China set to extend EV tax incentives as sales growth slows

                BEIJING: China is poised to extend incentives for electric-vehicle purchases as part of broader efforts to shake off a sluggish post-pandemic period.

The foundation for China’s economic recovery is not yet solid, the nation’s state radio reported late today, citing a State Council meeting chaired by Premier Li Qiang.

China will therefore extend and optimise new-energy vehicle purchase tax exemptions, the report said, without giving more detail.

People familiar with the matter said earlier today an extension was being considered for some clean cars for another four years.

One of those measures may be extending the purchase tax break for EVs and plug-in hybrids that cost less than 300,000 yuan (RM195,000), one of the people said, asking not to be identified because the details are private.

Vehicles over that amount are broadly classed as luxury vehicles in China, so making it easier for people to buy more affordable clean cars would boost the nation’s EV adoption rate and further its goal of reaching net zero emissions by 2060.

China has been promoting its EV industry for more than a decade with generous incentives to consumers and subsidies to automakers.

Buyers received discounts of as much as 60,000 yuan at one point for purchasing EVs, but those ended in 2022. While new cars generally are subject to a 10% purchase levy, this hasn’t applied to new-energy vehicles since 2014 and was recently extended through the end of 2023.

Even so, lacklustre consumer sentiment coming out of Covid has dragged on overall new-car sales in the country.

Deliveries in the first four months of this year declined 1.4% from the same period in 2022.

Deliveries of EVs and plug-in hybrids rose about 36% from January through April, according to the China Passenger Car Association, though that’s a much slower pace than the 128% growth for the same four-month period last year.

Decelerating sales have contributed to the price war Tesla Inc. started in China. Most other major auto companies have discounted in response, dealing blows to many domestic companies’ earnings.


Toyota C-HR 1.8 launches at RM145,500

                KUALA LUMPUR: UMW Toyota Motor (UMWT) delivered the first 50 units of the all-new Toyota C-HR compact crossover to its customers at an event held at the Technology Park Malaysia, Kuala Lumpur.

The first 50 customers will receive the 1.8-litre (1,798cc) variant that costs RM145,500 (on-the-road with GST without insurance) and is accompanied by a five-year unlimited mileage warranty.

Colour options include five choices starting with Metal Stream Metallic and Attitude Black Mica, while RM848 (with GST) will be added to the total purchase price for White Pearl CS, Red Mica with Black Roof and Blue Metallic with Black Roof.

“Since being previewed last year, interest in the All New Toyota C-HR has been high," said UMW Toyota Motor president Ravindran K.

The C-HR 1.8 is being assembled in Thailand and comes with a continuously variable transmission with seven-speed sequential Shiftmatic that's mated to the 2ZR-FBE engine and fed by a 50-litre fuel tank to produce 140PS at 6,400rpm and 171Nm at 4,000rpm for the front wheels. Three drive modes of Eco, Normal and Sport are also provided.

While rolling on 17-inch wheels with 215/60 series tyres, it is also externally fitted with automatic halogen projector headlights with Follow Me Home function, front and rear fog lamps, auto folding wing mirrors with integrated turn signals and puddle lamps, automatic wipers as well as LEDs for the daytime running lights and rear light clusters.

Inside, it's black leather upholstery for the cabin along with an electric parking brake with auto-hold function, keyless entry with push-start button, dual-zone automatic climate controls, powered driver seat with lumbar support, electrochromic rear view mirror and 4.2-inch colour multi-information display.

Entertainment comes from a six-speaker sound system with a 7.0-inch capacitive touchscreen DVD-AVX player with smartphone connectivity Wifi, internet browser, voice recognition, HDMI, USB, Bluetooth and reverse camera.

For an added RM1,272, a DVD-AVN can be had which adds in a navigation system, while RM636 gets a digital video recorder and RM275.60 means a luggage tray arrives with the compact sport utility vehicle. All prices mentioned are inclusive of GST.

For safety, the C-HR comes with seven airbags, anti-lock braking system, vehicle stability control, blind spot monitor and rear cross traffic alert and tyre-pressure monitoring system.

"To date, we have received around 1,500 bookings for the model and because this is a unique model, we wanted to personally handover the vehicle to our first 50 customers,” added Ravindran.

The C-HR's handing-over ceremony was in conjuntion with the launch of the upcoming Toyota GAZOO Racing (TGR) racing festival and Vios Challenge race finale.

The festival was previously held in Batu Kawan (Penang), Serdang (Selangor), Medini City (Johor) and finally at the Technology Park Malaysia (Kuala Lumpur) from Mar 24 to 25.

Entrance to the festival’s inaugural season finale is free to the public and promises a host of activities, food, games and prizes throughout the weekend.

The second season of the festival and race is currently being planned for the second half of this year.

READ MORE:
Vios Challenge season finale returns to Kuala Lumpur
MyMotor Malaysia sells 2016/17 JDM C-HR from RM170K


VW Malaysia pitching Polo to students

                KUALA LUMPUR: Volkswagen Passenger Cars Malaysia has launched its first “Polo P” project in a move to push the model as a starter car for the young.

According to a VW statement, the project would be carried out using the Polo 1.6L hatch. The car would be the vehicle to educate and empower new licensed drivers with the skills and knowledge to stay safe on the roads.

The project will take place at selected college and university campuses. Over the course of a weekend, participants will be taught basic car maintenance, visual checkpoints, proper sitting and steering positions, and defensive driving which includes emergency braking, and a slalom course.

The city car is equipped with a 1.6-litre 105PS petrol injection 16-Valve Multi Point Injection (MPI) engine and a 6-speed automatic transmission with Tiptronic, producing peak torque of 153Nm from 3800rpm. Fuel consumption is rated at 6.3l/100km. It is priced at RM69,888 for a limited time and with a monthly loan repayment of RM737.

The project started last weekend at the Sg Long campus of Universiti Tunku Abdul Rahman. Upcoming venues are as listed above.

READ MORE:
If you are studying in the US, Volvo wants to lease you a car


Jaguar gives Checkered Flag treatment to E-Pace SUV

                LONDON: Jaguar has announced that it is souping up the 2020 E-Pace compact SUV by offering it with the limited-edition Checkered Flag appearance package.

The appearance package gives the E-Pace a new set of R-Dynamic, body-coloured front and rear bumpers, twin tailpipes, and J-blade daytime running lights. Naturally, Checkered Flag badging, treadplates, and stitching can be found on both the exterior and interior.

In addition to the special edition upholstery, the Checkered Flag E-Pace will come with 10-way heated front seats, a panoramic roof and a 12.3-inch infotainment system display.

Powering the model is the brand's 2.0-litre turbocharged I4 engine capable of generating 246hp. AWD is standard.

The 2020 Jaguar E-Pace is available now starting at US$39,950, while the Checkered Flag edition of the model has a base MSRP of US$46,400.


Perodua is top EEV company with 550,000 cars sold

                RAWANG: Perodua has achieved a major milestone with over half a million Energy-Efficient Vehicles (EEV) produced and sold in Malaysia, cementing its status as the country’s No. 1 EEV company.

Since the EEV classification was announced in the 2014 National Automotive Policy (NAP 2014), 550,600 such Perodua cars have been sold namely 344,000 Axias, 130,800 Bezzas and 75,800 new Myvis.

Perodua's first EEV from its plant in Sungai Choh here was the Axia in 2014, the Bezza in 2016 and the new Myvi in 2017.

To qualify for EEV status, a vehicle must meet or surpass a set fuel economy figure (measured according to the UNECE R101 standard) for its kerb weight. The Axia, Bezza and new Myvi all have rated fuel efficiencies of over 20 kilometres per litre.

And it’s not just the products. The Perodua Global Manufacturing Sdn Bhd facility, which builds the Axia and Bezza, is also Malaysia’s first EEV-certified plant, incorporating energy-efficient technologies to reduce production emissions and set new standards in quality, cost management and delivery.

“The frugality of our vehicles contributes to very low running costs, as well as being in line with the government’s aspirations towards a cleaner and greener Malaysia, and the global trend towards more fuel-efficient cars," said Perodua president and chief executive officer Datuk Aminar Rashid Salleh.

"Most importantly, the vehicles themselves are within reach of most Malaysians.”


Daimler to double sales of Mercedes-Benz Maybach vehicles

                FRANKFURT: Daimler said it plans to double sales of its Maybach-branded Mercedes-Benz vehicles, after selling 12,000 vehicles last year.

Daimler unveiled its new flagship vehicle, which is based on a Mercedes-Benz S-Class limousine, and which retails starting at US$173,000 but can quickly add up to more than US$250,000 once options like US$3,200 silver champagne flutes are added.

Daimler plans to make a range of Maybach models, including fully electric variants, chief executive Ola Kaellenius said during a virtual presentation of the car.

READ MORE: Details of Mercedes-Maybach S-Class


BMW wants to wrap your feet in X-CAT DISC - VIDEO

MUNICH: Fancy this BMW shoe? For fans of the German marque and those with a sneaker fetish, they certainly do.

The BMW X-CAT DISC will be available in selected Puma stores around the world from July 1. Designworks, a creative consultancy under BMW, teamed up with Puma to create the latest addition to Puma’s DISC footwear range.

The project gave a fresh spin on how shoes should be designed. First a bit of background. The BMW GINA Light Visionary Model was a concept car from 2008 with a seamless, flexible, fabric outer shell stretched over a movable substructure, whose functions were only enabled when actually needed. Its interpretation of familiar functional and structural concepts questioned the philosophy of car design. Today, GINA became the inspiration behind the X-CAT DISC.

The starting points for this innovative project were the flexible, ergonomic and lightweight GINA material as well as Puma’s reinvented, lighter and faster-working DISC technology. Instead of using laces, this system works with a rotating disc that pulls internal wires to close and open the shoe. Using only one thin layer of stretchable and super-light GINA material, the shoe wraps around the foot like a second skin.

Additional seams are no longer necessary and dynamic movement feels very natural. Since a new material not only allows new shapes but also enables a different way of thinking about movement, Designworks embarked on a new approach to motion.

“With the X-CAT project, we wanted to unleash the innovative power of BMW and PUMA. We have transformed the essence of the shape-shifting GINA car into a streamlined and elegant shoe,” said Puma global creative director Torsten Hochstetter.

“The approach was to look at every aspect of making a shoe and to try and reimagine it. Freeing yourself of what is here now can be an enjoyable and rewarding exercise. Typically, it also speeds up change,” said BMW Group design senior vice president Adrian van Hooydonk.

In the spirit of GINA, the designers treated the foot as a kind of chassis in itself. They re-engineered the original automotive material to ensure it was breathable and sufficiently durable to meet the needs of a shoe that wraps around the foot in a single piece. Automotive design thinking is evident in the proportions that make the material shine – and in the simplicity that prevents it from competing with too many other design features. Fine, laser-cut perforations flow across the front of the light X-CAT, underlining the impression of motion while adding ventilation.

Another design cue taken from the original GINA concept is the functional aesthetic of revealing the underlying structure when tightening the shoe. The designers also re-thought the concept for the sole and the Puma DISC, applying BMW engineering approaches to add greater precision. They viewed the sole as the engine of the foot, the driver of movement. This produced a unique design which was inspired by interconnecting gears and integrates both engineered flexibility and interlinked stability.


CarSifu Editors' Choice Awards 2022: Winners to be revealed tonight

KUALA LUMPUR: After months of testing the latest cars available on Malaysian roads, the winners of CarSifu Editors' Choice Awards 2022 will be announced tonight at M Resort Kuala Lumpur.
Some 50 vehicles have been shortlisted for the 28 categories which includes three main categories of Local Car of the Year, Asian Car of the Year and Continental Car of the Year.

For 2022, there is also Special Recognition Award aside from the 28 categories.

For this edition, the awards are open for vehicles launched in Malaysia from Jan 1, 2021 to Sept 30, 2022.Honouring outstanding cars for advancements and innovations in design, features and green technology, the cars are also appraised for features in safety, performance, comfort, fuel economy, handling, styling as well as their individual “wow” factor.

Cars from some 22 house brands such as BMW, Ferrari, Ford, Honda, Isuzu, Jaguar, Kia, Lexus, Maserati, Mazda, Mercedes-Benz, Nissan, Perodua, Peugeot, Porsche, Proton, Subaru, Suzuki, Toyota, Volkswagen, and Volvo are in the running.

For this edition, the awards are open for vehicles launched in Malaysia from Jan 1, 2021 to Sept 30, 2022.

Shortlisted vehicle types are sedans, hatchbacks, multi-purpose vehicles (MPV), sports utility vehicles (SUV), sports cars and pick-up trucks.

The awards, organised by Star Media group, were not held in 2020 and 2021 due to the Covid-19 pandemic restrictions.

Sponsors for the gala dinner are M Resort Kuala Lumpur and Carlsberg.

The nominees and winners of the Local Car of the Year, Asian Car of the Year, Continental Car of the Year and Special Recognition Award will be announced at the gala dinner.


Inflatable scooter looks to the future of mobility

                TOKYO: The Japanese are never short of ideas when it comes to innovation.

After unveiling a first prototype this spring, the University of Tokyo is now presenting a new version of its "poimo" concept ("POrtable and Inflatable MObility"), an inflatable electric scooter! The aim is to create an easily transportable device for use as and when needed.

The "poimo" project is the fruit of a collaboration between researchers from the University of Tokyo and the research and development division of the startup Mercari (Mercari R4D).

They're working on developing something called "soft mobility" solutions, with soft, lightweight and inflatable credentials to create easily portable mobility devices, some of which can even be carried in a backpack.

As well as saving space, the advantage of the latest concept is that it can theoretically be custom fit to suit different body sizes. The idea is that each user can find a mobility solution that suits their needs, their body size and their riding position. The various inflatable elements then combine to make a unique vehicle.

This new prototype was presented at the Oct 20-23 UIST 2020 online conference based in Minneapolis, USA.


Tesla owner lawsuit claims software update fraudulently cut battery capacity

                SAN FRANCISCO: A Tesla Inc owner has filed a lawsuit against the electric vehicle maker, claiming the company limited the battery range of older vehicles via a software update to avoid a costly recall to fix what plaintiffs allege are defective batteries.

The lawsuit filed on Wednesday in northern California federal court alleges fraud and seeks class action status for the potentially “thousands” of such Model S and X owners around the world who have seen the range of their older-generation batteries suddenly curtailed, some by as much as 64km.

The lost range has been a hot topic since May on online owner forums, such as TeslaMotorsClub.com, in which many owners detail how their battery range has fallen. Some users bought more expensive models because they offered greater range. They say Tesla took this away with the software update, thereby devaluing the car, limiting the distance they can travel and forcing them to recharge more frequently.

Plaintiff David Rasmussen’s 2014 Model S 85 lost battery capacity equivalent to about 8kWh but was told by Tesla the degradation was normal, the lawsuit says.

A Tesla spokesman said the company’s priority was to deliver the best possible customer experience with the highest regard for safety.

“A small percentage of owners of older Model S and Model X vehicles may have noticed a small reduction in range when charging to a maximum state of charge following a software update designed to improve battery longevity,” Tesla said.

It added that it was working to mitigate the impact on range for affected owners and “have been rolling out over-the-air updates to address this issue since last week.”

The issue first came to light in May. After a Model S caught fire in Hong Kong, Tesla said that out of an overabundance of caution it was revising charge and thermal management settings on Model S and X vehicles via an over-the-air software update. The goal was “to help further protect the battery and improve battery longevity,” it said. In June, it said it planned to improve the impact of the software update after some owners complained.

Some owners who have seen their cars no longer able to charge to 100% have sought redress through arbitration, while at least three have sold their cars, according to Teslamotorsclub.com forum posts. Others have disabled their Wi-Fi to avoid any software updates that could affect their range.

“Under the guise of ‘safety’ and increasing the ‘longevity’ of the batteries of the Class Vehicles, Tesla fraudulently manipulated its software with the intent to avoid its duties and legal obligations to customers to fix, repair, or replace the batteries of the Class Vehicles, all of which Tesla knew were defective, yet failed to inform its customers of the defects,” wrote the lawsuit.

The lawsuit points to a recent spate of Tesla battery fires, and claims that instead of informing its customers about a potential fire risk, the company “chose to go behind the backs of its customers and use software updates and throttling of the battery to avoid liability.”

In its Vehicle Safety Report published on its website, Tesla says vehicle fires are “exceptionally rare” and from 2012 to 2018 there was one Tesla vehicle fire for every 273 million kilometres travelled. It compared that with data from the National Fire Protection Association and the US Department of Transportation showing a vehicle fire for every 30 million kilometres travelled in the United States. Those entities measure fires in all vehicles, not just Teslas.

In May, Tesla said its vehicles were 10 times less likely to experience a fire than a petrol car. It said that in its investigation of the Hong Kong fire, it found that only a few battery modules were affected and the majority of the battery pack was undamaged.

One owner, Nick Smith of Orlando, Florida, said in an interview he has been frustrated by poor customer service by Tesla, with sluggish response to his calls and emails and being kept in the dark over the true root of the problem and what will be done to remedy it.

“It’s as if you take your car to the shop and you have a 20 gallon tank but now you have a 10 gallon tank without your knowledge or permission,” Smith said in an interview.

Smith’s 2013 Model S P85 will no longer charge past 90% following the software update. Tesla told him the loss was due to normal regular battery degradation, he said.

The batteries in question carry an eight-year warranty.


In SUVs and on planes, richest 1% drive climate-heating emissions

                LONDON: Prone to frequent flying, a passion for SUVs and big spending, the richest 1% of the world’s population produced twice as many planet-heating emissions as the poorest half of humanity over the last quarter-century, researchers said on Monday.

That excessive consumption has left little room in the world’s “carbon budget” for poorer countries to grow without pushing the planet into increasingly dangerous climate impacts, from worsening storms to water shortages, scientists said.

And it suggests that keeping global climate change under control will require not just helping poorer countries to develop cleanly, but putting in place tough measures to curb over-consumption by the world’s rich, they said in a new study.

Tim Gore, head of climate policy for anti-poverty charity Oxfam and lead author of the report, said change would not come from individuals voluntarily acting alone.

“That will never add up. This has to be driven by governments,” he told the Thomson Reuters Foundation.

The research, carried out with the Stockholm Environment Institute, found that over the 25 years between 1990 and 2015, the richest 1% of people drove 15% of climate-changing emissions - more than twice the 7% emitted by the poorest half.

The richest 10% accounted for 52% of emissions over that period, the study said.

The growing popularity of fuel-guzzling SUVs was a particular problem, with the vehicles emerging as the second biggest driver of global growth in carbon emissions between 2010 and 2018, it said.

As countries now look to recover from economic downturns linked to the Covid-19 pandemic, which have hit the poor hardest, revamping economic incentives to discourage excessive consumption could play a role, officials said.

“Our current economic model has been an enabler of catastrophic climate change and equally catastrophic inequality,” said former UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon.

The pandemic offers a chance to rethink systems - and “addressing the disproportionate carbon emissions from the wealthiest in society must be a key priority as part of this collective commitment”, he added in a statement.

Still, the scale of the emissions cuts needed by the wealthy to hold planetary heating to 1.5 degrees Celsius above pre-industrial times - the toughest goal of the 2015 Paris Agreement - is breathtaking.

The Oxfam report estimates that the richest 10% of people would have to slash their emissions to about 10 times lower than now to keep the world on track for the goal - and do it by 2030.

But with the onset of the coronavirus crisis, as well as growing demands for racial and social justice, “policies that were unthinkable a year ago are now being rolled out”, Gore said. “This is the moment to be bold and do things differently.”

Business travel, for instance, has shrunk dramatically during the pandemic, offering “a huge opportunity” to tax business-class flights, as well as private jets and frequent fliers - a move supported by a British citizens’ climate panel.

Funds raised through such levies could be used to support the poorest, by investing in healthcare and education, or to boost public transport, digital infrastructure and other measures to make low-carbon living easier, researchers said.

France has already introduced tougher taxes on SUVs, Gore noted, while some governments like New Zealand and Scotland are shifting away from economic growth as the main measure of success toward a broader assessment of “well-being”.

And using bailout cash for energy-smart home retrofits - something that can slash emissions, improve life for the poorest and create jobs - would address two challenges at once.

“We have to tackle deep-rooted problems of inequality alongside problems like climate change,” he said.


Car on fire: What a driver should do

                BERLIN: It's something most drivers would prefer not to think about, but it's a good idea to know what to do if your car shows signs of catching fire. If the worst happens, and you smell smoke or burning, you'll need to react quickly.

Experts recommend immediately driving to the side of the road, keeping a safe distance from other vehicles and buildings. Set the gear to P, put on the handbrake and switch off the ignition.

Watch out for moving traffic when you or other passengers leave the car. Put on high-visibility waistcoats - which are compulsory in many countries - and set up a warning triangle a safe distance back up the road.

Call the emergency services as soon as possible - all drivers should know the number to call.

Give the operator as much detail as you can of your location and a brief situation report. Don't forget to mention any special features your car may have, for example whether the vehicle is a hybrid. You may be asked for the registration number and other vehicle information.

Stay well back from the car, and keep away from smoke, which could be toxic. If you have a fire extinguisher with you, you could try to put out the blaze, but self-protection always comes first, and you shouldn't go back into the vehicle to retrieve the extinguisher.

When firefighters arrive, give them brief details of what has happened, and let them get on with their job.


Tiny shifters, lane nannies top list of most annoying car technology

                NEW YORK:  The 2021 Mercedes-Benz S-Class comes with enough infotainment to entertain the most tech-obsessed passengers.

Its OLED touchscreens span the dashboard like a pixelated surfboard, its heads-up camera is displayed in big-screen augmented reality, its on-board wellness systems surpass the serenity levels of several local spas I’ve visited here in Los Angeles—all factors in why it ranks as the best car I drove in 2021.

But many people who buy Mercedes’ US$110,000 technological wonder won’t fully tap into the car’s advanced capabilities.

Fewer than half of those who bought new cars this year will use all of the advanced technologies available in them during the first three months of driving it, according to J.D. Power’s 2021 Tech Experience Index.

More than 60% will never use them, the index predicts.

“New-vehicle prices are at an all-time high, partly as a result of an increased level of content,” Kristin Kolodge, J.D. Power’s executive director of human machine interface, said in the report.

“This is fine if owners are getting value for their money, but some features seem like a waste to many owners.”

Progress is healthy and vital for the auto industry. This year has been full of it.

And new research shows it’s safer to use such new things as voice-activated technologies than touchscreens, which can distract drivers.

But some consumers, it seems, are not quite as excited as automakers hoped about the more intrusive safety technologies, mega-sized infotainment screens, auto-dimming mirrors, branded puddle lamps, haptic-feedback touchscreens, progressive driving assistants, and AI systems these new cars offer.

Instead of eliminating distraction, some of these new technologies create it—and driver distraction is estimated to be a factor in up to 30% of car collisions and nearly 60% of teen crashes.

In 2021, I reviewed dozens of new cars. Here are the most annoying technologies I found in them.

Lane nannies

Everyone who has driven a sports car as it is meant to be driven—quickly, efficiently, smoothly, thrillingly—will be able to commiserate with this one: momentary resistance from the steering wheel when you try to make a last-minute lane change.

The stay-in-lane safety tech can feel discombobulating at best, distracting at worst. I have felt my heart jump more than a few times when trying to change lanes quickly and, for an instant, the steering wheel won’t comply.

General Motors’ Cadillac Escalade, Infiniti’s QX 55, and Mercedes-Benz’s AMG GT 63 S all offer lane-change assist programs, but nanny systems meant as crash avoidance often prove more annoying than helpful.

(It helps to, uh, use your indicators, which often disengage the system for the duration of the lane change.)

Enhanced Super Cruise on the 2021 Cadillac Escalade allows hands-free lane changes on the highway when requested by the driver, as long as certain conditions are met.

Some of us like to talk with our hands. Some of us really talk with them when we care a lot about what we’re talking about.

This is an issue in such cars as BMW’s iX SUV and i4 sedan, which offer the gesture control feature. I’ll be driving along, innocently making a point—and unwittingly turning up the volume on the radio. Nope! Wrong move.

Voice controls

How many times have you been in the middle of conversing with a friend in the passenger seat and the car interrupts? “I couldn’t quite understand; can you repeat that?” I wasn’t talking to the car in the first place! Enough said.

Then there’s the other side of this: When you want the car to do something and verbally instruct it, but it doesn’t “hear” you correctly: “Call Aunt Barb” becomes “Calling Anthony” Ugh!

This is nothing new. Automakers from Mazda and Ford to Genesis with its GV80—and Aston Martin, in the new DBX—have been offering it.

And they’re getting close: Speech-recognition technologies are becoming de rigueur, even allowing speech-activated web browsing and app use. But they have yet to get it to operate at the levels we know and trust in Android phones or iPhones.

Tiny shifters

This is less a gripe about technology and more one regarding design: those pillbox-sized shifters that Audi and Porsche have respectively taken to installing in such cars as the eTron GT and Taycan.

(It stands to reason that these brands are doing it because they are both owned by Volkswagen AG.)

They look ridiculous.

More important, they require an extra step to put the car in park when you wish to exit, since you must push the P button to stop the car from potentially rolling in the default Neutral setting.

It was one thing to take away the manual transmission and gear shifts; did the engineers have to add insult to injury with these barely there shifters, too?

One-touch windows

The simple technology that fully opens or closes a car window with one touch of a button can annoy, just like that mosquito that won’t quit buzzing in your ear.

If you leave your finger on the button an instant too long, rather than set your window half-open or cracked just at the top, you’ve sent it barreling down to wide open or fully up to completely closed.

Lots of luxury cars offer this vexing prospect — even the excellent Mercedes-Benz EQS. —  HANNAH ELLIOTT


Quick! How often should you replace your car tyres?

                BERLIN: Car tyres should be changed when their tread profile gets too shallow – but drivers shouldn't necessarily wait for this to happen before getting their tyres replaced.

Although there is no legal restriction as to how old a tyre can be, Tuev, a German safety inspection agency, advises drivers to buy new tyres at about the six-year mark. The elasticity agents in a tyre's rubber mixture break down over time, which leaves the tyre brittle and not in optimal condition.

A tyre's age can be determined by the four-digit DOT number, which can be found along its side. The first two digits indicate the week and the last two digits the year of production – in other words, a tyre with the DOT number 4312 would have been made in the 43rd week of 2012.

While the legal minimum tyre tread depth in some jurisdictions is around 1.6 millimetres, Tuev recommends treads at least 4 millimetres deep for winter tyres.

Regardless of whether they are new or old, all tyres need to have the right air pressure. Drivers can find indications for proper air pressure values in their car's operating instructions, along the inside of the driver-side door or on the fuel tank cap.

Remember to pay attention to the different values needed when carrying more weight in or behind the vehicle.

Anyone who wants to change their tyres on their own should use a torque spanner and consult their owner's manual to find the correct tightening levels.

If a bolt isn't fastened tightly enough, the wheel could come loose, while turning the spanner too tightly could or strip damage the wheel's bolts.

After the first 50 to 100km mmediately following the tyre replacement, Tuev recommends retightening the bolts.


Tesla unveils Model Y as electric vehicle race heats up, price starts at US$39,000

                SAN FRANCISCO: Tesla Inc unveiled its Model Y electric sports utility vehicle on Thursday evening in California, promising a much-awaited crossover that will face competition from European car makers rolling out their own electric rivals.

Chief executive Elon Musk said the compact SUV, built on the same platform as the Model 3, would first debut in a long-range version with a range of 482km priced at US$47,000 (RM193,000).

A standard version, to be available sometime in 2021, would cost US$39,000 (RM160,000), with a 370km range. The vehicles can be configured to have 7 seats for an additional US$3,000 (RM12,270).

After the event, Tesla’s website included a page to “design and order” the more expensive, long range version of the vehicle with rear-wheel drive, available next year. Ordering the car requires a US$2,500 (RM10,300) refundable deposit.

Musk unveiled the vehicle at a short 40-minute event at Tesla's design studio in Hawthorne, outside Los Angeles, that was streamed live online.

Each of Tesla’s vehicles, from the Roadster to the latest Semi, were driven onstage before the blue Model Y appeared.

Small SUVs are the fastest-growing segment in the United States and China, the world’s largest auto market, where Tesla is building a factory, making the Model Y well positioned to tap demand.

Tesla has enjoyed little competition thus far for its sedans, but competition for electric SUVs is heating up as Tesla tries to master a new set of economics from the luxury line that made its reputation.

On Thursday, ratings company Fitch warned that, despite Tesla’s early lead, “incumbent carmakers have the ability to catch up ... thanks to their capacity to invest and their robust record in product management.”

Lower cost, lower risk

Tesla’s targeted volume production date of late 2020 for the Model Y would put it behind electric SUV offerings from Volkswagen AG’s Audi, Daimler AG’s Mercedes-Benz and BMW.

“Twelve months from now, we will have made about 1 million vehicles,” Musk said at the event, without specifying the breakdown of models.

Shares of Tesla are down 24 percent from an August high of US$379.57, when Musk tweeted that he was taking Tesla private.

That plan - later scrapped - ushered in a period of turmoil at the company, from Musk’s public battles with regulators, a flurry of securities lawsuits, cost cutting and layoffs.

Tesla, two weeks ago, said it would close most stores and use savings to cut the price of most cars by 6 percent. But last week, Tesla reversed course and said it would leave many stores open and raised prices back by about 3 percent.

Musk has promised an easier production ramp of the Model Y as it shares about three-quarters of its parts with the Model 3 and would need only half the capital expenditures of the sedan.

The risk is “quite low” Musk told analysts in January. Tesla would “most likely” build the Model Y at Tesla’s battery factory in Nevada, he said at the time. Musk gave no new details about where the Model Y would be produced at Thursday’s event.

Still, the Model Y, like all Tesla models, has already seen pre-production delays. Suppliers were originally told production would start in November 2019, sources told Reuters last year.

In October, Musk said “significant progress” had been made on the Model Y and that he had approved the prototype for production in 2020. In January, he said Tesla had ordered the tooling needed to build the car.


Squabble at Sarawak petrol station leads to alleged arson

                MIRI: A quarrel between a motorist and petrol station workers over payment led to the motorist allegedly setting fire to a car and two motorcycles at the kiosk.

A male suspect was apprehended by the workers and handed over to the police in the incident at about 9am today in Betong, Sarawak.

The Sarawak Fire and Rescue Department in its updates said an alert was received about a fire at the petrol station and a team of firefighters was rushed there.

According to the report, a car and two motorcycles were on fire.

"The report said a suspect set fire to the vehicles after getting angry with the petrol station workers who accused him of not paying for his fuel," it said.

The team at the scene helped workers douse the flames and made sure there was no further danger to the fuel pumps.

Workers who managed to subdue and restrain the youth later called the Betong police and a mobile police unit was deployed to arrest the suspect.

Betong is located about 200km north of Kuching.


Amending Road Transport Act: Police views needed for decision

                KUALA LUMPUR: The Transport Ministry will obtain the views of the police on amending the Road Transport Act 1987 to increase the penalty for causing road fatalities, especially involving drink driving.

Its minister, Anthony Loke, said this was because enforcement against traffic offences, especially causing death due to driving under the influence of alcohol, came under police jurisdiction.

"The ministry will study the matter in depth before making any decision. The views of the Malaysian Institute of Road Safety Research and the transport industry will also be sought for consideration," he told the Dewan Rakyat today.


All-electric Lexus RZ 450e launched in Thailand

BANGKOK: The all-electric Lexus RZ 450e arrives in Thailand in two grades, namely Luxury at a starting price of 3.87 million baht (RM505,544) and Premium which starts at 4.19 million baht (RM547,346).
The RZ, which made its global debut nearly a year ago, is the first completely new battery electric vehicle (BEV) from Lexus and has an estimated driving range of 470km.

WATCH: Facebook video

Its new DIRECT4 technology is said to achieve an unparalleled driving experience that intuitively responds to the driver’s intentions while effectively controlling the drive force of all four wheels in a variety of driving situations.

The RZ uses the Lexus’ e-Axle that was first introduced in the UX 300e. This is a compact, modular package which consists of a motor, gearing and an ECU, located between the driven wheels. On the RZ they are used front and rear and operate in conjunction with the DIRECT4 all-wheel drive control system to adjust the vehicle’s posture, traction and power distribution, according to the driving conditions.

The front motor produces 150 kW and the rear 80 kW, giving a total power output of 230 kW.

The RZ uses a lithium-ion battery in a stack comprising 96 cells, with a total capacity of 71.4 kWh. It is located entirely beneath the cabin and forms an integral part of the platform. Its position also contributes the car’s low centre of gravity.

Regarding battery durability, Lexus expects the RZ’s battery to retain more than 90% of its capacity within 10 years of driving.


UMW Toyota Motor seeks relaxed lockdown requirements

                SHAH ALAM: UMW Toyota Motors is hopeful that the restrictions of the lockdown can be eased to allow the company and automotive industry to operate in a limited and safe way.

Its president Ravindran K said the ongoing Movement Control Order which began on June 1 had caused many business sectors to remain closed.

“While accepting that the Government has had to act for the good of the country, it has presented a challenge for the company,” he said in a statement.

Ravindran said the continued closure of all Toyota and Lexus showrooms nationwide meant that no business could be conducted; while at the same time manufacturing of vehicles including the supply chain and logistic efforts have also come to a halt.

Ravindran said the move had an impact and on the auto sector and caused new vehicle sales for the whole industry to drop tremendously in the month of June.

“We still have an encouraging order bank for the various models. Nevertheless, we are hopeful that the restrictions of the lockdown can be eased to allow us to operate in a limited and safe way.

“Naturally, we will abide by all Standard Operating Procedures, as we have during the past year,” he said.

While the showrooms remain closed, the public can still obtain detailed information about Toyota and Lexus vehicles at their respective websites – toyota.com.my and lexus.com.my.

They can find out about the models available in Malaysia and the attractive financing schemes for different requirements. Bookings can also be made online.

Ravindran reminded customers of the exemption of Sales & Service Tax (SST) has been extended until the end of 2021.

The exemption covers both locally-assembled and imported Toyota and Lexus models and provide meaningful savings.

“We encourage customers to make their bookings online as we can then plan production at our two assembly plants to minimize waiting time when the restrictions are lifted, to enable customers to enjoy the current financial incentives,” he said.

Selected UMW Toyota Motor Service Centres are still operate according to the provisions by the state and local authorities, to ensure that vehicle owners can obtain assistance in emergencies.

24/7 assistance is available by calling the Toyota and Lexus Helplines at 1-800-888-247 and 1800-225-3987, respectively.

Meanwhile, UMW Toyota Motor deputy chairman Akio Takeyama said: “While the government has formulated a National Recovery Plan (NRP) in four phases, we are still in Phase 1, which is the most restrictive. The current situation also makes planning for recovery difficult.”

"Prolonged restrictions on vehicle production can have an impact not just on passenger vehicles but also commercial vehicles, which are essential for transportation of goods around the country.

“Furthermore, export business will be affected as well as our subsidiaries export a substantial amount of automotive components as part of Toyota’s global supply chain.

“If this situation continues for long, we are concerned that our overseas customers may look for new suppliers as they cannot have their own production delayed due to shortage of parts from Malaysia.

“This could have an impact on Malaysia’s economy as a whole if export business declines,” he added.

UMW Toyota Motor's recent plans to further the initiatives for carbon neutrality through the manufacturing of Hybrid Electric Vehicles could be affected by the prolonged shut down of its manufacturing plant.

Takeyama, who is also Chief Motorsports Officer of Gazoo Racing Malaysia, said the ongoing pandemic and strict MCO conditions do not allow running of public events.

“This includes motorsports so the fourth season of the Toyota Gazoo Racing Festival (TGR Festival) and Vios Challenge are on hold.

“Let us all do our part and pray that the number of Covid-19 cases quickly reduces, and the government will be able to relax the regulations to allow public events,” he said.


Industry must rein in spend on electric, self-driving cars, says Magna CEO

                DETROIT: Global automobile and auto parts makers which want to capitalise on electric and autonomous vehicles need to cut back investments and forge more partnerships instead, the chief executive of global parts supplier Magna International said Tuesday.

Over the next decade, vehicle and parts suppliers plan to spend US$300 billion to bring electric cars to the mass market, Magna CEO Don Walker (pic) said, a huge jump from last year’s industry estimate of US$90 billion for the period.

“We have to reduce the amount of money everybody’s pouring in, because the end consumer basically wants cheap transportation,” he said in a speech at the Automotive News World Congress in Detroit.

“Ultimately, we need to be more efficient with the capital we deploy in the industry.”

The comments came as Volkswagen AG and Ford Motor Co said on Tuesday they would join forces on commercial vans and pickups and were exploring joint development of electric and self-driving technology, actions meant to save the automakers billions of dollars.

Big oil, telecommunications and technology companies are also making large bets on electric vehicles, investing in areas such as battery startups and charging stations.

However, payback will not come quickly, Walker said.

The path to electric and autonomous vehicle adoption is being shaped by hard-to-predict factors, such as evolving battery chemistry, vehicle cost and performance, infrastructure and government regulation, he said.

Aurora, Ontario-based Magna, the world’s third-biggest parts supplier, estimates that by 2025, all-electric vehicles will make up just 4 to 6 percent of market share, Walker said.

Vehicles with internal combustion engines will represent 30 percent to 37 percent, while plug-in hybrid electric vehicles are seen at 6 to 9 percent.

In 2030, the autonomous vehicle market is estimated at US$80 billion to US$95 billion in annual sales, Walker said, with just 7 percent market share seen in fully autonomous vehicles without steering wheels or pedals. Some 70 percent are expected to have either no or partial automation and 23 percent with extensive automation.

“This is a very expensive endeavor (with) lots of people working on it,” Walker said of autonomous vehicles. “I think we need to have more cooperation.”

Magna partnered with Lyft last March to supply the ride-hailing service with high-tech kits to turn vehicles into self-driving cars.

Last summer, it set up two joint ventures with Beijing Electric Vehicle Co, China’s largest electric car maker, to engineer and build EVs in China.


Petron appointed govt fuel supplier, sparks nepotism charges

                PETALING JAYA: With the Ministry of Finance (MoF) having appointed Petron as one of the fuel providers for government vehicles, accusations of cronyism and nepotism are being levelled at the government.

A letter of the appointment addressed to Petron has gone viral on social media with the point of contention being that Prime Minister Dr Mahathir Mohamad’s son Mirzan is a director in Petron Corporation, which owns Petron Malaysia.

News portal Malaysiakini reported that it had verified with government sources that the letter had been distributed to government ministries.

The letter stated that Petron Fuel International Bhd (Petron) had been appointed a fuel provider for government vehicles through indent cards.

It added that it hoped the appointment of Petron would provide "a better choice and alternative" to existing fuel providers.

Mirzan has been a director of the Filipino-based company since 2010. Reportedly, he was elected a director on Aug 13, 2010 and holds 1,000 shares.

The Ministry of Finance has been contacted for comments.


Meet Jozef Kaban, the new BMW chief designer

Kaban replaces Karim Habib.
MUNICH: BMW has appointed 44-year-old Slovakian Jozef Kaban, to head up design at its main BMW brand, bringing the group's auto styling team back up to strength after suffering a string of departures.

Vehicle design has grown in importance as a differentiating factor for traditional carmakers who are increasingly under threat from start-up brands, and as stricter pollution rules make it harder to push engine horsepower as a key selling point.

BMW said Kaban will replace Karim Habib who left the company "of his own accord," without elaborating further. Kaban was previously the design chief at Skoda, a brand owned by the Volkswagen Group. He was also instrumental in the design of the Bugatti Veyron when he was still in his 20s.

BMW also promoted Domagoj Dukec to head the design for BMW's "i" and "M" subbrands, the company said in a statement today.

 Dukec.

Kaban will report to Adrian van Hooydonk, who remains design chief at BMW Group, which also owns the Rolls-Royce and Mini brands.

BMW's design department has suffered a string of defections. Anders Warming, the former head of design at Mini, left to join Borgward, while Benoit Jacob who worked as a designer at "i" quit to join Future Mobility Corp.

Richard Kim, a former senior automotive designer at BMW who helped shape the i3 production car, now works as Vice President of Design at electric supercar firm Faraday Future.

Below is a video of Kaban talking about design back in his Skoda days.


Rental fleet collapse drags down US vehicle sales

Unused rental cars fill the Dodger Stadium parking lot as the spread of the coronavirus disease  continues in Los Angeles. — Reuters
DETROIT: The collapse in demand for new vehicles from US rental car fleets hit automakers hard in May, even as consumer sales were stronger than expected as coronavirus stay-at-home orders began to ease.

The collapse of air travel has pushed big car rental companies to cancel orders for new vehicles, punching a hole in sales for nearly a dozen US automakers’ including the Big Three here.

Hyundai Motor Co’s US sales arm said Tuesday that its sales to fleets, including rental companies, fell by 79% in May, while retail sales grew by 5%.

Automakers could lose up to 12% of their annual US vehicle sales in 2020 as car rental companies slammed by the coronavirus pandemic slash fleets and restructure, according to Jefferies.

The retreat by rental car companies threatens production and jobs at US factories that build vehicles popular with rental car fleets such as Hertz Global Holdings Inc, which filed for bankruptcy protection late last month.

Hertz has said it negotiated with US manufacturers to cancel about 90% of its remaining 2020 fleet orders and has no plans to buy new rental vehicles for the US fleet.

Likewise, Avis said it disposed of 35,000 cars in May and cancelled 80% of its incoming rental vehicle orders in the US for the rest of the year.

“At least 80% of new purchases stand cancelled post COVID-19,” said Hamzah Mazari, a Jefferies analyst. He predicts corporate travel won’t recover until 2022 “at the earliest.”

In 2019 alone, listed rental companies Hertz and rival Avis Budget Group Inc together bought 970,000 vehicles, from about a dozen automakers, down about 2.4% from a year ago, according to Jefferies.

The global pandemic hit rental fleet sales hard in April, pushing them down 77%, or about 108,000 vehicles, according to Cox Automotive. Retail sales were off 41%, or just over 400,000 units. For May, the consultancy expects sales to be down about 33% versus May 2019.

IHS, which closely tracks automotive sales and production trends, said it expects global light vehicle sales to fall 22% to 70.3 million units in 2020, from prior estimates of a more than 12% drop.


Mazzanti hypercar to make Turin debut

                TURIN: The Turin motorshow is usually a low-key affair but this year it will play host to the most powerful street-legal car ever built in Italy.

Called the Mazzanti Evantra Millecavalli, its makers promise that it will have a total output of 1,000hp and that all of that power will come from a heavily turbocharged V8 powerplant.

Mazzanti is already an established boutique supercar builder. It started out in business 15 years ago and its standard Evantra model, on which the new monstrous Millecavalli is based, is hand-built to order and production limited to five examples a year. The standard car has 715hp on tap and is capable of going from 0-100kph in 3 seconds.

However, thanks to twin turbochargers, the Millecavalli will, according to company founder Luca Mazzanti, manage the 0-100kph dash in 2.7 seconds and will hit a top speed of 400kph, that's 250mph and into Bugatti - never mind Ferrari LaFerrari - territory.

"In order to create this extreme Hypercar, we applied technologies coming from motorsport that no one else has ever used on a street-legal car before," said Luca Mazzanti.

These include active aerodynmaics to direct air over the rear wing plus larger inlets for cooling and even a roof-mounted airscoop.

In theory, getting a car to travel well in excess of 300kph is not that difficult, but getting a car to travel that fast while remaining stable and still feeling like a quality, premium product is no simple feat.

"When the performance is so important, nothing is left to chance, but each element is the result of the meticulous work of people with great expertise and a true passion," said Mazzanti.

The car will be limited to just 25 completely hand-built examples and while the company has revealed nothing regarding the hypercar's price tag it is expected to cost over €1 million making it a direct competitor with Pagani and Koenigsegg.

The 2016 Turin motorshow runs from June 8-12.


Hyundai may sell one of its Beijing factory sites, says Yonhap

                SEOUL: Hyundai Motor Co is in talks with the Chinese government to sell one of its factory sites in Beijing, news agency Yonhap reported today, citing unnamed sources.

Yonhap said Hyundai Motor is promoting the sale of the factory site, the first one it had built in Beijing, to the Shunyi district government in China's capital city.

Beijing Hyundai, the joint venture between Hyundai Motor and China's BAIC Motor Corp Ltd, has three plants in Beijing.

Hyundai and BAIC did not immediately respond to requests for comment.

Chinese media on Thursday reported electric vehicle (EV) maker Li Auto is interested in taking over the factory, citing unnamed sources. Li Auto declined to comment when contacted by Reuters.

In April, Hyundai Motor Group said it plans to launch EVs in China every year starting 2022 to enhance its presence in the world's biggest car market.


Taxi ride in hydrogen-powered Toyota Corolla Cross H2 Concept

                BURI RAM (Thailand): The media had a brief taxi ride in the Toyota Corolla Cross H2 Concept, which burns hydrogen instead of petrol, at this weekend's (December 16 to 18, 2022) Idemitsu 1500 Super Endurance race at the Chang International Circuit.

There is no fuel cell stack or lithium ion battery here, or electric motors found in EVs (electric vehicles.)

Instead, the Corolla Cross H2 has a 1.6-litre 3-cylinder engine with direct injection, and with very minor modifications, it is powered by hydrogen gas stored in two tanks.

That it exists is thanks to Toyota Motor Corp's vision of a world with regular cars with combustion engines that run on hydrogen, a renewable energy source.

The Corolla Cross H2 has a manual transmission, and runs and sounds just like a powerful and exciting, fun-to-drive turbocharged combustion engined sports car, instead of a soul-less smartphone on wheels.

The taxi ride took place in Buri Ram, which is about 400km north-east of Bangkok.

WATCH: Facebook video


Orders open for all-new Vauxhall Corsa-e and Corsa in UK

                LUTON: Vauxhall is making the switch to electric even easier with lower on-the-road prices across the all-electric Corsa-e range, as part of its 2021 model updates to both the Corsa and Corsa-e.

Alongside the new on-the-road prices for the new all-electric Corsa-e, the 2021 Corsa and Corsa-e models feature new styling updates, a wider trim selection and new engines for the Corsa.

Orders for the 2021 Corsa and Corsa-e are already open. Prices for the Corsa start from £16,440 (RM89,669) in SE trim, while the all-electric Corsa-e starts from £26,640 (RM145,303) in SE Nav Premium trim.

Corsa-e

A key change for 2021 models is the on-the-road price reduction across every all-electric Corsa-e variant, with savings of more than £1,000 (RM5,454) on-the-road for entry-level SE Nav Premium models, making the fully electric model even more affordable.

All Corsa-e trim levels have also been renamed for 2021, and now include ‘Premium’ as part of the new naming structure in recognition of the comprehensive standard equipment. The Corsa-e is available in SE Nav Premium, SRi Nav Premium and Elite Nav Premium.

New for Corsa-e 2021 model line-up is the sportier SRi Nav Premium trim which adds 17-inch alloy wheels, sports seats, specific SRi interior with red accents, dark-tinted rear windows and sports pedals. This means customers looking for a sporty Corsa can now choose between the petrol and diesel variants, as well as the all-electric Corsa-e.

All Corsa-e models feature a 50kWh battery and 100kW (136PS) electric motor, capable of up to 209 miles from a single charge.

Supporting up to 100kW rapid charging, an 80% charge can be achieved in just 30 minutes. And if that wasn’t enough, the all-electric Corsa-e was recently honoured as The Sun’s Car of the Year as part of the News UK Motor Awards.

Corsa

Petrol and diesel variants of the Corsa will now be available in SE, SE Premium, SRi, SRi Premium, Elite, Elite Nav, Elite Nav Premium and Ultimate Nav trims. Elite trim is new for 2021 and sits below Elite Nav and Elite Nav Premium models, aimed at customers who require the same levels of standard equipment but do not need built-in navigation.

The SRi models now come with Vauxhall’s light pack as standard – featuring LED front fog lights, LED taillights and automatic lighting control. SRi and SRi Premium models come as standard with 17-inch bi-colour wheels, helping the model stand out on the road.

A key change for 2021 Corsa vehicles is the introduction of a new 1.2 Turbo 130PS 8-speed automatic engine with Normal, Eco and Sport modes, available on SRi and Ultimate Nav models. Featuring a stylish twin exhaust for a sportier look, the eight-speed unit is capable of 0-60mph in just 8.2 seconds. A 1.2 75PS engine is now also available on Elite models.


Carsome opens KL flagship centre, new company logo debuts

                KUALA LUMPUR: Regional used car trading platform Carsome has opened a flagship Carsome Experience Centre here.

The company also introduced its new logo to mark the milestone.

The company touted its "new way of buying cars", which provides customers a one-year warranty, a Carsome Certified car and a five-day money-back guarantee under its "Carsome Promise" package as well as an option to have their vehicle(s) delivered to their home.

Some listed vehicles on the company's website come with a Carsome Certified stamp of approval. This means that the vehicle has undergone and passed a 175-point inspection, was not in a major accident and does not have structural or flood damage.

The company said all details of the vehicle are specified and include a 360-degree view of the interior and exterior, a list of current imperfections and reconditioned sections as well as an all-inclusive price.

After choosing a vehicle, potential buyers are able to make an online booking to test-drive the vehicle at the Carsome Experience Centre located at D-3A-8 Parklane Commercial Hub, Jalan SS7/26, Kelana Jaya, Petaling Jaya.

The company also has online stores on Shopee and Lazada.

These online sites provide on-going promotions that include exclusive Carsome merchandise for the first 100 test drives and a trade-in discount programme.

The programme provides customers who previously sold their vehicle(s) to the company with a RM500 discount when buying from Carsome.

Also available is the Refer-A-Friend Promotion which sees successful Carsome car buyers who invite their family and friends to buy cars from the site will both be remunerated with a combined cash reward of up to RM800.

For more information, log on to its website here or call 1-800-82-3388.

Carsome is also present in Indonesia, Singapore and Thailand.


Automobili Lamborghini presents the Huracán EVO Fluo Capsule

                SANT'AGATA BOLOGNESE: A new collection of bright and bold colours has been released by Lamborghini for its V10-powered Huracán EVO with the Fluo Capsule.

The Huracán EVO is realized with a matte paint finish for the exterior that gets accompanied by matching interior and trim options.

Five exterior and interior configurations in Verde Shock (green), Arancio Livrea (orange), Celeste Fedra (blue), Arancio Dac (orange) and Giallo Clarus (yellow).

The colours are combined with a matte black finish for the roof, front bumper and side skirts.

Details of the matt black components are picked out in the new fluo colours, such as a coloured line on the black wing mirrors and vertical coloured lines on the rear splitter.

In the full-black interior, new sports seats are optional alternatives to the standard comfort seats wrapped in Alcantara or leather unicolour with an EVO sportivo trim.

The Start & Stop button cover and the Lamborghini shield embroidered on the headrest are finished in one of the five new fluorescent colours to match the exterior.


Toyota looks to adventure with LA SUV concept

                LOS ANGELES: The Future Toyota Adventure Concept, or FT-AC, is a conceptual reminder to the car-buying public that SUVs can be driven off-road and can be used for adventure and exploration as well as the drive to work.

As the SUV becomes the de facto shape for the majority of all new vehicle types on the road, the car's origin story is in danger of being lost to automotive history.

But with the FT-AC Toyota is attempting to show people that their family runaround can be completely on-trend in terms of design and yet stay true to its origins and be completely comfortable off-road and easy to maneuver over even the most challenging terrain.

"FT-AC is perfect for those outdoor enthusiasts who want to dial up the adventure on their weekend getaways," said Jack Hollis, group vice president and general manager, Toyota division.

The car has all of the most important ingredients needed for making a vehicle a capable off-roader. It has a long wheelbase, a wide track, good ground clearance and a proper all-wheel drive system with torque vectoring and differential lock.

It also has underbody skid plates, proper LED and fog lighting for traveling in the dead of night and even boasts infrared cameras in the door mirrors for complete peace of mind when heading off the trail in the complete unknown.

It also has big 20-inch rims to appeal to those that want the looks and the lifestyle, but they're wrapped in proper all-terrain tires, which in turn are partially hidden thanks to protective moulded wheel arch extensions.

But of course it wouldn't be a genuine concept car without some sort of quirky feature or focus on social media or connectivity. And the FT-AC manages to cover all of those bases. The front fog lights can be pushed out of their pods and fitted to a mountain bike.

The infrared cameras can be detached and used away from the vehicle and their feed shared to various social networks via the car's wireless hotspot and cloud connection. What's more, the car's corner lights can be used to provide ambient lighting — say when sitting around a campfire — or can double as flashguns to ensure that any pictures taken have the perfect lighting level.


Tough times for car makers in 2017 but analysts upbeat on Bermaz Auto

                PETALING JAYA: Local automotive stocks, which took a beating during the recently concluded financial reporting season, are in for tough times in light of the prevailing weakness in consumer sentiment and unfavourable import costs.

Of the listed auto stocks, analysts are bullish of Bermaz Auto Bhd (BAuto), given its new product range and target customers, which are less sensitive to the rising cost of living.

RHB Research auto analyst Alexander Chia, in a recent report, said the stock offers a sustainable return on equity of 29% in 2017.

“This is superior to the Malaysian automotive sector’s average of 8%.This has come down from the 39% to 73% levels posted in 2011 to 2016 on a combination of slowing but sustainable core net profit margins, moderating asset turnover multiples and lower equity multipliers.” BAuto is the official distributor of Mazda cars.

Chia added that while the company had new generations of the CX-9 and CX-5 for the Malaysian market in 2017, BAuto’s Philippines unit, Bermaz Auto Philippines (BAP) is set to release new variants of the CX-3, Mazda3 and CX-5 in the Philippines.

“BAP has a total industry volume (TIV) target of 5,000 units in 2017, which we expect to pick up to 5,500 to 6,000 units in 2018, driven by its new model launches.

“Following the completion of the Inokom paint shop upgrade, BAP is to begin importing CX-5 units from Malaysia instead of Japan in the second half of 2017, which we expect to drive up its margins upon the stripping-off of import duty from Japan.”

Kenanga Research said the stock may outperform its peers, given that its targeted customer base, which is in the middle-income to high income bracket, are less sensitive to the rising cost of living.

“We also see a high-potential value to be unlocked with the proposed listing of its Philippines subsidiary given the robust growth prospect.

“All in, we are still optimistic with its investment merits supported by better top line growth prospect from low base on the back of strong pipeline of exciting models and potential dividend pay-out of 90%, which translates into fair dividend yield of 8.5%.”

In the second quarter ended Oct 31, 2016, BAuto’s net profit dipped 42.3% to RM30.6mil from RM53.1mil in the previous corresponding quarter period, while revenue fell to RM473.2mil from RM542.4mil previously.

Nissan distributor, Tan Chong Motor Holdings Bhd, meanwhile suffered a net loss of RM4.5mil in its third quarter ended Sept 30, 2016, compared with a net profit of RM29.18mil in the previous corresponding period. Revenue was higher at RM1.40bil, compared with RM1.37bil previously.

MIDF Research said earnings were within expectations, accounting for 74% of its RM81mil core net loss for 2016. It said Tan Chong’s results have missed consensus’ estimates of a RM49mil net loss.

“Tan Chong remained in the red in the third quarter of 2016 but net loss narrowed to RM11mil from RM25mil in the past two quarters.

“Nissan TIV was down 11% quarter-on-quarter (partly due to the Raya festivities and related plant closure) but this was compensated by a better sales mix, that is average revenue per car which rose 14% quarter-on-quarter to RM149,000.”

The research house pointed out that Tan Chong’s third quarter benefitted from the weaker dollar (average rates of RM4.01).

“However, fourth quarter 2016 average rates have risen to 4.05 while spot dollar is now at its strongest in at least the past decade at RM4.47.

“Secondly, Tan Chong may face stiff competition next quarter if its peers are aggressive with year-end discounting as there were no new Nissan launches this year.”

UMW Holdings Bhd, which owns 51% in Toyota vehicle distributor UMW Toyota Motor Sdn Bhd, suffered a net loss of RM128.83mil in its third quarter ended Sept 30, 2016, compared with a net profit of RM13.52mil in the previous corresponding period.

Revenue during the quarter dipped to RM2.86bil from RM3.53bil a year earlier.

AllianceDBS Research said earnings were below expectations, largely due to the weaker auto, oil and gas and other segments.

On its auto division, the research house said it expected Toyota sales to decline this year and improve marginally in 2017 and 2018.

The aggressive marketing and promotional campaigns that the company is undertaking to help push sales, could also have an impact on margins, said Alliance DBS Research.

“Although the promotions and added features would help to support sales volumes for the rest of the year, it could also result in weaker margins for the auto division.

“Pre-tax profit margins for the division have fallen for five consecutive years. Margins have also been weighed down by higher costs (for imported materials) arising from the weaker ringgit.”

In August, the company’s automotive arm, UMW Toyota Motor, announced that it still remains on track to hit sales projection of 70,000 vehicles this year in spite of challenging market conditions.

DRB-Hicom Bhd, meanwhile, marked its fourth consecutive quarterly loss, reporting a net loss of RM267.55mil in its second quarter ended Sept 30, 2016, compared with a net profit of RM52.67mil in the previous corresponding period.

Revenue during the quarter dropped to RM2.64bil from RM3.25bil in the previous corresponding period.

According to Kenanga Research, its automotive division sustained a loss of RM207mil due to losses at Proton, volatility in foreign exchange rates and weak consumer sentiment. It said the outlook for DRB-Hicom remained challenging given the tough operating environment of lower sales of motor vehicles amid stiff competition as well as weak consumer demand.

“However, the group is looking at a turnaround plan for Proton, which involves a RM1.5bil soft loan from the Government that is geared towards helping Proton in its turnaround efforts, as well as to expand into domestic and international markets and to identify a strategic partner by the first quarter of 2017.”

Despite being positive on news of a potential tie-up with a foreign partner, it expected the overall weakness in the automotive segment and the prevailing fragile consumer sentiment to dampen DRB-Hicom’s subsequent quarterly performances, as well as trading sentiment.


Jaguar Land Rover sues Chinese automaker over Evoque copycat

                BEIJING: Jaguar Land Rover is suing Chinese automaker Jiangling Motor for allegedly copying the British firm's Range Rover Evoque, a person with direct knowledge of the matter said - a rare move by a foreign automaker to fight copycats in the world's biggest autos market.

A spokesman for JLR, owned by India's Tata Motors, said in brief emailed comments to Reuters that a court in Beijing's eastern Chaoyang district "served Jiangling with newly filed actions surrounding copyright and unfair competition." He declined to elaborate.

The suit relates to Jiangling's Landwind X7 sport utility vehicle copying the design of the Evoque, JLR's first China-made model that went on sale last year, said the person with knowledge of the legal proceedings, who is not authorized to talk to the media and didn't want to be named.

A spokesman for Landwind declined to comment.

Despite widespread and often blatant copying, global automakers generally don't take legal action in China as they feel the odds of winning against local firms are low. Also, a lawsuit can be bad for branding if the Chinese public think a foreign company is bullying domestic competitors.

If JLR wins its case, it could prompt other automakers to also take legal action, said Chen Jihong, a Beijing-based lawyer at Zhong Lun Law Firm, speeding up a shift to stronger enforcement of intellectual property rights.

Landwind unveiled a new version of its X7 SUV in November 2014, drawing criticism for its striking likeness to the Evoque, an imported version of which was already on sale in China.

The two SUVs have a similar shape, with the roof and windows tapering from front to back, and near identical tail lights and character lines on the side paneling. The X7's front grille is slightly more rounded than the hard edges of the Evoque.

The slight differences between the two cars can be virtually eliminated using widely available kits that allow a Range Rover grille, logo and Land Rover badges to be put on an X7. Kits on Alibaba's Taobao shopping website cost around 128 yuan ($19.43).

The X7 costs around a third of the price of an Evoque, and is some way behind in technology and performance, said Yale Zhang, managing director of Automotive Foresight.

The JLR spokesman said Jiangling has been barred by injunction from selling the X7 in Brazil, where it recently appointed an importer.

Separately, the source said with knowledge of the newly filed suit said the two automakers are also discussing what Landwind can and can't do in any X7 design update.

JLR sales fell by a fifth in China in January-March of last year - when it launched its China-made Evoque - after rising 36 percent in the same 2014 period. In the same period this year, JLR's China sales rose 19 percent.

A lawsuit could be a long and gruelling process.

It took Honda Motor, for example, 12 years to win a case in China against a little-known local automaker - for copying its best-selling CR-V SUV - according to a report by the official Xinhua news agency, confirmed by a Honda spokesman.

Even then, the Japanese firm was awarded only 16 million yuan (US$2.43 million) in compensation. It had sought 300 million yuan.


BMW brings on open-top 8 Series

                MUNICH: There's a market for luxurious open-top driving and BMW continues to cater to it with the second 8 Series - a convertible for those who don't want a coupe.

The car sports a classical soft-top roof with fully electric and quiet operation. It opens and closes in 15 seconds at the touch of a button and when travelling at up to 50kph. Soft-top comes in black as standard but Anthracite Silver effect is an option.

The 8 Series Convertible has the familiar BMW proportions and elegantly flowing lines, which stand out with the roof down. A compact, taut soft-top generates a distinctive “deck” silhouette. A wide, sporty rear-end design underlines the low-slung stance of the car.

Adaptive LED headlights and LED rear lights as standard. BMW Laserlight with Selective Beam and high beam range increased to 600 metres available as an option.

It seats four seats, and has through-loading function with 50 : 50 split/folding rear seat backrest. There's a fair bit of luggage space at 350 litres in the boot. Automatic boot lid operation and Comfort Access including hands-free opening and closing of the boot lid are standard.

The new model is set for market launch in March 2019, with two variants offered: M850i xDrive Convertible (530hp V8 engine and 840d xDrive Convertible (with a 320hp six-cylinder in-line diesel engine). Both engine variants meet Euro 6d-TEMP exhaust standard. Power transfer is by eight-speed Steptronic Sport transmission and BMW xDrive intelligent all-wheel drive.

Bespoke options are a given at this level of luxury with M Sport package for the 840d xDrive Convertible, and M Technic Sport Package for the 840d xDrive Convertible. Not enough? More individualisation options are provided by Chrome Line Exterior, M Carbon exterior package with air intake slats, exterior mirror covers and exhaust tailpipe embellisher in CFRP, plus BMW Individual features.


Global auto recovery to be delayed, says IHS

                LONDON: A recent fire at a Japanese semiconductor factory and severe weather in parts of the United States in February have exacerbated an ongoing chip shortage plaguing the global auto industry, data firm IHS Markit said today.

IHS said it now expects disruptions to the production of nearly 1.3 million global light vehicles, up from a prior forecast of 1 million in the first quarter.

A chip-making factory owned by Renesas Electronics Corp, which accounts for 30% of the global market for microcontroller units used in cars, was hit by fire earlier this month. The company said on Tuesday it would take at least 100 days for production to normalise at the plant in northeast Japan.

IHS Markit also said vehicle output would be affected by unseasonably cold weather that gripped the southwestern parts of the United States last month, with deadly snowstorms lashing Texas and hurting factory production and retail sales.

“These latest impacts to global semiconductor supply lead us to think that Q2 could be as exposed as Q1, while stabilization of supply may not emerge until Q4,” IHS said in a report.

The automobile industry has been grappling with a shortfall in chip supply since the end of last year, driven by coronavirus lockdowns in Southeast Asia and bulk-buying by US sanctions-hit Chinese tech giant Huawei Technologies, among other reasons.

Global automotive production figures in the first quarter are expected to expand 12% compared to 2020, according to a forecast by IHS.

Automakers and suppliers are also fretting about the availability of auto parts after a giant container ship blocked Egypt’s Suez Canal for six days last week, causing a significant backlog of ships.


Toyota looks to overhaul EV strategy as new CEO takes charge

                TOKYO: After making sweeping changes to its leadership team, Japan's Toyota Motor Corp is looking at a factory floor overhaul as it maps out a move to a new, dedicated platform for battery electric vehicles, four people familiar with the matter said.

Koji Sato may confirm that new EV architecture is in the works at his first briefing as CEO on Friday, one of the people has said.

It was, however, not immediately clear as of this evening as to whether the plan had been formally approved.

The world's biggest automaker increasingly recognises it needs to match Tesla Inc's design and manufacturing innovations if it is to drive down production costs and turn its all-electric business into a higher margin one as its Silicon Valley rival has done, another person said.

It continues to study the issue, that person said.

A new EV platform, if implemented, would be the result of a far-reaching review of Toyota's electric-car strategy undertaken last year.

Slow to push hard into battery electrics, such a move by Toyota would bring the automaker into line with other global rivals. Its current production architecture, the e-TNGA system, was launched in 2019 and produces electric vehicles on the same assembly line as gasoline cars and hybrids.

E-TNGA can't, however, provide the cost savings Tesla has managed with its massive Giga Press casting machines and other manufacturing innovations.

The sources declined to be identified because the information was confidential. Asked for comment, Toyota said questions could be asked at Friday's briefing.

Sato, Toyoda's hand-picked successor, recently attended an internal presentation that focused on the need for a dedicated battery-electric platform, a more competitive system to manage heat generated by the battery as well as other innovations influenced by Tesla's playbook, according to a third person.

The briefing was given by the former chief competitive officer tasked with the EV strategy review, Shigeki Terashi, according to the person.

Several projects that were supposed to take advantage of the e-TNGA platform are now being delayed or cancelled, a separate person said.

A long time coming

A shift for Toyota is long overdue, critics say.

Under former CEO Akio Toyoda, the founder's grandson who became chairman on April 1 when Sato took the top job, Toyota saw global demand for battery electrics outstrip its modest estimates.

"Some of the statements that came out of Toyota when Akio Toyoda was CEO sort of made it sound kind of like hybrids are going to be there forever. No, it’s your standby, it’s your hedge. EVs have to be first,” said CLSA analyst Christopher Richter.

Environmentalists and investors also have been increasingly vocal about the need for Toyota to move faster.

Tesla made almost eight times the profit per vehicle as Toyota for the third quarter, partly because of its ability to simplify production and reduce cost.

EVs are now expected to globally represent more than half of total vehicle production by 2030. Meeting that demand will be critical for Toyota. So far it has fallen short - its initial battery EV, the bZ4X, suffered an early recall and has had only limited sales.

In the United States, where the growth of EVs is outpacing that of the overall market, Toyota's lack of battery electric models appears to be hurting sales.

Toyota reported US sales fell by nearly 9% during the first quarter while General Motors Co (GM.N) saw an 18% boost, helped by greater demand for EVs from fleet and commercial customers.

GM sold more than 20,000 electric vehicles during the first quarter while Toyota and its luxury brand Lexus sold about 1,880 battery electrics.

And while Toyota/Lexus sales of electrified vehicles - mostly hybrids with a smattering of battery electric and hydrogen vehicles - came to just under 119,000, that represented a slide of 10.7%.

US consumers making the switch to electric vehicles are largely doing so from Toyota and Honda Motor Co, data from S&P Global Mobility showed in November.

If Toyota doesn't pursue electric vehicles under Sato, the company "will be leaving money on the table," said Katherine Garcia, director of the Clean Transportation for All Campaign at the Sierra Club, pointing to the growth of EVs across US states.

In his briefing on Friday, Sato is also expected to lay out a strategy that emphasises "diverse powertrains", one of the people said. In doing so, he will stress that gasoline hybrids will remain key to its business even as it ramps up EVs.

Some of Toyota's suppliers have also privately expressed concern about its slow embrace of EVs.

According to one executive at a Toyota supplier who declined to be identified, some have been looking at increasing business with other manufacturers to hedge their risk when it comes to EVs.

But that could change depending on the automaker's strategy, the executive added.


New Fiat 500 makes appearance

                ROME: Its time to “boogy” with Italian carmaker Fiat, after the company introduced its third-generation 500, which now takes over the torch of continuity after it was officially revived in 2007.

Eight years on, the 500 has garnered more than 1.5mil in deliveries, but now it's back with a refreshed interior and exterior, gotten a little more rounded, a little more mature and a little more technologically advanced.

Still maintaining its size, the new 500 will be sold in the UK starting this September and prices will range upwards from £10,890 OTR (RM66,000).

There are only two body styles - hatchback and convertible, which will have three trim levels of Pop, Pop Star and Lounge, while standard fitment includes LED daytime running lights, seven airbags and the company’s latest Uconnect infotainment system with six speakers.

In the UK, the Pop Star variant adds air-conditioning, body-colour mirror caps with defrosting function and 15-inch alloy wheels, while the Lounge further adds a panoramic glass sunroof, rear parking sensors, chrome front grille, front fog lights, leather steering wheel.

Also, the Uconnect 5-inch LIVE touchscreen infotainment system gets added and comes with smartphone integration and numerous built-in apps to help users stay connected while on the move.

And, for the first time in a Fiat 500, the embedded infotainment system features the full TomTom experience with fresh maps and with its routing engine.

It also gets access to five years of TomTom’s Live connected suite of services that includes traffic service, live speed cameras together with weather alert and local search function for points of interest.

The roughly 1-tonne car still maintains its predecessor’s dimensions with a wheelbase of 2,300mm and while measuring 3,546mm-long, 1,627mm-wide and 1,488mm-tall.

A two-cylinder engine will reside under its tiny hood featuring three output levels, from two displacements – a 0.9-litre TwinAir engine that puts out 85hp or 105hp and a 1.2-litre unit with 69hp that will be available after its official launch.

New alloy wheel designs are also introduced in new 500, in both 15- and 16-inch sizes and available in a variety of finishes including a diamond-cut design.

The colour palette now totals 13 hues, inclusive of seven pastel, one solid and five metallic colours as well as two new colour additions of Glam Coral and Avantgarde Bordeaux.

Two striking black-yellow and black-red variants are also available as part of the Fiat 500 'Second Skin' initiative, offering a range of customisation options, which offers a geometric pattern along the belt line only, while the larger skin options cover the pillars and roof – and in some cases the bonnet and tailgate as well.

Five patterns are being offered in Ethnic (geometric pattern), Lord (classic tartan), Comics (pop decoration) in combination with the new two-colour body paintwork, Navy (nautical patterns) and Camouflage (fashionably military).

The 1.2-litre 500 with 69hp is now equipped with larger disc brakes better braking performance and seven airbags remain standard across the range as before.

More safety measures include anti-lock braking system with electronic brake-force distribution, advanced electronic stability control, anti-slip regulation, hill holder and hydraulic brake assistance.

Fiat is also making available a full range of Mopar accessories that will include vintage-style wheel trims, a range of alloy wheels with different designs, colours and finishes, mirror caps in chrome-effect or matching paint and side badges.

Furthermore, there’s going to be chrome roof mouldings available, a rear spoiler and a range of decals for the sides and the roof as well as a tailgate rack available in two systems for transporting winter sports equipment (skis and snowboards).

New customisation kits with original roof wraps and mirror caps will also be available, along with five colour options of Microcarbon Black, Military Green, as well as Matt Silver, Matt Titanium and Jeans.

Both Microcarbon Black and Military Green get extended to the dashboard.


Perodua expands mobile service across peninsula

                PETALING JAYA: Perodua is extending its mobile service team or M-Team, the first of its kind in the country, in West Malaysia beginning with Terengganu with the objective to reach out to its customers located outside the range of the compact carmaker’s service outlets.

The M Team was first introduced on Nov 7 2013 in East Malaysia to assist its customers who live a far distance away from a Perodua authorised service centre to maintain their Perodua vehicles and thus keeping their vehicle warranty intact.

"This initiative is our way of making it easier for our customers to service their Perodua vehicles and also ensure peace of mind by providing them with genuine parts,” said Perodua President and CEO Datuk Dr Aminar Rashid Salleh.

 Aminar speaking at the event.

The team consist of 4 people; comprising of a foreman, mechanics and a service advisor. The services offered include vehicle service maintenance, vehicle inspection, technical advice and for those who made an advance appointment, will be able to make warranty claims within the stipulated terms and conditions.

The Perodua M-Team Peninsular Malaysia is using a 5-tonne lorry, which is modified to suit the requirements of the team.

In addition to the maintenance service that M Team is offering, the crew will also communicate with customers on the importance of following the service schedule as well as the importance of genuine parts to ensure their vehicle can be used at optimum level and prolong the vehicle life span.

“The Perodua M Team will begin its journey to the East Coast in Kuala Berang, Ajil and Paka from January 2016 onwards as we believe there customers there who do not have easy access to our authorised service centres,” Aminar said.

Perodua vehicle owners in these locations are encouraged to make an appointment with the team at the place and time stated.

Appointments can be made at 019 -9954949 during Perodua business hours at Terengganu from Saturday to Wednesday (8.30am - 5.40pm) and Thursday (8.30am – 12.40pm) beginning January 2016 onwards.

Perodua has a total of 181 sales and 189 service centres nationwide.

On the current flood that is affecting several states in the country, Aminar said that Perodua is offering its flood assist programme to the victims.

“I wish to announce that Perodua is giving an open offer to assist all our customers that are affected by the flood. This includes a free vehicle inspection on affected vehicles and a 20% discount on selected parts.

“In addition, we will also offer a RM100 cash rebate for towing services to the nearest service centre. This offer is for any Perodua vehicle affected by flood in Malaysia at any time of the year.

“Please call or visit the nearest authorised Perodua service centre for more details. We have also listed our sales and service centre contact information on our website for your convenience,” said Aminar.


Are 'connected' cars safe?

                PETALING JAYA: In this coming decade we will see the demise of the internal combustion engine (ICE).

The European Auto Association has targeted they will not produce diesel engines in 2025 and totally stop the production of petrol engines by 2030.

From now onwards you will see more electric vehicles (EVs) coming to the market.

Even Japan has announced in 2035 that they will stop producing ICE vehicles and as you know that Japan is also looking at hydrogen cars besides EVs.

However I am not sure whether Third World countries will be ready for this change.

Even developing countries like India has many vehicles that are more than 20 years old that are still running on the road.

Another point is that India has passed the End of Life vehicle regulation but never manages to enforce it due to the economic situation.

This is the same case as in Malaysia whereby the Malaysia Automotive Robotics and IoT Institute (MARii) tried to introduce but never took off.

Coming back to the future of 'connected' vehicles, I would like to highlight by 2025, connected vehicles will comprise 86% of the global market.

Vehicle manufacturers like BMW, Mercedes-Benz and Tesla have already made connectivity the norm in new vehicles.

Even brands like Renault/Nissan, Mitsubishi, Fiat, Chrysler and others will be heading in the same direction by 2022. Even Proton has done so with the X70 and X50.

What constitutes a 'connected' vehicle? It is defined when a vehicle shares data between servers, apps, smart mobility and more telematics services.

There are five primary modes of vehicle connectivity:-

> Vehicle to Infrastructure (V2I).
> Vehicle to Vehicle (V2V).
> Vehicle to Cloud (V2C).
> Vehicle to Pedestrian (V2P).
> Vehicle to Everything (V2X).

Why should we worry now? As by 2030, 30% of businesses may rely on data enabled services and shared mobility and the cyber landscape threat (malware) is growing as in 2011 there were 65 million threats to roughly about 1.1 billion in 2020.

Data is a new commodity as according to Intel CEO - Brian Krzanick, autonomous vehicles will consume about 40 terabytes of data in an eight-hour drive.

Even the FBI assessed the automotive industry will face cyber threats and malicious activities as the vast amount of data collected by internet connected vehicles and autonomous vehicles becomes a high value target.

Eventually cybercrime including automotive-related cybercrime will be more profitable globally than the global drug trade.

Cybercrime is estimated at USD$600bil versus the US$400bil drug trade.

Cyber threats in the automotive ecosystem are worrying as the potential direct impact on road users safety and security.

Without effective cyber security, connected vehicles will be prone to remote attacks which might lead to physical danger.

Image the cyber attack on fleet wide vehicles could result in numerous injuries or deaths and in worse case scenarios multiple deaths.

Original Equipment Manufacturers (OEMs), smart mobility service providers and transport industries will be one of the five main target industries.

Right now there are various forums on detailed discussion on 'How to Attack' connected vehicles, 'How to access sensitive data', 'How to take over vehicles' or 'How to steal vehicles'.

This is apparent in the new modus operandi where they steal vehicles via the 'On-Board Diagnostics (OBD)' or 'Keyless Entry Attack'.

According to the police, they said that Keyless Entry Attack is not prevalent in Malaysia as they have no conclusive evidence of such an attack!

READ MORE: Sony controls vehicle 2,500km away via 5G

The stolen vehicles are never recovered. Even if the vehicles are recovered, are there IT-savvy officers to conduct a post mortem?

The break that police will have is when they catch the thieves and learn their knowledge on how they stole vehicles.

Like in the case of catalytic converter theft and when no one reports, the police assumes no such theft.

So how serious are cyber attacks in automotive?

Last year, India had 4,118 vehicles stolen due to cheap security devices (Malaysia is not exempted too).

In last year too, a Tesla Model X was hacked.

Another hacker was able to gain control over Tesla's entire connected fleet by exploiting a vulnerability in the OEM server side mechanism.

So who are attacking? Basically there are two types of hackers. The White Hats and Black Hats.

The White Hats (researchers) are hired to test the company's vulnerability while the Black Hats do it for ransom.

It is estimated that White Hats hackers constitute 45.8% and Black Hats hackers constitute 49.3% while the rest are 4.9% others.

How do the hackers get into your system?

There are three most common attacks by way of OEM Servers, Keyless Entry system and Mobile Apps.

Here are some of the break down attack method:-

> 32.94% via the Servers.
> 26.62% via Keyless Entry.
> 9.90% via Mobile App.
> 8.36% via OBD.
> 7% via Infotainment.
> 3.58% via Bluetooth.

The most glaring incident a few years ago was when a White Hat managed to attack the servers and gain control of an OEM entire connected fleet exposing Tesla server which Command and Controls that communicated with Tesla fleet including remote commands and diagnostic information.

So is Malaysia ready and prepared for cyber attacks? How can Malaysia defend itself?

Alex Lye
President
International Association of Automotive Theft Investigators (IAATI)
Asian Branch


BHPetrol breaks fast with Al-Nasuha orphans

                KUALA LUMPUR: Boustead Petroleum Marketing Sdn Bhd (BHPetrol) recently held a buka puasa function with orphans from Rumah Pertubuhan Kebajikan Anak-anak Yatim Al-Nasuha at Batu Caves, Kuala Lumpur.

A total of 85 kids from the home broke their fast together with BHPetrol service station dealers in Central Kuala Lumpur and staff from BHPetrol's retail unit.

BHPetrol general manager (supply, retail and government public affairs) Azizul Azily Ahmad presented duit raya and goodies to the Al-Nasuha orphans.

The charity event was an initiative by BHPetrol service station dealers in Central Kuala Lumpur, spearheaded by BHPetrol Dealers' Association president Kol (B) Masuaod Shu and the management of BHPetrol.

The objective was to bring some cheer to to the orphans, and provide donations to help the charity home with its daily necessities.

The initiative was also to continue the “Team Ownership Programme” where the company conducts social programmes that benefit their customers and residents near BHPetrol service stations.


Nice S, says BMW to new Mercedes-Benz S-Class

                PETALING JAYA: Mercedes-Benz dropped the bomb on the all-new S-Class just last week and its competition, BMW, was just as eager to see what the S is all about and posted about it on Instagram.

While it looks complimentary enough, BMW posted a video, which teased the all-new 7 Series, its rival to the S-Class.

Couldn't let Mercedes-Benz take all the limelight, BMW? But that's alright. BMW did it with style and whoever is managing BMW's social media is doing a good job of it.

Funnily enough, spyshots of the new all-electric 7 Series was also revealed around the same time.

 View this post on InstagramHey, nice job @MercedesBenz. We are big fans of the S too…

Keywords
Autos BMW
Autos Mercedes


Mazda MX-30 awarded five-star Euro NCAP rating

                BRUSSELS: The all-electric Mazda MX-30 has been awarded the maximum five-star rating by Euro NCAP in its latest series of tests with 91% and 87% scores in its respective adult and child occupancy categories.

The 91% rating is the best adult occupant protection result yet registered amongst all vehicles tested in the latest 2020 Euro NCAP tests.

Achieving maximum points in the lateral impact tests, the MX-30 also scored full marks for crash test performance based on six and ten-year old children for both frontal and lateral impact.

The MX-30 is the first Mazda to achieve an overall five-star rating under the new more stringent 2020 Euro NCAP crashworthiness rating regime.

The 2020 testing introduces new tests to enhance assessment of occupant protection and post-crash protection, plus promote the latest in advanced driver assistance active safety technology.

Mazda works continuously to advance safety performance under the Mazda Proactive Safety philosophy. The superior driving dynamics achieved as a result of Mazda’s Skyactiv Technology also contribute to the new Mazda MX-30's five-star Euro NCAP achievement, delivering a very intuitive, enjoyable, all-electric driving experience.


Toyota Hilux in Australia to get 48-volt tech in 2024

                SYDNEY, Australia: Toyota Australia will offer certain Hilux pick-up truck models with fuel-saving 48-Volt technology in the first half of 2024.

In a statement, Toyota Australia says the 48-Volt technology is set to offer 10% fuel economy improvement, compared to the current 2.8-litre turbo diesel Hilux variants.

The 48-Volt technology will be combined with the 2.8-litre turbo diesel engine and six-speed automatic transmission and comprises an additional 48-Volt battery, small electric motor-generator and other components.

The 48-Volt technology will also enable a stop/start system, improved driveability and reduced noise, vibration and harshness.

The 48-Volt technology will be fitted as standard to all 4x4 SR5 and Rogue Double Cab models and be offered as an option for 4x4 SR Double Cab.

The addition of 48-Volt technology will not have any impact on the capability of the Hilux with the 4x4 models, maintaining their 3500kg braked towing capacity.

 The Toyota Hilux Rogue in Australia will be offered with fuel-saving 48-Volt technology from 2024

Toyota Australia vice president of sales, marketing and franchise operations Sean Hanley said the introduction of 48-Volt technology to Hilux demonstrated Toyota's commitment to reducing the fuel consumption of its vehicles without compromising on the performance and capability demanded by customers.

"We are continually striving to reduce the fuel consumption of our vehicles to help reduce on-going costs for customers, as well as helping reduce our environmental impact, and the addition of 48-Volt technology to our biggest-selling vehicle line will contribute to this," said Hanley.

"This new technology will not only improve fuel consumption, but customers will also benefit from enhanced on and off-road performance, making the Hilux even more appealing for a weekend away or longer term excursion into the outback," he said.

 The Toyota Hilux Rogue in Australia will be offered with fuel-saving 48-Volt technology from 2024