Win great prizes from Bosch Automotive Aftermarket Merdeka photography contest

                PETALING JAYA: Bosch Automotive Aftermarket is holding a photography competition in conjunction with the Merdeka month celebration.

To join the contest running from  Aug 15-31, participants need to shoot a creative image of their car with the Jalur Gemilang and upload the image to Instagram with the hashtag #BoschMERDEKAR.

They should also tag and follow @boschautopartsmy on Instagram, and also make the account public.

It will be a bonus for the participants if Bosch auto parts are featured in the image.

Five lucky winners with the most creative Merdeka themed images will stand a chance to win a Bosch C7 Battery Charger each, while 10 other winners will win Shopee vouchers worth RM50 each.

Bosch Automotive Aftermarket said a survey in 2020 indicated that more than 75% of Malaysians planned to travel domestically once the movement control order (MCO) was lifted.

"Since movement restrictions were relaxed in April, families have been traveling to reunite and celebrate the festivities and many are looking forward to exploring Malaysia and enjoying the rich experiences and local food, and Merdeka offers them a chance to do that," it said.

Bosch Automotive Aftermarket also suggested that freedom outdoors can be enjoyed at Tugu Negara, watching the Kuala Lumpur skyline light up with fireworks or witnessing the Merdeka Day Parade at Dataran Merdeka on Aug 31.

Other interesting venues to visit during the celebrations include Taman Tasik Titiwangsa, Kuala Lumpur; Changkat Semantan, Kuala Lumpur; Bukit Permai, Cheras and Genting Highlands, Pahang.

The company also said studies showed that more than 50% of Malaysian drivers lack knowledge on basic car maintenance.

As a breakdown could spoil holiday plans, Bosch Automotive Aftermarket suggested that drivers do occasional inspections on:

> Steering – make sure the steering system (wheel) is working smoothly while maneuvering
> Brakes – take note of any unusual sound when braking
> Fluid levels – brake fluid, engine oil, coolant fluid and wiper tank
> Tyres – check tyre tread depth by placing a 20-sen coin in the tread and if you can read the date on the coin clearly, it’s time to change your tyres. Remember to also ensure tyre pressure is at the required level
> Battery – check on the health of the battery and charge it with the Bosch C7 battery charger if required
> Wipers – clean and functional wiper contributes to a clearer visibility. Take time to change them if they are worn out
> Lights – visual check on all the lights to make sure they are functional
> Car suspension – send your car over to a reliable workshop if you hear any unusual noise or sounds when going through bumps and potholes
>Seatbelts – check for any visual damage on the belt as well at the buckle
> Baby car seat – make sure the car seat is properly installed and no visual damage or cracks on it

Drivers can also maintain their car by always requesting workshops to use quality car parts that are convenient to obtain with the availability of genuine car parts online from Bosch AA through Lazada and Shopee.

Look out for certified original Bosch car parts and authorised Bosch dealers by logging on to Bosch Autoparts Malaysia Facebook or Instagram or head on to Bosch Autoparts official store on Shopee and Lazada to purchase reliable car parts.


BMW’s discontinued i3 is already an EV cult classic

                NEW YORK: When BMW launched its electric-hatchback i3 in 2013, it was the carmaker’s first ever mass-produced fully electric vehicle.

A quirky little car, with four seats, rear-hinged back doors and a frame made from carbon fiber-reinforced plastic, the i3 stood dramatically apart from the rest of the brand’s lineup.

This was by design. BMW wasn’t trying to convince its core customers to abandon their sporty sedans and roomy SUVs - the goal was to entice early EV adopters to give the German automaker a try.

The plan worked perhaps too well. When the i3 started popping up on US dealership lots, BMW loyalists largely ignored it, while new customers came looking for the car.

By 2021 the company was ready to refocus on its core customers, and set a goal of making 50% of all BMW sales EVs by 2030. In January 2022, BMW said it would stop production of the i3 entirely, instead leaning into larger, longer range EV options like the i4 and iX - cars meant to look like the brand’s other models.

Over the i3’s nine years on the market in the US, slightly more than half of sales went to first-time BMW buyers. But it sold fewer than 50,000 units, according to data from Edmunds, often at steep discounts.

"Electrification became something different,” BMW design lead Domagoj Dukec told Bloomberg last year.

"You don’t reach just for these early adopters. You have to reach for the customer base that’s been buying BMWs for generations.”

A similar dynamic is playing out across much of the industry. As legacy carmakers bring electric models to the mainstream, they are aiming to minimise the disruption for consumers by offering big, rangy vehicles.

While the strategy is arguably a necessary step in moving US drivers away from combustion engines, it’s an inefficient way to deploy the costly, heavy lithium-ion batteries that power EVs. It’s also a bittersweet moment for those who’ve come to love some of the little, lightweight models that are disappearing from the market.

Few little EVs are as beloved as the i3.

Over a production run of more than 250,000 vehicles globally, the car has built a devoted following of owners who appreciate its distinctive style, surprising performance, just-enough range and bargain prices.

In online forums, these drivers give their cars animal names - the black-and-white model is a "panda;” the gray, a "dolphin” - and talk about them in terms usually reserved for pets, children or even romantic partners.

Jim Neil bought his i3 on a whim seven years ago. A 74-year-old retired computer scientist in Melbourne, Florida, Neil had taken his previous car, a Toyota Prius, to the dealership for service but left in a huff when they refused to fix a problem with burning oil.

On his way home, he decided to go car shopping.

First, he test drove a Nissan LEAF and didn’t like it. Then he stopped at the BMW dealership.

"I was just going to drive past it because I never considered myself to be a BMW kind of guy,” he recalls.

"But they had four or five of these things lined up in front of the dealership in a row and it just caught my attention.”

After one trip behind the wheel, Neil was sold by the car’s quiet, smooth acceleration - he bought it on the spot. "It was like nothing I'd ever driven before. It was just insanely fun,” he says. "To this day, when I get out of that car, I have to turn around and look at it.”

Neil’s i3 has a "range extender” - an optional two-gallon (15l), two-cylinder gas engine known as "the Rex” among owners - but he rarely needs more than the 80 or so miles (128km) of range that the battery provides.

Occasionally he makes a 209km drive to visit his daughter near Tampa, and for this he sometimes tries to "hyper-mile”: driving slowly on backroads to maximise range. He once made it 183km, he says, before the Rex kicked in.

David Slutzky, founder and CEO of Fermata Energy, which supplies Vehicle-to-Grid (V2G) systems that allow electric vehicles to feed power back to utilities, is a self-described EV "zealot.”

Now 67, he’s been driving electric cars since before Tesla made its first Roadster, owns a 2000 Ford Ranger EV with its original nickel metal hydride battery and once converted a combustion engine Subaru Outback to electric. Fermata owns a small fleet of Nissan LEAFs, but Slutzky’s daily driver is a 2015 BMW i3.

He got the car in 2017, taking over the lease from a previous owner. The plan was to drive it for six months - on trips to and from his office in Charlottesville, Virginia, and for local errands - until Nissan came out with a new longer-range LEAF model. But when the time came, he wasn’t ready to let go.

"I just fell in love with the car,” he says. "I've had lots of good cars, and this is the best driving car that I've ever had.” EVs, as a rule, have a low centre of gravity from the weight of their batteries and instant torque from their electric motors. But Slutzsky says the i3 handles extraordinarily well, even by EV standards.

Alex Knechel bought his i3 after gasoline prices spiked earlier this year. In March, he purchased a used 2016 model - a former government fleet vehicle with 22,530km on it - from the online marketplace Carvana for about US$18,000 (RM79,641). The monthly payment is lower than what he was shelling out for gasoline every few weeks.

"When I first got it, my coworker was like, ‘Cool toy car, bro,’” says Knechel, a 38-year-old wine merchant in central New Jersey. "It is actually really adorable. It grew on me. It's futuristic and has cool lines and this little stubby face thing going on.”

It’s also every bit as quick as his previous car, a BMW 1 series sedan. "I definitely smoke Camaros and Mustangs regularly.”

On a warm day, Knechel says, the battery provides about 128km of range, more than enough for his 74km round-trip commute. On cold days, he sometimes cuts it close, arriving home with about 8km to spare. For longer trips or those involving all three of his daughters, he’ll swap cars with his wife, who drives a Subaru Ascent that Knechel calls the "eight-seater monster truck.”

The i3 pairs well with such larger vehicles. Leon Braginski, a 52-year-old software engineer, also keeps an i3 and Subaru Ascent in the family driveway in Bellevue, Washington. The i3 handles school drop-offs for his two teenage children and other daily trips around town, while the Ascent tackles ski trips and bigger family outings.

"It's a very good combination,” Braginski says. "It actually fits in the garage nicely too.”

Like Knechel, Braginski was looking to save on driving costs when he bought his first used i3, a 2017 model with the range extender, two years ago.

Earlier this year, he replaced it with a 2019 pure electric model. In both cases, Braginski bought used i3s from a BMW dealership, paying tens of thousands of dollars less than the original sticker price. It’s a trick he would like to keep pulling, though it will be hard as new stock dries up.

Laycee Schmidtke, an industry consultant who reviews EVs under the name Miss GoElectric on YouTube, was part of the experiential marketing team for BMW in the US in 2016. She led hundreds of test drives on city streets and closed courses, usually with first-time EV drivers .

Most were astonished, she says, by the i3’s roomy interior and off-the-line torque.

Schmidtke was likewise impressed by i3’s quiet power, so much so that she decided to shift her career focus from ultra luxury cars to EVs.

"It’s sad to see the i3 era conclude. Bold and quirky products like it raise the standards across the board,” she says, adding that "it’s important to have entry-level EV options even in the luxury segment.”

Schmidtke would have liked to see BMW announce an i3 replacement before discontinuing it.

In an email, BMW spokesperson Phil DiIanni says the i3 was a "starting point” for its EV offerings, and iterating on it taught the company a lot. There is no direct successor planned for the i3, Dilanni says, but "in a sense, you could say that the current BMW i4, iX and i7 are all successors.”

Over time, the sunsetting of the i3 may send its superfans into the arms of other BMW models - or just as likely, cheaper models from other carmakers. Knechel, who prefers to buy used, would love one of BMW’s new iX electric SUVs if he could handle the price tag, while Slutzky is likely to return to the LEAF for his next car.

Neil, too, is sad to see the i3 go - but feels its short lifespan only adds to the car’s cool. He compares it to the BMW Isetta, an egg-shaped microcar with a refrigerator-style front door that the automaker made in the late 1950s and early 60s. "I think the i3 will be a curiosity 50 years from now,” Neil says.

In the meantime, though, he has no plans to say goodbye to his i3. Neil has been doing research online and says he may have found a way to replace the battery himself when the car reaches its end of life. "I think I can make it all work,” he says. "I'm going to live to be 128 and I'll be driving my BMW i3 around all day long.”


Travel BIG on AirAsia with Nissan

                KUALA LUMPUR: Edaran Tan Chong Motor (ETCM), in collaboration with AirAsia BIG, launched its Millionaire Drive campaign that will see 15 Nissan customers be in the running to win a grand prize of 300,000 BIG points.

To participate, customers will need to purchase and register their Nissan vehicle this month in the hopes of winning the grand prize, which is the equivalent of five return flights to Tokyo, Sydney, Beijing, Seoul and numerous local destinations.

Also available are 14 Consolation Prizes worth 50,000 BIG Points each that’s comparable to two return flights to Siem Reap, Yangon, Bangkok, Chiang Mai and other local destinations.

The points are valid for three years, and point redemptions for AirAsia flights are based on AirAsia flight sales or AirAsia BIG Fixed Points.

The roadshow will take place at Queensbay Mall (Oct 8 to 11), Sarawak Imperial City Mall (Oct 9 – 11), KB Mall (Oct 15 – 18), KSL (Oct 16 – 18), Mentakab Star Mall (Oct 20 – 25), 1 Utama Shoping Mall (Oct 21 – 25) and finally Sarawak Park City Mall (Oct 30 - Nov 1).

In addition, ETCM’s “RM1.00 Promotion” will be run concurrently with the campaign and allows Nissan customers the opportunity to purchase additional accessories or upgrades for just RM1.

This includes the NISMO Elegance Package for the Almera and the IMPUL Aerokit for the Grand Livina, while those purchasing a Teana or X-Trail 2.5 can opt for an eight-inch Multimedia Navigation System and leather seats for the X-Trail 2.0.

Also for RM1, those purchasing a Sylphy, which comes with three years of free maintenance, may choose the IMPUL Aerokit, V-Kool Elite Tinting or a 6.5-inch Multimedia Navigator System, and those buying a Serena S-Hybrid during the campaign period will enjoy two years of free maintenance.

“The Millionaire Drive campaign is the perfect way of showing our appreciation to our customers as it gives them holiday experiences that they will remember for a lifetime,” said ETCM executive director Datuk Dr Ang Bon Beng.

For more information, log on to www.nissan.com.my or call ETCM’s Nissan Customer Care Centre at 1800-88-3838.


Volkswagen delivers 250,000th electric vehicle

                WOLFSBURG (Germany): The Autostadt was the venue where Volkswagen (VW) delivered its 250,000th electric car - an e-Golf, since the introduction of the e-up! in 2013.

The brand’s electrified model range has been continually expanded in the following years: e- Golf and Golf GTE followed in 2014, the Passat GTE and Passat Variant GTE in 2015.

Since 2018, the Passat and Tiguan have been available as plug-in hybrids in China, where they were followed by battery-electric versions of the Bora and Lavida in 2019.

The best-selling electric car has been the e-Golf with 104,000 units delivered, followed by the Golf GTE (51,000), Passat Variant GTE (42,000) and e-up! (21,000).

Half of VW's customers opted for a battery electric vehicle and the other half for a plug-in hybrid.

The 250,000th car is a “Pure White” e- Golf and it was Sandra Fleischer from Herne who took delivery her new car at the Autostadt in Wolfsburg in mid-December.

Despite some model changes, the Volkswagen brand delivered more than 70,000 electrified vehicles in 2019 - following 50,000 last year.

“With the 250,000th electrified vehicle, the Volkswagen brand has reached a major milestone on the way to carbon-neutral mobility.
"Especially all-electric vehicles such as our new ID. family are the answer to major challenges of our times. They offer considerable driving pleasure and advantages we could only dream of a few years ago.

"They have a carbon-neutral balance, offer more space with comparable outside dimensions, and are quiet, highly efficient, economical and inexpensive to maintain.

"This is why we will be selling the next 250,000 electrified vehicles in a considerably shorter period of time. At Volkswagen, we are convinced that the future is electric," said VW sales, marketing and after-sales board member Jürgen Stackmann.

VW's main sales markets in 2019 were China, Germany, Norway, the UK and US.


Civic is 1 millionth Honda produced in Malaysia

Chujo, Sulaiman and Honda Malaysia president/chief operating officer Sarly Adle Sarkum posing with the Civic.
PETALING JAYA: Honda Malaysia today celebrated an important chapter with the rollout of its 1 millionth car produced at its Pegoh plant in Alor Gajah, Melaka.

The 1 millionth car was a red Civic 1.5L RS. The variant, priced from RM145,000, will be going to a customer in Malaysia.

At the event, Honda Malaysia managing director and chief executive officer Madoka Chujo also announced she would be leaving to return to Japan to assume a new role with the company after a shortlived stint in Malaysia. Her successor would be announced next week.

 Chujo

Chujo was the first woman CEO at Honda Malaysia, and was appointed to the post on April 1, 2021.

"It has been 20 years since Honda Malaysia's establishment in the country," said Chujo.

"In March 2021, we achieved the 1 millionth sale unit milestone with all Malaysians. Just one year later, I am now celebrating another significant milestone with all of you - the 1 millionth production unit, which is the all-new Civic."

Melaka chief minister Datuk Seri Sulaiman Md Ali launched the milestone celebration.

Honda Malaysia has retained its No.1 position in non-national passenger vehicle segment for eight consecutive years since 2014.

Honda Malaysia opened its No.1 Line at the Pegoh plant in January 2003. It was built on an area of 46,543.00 square metres, with a production capacity of 50,000 cars annually. The first Honda model that rolled out from the No.1 Line was the second-generation CR-V.

In October 2013, Honda Malaysia rolled out the Jazz Hybrid model in the No.2 Line which sits on a 49,190.50 square-metre land.

The No.2 Line had its official opening ceremony in January 2014 and the expansion further increased the total production capacity of the Pegoh plant to 100,000 units per year, enabling the company to locally assemble seven models to cater to the growing customer needs.

The seven models are the City, City Hatchback, Civic, Accord, BR-V, HR-V and CR-V. The plant can produce multiple models at the same time with its flexible production capability.

Honda Malaysia said it has invested in a range of advanced manufacturing technologies in the Pegoh plant that are on par with the Honda plants in Japan.

One of the approaches undertaken by Honda Malaysia is the application of advanced manufacturing in the plant such as the Laser Brazing technology that creates a smooth and clean roofline for a sleeker exterior appearance.

The Inner Frame Welding technology is used to enhance the car's body rigidity while the Spray Polyurethane Foam reduces noise and vibration for Honda models.

Honda Malaysia said it would continue to expand the application of e:HEV technology, VTEC Turbocharged, Honda SENSING and Honda CONNECT to its model line-up.

The Honda plant made its 600,000th unit in 2017. To date, Honda has produced more than 124 million automobile units globally.

Honda Malaysia targets to sell 80,000 cars in 2022.

> Honda Malaysia plant factsheet


Proton Persona: (Almost) eveything you need to know. Yeah, we drove it too

                SUBANG JAYA: The new Proton Persona B-segment sedan is more fuel efficient, and comes with better safety features and cabin refinement.

Safety features like ABS (anti-lock braking system) and ESC (electronic stability control) are in all three variants namely Standard, Executive and Premium.

The new Persona uses the same platform as the Iriz hatchback, and also has a 1.6—litre VVT (variable valve timing) engine and CVT (continuously variable transmission).

"It has the same hardware as the Iriz, but we have re-calibrated the engine and transmission for more refinement and smoother power delivery," said Proton chief technical officer Abdul Rashid Musa.

Compared with the previous Persona, the new car's kerb weight is lower by some 50kg. The new Persona has a kerb weight starting from 1,100kg. All variants get 185/55 R15 tyre size.

Stopping distance (from 100kph to standstill) has improved to 41.4 metres. "This is with the new Persona having rear drum brakes, compared with 44.6 metres for the previous Persona with rear disc brakes," said Abdul Rashid.

At a constant 90kph, the new Persona is 10% (automatic transmission) and 13% (manual transmission) more fuel efficient compared with its predecessor.

The Premium variant gets extras like six airbags, leather seats, front seatback pockets, engine start-stop button and keyless entry (via button on driver's door), and a touchscreen display with navigation. It has a cavernous boot at 510 litres.

Persona test drive

We drove the Premium variant with a CVT, and where ride and handling are concerned, the new Persona performed well at Proton's test track in Subang Jaya.

The steep banking or slope of the track turns, allowed thrilling high-speed drives of the Persona.
Wind and engine noise intrusion in the cabin is low at speeds below 110kph, and the refinement level is more than adequate. At 110kph, we noted engine speed was at around 3,000rpm.

However, there is some rough engine roar under hard acceleration and at engine speeds above 5,000rpm. We don't think this is a deal-breaker, as overall, the new Persona has a refined cabin quality that impresses.

The ESC works efficiently, and this was demonstrated by Proton track drivers in simulated emergency manoeuvres on the test track.

There is plenty of leg and head room, with more than an inch of gap between our heads and the rear roof line, when we leaned back in the rear seats (we are 1.73 metre in height).

It is a well-put together product, and based on our brief test drive, we are impressed with the new sporty and stylish design, and the level of refinement Proton has injected here. Booking are now open and the first buyers will receive a 3-year free maintenance package.

Prices will be announced at the Persona's launch on Aug 23.

READ MORE:
What's the best way to minimise Proton's losses?
Proton Persona to launch in August, followed by Saga and MPV
First drive of Proton Perdana to Malacca
More Proton service centres adopt 7-day operations


Hyundai and H2 Energy to introduce first fleet of commercial fuel cell electric trucks

                HANOVER: Hyundai Motor Company affirmed that it has entered into a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with Swiss hydrogen company H2 Energy (H2E). Beginning in 2019 and over a five year period Hyundai Motor and H2 Energy will provide 1,000 heavy-duty fuel cell electric trucks and an adequate supply chain for renewable hydrogen.

With the introduction of the world’s first mass-produced fuel cell electric vehicle, the Tucson Fuel Cell in 2013, and the release of the world’s leading FCEV, NEXO in 2018, the supply of a fleet of fuel cell electric trucks to H2 Energy marks Hyundai Motor’s first expansion of its FCEV leadership into the eco-friendly commercial vehicle sector.

The MOU signing ceremony took place in the IAA Commercial Vehicles 2018 exhibition’s convention center and was attended by key individuals from each company, including Hyundai Motor’s Executive Vice President and Head of Commercial Vehicle Division, In Cheol Lee, as well as Chairman of H2E, Rolf Huber.

“We are yet again advancing the field of fuel cell technology in the automotive industry with today’s announcement of our ambition to commercialize the fuel cell electric truck for the first time in the world” said Executive Vice President In Cheol Lee. “We will continue to seek opportunities for expanding into other markets by carefully monitoring multiple factors such as fueling infrastructure and governmental policies.”

The fuel cell electric truck is being developed according to European regulations. It features a new 190kW hydrogen fuel cell system with two fuel cell systems connected in parallel, also a feature of NEXO.

It is expected to deliver a single-fueling travel range of approximately 400km, and in order to secure sufficient range, eight large hydrogen tanks are being compactly installed, utilizing areas such as between the cabin and the rigid body.

The fuel cell electric truck boasts a distinctive design. It is presented in a simple and clean design which is also aerodynamically efficient, and features a spoiler and side protector.

The front grille symbolizes hydrogen through geometric shapes, giving the vehicle a unique and powerful look. The vehicle emanates an eco-friendly look with a blue color application and a bold side body graphic on the container, which also visualizes its dynamic character.


JPJ reopens 13 more services, but only for commercial vehicles

                PETALING JAYA: The Road Transport Department (JPJ) is making available 13 more services related to commercial vehicles beginning May 11.

However, services related to private vehicles will only be resumed at a later date.

The 13 new services include renewal of motor vehicle road tax (LKM) for e-hailing, taxis or rental vehicles, as well as renewal of vocational driving licence (PSV) for these vehicle types.

JPJ will also process transactions related to new commercial vehicle registrations; ownership change of commercial vehicles, and various applications, including for vintage or classic status; commercial vehicle modification and A16 (weight and dimension).

Applications at the RTD headquarters for weight certification; vehicle technical plan; installation of headlights; PE or consultant registration; component type approval (CTA) and vehicle type approval (VTA) will also be available.

“Counter operations will only be on working days from 8am until 3pm, while transactions after 11am will be limited to e-payment.

“The public is encouraged to use e-payment methods (debit or credit card), ” said the JPJ in a statement today.

It said the reopening of its services during the conditional movement control order (MCO) period focused on commercial vehicles in order to support the continuity of economic activities.

Drivers of private vehicles are reminded that they are exempted from renewing their road tax during the MCO as announced by Prime Minister Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin on March 24.

“The public is allowed to drive their vehicles even if their motor vehicle licence has expired during the MCO as long as their vehicle insurance is still valid, ” it added.


BMW celebrates 100th anniversary

                MUNICH: German luxury carmaker BMW is throwing a lavish 100th birthday party today, looking back at its often troubled history and forward as it seeks to adapt to the age of "personal mobility".

In its home city of Munich the iconic headquarters, a complex dubbed the "BMW four-cylinder", towers as a source of pride while its vast plant, offices and museum are the southern city's main private employer, with a total of 41,000 employees.

Since its World War I beginnings, the company has grown into a multinational giant with plants in 14 countries, more than 116,000 employees and 80 billion euros (US$88 billion) in annual sales.

READ ALSO:What BMW Group Malaysia is doing to mark anniversary

BMW today makes cars and motorcycles and its brands also include Rolls-Royce and MINI.

Leading its rival Daimler-Benz in units sold, and with giant VW damaged by the emissions scandal, BMW remains in pole position at the high end of the auto industry and is seen as a symbol of German engineering prowess.

"It's a great product, it's a joy to make it," says Stefan Eichborn, wearing a blue overall and speaking in a Bavarian accent, as he supervises huge machines that press steel sheets into car body parts.

The auto giant started life in far more troubled times - on March 7, 1916, making aircraft engines as Germany's "Bavarian Aircraft Factory".

After WWI, when defeated Germany was forbidden from manufacturing aircraft, it renamed itself Bayerische Motoren Werke ("Bavarian Engine Factory") in 1922.

BMW adopted a propellor-shaped logo as a salute to its aerospace origins, in Bavaria's traditional blue-and-white colours.

"The product for which BMW is best known nowadays was actually the last product to be taken into its portfolio," says Manfred Grunert, the company's in-house historian.

After producing its first motorcycle in 1923, BMW began making cars in 1928. During the 1930s it started on its own designs, such as the 326 limousine and the 328 roadster.

As the Nazis came to power, BMW again became involved in armament efforts, once more building aircraft engines.

At the end of World War II, with Germany in ruins, the company survived by making household utensils.

It resumed motorcycle production in 1948 and car production in 1952, but its success initially remained limited.

"During the 1950s, BMW had serious financial problems," historian Grunert told AFP.

"BMW did not participate in Germany's post-war economic miracle."

In 1959, the group was about to be taken over by its arch-rival Daimler-Benz, but a group of shareholders rebelled.

One of them, Herbert Quandt, son of a well-known industrialist, came to BMW's rescue, investing massively in the company.

"Without his involvement, BMW would today simply be a factory of Daimler," said Grunert.

The Quandt family today remains BMW's biggest shareholders with a stake of 47 percent.

Peter Fuss, automobile expert at consultants EY, said the presence of a "strong shareholder" willing to take risks is a key factor behind the company's success.

But the Quandt name is also associated with the darkest period of Germany's history.

Herbert's father, Guenther Quandt, was one of Germany's leading industrialists during the Third Reich, enjoying the spoils of wealth confiscated from Jews.

During the 1960s, BMW launched its "Neue Klasse" limousines and in 1965 coined the advertising slogan "the joy of driving".

From the 1970s to 90s, it expanded abroad. BMW bought British Rover in 1994, but the company remained a financial millstone and was sold off again in 2000.

https://www.youtube.com/user/BMWGroupView

BMW however held on to the MINI brand, transforming it into a premium marque.

It has since diversified into four-wheel drives, compact cars and the fully electric i3 model range.

As tech giants such as Google and Apple are eyeing the personal mobility market, the company launched its BMWi division in 2011 which also offers services like car sharing platform DriveNow.

The idea now is to "instill the spirit of a start-up in BMW, which is not obvious in an industry where product cycles are long," said Henrik Wenders, responsible for managing BMWi products.

So far, BMWi generates only one percent of the group's total turnover, said Wenders, but he declared confidently that "without us there may not be a 200th anniversary" for BMW.


Mitsubishi Motors Malaysia offers 2018 year-end cash rebates

                KUALA LUMPUR: Mitsubishi Motors Malaysia (MMM), the official distributor of Mitsubishi vehicles in Malaysia, is offering attractive cash rebates until end of December 2018.

Those who book and register a new Mitsubishi Outlander - the Outlander 2.0-litre and Outlander 2.4-litre will get Year End cash rebates up to RM8,000.

The Outlander 2.0-litre is priced at RM137,888 while the Outlander 2.4-litre is priced at RM152,888.

The Mitsubishi Outlander recently won ‘Best Family Ride’ at the CarSifu Editor’s Choice Awards 2018.

Meanwhile, those who book the Mitsubishi Triton pick-up truck will enjoy year-end cash rebates up to RM8,000.

The year-end promotions for all Triton variants are as follows:

Also, those who opt for the Mitsubishi ASX 2WD and ASX 4WD Compact SUV will receive year-end cash rebates up to RM8,000.

The Mitsubishi ASX 2WD is priced at RM 118,866 while the Mitsubishi ASX 4WD is priced at RM 133,336.

In addition, Mitsubishi Motors customers who service their Mitsubishi cars from 1 – 30 November will receive up to 20% discount on selected parts, additives at an attractive price and a free Popsocket Phone Holder with every service.

Prices stated are OTR price without insurance (10% SST inclusive) for individual private owners only in Peninsular Malaysia and not applicable in duty free zones.

Year-end promotions is valid until 31 December 2018 only.


Better safety with new Michelin Primacy SUV tyre

                KUALA LUMPUR: The new Michelin Primacy SUV (sport utility vehicle) tyre was developed for Asia Pacific’s extreme road and weather conditions, in order to offer better safety.

“SUVs are larger, more robust vehicles, and they offer better visibility and more space. But they can at times be more difficult to handle and to stop, especially on wet roads," said Michelin Malaysia managing director Chandan Thakur.

"The Primacy SUV tyre can offer drivers a safer, smoother ride. Thanks to Michelin Total Performance, this is achieved without compromising other tyre performance characteristics such as tread life and fuel consumption,” added Chandan.

 Michelin Malaysia marketing manager Putu Yudha (left) and managing director Chandan Thakur posing with the new Michelin Primacy SUV tyre.

The new tyre offers significant safety improvements including a 2.2-metre shorter braking distance on wet roads, 6% improved grip in wet cornering and a 1.9-metre shorter braking in dry conditions.

“We have listened to SUV drivers in our region. Enabling safer transportation has always been a leading principle in our product development," said Chandan.

"Many drivers are not aware that when you’re driving, there’s the equivalent of only a postcard of tread connecting each of your tyres to the road and controlling thousands of kilograms of machinery at great speed in all kinds of conditions."

The new Primacy SUV tyre is offered in 16-inch and above sizes, at Tyreplus and Michelin authorised dealers.

It is priced starting from RM440.


Mercedes-Benz Malaysia issues recall of older Merc models over airbag risk

                PETALING JAYA: Mercedes-Benz Malaysia is conducting a safety recall of some models linked to the infamous Takata airbag issue that has affected automakers globally.

Locally, affected passenger cars include: 169 (A-Class), 203, 204 (C-Class), X204 (GLK), 207 (E-Coupé/ Convertible), 212 (E-Class), 164 (ML- and GL-Class), 251 (R-Class), 171 (SLK) and 197 (SLS AMG) from production period 2004-2016.

All affected Mercedes-Benz owners can check their vehicle VIN on the Mercedes-Benz microsite http://mb4.me/airbagrecall. They can also call up their authorised dealers or Mercedes-Benz Customer Care Centre 1-800-88-1133 to confirm if their car has been identified for recall.

The recall would enable Mercedes-Benz Malaysia to check if the airbags need to be replaced.

Should the airbags need replacement, customers can use Mercedes-Benz's online booking facility to schedule the change, subject to parts availability. The replacement is free of charge.

All current-production passenger cars are not affected by the recall as they do not use Takata, or other manufacturers’, airbags that contain ammonium nitrate as the primary propellant.


Traffic slows to a crawl after holiday break ends

                KUALA LUMPUR: Several major highways leading into Kuala Lumpur have seen traffic slow to a crawl this evening, following the return of city dwellers after the long Deepavali weekend.

A PLUS Malaysia Bhd spokesman said another factor contributing to the jams was heavy rains in several places, according to reports received until 9.30pm Monday night.

Among the affected stretches are Gua Tempurung to Tapah, Bidor to Sungkai, Lembah Beringin to Rawang, Machap to Kulai, Yong Peng to Ayer Hitam, and the Ayer Keroh R&R to Port Dickson.

Slow traffic has also been reported at the Karak toll plaza to Bukit Tinggi, and Genting Sempah to Gombak toll plaza stretches.

Meanwhile, traffic flow on the East Coast Expressway 1 and 2 is smooth.

For further updates, call the toll-free Plusline at 1800-88-0000 or visit www.twitter.com/plustrafik or www.twitter.com/llminfotrafik.


Infiniti to reveal new design language at 2018 Detroit show

                HONG KONG: Lots of car makers unveil new models at the major motor shows, and if they don't have new production cars to reveal they'll usually have an intriguing concept or two to draw attention.

But when one of the big players in the market teases a concept car that also signifies an entirely new direction for its design philosophy it's definitely worth investigating. Although details are scant at the moment, and we haven't even been given a name, Infiniti has released the most cryptic of teasers to whet appetites ahead of the big reveal in Detroit next month.

In some ways, the image we've been treated to is typical Infiniti with long, exaggerated and flowing curves and a recognisable take on the company's current signature grille.

Although there's no sign of the overall silhouette of the Infiniti concept, a quote from the company mentions that the car will "take the traditional sedan architecture to its next stage of evolution," which leads us to the shock conclusion that it might not actually be a crossover SUV.

A statement from Infiniti's executive design director Karim Habib (formerly BMW design chief) also speaks of "a shift towards smarter, more compact and less intrusive powertrains," so a petrol V-8 is unlikely to be under the bonnet. But being Infiniti, as well as a hybrid or fully electric propulsion system being a possibility, it could even go as far as using a smaller version of the company's much-vaunted variable compression engine.

Infiniti has confirmed the new concept will appear at the Detroit Auto Show alongside the Prototype 9, an open-wheeled electric roadster with retro inspiration first unveiled in August at the 2017 Pebble Beach Concours d'Elegance in California.

The new Infiniti concept, whatever it's eventually called, will be on display in Detroit from Jan 15.

 The Prototype 9.


Facelifted Proton Saga launched from RM33K

                KUALA LUMPUR: Proton launched its facelifted Saga with three variants with promises of improved levels of noise, vibration and harshness as well as enhanced body control over its predecessor.

Priced on-the-road without insurance, the Standard MT with a five-speed manual costs RM32,800 while the four-speed automatic Standard AT retails at RM35,800. The Premium AT is RM39,800.

The Saga comes in five colour choices of Snow White, Armour Silver, Jet Grey, Rosewood Monsoon and Ruby Red.

According to Proton, the Saga Standard MT, Standard AT and Premium AT now cost respectively RM791, RM543 and RM2,047 less than before.

The local carmaker claims that it has sweetened the Saga's appeal by adding RM1,500 worth of features into the Standard MT and AT variants while the Premium AT gets an added RM1,700 worth of features.

Prospective buyers will now have three sales packages to choose from starting with a Service Package that consists of a one-year or three free labour service (whichever comes first).

The second package is a low rate of interest that starts from 2.98%.

The third package is an insurance coverage that includes waiver of betterment costs for up to 10 years, agreed value coverage of up to 12 years, key care cover of up to RM1,000, flood relief allowance of up to RM1,000, coverage for all drivers at no extra cost and a personal accident for the policyholder of up to RM15,000.

The continuously variable transmission in the outgoing model has been done away. So are the colours of Topaz Blue and Midnight Black.

All variants of the front-wheel-drive Saga are powered by a 1.3-litre (1,332cc) naturally aspirated engine with dual-overhead camshafts and variable valve timing.

The engine produces 95PS at 5,750rpm and 120Nm of torque at 4,000rpm. The car has a kerb weight of 1,055kg (Standard MT), 1,065kg (Standard AT) and 1,080kg (Premium AT).

With a wheelbase of 2,465mm, the new Saga measures in at 4,331mm-long, 1,689mm-wide and 1,491mm-tall.

The Saga is fitted as standard with halogen headlamps, manually foldable powered external mirrors with integrated LED turn signals, remote trunk release, a 40-litre fuel tank, a rear spoiler lip and 14-inch wheels with 185/60 series tyres.

Inside, the cabin features fabric seats, tilt-adjustable urethane steering wheel, LCD multi-information display, power windows, height-adjustable driver's seat, foldable rear seats, LED map lights and a single 12V socket as well as an ECO Drive Assist system to help drivers better manage fuel usage.

The Saga's entertainment offering is in the form of a two-speaker audio system with Bluetooth connectivity and a single USB port. The Standard AT gets three USB ports instead, with one capable of data transmission and the other two for charging purposes.

The Saga is equipped with two airbags, anti-lock braking system, electronic brakeforce distribution, brake assist, ISOFIX anchorage points and rear parking sensors.

The Premium AT, which is only available with a four-speed automatic, has 15-inch wheels wearing 185/55 series tyres and adds on LED daytime running lights, LED map lights, steering wheel controls and a luggage lamp.

Its entertainment system comprises of a 7.0-inch touchscreen monitor with 16GB internal storage and smartphone connectivity for its four-speaker sound system with three USB ports.

Added safety highlights include a reverse camera, electronic stability control, traction control, hill-hold assist and front parking sensors.


BYD increases price of EVs, hybrids on input costs, subsidy end

                HONG KONG: Chinese electric vehicle giant BYD Co. is raising the price of some cars, blaming changes in government subsidies and volatile raw material costs.

The Warren Buffett-backed maker of electric vehicles, the batteries that power them and semiconductor chips, will raise prices by between 2,000 yuan to 6,000 yuan (RM1,260 to RM3,778), depending on the model, it said on its official Weibo account on Wednesday.

BYD cited the phase out of Chinese subsidies for pure electric and hybrid vehicles at the end of the year.

Customers who pay deposits for vehicles before Jan. 1, 2023 won’t be affected by the price hike.

In contrast, Tesla Inc. last month cut the price of China-made models as competition intensifies in the world’s largest market for electric vehicles.

BYD continues to benefit from strong sales in its home market, selling 217,518 passenger vehicles in October, up 172% from a year earlier.


Toyota halts orders for Harrier SUV due to output delay

                TOKYO: Toyota Motor Corp has stopped taking orders for its current Harrier sports utility vehicle model, a spokeman said on Monday, as output was delayed by pandemic-linked curbs and a world semiconductor shortage.

The Nikkei business daily reported earlier on Monday that Toyota had cancelled "some" orders for the Harrier due to production disruptions caused by the Covid-19 lockdown in Shanghai.

Customers are being asked to switch their orders to a newer Harrier scheduled to be released in September, the report said.

The Toyota spokesman would not comment on the plan, saying "customers and dealers are communicating one-on-one (on making alternative purchase)."

Toyota is considering the possibility of its dealers covering the price difference, since the newer model is likely to cost about 100,000 yen (RM3,260) more, according to the Nikkei report.

READ MORE: Lexus LX buyers in Japan have to wait 4 years to get SUV

The automaker has disclosed neither the price nor the improvements of the newer model.

It is believed to be the first time that an order received by Toyota has been scrapped due to an issue at the carmaker, the report said, citing multiple unnamed dealers.

About 74,000 units of Harrier were sold domestically last year, according to the Japan Automobile Dealers Association.

The report comes as Toyota struggles to shrug off the impacts of Covid-19-related lockdowns and the semiconductor shortage, which have strained its supply chain and compelled it to cut back vehicle production.

Toyota said last week its global production plan for August would be scaled back by 18% from what it had told its suppliers at the beginning of the year.

Toyota said earlier this month it was forced to stop taking orders of the Land Cruiser SUV because orders exceeded its production capacity.


Promoting safety during the festive season

                PETALING JAYA: The Malaysia Automotive Institute (MAI), the Road Safety Council Malaysia (MKJR) and Boustead Petroleum Marketing Sdn Bhd (BHPetrol) held the Car Care Week Jom Balik Kampung Raya campaign over the weekend.

The 3 day programme were held at three stations, BHPetrol Kg Sg Kayu Ara, Petaling Jaya on Saturday 9th June 2018, BHPetrol Lebuhraya KL-Karak on Sunday 10th June 2018 and BHPetrol KL-Klang on Monday 11th June 2018.

Present at the officiation ceremony was Datuk Madani Sahari (MAI CEO), Ir. Azizul Azily Ahmad (BHPetrol General Manager Supply, Retail and GPA), and Aslynda Mohd Dahlan (Petaling Jaya Chief Assistant District Officer).

The cars that came for inspection stood a chance to walk away with free gifts provided by Majlis Keselamatan Jalan Raya (MKJR) as well as goody bags full of snacks and drinks sponsored by BHPetrol’s suppliers.

The Jom Balik Kampung Raya initiative is held as part of the MAI Car Care Week (CCW) campaign, which aims to educate consumers on the importance of vehicle inspection, maintenance and repair.

While the importance of safe driving habits cannot be understated, the roadworthiness of vehicles on the roads is also an important aspect in reducing the number of casualties on Malaysian roads, particularly during the taxing journey home during festive seasons such as the Aidilfitri break.

Ir Azizul Azily Ahmad, General Manager Supply, Retail and Government & Public Affairs of BHPetrol said, “Promoting safe driving awareness especially during festive holidays has always been our Company priority to our customers. Through this campaign, we hope all travellers will take the opportunity to get their car inspected at our selected stations and ensure their cars are in safe good condition for ‘raya balik kampung’ journey to meet their loved ones.”

“Based on statistics from the Department of Statistics Malaysia in 2014, road accidents are among the top 5 causes of death among Malaysians”, said Chief Assistant District Officer, Aslynda Mohd Dahlan, representing Petaling District Officer, Roslinah Md Jani.

She added, “I urge everyone to work together in reducing road accident and fatality rates by obeying traffic rules. Ensure your vehicle is in a safe condition, through safety inspections such as the Car Care Week (CCW) program held today, before starting your long journey home.”

As at April 2018, 163,010 vehicles have benefited from the Car Care Week (CCW) campaign since it was initiated in 2014.


Tesla aims for mainstream ride with Model 3

                SAN FRANCISCO: Customers will finally get behind the wheels of Model 3 cars on Friday as Tesla tries to veer from its high-end image with a more affordable electric car.

Tesla founder and boss Elon Musk planned to mark the occasion with a ceremony at the company's plant in the city of Fremont near here. An initial batch of 30 Model 3 cars was expected to go mainly to Tesla employees.

Production of the electric car aimed at the broader market — with a price of US$35,000 — will ramp up quickly, Musk said, with 100 in August and 1,500 or more in September.

Tesla aims to produce 5,000 units of the Model 3 a week this year, and 10,000 units a week in 2018.

The mid-range model is a crucial piece of Musk's ambitions to transform Tesla into a large-scale vehicle manufacturer. It will allow the firm, started in 2003, to produce about 500,000 vehicles in 2018 and a million by 2020.

California-based Tesla currently sells only two luxury models of its electric vehicles: the "Model S" sedan and the "Model X" SUV whose base price starts at around $80,000. It produced only 84,000 cars in 2016.

The Model 3 sparked such strong demand that customers placing orders now are told they can expect delivery sometime in mid-2018.

The rush of pre-orders allowed Tesla to recently become the biggest US car company in terms of market capitalization, despite the fact that General Motors (GM) and Ford produce millions of cars per year and Tesla has yet to make a profit.

Musk, who also runs cosmic transport firm SpaceX and tunnel drilling enterprise The Boring Company, wrote in Tesla's early years that the strategy was to enter the car market at the high-end, then push prices down and volume up with subsequent models.

Combined sales of Model S and Model X vehicles in the first half of this year were estimated to tally from 47,000 to 50,000.

By comparison, Germany-based Volkswagen and Toyota in Japan Toyota each sell more than 10 million cars per year.

Success with the Model 3 could ease concerns about the ability of Tesla to grow significantly.

Designed to be smaller, simpler, and easier to assemble than its big sisters, the Model 3 is also priced to compete in the heart of the auto market.

The Model 3 offers fewer options than its predecessors, but is infused with the same self-driving technology.

The Model 3 battery was designed to keep it going for "at least 215 miles" (345km) before needing to be recharged, according to Tesla.

The battery in the most powerful Tesla model delivers almost 600km per charge, the company said.

While most major car makers sell hybrid or electric models, Tesla has carved out a strong niche with the X and S models.

Nearly 400,000 orders have been placed for Model 3 cars, making it a threat to the 'Bolt' electric car made by GM.

The Bolt has been selling so poorly that GM temporarily halted production to ease inventories.

Tesla cars combine the hot industry trends of clean fuel and driverless handling.

Major auto makers and even Silicon Valley giants such as Google and Apple investing in such technologies.

Technological advances mean fossil fuel in cars could be phased out within decades but switching to electric carries its own environmental and economic concerns as more and more countries announce radical plans.

Electric cars are considered clean because they don't burn gasoline or diesel, but there is debate regarding pollution spewed generating electricity for them and what becomes of dead batteries.

Hybrid cars, such as the Toyota Prius launched in 1997, alternate between electricity and gasoline depending on demands put on engines.

Hydrogen has been touted as 100 percent clean fuel for vehicles, releasing only water vapor as waste.

Honda and Toyota sell hydrogen-powered cars, but adoption is challenged by a lack of an extensive network of fueling stations.

Electric cars are at a similar disadvantage when it comes to competing with the ubiquity of gas stations.

Cars powered by green energy are consistent with a concern for the environment seen in Musk's other enterprises.

Musk runs solar energy firm SolarCity, and is building rechargeable batteries to power homes as well as cars.

His Boring Company is part of a vision for near-supersonic rail travel through low-pressure tubes that he laid out in a Hyperloop white paper he made open to other entrepreneurs.


Truly autonomous cars may be impossible without helpful human touch

                LONDON: Autonomous vehicle (AV) startups have raised tens of billions of dollars based on promises to develop truly self-driving cars, but industry executives and experts say remote human supervisors may be needed permanently to help robot drivers in trouble.

The central premise of autonomous vehicles - that computers and artificial intelligence will dramatically reduce accidents caused by human error - has driven much of the research and investment.

But there is a catch: Making robot cars that can drive more safely than people is immensely tough because self-driving software systems simply lack humans' ability to predict and assess risk quickly, especially when encountering unexpected incidents or "edge cases."

"Well, my question would be, 'Why?'" said Kyle Vogt, CEO of Cruise, a unit of General Motors, when asked if he could see a point where remote human overseers should be removed from operations.

"I can provide my customers peace of mind knowing there is always a human there to help if needed," Vogt said. "I don't know why I'd ever want to get rid of that."

This is the first time Cruise has acknowledged the long-term need for remote human operators.

Alphabet Inc's Waymo and Argo, which is backed by Ford Motor Co and Volkswagen AG, declined to comment when asked the same question.

GM recalled and updated software in 80 Cruise self-driving vehicles this month after a June crash in San Francisco left two people injured.

US safety regulators said the recalled software could "incorrectly predict" an oncoming vehicle's path, and Cruise said the unusual scenario would not recur after the update.

For some, the idea that human supervisors could be here to stay raises more doubts about the technology.

Truly autonomous vehicles are far behind the optimistic rollout schedules predicted just a few years ago.

In 2018, GM sought U.S. government approval for a fully autonomous car without a steering wheel, brake or accelerator pedals that would enter its commercial ride-sharing fleet in 2019. That vehicle, the Cruise Origin, now is not slated to begin production until spring 2023, Vogt said.

In 2019, Tesla Inc CEO Elon Musk promised a million robotaxis "next year for sure" - though his company's "Full Self Driving" offering has been criticized because its cars are not capable of driving themselves without a human behind the wheel and ready to take manual control in an emergency.

In a June interview on YouTube, Musk said developing self-driving cars was "way harder than I originally thought, by far." But when asked for a timeline, he said Tesla could make it "this year."

Tesla did not respond to a request for comment for this story.

The undelivered promise of true autonomy has raised the stakes for the AV industry.

"If these companies don't succeed over the next two years, they're not going to exist anymore," said Mike Wagner, CEO of Edge Case Research, which helps AV companies assess, manage and insure risk. "It's a case of put up or shut up at this point."

Remote humans watching

Many AV startups today use humans as remote supervisors, alongside safety drivers sitting behind the wheel.

Those remote humans are an additional expense, but help self-driving cars handle edge cases. These could include something as basic as an unfamiliar set of lane closures during road construction, or erratic, unpredictable behavior by pedestrians or human drivers.

When a robot driver encounters an edge case, "it puts its hands up and says, 'I don't know what's going on,'" said Koosha Kaveh, CEO of Imperium Drive, which is using humans as remote operators for cars in the English city of Milton Keynes. Over time, those people will act as "air traffic controllers," supervising a growing number of autonomous cars.

Cruise's Vogt says the company's AVs on the roads in San Francisco currently rely on humans less than 1% of the time. But across hundreds, thousands or even millions of AVs, that would add up to a significant amount of time stopped on the road waiting for human guidance.

Imperium Drive's Kaveh said as more self-driving cars - which are more predictable than humans - hit the roads the number of edge cases will drop, "but you will never get to zero edge cases."

"Even decades from now you will not get to 100% truly autonomous vehicles," Kaveh added.

Nevertheless, competition is rising. Some Chinese cities are pushing to allow active AV testing more quickly.

The need to tackle edge cases and cut the costs of everything from sensors to the number of humans in the loop in order to get to market has also intensified because investor funding for autonomous cars has plummeted.

Doubt has crept in as investors puzzle over how soon autonomous business will turn profitable. Simpler or slower AVs like trucks or last-mile delivery services operating on highways or on set, low-speed routes are likely to reach profitability first, but will still take years to get there.

Overall investment in future mobility startups has slowed, with AV-focused companies hit especially hard, representing less than 10% of venture investment in the second quarter, according to investor website PitchBook.

Investment in AV startups in the quarter dropped to US$958 million. Just two years ago AV investment was booming, as Alphabet's Waymo raised US$3 billion, Didi's AV unit raised US$500 million and Amazon.com Inc acquired AV startup Zoox for US$1.3 billion, according to PitchBook.

'Rush to market'

Autonomous systems are not as capable as people because their "perception and prediction algorithms are not as good as how a human brain processes and decides," said Chris Borroni-Bird, an independent consultant who previously led advanced-vehicle programs at GM and Waymo.

For instance, a human when seeing a ball roll into the road - harmless by itself - will assume it could be followed by a child and hit the brakes far quicker than an AV, Borroni-Bird said.

"I am concerned that AV companies will rush to market without proving the safety is better than human-driven vehicles," he added.

The problem is there are "tens of billions of potential edge cases" that AVs could encounter, said James Routh, CEO of AB Dynamics, which conducts tests and runs simulations on cars including on the advanced driver-assistance systems (ADAS) that are the foundation of autonomous driving features.

Auto data startup Wejo Group Ltd receives 18 billion data points daily from millions of connected cars and is helping with simulations for AVs, said Sarah Larner, executive vice president for strategy and innovation.

"But there are so many variables such as weather, you can take an edge case and then have to layer in all the different variants," she said. "It's truly millions of outputs."

Driverless delivery

In its track tests for cars, AB Dynamics employs a robot arm that it plans to retrofit on slow-moving mining and agricultural trucks to make them largely autonomous.

Routh envisages a remote team of humans supervising fleets of, for instance, self-driving mining trucks operating in closed environments.

He does not see that scenario working for vehicles in faster, more open environments because it could be difficult for remote human supervisors to react quickly enough to dangers.

Within the next 12 months, British online food delivery and technology company Ocado Group Plc will roll out a small fleet of driverless delivery vehicles with autonomous vehicle software startup Oxbotica - backed by remote human supervisors - that will operate on just a few streets on set routes in a small UK city and never drive at speeds above 30 miles (48 km) per hour.

"At 30 miles an hour, if a vehicle panics, it can hit the emergency brake and seek help," Ocado's head of advanced technology, Alex Harvey, said. "This feels like a very viable strategy at low speed."

"But you can't play that game on a motorway," Harvey added, because hard stops in edge cases would pose a safety risk.

Harvey said it should take around five years for Ocado to develop a profitable driverless delivery system. More than half of Ocado's UK customers could be reached with AVs driving no more than 40 mph he said. Eventually, the service could be rolled out to Ocado clients like U.S. retail chain Kroger Co.


VW plans to sell first EV in India in 2023

                NEW DELHI: Volkswagen AG is looking to sell its first electric car, the ID.4 sports utility vehicle, in India in limited quantities next year as the South Asian nation pushes for faster adoption of cleaner vehicles.

The German carmaker will begin testing the ID.4 around September for its technical capabilities and if any adaptations are needed for local weather conditions, Ashish Gupta, brand director at Volkswagen’s passenger cars division in India, said in an interview Thursday.

Once the testing is over, the company will import a limited number of the electric car next year, he said.

Since the Indian government allows automakers to import only 2,500 cars without homologation, Volkswagen will bring its global electric portfolio into the country within that limit to test the market, Gupta said.

While it would like to import all 2,500 units, the availability of vehicles is a concern worldwide due to worsening supply chain constraints, he said.

Volkswagen is expecting to start local assembly of its electric cars in India around 2025 or 2027, Gupta said. At that time, the carmaker will consider making its own batteries - the costliest component of an EV - locally in India, he said.

India, the world’s fourth-largest automobile market, is seeing a spurt of interest from global carmakers in the race for green mobility.

Volkswagen’s EV will be up against Honda Motor Co.’s first hybrid electric sedan in India, priced at 1.95 million rupees, or about US$25,000 (RM110,000).

Japanese giant Toyota Motor Cor. has agreed to consider adapting its hydrogen-powered fuel cell car, the Mirai, for local road and weather conditions.

Kia Corp is bringing its first electric car to the country later this year, while Hyundai Motor Co. has vowed to roll out six battery models by 2028 and launch its first electric crossover SUV, the Ioniq 5, this year.

Rising commodity prices have had a significant impact on Volkswagen’s margins despite two price hikes to offset inflation, Gupta said.

It will raise prices of vehicles further as it doesn’t have the capacity to absorb surging input costs that have increased 10%-12% on an average this year, he said.

For many carmakers, including Volkswagen, Ukraine was a provider of specific components, whose supply has been hit because of the war, Gupta said. Russia and Ukraine are major sources of metals such as nickel, which is used to make high-strength steel for automobiles, he said.

Volkswagen is making an effort to increase the capacity of existing suppliers and form alternate supply chains. It’s offering new variants in cars to counter the shortage of infotainment and display systems, he said.

The supply chain constraints and semiconductor shortage will continue for the next six months at least, he said. The supply squeeze has resulted in higher wait times for Volkswagen’s cars. The waiting period for the Taigun small SUV is two months and the backlog is as much as six months for some higher variants, he said.


BMW Malaysia banks on electro-mobility for growth

                KUALA LUMPUR: Rising demand for electrified cars and BMW's focus on electro-mobility will not dilute the premium German automaker's "Sheer Driving Pleasure" motto.

"We would never sell something - regardless of whether it is electric or not, that does not feel and drive like a BMW," said Dr Alexander Kotouc, who is head of product management for BMW i.

Kotouc recently spoke to CarSifu about the BMW Group's leadership in electro-mobility, with over 100,000 electrified vehicles (battery electric cars and plug-in hybrids) delivered worldwide in 2017.

That success is set to be surpassed this year, with over 82,000 electrified units already delivered in the first eight months and thus, BMW is on track to achieve the mark of delivering 140,000 electrified vehicles in 2018.

 BMW i3s.

In Malaysia, year-to-date, 56% of BMW and MINI cars delivered are electrified, indicating strong acceptance among local consumers for non-conventional drivetrains.

"For 100 years, BMW has stood for Sheer Driving Pleasure and we have always promised that as long as there is a BMW logo on the car, it will feel and drive like a BMW.

Every one who has driven the i3 (all-electric car) agreed that it still feels and drive like a BMW. So, Sheer Driving Pleasure can be electric as well," said Kotouc on the sidelines of the recent Conference of the Electric Power Supply Industry (CEPSI) 2018 held at Kuala Lumpur Convention Centre.

BMW Malaysia was the official E-Mobility partner for CEPSI 2018.

 BMW i8 roadster.

Kotouc also explained the importance of autonomous driving technology for the Munich headquartered premium automaker.

The BMW Group had announced last year that it is aiming to launch in 2019 a fully electric MINI, ; in 2020, an electric version of the BMW X3 and in 2021 the BMW iNext, which will combine electro-mobility with autonomous driving and new interior connectivity options.

"People asked me - how can you not see autonomous driving as a threat to you? But we see this as a really big opportunity and chance for us to really redefine what Sheer Driving Pleasure stands for. We will always offer cars with a steering wheel; you will always have a choice to drive the car yourself. But there are always situations like a traffic jam - where there is no driving pleasure, so that is when you want to push the button and let the car completely take over the driving. Then, you can make use of the time - call your wife, watch a movie, do some work or online shopping. So, this is a re-transformation of driving pleasure. That will be what the BMW iNext can offer," said Kotouc.

 BMW i8 roadster.

He also pointed out that by 2025, the BMW Group will offer 25 fully electric and plug-in hybrid models worldwide.

"12 will be fully electric and 13 will be plug-in hybrids. We are really happy with the success we have seen so far. We started with the launch of the all-electric BMW i3 in 2013 and plug-in hybrid i8 in 2014. I always want to make clear that electro-mobility is a marathon, and not a sprint. By end-2019, we estimate we will have half a million BMW electrified vehicles on the road," said Kotouc.

 BMW i8 roadster.

Regarding the modest pace of growth for hybrid and electric cars in South East Asia, Kotouc said BMW would adapt to different market needs from 2020 onwards with a new vehicle architecture that can support three different drivetrains.

"On the same car, you can choose either a standard combustion engine, or a plug in hybrid or a battery electric vehicle. The challenge here is that in countries like Norway, there is very high demand for electrified vehicles. But in other markets, consumers want standard combustion engines. So what we need is an architecture that is able to provide different options when it comes to drive trains," he explained.

 Dr Alexander Kotouc.

Kotouc is also encouraged by the growing sales of BMW and MINI plug-in hybrids in Malaysia.

"This is a significant sign that people are changing their behaviour. Market research shows that once people have tried something electrified, they never go back to a standard combustion engine. If you look at Norway 10 years ago, no one expected that it would the leading market for electric vehicles. Currently, we sell in Norway more electrified BMWs than standard BMWs. We had the right cars there, and customers, the government and infrastructure were ready. Change can really happen quickly."

 BMW i8 coupe.


Use of aftermarket oil cooler hoses may lead to engine damage, Proton tells Exora owners

                PETALING JAYA: Exora owners risk engine damage if they use aftermarket oil cooler hose (OCH) kits, says Proton.

News website Free Malaysia Today cited Proton content management head Faisal Shah as saying that the company is working on the OCH issue and urged Exora owners to refrain from using non-genuine parts as their quality and compatibility could not be verified.

The OCH is a set of connecting hoses between the engine and an attached oil cooler. One line helps feed the hot oil to the cooler and the other returns the cooled oil to the engine. Should there be a hose leak, it can lead to engine overheating and damage.

 A set of oil cooler hoses. — Image grab from YouTube/NUAZ TV

Proton launched the MPV in 2009 and introduced a turbocharged model less than three years later. It is the turbocharged model that is the cause of grief among a number of Exora owners as expressed in various Exora car clubs.

Faisal said the hose was made of rubber when the turbocharged model was introduced. It was upgraded in 2018 to one that was partially metallic to better withstand the high pressure and temperature for a longer period of time. Proton also increased the OCH service interval from 40,000km to 80,000km.

If the OCH could be further improved in future, Proton would do it in an Exora recall, said Faisal.


Ford cuts 3,000 jobs as it pivots to EVs, software

                DETROIT: Ford Motor Co said it will cut a total of 3,000 salaried and contract jobs, mostly in North America and India, as it restructures to catch up with Tesla Inc in the race to develop software-driven electric vehicles.

Ford chief executive Jim Farley has been saying for months that he believed the Dearborn, Mich. automaker had too many people, and that not enough of its workforce had the skills required as the auto industry shifts to electric vehicles and digital services.

"We are eliminating work, as well as reorganizing and simplifying functions throughout the business. You will hear more specifics from the leaders of your area of the business later this week," Farley and Ford chairman Bill Ford wrote in a joint email.

Like other established automakers, Ford has a workforce largely hired to support a traditional combustion technology product lineup.

Going forward, Farley has mapped out a strategy for Ford to develop a broad lineup of electric vehicles. Like Tesla, Ford wants to generate more revenue through services that depend on digital software and connectivity.

Tesla's pre-tax profit margins have exceeded Ford's this year, and Farley has been blunt about the need to cut costs.

In Monday's email to staff, Farley and Ford said the company's cost structure "is uncompetitive versus traditional and new competitors."

Rising prices for batteries, raw materials and shipping are putting additional pressure on Ford and other automakers. Still, Ford has stuck to its full-year profit forecast, despite US$3 billion in higher costs due to inflation.

Ford has begun separating its operations into electric, combustion engine and commercial vehicle operations.

Farley said in July "cost reduction will happen" in the combustion operations. But Ford said on Monday the staff cuts will affect all parts of the company.

Rival General Motors Co in late 2018 moved to cut 14,000 jobs as it prepared to accelerate its electric vehicle strategy.

Ford, GM and Stellantis' North American operations will confront a new workforce challenge next year as they begin contract negotiations with the United Auto Workers union, which represents the Detroit automakers' US factory employees.

UAW leaders have expressed concern that electric vehicles will mean fewer manufacturing jobs, and more jobs dispersed to non-union battery and EV hardware factories.


Amazon, Intel and Ford want to harvest your data while you drive

A Rivian electric pickup truck with built-in Alexa is displayed at the Amazon Automotive section during the 2020 CES in Las Vegas on Tuesday. — Reuters
SAN FRANCISCO: CES has long been a showcase for automotive gadgetry and a chance for tech companies to pitch their gear to carmakers. This year, the consumer electronics show is embracing an increasingly valuable byproduct of all this activity: data.

Modern cars roll out of factories packed with cellular connections, powerful processors and growing suite of sensors, including cameras, radar and microphones. That’s turning them into the next information goldmine, rivaling the data-creating capabilities of smartphones.

Amazon.com Inc., Intel Corp., Qualcomm Inc. and BlackBerry Ltd. are at the Las Vegas conference this week to pitch data-crunching services and partnerships to an auto industry searching for new revenue streams and business models.

"CES will highlight the next big industry transformation that revolves around how this data can be monetised,” said Brian Rhodes, an automotive technology analyst at IHS Markit. "This market is no longer strictly focused on selling hard parts.”

Automakers are trying to control the data generated by their vehicles and avoid being marginalised by technology giants.

It’s a challenge because car companies lack deep software talent and are already battling the incursion of smartphones and related technology. Apple Inc.’s CarPlay and Google’s Android auto software, installed on vehicle dashboard screens, funnel data to and from smartphones and largely bypass carmakers’ systems.

 A screen in a Cadillac XT6 SUV displays Alexa on the infotainment system at the Amazon stand during the 2020 CES. — Reuters

The industry "passed a while ago a very important line in the sand,” said Henrik Fisker, chief executive officer of electric vehicle manufacturer Fisker Inc.

"People suddenly felt that their smartphone was more important to their freedom than their car.”

After years of setbacks and delays, Fisker showed off its Ocean electric SUV at CES for the first time. The company wants to generate the majority of its profit from software and services over the long term. Fisker has an app for ordering, lease payments and upgrades that it hopes will generate recurring revenue over the life of each vehicle.

Intel will announce a new automotive tie-up for its Mobileye unit during CES, adding to existing relationships with Nissan Motor Co., BMW AG and Volkswagen AG.

The carmakers use Mobileye’s driver-assistance technology and provide the Intel unit with some of the data that those cameras, chips and sensors collect as the vehicles drive around. Mobileye aggregates this anonymous information to create detailed maps that the carmakers use to enhance their vehicle navigation systems.

At CES, Intel showed off a map of Las Vegas created in 24 hours with information from BMW cars that drove around the city over an undisclosed longer period. Intel says such fresh information is more valuable than traditional navigation systems, which use special survey vehicles that collect and send in images and data for updates that can take months.

The newer approach has more chance of spotting and avoiding a broken traffic signal or road work. Intel thinks the data will be really useful for other things, too. A utility company could check on infrastructure without sending workers to every site, for example.

Intel predicts the market for such data will be worth as much as US$3.5 billion a year by 2030. McKinsey & Co. sees a much larger opportunity. A few years ago, the consulting firm said up to US$750 billion of value would created from car-related data by 2030.

That includes revenue from services like connected maps and targeted advertising, along with the sale and analysis of anonymous information via third parties to reduce costs.

"The value pool includes avoided costs and incremental revenue” McKinsey partner Michele Bertoncello said. "If you monitor a car and you avoid a breakdown or you avoid warranty fraud, you don’t generate incremental revenue, but you avoid a cost.”

On Monday at CES, cloud-computing giant Amazon Web Services teamed up with BlackBerry, owner of QNX, an operating system that’s widely used in cars.

The two companies unveiled a new service that helps automakers update security and software features, monitor vehicle health, access data from car sensors, built new applications and apply artificial intelligence models to the information.

Chipmaker Qualcomm announced its first chips and software for fully autonomous vehicles at the CES show. Its radio chips already support cellular links for most of the world’s connected cars. The new offering will be available in coming years and will reduce the cost and power needed to develop and run driverless cars, Qualcomm said.

The company also rolled out a "Car-to-Cloud Platform,” a package of hardware and software that lets automakers securely update the software in their vehicles. The system offers a way to charge vehicle owners for updates and other services.

Vehicle-generated data is crucial to Ford Motor Co.’s future, chief technical officer Ken Washington said. The company’s commercial business is working with Digit, a robot designed by Agility Robotics that travels with delivery vehicles, unfolds itself, then carries packages from the curbside to the door. Digit will use data from Ford vehicle sensors to find its way.

Advanced data capture and analysis is crucial for improving designs and bringing them to market more quickly, and for creating new businesses as carmakers try to become broader transportation companies, according to Washington.

"We’re taking this very seriously,” he said. "I watched the internet happen and I watched what happened to businesses that embraced it and those that ignored it.”


Mitsubishi Motors Malaysia names Shinya Ikeda as new CEO

                KUALA LUMPUR: Mitsubishi Motors Malaysia today named Shinya Ikeda as its new chief executive officer.

He succeeds Tomoyuki Shinnishi, who had served in the role since October 2016.

Ikeda officially assumed office in Malaysia on Oct 11.

Prior to this, he worked at Mitsubishi Corporation, Japan acting as the General Manager in its automotive business field since 2019.

Ikeda started his career in Japan in 1995. He joined Mitsubishi Corporation in 2008 and his first assignment was to manage the automotive business investment in Malaysia.

From March 2009 to May 2012, Ikeda served as the chief financial officer and general manager of Mitsubishi Motors Malaysia, leading new business development.

Ikeda has since held various leadership roles and experience in automotive and finance businesses within Mitsubishi Corporation and across markets such as Japan, Indonesia, Russia, and Germany.

“I am excited to join Mitsubishi Motors Malaysia’s team. The company has grown from strength to strength and has now become one of the nation’s leading automotive brand.

"As announced in the Mitsubishi Motors Corporation (MMC) Mid-Term Business Plan last year, MMC will continue to focus on the Asean market and particularly Malaysia as the country is one of the most important markets in the world to expand the Mitsubishi brand presence.

"I look forward to working with the team."

During Shinnishi’s tenure, the company introduced a host of models including the new Triton and Xpander seven-seater crossover.

Under his leadership, the Xpander became the No. 1 non-national MPV and Mitsubishi Motors became the country’s top three non-national brand in Malaysia.


With drones, AI and e-vehicles, China crafts green-tech megalopolis

Artificial islands are illuminated at dusk on the 55km Hong Kong-Zhuhai-Macao Bridge in Hong Kong. — Bloomberg
HONG KONG: Entrepreneur Tony Verb is on a mission to promote technology that can help make cities greener and smarter in China’s Greater Bay Area, now being shaped as a low-carbon megalopolis.

Hong Kong-based Verb, co-founder of investment firm GreaterBay Ventures & Advisors, plans to back urban tech businesses working on autonomous e-vehicles, flying taxis, artificial intelligence, robotics and clean energy.

Verb is betting on China’s master plan to develop the Pearl River Delta into a sustainable innovation hub, which he believes will serve as “a great case study” for the world’s cities.

In February, Beijing announced it would foster links between nine cities in Guangdong and the special administrative regions of Hong Kong and Macau to forge the world’s biggest urban area with 70 million people.

Under the Greater Bay Area (GBA) plan, each city has a different role, but the blueprint is centred on developing the delta in a high-tech way that also conserves its ecology.

The strategy comes as China exits an era of breakneck growth when planning and finance for infrastructure were overlooked, Witman Hung, Hong Kong deputy to China’s 13th National People’s Congress, told the Thomson Reuters Foundation.

Travel Sentry founder John Vermilye remembered visiting factories in the delta in 2003, and seeing plastic pellets flowing into sewage drains and workers in flip-flops carrying pots of molten zinc from the furnace to molding machines.

“Sixteen years ago, we were telling businesses how to be sustainable and what changes they needed to make - but now they’re getting this from the government directly,” said Vermilye, whose firm develops luggage security standards.

Marred by smog, dirty soil and contaminated water, China - the world’s biggest energy user and greenhouse gas emitter - decided development had to respect and protect its environment.

Leaders introduced “ecological civilisation” as a constitutional goal in 2012, said Christine Loh, chief development strategist at The Hong Kong University of Science and Technology (HKUST).

In 2014, Beijing declared war on pollution, introducing environmental laws and inspectors who swept through businesses.

It then launched “Made in China 2025”, cementing a move away from the world’s factory floor to innovation-led growth.

E-vehicles

While Hong Kongers may be divided about closer political and legal ties with the mainland, the GBA is already an economic powerhouse attracting many startups.

Its GDP is US$1.6 trillion, similar to Tokyo Bay, and leaders want it to rival Silicon Valley.

Shenzhen is home to tech heavyweights like Tencent and Huawei. It is also one of China’s three sustainable development zones, tasked with serving as a technology testbed for green solutions in sectors like waste and environmental restoration.

The coastal megacity of 12.5 million helps the bay lead the way in electric vehicles and low-carbon transit.

“All over the delta, you are seeing the gradual rollout of e-buses, e-vans and e-taxis,” said Loh.

That came after Beijing started giving subsidies for electric transport, buoying home-grown e-vehicle maker BYD.

Shenzhen now has 16,000 e-buses plying its streets, a world first, and by the end of 2018, it also had 20,000 e-taxis, Xinhua reported.

Meanwhile, electric trains whizz around the delta. Hong Kong’s MTR alone moves 5.76 million passengers each weekday in a city of 7.4 million. This year authorities linked up Hong Kong to the mainland’s express rail link, slashing commuting times.

With Beijing’s target to cut energy consumed per GDP unit by 3% this year, bay officials are also pushing green construction and the use of data and technology, deputy Hung said.

“Every time there’s a new building, every time a power plant is being built or modified, you have to meet such rules,” he added.

Siu Hung Chan, managing director of power company CLP’s China business, said data analytics and machine-learning are fostering smart cities in the delta.

Shenzhen uses street cameras and apps to direct drivers to carparks and uncongested roads, while Cisco is building a “model smart city” in Guangzhou’s Panyu district.

River chiefs

Still, the bay’s history as the world’s workshop and site of three of its ten busiest ports means the challenge is big.

“While the industries are gone, the rivers are still there and the pollution is still there,” said Hung.

The GBA sits in the Indo-Burma hotspot, one of the world’s most biodiverse areas, but also one of its most threatened.

When Shenzhen’s mayor took office in 2017, his first priority was taking care of the black, smelly water, Hung said.

Now there is a “river chief system”, led by the mayor who is personally in charge of several rivers, while almost 100 officials have been assigned to look after others.

“It becomes their personal responsibility to make sure the river becomes clean again,” said Hung.

With the delta spanning three administrative areas, there have been cross-border efforts to clean up the air, but it often falls short of World Health Organisation standards.

Another part of the GBA plan is to protect wetlands, forests, coastlines and marine ecosystems.

A group of Hongkongers, led by local foundation AquaMeridian and the Canadian International School, have nominated the city’s southern waters to be protected under a conservation campaign run by non-profit Mission Blue.

Sniffing ships

As the planet warms, many studies deem the region at high risk of floods and landslides, but there are also opportunities to plan better for those threats, said Loh of HKUST.

With the population seen growing to 100 million by 2030, according to Savills, the delta is testing “sponge cities” where landscapes and underground tanks absorb and store rainwater.

Weather chiefs from the three administrations are also exploring how AI and data can improve forecasts, while AI is being used to predict landslides.

HKUST, meanwhile, uses drones to sniff emissions from ships to see if they have switched to cleaner fuel.

Loh is hopeful of a greener future for the GBA, noting the low-carbon development plan enjoys top-level political support, with Hong Kong playing a key role in financing green projects.

“China is speed-fighting pollution,” she said.


EVs rise to record 54% market share in Norway in 2020

                OSLO: The sale of electric cars in Norway overtook those powered by petrol, diesel and hybrid engines last year, with German auto-maker Volkswagen replacing Tesla as the top battery-vehicle producer, new data showed on Tuesday.

So-called battery electric vehicles (BEV) made up 54.3% of all new cars sold in the Nordic country in 2020, a global record, up from 42.4% in 2019 and from a mere 1% of the overall market a decade ago, the Norwegian Road Federation (OFV) said.

Seeking to become the first nation to end the sale of petrol and diesel cars by 2025, oil-producing Norway exempts fully electric vehicles from taxes imposed on those relying on fossil fuels.

The policy has turned the country's car market into a laboratory for automakers seeking a path to a future without internal combustion engines, vaulting new brands and models to the top of bestseller lists in recent years.

While the sale of BEVs had broken the 50%-mark in individual months, 2020 was the first time that fully electric cars outsold the combined volume of models containing internal combustion engines for a year as a whole.

"We're definitely on track to reach the 2025 target," OFV chief executive Oeyvind Thorsen told a news conference.

BEV sales accelerated in the final months of 2020, hitting its highest level for any single month in December, with a 66.7% share of the car market.

Volkswagen's Audi brand topped the 2020 leaderboard with its e-tron sports utility and sportsback vehicles as the most sold new passenger cars in Norway last year, while Tesla's mid-sized Model 3, the 2019 winner, was relegated to second place.

Electric vehicle sales are set to continue to soar in 2021, industry analysts and car distributors said, as more models are brought to the market.

"Our preliminary forecast is for electric cars to surpass 65% of the market in 2021," said Christina Bu who heads the Norwegian EV Association, an interest group. "If we manage that, the goal of selling only zero-emission cars in 2025 will be within reach."

Tesla's mid-sized sports utility vehicle, the Model Y, is set to reach the Norwegian market this year, as are the first electric SUVs from Ford, BMW and Volkswagen.

By contrast, cars with diesel-only engines have tumbled from a peak of 75.7% of the overall Norwegian market in 2011 to just 8.6% last year.

New car sales in the country last year were 141,412, of which 76,789 were fully electric.

While the electric market share will keep rising, there is uncertainty around how many cars producers will allocate to Norway as European demand is increasing, said Harald Frigstad, chief executive at Norwegian car importer Bertel O. Steen.

The seller of Daimler's Mercedes-Benz as well as the Kia, Peugeot, Opel, Citroen, DS and Smart brands, predicted around 70% of its sales would be of fully electric models in 2021.


Falken reveals bespoke tyre for hybrid SUV drivers

                FRANKFURT (Germany): Falken has revealed its take on the future of tyres – designed to the point where it could meet the demands of hybrid SUV drivers with both extended range and dynamic handling.

Inspired by motorcycle rubber, the Japanese tyre manufacturer showcased the different tread areas that could point the way to how drivers can enjoy both sporty handling and efficiency for Plug-in Hybrid Electric Vehicles (PHEV) SUVs.

To date, engineers have struggled to develop tyres that offer low rolling resistance to increase the car’s range whilst offering sharp, sporty dynamics expected by sporty SUV drivers.

Debuting this month on the Mitsubishi XR-PHEV II small SUV Concept, the outer third of Falken’s concept tyre comprises primarily of a low rolling resistance slick surface with intelligently placed water dispersion grooves to prevent hydroplaning while enhancing wet grip.

For better grip under hard cornering, the inner third of the tyre features a curved (like a motorcycle) surface that comes in greater contact with the road whilst the car is being pushed harder.

No production date has been set for the novel tyre but Falken believes that such bespoke tyre technology is the way tyre design will progress.

According to Falken UK director Matt Smith, “Consumers want to have the best range with a hybrid but aren’t prepared to sacrifice an ‘involving’ driving experience with sporting dynamics.”

He further explained that Falken’s concept tyre could help SUV drivers achieve efficiency without sacrificing a sportier driving experience.

“Tyres play a critical role in the way a vehicle drives and stops. Expect to see more bespoke tyres to extract the best all round performance for a car,” he added.

Earlier this month Falken announced it now produces a bespoke version of its tyres for the new Volkswagen Passat.


Introducing the Px8 McLaren Edition headphone

                LONDON: British premium audio brand Bowers & Wilkins has launched a McLaren Edition of its newest flagship wireless headphone, the Px8 with McLaren Automotive.

The Px8 McLaren Edition is built on the reference-standard sound quality of the new Px8, while the premium design honours the partnership with the luxury supercar maker, which has generated ground-breaking innovations for in-car audio.

To celebrate the McLaren and Bowers & Wilkins partnership and the high-performance hybrid McLaren Artura supercar in which the two companies’ award-winning collaboration features, Bowers & Wilkins has created a specially-designed version of its Px8 wireless headphones.

Since 2015, Bowers & Wilkins has been responsible for the development of the high-performance audio systems found in McLaren’s supercars and hypercars.

The Px8 McLaren Edition features a Galvanic grey finish and Papaya orange highlights, the latter inspired by the famous Papaya orange which originated on founder Bruce McLaren’s early racing cars.

Sharing McLaren’s obsession with technical and performance-led aesthetics, the Px8 McLaren Edition headphones offer wireless sound quality synonymous with Bowers & Wilkins.

The core of the McLaren Edition Px8 is an all-new bespoke 40mm Carbon Cone drive units, inspired by technology used in Bowers & Wilkins reference-quality loudspeakers.

The Carbon Cone drive units in the Px8 McLaren Edition are angled inside each earcup to ensure a consistent distance relative to the listener’s ears from every point across the surface of each driver, to produce a more immersive and highly accurate soundstage.

The result is the best sound quality Bowers & Wilkins has ever delivered from a pair of wireless headphones.

The Px8 uses Qualcomm’s aptXTM Adaptive wireless technology to ensure the best possible sound quality from compatible phones, tablets and computers.

USB-C and 3.5mm analogue cable connections are also supported with both cable types included in the matching carry case that accompanies the product.

Whether using wireless or wired connections, the Px8 combines its ultra-high-performance drive unit configuration with powerful Bowers & Wilkins-developed Digital Signal Processing (DSP) to deliver outstanding, 24-bit high-resolution sound quality from leading streaming services.

The Px8 uses proprietary Bowers & Wilkins-optimised noise cancellation technology to effectively shut out unwanted noise.

Six microphones work together to deliver the best results: two measure the output of each drive unit, two react to ambient noise from the outside world and two provide voice clarity with enhanced noise suppression.

The Px8 McLaren Edition will use the same recently upgraded Bowers & Wilkins Music App for set-up and use. The Music App allows Px8 users to stream their chosen music directly from their mobile device to their headphones, with Deezer, Qobuz and TIDAL all supported.

The new Px8 McLaren Edition is now available from the Bowers & Wilkins website and select retailers priced at £699 (RM3,753).


Chip shortage continue to hamper vehicle sales in Malaysia

                KUALA LUMPUR: The global semiconductor chip shortage, apparently showing no immediate signs of abating, may create speed bumps in the sales momentum of the country’s automotive sector.

With vehicle sales starting to ease following the recent discontinuation of the sales tax holiday, the persisting global semiconductor shortage will not make things any better for the local automotive industry, according to an analyst.

“The global chip shortage that was triggered by the pandemic has been exacerbated by the ongoing Russia-Ukraine war.

“The war has had an impact on raw material prices and disrupted supply chains, which will have a direct impact on industries that rely on semiconductors including automotive,” the analyst said.

Some cars need more than 3,000 chips per vehicle. Even if one of the chips is unavailable, the production of that vehicle cannot be completed.

UOB Kay Hian (UOBKH) Research, in a report, said the persistent global chip shortage would have an impact on vehicle sales.

“July sales declined 23% month-on-month against an exceptionally high June total industry volume (TIV).”

The research house said this was because carmakers rushed to fulfil outstanding bookings received prior to June 30, which was the last day of the sales and service tax exemption incentive period.

“Aside from that, the continuous chip and component shortages had affected the industry’s ability to produce more vehicles.”

However, AmInvestment Bank said the underlying demand for cars would remain healthy, backed by a pick-up in broad economic activities.

“Due to the lack of good alternatives, private vehicles will remain as a primary mode of transportation, which will help to sustain the demand for passenger vehicles over the longer term. Our channel checks suggest that distributors’ booking rate is having a soft landing after the end of the tax holiday booking period in June.”

According to the research house, TIV is expected to remain robust moving forward, bolstered by strong industry order book and the easing of inventory shortages amid supply chain readjustments.

Total vehicle sales surged more than 500% year-on-year to 48,922 units last month, mainly due to the low base during the same period last year as businesses were affected by the nationwide lockdown.

A total of 43,594 passenger vehicles were sold, while 5,328 units of commercial vehicles were registered, according to the Malaysian Automotive Association (MAA).

The association said the shortage of chips and components had continued to affect some vehicle marques in July.

It said sales for August would likely be maintained at last month’s level.

According to a report by KPMG, the Russia-Ukraine war has the potential to exacerbate the semiconductor supply chain issues resulting in the chip shortage that has impacted the industry over the last two years.

“The immediate risk is to the supply of specific raw materials used in semiconductor manufacturing such as neon and palladium.

“While the impacts of inflation and indirect supply-chain effects appear to be manageable in the near term, the potential for longer term repercussions is yet to be determined and will be predicated on how events continue to unfold.”

Unless neon prices increase permanently, KPMG said producing it outside Ukraine would unlikely to be economical.

The Covid-19 pandemic saw a surge in demand for personal electronic items such as cell phones and laptops, which eventually led to a shortage of chips worldwide as production could not keep up with demand.

The crunch of the global chip shortage is still being felt by automotive players worldwide – two years after the pandemic.

Earlier this month, it was reported that the production of 180,000 vehicles in the United States was cut in the second week of August due to the chip shortage woes.

According to AutoForecast Solutions (AFS), a provider of global automotive forecasting databases, US factories have been forced to cut nearly 1.06 million vehicles from production schedules this year as a result of the global chip shortage.

AFS data revealed that nearly three million vehicles have been cut so far in 2022. The agency said the figure could rise to more than 3.8 million by year-end.

Earlier this month, China-based Geely Auto said its profits had more than halved as the global chip shortage and Covid-19 restrictions had affected production and affected the demand for new vehicles.

In July, it reported that UK car plants would not return to producing one million vehicles a year until at least 2025, due to the global semiconductor shortage issue.