17-inch tyres OR two units of the 18-inch and above consumer tyres at Goodyear participating stores.

Step 2: Receive the exclusive Goodyear umbrella from the retailer.

Step 3: Log on to Goodyear’s website (www.goodyear.com.my) and register for the Worry Free Assurance by filling in the details, uploading the receipt and select the shop where the tyres were purchased.

According to Alex Ng, managing director of Goodyear Malaysia, Goodyear wants to engrain safe driving habits among Malaysians.

“This promotion serves as a timely reminder for Malaysians to change their car’s shoes. We want to highlight the importance of tyre safety and choosing quality tyres with innovative technology for a peaceful and safe drive, especially with the unprecedented weather these days,” he said.


Mercedes-Benz aims for more luxury in model line-up

                BERLIN: Mercedes-Benz is honing its identity as a luxury company, its chief technology officer (CTO) said today, cutting out entry-level models and releasing limited collectibles.

The premium carmaker is reducing the number of models in its entry level segment to four from seven and will bring up its lowest segment by a minimum of "half a class", Markus Schaefer said in an interview at the carmaker's strategy day.

The carmaker is also focusing on simplifying some of its production processes, saving costs and making the company less vulnerable to supply chain bottlenecks for specific parts.

"We will reduce complexity in many areas... that dramatically changes logistics," Schaefer said, with factories set up differently in different regions depending on the most preferred types of vehicles in each market.

Customers will be offered pre-set packages when configuring their cars based on regional preferences, according to a statement released today, simplifying production in comparison to build-to-order models.

Mercedes-Benz announced a move to put 75% of investment into top-end vehicles and its highest-selling segment of C-Class and E-Class models.

It projected a 60% rise in the sales share of its top-end cars to 17-18% by 2026 from 2019 levels.
"The willingness to pay is there," Schaefer said.

"Many, many customers are ready to pay the extra price for luxury."

Bringing down the cost of batteries for electric cars remains a top priority, Schaefer said.

"I'd like to halve the size and weight of batteries in cars," Schaefer said, citing energy efficiency and cost.

Taking more control of the supply chain through direct supply contracts and being more strategic about material choice would also help lower costs, he said, predicting that cobalt, a common battery material, was likely to be phased out of production.

Rising prices for cobalt, sourced mostly from Democratic Republic of Congo, are pushing battery makers to explore cobalt-free technologies.

Mercedes-Benz earlier this week announced it was the first automotive customer of battery startup Sila Nanotechnologies' silicon anode chemistry.


150km-long traffic jam from Rawang to Gopeng, says PLUS

                KUALA LUMPUR: Traffic congestion that stretched to 150km was reported as at 1pm on North-South Expressway (PLUS) from Rawang northwards to Gopeng due to an increase in the volume of vehicles as more people travel either to their hometowns to celebrate Aidilfitri or go on holiday.

A spokesman of PLUS said that the traffic from Slim River to Sungkai was among the most affected routes and road users are advised to plan their journey well.

In the south, traffic congestion was also reported for 12km from Bandar Ainsdale to Seremban and Putra Mahkota to Nilai (8km).

"Traffic in other areas heading south is still smooth and under control except from Skudai to Senai Utara which is moving slowly," the spokesman told Bernama.

Meanwhile, traffic flow from Kuantan to Kuala Terengganu was reported to be generally smooth and only a 1.3-km congestion was reported before the Kuala Terengganu Toll Plaza exit towards the city centre.

Traffic is also smooth from Karak Toll Plaza to Kuantan in both directions.

The public can obtain the latest traffic information from the toll-free Plusline at 1800-88-0000 and Twitter account at www.twitter.com/plustrafik or the Malaysia Highway Authority toll-free line at 1-800-88-7752 and Twitter account at www.twitter.com/LLMinfotrafik.

The Road Transport Department (JPJ) was also kept busy as a total of 5,021 of the 750,903 vehicles that went through the Automated Awareness Safety System (Awas) cameras on highways on Friday were found breaking speed limits.

The enforcement agency said in a statement on Saturday that out of  236,671 vehicles which passed through Awas cameras at traffic lights, 966 of them, were found running the red light.

According to the statement, 29 Awas cameras were to monitor speeding, and 16 Awas cameras to monitor traffic lights went into full operation from Friday.


Ferrari, Enel X plan solar plant near Fiorano test track

                ROME: Italian sports car maker Ferrari said it has signed a deal with Enel's Enel X to build a 1 megawatt peak (MWp) solar energy plant next to its Fiorano test track in order to offer green energy to the local community.

The so-called Ferrari Energy Community should be completed by December and is expected to have an annual average production capacity of about 1,500 megawatt hours (MWh).

Local citizens, institutions, commercial activities and factories will also be allowed to link up to the solar plant, Ferrari said on Tuesday.

Ferrari, famous for its prancing horse logo, aims to achieve carbon neutrality by 2030 and is planning to unveil its first fully-electric car in 2025.

Its CEO, Benedetto Vigna, said the solar plant project "can accelerate the process of decarbonisation while reducing the cost of energy for citizens and businesses".


BMW M4 Competition x KITH limited edition unveiled

 Fieg.

MUNICH: Just a few weeks after its world premiere, BMW M is introducing a special edition model of the new M4 Competition Coupé in a move to explore new customer niches.

Created in collaboration with New York lifestyle brand Kith, the M4 Competition x KITH is limited to just 150 units and features unique exterior and interior design details.

The M4 Competition x KITH can be pre-ordered now. Deliveries of the car will begin in summer 2021.

At the same time, Kith will be offering a 96‑piece collection of exclusively designed apparel and accessories in all its stores and online.

“Keeping a close eye on the latest streetstyle developments is part of our approach to evolving the BMW brand,” said Jens Thiemer, Senior Vice President Customer and Brand BMW.

“With his ideas and Kith label, Ronnie Fieg is one of the outstanding minds and opinion leaders in the worlds of fashion, lifestyle and luxury. Our collaboration with Ronnie and his influential brand will be a positive force for BMW as we explore new customer groups.”

“This is not the first time BMW M GmbH has released a limited edition of one of our cars as part of an exclusive collaboration,” said BMW M CEO Markus Flasch.

Fieg recently acquired his own example of the E30 M3.

And BMW M GmbH lined up this first-generation M3 for the official presentation of the collaboration at the Kith pop‑up store in Brooklyn on Oct 23.

Alongside it was the unique new representative of the latest, sixth-generation version of the high-performance model.

Like Fieg’s car, the M4 Design Study by KITH is painted in the Cinnabar Red shade originally used for the E30 M3. This paint finish is no longer available for the regular BMW range, but was selected here specially for the M4 Design Study by KITH to emphasise the connection between the two cars.

The M4 Competition badge on the model’s boot lid has been replaced by a black Kith logo with BMW M stripes in the same style. This logo also appears in illuminated form below the head restraints in the M Carbon bucket seats, and Kith lettering is embossed into the black leather of the head restraints and centre console.

The leather with embossed lettering selected for this very individual model was also used for the seat covers in Fieg’s E30 M3. Here, the Kith logo with BMW M stripes has silver lettering, while a special version of the period BMW logo adorns the bonnet, boot lid and steering wheel, with “Kith” replacing “BMW”.

Merging logos is a hallmark of the many partnerships Kith has forged with other globally renowned companies. But this is the first time BMW has altered its badge for a collaboration partner.

The fusion logo created for the 150 units of the M4 Competition x KITH adds an extra ring around the BMW roundel in the M colours light blue, dark blue and red. Plus, there are details in bright lettering focusing on Kith and the collaboration.

The rear of the M4 Competition x KITH also has the black Kith logo with M stripes. The special-edition models are available exclusively with the matte paint finishes Frozen Black, Frozen Dark Silver and Frozen Brilliant White in homage to the three most popular colours for the E30 M3 back in the day.

One of the main highlights of the special-edition models is the Kith carbon-fibre roof design. For this optional extra, grey Kith lettering with BMW M stripes is woven into the roof surface.

M Compound brakes with red callipers bearing the M logo come as standard. These are visible through the double spokes of the M forged wheels 826M bi-colour / Jet Black, high-gloss (front: 19-inch, rear: 20-inch).

Inside the M4 Competition x KITH the tri-colour M Carbon bucket seats feature the M colours light blue and red which add striking flourishes to the Merino full-leather trim in Black.

As in Fieg’s E30 M3, Kith lettering is embossed into the black leather of the front and rear head restraints and centre armrest of the M4 Competition x KITH. The centre console features an exclusive badge with the Kith logo and M stripes. The illuminated M badge below the front head restraints also has Kith lettering.

The special-edition model has the same technical profile as the M4 Competition Coupé. The new six-cylinder in-line engine is cut from the high-revving M GmbH mould and uses the latest version of M TwinPower Turbo technology to produce 510hp, while torque peaks at 650Nm.

The eight-speed M Steptronic transmission Drivelogic is fitted as standard. The sprint from 0 – 100kph takes just 3.9 seconds, while 200kph is reached in 12.5 seconds.

As well as classical rear-wheel drive, the M4 Competition x KITH can – like the M4 Competition Coupé – be specified as an option with M xDrive all-wheel drive.

In addition to the standard equipment of the M4 Competition Coupé and the bespoke Kith collaboration features, the special-edition model can also be ordered with a selection of other extras.

Like the M Compound brakes, M forged wheels and M Carbon bucket seats, the M Carbon exterior package, BMW Laserlight and BMW Individual lights Shadowline are standard. Plus, the cabin features Carbon Fibre interior trim strips and controls with electroplated applications.


Tesla's Model 3 sedan off to slow start

                SAN FRANCISCO: Tesla has missed its production target for the Model 3 sedan, the first mid-priced electric vehicle for the mass market in its lineup, the car maker announced Monday.

Only 260 of the sedans were produced in the third quarter due to "production bottlenecks," the company said, failing to meet founder and CEO Elon Musk's expectations of 1,500 Model 3's delivered by September.

The electric car maker started taking reservations for its mass-market sedan in March 2016, which is priced at US$35,000 (RM149,000) to start and is key to the company's plans to expand market share.

The company said it has received some 450,000 pre-orders for the Model 3. Production has been hobbled by a bottleneck in a handful of "manufacturing subsystems," according to a company statement.

"There are no fundamental issues with the Model 3 production or supply chain. We understand what needs to be fixed and we are confident of addressing the manufacturing bottleneck issues in the near-term."

Musk has previously predicted much higher deliveries for the Model 3 sedan by the end of the year.

"Looks like we can reach 20,000 Model 3 cars per month by Dec," Musk said on Twitter in July, when announcing deliveries of the first 30 of the highly-anticipated cars.

Not long after Tesla was founded in 2003, Musk said the plan was to use money from high-end electric vehicles to create more affordable offerings to make the technology the new automotive norm.

Tesla also planned to unveil a heavy transport truck later this month, further broadening its lineup.

"Tesla Semi truck unveil; test ride tentatively scheduled for Oct 26th," Musk wrote on Twitter last month. "Worth seeing this beast in person. It's unreal."

The company also announced Monday that it increased production of Model S and Model X vehicles to an all-time best quarter of 26,150 vehicles, and anticipated it would deliver 100,000 of the luxury models in 2017 - a third more than in 2016.


BMW M Festival 2019: M overload in Johannesburg

                It may surprise you to know that South Africa is home to a huge number of BMW M fans. More importantly, they also buy plenty of M cars, making the country easily among the top five markets for BMW's sportiest products.

Globally, BMW M GmbH sold a record 102,780 cars in 2018, an increase of 27.2 percent over the previous year with the top sellers being the M2 and X3 M40i.

South Africans' appetite for sports cars is so great that BMW has set up an M showroom in Pretoria in 2016 to meet the demand with more planned across the country.

 The X3 M leads the way with the X4 M trailing it.

It's no surprise that BMW wants to leverage on that strength and expand its market share with a wrapper event called BMW M Festival, a platform that brings together its M fan base for a schmooze fest over an October weekend. Such an event also takes place in Germany, Japan, China and Canada.

The first M festival in 2017 brought in nearly 20,000 visitors; this year's could attract over 30,000, BMW South Africa managing director Tim Abbott told members of the international media on the eve of the Oct 26-27 festival.

Cars on display and for the drives at the Kyalami Grand Prix Circuit in Johannesburg were not altogether pure M cars though.

A selection of M Performance cars — one class below the tricked-out Ms — were present as well. Some of the classics had been rolled out to showcase the heritage of the BMW brand such as the M1 supercar, the 325iS and a fully restored 530 MLE that was the precursor to the M5.

The M division also works its magic on motorcycles and the first of several to come is the M-specced S1000RR that was on display.

For visitors in the mood to buy, a massive pop-up dealership had sprung up over the two days selling M models as well as the standard series Bimmers that included all the X-series at one end of the circuit's convention hall.

Cars are offered at below retail prices during this period. Some of them such as the M2, M3 and X4 M already had "Sold" signs on the first day of the fest. Imagine buying an M3 with 313,000 rand (RM88,000) knocked off from its original 1.49 million rand (RM421,000) price tag.

 This M2 Competition was sold on the first day of the M Festival.M Town reveals

The entire circuit was cast in the M Town motif that cheekily declared it’s a place "where too much is just right". It's a physical manifestation of a virtual community that BMW created for M owners in 2018 that has spawned an M Town taxi, police car and army car, among many other distinctive features. A makeshift jailhouse was set up for laughs. M Town is here to stay as evidenced by a permanent M Town exhibit recently set up at BMW Welt in Munich.

Adding to the buzz was the South African premiere of six M and M Performance models namely the X3 M Competition, X4 M Competition, M340i xDrive, 8 Series Gran Coupe, X6 and 1 Series. Topping it off was a sneak preview of the M8 Competition Gran Coupe ahead of its world debut at the Los Angeles Auto Show later this month.

It wasn't only the latest cars that drew the crowd. Many flocked to watch and admire classics that were entered in competition by their owners at the Gauteng BMW Car Club Concours, an event held alongside the M Festival.

This event has been organised for over 33 years and is said to be the greatest annual South African celebration of BMW heritage. Entrant’s vehicles were prepared for up to four months prior to the event and then judged on their condition, authenticity, preparation and presentation.

Highlights for visitors included the chance to book test drives, hot laps with professional drivers, enjoy gourmet food trucks, stalls and drinks, live music by some of South Africa's renowned DJs and artistes, a children’s play area and shopping at the BMW Lifestyle merchandise shop.

BMW works driver, Sheldon van der Linde, also made a special appearance at the event and offered visitors hot laps in his Shell BMW M4 DTM car around the circuit. Van der Linde, 20, is the first South African to compete in the DTM or Deutsche Tourenwagen Masters series.

 M president Markus Flasch.

Overall, the M Festival caters as much to petrol heads as it does to families seeking to spend an exciting weekend in the Joburg area of Midrand.

BMW M president Markus Flasch came to town and gave some insight on where M was going. He said there would not be an M-branded 1 Series in the front-drive centric model and that the M2 was an ideal starting base into the M world (update: a more powerful M2 CS has just been leaked). A 6-speed manual transmission would continue to be offered as an enthusiast option to customers of the M2, M3 and M4.

M is also exploring all forms of electrification whether it’s 48-volt systems, full hybrids or battery-electric vehicles.  Flasch, however, declined to reveal a timeframe to roll out the first electrified M car.

 The new 1 Series draws attention.

Over the course of two days prior to the fest, we experienced offroading in the diesel X3, an M track drive and the first drive of the new 1 Series.

The third-generation M135i will replace the outgoing 118i sold in Malaysia and is due to arrive in the first half of 2020. We had the chance to drive the hatchback on the open road around Johannesburg, and will give our feedback after the Malaysian launch (the X1 sDrive18i debuted alongside the 1 Series).

Offroading

The BMW X-drive Park is a separate location, about 10 mins drive time from the Kyalami circuit. It's where BMW SUV customers are shown how to exploit the potential of their vehicles when tarmac gives way to dirt trails.

Due to water restrictions imposed in Johannesburg, a water obstacle was off the menu.

Any motoring writer who has been exposed to offroading exercises offered by various car makers would find the format familiar whether the vehicle is an SUV or pick-up truck. Climb hills, do a controlled descent, cross a log-straddled gully, trundle over rocky terrain, do a banking manoeuvre (29 degrees in this case) and speed across a sandy stretch.

With the chief instructor's reminder to "go slow and go only as fast as it's necessary", we went offroading on a blazing day.

At every obstacle, there were instructors on the ground to brief and guide the driver through.

The X3 xDrive30d was more than up to the task with a frugal yet punchy engine that doles up dollops of low-end torque to surmount the obstacles. With a 3-litre turbo diesel motor making 262hp and 620Nm of torque, it was frankly a "walk in the park".

In terms of size, the X3 is bigger than the first-gen X5, so interior space has increased to sit 5 people comfortably.

The X3 adapts to surface conditions and traction needs by splitting torque dynamically between both axles, resulting in a vehicle that is surefooted.

Our favourite obstacle course was the run across deep piles of sand. With DSC off, Launch Control set and with first gear in manual mode, we barrelled through the stretch, making sure to keep the engine speed above 2,000rpm.

The X3 lunged forward, and mounds of sand were flung into the air as the wheels spinned furiously. The SUV slipped sideways on a few occasions but it was predictable; a steering correction and keeping the speed up were enough to get us pass this stage.

Track drives

Five models were made available namely X3 M, X4 M, M2, M5 and M340i, with the first three in Competition guise.

Due to the limited time allocated, we managed to sample only the X3 M, X4 M and M340i sedan, enough to get a flavour of what today's M cars could do.

All three are powered by a straight-six 3.0-litre petrol engine and are all-wheel drive.

Both the SUVs are motivated by the newly developed S58 engine, which is the high performance version of the B58 engine found in the M340i.

The X3 M Comp and X4 M Comp use a high-revving engine with M twin turbos that makes 510hp and 600Nm of torque. Both achieve the 0-100kph in a snappy 4.1s.

Meanwhile, the M340i engine setup is different, using a single turbo to deliver a more modest 374hp and 500Nm of torque. It dashes to 100kph in 4.4s.

All three vehicles are a hoot to drive and beautifully appointed to showcase their sporty character. Chassis, suspension and engines have undergone varying levels of M tuning so that comes clearly through the tiller especially in tight corners.

The impressive responsiveness of the M340i and its steering feedback is a foretaste of the upcoming M3 due out in 2021.

In our scenario, the real M drive was with the hefty SUVs. The vehicles conveyed a sports sedan-like ride with taut body control despite their higher ground clearance.

Both offer more power than you really need and corners are attacked with relish while maintaining high levels of grip. Some understeer is inevitable when cornering too aggressively but you can easily nudge both back in line.

If we had to choose which M vehicles to go for, it would be the X4 M Comp for its visually dramatic styling that we think is more in tune with the spirit of M. Never mind its limited practicality when compared  with the X3 M Comp.

Summary

One can never have too much of a good thing. The BMW M Festival delivers speed and power in spades, leaving one to wonder if it could get any more indulgent than this. Time will tell.

BMW M Festival

BMW X-drive Park


Volkswagen to spin off more Atlas versions

                WASHINGTON: The Volkswagen Atlas is the biggest SUV the company builds on its versatile MQB platform, and although it's only been on sale in the US for a mere seven months, the German auto giant is already planning a whole family of models based on it.

Over the last month, Volkswagen sold 5,154 units of the Atlas in America, which is way ahead of competitors such as the Toyota Highlander and Honda Pilot full-size SUVs. It's also on a par with similar models from luxury brands, including the BMW X5, Acura MDX and the Cadillac XT5.

During a recent event for the new generation of the Jetta sedan, which is still VW's biggest-selling vehicle in the US, the Group's North American CEO, Hinrich Woebcken, admitted he wants an "Atlas family" to include an entry in the high-volume B-segment of the market.

The next model in the soon-to-be expanding Atlas family is likely to be a smaller five-seat model, but with a sportier or even a more off-road focused personality than the large, family-orientated Atlas. Woebcken told the media at the New York Auto Show earlier this year the company already had a five-seat SUV in development, to be built at its Chattanooga, Tennessee plant.

It appears the VW Group is looking to establish the VW brand as a firmly family-friendly automaker, and one that's well-placed to satisfy America's incredible hunger for all things crossover and SUV right now.

Only last month, VW was reported to have applied to trademark the names "Atlas Cross Sport" and "Atlas Allsport," which may give a strong hint of what it has in mind for two future models. The company has also applied to trademark the name "Apollo," which it has used in the past in Brazil for a small- two-door sedan, and could be the name for the new small crossover Woebcken has spoken of.


Gearing up for KLIMS 2018

                PETALING JAYA: The Kuala Lumpur International Motor Show 2018 (KLIMS’18), organised by the Malaysian Automotive Association (MAA), is making its 9 th presentation from 23 November to 2 December 2018 at the Malaysia International Trade and Exhibition Center (MITEC).

MAA has launched the groundwork for the most significant motor show in the country. Themed “Beyond Mobility”, reparations are underway for auto marques to showcase their exhilarating automobiles and promote their R&D achievements and visions at KLIMS’18.

One of the highlights of the motor show is the electrification of cars as the global automotive industry calibrates to changing energy, environmental, and safety influences.

Datuk Aishah Ahmad, President of MAA said “The automotive industry is a revolution in motion. Technological advancement and innovative initiatives of the world’s brands are powering a mobility phenomenon that have changed the way a car drives. Consumers are also demanding better user experience, safety features and energy efficient vehicles on their powertrains.”

Honda Malaysia is participating in KLIMS’18 with the focus on Next Generation Advanced Technology. Toichi Ishiyama, MD and CEO of Honda Malaysia, said “KLIMS’18 is a great platform to showcase our advanced engineering and future vision in Malaysia. We are proud to be the pioneer in bringing hybrid into the Malaysia market and followed by Sport Hybrid where Malaysia is the only country outside Japan to introduce it."

Datuk (Dr) Aminar Rashid Salleh, President and Chief Executive Officer of Perodua, said “As Malaysia’s No 1 Energy-Efficient Vehicle (EEV) manufacturer, Perodua will be highlighting its technologies in this area at KLIMS’18, as well as displaying vehicle trends designed to excite the young as well as the young-at-heart. There will be something for everybody!”

For more information on KLIMS’18, visit website www.klims.com.my, or contact Trade-Link Exhibition Services Sdn Bhd at Tel: 03-7842 9863 or e-mail info@trade-link-group.com


The future of in-car entertainment: Music, cinema and gaming

MUNICH: Dozens of speakers, subwoofers, and amplifiers while sound transducers convert music signals into vibrations in the seat: modern entertainment systems in luxury-class cars are increasingly becoming a selling point.

The song "Boom" by DJ Tiësto blasts through the interior, burrowing into every fibre of the body during a demonstration by Mercedes of its in-car audio system.

"Music thrives on space, it needs air to move," says Frank Schweickhardt, the head of sound development at the German car maker.

The system uses Apple Music Spatial Audio with Dolby Atmos, which was previously only available in movie theatres or very high-end home systems.

The technology creates a virtual 3D surround sound effect in which you feel like you're in the middle of the music, just like in a concert hall.

But it's not just new songs that can be streamed in Dolby Atmos. Sound engineers are revamping older songs, like John Lennon's “Imagine.”

"To do that, the songs have to be rearranged so listeners can spatially associate them," says Derek Ali, mixing artist for stars like Kendrick Lamar.

"It's the sound of tomorrow, a leap like going from mono to stereo. The song takes on a personality of its own that every listener recognises right away."

The downside: Sound systems this good aren’t cheap. For now, the Burmester 4D sound system described above is only available in luxury models and costs more than €6,000 (RM29,000) for the Mercedes S-Class.

Movies in the car

And it’s not just in-car audio that has improved vastly. BMW recently introduced its Operating System 8, which offers a cinema for the rear seats in 7 Series cars.

Movies can be viewed on a 31-inch panoramic display in 32:9 format with a resolution of up to 8K, says BMW developer Katharina Mödl.

In recent years, the quality of entertainment systems has improved in all vehicle classes. Even so, music fans buying a new car should go for the more expensive systems, advises hi-fi specialist Sven Hansen.

"More speakers usually mean a better, richer sound. Additional speakers can only be integrated into the vehicle afterwards at great expense," Hansen says.

If you can test the sound system when buying a car, he says, you should try it with your own music. Then you’ll find out whether the sound system suits your music and your ears.

Hansen advises using mirror technologies such as Android Auto or Apple CarPlay, which are now offered in all vehicle classes. "Almost all drivers own a smartphone and use music, addresses, phone and voice control via it."

This also includes the navigation features available from Google and Apple Maps, which means that drivers don’t need a navigation system built into the car’s entertainment system.

Those who want smooth streaming in the car without a connected smartphone should order a system with a data package. However, these options are usually more expensive than the monthly data packages for a smartphone.

Upgrading your current system

Michael Zeitler, a car hi-fi specialist in Germany, recommends three things when retrofitting a new entertainment system: A hands-free car kit and Apple CarPlay or Android Auto.

For a new radio, he advises devices with a receiver module for the DAB+ digital radio standard. Depending on the age of the car, the antenna may need to be replaced.

Professional installation is vital: "A new entertainment system must be installed and connected correctly, as must the microphone for the hands-free system and the antenna," says Zeitler.

"Otherwise, the reception performance and sound will not satisfy the motorist. In addition, the car's electronics are sensitive to incorrect connections and can be damaged.”

For the future of entertainment in the car, Sven Hansen sees not only larger displays but also a wider range of video streaming services as vehicles become more automated and drivers get time for things other than driving.

Then there’s gaming. BMW is offering a built-in gaming platform while graphics card giant NVIDIA wants to stream its cloud gaming service Geforce Now into cars.


Contest for Nokia's HERE seen as a three-way race

                STUTTGART: The contest for Nokia's maps business has become a three-way race between German carmakers, a consortium including Uber and Baidu, and a third group including China's Tencent and Navinfo, people familiar with the process said.

Finland's Nokia has started an auction of its maps business HERE while it completes its 15.6 billion euros (US$17.2 billion) takeover of network equipment maker Alcatel Lucent.

German automakers Daimler, BMW and Volkswagen's premium brand Audi have teamed up with private equity firm General Atlantic to form what is being described as the "Industry consortium", two sources familiar with the matter said on Thursday.

Nokia, Daimler, BMW and General Atlantic declined to comment.

The automakers have agreed to contribute potentially more than 700 million euros, but below 1 billion euros, said one auto industry source, who declined to be named. The consortium could be widened to include more carmakers, the source added.

Another group consists of Chinese media, mobile and Internet services firm Tencent Holdings, Chinese map maker Navinfo Co., and Swedish buyout firm EQT Partners AB, three sources who declined to be named said.

Navinfo and Tencent were not immediately available for comment. EQT declined to comment.

Private equity firm Apax has joined U.S.-based taxi service Uber and China's Baidu in a third consortium, a financial source who declined to be named said.

Apax and Uber declined to comment. Baidu was not immediately available for comment.

Analysts put the potential value of HERE at 2 billion euros to 4 billion euros.

Audi R&D boss Ulrich Hackenberg on Friday said he could imagine adding more partners to the consortium headed by luxury carmakers.

"There are many possibilities, it's still too early," Hackenberg said.

Nokia is in no hurry to sell HERE despite receiving high quality bids, the Finnish company's chief executive said in a trade magazine interview.


Nissan unveils plans for 8 new EVs by 2022

The IMx concept.
YOKOHAMA: hardly a day seems to go by right now without a major vehicle manufacturer announcing electrification plans for its range that are bigger and better than the last announcement we heard.

Nissan is the latest as the Japanese auto giant has just announced plans for eight new all-electric models it intends to introduce by 2022 as part of its new "Move to 2022" strategy, which also details plans for the brand to sell as many as one million EVs and hybrids per year by that time.

Unlike most of its major rivals, Nissan has a decent head start in this area as it already has the world's biggest-selling EV in its portfolio in the shape of the Nissan LEAF. This new strategy outlines that the manufacturer expects a massive 40 percent of total demand for its vehicles to be accounted for by EVs by 2022.

 The LEAF.

And by as soon as 2025, Nissan believes that figure will grow to 50 percent due to its expanding range of plug-in electric vehicles.

The first of this raft of new electric vehicles is expected to be a crossover version of the LEAF that will be based on the IMx concept Nissan unveiled to the world last year, and it could be on sale by as soon as next year. In fact, if this ambitious plan is to be realized by 2022 this first new model will probably have to arrive by then at the latest.

If this vehicle delivers anything close to the 429hp, 702Nm of torque and 612km driving range on a single charge of the IMx concept, it really could be the breakthrough model Nissan and electric car enthusiasts in general have been looking for to make EVs the mainstream.

As well as the eight new EVs, Nissan also said its "Move to 2022" strategy will see as many as one million ProPilot-equipped models being sold each year by 2022. ProPilot is Nissan's autonomous technology that enables multi-lane autonomous driving, and the company insists the first pilot tests of vehicles equipped with ProPilot are due to be carried out on Japanese roads "within one year."


Ford to work with Intel's Mobileye for better collision avoidance tech

                DETROIT: Ford Motor Co will work with Intel Corp’s autonomous driving unit, Mobileye, to develop an improved collision avoidance system for its vehicles, the No.2 US carmaker said on Monday.

Ford said the collaboration with Mobileye will be to develop improved camera-based collision warning, detection of vehicles and pedestrians and lane-keeping features for its vehicles, including F-150 and Mustang Mach-E cars.

The carmaker said Mobileye will provide its EyeQ sensing technology along with a vision-processing software to support Ford’s Co-Pilot360 system as well as a hands-free driving feature that will be introduced next year.

Ford will include Mobileye’s logo in driver-assist communication displays and is also considering using its Roadbook map system, which uses anonymised, crowd-sourced data from vehicle cameras.


UMW Toyota Motor posts strong first half 2023 sales

                SHAH ALAM: UMW Toyota Motor recorded strong sales in June 2023, at 8,559 units for Toyota and 110 units for Lexus.

Combined total sales for June thus reached 8,669 units, surpassing the 8,004 units recorded in May 2023.

The company's first half saw a total of 48,659 units sold, which was 6% higher than the 45,911 units in the same period last year.

In June, the company also unveiled the new Toyota Innova Zenix, in both hybrid and non-hybrid variants.

READ ALSO:Toyota Innova Zenix arrives: RM165K (non-hybrid) and RM202K (hybrid)

This launch marked a significant milestone in the company's unwavering commitment to carbon-neutrality and sustainability.

"At UMW Toyota Motor, we strive to expand the boundaries of technology and revolutionize the mobility ecosystem," said Datuk Ravindran K., president of UMW Toyota Motor.

"Our virtual launch of the Toyota Zenix represents our relentless pursuit of new age innovations, as we continue to move people and enhance lifestyles," he added.

Meanwhile, the 6th season of the GR GT Cup Malaysia will start on July 15, 2023 with the finals on August 19 and 20.

The premier online racing series in the country, organised by UMW Toyota Motor, offers cash prizes of RM90,000.

Notably, the GR GT Cup Malaysia holds the distinction of being the first and only eSports motor-racing event organised by a Malaysian car company.

UMW Toyota Motor has also introduced promotions for the month of July.

In July, the Toyota Yaris is offered with monthly instalments as low as RM628, along with promotional benefits worth up to RM5,490.

The new Toyota Vios is available at monthly instalments as low as RM688.

The new Toyota Zenix is offered with monthly instalments as low as RM1,476.

The new Toyota Zenix Hybrid is offered with monthly instalments as low as RM1,807.

For more information, the public can visit Toyota.com.my or call the Toyota freephone line 1-800-88-TOYOTA (869682).


Proton dealers impressed by Lynk & Co outlet in Shanghai

                SHANGHAI: While on a familiarisation tour in China organised by Geely Auto recently, Proton dealers visited a Lynk & Co outlet in Shanghai and came away impressed by its lifestyle concept.

Lynk & Co is a new car marque brewed by Volvo Cars and the Geely Group, with a 5-door compact crossover or SUV (sport utlility vehicle) simply named 01 as its first car.

The new Chinese brand which touts connectivity as its core value, is aimed at young and trendy consumers.

Last November, a pre-sale of Lynk & Co 01 SUV units saw a record 6,000 units sold out in under three minutes, leading the company to declare that it was the "fastest-selling car in the world."

The 01 crossover shares the Volvo XC40's platform and has two turbocharged engine options - a 150ps 1.5-litre three-cylinder and a 190ps 2.0-litre four-cylinder engine.

It is priced from 158,800 to 202,800 renminbi (RM98,103 to RM125,286).

“This is totally a new concept of a dealer outlet. It does not look like an automobile sales outlet; instead it looks more like a lifestyle store. The exterior of the building is interesting, and the interior, even more surprising,” exclaimed Azizulmu’min Mohd Hussain Malim, of Rohamas Corp Sdn Bhd.

“Just like walking into a boutique in a mall – it is the same feeling. It does not just shout about the cars, but the lifestyle of a Lynk & Co car owner. It is about the association with the brand, and not the brand itself. Truly forward, smart and refreshing. If this concept is brought over here in Malaysia, I bet it will be a crowd puller,” said Azizulmu’min.

“Walk-in, and there is the coffee area, with a range of ribbon-coloured lollipops with the word Lynk & Co engraved unto it. Opposite this is the merchandise area, where there are shirts, caps and other merchandise to look at, or just to purchase as souvenirs. Not only that, it also has the coffee area, kids' area and a comfortable lounge area where customers can relax and be pampered while waiting for their cars to be serviced,” explained Azizulmu’min further.

Louis Ng Boon Cheng, of NHL Automobil Sdn Bhd, shared the same sentiment.

“This is good business strategy at work; it is no longer about the hard-selling of cars. It is all about concept selling and design, and the creation of a trend by owning a Lynk & Co car,” said Ng.

Razali Ahmad, of Erakars Sdn Bhd, also liked the Lynk & Co outlet concept.

"The non-cluttered way of presenting the cars in the showroom is also a big plus. Kids would love the ambience”.

Photo gallery: Lynk & Co 01


VW replaces chief designer with Porsche hire

Mauer (left) and Neumayer.
BERLIN: Volkswagen's chief designer Klaus Zyciora is leaving the company and will be replaced by Porsche chief designer Michael Mauer, Volkswagen said today.

Volkswagen said in a statement that "effective Jan 1, 2023, Michael Mauer will become Head of Group Design while also retaining his position at Porsche.

 Zyciora.
He will replace Klaus Zyciora who is leaving the company "to pursue tasks outside the group."

Zyciora can look back on a wide-ranging design portfolio at the Volkswagen core brand. He oversaw the Golf generations VI to VIII, amongst others, and the new design era with the ID. family. Zyciora began his career at Volkswagen as interior designer in 1989. He moved up the ranks over the years and became group design head in 2020.

Also effective Jan 1, 2023, Michael Neumayer will assume leadership of the Quality Management division while retaining his position as Head of Quality at Audi. He will replace Frank Welsch, who is retiring after nearly 30 years of service in the group.

The aim of the revamp was to forge a closer connection to the Volkswagen Passenger Cars, Audi and Porsche main brands, in order to ensure consistent focus on customer needs, said Volkswagen.


Pop art Bentley to be auctioned for charity

 Blake.

LONDON: Bentley Motors has teamed up with the godfather of British pop art, Sir Peter Blake, to create a one-of-a-kind Bentley Continental GT V8 S Convertible.

This unique car will be auctioned for charity by Bonhams at the Goodwood Festival of Speed on June 24.

Bentley hired Blake to deliver the world’s first pop art Bentley, drawing on inspiration from the artist’s career in the British pop art movement. Bentley has donated the car to the Care2Save Charitable Trust, which provides palliative and hospice care around the world.

Blake is best known for designing the sleeve for The Beatles iconic Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band album.

The convertible has a St James Red heart motif hand painted onto a Continental Yellow bonnet. Across the exterior of the car, the use of collage bright but clearly defined colour. A St Luke’s Blue - a bespoke colour introduced by Sir Peter, named in homage to Bentley’s local St Luke’s Cheshire Hospice - dominates the cars iconic rear haunches, doors and boot lid, with a British Racing Green lower body, and a Fuchsia pink-coloured radiator shell. The bright paint colours compliment the black exterior brightware and a black hood, incorporating a darker sub-tone while allowing the bright exterior colours to flourish.

Each seat is trimmed in a different hide colour; Cumbrian Green, Imperial Blue, Newmarket Tan and Hotspur, reflecting more tonal shades of the exterior surfaces.

The same colours are echoed on the sports steering wheel, featuring a Hotspur outer rim, Newmarket Tan inner rim and Cumbrian Green centre, with Imperial Blue stitching. The pink leather gear lever stands out against the centre console, dashboard and interior door panels, all veneered by Bentley in Piano Black.

Blake’s signature is added onto the fascia panel and embroidered on all seat headrests. Storage cases feature a Piano Black veneer outer but with Continental Yellow and St James Red internal linings to reflect the bonnet colour theme. A treadplate, signifying that this is a Blake design, labelling ‘No. 1 of 1’ finishes the car.

The custom project was performed by Mulliner, Bentley’s custom division.


Penang Bridge RFID users to get 20% discount from mid-July

                GEORGE TOWN: Motorists under the private vehicle category who use Radio Frequency Identification (RFID) to pay toll will enjoy a 20% discount on Penang Bridge beginning the middle of next month.

PLUS Malaysia Bhd northern region business manager Wan Ahmad Awang said the discount would only be given to those residing or working in Penang.

“Although the discount is for private vehicles only, it covers over 80% of vehicles passing through Penang Bridge.

“Bridge users who live or work in Penang can apply for the 20% discount through the RFID at the Penang Bridge from next month.

“Further details on the discount will be announced by PLUS and Touch n Go Sdn Bhd soon,” he told Bernama in a recent interview.

He said RFIDs could be topped up through online applications, avoiding the need for physical contact and thus reducing the risk of Covid-19 infection.

Wan Ahmad said the current toll rate for RFID users at the bridge was RM5.74 and, with the 20% discount, would drop to RM4.59.

He also said the use of RFID would also be implemented for the Hutan Kampung-Sungai Dua route next month, but the 20% discount would not be offered on the route.


The 8th Volvo Trucks’ Fuelwatch Challenge is back!

                SHAH ALAM:  The eighth annual Volvo Trucks Malaysia’s annual Fuelwatch Challenge is back!

This year, seven lucky Malaysian truck drivers who scored the highest in the nationwide preliminary rounds will be given the opportunity to compete against each another in a fuel efficiency test during the Fuelwatch Challenge Malaysia Finals.

The winning champion will then participate in the Drivers Fuel Challenge – World Final in Sweden that judges and more importantly teaches skill, concentration, knowledge, and discipline.

The competition, which first started in Europe as a concept for achieving maximum efficiency, is modeled based on local market demands and industry landscape, where for Malaysia it will mainly concentrate on three key areas of driver development, fuel maintenance and dynafleet or telematics.

“The Volvo Trucks Fuelwatch Challenge is more than just a truck driving competition. It’s not about speed, but all about efficiency and safety. Our key objective with Fuelwatch Challenge is to create better understanding and awareness on fuel efficiency, safety, maintenance, vehicle optimisation and driver behaviour,” said Volvo Malaysia managing director Mats Nilsson.

“Going beyond that, Fuelwatch Challenge also condones proper management and maintenance of the truck prior to usage. Not only will it contribute significantly to fuel efficiency on the road, it would also reduce the risk of a breakdown and more importantly, the safety of the trucker and those around it,” added Mats.

This year’s competition has kicked-off with preliminary rounds already held in Johor Baru on July 25, and Kuantan and Kuching on July 27.

The other five locations include Ipoh (Aug 1), Bintulu (Aug 2), Prai (Aug 3), Port Klang (Aug 5) and Kota Kinabalu (Aug 6).

The competition is open to all drivers of Volvo trucks.

“Fuelwatch Challenge has been a highly successful event for us, given the very positive response from our customers. In 2015, we had 1,040 participants and in 2016, there were 1,410.

The company will make this year’s competition more interesting with the addition of:
- an oral communication assessment
- live demonstration of the Driver Coaching feature using Volvo Trucks’ proprietary telematics system, Dynafleet.
- the use of the flagship Volvo FH long-haul truck for the final round of the competition.

All participants in the preliminary rounds will need to undergo a briefing and a written test to prepare and qualify for the final stage of the competition, where only seven will qualify for the final round to be held in Shah Alam on Aug 25 and 26.

Prior to that, these seven finalists will have to undergo a training session before the actual day of the final competition.

The local champion will represent Malaysia at the global championship in Sweden from Sept 18 to 22.

Companies who are interested to enrol their drivers can do so online at http://bit.ly/2rULuzV or contact Volvo Trucks Malaysia’s Customer Care Service at +6012-373 1030 or +6019-240 1030.

For more information, log on to www.volvotrucks.com.my or www.facebook.com/VolvoTrucksMalaysia.


Dolph Lundgren a heavyweight recruit for Volvo

                GOTHENBURG: Who better than a ripped muscle man to test the limits of a squad of excavators with a heavyweight workout? In a new video from Volvo, the Swedish action-movie star is the bootcamp chief signed up to test excavator endurance.

In this surprising advertising mini-movie, Dolph Lundgren tests Volvo's heavy machinery to the limit on a gruelling stunt-filled assault course, all to the sound of Technotronic's late-1980s hit "Pump up the Jam."

The film features a line-up of Volvo excavators, weighing between 1.5 to 95 tons, showing off their finest moves.

Fellow muscle man, Jean-Claude Van Damme previously starred in a famous 2013 advertisement for Volvo trucks, in which he pulls off an "epic split."


BYD outbids Tesla to supply EVs for Indonesian taxi operator

BYD’s Bluebird taxis in Bali. — Bloomberg
JAKARTA: Indonesia’s largest taxi operator will turn to BYD Co. for 80% of its electric-vehicle fleet while reviewing its Tesla Inc orders as lower-cost models win out in the country.

Most of the 500 EVs to be delivered to PT Blue Bird this year will be filled by BYD, especially the E6 and T3 models, as the vehicles are a better fit for the Indonesian market, said president director Sigit Priawan Djokosoetono in an interview.

“If the price is too expensive, it would be unreasonable for us to then charge it to customers, so we need to consider this,” he said. “We use a lot of imported BYD models as the price is supportive for us to operate in Indonesia.”

BYD, the world’s second-largest EV producer, is gaining ground in Southeast Asia’s largest economy. It recently signed a deal to explore potential investments in Indonesia, while also considering building EV plants in neighbouring Philippines or Vietnam.

Meanwhile, Tesla has had to cut prices to stoke demand in Asia, even after earlier markdowns took a toll on profitability. Blue Bird is still reviewing its orders for Tesla based on the return on investment.

Blue Bird will also buy 50 Hyundai EV units this year, while considering BMW EV models to meet rental demand.

Combustion engines will still make up bulk of Blue Bird’s fleet, with plans to reach around 23,000 cars overall by year-end.

Blue Bird will also triple its fleet of cars that run on compressed natural gas to as many as 6,000 next year, as EVs and CNG vehicles lower its operational cost.


Chinese pilot project could bring electronic tracking to all cars

                BEIJING: The southern city of Shenzhen became the first in China to issue electronic IDs to 200,000 vehicles as part of a pilot project that could eventually allow the real-time tracking of all cars, the state-owned company providing the technology said.

The first batch of IDs was issued to eight types of vehicles including heavy duty trucks, vehicles for carrying hazardous materials and school buses, China Aerospace Science and Industry Corp (CASC) said in a statement which was also posted on Wednesday on the website of the central government agency that oversees state-owned companies.

If successful, the project will be expanded to all private cars in the city, the statement said. The government has in the past trialled projects in Shenzhen before rolling them out across the country.

The project could pave the way for autonomous driving, which requires vehicles to communicate with each other and traffic infrastructure in real-time, but also raises concerns over invasive government measures amid efforts to register every Internet user's real name.

The electronic markers will use radio-frequency identification that can be used in conjunction with traffic monitoring equipment, the CASC statement said, adding that it would help cut down on fake licence plates and other illegal activity, while also allowing accurate data gathering for "smart traffic applications".

Issuing set identities for every car could also help implement targeted transport policies, such as those proposed by Wang Fengying, the general manager of Chinese automaker Great Wall Motor and a representative in parliament this week.

On Monday, Wang filed a proposal that would make petrol more expensive for gas guzzlers by requiring a card to be issued and linked to every car based on the fuel economy of the model, with more efficient vehicles paying less.

Wang similarly proposed a law suggesting a system of taxes and fees for cars based on how much they drive among other data.


A glimpse of the future: BMW Group uses virtual reality to design future production workstations

                MUNICH: Virtual reality is increasingly finding use in BMW Group production. A few months before production of the new BMW 3 Series ramped up here, BMW Group planners have laid out individual workstations in a virtual world.

This includes cockpit pre-assembly, for example, where the cockpit is put together before being installed in the vehicle. For the first time, building, systems, logistics and assembly planners, together with production employees, were able to assess the whole of the new production area in virtual reality and test new procedures in 3D.

“Virtual reality technology has enabled us to set up cockpit pre-assembly workstations quickly and efficiently," said Matthias Schindler, responsible for Virtual Planning and Implementation in Production at the BMW Group.

"Time-consuming trial installations that replicate the workstation in its actual dimensions were no longer needed. And the fact that all the specialists involved – from logistics experts to systems planners to production employees – were easily able to exchange ideas in the early stages was an important added benefit for the team. We were more transparent, more flexible and faster overall.”

Production of the existing cockpit continued during preparations without any constraints, since planning only took up space in the virtual world.

The basis for this kind of planning is digitalised 3D factory data. For the past several years, BMW has been capturing the real structures of its plants in digital form, using 3D scanners and high-resolution cameras.

This creates a three-dimensional image of production in the form of a so-called cloud diagram. Time-consuming, digital reconstruction of real structures and manual recording on site are no longer needed.

Whether planning future workplaces or entire assembly halls, BMW Group departments can now combine existing data with a virtual "library" of shelves, lattice boxes, small load carriers and around 50 other widely-used operating resources.


Two lanes merge: What drivers need to know about the 'zipper method'

                BERLIN: Two lanes of traffic are headed in the same direction, then one lane ends. What happens next?

The drivers all politely merge into one lane? Not always, as anyone who's ever driven through a construction site on a highway will know.

Ideally, two lanes merging will happen seamlessly using what's known as the zipper method.

This applies when one lane ends on a road with several lanes in one direction, and the cars that can no longer keep driving are forced to drive in front of others from the lane beside them.

It gets its name from zip-like behaviour of the flow of two lanes merging into one when viewed from above.

When merging, all drivers are called upon to leave ample space for pulling in front of others and they will be indicating their intention to change lane in good time.

But of course that's just in theory.

Because in practice, things often go wrong. Not everyone wants to let other cars pull in ahead of them, especially when there's a bottleneck on the highway that's causing you a delay.

Those forced to switch lanes and merge with other cars can sometimes also pull out quickly or aggressively. Some may also try to switch lanes earlier in an effort to avoid getting stuck indicating at the end of the lane and waiting for someone to let you switch lanes.

While it's not forbidden to move lanes too early, it doesn't make a whole lot of sense, say the traffic safety experts at inspection agency Dekra. You're wasting lots of space and, depending on the traffic, you can contribute to a longer tailback of vehicles.

Traffic safety experts - and sometimes also road guidelines - say the responsibility is not just with those forced to change lanes.

Anyone driving next to a lane that is ending is expected to allow drivers to merge ahead of them and to take care that this is done safely.

The drivers allowing cars to merge in front of them are also often liable after accidents, according to the ADAC, Europe's largest car club, pointing to court rulings in Germany.

It can be just as unacceptable to force a lane change as it is to block it in such cases, and both parties can be held equally liable.

However it's important to remember that the zipper method does not apply when entering onto a highway, and you may only merge onto the highway if there is a large enough gap.

Those driving on the highway already have the right of way - even in a traffic jam, although in practice the zipper method may be used as a friendly gesture.