Israeli startup makes inroads with personal flying vehicle

AIR ONE undergoing flight test. — All images by Reuters
BEERSHEVA (Israel): An Israeli-made electric vehicle designed to fly commuters on short trips far above streets overcrowded with cars has made its maiden unmanned flight, a milestone the developer says will help it reach the market in the next two years.

The test-phase voyage may not look out of the ordinary at first given the huge progress made in drone technology. Another propellered aircraft rising vertically off the ground and then thrusting forward high in the sky.

But this one, being developed by Israeli startup AIR, will be able to carry two people - an operator and passenger - as far as 100 miles on a single charge, the company says. AIR, and many competitors around the world, are betting this kind of travel will eventually become commonplace.

"This is a major milestone," said CEO and co-founder Rani Plaut. "We have transitioned today to forward flight ... bringing (closer) our dream of mass production of the AIR ONE."

There are still many significant obstacles to pass before people can expect to fly themselves across cities in small vehicles like this - including creating regulations and commercialising the technology.

AIR's next test phase is with someone onboard, Plaut said.

He hopes their electric vertical takeoff and landing, or eVTOL, aircraft will hit the market at the end of 2024 at a base price of US$150,000 (RM665,000) . Average day-to-day speed will be about 160kph)at an altitude of 366m, Plaut said.


Gordon Murray Automotive T.33 Coupe sold out from launch

LONDON: Gordon Murray Automotive (GMA) has announced that it has sold all of its T.33 coupe supercars, each costing £1.37m before local taxes.

Customers from around the globe have secured their allocation of the exclusive 100-unit production run.

Development of the T.33 – including full federal homologation – is under way with plans to build first customer cars in 2024.

The T.33 is the second model to be produced after the T.50,  which remains GMA’s halo supercar due to its central driving position, sub 1000 kilo weight and its 12,000rpm engine.

Built on a newly developed carbon and aluminium super-lightweight architecture, GMA said the T.33 is designed and engineered to be "the world’s most accomplished all-round two-seater V12 Supercar."

With a target weight of just 1,100kg, the car offers a blend of performance, comfort, on-road driving experience and everyday usability.

Each T.33 owner would be able to work with the GMA design team to personalise their T.33 through their choice of colours and liveries, ensuring that no two cars will be alike.

“The entire GMA team is thrilled that all 100 T.33’s have found a home so quicky after the global launch, just over a week ago, and we look forward to welcoming new owners to the GMA family," said Gordon Murray.

“I am extremely proud of our team who have relentlessly applied our core principles to deliver this amazing motor car.”

Weighing a mere 178kg, the 3.9-litre V12 revs to 11,100rpm and produces 615PS at 10,500rpm and 451Nm at 9,000rpm.

The V12 is touted as having an ultra-rapid response combined with 75 per cent torque delivery at just 2,500rpm and 90% of maximum torque available from 4,500rpm to 10,500rpm, and a power to weight ratio of 564PS per tonne.

While GMA and Cosworth chose to retain the V12 cylinder heads, albeit in modified form, new camshafts, variable valve timing, and engine mapping have been introduced.

British transmission experts Xtrac have created a bespoke six-speed transmission for the T.33, which will be offered to customers with a manual gearchange or an Instantaneous Gearchange System (IGS) paddle shift actuation. The transmission is combined with a low inertia clutch and a Limited-Slip Differential.

As standard, the GMA T.33 has a six-speed manual gearbox with a paddle shift transmission as an option.

The manual gearbox is derived from the T.50 Xtrac manual unit, weight at 82kg, is the world’s lightest supercar unit.


Why electric vehicles don't glide silently through the streets

                BERLIN: Electric cars can creep up on you and suddenly come quite close. Now, they make a sort of whirring noise that could just as well be mistaken for a UFO, or a slow sort of plane.

There's a good reason for that fake engine sound, whether it's emitted by a car or an electric bus.

Public transport companies in some places have introduced a uniform artificial sound that could eventually change the audio landscape in our cities.

Those changes will come as local transport gradually goes electric.

Take Berlin, with its 138 electric buses moving through the streets and a further 90 on order.

Nationwide, some 1,500 of Germany's 35,000 buses are electric and the government wants half of the fleet to have alternative drives by 2030.

"The buses are emission-free and therefore climate-friendly on the road," says Werner Overkamp, vice president at a national transport association. "The other big advantage is that they are quiet."

City traffic is anything but quiet, though, and especially in big metropolises, the quiet hum of electric vehicles is lost in the thunderous sound of traffic.

That prompted industry to come up with a special, dedicated artificial sound for electric buses.

In Germany, it's a gentle droning sound that recalls a lift or an extractor fan, swelling or diminishing, higher or lower, depending on the speed. The sound has been dubbed the "friendly neighbour" and all of the nation's public buses are supposed to be making the noise up to about 30kph.

"It is partly a curse that the buses are so quiet," Overkamp says, adding that it's vital for people who are blind or visually impaired to be able to hear vehicles.

Sighted children, the elderly and cyclists also need acoustic signals, according to the German Association for the Blind and Visually Impaired.

If you think about it, and listen closely, there are already lots of artificial sounds out there.

Car manufacturers sometimes hire Hollywood composers and pop producers to give their vehicles a particularly nice buzz or hum.

"Everyone makes their own sound," says designer Fernando Knof. "Maybe you should think a little bit in terms of design concepts."

The winning design for the soothing sound of the bus arose through a student competition, won by Lukas Esser of the Berlin University of the Arts and the sound he called "friendly neighbour."

Life would actually be hard to imagine without artificial noises these days, with the regulation for Acoustic Vehicle Alerting Systems (Avas) introduced EU-wide last summer.

EU-wide, cars must make artificial warning sounds through loudspeakers when driving up to 20 kilometres per hour and when reversing.

Whether the standardised sound for electric buses will be introduced nationwide depends on whether the design wins over public transport companies up and down the country.

They are supposed to specify it in tenders for the purchase of new buses.

However, manufacturers are less keen on a uniform approach, saying that they'd prefer to shape their own sounds, to fit their brand, according to MAN sales manager Uwe Schmid.

Daimler meanwhile says it is focusing on individual solutions from the industry. "We don't consider a one-size-fits-all solution across manufacturers to be expedient."


Elon Musk clears last hurdle to collect US$706mil award from Tesla

Musk could collect more than US$50 billion if all goals are met. — AFP
SAN FRANCISCO: A measure of Tesla Inc.’s market value on Tuesday reached the threshold needed for Chief Executive Officer Elon Musk to collect the first chunk of his moonshot pay award.

The electric-car maker’s average trailing market capitalisation over six months topped US$100 billion at the close of trading, according to data compiled by Bloomberg.

As a result, Musk is eligible to unlock 1.69 million stock options, which he can exercise at US$350.02 apiece. The stock climbed 0.9% to close at US$768.21, giving the options a value of US$706 million (RM3bil).

Three other performance goals - US$100 billion average trailing market value over 30 days, US$20 billion in revenue and US$1.5 billion in earnings before certain adjustments - had already been met.

Musk’s complete compensation package - the largest corporate pay deal ever struck between a CEO and a board of directors - includes 20.3 million options, split into 12 tranches, that could yield Musk more than US$50 billion if all goals are met, according to Tesla’s estimates.

A representative for the company didn’t immediately respond to a request for comment.

Musk, 48, is already among the world’s richest people with a US$38.5 billion fortune, according to the Bloomberg Billionaires Index.


SMART Tunnel reopens to traffic

                KUALA LUMPUR: The SMART Tunnel has been reopened to traffic from 11.10am today after completion of cleaning works.

Syarikat Mengurus Air Banjir dan Terowong Sdn Bhd (SMART) said in a statement that the mechanical and electrical inspection and rectification process have also been carried out to ensure all equipment were in good condition and safe before the SMART Highway Tunnel was reopened.

"The SMART team and Tunnel Management will continue to monitor the needs of the SMART operation and ensure the preparedness of the team is at its best at all times,” it said.

The tunnel was closed to users for the activation of the flood management system following heavy rains since Friday.


Suzuki patriarch steps down as CEO amid mileage test storm

                TOKYO: Suzuki Motor Corp patriarch Osamu Suzuki (centre in pic) is stepping down as chief executive and the Japanese automaker promised to cut executive pay and slash 2015 bonuses after the bruising admission of major flaws in its fuel tests.

Executive Vice President Osamu Honda, who also served as chief technical officer, will retire, taking responsibility for the research and development team at the heart of the testing scandal.

The company said that board members would choose the next CEO on June 29 after its annual shareholder's meeting, and that the top executive would be selected from among the board members.

Japan's No. 4 automaker by sales said in May it had used the wrong methods to calculate mileage for models going back to 2010, widening a mileage testing storm that had already rocked smaller rival Mitsubishi Motors Corp.

Those followed accounting scandals at Olympus Corp and Toshiba Corp, prompting criticism from some investors that the Japanese government's push to introduce new corporate governance rules has failed to shake up a cozy and often secretive corporate culture.

Suzuki, who has led the company for nearly four decades, acknowledged that during the past few years it had become difficult to oversee all of the company's operations on his own.

"Upon reflection, I believe that this may have contributed to the latest incident," he told reporters on Wednesday.

Suzuki, 86, will remain as chairman, but his narrower role is a recognition of responsibility for a testing error the company previously shrugged off.

The automaker used indoor tests for its cars' individual parts, rather than testing vehicles on an outdoor course. It said this was done because its testing site is on a windy hill by the sea, making readings erratic.

On Wednesday, it also blamed a lack of transparency in its key research unit.

"This latest incident occurred because of problems within the company which had continued for a long time, including an R&D division which was not transparent enough," said Toshihiro Suzuki, the chairman's eldest son. He took over from his father as president last year.

"We are making these changes today to try to regain the trust of our customers, and to rebuild Team Suzuki."

Suzuki, as chairman, will oversee efforts to strengthen compliance and improve training for engineers, while reworking its mileage testing procedures to ensure they comply with regulations.

Raided by Japanese investigators last week as part of a probe over the tests, Suzuki also said it would encourage whistle-blowing.

Suzuki's changed role and Honda's retirement are effective June 29, subject to approval by shareholders at its annual general meeting, the company said.

The testing scandals at Suzuki and Mitsubishi come after Volkswagen AG was first discovered last year to have cheated diesel emissions tests in the United States.


Future Fords may drive away if you don't keep up the payments

                WASHINGTON: It may sound crazy, but Ford has submitted a patent for a system that would allow a car to make life difficult for a driver who fails to keep up loan payments and even drive itself away.

Only an autonomous car could actually get away from its formal owner, but the Blue Oval said the patent is in response to repossession problems in the United States.

Here, cars are regularly taken back from their owners who do not pay off the loans taken out to buy them.

The patent document, previously spotted by US motoring website The Drive, was submitted to the United States Patent Office back in August 2021, but it was formally published on February 23 this year.

Entitled "Systems and Methods to Repossess a Vehicle" it outlines several ways to make life harder for somebody who has missed several car payments.

The system, which could be installed on any future vehicle in the manufacturer's model line-up with a data connection, would be capable of disabling "a functionality of one or more components of the vehicle."

This refers to everything from the engine to the GPS or air conditioning.

For vehicles with autonomous or semi-autonomous driving capability, the system could "move the vehicle from a first spot to a second spot that is more convenient for a tow truck to tow the vehicle."

If the lending institution considers the "financial viability of executing a repossession procedure" to be unjustifiable, the vehicle could drive itself to a compound or even to the scrapyard.

Ford is the first manufacturer to patent such a system, yet filing the document does not necessarily mean the described feature, process, or technology will be introduced to its vehicles.

It appears there would be several warnings from the vehicle before the system starts a formal repossession. If these warnings were ignored, the car could begin to lose functionality ahead of a repo.

The first lost functions would be minor inconveniences like "cruise control, automated window controls, automated seat controls, and some components of the infotainment system (radio, global positioning system (GPS), MP3 player, etc)."

The next level is more serious, and includes the loss of things like "the air conditioning system, a remote key fob, and an automated door lock/unlock system." Likewise, an "incessant and unpleasant sound" may be turned on "every time the owner is present in the vehicle."

If all of that is endured by the car's owner and payment still has not been made, they could get locked out of the car.

The patent application states that "the repossession system computer may disable the door lock mechanism, thereby placing the vehicle in a lockout condition and preventing a person from entering a cabin of the vehicle."

Repossession would still eventually take place and an autonomous or semi-autonomous car might make this process easier for the bank.

The vehicle will use its onboard sensors to detect whether or not it is parked in a garage. If it is not, then the car could, without the owner knowing about it, repossess itself or drive somewhere nearby to avoid a confrontation between the customer and repossessing agent.


New Honda Odyssey with Honda Sensing launched at RM255K

                SHAH ALAM: Honda Malaysia has officially launched the 2018 seven-seater Odyssey 2.4L EXV with Honda Sensing safety technologies, that's priced at RM254,800 on the road without insurance.

Imported from Japan, it comes with a five-year unlimited mileage warranty and a service interval of 10,000km.

The refreshed Odyssey is the third model after the CR-V and Accord to be equipped with the Honda Sensing safety suite.

It will be available in three colour options, of which two are the first in a Honda model.

The new colours are Platinum White Pearl and Premium Twinkle Black Pearl, while the popular Super Platinum Metallic is maintained.

The launch of the new Odyssey completes the Honda siblings with Honda SENSING in Malaysia of sedan,
Sport-Utility Vehicle (SUV) and Multipurpose Vehicle (MPV).

The Honda Sensing in the Odyssey consists of six features, which are divided into the two categories of Safety and Convenience & Comfort:
1. Features for Safety:
• Forward Collision Warning (FCW) that will trigger a visual warning and audible alerts for the driver when the monocular camera and a millimetre wave radar detect that it is at risk of collision with the front vehicle
• Collision Mitigation Braking System (CMBS) which assists in applying brake force progressively when it senses an increasing risk of collision
• Lane Departure Warning (LDW) which monitors vehicle lane position using cameras, and alerts if the driver drives out of the lane
• Road Departure Mitigation (RDM) that provides alerts, applies brakes and assists the driver’s steering to prevent driving off the road

2. Features for Convenience & Comfort:
• Adaptive Cruise Control (ACC) that sets a desired speed and following interval from the vehicle detected ahead
• Lane Keep Assist System (LKAS) which uses camera to read lane markings and assist the driver’s steering to keep the vehicle in the centre of its lane

Honda Malaysia Group Vice President, Akkbar Danial said, “In addition to Honda Sensing, the new Odyssey is expected to elevate the safety benchmark in Malaysia’s MPV segment with its unrivalled premium safety features.

These include Multi-view Camera System, Smart Parking Assist System, Blind Spot Information that alerts on oncoming vehicle in the blind spot when the driver is switching lanes and Cross Traffic Monitoring that gives off a warning whistle when a collision with a cross-approaching vehicle is predicted when backing up the MPV. On top of all these features which are exclusively found only in the Odyssey, the new Odyssey is also equipped with six airbags.”

Complementing the exceptional safety features in the MPV, the Odyssey has upgraded exterior befitting the deluxe status in its class.

The outward appearance is enhanced with new front bumper, new front grille, new LED rear lights designs, LED fog lights, 17-inch dual tone alloy wheel with new design, Auto Retractable Door Mirror and it is also equipped with Auto Dim Rear View Mirror.

Meanwhile, the interior of the Odyssey also received fresh practicality treatments.

These include new bigger armrest for the driver seat, 4-Way Passenger Power Seat, added storage and enhanced utility as well as bigger headrest for its Premium Captain Cradle Seats with Ottoman on the second row to boost comfort and enjoyment for the passengers especially during long journeys.

The Ultra-Low Floor Platform of the New Odyssey eases passenger ingress and egress in addition to enabling this MPV to have a spacious cabin that is equivalent to a large-class MPV.

The Odyssey upholds its predecessor’s characteristics that offer a refined and exquisite silhouette, spacious and elegant interior while being fully equipped with other advanced features of an MPV. Performance-wise, the new Odyssey is powered by a 2.4L DOHC i-VTEC Earth Dreams Technology engine with Continuous Variable Transmission (CVT) that gives dynamic acceleration at start and also top-in-class fuel efficiency regardless whether
driving on city roads or on highways.

The engine is still the same direct-injection 2.4-litre (2,354cc) K24W i-VTEC that delivers 175hp at 6,500rpm and 225Nm of torque at 4,000rpm to the front wheels.


Perodua delivers first new Myvis, over 6,000 bookings so far

Abdul Wahid  is all smiles as he and his wife take delivery of the Myvi from Perodua Sales senior general manager Muhammad Fateh Teh Abdullah.
KUALA LUMPUR: Permodalan Nasional Berhad (PNB) Group chairman Tan Sri Abdul Wahid Omar became the first customer of the new Perodua Myvi, which was launched on Thursday.

The three grand prize winners of the “Myvi 12 Iconic Years Anniversary SMS & Win Contest” were also among the first owners when Perodua gave each of them the keys to the Myvi 1.5 Advance on Friday.

The lucky winners are Chin Mei Ling, 26, Mohd Nasir, 33, and Ong Kok Seng, 60. The Myvi 1.5 Advance retails for RM55,300, on-the-road before insurance.

 Mohd Nazmil (left), Ong and Chin each won the 1.5 Advance in a Perodua contest.

Abdul Wahid, whose company is an investor in Perodua, said he was delighted to have been the first customer to make the booking and to take delivery of the car. The variant was not disclosed.

The new Myvi is set to be a hot seller for Perodua with total bookings rising to 6,000 units as of 8pm on Friday. The car maker opened the order books for the model on Nov 9. It is available in five variants.

The latest Myvi earned a 5-star Asean NCAP rating on the same day it was launched.

Perodua President and CEO Datuk Aminar Rashid Salleh did not say how long the waiting period would be for the Myvi but said the company would maximise delivery of cars to ensure they are delivered speedily to their buyers.

The first-generation Myvi was introduced in 2005 and over a million units have been produced between 2005 and 2017, making it the most popular Perodua model in history. Perodua has produced more than 3.2 million vehicles since August 1994.

READ MORE: All you need to know about the new Perodua Myvi


Hailstones reported along NKVE and other locations

                PETALING JAYA: Hail has been reported in Taman Tun Dr. Ismail and Shah Alam following a thunderstorm on Thursday evening.

"We are getting reports of hail along the North Klang Valley Expressway (NKVE)," said The Star Radio Group's traffic announcer Priscilla Patrick in a message to The Star Online.

Meanwhile, 38-year old engineer Agustus Sapen said that the hail lasted for about 10 minutes

"The hail lasted 10 minutes. It came with a thunderstorm and lots of rain," said Agustus.

When asked if the hail caused any damage, he said that there was no damage.

"But the loud sound of ice knocking on office window panes and cars was a concern," said the engineer.

"Thankfully, there were no dents on my car," he added.

NOEL FOO reported that Shah Alam residents were astonished earlier Friday evening when it started raining hail stones, especially around TTDI Jaya and Seksyen U8 in Bukit Jelutong, Shah Alam.

Videos and pictures of the hail have been posted up by residents on various social media channels.

Selangor Fire and Rescue Department firefighter Rozaidi Abdul Rahim was eating at a food stall in TTDI Jaya with three of his colleagues when the hailstorm took place.

"We just thought it was a normal heavy rainstorm at first, but then after a while, the sound was different when rain started hitting the zinc roof."

He said that the storm and following hail commenced around 4.30pm onwards.

"So when we looked out, it was raining ice all over, on the cars and buildings," said Rozaidi.

He said it was a shock and also interesting to see a rain of hail, because it was the first time such an incident had taken place in front of his own eyes.

"Other people around us were taking photos and videos. I should have snapped a few also because so far, I've only seen and read about hailstorms on Facebook and the Internet," said Rozaidi.

He added that even the boy tending the food stall managed to dash out and pick a few hailstones.

The hail lasted about 10 minutes or so, he said.


Paris slows rented e-scooters to 10kph in urban areas

                PARIS: The speed of e-scooters in Paris has been reduced to 10kph in parts of the city centre following new rules implemented by the three major rental companies in November.

This affects areas where e-scooters and pedestrians were notoriously getting in each other's way, according to local newspaper Le Parisien, notably tourist attractions, parks, schools and squares.

On the initiative of the city administration, reduced speeds had already been tested at the Louvre Museum and on some other squares in the summer. Now the rental companies of the 15,000 electric scooters in Paris decided to extend their so-called "slow zones".

Scooters automatically slow to a jogging pace once a rider enters a certain area and the scooter's GPS tracker registers their location.

Users can see the affected areas in the apps of the rental companies. Owners of private scooters can, for now, continue to use their previous top speed.

While Paris' efforts are among the most far-reaching and also expected to impact tourists, it's not the first city to introduce such geo-limits for electric scooters, and New York, Barcelona and Berlin all have limit speeds in certain areas.

Some Parisian suburbs also have such a restriction already, while e-scooter rental companies in many cities also set limits on where scooters can be parked to prevent scooters clogging up parks and crowded spaces.

France's rental services say their slow zones could be further adapted at the request of the city administration.

Paris officials are not yet satisfied with this voluntary step taken by the providers. As David Belliard, the mobility councillor at the Paris City Hall, told Le Parisien, the Seine banks and heavily frequented shopping areas are not yet covered by the speed limit.

In view of a large number of accidents with e-scooters in Paris (this year alone 329 riders were injured and two killed), the city is also mulling banning scooters in certain locations and their use by two or three people at the same time.

Meanwhile, to increase safety, the three rental companies here have decided to introduce a "beginner's mode" in addition to the speed limit, which reduces the scooters to speed across the board. This mode can be set by people who are using a scooter for the first time and do not feel safe.


Consumers crave connected cars but not the connected costs

                BOSTON: An estimated 16% of new cars taking to the roads in the US in 2015 will do so with some form of Internet connectivity, and consumer interest in the technology is piquing, especially when it comes to web-enabled services that can potentially take some of the stress out of modern motoring.

However, the same cannot be said about consumers' willingness to pay a premium for such services. Research and insights firm Strategy Analytics surveyed consumers in the US, across Europe and China regarding how in-car connectivity should be funded as part of its latest report and found that interest in all payment models is falling.

"A high level of consumer interest does not always translate to a willingness to pay for it," said Derek Viita, the report's author.

"Most consumers remain unwilling to pay for in-vehicle connectivity using the monthly payment models that OEMs have tended to favour. Free models for connectivity remain highly desirable across all regions and age groups. Interest in connectivity supported by in-vehicle advertising rose over the past year."

Strategy Analytics also found that consumers are against making a one-off lump sum payment for future connectivity and are instead increasingly interested in the possibility of adding a car's connectivity to their existing smartphone data plan.

As such the report, published Tuesday, is in line with research conducted by Parks Associates earlier in June and focused on US consumer opinions. Nearly two thirds (61%) of respondents said that they would plump for bundling in-car data consumption with their existing smartphone plan.

Strategy Analytics found that services focused on navigation, finding parking spaces, delivering live traffic updates and weather alerts were most desirable for consumers. However, interest in apps and services focused on social media remains very low.

This finding runs contrary to most resent research conducted into the causes of car crashes and teen driving distraction. A May study from AT&T conducted in the US found among smartphone-owning drivers, 27% admitted using Facebook while behind the wheel and 14% Twitter.

As for connected car adoption rates, Parks Associates says 44% of car owners in US broadband households already have some kind of advanced connected car feature.

"The demand for connected car features is growing, encouraged by consumer expectations of a smartphone experience in all aspects of their life. Today, the connected car market overlaps with the market for mobile services and smartphones," said Jennifer Kent, Director, Research Quality and Product Development, Parks Associates.

"But this ecosystem must innovate beyond the smartphone experience in order to expand, and connected car players should develop assets or foster partnerships across adjacent connected ecosystems, such as the smart home and smart cities ecosystems."


Volkswagen Malaysia promises big rebates

                KUALA LUMPUR: As an extension to Volkswagen’s Red campaign, Malaysian customers can get a rebate of up to RM25,000 when buying a pre-owned car from participating authorised dealers.

Recently, Volkswagen had announced a rebate of up to RM9,999 worth of "Ang Pow" for the purchase of new selected red cars.

In the spirit of the festive Chinese New Year, Volkswagen’s "God of Prosperity" will also be making its rounds around the Klang Valley in a red Volkswagen to give "Ang Pows".

A total of 20,000 angpows containing a "cheque" of up to RM25,000 discount on pre-owned vehicles will be distributed at major traffic areas at 10 locations over three days.

This fantastic rebate is available by visiting the German marque's dealerships, attending its sales events around the Klang Valley, following Volkswagen on Twitter and Instagram, or hunting for the God of Prosperity.

The Volkswagen sales events are due to be held at Setia Alam Convention Center (Feb 5 to 8), Bukit Jalil (March 4 to 8) and Kuala Lumpur (March 27 to 29).


Perodua Aruz launched, two variants from RM73K

                PETALING JAYA: Compact car maker Perodua has just launched the all-new seven-seater Aruz SUV.

It comes in two variants — the 1.5 X and 1.5 Advance — priced at RM72,900 and RM77,900 (on-the-road without insurance) respectively.

The Aruz’s powertrain, built in Sendayan, Negri Sembilan, consists of an aluminium-block 1.5 litre four-cylinder engine with Dual VVT-i - producing 101hp and 133Nm of torque, and mated to an electronically-controlled automatic transmission (E-AT) that sends power to the rear wheels.

The Aruz has already attracted 2,200 bookings since order-taking began on Jan 3.

"SUVs are enjoying a big rise globally. Buyers like their versatility, comfort, high seating position, good visibility, and increased space while still maintaining a compact footprint,” said Perodua president and chief executive officer Datuk Zainal Abidin Ahmad.

The Aruz scored a 5-star Asean NCAP safety rating and has standard safety features such as Vehicle Stability Control (VSC), Hill Start Assist (HSA), ISOFIX and six airbags, all of which are standard across the range.

The 1.5 Advance variant has an upgraded version of the Advanced Safety Assist (ASA) active safety suite, called ASA 2.0 which adds pedestrian detection (up to 50kph), Pre-Collision Warning to 100kph and Pre-Collision Braking to 80kph, Front Departure Alert and Pedal Misoperation Control.

The Aruz features bold LED headlamps with follow-me-home function (auto lights on Advance variant), 17-inch two-tone alloy wheels and a ground clearance of 220mm.

Smart Entry with Push Start/Stop Button is also standard, while the Advance variant adds fog lamps and roof rails.

The interior is functional, stylish and practical, with the Perodua-developed anti-snatch hook to deter handbag thieves and fold-away utility hooks on the backs of the front seats.

All variants get a touch-screen infotainment unit with reverse camera display, digital air-con with two memory settings, air vents for the rear passengers and a built-in toll card reader.

The second row is split 60:40 while the third row is split 50:50. Both rows can slide, fold and tumble, yielding a multitude of seating and loading configurations. Also, there are charging ports in all three rows.

Interior equipment exclusive to the Advance variant are leather seats, a leather-wrapped steering wheel with call-receive controls, plus an integrated driving video recorder. It also gets HDMI, Smart Link, Bluetooth and navigation.

It comes with five colour options – Ivory White, Glittering Silver, Electric Blue, Granite Grey and the new Amazon Green.

With 95% of its components locally-sourced, the Aruz is Perodua's fourth Energy-Efficient Vehicle (EEV).

The Aruz touts a class-leading fuel economy of 15.6 km/l. It is offered with a five-year/150,000km warranty (whichever comes first)

Zainal also said that the monthly sales target for the Aruz is around 2,500 units or 31,200 units by the end of 2019.

Also present was Minister of International Trade and Industry Datuk Darell Leiking, Perodua chairman Tan Sri Asmat Kamaludin and Japanese Ambassador to Malaysia, Dr Makio Miyazawa.

First drive of Aruz
Before this evening's launch, the local media were given an opportunity to test drive the vehicle on Perodua’s test track in Serendah late last year.

With four persons on board, the Aruz’s 1.5-litre engine is still perky enough to launch the vehicle quickly.

Ride is firm and not too jarring as we drove the vehicle on specially-designed rough surfaces to test the vehicle’s comfort.

Despite being a rather tall vehicle, the Aruz was able to hold its line well without excessive body roll as we travelled at 120kph on a banked stretch. At this speed, the Aruz is quiet and tyre noises were not intrusive.

While we expect the Aruz will be able to deliver more than sufficient performance for a full-load of seven persons at level road driving, steep inclines may require the driver to be heavier-footed.


Genesis North America chief Del Rosso takes personal leave

                LOS ANGELES: Hyundai Motor North America Jose Munoz has stepped in as the interim chief for Genesis Motor North America, Automotive News reported.

This followed the sudden announcement that the Genesis CEO Mark Del Rosso had taken a leave of absence as of July 1. Genesis did not provide details of the leave nor the length of his absence. It said the leave was of a "personal" nature.

Del Rosso took up the Genesis position in October 2019. Prior to that, he was a senior executive at Audi and Bentley.

Genesis' bottom line improved under his tenure. Deliveries more than doubled to 19,298 in the first half of 2020, boosted in part by sales of the GV70 and GV80 crossovers.


Volvo CEO says US climate law will drive EV tech to North America

                NEW YORK: The Inflation Reduction Act is changing the way Swedish automaker Volvo Car AB plans to build electric vehicles, chief executive officer Jim Rowan said in an interview this week.

"The thing that it's changing is our supply base, especially on batteries and probably on minerals as well,” Rowan said.

"It's driving more and more of that technology into North America.”

That’s a feature of the IRA, not a bug. In order to pass the landmark climate bill, Senator Joe Manchin, a Democrat from West Virginia, insisted on domestic assembly and sourcing requirements for electric vehicle incentives, as well as price caps for eligible cars and income limits for eligible consumers.

The law includes a federal tax credit of up to US$7,500 for the purchase of a new electric or plug-in hybrid vehicle.

To qualify for the full amount, a vehicle has to be assembled in North America and meet requirements, phased in between now and 2029, for sourcing battery components and minerals from the US or its trade partners.

Since the IRA passed last year, more than US$50 billion in EV and battery investment has been announced for North America.

The Treasury Department has set a deadline for the end of this week to issue guidance on exactly how it will interpret and implement these requirements in the tax code.

None of Volvo's EV models are likely to qualify at the outset: The automaker's purely electric models are made outside the US, and even those plug-in hybrids made in its South Carolina factory could be disqualified by anticipated rules around mineral and component sourcing.

Still, Rowan expects the company’s US customers will eventually be able to take full advantage of the tax credits.

"The timing on that is very aggressive,” he said. "It will be a gradual implementation of how we can get access to make sure that we hit all of those targets.”

In 2021, Volvo set a goal of selling only fully electric cars by 2030.

Rowan, who took over as CEO in March of last year after stints at heated-mug maker Ember Technologies Inc., vacuum cleaner manufacturer Dyson Ltd. and mobile-phone company BlackBerry, said the company is on track to meet the ambitious target set by his predecessor Hakan Samuelsson.

Volvo currently makes a pair of fully electric crossover SUVs as well as a range of plug-in hybrids. (Volvo, which is majority owned by China’s Zhejiang Geely Holding Group Co., also owns nearly half of EV startup Polestar, which builds its cars at a manufacturing facility jointly owned by Volvo and Geely.)

In November, Rowan announced plans to begin selling a three-row, electric SUV, the EX90, later this year.

The vehicle will be built at Volvo’s plant near Charleston, South Carolina - marking the first time the company has started production of a new SUV outside of Europe.

Volvo also has plants in Sweden, Belgium and China.

Another new electric model - "the smallest SUV that we have ever done,” said Rowan - will be announced later this year, followed by new EV models each year for the next four or five years.

In December of last year, fully electric vehicles accounted for 20% of global sales, with plug-in hybrids accounting for another 23%.

Demand for EVs is still running ahead of supply, said Rowan, as the company deals with the residual effects of disruptions and chip shortages caused by the pandemic and the war in Ukraine.

Last month, Volvo chief financial officer Johan Ekdahl said that the company would not be dragged into a price war after Tesla Inc. and Ford Motor Co. lowered prices on electric models, a stance that Rowan reiterated.

"Our order book is as healthy as it's ever been,” said Rowan.

"That may be because we're in the premium end of the market and people in that sector might have a little bit thicker wallets…But let's be honest, we're keeping a pretty beady eye on what's going on because there's so much turbulence.”


China's Geely cars think big with Volvo makeover

                GOTHENBURG: The Briton who smoothed out Volvo's boxy lines and put signature radiator grilles on Lincolns for Ford is aiming to give China's Geely range global appeal by ditching its utilitarian image.

Peter Horbury is central to efforts by Geely - long seen as a cheap, no-frills brand in China and unknown in the western world - to push upmarket and go international by tapping European design and technology.

Zhejiang Geely Holding Group's purchase of struggling Swedish carmaker Volvo from Ford in 2010 has helped it leapfrog a decade of research and development.

The tie-up has enabled Volvo to sell more vehicles in China than anywhere else and produced a common platform for Geely to widen its range. But at seventh place in China's light vehicle brands, it has a long way to go in a sector suffering from overcapacity and stiff competition.

Horbury, who headed up design at Volvo in the 1990s and oversaw it for Volvo, Jaguar, Aston Martin and Ford's other brands from 2002, says carmakers should play up their roots, citing what he called the "Hi, I'm Dave" all-American appeal of his Lincoln grille.

"I'm not suggesting we'll do cars with pagoda roofs, but all new cars have a little signature somewhere that's Chinese," Horbury, Geely's chief designer since 2011, told Reuters at the Swedish design studio where he spends three weeks a month.

That means dashboard curves which he compares to a famous Chinese bridge in Hangzhou where Geely has its headquarters.

"Here at a Chinese company, I think there is something special to sell, and if you just become anonymous, that's what you remain," said Horbury, 66, who spends a week each month in Shanghai.

Geely cars range from 38,900 Chinese yuan (US$6,000) to 249,800 for an electric vehicle. Its new flagship GC9 sedan, which Horbury worked on, starts at around 120,000 yuan.

"The product seems pretty good, styling wise, and they have got to get the core sedan product right which it appears that they have (with the GC9)," said James Chao, Asia-Pacific chief of IHS Automotive.

"But that's just the start of the brand-building exercise. It will take years for them to build this brand, whether it's this brand or another brand, to upgrade to the Volkswagen level," he said. "In the meantime, they’ll have to price a bit more aggressively."

Volvo and Geely each sold about half a million cars last year while world leaders Toyota, Volkswagen and General Motors (GM) sold around 10 million each.

In China, Volkswagen tops sales charts for all vehicles compiled by LMC Automotive, with the biggest homegrown manufacturer Changang in fifth place and Geely in 14th.

Unlike neighbours Japan and South Korea, which are among the five top car exporting countries in the world, China is not even in the top 20, the World's Top Exports website shows. It exported fewer than half a million passenger vehicles in 2015, according to data from the China Association of Automobile Manufacturers.

At the heart of Geely's ambition to break into European and US markets is the China Euro Vehicle Technology (CEVT) development hub, created by Geely in 2013 in Sweden to build the platform which will be used in new Volvo and Geely small car models.

On Wednesday, Volvo is set to unveil two new concept cars - the first to use the common platform. Sources have told Reuters Geely will launch a new brand next year, codenamed "L", with cars based on the platform.

"Not even during my time at GM did I experience a more aggressive growth plan," said auto industry veteran Mats Fagerhag, who heads CEVT, a tech centre here with a staff of 1,700 in which Geely is investing several hundred million dollars a year.

Fagerhag said local production in Europe could be a future step, to enable Geely, which also owns the company that makes London's trademark black cabs, to get a complete range of brands the same way Volkswagen has. Horbury declined to comment on brands.

After initial scepticism over whether Geely could make the most of European technology, it has proven to be a keen investor and collaborator. The joint development between the Swedes and Chinese appears to be paying off when looking at the numbers.

Volvo, whose ads play up its Swedish heritage, featuring football player Zlatan and musicians Swedish House Mafia, saw earnings triple last year thanks in large part to demand in China, now its largest market.

"We went from zero to three factories, to 5,000 people, 200 dealers," said Volvo CEO Hakan Samuelsson.

Record sales are predicted this year as Volvo pushes into a premium sector dominated by German heavyweights such as Daimler Mercedes-Benz and BMW.

Geely, which means auspicious in Mandarin, came through China's auto market slowdown with sales up 22 percent last year compared to 4.7 percent for the market overall.

"Both can learn from each other - the knowledge that we have that is in the bricks here of how to engineer a car the way Volvo has ... the way we approach design from a more human point of view perhaps, and the fact that the Chinese come with a spirit of 'Let's get it done,'" Horbury said.

The designer, who started with a staff of six in a "borrowed room" at Geely, now leads 350 designers in Gothenburg, Shanghai, Barcelona and California.

Geely chairman Li Shifu, who founded the group in 1986 as a refrigerator parts-maker with a loan from his father, sometimes visits the Swedish studio - an old shipbuilding warehouse.

Horbury said Li's approach was very different from that of his American or European bosses, combining entrepreneurship with art and poetry. One time, Li brought a stack of books to the studio littered with post-it notes.

"One was on geology - rock formations - one was on Chinese landscape, one was on Chinese architecture, and fashion," Horbury said. "Just examples that he felt would inspire the designers for the next Geely."


Trial period for RFID use on highways critical for later expansion, says Fadillah

                KUALA LUMPUR: The current implementation of radio frequency identification (RFID) technology at toll plazas along the North-South Highway (PLUS) is crucial to ensure that the system works efficiently before its usage is expanded, the Dewan Negara was told.

Works Minister Datuk Seri Fadillah Yusof said that during the trial period, any problems including administrative and legal matters would be identified and resolved so that the system would not become a burden to motorists.

"This is what we are looking at and working on at the level of the Malaysian Highway Authority and Works Ministry,” he said during Question and Answer time in the Dewan Negara today.

He was replying to a supplementary question from Senator Datuk Razali Idris, who wanted to know whether the ministry would consider placing the SmartTag and RFID systems under a common lane as they are now separated.

Fadillah said the suppliers for the two toll payment systems were different and as such the technology used was different.

"They are separated because the tag readers might be ‘confused’ if placed in the same lane,” he added.

Fadillah said the RFID was priced at RM35 each, including installation, but the government had asked Touch 'n Go Sdn Bhd to look into the possibility of making it cheaper.

Fadillah said this in reply to the original question from Senator Muhammad Zahid Md Arip, who asked if the highway authority had any legal basis to compel motorists to install RFID at RM35 when the Touch 'n Go (TnG) card only cost RM10.

"The current implementation of RFID gives an option to motorists and the highway authorities are maintaining other payment modes like the Touch 'n Go card and SmartTag,” he said.

He added that the introduction of RFID was in line with the government’s plan to switch to the multi-lane free flow system by 2025.


Mercedes-AMG GT 63 S 4MATIC+ fastest series production four-seater

                AFFALTERBACH (Germany): The new Mercedes-AMG GT 63 S 4MATIC+ clocked in at the Nürburgring as the world's fastest series production four-seater.

It achieved a time of 7:25:41 on the North Loop of the Nürburgring as measured by independent experts of wige SOLUTIONS, a German TV production company based in Cologne. The correct specification of the vehicle as well as the lap time was additionally certified by an independent notary public.

Driving the fully equipped standard eight-cylinder model was AMG development engineer Demian Schaffert. The former racing driver was involved in developing the high level of driving dynamics of the four-door coupé and was able to demonstrate the performance of the powerful 470 kW/639hp sports car to impressive effect with his record lap.

Just in case you are interested, Mercedes-AMG says the combined fuel consumption of the car is 11.3 l/100 km, with CO2 emissions rated at 257 g/km.

The Nürburging-"Nordschleife" (North Loop) is regarded as the world's toughest race track, hence a record lap is the ultimate test of a sports car.

The AMG GT 63 S 4MATIC+ offers a standard equipment list that includes fully variable AMG Performance 4MATIC+ all-wheel drive, active rear axle steering, electronically controlled rear axle differential lock and AMG DYNAMICS agility programme.

Ooptionally available are Michelin Pilot Sport Cup2 tyres for high grip and acceleration out of bends of the "Green Hell".


Rolls-Royce carves out record year with 5,586 cars delivered

                LONDON: Rolls-Royce Motor Cars delivered 5,586 cars in 2021, representing the highest-ever annual sales results in the luxury marque's 117-year history.

The deliveries were also 49% higher compared with the same period of 2020.

 Ghost Black Badge.

This overall figure includes all-time record sales in most regions, including Greater China, the Americas and Asia-Pacific, and in multiple countries across the globe.

All Rolls-Royce models performed extremely strongly.

Growth has been driven principally by Ghost, with demand surging further, following the launch of Black Badge Ghost in October 2021.

 Spectre.

This, together with the continuing pre-eminence of Cullinan and the marque’s pinnacle product, Phantom, has ensured order books are full well into the third quarter of this year.

The company’s Provenance pre-owned programme also enjoyed exceptional sales results in 2021, achieving an all-time record.

Bespoke commissions remain at record levels, with magnificent individual examples including the spectacular Phantom Oribe co-created with Hermès, alongside the Phantom Tempus, and Black Badge Wraith and Black Badge Dawn Landspeed Collection cars.

 Wraith Landspeed Collection.

The company signalled its commitment to leading a new contemporary coachbuilding movement with Rolls-Royce Coachbuild becoming a permanent fixture in its future portfolio, and with it the unveiling of its latest coachbuilt masterpiece, Boat Tail.

Rolls-Royce also announced its first all-electric car, Spectre last year which is undertaking the most punishing testing protocol ever conceived for a Rolls-Royce consisting of a 2.5 million kilometre journey to all four corners of the world and simulate more than 400 years of use.

The Spectre is expected to launch by the fourth quarter of next year, paving way for all Rolls-Royce models to be fully-electric by 2030.

 Phantom Oribe.

Aside from preparations for an all-electric future, Rolls-Royce continues to meet the surge in demand for its current portfolio through a flexible manufacturing process and the dedication of the over 2,000 people who work at the Home of Rolls-Royce in Goodwood, West Sussex and around the world.

The Rolls-Royce factory at Goodwood is currently running at near-maximum capacity, on a two-shift pattern to fulfil orders from clients around the world.

Rolls-Royce will continue to invest in its manufacturing plant in readiness for electrification, and in future talent, with a record 37 new apprentices set to join the company in September 2022.

 Boat Tail.

Rolls-Royce Motor Cars CEO Torsten Müller-Ötvös said 2021 had been a truly historic year for the company.

“In the past 12 months, we have recorded our highest-ever annual sales, launched the latest addition to our Black Badge family, stunned the world with our coachbuilding capabilities and made huge strides into our all-electric future.

“As always, it has been made possible by the dedication and commitment of the extraordinary people at the Home of Rolls-Royce, our international team and our global dealer network.

“I wish to extend my thanks and congratulations to each and every one of them: it is my privilege and pleasure to work alongside them every day,” he said.


Tesla teases Model Y in new video

                SAN FRANCISCO: At first glance, a new video released by Tesla looks to be nothing more than a self-indulgent promo film recapping the company's story to date.

But a closer look at a few seconds of the footage appears to be a somewhat stealthy teaser of the upcoming Model Y compact crossover.

As the video gets to the 15 second point, it appears to show a half-built Tesla half-covered by a sheet, which it's not out of order to assume is the new Model Y.

Before and after this, there are lots of quick-edited shots of Tesla electric SUVs and coupes going very fast, sometimes without the drivers' hands being on the steering wheel to illustrate Tesla autonomous technology, as well as batteries, a Gigafactory, active workers and even a couple of electric trucks.

Perhaps the most interesting and intriguing segment of the 105-second video comes at around the 1:05 mark where we see a few seconds of the cockpit of the upcoming Tesla Roadster looking like something from a sci-fi movie.

The Model Y is to be based on the affordable Model 3 saloon and the sill and door profiles of the vehicle under the sheet look very similar to those of the Model 3, so there's every chance the part-hidden vehicle is the new compact crossover.

Also, the way the rear door shut line pairs with the rear wheel arch looks absolutely identical to the Model 3, so unless Elon Musk has yet another unfinished project on the drawing board this has to be the Model Y.

Reports surfaced last month that the Model Y was due to go into production in November of next year, but Musk has now rubbished those reports saying, "The report is based on nothing. We will not be starting production of Model Y next year. I would say it's probably closer to 24 months from now... [early] 2020 is a more likely prospect."

Musk also indicated the Model Y won't be built at the company's Fremont, California production facility as that plant is said to be "jammed to the gills" and "crazy packed." The production lines could therefore materialise at Tesla's Gigafactory battery plants, including one in China.


Electrified Mercedes-AMG GLE 63 4MATIC+ Coupé revealed

                STUTTGART: Mercedes-AMG has revealed the new GLE 63 4MATIC+ Coupé, whose V8 engine has been electrified to be even more responsive

The AMG 4.0-litre V8 biturbo engine is paired with an EQ Boost starter-alternator and a 48-volt on-board electrical system to deliver an immediate response at start-up.

The base model delivers an output of 571hp, the S variant gets 41 horses more at 612hp. The 0-100kph dash is completed in 4s by the base model, with the S variant shaving off 0.2s. Top speed are 250kph and 280kph respectively.

 The more powerful S variant.

The coupe features AMG RIDE CONTROL+ air-sprung suspension with AMG ACTIVE RIDE CONTROL roll stabilisation on a 48-volt basis, a fully variable AMG Performance 4MATIC+ all-wheel drive and the AMG SPEEDSHIFT TCT 9G 9-speed automatic transmission.

The AMG-specific radiator grille comes in high-gloss chrome. As a typical feature of the Performance models, the front apron in a jet-wing design is painted in the vehicle colour and has black air intakes. royunded powerdomes in the bonnet and the front splitter in silver chrome emphasise the sharper coupé design all round.

The side skirts, exterior mirror housings and flared wheel arches are painted in the vehicle colour, and blend into the muscular look. The base model is shod with 21-inch light-alloy wheels with AMG lettering as standard, while the S variant comes with 22-inch wheels ex factory. Other wheel variants with diameters from 21 to 22 inches are optionally available.

The newly designed rear apron with AMG-specific details such as a striking diffuser in black and a trim strip in silver chrome highlight the vehicle's width. The AMG exhaust system with two rectangular high-gloss chrome-plated twin tailpipe trim elements completes the sportily dominant look – the tailpipe trim elements on the S variant are differentiated by a fluted effect.

Further individualisation options are available in the AMG Night Package. This includes heat-insulating, dark-tinted windows and also the front splitter, front and rear apron trim, inserts in the side skirts, mirror caps and window frames in dignified black. In addition, the twin tailpipe trim elements are finished in elegant high-gloss black.

In the cabin, the AMG seats are upholstered in nappa leather and have an AMG-specific seat pattern layout with an "AMG" badge in the front backrests. Other leather variants are optionally available. The S variant is further identified by its grey seat belts and contrasting topstitching in the seats in silver grey. Individually adjustable ambient lighting comes as standard.

The three-spoke AMG Performance steering wheel is paired with aluminium shift paddles. In the base model the steering wheel rim is lined in black nappa leather, and in the S variant in nappa leather/DINAMICA microfibre, in each case with a black 12-o'clock marking. As a further option, there are the AMG steering wheel buttons for faster setting of relevant parameters.

The centre console includes an AMG-specific control unit with additional switches that are used to regulate the 3-stage ESP, the manual transmission mode, the Adaptive Damping System, the optional AMG Performance exhaust system and the vehicle level.

Alongside the AMG brushed stainless steel sports pedals with rubber studs, door sill panels and black floor mats with "AMG" lettering accentuate the sporty look. A wide range of interior trim elements is available to customise the interior. AMG trim elements in carbon fibre lend a sporty touch to the interior.

The EQ Boost starter-alternator combines a starter motor and an alternator in a single electric motor integrated between the engine and the transmission.

The additional 22hp of output plus 250 Nm of torque which can be called upon temporarily not only enable more spontaneous moving-off characteristics. This component supplies the 48-volt on-board electrical system, is used as a power generator and also performs hybrid functions. These include boost, recuperate, load point shift and the virtually imperceptible restarting of the engine with the start/stop function.

The AMG 4.0-litre V8 engine works with the well-proven twin turbocharging, where the two exhaust-gas turbochargers are arranged between the cylinder banks. The advantages of the "hot inside V" are the compact engine design and the immediate response of the exhaust-gas turbochargers. These are implemented using twin-scroll technology to make optimum use of the exhaust gas flow and improve the response even further.

For increased efficiency, Mercedes-AMG has also equipped the V8 engines with cylinder deactivation. In the partial-load range, cylinders two, three, five and eight are deactivated, which crucially reduces the fuel consumption.

When the driver has selected the "Comfort" drive program, the cylinder deactivation system is available in the wide engine speed range from 1000 to 3250 rpm. A special display in the instrument cluster indicates whether the cylinder deactivation system is in use and whether the engine is presently operating in four or eight-cylinder mode. The transition between these two operating states is said to be immediate, fast and torque-neutral.

In the more powerful S variant, the eight-cylinder has active engine mounts. They resolve the conflicting aims of achieving as soft a connection as possible to the powertrain for high comfort, and as rigid a connection as possible for optimum driving dynamics, by steplessly and quickly adapting their rigidity to the respective driving conditions.


US opens Tesla probe into reports steering wheels fell off

                WASHINGTON: The US National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) said Wednesday it is opening a preliminary investigation into 120,000 Tesla Model Y vehicles after two reports of steering wheels falling off while driving.

The US auto safety regulator said the steering wheels in both 2023 model year vehicles, which had a low mileage, completely detached. The vehicles were delivered to owners missing the retaining bolt that attaches the steering wheel to the steering column.

The agency is opening a preliminary investigation to assess the "scope, frequency, and manufacturing processes associated with this condition."

The investigation is a first step before NHTSA could demand a recall.

The agency said it received a complaint from a parent who had bought a new Model Y five days earlier and was on Route 1 South in Woodbridge, New Jersey on Jan 29 "and all the sudden steering wheel" fell off. "Was lucky there was no car behind and able to pull on divider."

NHTSA posted a link to a tweet as part of the complaint filing. The tweet has received more than 2.4 million views on Twitter.

Tesla did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

NHTSA said "both vehicles received an end of line repair requiring removal and re-installation of the steering wheel."

The agency said a "friction fit maintained the connection between the steering wheel and the column splines during operation until separation. Sudden separation occurred when the force exerted on the steering wheel overcame the resistance of the friction fit while the vehicles were in motion."


Mercedes-Benz shows interior of EQE SUV ahead of Oct 16 premiere

                STUTTGART: Mercedes-Benz is whetting public appetite for the new EQE with a photo that offers a first look at the SUV's interior.

The SUV would be launched online on Oct 16 on the Mercedes me media platform at https://media.mercedes-benz.com/EQE-SUV and other digital channels.

Mercedes-Benz said the new EQE SUV is an all-round EV model, expressed in the world premiere film through an entertaining alternation between dream scenes and reality.

The fourth model on the electric vehicle architecture provides SUV enthusiasts with another entry point into the electric age.

The EQE SUV is being marketed as the multi-purpose variant of the EQE business saloon. It offers a highly versatile interior space equipped with innovative features for comfort and convenience. The modular drivetrain concept facilitates a wide performance spectrum with a choice of rear- or all-wheel drive.

A more performance-oriented EQE in the form of the Mercedes-AMG EQE SUV would also be introduced.

Two powerful electric motors and the fully variable all-wheel drive form the basis for the hallmark AMG dynamic driving experience.

The Mercedes-AMG development specialists have also given a host of other parameters their own distinctive flavour.

They include the suspension with rear-axle steering as standard, the AMG SOUND EXPERIENCE and the design of both the exterior and interior.


GM cutting hundreds of jobs to reduce costs

                DETROIT: General Motors Co is cutting hundreds of executive-level and salaried jobs as it looks to cut costs and streamline operations, a person briefed on the matter said on Tuesday.

The global reductions are in the "low hundreds," the person said.

GM chief people officer Arden Hoffman said in a letter to employees on Tuesday the Detroit automaker is "committed to US$2 billion in cost savings in the next two years, which we’ll find by reducing corporate expenses, overhead, and complexity in all our products."

GM disclosed the US$2 billion cost cut target in January. The automaker said in January it did not plan layoffs and on Tuesday did not characterise the cuts as layoffs.

GM said the job action Tuesday "follows our most recent performance calibration and supports managing the attrition curve as part of our overall structural costs reduction effort."

Hoffman said "in an environment where our competitors’ margins are improving, it's imperative that we act now and focus on our own efficiency."

Hoffman added that "to deliver on our commitments and to beat the competition, we need to have the winning team, bar none. We need a culture shift that enables us to hold ourselves accountable for achieving the higher levels of operating that are now required."

Hoffman said "globally, employees and leaders will be equipped with options to address any issues with greater urgency, so we can achieve our boldest goals.... This is a fundamental cultural shift to be more performance-driven and accountable."

Earlier this month, Ford Motor said it was cutting one in nine jobs in Europe, axing 3,800 roles in product development and administration as part of a drive to lower costs in the region and concentrate engineering know-how in the United States.

Stellantis and unions on Monday signed an agreement to cut up to 2,000 workers from the carmaker's Italian operations this year through voluntary redundancies.

On Tuesday, Stellantis indefinitely idled a plant in Illinois that employs about 1,350 workers.


People carrier shootout: Honda BR-V vs Toyota Sienta vs Proton Ertiga

CarSifu has brought together three of the latest vehicles in the local market to assess their merits for the tasks they were designed for.

Whether crossover or multi-purpose vehicles (MPVs), they are essentially built to have big interior spaces to carry as many people as they can within the limits of their compact dimensions.

Space and comfort levels between the three test vehicles are different. Performance, visual aesthetics and styling vary as well.

Such differences are to be expected in the spirit of competition and the relentless pressure on car makers to offer a set of desirable features in their products at a pricing that’s attractive to the target consumers. All test units were the top-of-the-line versions.

The Toyota Sienta, Honda BR-V and Proton Ertiga are recent entries into Malaysia, having being launched here either last year or early this year. How do they stack up against each other?

Well, we are here to find out, aren’t we? Let’s dig in.

Honda BR-V
This Honda model is the newest of the trio, being the first car to be launched locally in 2017 when it debuted in early January.

We have had a few flings with it. First in Japan, then in Thailand followed by a local media drive, and now in the company of two rivals.

Design-wise, the BR-V is a chimera of sorts, combining an SUV styling with the spaciousness of an MPV.

Viewed sideways, the BR-V gives a sense that it is a derivative of something smaller like you would know the Perodua Bezza or the Kia Rio sedan are. Indeed the BR-V is.

It is adapted from the Brio hatch platform that has spun off the Brio sedan, the Mobilio MPV, and now this. All of which signals that there are lots of parts sharing to keep a lid on production costs.

Look at the steering wheel plus the binnacle, and the avid Honda fans will know where they have seen them before.

Even the engine is the same as that in the City with output and torque figures virtually identical.

Derived from a small car platform, some trade-off in aesthetics exists. On the whole, the BR-V looks presentable but there’s also less fluidity in its lines as the Honda team had to stretch the body to the max to fit three rows and seven people. And it does the job competently enough.

Giving it that SUV look are roof rails, a higher ground clearance, plastic cladding around wheel arches and 16-inch alloy wheels.

Honda Malaysia has crafted a winning package in the BR-V, which is the reason why it’s selling so well.

The SUV appearance holds the biggest appeal. Practicality is spoken for with a big boot, a versatile seating arrangement and 11 cup holders to keep all the, errr, cups, loose change and what-nots you could think of.

Other standard kit are 16-inch tyres, rear air-cond vents, four-speaker stereo system with hands-free features, electric power steering, halogen projector headlights and LED daytime running lights.

Two airbags, vehicle stability assist (VSA), hill start assist (HSA), anti-lock braking system (ABS), electronic brake distribution (EBD) and ISOFIX points for child car seats add up to a proper set of safety gear in the RM84K-RM90K price band the BR-V occupies.

This is one of the safest vehicles around, and Asean NCAP says so, giving it a 5-star safety rating.

Cabin space all round for most adults is good though they will find third row to be snug.

On the move, the engine is up to the task of hauling the entire machinery at a brisk pace. There’s sufficient pickup when overtaking traffic.

It didn’t feel underpowered, and the continuously variable transmission (CVT) covers a wider torque range to allow sustained uphill drives.

The suspension helps cushion passengers from the bumps and ruts on roads, making the cabin a calm and comfortable space when travelling at highway speeds. However, body roll is noticeable when taking corners.

Steering is light for easy manoeuvrability especially in jams.

Proton Ertiga
Out of the three vehicles tested here, the Proton Ertiga out-manouvers the competition with its price at RM64,800 for the Executive Plus variant which is featured here.

You can get the Ertiga at an even lower price with the Executive variant with a choice of five-speed manual transmission at RM58,800 and a four-speed automatic at RM61,800.

However, the Ertiga is only a six-seater compared to the other two MPVs but it’s not a deal breaker as it has a lot going for it other than its affordability.

For one, the Ertiga is very comfortable, thanks to its pliant suspension and thick seat padding. The cabin is also well insulated and keeps external noise at bay. It also offers a lot of head room for the driver and the occupants. And if you need to haul stuff around, it offers a lot of space too.

The second row seats fold 60:40 while the third row at 50:50 and with both rows folded you get a massive 735 litres of storage space.

The Ertiga is powered by the 1.4-litre Suzuki K14B engine with variable valve timing (VVT) that delivers 91hp at 6,000rpm and 130Nm of torque at 4,000 rpm. If you’re wondering why it has a Suzuki engine it’s because it is a rebadge of the Suzuki Ertiga which was designed and built for the Indonesian market.

The figures shown above may lead you to conclude that the Ertiga is underpowered. But such is not the case. The Ertiga’s powertrain has a smooth and capable delivery.

The transmission, albeit a four-speed automatic, feels more responsive and engaging than a continuously variable transmission (CVT).

The Ertiga has a relatively high clearance of 185mm which gives the driver a slightly perched view and the car is really fun to drive as it handles really well.

You would easily forget you are driving an MPV because of its zippy character and steering the Ertiga makes you feel like you’re inside a compact car but with a lot more room.

For a car at this price, we were pleasantly surprised with the very low levels of noise, vibration and harshness (NVH).

Inside, the Ertiga is covered in beige from the upholstery to the dashboard making for a bright interior and more importantly, you will notice the quality of the fit and finish.

Your passengers will enjoy the ceiling mounted air-conditioner blower that is good enough to cool the entire vehicle.

The Ertiga is also well equipped with safety features such as two front airbags, reverse sensors, anti-lock braking system with electronic brakeforce distribution, ISOFIX childseat points and top tethers on second row seats.

The Executive Plus variant gets additional equipment such as turn indicators on wing mirrors, front fog lamp trimming, driver seat height adjuster, audio system controls on steering wheel and metallic trimming for interior door release latches.

The Ertiga is an affordable, comfortable and a capable people-carrier with enough frills to be enjoyed.

Toyota Sienta
While compact multi-purpose vehicles usually come with boxy-styling to maximise interior space, Toyota seemed to have worked around the typical exterior looks by injecting curves and bold character in the Sienta.

The fun and youthful theme for this Indonesia-manufactured vehicle continues inside with a curvaceous dashboard, a free standing centre display and dual tone trimmings of black and brown.

Our top-of-the-line V grade variant priced at RM99,900 was equipped with Optitron meters and a 4.2-inch multi-information display which are not only easy to read even under bright sunlight but give an upmarket feel.

Based on a modified Vios platform, the seven-seater Sienta has a flat floor layout on the second row similar to that in the Vios. This flat floor area made walking easier as there is no centre hump to trip over.

In addition, it also allows the centre passenger to place his or her feet flat on the floor for a more comfortable seating position. The generous floor to ceiling height easily translates into a roomy interior for all three rows.

However, the third row seats are best recommended for children although legroom can be increased by sliding the second row forward.

Like the Proton Ertiga and Honda BR-V, the Sienta also gets a rear air-conditioner blower to ensure cool air gets everyone inside.

The Sienta is the only vehicle of the three with rear power sliding doors, which makes it much easier for second and third row passengers to enter and exit the vehicle since sliding doors provide a bigger opening area compared with swing out doors.

The sliding doors, which can be activated by the remote control fob, also allowed easy entry and exit in tight parking bays.

Powering the Sienta is a 1.5-litre Dual VVTi engine producing 107PS and 140Nm of torque mated to a continuously variable transmission (CVT) with a seven-speed Sport Sequential Shiftmatic mode. Its kerb weight of 1,350kg, the heaviest of the three vehicles, does blunt the Sienta’s acceleration from on standstill.

Stomp on the accelerator and the CVT will keep the engine revving just before the redline and upshifting the “gears” seamlessly.

However, once we have gotten the Sienta up and running, picking up speed is not too difficult. The electric power make steering easy and effortless although it does not provide much feedback.

Its combination of front MacPherson struts and rear torsion beam suspension is tweaked for firm as it may be required to carry seven persons should the occasion arises.

Being a tall vehicle, the Sienta tends to roll more around fast corners compared with sedans and hatchbacks, so don’t drive the Sienta like it’s a sports car.

At night, the bi-LED headlamps offers a good spread of light which allows for safer driving. Being the most expensive of the three vehicles, the Sienta is also the most features-packed.

Aside from two front airbags, anti-lock braking system, vehicle stability control and hill-start assist, the Sienta also gets a driver knee airbag, front digital video recorder, satellite navigation and all-round disc brakes which the Ertiga and BR-V are not equipped with.

Verdict
All three models provide value-for-money propositions depending on what you are looking for in a compact people carrier.

The Proton Ertiga Executive Plus with a price tag of RM64,800, might not have the styling and features that are as “mouth-watering” as the Honda BR-V or the Toyota Sienta’s, buyers can save up to RM35,000 by opting for the national brand.

What the Ertiga impresses us are its brisk acceleration, driving dynamics and handling even though its smaller 1.4-litre engine delivers 91hp (92PS), way below the BR-V’s 120PS and the Sienta’s 107PS.

Its four-speed automatic transmission surprises by delivering punchy acceleration to enable it to easily keep up with the BR-V, the most powerful vehicle of the three.

Ertiga.Sienta.BR-V.

We could only suspect that the continuously variable transmission of the BR-V and Sienta was tuned for a more sedate and fuel saving driving experience.

If you are not bothered by the Ertiga’s plain-in-comparison appearance, this vehicle should please the not-so-fussy buyers with a small budget (Proton did say it is working on some facelifts).

Mind you, the Sienta and BR-V have seven seats, while the Ertiga has only six. But if you have more cash to splurge like RM92,800 for the BR-V and RM99,900 for Sienta, you will get vehicles which have not only bolder looks but also a long list of comfort and safety features.

Currently one of the most sought after cars in the Malaysian market, the BR-V has already made a deep impression as one of the cars to own.

The sports utility vehicle body style of the BR-V is certainly the key to its popularity while a modern interior with plenty of storage areas add to its overall appeal.

Like the Sienta, the BR-V also gets vehicle stability control, large centre touchscreen display with reverse camera, keyless entry with push start/stop button which are features that consumers want even in vehicles costing just below RM100,000.

While the BR-V is the clear favourite in this shootout, the Sienta, for which costs RM7,000 more, is a worthy consideration as it includes extra features such LED headlamps, driver knee airbag, all-round disc brakes, front digital video recorder, satellite navigation, two power rear sliding doors and security and solar film, among others. — HONG BOON HOW, GEORGE WONG and RIZAL JOHAN


Porsche publishes 'Unseen' secret design studies from 2005 to 2019

                STUTTGART: After having kept their designs well hidden and under lock and key, Porsche has finally allowed them to see the light of day.

The German sportscar maker has decided to go ahead and published 15 of their design studies conducted from 2005 to 2019 under the title "Porsche Unseen".

But, of course, all 15 studies will not be divulged here - except for a unique trio that shows the progression from drawing to a finished model ready for series production.

Following the 328-page publication being made available, those intending to visit the Porsche Museum at Porscheplatz 1, in Stuttgart, Germany will be happy to note they will be integrating the models into their 2021 exhibition.

And as with all vehicles, the design process starts with a sketch which is followed by a 3D model.

As soon as an idea is to be further developed, small 1:3 scaled models are produced before realising in a 1:1 hard model.

“The virtual world is the first step, but you especially have to experience the unusual models in reality in order to understand whether a car has small, large or surprising proportions,” said Style Porsche vice president Michael Mauer.

So, without further ado, here are the three samples to tickle the palate of a Porsche fan.

Starting with zee Porsche 919 Street, its development stems from the technology used in the company's Le Mans LMP1 challenger - the 919 Hybrid.

The promise here was to make the driving experience of the 919 Hybrid available to the owner of the 919 Steet.

How do you ask? Well, this car actually has the same dimensions and wheelbase as the championship-winning car and beneath its outer shell is a carbon monocoque along with the powerful 900PS hybrid racing drivetrain. That's how.

Next, we have the Porsche Vision Spyder that presents itself in a spartan way that speaks loudest to purists with its minimalistic approach depicted by the radiator grilles over the mid-mounted engine, red graphic elements and the suggested fins at the rear.

The compact Porsche Vision Spyder (2019; 1:1 hard model) clearly calls to mind the Porsche 550-1500 RS Spyder from 1954.

At the same time, the study was intended to further develop the design identity of Porsche and provide a pool of ideas for future details – for example, the ultra-modern roll bar.

Here, we have something peculiar that's something called the Porsche vision “Renndienst” and presented in a 1:1 model.

Porche allowed its designers to freely interpret a family-friendly space concept for six persons who came up with a futuristic "space shuttle".

This study shows how the Porsche design DNA with its characteristic surface modelling can be transferred to an unknown vehicle segment for the brand and still have a comfortable and modular travel cabin.

With the driver sitting in a central driver's seat, power will be provided by an all-electric drivetrain hidden in the underbody and as a result, occupants will be able to enjoy a rather generous amount of cabin space mixed together with Porsche-like flair.


Peugeot gets new design chief

                PARIS: Matthias Hossann has been appointed Peugeot brand design director, and will take up his post on July 28. He succeeds Gilles Vidal, who left to join Renault.

Coming from the talent pool of the PSA Group's style department, Hossann, aged 40, graduated from the Strate design school near here and joined the group's style department in 2002.

He has since held various positions internationally, with five years at the centre of Shanghai style and has worked on all the brands of the group.

Since 2013, he has been responsible for the prospective design of the Peugeot brand with benchmark concept cars, including the latest e-Legend, and has piloted the preliminary design of the brand's vehicles, including the 208 and 2008.

The group said Hossann's appointment "allows coherence between the strategic vision of the design of the Peugeot brand and the implementation of the style of production models, thus supporting the dynamism of the Lion brand for years to come."

 Vidal will be starting work with Renault's design team in November.


Mexico to auction Lamborghini, Porsches seized from criminals

A 2007 Lamborghini Murcielago (also below) was among the assets confiscated. — Reuters/AFP

MEXICO CITY: Mexico announced Tuesday it will auction off scores of luxury cars seized by police, as its austerity-crusading president seeks to send a message in a country where powerful criminals often wield their bling with impunity.

President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador said the proceeds from the sale of the 82 cars - which include a Lamborghini Murcielago, three Porsches and dozens of armored trucks - would be invested in poor communities.

The auction, scheduled for Sunday, will be run by the government's newly launched "Institute to Return What Has Been Robbed to the People," he told a press conference.

"Everything that is seized (from criminals) will now be given to communities, especially the country's poor communities," said the left-wing populist.

Lopez Obrador, 65, took office in December with a promise to "transform" a country fed up with crime and corruption.

 A fleet of the seized vehicles. - Reuters

The official tasked with heading the new institute, Ricardo Rodriguez, said its mission was to undo what he called a "reverse Robin Hood effect" in Mexico.

"They were robbing from the poor and giving it to the corrupt. Not anymore. Now (the president's) instructions are to give back to the people, the legitimate owners of these resources," he said.

The total value of the entry-level bids for the vehicles is around 28 million pesos (US$1.5 million), though officials expect the final bids will come in higher, he said.

Real estate and jewels seized from criminals and corrupt politicians will go under the hammer in separate auctions, he said.

 A 2015 Chevrolet Corvette Stingray. - Reuters

The vehicle auction will be held at the former presidential residence, Los Pinos, which Lopez Obrador has forsworn and turned into a cultural center.

The president, widely known as "AMLO," has also given up the presidential bodyguards, jet and 60 percent of the salary.

Lopez Obrador, who won last year's election in a landslide, remains widely popular in a country that was hungry for change after years of corruption and violent crime that has claimed more than 250,000 lives since 2006.

But he faces growing criticism for failing to curb the violence: the first quarter of the year set a new record for homicides. And experts accuse him of lacking a clear strategy for fighting the country's deeply entrenched, multi-billion-dollar drug cartels.


Volvo XC40 is Car of the Year 2018

GENEVA: The Volvo XC40 has been named as the Car of the Year here ahead of the 2018 Geneva Motor Show.

The XC40 won the award with an ample margin, gathering 325 points. This is the first time a Volvo has won the coveted award.

The Volvo was in contention with six other cars for the top European award namely Alfa Romeo Stelvio, Audi A8, BMW 5 Series, Citroen C3 Aircross, Kia Stinger and SEAT Ibiza.

Volvo president and CEO Hakan Samuelsson was present to receive the trophy for the XC40.

The roomy SEAT Ibiza was second among the seven nominees aspiring to the title, with 242 points, a recognition of its strong position in the B-segment. BMW 5 Series was third in this final voting (226 points), followed by Kia Stinger (204), Citroën C3 Aircross (171), Audi A8 (169) and Alfa Romeo Stelvio (163). The group of seven finalists were assembled last November from a long list of 37 candidates.

The Car of the Year jury is made up of 60 journalists from 23 European countries. They performed the last round of driving tests at the Mortefontaine proving ground in France two weeks ago.

Last year’s winner was the Peugeot 3008.

 The automotive jurors settling the final scores of the seven finalists in Mortefontaine, France.

Another major awards programme, World Car of the Year Award, will announce its own winner on March 28 at the New York International Auto Show. In this awards event, 10 models have been shortlisted. For this year, they are Land Rover Discovery, Range Rover Velar, BMW X3, Mazda CX-5, Volkswagen T-Roc, Volvo XC60, Alfa Romeo Giulia, Kia Stinger, Nissan LEAF and Toyota Camry.

Selections of winners are based on a wider pool of automotive journalists from around the world. They include jurors from China, Japan, South Korea, India and Egypt. The 2017 World Car of the Year was the Jaguar F-PACE.

The Geneva motor show opens to the public from March 8-18.

READ MORE:
Orders for new Volvo XC40 surge past 20,000 units
A sneak peek of the new Volvo XC40 Inscription
Volvo plant in Belgium starts making XC40
Volvo rolls out compact XC40 in latest upmarket move under Geely
Volvo XC40 promises to cut the clutter


Proton keeps eye on ball

                PETALING JAYA: When Datuk Radzaif Mohamed was made deputy chief executive officer of Proton Holdings Bhd on April 1,2016, being told that he had his work cut out for him definitely wasn’t an April Fool’s Day joke.

At the time, the national carmaker was at a low point. Financially, the company was bleeding... badly. For the fiscal year ended December 2015, Proton had incurred a net loss of RM646.3mil compared with a net loss of RM461.6mil in the previous year.

In terms of total industry volume, the national carmaker was barely hanging on to second spot - a position it would lose in April 2016 and only regain in July 2019.

Proton, once considered the pride of the nation, was now a brand that many were losing confidence in.

“In a lot of ways, we’re like a football team. If you keep winning, you will continue being supported. But when you lose, you will lose the support, ” Radzaif tells StarBizweek.

Proton was set up by former Prime Minister Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad to transform Malaysia into an industrialised nation.

The idea was that the carmaker would create jobs, provide access to technologies, bring in export earnings and spawn a host of supporting industries.

From the very beginning, the carmaker lacked economies of scale, meaning its cost was way higher than established carmakers.

The gradual liberalisation of the auto industry and the entry of the second national car project - Perodua, in 1992 with its game-changing Myvi model beginning 2005 - also changed the industry. With non-national cars gaining ground, by 2016, the competition had become fierce for national car companies. What’s more, Proton was still being punished for mistakes it had rectified years prior.

“For many years, Proton was known for its power window problems or dangling signal lights, ” says Radzaif.

“While these issues had been long sorted, the stigma remains. Why? Because back then when Proton was plagued with these problems, you had the owner of the car driving it. With him in the car, could be his son or daughter and then even the grandchildren. So, that’s three generations that’s going to remember you!”

Proton, having been assisted by the government for years, knew that this privilege would not last forever. “In 2016, we received financial support from the government but for Proton to survive and to become significant, we needed to look for a strategic partner and that was always the intent, ” says Radzaif.

In September 2017, China’s Zhejiang Geely Automotive Co Ltd (Geely) completed its acquisition of a 49.9% stake in Proton from parent DRB-Hicom Bhd. On Sept 29,2017, Dr Li Chunrong was appointed chief executive officer for Proton.

Radzaif says Li had put in place a 10-year plan to turn around Proton.

“There were three targets, namely to get to leadership position; to become number three in Asean by 2027; and to make Proton profitable.

“We made many visits to China and looked into things such as capacity expansion, quality improvement, increased localisation, cost competitiveness and being customer orientated.”

But to execute these targets, Proton would first need to change the mindset of its people.

“Li came in and took over the helm and gave us an opportunity to reset ourselves. There was a trust deficit in Proton. People didn’t have confidence in the brand and it was quite difficult to keep on saying that we would change. People were not seeing any differences being made.

“If you looked at the customer satisfaction index at the time, we were down at the bottom and it was no surprise. We couldn’t react fast enough to customer complaints.”

Today, Proton is quick to address any complaints that come its way, Radzaif says.

“When there were complaints back then, it probably never even got past the shop floor. Today if it doesn’t get sorted within 24 to 48 hours, our CEO will already know about it!”

Internally, efforts have also been made to improve the quality of the vehicles. Radzaif says Proton’s demerit points have fallen drastically since the tie-up with Geely.

“When Li came in, Proton’s demerit points were over 6,000. Volvo’s standard was 800, while Geely’s was 1,300.

“Our target after three years is to bring down Proton’s demerit points to 1,000, but we’ve already achieved lower than that. As at June it was 649. After all the hard work, we’re at this level now.” In spite of the various internal changes made to the company, Proton still needed a product that could walk the talk... And that product was the X70 sports-utility vehicle (SUV).

The X70, based on Geely’s Boyue was launched in December 2018 and as at June 2020 is the best-selling C-segment SUV in the country. Proton sold 1,909 units last month and the model is also the best-selling SUV overall for the first half of 2020. So well received was the X70 that Radzaif believes that the model boosted confidence in Proton’s other products as well.

“We needed to get customers’ confidence back and we did it with the X70. The brand confidence of the X70 filtered down to our other models and because of our SUV, people were coming back to buy the other models.”

Radzaif says that the success of the X70 proved critics wrong that an ailing, Malaysian car company could find success by tying up with a Chinese automotive firm.

“Firstly, people were losing confidence with Proton as a brand. Secondly, Chinese car companies have always had a stigma that their products were not up to standards. But we proved everyone wrong.”

To commemorate Proton’s 35th anniversary this year, the national carmaker has launched a special, Saga Anniversary Edition, marking the 4,150,035th car to roll off the line.

Limited to 1,100 units only, and available exclusively in black with yellow highlights on both the exterior and interior, the Saga Anniversary Edition is priced at RM39,300.

Radzaif says more than 1,000 units have already been booked, noting that the high take-up level in the model is testament that Malaysians are still strongly supportive of the Proton brand.

Pandemic-ready

Proton’s total domestic and export sales for 2019 surged by 36,077 units or 55.7% year-on-year to 100,821 units. Proton’s car sales had in fact surpassed the 64,744 units sold in entire 2018 by September 2019.

This made Proton the country’s second-biggest car seller, a marked improvement from its fourth ranking in 2018. Overall market share for the year stood at 16.7%, the company’s highest since 2014.

In January, the group had set a targeted to sell 132,000 vehicles this year. Proton had also planned to ramp up exports for 2020 to 4,000 units (or potentially 6,000 units with the right support) from 1,070 units last year.

However, the Covid-19 pandemic essentially threw a spanner into the works for businesses globally and the local automotive industry has not been spared.

Because of its close ties with China, through Geely, Radzaif says Proton was already gearing up for the pandemic way before it hit Malaysia.

“We have the benefit that Geely comes from China and they gave us a head start that something is going to happen. Even before the movement control order (which was implemented on March 18), we started practising distancing and actually cut down physical meetings.

“We had meetings with DRB-Hicom on how to protect our cashflow. We were already preparing ourselves and we knew times would be tough. We had no idea when this thing would be overcome. Right now, we’re actually working harder then before MCO.

“But we also had an advantage not because of China. It was because in 2017 and in 2018 we went through a state of flux in turning around Proton. We were disrupted in a way that made us ready for the disruptions that came about during the pandemic.”

During the MCO, Radzaif says Proton was constantly conducting surveys with its dealers and vendors on how soon Proton could get things up and running.

“Once this whole thing gets resolved, how long can we go back to resuming business as usual? Especially when many of the vendors employ foreigners. Because of that, it wasn’t going to be easy to restart again. We analysed all scenarios and we have 200 vendors. Safety was always a concern.” Despite the challenging environment, Radzaif says Proton made a conscious effort not to retrench any of its staff.

“However, because of this, we had to make sacrifices and cuts elsewhere, ” he says

Proton’s sales rebounded in June with 9,623 units sold, with the Saga posting the best sales month in nearly six years.

June also marked the second best month in terms of sales this year for the national carmaker as three models led sales in their respective segments. The number also represents a 69.5% growth over May 2020 and a 26.3% increase over the same month in 2019 when the world wasn’t affected by a pandemic. In the first half of 2020, its market share was 21.2%, which was a 6.5% increase from a year ago.

For now, Proton is mum on its sales targets for 2020. However, Radzaif emphasises that the goal remains the same, regardless of the situation.

“The plan is there. I think along the way we just have to fine-tune it. But we’re very clear about what we need to achieve. It’s not going to be easy. We know that we have to continuously be on the ball, ” he says.


Australia bumps up investment in EV chargers, shuns sales targets

                SYDNEY/MELBOURNE: The Australian government today pledged A$178 million (RM548mil) to ramp up the rollout of hydrogen refuelling and charging stations for electric vehicles, but did not offer EV rebates or set targets to phase out petrol cars.

Prime Minister Scott Morrison said the beefed up Future Fuels Fund provides "an Australian way" to lower transport emissions, reiterating a slogan he introduced recently to describe the country's middle ground on climate change policy.

"We will not be forcing Australians out of the car they want to drive or penalising those who can least afford it through bans or taxes," Morrison said in a statement.

"Instead, the strategy will work to drive down the cost of low and zero emission vehicles."

The additional investment, which adds to an existing A$72 million commitment and will be spent by the end of June 2025, will also aid purchases of electric cars and buses for government and business fleets.

Industry groups and green activists, however, said rebates and tax breaks were necessary to encourage the purchase of cleaner cars in a country where transport is the third largest source of carbon emissions.

"The federal government purports to support choice for Australian motorists, but in fact its strategy stifles choice by making it very challenging for Australia to attract a wide selection of battery electric vehicles to the market," Clean Energy Council chief executive Kane Thornton said.

The federal funding is only slightly more than a separate commitment by New South Wales, the country's most populous state, to spend A$171 million on EV chargers over the next four years.

Victoria, the second most populous state, is planning to spend A$29 million on charging infrastructure in regional areas and replacing government cars by 2023.

The federal government said its plan should lower carbon emissions by more than 8 million tonnes by 2035, based on its own projection that battery electric and plug-in hybrid electric vehicles will make up 30% of annual new car and light truck sales by 2030.

Morrison in 2019 slammed a proposal by the opposition Labor Party to target half of all new car sales to be electric by 2030, saying the policy would "end the weekend" for Australians who want to tow their trailers and boats to go camping.

However a recent survey by The Australia Institute think tank found 64% of Australians favoured requiring all new car sales in the country to be zero emission vehicles by 2035 and 71% supported government subsidies for electric cars. read more

Battery electric and plug-in hybrid vehicle sales in Australia hit a record 8,688 in the first half of 2021, but made up just 1.6% of total light vehicle sales. In Norway, the global leader in EV uptake, battery electric vehicle sales made up nearly 80% of new car sales in September. read more

Fast charger priority

The Future Fuels Fund will focus on extending coverage of fast-charging stations to regional areas, investing with private firms in 1,000 public charging stations and in charging infrastructure at businesses and households.

Australia has about 3,000 public chargers installed across the country, according to the Electric Vehicle Council. By comparison, California alone has over 73,000 public and shared chargers.

The Electric Vehicle Council said the national plan should have at least included fuel efficiency standards.

"If Australia continues to be one of the only developed nations without fuel efficiency standards then we will continue to be a dumping ground for the world's dirtiest vehicles," council chief executive Behyad Jafari said in a statement.

The transport infrastructure funding was announced just weeks after Morrison adopted a net zero carbon emissions target by 2050 in the face of international criticism that the major coal and gas producer was not doing enough to address climate change.