White House convening summit with top execs on chip shortage

Joe Biden wants at least US$100 billion to boost US semiconductor production and fund investments to support production of critical goods. — Reuters
WASHINGTON: Almost 20 major companies worried about a global semiconductor chip shortage that has roiled the automotive industry will send senior executives to a White House summit Monday, a senior official said on Friday.

Reuters reported earlier the summit is expected to include General Motors chief executive Mary Barra and Ford Motor chief executive Jim Farley.

The White House official confirmed the three largest US automakers, including Chrysler-parent Stellantis NV will attend, as will executives from GlobalFoundries, PACCAR, NXP and Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company (TSMC).

The White House meeting is billed as the “CEO Summit on Semiconductor and Supply Chain Resilience” and will include White House National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan and National Economic Council Director Brian Deese. As of midday Friday, 19 major companies had agreed to send executives.

TSMC confirmed it had received the invitation, but offered no other details. The company, the world’s largest contract chip manufacturer, has repeatedly said it is working hard to address the global chip shortage.

Deese said in a statement the “summit reflects the urgent need to strengthen critical supply chains.”

Commerce Secretary Gina Raimondo will also take part.

A US auto industry group this week urged the US government to help and warned that a global semiconductor shortage could result in 1.28 million fewer vehicles built this year and disrupt production for another six months.

Also taking part are AT&T, Samsung, Google-parent Alphabet, Dell Technologies, Intel Corp, Medtronic, Northrop Grumman, HP Cummins and Micron.

“Trying to address supply chains on a crisis-by-crisis basis creates critical national security vulnerabilities,” Sullivan said in a statement.

Broadband Internet, cellphone and cable TV companies also face delays in receiving “network switches, routers, and servers. ... Shortages in semiconductors and the associated delays will result in hundreds of millions of dollars in impact to the broadband and cable television industry this year,” an industry group said this week.

US president Joe Biden wants at least US$100 billion to boost US semiconductor production and fund investments to support production of critical goods, but officials said this funding will not address short-term chip needs.

On Thursday GM and Ford both announced new vehicle production cuts.


Hyundai showcases new Veloster and Elantra

                CHICAGO: Hyundai revealed a new Rally Edition for its Veloster Coupe during the Chicago Auto Show, which builds on the previous Turbo R-Spec with stiffer suspension, lightweight wheels, sticky tyres and carbon fibre parts to name a few.

A limited run of 1,200 examples of the Rally Edition will be made – all in Matte Blue, and will be made available in the US from May onwards.

Other than its stiffer suspension, the Veloster will also receive a set of Rays 18-inch lightweight wheels wearing 225/40 tyres, faux carbon-fibre aero accents, new distinct badges, floor mats, seats and a B&M Racing sport shifter for its six-speed manual.

The new edition will stick to its 1.6-litre turbocharged direct-injected four-cylinder engine – producing 199bhp at 6,000rpm and 264Nm of torque from 1,750rpm.

Furthermore it also features an active sound design, which enhances intake and exhaust powertrain sound characters inside the cabin.

Meanwhile, the Korean carmaker also revealed a several other variants such as the Veloster Turbo that comes with added aggression and aerodynamic stability over the base model.

The turbo variant rides on 18-inch alloy wheels, unlike the Rally Edition’s lightweight alloys, gets leather seats embroidered with Turbo on the side bolsters with the option of changing them to Orange, Ultra Black or Vitamin C.

Additionally, the turbo variant gets an electro-luminescent gauge cluster with a TFT screen between the tachometer and speedometer as well as heated front seats, seven-speed dual-clutch transmission, new steering wheel and black headliner as standard.

The non-turbo Veloster rolls on 17-inch wheels and is powered by a direct-injection Gamma 1.6-litre engine with dual continuously variable valve timing, an electronic throttle control, a roller timing chain, variable induction and anti-friction coatings.

The engine outputs 136bhp at 6,300rpm and 167Nm of torque 4,850rpm when paired with a six-speed manual transmission, but with a seven-speed DCT, power ratings drop to 130bhp at 6,300 rpm and 163Nm of torque at 4,850rpm.

The new Veloster models also feature a revised hood without vent accents, a dark grey grille surround, and new audio/navigation system functions that include HD Radio, Apple Siri, and next-generation Blue Link.

Last but not least, Hyundai introduced a refreshed Elantra GT hatchback, which the company boasts of its 0.30 coefficient of drag (Cd) rating.

Powering the 17-inch front wheels with 215/45 tyres is an all-aluminium 2.0-litre Nu engine with gasoline (petrol) direct injection (GDI) and dual continuously variable valve timing (DCVVT) and a variable induction system (VIS).

While the engine operates at a compression ratio of 11.5:1, producing 170bhp at 6,500rpm and 209Nm of torque, it is mated to a six-speed manual or an automatic transmission with Shiftronic.

The revised hatch with a kerb weight of 1,317kg has a wheelbase of 2,649mm and comes in measuring 4,300mm-long, 1,471mm-tall and 1,781mm-wide.

Its suspension system comprises of MacPherson struts with coil spring and gas shock absorbers up front while the rear uses a lightweight torsion beam with monotube shock absorbers and up rated springs.

Moreover, it also uses a 22mm diameter front stabilizer bar.

The list of amenities include a cooler glove box, heated/ventilated seats, driver’s blind spot mirror, LED tail lights, powered driver seat, dual automatic climate controls with ionizer and automatic headlights to name a few.

Hyundai Veloster Rally EditionHyundai Elantra GT


Global EV battery sales surge as demand for clean cars picks up

                SINGAPORE: Global electric-vehicle battery sales more than doubled in the first four months of the year as the switch to environmentally-friendly cars gathers pace.

Sales of EV batteries rose to 65.9 gigawatt-hours in the January-April period, from 26.8 gigawatt-hours a year earlier, SNE Research said Tuesday.

Contemporary Amperex Technology Co.’s sales almost quadrupled to 21.4 GWh, cementing the Chinese company’s position as the world’s biggest EV battery maker with 32.5% of the global market.

Demand for electric vehicles is increasing as countries work to reduce carbon emissions, consumers embrace cleaner automobiles and costs tumble.

Automakers such as Volkswagen AG and Ford Motor Co. are plowing billions of dollars into adding more EV models to their lineups, while industry pioneer Telsa Inc. posted estimate-smashing deliveries in the first quarter.

"CATL, BYD and other Chinese makers led the market growth,” SNE said in the statement. "With the Chinese market expected to continue expanding, growth for most of the Chinese makers is expected to exceed the market average.”

EV sales in China may climb more than 50% this year alone, research firm Canalys estimates.

South Korean companies also posted strong growth, helped by rising EV demand in Europe. Sales at LG Energy Solution Co. and SK Innovation Co. more than doubled in the first four months, while Samsung SDI Co. posted 88% growth.


Once a handset superpower, Nokia still commands a potent weapon

A move to change how its patents are monetised has led Nokia into court with Daimler AG. — AFP
NEW YORK: A good decade after Nokia Oyj’s mobile-phone business suffered a fatal blow at the hands of the iPhone, the Finnish company is still feeding off a lucrative asset that it salvaged from the wreckage.

Nokia retained a catalogue of thousands of wireless communications patents that is steadily growing thanks to a thriving research operation. Now an attempt to change how those patents are monetised has led Nokia into court with Daimler AG, the maker of Mercedes-Benz cars.

A ruling a few weeks ago in Germany sided with Nokia, and more verdicts are pending later in September.

Modern automobiles are so brimming with electronic gadgetry that the industry has casually likened its products to smartphones on wheels. Wireless technology allows occupants to make calls, stream music or dial up emergency services in case of an accident.

Traditionally, automakers require that their components makers, be it Continental AG or Robert Bosch AG, handle any royalty issues, and indemnify them for any patent demands that may come later.

In a bid to streamline the process, wireless-technology companies from Qualcomm Inc. to Sharp Corp. and Nokia joined forces in the Avanci LLC patent pool, which promises to collect royalties from the car industry by offering a fixed price per vehicle, currently running at US$15 (RM63) a car for a 4G-standard licence.

"There has to be a solution and we feel we are the solution,” said Kasim Alfalahi, the founder and CEO of Avanci. "It’s a fair price for the value of the technology in the car.”

No, thanks

Trouble is that Daimler disagrees and has no desire to sign up. Instead, the company wants to maintain the practice of suppliers negotiating the licences, ideally at a fraction of the umbrella-deal cost.

Nokia is trying to enforce its approach via a high-stakes court battle, with hearings in Munich, Dusseldorf and Mannheim. It’s here that the Finns struck legal gold: the company won an injunction that could stop Daimler from selling cars in Germany, which would be a suicidal situation for the inventor of the automobile on its home turf.

One consolation for Daimler is that enforcing a car-sale ban would require Nokia to post collateral of €7 billion (RM34.5bil) in a separate proceeding, a risky proposition for the Finnish company given the huge outlay.

But then on Sept 10, Sharp won an injunction in a Munich court that also threatens a ban on Daimler vehicles, albeit at a much lower collateral of just €5.5 million (RM27mil), putting additional pressure on the carmaker.

Daimler says it wants fair and non-discriminatory access to patents on standardised technology, calling the practice essential to support development and services. Nokia, on the other hand, says it made "fair and reasonable offers to Daimler” and its peers, who have instead chosen to use the company’s inventions "without authorisation and compensation.”

Fridges, meters

While Daimler is appealing the ruling, it sent major shock waves through the industry and beyond (Nokia surged about 3% after the verdict).

At stake isn’t just the licensing model for patents used in cars, but in pretty much every product that promises wireless connectivity, be it a fridge, a combine harvester or a medical device. For Nokia and its peers, the automobile industry is only the tip of the licensing iceberg, and they’re going global.

"Today it’s the auto industry and tomorrow it’s home appliances,” says Atif Bhatti, a patent litigator at Linklaters in Frankfurt, who isn’t involved in the case. "At some point every industry will depend on connectivity and must tackle these issues.”

For Nokia, it’s a battle worth fighting to protect a critical flank, long after the company lost its relevance as a maker of handsets to end consumers. Nokia’s sales from patents and brand licensing reached €1.5 billion last year, a big enough business to qualify as one of its four main strategic pillars. Nokia clams to have most of the major smartphone vendors under licence, alongside products as disparate as smart meters, cars and payment terminals.

Supplier suit

The German suits are just one part of a battle being waged by the companies united under the Avanci umbrella. Sharp joined Nokia and filed its own cases against Daimler.

On the other side, suppliers including navigation specialist TomTom and Bosch are supporting Daimler in the litigation.

Continental has gone one step further, fielding a suit against Avanci in the US and urging the European Commission to step in and stop what it considers unfair competition. Like Daimler, Continental is invoking a rule stating that technology needed by everyone must be shared under fair terms.

A royalty of US$15 as demanded by Avanci would wipe out all profit for the components makers, and that doesn’t include patent owners who aren’t part of the Avanci platform but also want to get paid, the company contends.

Milestone ruling

It’s not all bad news for Daimler and the suppliers in its corner. At a hearing in Dusseldorf earlier this month, the judges indicated they want the EU’s top court to weigh in on the dispute.

The judges in Luxembourg should say whether Nokia can pick and choose whom they want to license to in the supply chain — an important legal milestone for Daimler.

But recent rulings in California and London as well as Nokia’s Mannheim win have benefited owners of patents for standard-essential technology, said Jorge Contreras, a University of Utah law professor who specialises in the intersection of patent and antitrust law.

Ultimately, it could give them an edge when trying to negotiate licences.

"At the end of the day, it is all about money,” Contreras said. "There aren’t any other issues beyond the money, really.”


Tesla owners' affection for their cars means they disregard flaws

                SAN FRANCISCO: Tesla's current range of cars is far from perfect yet their owners love them so much that they overlook quality or reliability shortfalls. This is the main finding from a new JD Power study — "Tesla: Beyond the Hype" published on Tuesday — into how the electric car company stands against the competition and the image that it has cultivated among its owners.

"Tesla owners see themselves as pioneers who enjoy being early adopters of new technology," said Kathleen Rizk, director, global automotive consulting at J.D. Power. And as a result they're making allowances for the marque's shortfalls in the same way that early adopters of the iPhone were happy to live without features like picture messaging.

Considering the company's tiny share of the global automotive market — fewer than 80,000 cars sold in 2016 — Tesla receives a hugely disproportionate amount of media attention.

However, if your vehicles are seen as spearheading a new, cleaner form of personal mobility that could someday become the norm, the excitement that surrounds the firm is understandable.

And while there is no questioning the company's battery technology or excellence at using social media channels in particular for promoting its image, what has been very difficult to measure until now is how Teslas stack up against the establishment in other areas such as quality and reliability.

This is mostly because the company doesn't sell enough cars in any country to make the cut in in-depth multi-year studies into quality and reliability such as those for which JD Power made its name. The sample groups are just too small.

That hasn't stopped Consumer Reports from attempting to qualify the car. In 2015, the Model S was ranked as worse than average for reliability and at the end of last year, it moved up to "average" based on reviews and problems from a group of little more than 1,000 owners.

Yet Tesla's brand image continues to grow, so to try to understand why and to analyse the company in the same way as established marques, JD Power used a number of Tesla-owning focus groups as well as performing a number of side-by side tests.

And the simple answer is that the car simply inspires affection. "Spending US$100,000 (RM443,000) or more on a vehicle that has so many problems usually would have a dramatically negative effect on sales and brand perception. Right now, though, Tesla seems immune from such disenchanted customers," Rizk noted.

However, unless the company can iron out some of these reliability issues, the love affair could be at risk of ending when the affordable Model 3 goes on sale.

"When consumers buy a mass-market car priced around US$35,000 (RM156,000) that will be their primary mode of transportation, the degree of expectation will increase immensely," Rizk said. "We've seen that with other well-liked brands, whether or not it involves an electric vehicle."


MINI Malaysia celebrates Merdeka with ‘Add Independence’ campaign

                KUALA LUMPUR: MINI Malaysia, in celebration of the country's 63rd Independence Day, has launched its "Add Independence" campaign for selected models.

The campaign, from now until Sept 30 (while stocks last), is providing a host of attractive offers including interest rates from 0% and monthly instalment plans starting from RM2,315.

There is also instalment support of up to RM5,000 as well as cash rebates of up to RM22,000 with purchase of selected models.

The MINI models include:
Cooper S (LCI)Cooper S (LCI) 60 Years EditionCooper S JCW (LCI)5-door Cooper S (LCI)Clubman Cooper (Pre-LCI)Clubman Cooper S (Pre-LCI)Clubman Cooper S (LCI)Clubman JCW (Pre-LCI)Clubman JCW 306HPCountryman Cooper SCountryman SportsCountryman Plugin HybridCountryman JCW 231HPCountryman JCW 306HP
“The exciting programmes available are also specially curated for our MINIacs who are looking to seek out new adventures and what better car to do so than our most adventurous MINI Countryman. Regardless of where the adventure leads us, there are different MINI Countryman variants to suit every need,” said BMW Group Malaysia managing director Harald Hoelzl.


New Renault Mégane R.S. aims to set pace in hot hatch market

PARIS: The world’s most powerful 1.8-litre engine is to be found in the Renault Mégane R.S., which was unveiled at the Frankfurt Motor Show in September 2017.

The engine delivers 280hp and 390Nm of torque, thanks to the development work jointly carried out by engineers from Renault Sport Cars and Renault Sport Racing

Just like its predecessors, the third-generation Mégane R.S. is aiming to set a benchmark in the C-segment hot hatch market.

Unique in class 4CONTROL four-wheel steering system ensures stability at high speeds and agility at low speeds. At high speeds, the front and rear wheels turn in the same direction, limited to a one degree angle for the rear wheels and at low speeds, the front and rear wheels turn in opposite directions up to a maximum angle of 2.7 degrees.

Hydraulic bump stops all round enable optimum control of tyre-ground contact and increased ride comfort.

The option of an Efficient Dual Clutch (EDC) gearbox is available for the first time, alongside a manual transmission.

Two types of chassis are available – Sport or Cup. The Sport chassis provides easy sporty driving, with best-in-class efficiency, whilst the Cup chassis offers greater sports performance for track and fast road use.

The new S. Monitor Expert allows drivers to film their track sessions and overlay telemetry data to create augmented reality videos that can later be analysed on the R.S. Replay website.

The unique S. Vision lighting system with chequered flag design integrates the side lights, cornering lights, fog lights & high beam into one housing in the front bumper.

Pricing for the new Megane R.S. will be made available closer to the on-sale date of early summer 2018.


Nissan unveils technology to control cars with brain signals

YOKOHAMA: If you're not yet convinced about the positives of driverless vehicle technology, you're probably going to be even more sceptical about the latest research Nissan has just revealed details of.

That's because the Japanese auto giant has announced it's having success with developing technology that will enable vehicles to be controlled by interpreting signals from the driver's brain, which really would revolutionize how we interact with our cars.

Nissan calls this technology Brain-to-Vehicle, or B2V, and the claim is that the technology will speed up reaction times so vehicles can continually adapt to make driving more enjoyable than it is already. Nissan is going to be demonstrating B2V at the upcoming Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas Jan 9-12.

B2V is the latest development in Nissan Intelligent Mobility, which is the automaker's ongoing vision of how vehicles will be driven, powered, and integrated into society in the future.

"When most people think about autonomous driving, they have a very impersonal vision of the future, where humans relinquish control to the machines," said Nissan's executive vice-president Daniele Schillaci.

"Yet B2V technology does the opposite, by using signals from their own brain to make the drive even more exciting and enjoyable. Through Nissan Intelligent Mobility, we are moving people to a better world by delivering more autonomy, more electrification and more connectivity."

While driverless vehicle technology has been in development for some time, Nissan's B2V technology is thought to be the first system of its kind in the world, and an entirely different direction from where most manufacturers are concentrating their efforts.

The driver has to wear a device capable of detecting and measuring brain wave activity, which can then be analysed by autonomous-drive systems. By anticipating intended movement, the onboard systems are able to take appropriate actions such as turning the steering wheel or slowing the car as much as 0.2 to 0.5 seconds faster than the driver can manage manually, while at the same time remaining mostly imperceptible.

At CES, Nissan will be demonstrating some elements of the new system using a driving simulator, and someone will be on hand to answer questions, of which there will probably be many.


2019 Mercedes-Benz A Class: RM227,888 (A 200) + RM263,888 (A 250)

                KUALA LUMPUR: The new Mercedes-Benz A Class is available as the A 200 Progressive Line and A 250 AMG Line, respectively for RM227,888 and RM263,888.

The A 200 Progressive Line has a 1.3-litre inline turbocharged 4-cylinder petrol engine with 163hp at 5,500rpm and 250Nm at 1,620 to 4,000rpm.

The A 250 AMG Line, on the other hand, has a more powerful 2.0-litre turbocharged 4-cylinder petrol engine rated at 224hp at 5,500rpm and 350Nm at 1,800 to 4,000rpm.

The major differences between the two A-Class variants are the engines, trim and upholstery (the A 250 AMG Line gets a more powerful 2.0-litre engine as well as an AMG Line exterior, AMG alloy wheels, aluminium trim, and nappa leather for the steering wheel).

A 250 AMG LineA 200 Progressive Line

Both cars use a 7G-DCT dual-clutch automatic transmission and have four DYNAMIC SELECT transmission modes “Eco”, “Comfort”, “Sport” and “Individual”.

“The new Mercedes-Benz A-Class marks a new episode on a revolutionary journey into the digital era of the automobile. This gadget-like car redefines functionalities with an intuitive approach and underlining the lifestyle element making it the ultimate must-have item,” said Mark Raine, vice president, sales and marketing, Mercedes-Benz Malaysia.

The new A-Class is the first Mercedes-Benz model to feature the new, state-of-the-art Mercedes-Benz User Experience (MBUX) infotainment system.

MBUX can be activated by the words, “Hey Mercedes”.

This intelligent language assistant supports numerous infotainment functions such as destination input, phone call, music selection, as well as climate control and lighting.

The system also recognises and understands almost every sentence occurring in the infotainment functions and vehicle operation.

MBUX can be individualised and adapts to suit each user individually.

The MBUX touch-control concept is a triad consisting of the touchscreen, touchpad on the centre console and touch control buttons in the steering wheel.

The new A-Class has a low bonnet, flat LED headlamps with chrome elements and torch-like daytime driving lamps, as well as a shark-nose like look.

Both, the Mercedes-Benz A 200 and A 250 also come with high-resolution Widescreen Cockpit with touchscreen control, setting new standards in the segment.

It has an all-digital instrument display which can be switched to different styles from “Classic”, “Understated” or “Sport” mode complementing the turbine-look air-vents and leather multifunction sports steering wheel.

For the first time, the A-Class also comes standard with the KEYLESS-GO function.

Safety and assistance systems include the Active Parking Assist which assist the driver when searching for a parking space and when entering or leaving a parallel or end-on parking spaces.

It manoeuvres the vehicle into the selected parking space and back out again.

Also, the new A-Class now comes with 64 colours for the ambient lighting.

Besides the increase in colour variety, the ambient lighting colours are composed into ten colour worlds, allowing an avant-garde lighting display with spectacular colour changes.

Mercedes-Benz Financial offers Plan A financing – the all-in-one financing plan that offers financing, insurance and service packages.

The Plan A financing starts from RM1,988 and comes with a variety of packages.

For a limited time, all Plan A financing contracts comes with a complimentary first-year Tyre and Rim insurance (campaign ends on December 31, 2018).

Mercedes-Benz A 200 Progressive LineTransmission & Technology

- 1.3-litre Turbocharged 4-cylinder Petrol Engine
- 163hp at 5,500rpm
- 250Nm at 1,620 to 4,000rpm
- Combined fuel consumption: 5.6 to 5.2 litres per 100km
- 0 to 100kph sprint: 8.0 seconds
- 7G-DCT dual-clutch automatic transmission
- Lowered Comfort Suspension
- Direct-Steer System
- DYNAMIC SELECT

Exterior Features

- Progressive Line Exterior
- 18-inch 5 twin spoke alloy wheels
- LED headlamps
- Auto dimming for interior and exterior mirrors
- Electric folding wing mirrors

Comfort and Interior Features

- Progressive Line Interior
- Roof liner - fabric black
- Black open pore lime wood trim
- Leather sports steering wheel
- Illuminated door sill panels
- Light and sight package
- Ambient lighting
- THERMATIC automatic climate control
- Double cupholder
- Electrically adjustable front seats with memory function
- Sunvisors with illuminated vanity mirrors
- Four-way lumbar support

Safety & Assistance Package

- Kneebag
- PRE-SAFE positioning for front seats
- KEYLESS-GO
- Tyre pressure monitoring system
- Anti-theft alarm system
- Automatic front passenger airbag deactivation
- Active Brake Assist
- Active Parking Assist
- Reverse camera
- Automatic high-beam control
- Cruise control with SPEEDTRONIC speed limiter

Multimedia System

- MBUX multimedia system
- 10.25-inch media display
- 10.25-inch combination display
- Touch pad
- Extended MBUX Functions
- Hard disc navigation
- Apple Car Play
- Android Auto

Mercedes-Benz A 250 AMG Line (differences compared with A 200)

- 2.0-litre Turbocharged 4-cylinder Petrol Engine
- 224hp at 5,500rpm
- 350Nm at 1,800 to 4,000rpm
- Combined fuel consumption: 6.5 to 6.2 litres per 100km
- 0 to 100kph sprint: 6.2 seconds
- AMG Line exterior
- 18-inch 5 spoke AMG alloy wheels
- AMG Line Interior
- Light longitudinal-grain aluminium trim
- Steering wheel in nappa leather
- AMG illuminated door sill panels

Photo Gallery - Mercedes-Benz A 200 Progressive LinePhoto Gallery - Mercedes-Benz A 250 AMG Line


Chery Tiggo 8 Pro SUV launched in South Africa, slated for Malaysia as well

                CAPE TOWN: Chery recently launched its flagship seven-seater sports utility vehicle (SUV), the Tiggo 8 Pro, in South Africa, in variants of Distinctive and Executive.

The Tiggo 8 Pro is among the Chery models planned for launch in Malaysia that is expected to heat up the local motoring scene.

South Africa is the first country on the African continent to receive the Tiggo 8 Pro, and it arrives shortly after its debut in other large markets such of South America, Russia and the Middle East.

The Tiggo 8 Pro showcases “Movement Design”, Chery’s next-generation design language. Its galaxy-inspired three-dimensional grille is flanked by standard-across-the-range automatic matrix-LED headlamps with dual daytime running lamps, establishing a strong visual signature.

Subtle yet striking satin chrome adorns the lower air intake – which doubles as a skid plate – fog lamps, grille, windows and lower doors, while the load-bearing continuous chromed roof rails, 18-inch black and chrome alloys and Executive variant’s panoramic sunroof exude restrained class and luxury.

Inside, all major controls have been digitised in three separate screens – a horizontal 12.3-inch instrument panel, an 8-inch climate control screen and a 10.25-inch floating infotainment screen in the centre of the dashboard that features Apple CarPlay, Android Auto and a reverse camera display.

The climate control system is fully automatic, dual-zone and fitted with an N95-grade air purifying system as standard, while the Executive variant adds a third air conditioning system for the rearmost seats.

All variants offer wireless charging, intelligent voice control and eight Sony surround speakers.

Leather seats are standard, with the Executive variant’s featuring a diamond stitched pattern.

The driver’s seat is six-way power-adjustable with memory, and in the Executive variant, the front passenger seat is four-way adjustable with lumbar, all powered.

Other interior features include 60:40-split folding rear seats, USB and 12V ports, and ambient lighting.

The Tiggo 8 Pro is also well-equipped safety features, among them six airbags, Traction Control (TCS), Roll Stability Control (RSC) and ISOFIX as standard.

The Executive variant adds Lane Departure Warning (LDW), Automatic Cruise Control, Automatic Emergency Braking (AEB), Traffic Sign Recognition (TSC), Intelligent High-beam Control (IHC), Blind Spot Monitoring (BSD), Front Collision Warning (FCW) and an emergency Brake Override System (BOW).

Also standard are rear park distance control (PDC) – encompassing a reverse camera with dynamic guides and 360-degree view – remote window closing, tyre pressure monitoring, hill assist, downhill ascent control and keyless entry and start.

Powering the Tiggo 8 Pro is a 1.6-litre turbo direct-injected engine, one of Chery’s award-winning powerplants.

Praised in the China Heart engine competition for its high efficiency, the engine makes 197PS at 5,500 rpm and 290Nm of torque between 2,000 and 4,400 rpm.

Transmission is a seven-speed dual-clutch type with drive modes of Standard, Eco and Sport driving modes, along with Eco and Sport steering modes.

Following the benchmark set by its smaller sibling Tiggo 4 Pro, Tiggo 8 Pro comes with a comprehensive 10-year/1,000,000km engine warranty in South Africa.

This warranty is linked to the original owner while a five-year/150,000km warranty linked to the vehicle is standard, as is five years of comprehensive roadside assistance.

Chery will also offer South African customers a comprehensive five-year/60,000km service plan as standard.

Chery South Africa executive deputy general manager Tony Liu said the Chinese car maker used the first-class travel in planning for the South African introduction of the Tiggo 8 Pro.

“Once in first class, your every needs are taken care of. here are no hidden costs, no surprise bills and luxury is a given.

“That is what we have created for customers of the Tiggo 8 Pro, from design, to seating, to performance and of course to luxuries,” he said.

Chery Tiggo 8 Pro


Driving advice from two-time F1 world champion Mika Hakkinen

Hakkinen now enjoys the challenge of tackling icy, snowy roads. — dpa
BERLIN: Formula One world champion Mika Hakkinen says years after his victories as the famous "flying Finn" he now enjoys the challenge of tackling icy, snowy roads. It's all about the timing, he says.

Q: Mika, before we get into the details of your driving advice, do the skills of a racing driver actually help you in every-day driving?

Absolutely yes! The skills definitely help you in every-day driving, I would also use a different word, talent. It is a lot about timing. That means - when you are in traffic on the road - you can already see and assess much more in advance what’s going to happen, what will happen on left, right, font and from behind. This way you can already put your road car in the traffic in a position that you are not going to have an accident.

Q: What are the essential top three points of advice that you can give to everyday drivers?

First, if I know I have a long journey, I will make sure I plan my journey extremely well so there are no surprises. Second, the car condition is important — it must be good, so you don’t get in trouble. What I mean with this are tyres, fuel, oil, the technical parts in the car need to be all checked and okay, and you need to have plenty of water in the car. And third, my opinion is that you need to rest well before you start your journey.

Q: Now of course at this time of the year, the challenges are the ever-changing winter conditions. Do you as a Finn actually like driving in the snow?

I personally do like it, it makes driving more challenging. All that I mentioned earlier, the timing and taking care of the surroundings when you are in traffic becomes even more important. I find driving in snow fun, so I love it. But stick to the speed limits, don’t drive too fast in the snow, or it might get slippery.

Q: Lets go into details. What is the most important thing any driver should know when driving in winter, rain, snow, ice or dry conditions?

When driving in winter we are talking about drivers really needing to understand the condition of the tyres. Because they are your life insurance, basically. And always, whatever condition, whenever driving, wear a seat belt!

When you are driving in rain, speed is important. When you are driving in the rain, don’t speed up, rain is really tricky. If the car starts aquaplaning, you are a passenger. No matter how good of a driver you are, you will be loose if you get aquaplaning, don’t go too fast.

In the snow? (laughing) Make sure the heating is on in the car, because it will be very cold. To be serious – in snow it is the same story – make sure your tyres are in good condition. Personally I use the Nokian winter tyres because I find Finnish tyres best in winter. Make sure the tyres are in good condition and reduce your speed!

Ice? Same here: ice and snow tyres are a very important part of your safety, so focus on them. If you are driving on ice don’t make any sudden movements, drive smooth, that reduces the risk of an accident.

When dry, it's easier, but still: Pay attention of the distances how close you drive to other cars.

Q: What if I lose control of the car in the snow and start sliding... what should I do?

Very difficult question! If I have just gotten my driving licence, and have not much experience of driving on snow, I would go to a diving school. That way you learn to control the car. Especially driving in those extreme conditions, you really need special techniques to control the car on snow, icy and slippery conditions.

Q: How can I maybe practise to be prepared for snowy and icy conditions?

I would really go to a driving or racing school where you can also discuss how to use the steering, the brakes, the accelerators, under different conditions and talk to them about it. But every condition is different, even on show it’s never consistent. One thing is very sure, if you are not confident, not ready, then reduce your speed and take your time.

Q: Last but not least, what are you doing these days, you have retired from F1 and DTM but seem still very active?

I am the ambassador for many companies and that is definitely taking my time every day to activate these businesses. In October I was in Japan for the Grand Prix where I drove some laps celebrating the 30-year anniversary of the racetrack. At the same time we were celebrating 20 years since my first Formula One World Championship title.

In addition we launched a special photo in a limited edition print for a charity, celebrating 25 years of the “Flying Finn”. In the picture by Mark Sutton of Motorsport Images, I am flying with all four wheels of my McLaren up in the air in Adelaide 1993. The picture gave me my nickname “Flying Finn”.

Recently I’ve been quite active on social media, with my new start-up, iNZDR, a new premium social media fan club app ... extremely exciting. In fact, giving you this interview gave me an idea: I think in future I should post some videos where I am giving driving advice and coaching. In any case, and no matter what I am doing, most important for me is my family.


With SUVs, Chinese carmakers at last unsettle foreign brands

                BEIJING: Two years ago, just one Chinese SUV ranked among the country's top-10. In the first three months of this year, that number jumped to eight - a sign that Chinese automakers may have found their sweet-spot to battle foreign rivals in the world's biggest car market.

Despite preferential government policies, local carmakers have failed to really compete with foreign automakers like Volkswagen AG and General Motors in sedan sales. Shifting the battleground to the roomier sport utility vehicle segment may bring more success.

"The domestic SUV market has entered a period of enduring, rapid growth, the market scope has expanded and more indigenous brands have gained momentum," a spokesman for Shenzhen-based BYD said in an emailed statement.

"Moreover, BYD, Great Wall, Geely and other indigenous brands have made enormous progress in technology, quality and service."

Retail sales of SUVs jumped by more than a third last year to 3.82 million as Chinese drivers, who are growing wealthier and are often restricted to a single car purchase in crowded cities, increasingly opt for larger vehicles.

IHS Automotive predicts SUV sales will increase by more than a fifth this year, before 2016 growth slips into single digits.

Chongqing Changan Automobile and Great Wall Motor will launch fresh versions of their top-selling SUVs at this week's Shanghai autoshow, while others such as BYD are expected to unveil new models in a rush to ride the rising popularity of SUVs.

Chinese automakers have been helped by having the right products for the SUV market at the right price and well in advance of foreign rivals - just as SUV sales took off. It's the result of years of focusing resources on developing "good enough" quality SUVs with attractive exteriors.

"Because local carmakers can't really compete on sedans, they've really focused in recent years on launching more SUVs," said Yale Zhang, managing director of Automotive Foresight in Shanghai.

Great Wall, for example, launched three new SUVs last year, helping its SUV business grow by a quarter, while its sedan sales dropped 57 percent as it pared back production.

Overall in 2014, Chinese brands launched 18 SUV models, while foreign competitors launched 11, Automotive Foresight data show.

New entrants to China's top-10 SUVs are built on sedan frames and are priced cheaply enough to appeal to first-time buyers in a slowing economy.

Great Wall's Haval H2 starts at 99,800 yuan (US$16,087) and Changan's CS75 at 108,800 yuan. Honda Motor's CR-V, largely comparable to a Haval H6, starts at 193,800 yuan.

Global brands have dominated car production since China's economic opening despite strict limitations that require foreign automakers to form 50:50 joint ventures with local partners in order to manufacture in China.

Some Chinese automakers have achieved a large enough scale with indigenous SUV brands and are seen as reliable by domestic drivers, though that's not enough to command loyalty or premium pricing, said Tom Doctoroff, Asia-Pacific CEO for ad firm JWT.

Consequently, Doctoroff says, those brands are a long way from breaking into mature global markets like Europe or the United States, where leading Chinese SUV brands - which also include those from BAIC Motor (IPO-BAC.SS), Chery, JAC Motors and Zotye - remain virtual unknowns.


Singapore's MooVita in deal to develop driverless tech for buses

                SINGAPORE: Driverless software company MooVita today signed a strategic partnership with China's tier-1 auto parts supplier, Desay SV (DSV), to further drive a safer, more efficient, and carbon-neutral mode of transportation.

MooVita and DSV will jointly work on the development of AV Level-3 to Level 4+ full-stack software application residing in DSV's firmware. This will enable vehicles to operate autonomously without much human intervention for urban driving conditions. The first application would be in "smart buses".

The deployment of such autonomous driving core technologies is expected to be rolled out in the first half of 2023.

Both companies intend to develop the technology further to create Level 4 autonomous buses, starting with Singapore, Malaysia and China.

Founded 2016, Singapore-based MooVita is a tech provider of smart mobility solutions for urban environments. With offices in Singapore, Malaysia, and India, the startup offers vehicle-agnostic, driverless software capabilities for applications such as first and last-mile transportation, logistics transportation, and utility solutions.

MooVita said its solutions can be deployed across multiple industries such as hospitality service providers (hotels and resorts), industrial parks, commercial offices, and residential estates.


Riyadh Motor Show slowly gets back in gear

Saudis walking past a Ferrari during the 30th International Riyadh Motor Show. — AFP
RIYADH: In a Saudi economy where restraint is the buzzword, this week's small-scale Riyadh Motor Show is a sign of the times.

But following widespread economic austerity in the kingdom hit by falling oil revenues, the fact that the event is being held at all after a three-year absence has given hope to car retailers. Although it is usually an annual event, the last show was in 2012.

"There was not much interest from different companies to participate" in the intervening years, said Alaa Aboumerhi, general manager of marketing for Hyundai Wallan, Saudi distributors for the South Korean brand.

Hyundai sedans are on display alongside rivals including Japan's Toyota, China's Chery and US brands Chevrolet and GMC at the four-day event which began on Tuesday night.

European luxury brands are absent from the show, which is targeted at the average buyer and takes up just one section of a Riyadh convention centre. Much of the hall is devoted to auto accessories.

Saudi media described the exhibition space as several times smaller than at the previous show. Retailers in the kingdom in general are complaining of lower sales and residents say they have less money to spend.

On top of hikes in the prices of petrol, electricity and water over the past year, the cabinet in September imposed a wage freeze on civil servants, who make up the bulk of the workforce.

Among saving measures at the highest levels, top government officials will no longer be given cars.

Economic cutbacks will be accompanied by a drop in automobile sales this year, Aboumerhi said.

"As for Hyundai, we are still maintaining our market share", with sales of about 50,000 units per year which places it second in the Saudi market, he said.

The motor show, which the Arab News daily said drew an estimated 10,000 visitors on the opening day, is a chance for dealers to show off their latest models and to even take orders.

On-site bankers are ready to help with financing. "The economy, it's not really good," said Hassan Abdulaziz, manning the Toyota display which included a Hilux diesel pickup truck that sells for 104,000 riyals (RM124,000).

Around him, Saudi men in traditional white thobes lifted bonnets and sat in the driver's seats.

Marketing student Waleed Mubarak sounded optimistic about the kingdom's prospects as he looked for a new car with a budget of 150,000 riyals (RM179,000). "There's no problem with the economy now in Saudi Arabia," he said.

Another visitor, Abdullah Bajabar, wasn't so sure. Having just returned from several years in Canada, he said he needs a car even though "the economic situation is difficult."

Other visitors seemed more interested in filming themselves and the vehicles, which included monster trucks and a yellow sports car slung so low it seemed to touch the floor. A young Saudi man in Western clothes preened in a convertible while taking a selfie.

Across the aisle, a DJ spun hip hop tunes beside a display of coloured wheel rims and a vintage Chevrolet. Even though the conservative kingdom is the world's only country where women cannot drive, visitors included a few women dressed in traditional black abaya robes. There were no scantily clad females helping to promote the cars, as occurs in many countries.

A luxury car show in Saudi Arabia's slightly more liberal Red Sea city of Jeddah was reportedly sanctioned after it used female sales promoters.

Local media reported last month that pictures on social media showed young Saudi women posing in long white robes with their faces uncovered in front of a car display.

Jeddah will next month host the annual Saudi International Motor Show, the kingdom's largest. Organisers of that event say Saudi Arabia is the Middle East's biggest importer of vehicles and auto parts.

A car remains essential for getting around Saudi cities criss-crossed by multi-lane highways, where public transit projects are under development but not yet finished.

For Hyundai's Aboumerhi, Saudi Arabia's intensified effort to diversify its oil-dependent economy should lead to an improvement next year.

"By the end of this year there will be a lot of changes, positive changes, which will reflect for sure on the automotive sector," Aboumerhi said.


US cab service just for women and children draws strong interest

                BOSTON: US entrepreneur Michael Pelletz's project of a rideshare service for women and children with vehicles driven by women has prompted such interest that he is postponing the service's launch date.

Chariot For Women, fully funded by its founder and close associates, was initially set to kick off on Tuesday.

Interest in the service has largely been driven by the apprehension some women have of male taxi rideshare drivers.

Several sexual harassment and even rape cases have been reported on rideshare vehicles driven by men.

Pelletz, a former part-time Uber driver, wanted to initially collect a roster of 1,000 potential drivers in the northeastern state of Massachusetts.

Like other rideshare services, these drivers would use their personal vehicle to drive on demand. However the drivers would be female, and their customers would be women and children.

Without spending a dime on advertising, no fewer than 7,000 female candidates contacted him in four days to offer to become company drivers.

"We need to make sure that our technology can handle the millions of people that are going to use our company," said the Boston-based Pelletz on Friday.

"We're going to delay for a few months just to make sure."

In Boston, where the service is to be launched, rates will be about the same as Uber and Lyft, the two ridesharing giants, but without Uber's progressive pricing system.

Pelletz also said that the company would keep 25 percent of the first $100 earned daily by each driver, but nothing beyond that.

Uber takes a 25 percent share on all rides.

"I'm not really in this for the money but because there's such a need to keep women and children safe," Pelletz said.

Chariot For Women is not the first service to offer services in this niche, but none has ever been successful, in part due to charges of discrimination.

"Our legal department is well prepared" for any challenge Pelletz said.

He even hopes to be legally challenged "because laws can change if we show that there is a need," he said.


VW brand freezes new hiring until end 2020

                FRANKFURT: Volkswagen has stopped hiring new staff at its core brand until year end, VW’s brand’s chief said on Wednesday.

Despite a slight recovery in demand, car sales remain below levels seen before the coronavirus crisis, Ralf Brandstaetter said in an interview published in an internal VW newsletter, which was seen by Reuters.

“We remain under substantial cost pressure. Deliveries and therefore revenue have dropped sharply. At the same time, a large amount of costs remain. This is why we have decided not to add new people,” Brandstaetter said.

Volkswagen’s job guarantee for German employees until 2029 remains in place, he said.

The company’s works council chief Bernd Osterloh said that without external hiring, VW needs to do more to retrain existing staff.

In an interview with the Wolfsburger Allgemeine Zeitung, Osterloh said he expected production at the plant in Wolfsburg this year to drop to around 500,000 cars, instead of 700,000 which had been planned.

Osterloh furthermore told the paper he would stand for re-election as head of the company’s powerful works council, if labour representatives and workers supported the move.

Volkswagen’s Wolfsburg plant is currently unable to produce 3,000 cars a day, because it has cut down to a two shift system, Osterloh told another local paper, the Wolfsburger Nachrichten.


BMW Shorties heads into 2021 for virtual fest

                PETALING JAYA: BMW Group Malaysia's first event of 2021 will be the BMW Shorties & Chill.

The online event will take place on Jan 2 from 2.30pm to 6pm.

BMW said the event is being held to celebrate and support the creative arts community.

The highlight of the BMW Shorties & Chill will be the premiere of Rama Rama – the latest BMW Shorties production from Ekin Kee Charles, the grand prize winner of the BMW Shorties 2019.

The event will also feature film talks in the new normal with industry creatives: Tan Ce Ding, Lina Tan, Khairil Bahar, Nadiah Hamzah, as well as music performances by NYK and Seven Collar T-Shirt.

Public viewing events of the BMW Shorties & Chill digital premiere will also take place on-ground at several locations – with adherence to standard operating procedures – including Dissolved Solids in Damansara Kim. Exclusive giveaways and on-ground activities will also be happening on the day.

To learn more about BMW Shorties & Chill, follow the official BMW Shorties Facebook page at www.facebook.com/BMWShorties and Instagram account at www.instagram.com/bmwshorties.


Fuel prices to increase on March 1?

                KUALA LUMPUR: Blog posts and social media are abuzz with rumours of a 10 sen hike to RM2.40 per litre for RON95 in March 2017.

If this happens, and based on previous months' fuel prices, the price of RON97 might increase by 10 or 15 sen to RM2.70 or RM2.75 per litre.

As for diesel (both Euro2M and Euro5 grades), based on previous months' fuel prices, prices would not stray very far from the price of RON95.

As of Feb 1, prices of Euro2M and Euro5 diesel are RM2.15 and RM2.25 respectively.

Presently, fuel pump prices are based on a managed float system, which was introduced in Dec 2014, and use the average price of the refined product and not crude oil.

Malaysia uses the Singapore Means of Platts (MOPS) pricing for petrol and diesel.

The Government also has a say in determining fuel pump prices to a certain extent.

Last November, it was reported that market forces dictated that the month's fuel prices should have increased by 20 sen per litre, but Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak said it should be restricted to a "fairer" 15 sen instead.

Second Finance Minister Datuk Johari Abdul Ghani told reporters that Najib had felt that it would be "unfair" to increase the price to that extent.


Mercedes-Benz EQE: Move on up to electric luxury

                The Mercedes-Benz EQE looks like a scaled-down version of the EQS from the get-go.

Launched locally last December, some four months after the arrival of the EQS, the EQE 350+ comes fully imported, priced at around RM420,000.

While the EQS has since begun local assembly with upgraded specs, it remains status quo for the EQE.

Mercedes-Benz also offers the all-electric EQA, EQB and EQC SUVs but they are based on traditional combustion engine platforms instead of being designed from the ground up on an all-electric foundation as are the EQS and EQE. So space and aerodynamic limitations are to be expected.

Like the EQS, the sole EQE for Malaysia is built on Mercedes’ first dedicated electric platform called the Electric Vehicle Architecture 2 or EVA2.

Exterior

While it’s a shrunken version of the EQS, the EQE is larger than the current W213 E-Class.

The EQE measures 4.95 metres in length, or 18cm less than its EQS, and the wheelbase is around 9cm shorter, with 3.12m. Compared to the combustion-engine E-Class, it is 1.1cm longer and has an 18.1cm longer wheelbase.

On the outside, the electric version of the E-Class looks like a futuristic pod on wheels.

With a coupé-like silhouette, its sleek bodywork is the result of the brand’s Sensual Purity philosophy, characterised by “generously modelled surfaces, reduced joints and seamless design”.

Its front end and overhangs are kept short, while the rear provides the dynamic accent with a sharp rear spoiler and ndistinctive helical tail lights.

The grille comprised a black panel flanked by Digital Light LED headlamps for a modern touch.

In our view, the black panel comes across as plain; the front end would have looked better with the Mercedes-Benz patterned radiator grille, as is offered in other markets.

However, the black panel is part of the AMG Line specification for the car that includes AMG bodystyling, 19-inch AMG light-alloy wheels and AMG-specific parts. Lending a sporty flair are four doors with frameless windows.

The EQE doesn’t have the EQS’ tailgate; instead it gets a conventional boot with 430 litres of space, which is still a decent amount of storage that can be enlarged with folded down rear seats.

The EQE, however, doesn’t have a frunk as in some battery electric cars.

The car’s overall shape, along with aero-optimised wheels and tyres, results in a 0.22 drag coefficient - translating into a “slippery” body that aids in maximising range.

Interior

The interior is plush and made of high quality materials as one would expect of a Mercedes.

Instead of getting the door-to-door MBUX Hyperscreen, the EQE dash is simplified with a 12.3-inch digital instrument cluster and a 12.8-inch OLED infotainment touchscreen providing a not-so intuitive haptic feedback.

Its zero-layer design means there’s no need to burrow through submenus for quick access.

The rest of the dash is a broad patterned panelling of backlit three-pointed stars, which confers an elegant and minimalist look, accentuated by a slim air-cond vent band running the width of the dash.

The chunky multi-function steering wheel is wrapped in Nappa leather, while seats are upholstered in Artico/Microcut, a mix of synthetic hide/microfibre.

Legroom is plenty with sports seats upfront providing four-way lumbar support for comfort.

Tall passengers in second row will find headroom tight because of the coupe roofline, and long distance comfort will surely be compromised by seatbacks that are a tad too upright.

Rearview visibility is also hampered by a constricted rear windscreen, compounded by the trio of headrests in second row.

In-cabin entertainment is provided by an excellent Burmester surround sound system.

Drive time

The EQE taps into Li-ion battery underfoot that has a net capacity of around 90kWh - and offers a WLTP range of up to 669km. We averaged around 530km in mostly highway driving, which is reasonably good by our reckoning.

The EQE is charged at up to 170kW. It takes about 32 mins to top up from 10% to 80%. Under ideal conditions, it only takes 15 mins to charge the battery enough for 250km. AC charging at 11kW from 10% to 100% takes a little over 8 hours.

Meanwhile, a singe-speed transmission relays battery power to the single-rear-drive motor which produces 215kW/292hp and 565Nm of torque for a 0-100kph sprint in 6.4s.

The electric powertrain delivers instant torque, resulting in swift acceleration and a smooth driving experience.

The EQE is equipped with multi-link suspension all round, and there’s no air suspension option for Malaysia. Still, it rides well enough over all but the ruttiest roads to keep harshness at bay.

Suspension is on the soft side and shows up as the car is thrusted through corners.

Steering is light and muted in Comfort mode and sharpens up a fair bit in Sport mode to the accompaniment of synthesised engine noises for added drama.

Adaptive regeneration braking via the paddle shifters take some getting used to. Some drivers have complained it’s plain disconcerting when they can’t find the brake pedal position where they expect it to be when the car is automatically braking itself.

The regen was designed to enable the driver to fine-tune the amount of energy recaptured during deceleration. This not only helps maximise range but also adds a level of engagement and control to the driving experience.

On the safety front, the EQE offers an extensive suite of driver-assistance features, including adaptive cruise control, Active Stop-and-Go Assist and active lane-keeping assist.

These technologies enhance safety and provide a more relaxed driving experience. The car also supports over-the-air updates, allowing for continuous software improvements and the latest enhancements.

The low-down

While the EQE has some shortcomings, it remains on balance a desirable electric car. The comfort, luxury and range is palpable.

And it’s every bit a Mercedes positioned at the leading edge of mobility.
SPECIFICATIONSMercedes-Benz EQE 350+ AMG LineElectric motor: Single Permanently Excited Synchronous, rear-mounted
Maximum power: 215kW/292hp
Maximum torque: 565Nm
Battery capacity & type: 90.5kWh, Lithium-ion
Range: 669km (WLTP)
Charger Type: Type 2 (AC) / CCS2 (DC)
Transmission: Single speed automatic
Features: 9 airbags, rear-wheel drive, Digital Light with projection function, four-zone automatic climate control, 4 drive modes, Adaptive Cruise Control with Steering Assist and Stop and Go, autonomous braking, Evasive Steering Assist, wireless phone charging, paddle shifters for regenerative braking control, Apple CarPlay/Android Auto support, Augmented Reality Navigation, 4 USB-C ports, 15-speaker, 710-watt Burmester 3D Surround Sound System, powered and heated front seats with memory function, 360 degree camera, auto parking, 19-inch AMG alloy wheels, tyre repair kit
Normal charging (AC, 11kW 10-100%): 8 hours 15 mins
Quick Charging (DC, 170kW 10-80%): 32 mins
Suspension: Multilink
Acceleration (0-100kph): 6.4s
Top speed: 210kph
Kerb weight: 2,355kg
Boot capacity: 430 litres
Price: (OTR without insurance): RM419,888


Ford Mustangs to get the 'Gittin' treatment

                DETROIT: If you own a Ford Mustang GT or EcoBoost model, now you too can look like you're cool enough to drift like Vaughn Gittin Jr. without actually having to do it, thanks to Ford Performance's limited-edition RTR Series 1 styling pack.

Ford Performance announced it was working with world champion drifter Gittin Jr.'s RTR Vehicles to create an RTR styling pack in order to bring your road vehicle to the track.

The Series 1 Mustang RTR Powered by Ford Performance package, which can be installed on Mustang EcoBoost or GT models, restyles the car into a vehicle that offers "smile-inducing driving, diverse capability on the track and a very distinctive owner experience for those looking to stand out from the crowd."

To express this new personality, the pack comes with new wheels and tyres — 9.5-inches wide in the front and 10 inches wide in the rear — and an iconic new spoiler with an RTR Gurney flap. The nose will be outfitted with an RTR grill and grill inserts characteristic of Gittin's drifters. More RTR-branded custom touches include fender badges, floor mats, shift knob and puddle lamps, in addition to a distinctive RTR windshield banner and side stripes.

The RTR pack can only be built onto the Performance Pack 1 which already upgrades the breaks, tweaks the suspension, and improves the cooling system. Between the two sets of enhancements, your 'Stang will definitely be a showstopper on and off the track.

Only 500 of the Gittin-inspired styling packs will be available, at select Ford dealerships starting in early 2019.


Belstaff and McLaren team up for a clothing collection

                LONDON: McLaren Automotive has announced a collaboration with the British brand, Belstaff, on a capsule clothing collection for men and women. The collection, designed for behind the wheel and beyond the car, is out now via McLaren distributors, in Belstaff stores and online at www.belstaff.com.

The creative teams at Belstaff and McLaren have worked hand in hand on a collection of clothing bearing the hallmarks of their respective worlds. Each piece in the collection puts Belstaff's high-end skills and expertise to work while also embracing the automotive manufacturer's DNA.

From the fabrics to the finishes, every aspect of this collection is designed to ensure driver comfort and full freedom of movement, with stretch, breathable and water-resistant fabrics, laser-cut seams, padded shoulders, micro-pockets and minimal necklines.

"The Belstaff X McLaren Collection represents the pure distillation of what you need, made beautiful. There is no excess. Everything is there for a reason. This is part of the McLaren DNA but it is also in Belstaff DNA and working with Belstaff on the Collection has been a meeting of like minds. Applying McLaren principles to different products and watching them come to life has been enthralling," said McLaren Automotive Design Director, Rob Melville, in a statement.

The two brands have designed 10 men's outerwear items and three women's pieces. Highlights include jackets in various materials, plus suiting and shirting options and a longer coat.

The Belstaff x McLaren collection is out now in stores and online in Europe and the United States. It rolls out to Asia early in 2019.


More car drivers embracing grey colour, says Axalta

                PHILADELPHIA: The colour grey is trending around the world, according to a new report published by American paint manufacturer Axalta.

The report shows that while white remains the favourite colour of car drivers, its market share is weakening and grey is picking up the slack, with an increasing share.

In Europe, it has even become the dominant colour in the market.

This new report reveals that most cars on the road today are white (35%, down by 3 percentage points), black (19%) or grey (19%, up by 4 points). Silver (9%), blue (8%) and red (5%) follow.

But just about everywhere in the world, what stands out is the increase in sales of grey-coloured vehicles.

In Europe, it has become the most popular shade for cars (27%), ahead of white (23%) and black (22%). Conversely, grey is least represented in Asia (13% of sales), a continent that is massively adopting white (45%), particularly in China (50%) although it has finally started to drop in share there.

Returning to Europe, where grey dominates, the colour is most popular for compacts, sedans and sports cars. SUV buyers prefer white, while those who can afford a luxury car prefer black. By comparison, in the US, white wins in all categories.

The study doesn't indicate whether this trend for grey tone is related to the pandemic and the low morale of motorists.

Axalta has been providing these annual reports on car-buying colour trends and preferences since 1953.


Porsche ups stake in electric supercar maker linked to Bugatti

                STUTTGART: Porsche AG agreed to increase its stake in Rimac Automobili, a move that could pave the way for parent Volkswagen AG to sell its ultra-luxury Bugatti brand to the Croatian electric supercar maker.

Porsche will invest €70 million (RM343mil) to raise its stake in Rimac to 24%, from 15%, in a capital increase, the German manufacturer said in a statement Monday.

"Our investments in the company Rimac has proved to be absolutely right,” porsche chief financial officer Lutz Meschke said. "The company has developed very well technologically. We expand our cooperation step by step.”

Bugatti, which builds high-priced models including the US$5.8 million (RM24mil) Divo, sold only about 80 vehicles last year. Its 1,500-horsepower cars are increasingly out of line with VW’s electrification drive costing the group billions.

Rimac, known for electric hypercars that boast as much as 2,000hp, has been gradually expanding engineering operations and supplies high-tech parts for electric vehicles to automakers.

The company headquartered near Zagreb was founded in 2009 and now employs almost 1,000 people.

"Because we have many automakers worldwide as customers it’s important for Rimac as well as for Porsche that we remain a wholly independent company,” founder Mate Rimac said in the statement.

"The partnership with Porsche helps the company to develop and grow, which is an advantage for all our customers.”


German auto stimulus to boost VW's electric push

                BERLIN/FRANKFURT: Germany unveiled sweeping incentives for cheap electric cars and for hybrid vehicles, providing a boost to Volkswagen’s electric push while staggered taxes for polluting combustion-engined cars will penalise sports utility vehicles.

Buyer incentives for passenger cars, including a lowering of value added tax to 16% from 19% were included as part of a €130 billion (RM623bil) stimulus package to speed up Germany’s recovery from the coronavirus.

In addition to a staggered tax on vehicles emitting large amounts of carbon dioxide (CO2), hitting sports utility vehicles, Germany included a €6,000 (RM28,737) incentive for battery electric cars costing below €40,000 (RM192,000).

This brings consumer incentives for electric cars to €9,000 (RM43,105) once a €3,000 (RM14,369) manufacturer stipend is included, but the €40,000 price threshold means premium carmakers like BMW, Mercedes, and even Tesla are not eligible for the full amount.

Tesla’s Model 3 retails starting at €43,990 in Germany while prices for the Mercedes EQC start at €71,590 and Audi’s E-Tron prices start at around €69,900.

The stimulus will benefit mainly cheaper electric cars like Kia’s e-Niro, which starts at €34,290 while VW’s new ID3 model will cost €29,990 when it launches this summer. Peugeot’s e-208 GT, costing €36,600, will also benefit.

In Germany, electric cars made up 1.8% of new passenger car registrations last year, with diesel and petrol cars accounting for 32% and 59.2% percent respectively. Hybrid cars made up 6.6% of new registrations in 2019.

Germany said its motor vehicle tax will be reformed. From January 2021, cars with an emission of more than 95 grams of CO2 per kilometre will face a staggered tax.


VW boss for US Michael Horn quits

                WASHINGTON: Volkswagen Group of America president and CEO Michael Horn has resigned.

His position will be filled in the interim by Hinrich J. Woebcken,who was recently announced as the new Head of the North American Region and Chairman of Volkswagen Group of America.

 Woebcken

Horn started working for VW in 1990 and became the CEO in January 2014.

His departure came as VW is plunged into its deepest-ever crisis by revelations that it installed emissions-cheating software into 11 million diesel engines worldwide.

Volkswagen is facing multiple investigations in the United States and other countries regarding the cheating, which affected some 600,000 vehicles in the United States and more than 11 million worldwide.

The company is facing potentially tens of billions of dollars in fines and owner compensation.

 Horn.

German prosecutors looking into scandal said on Tuesday that the number of suspects under investigation had increased from six to 17, but that no former or current board members are involved.

AFP reported that Horn made headlines last September shortly after the VW emissions-cheating scandal broke, saying at a vehicle launch event that the company “totally screwed up” and acknowledging that it likely would suffer big financial penalties due to the scandal.

In announcing Horn's exit, Volkswagen Group of America said "he would be leaving to pursue other opportunities effective immediately."


A nose for the job: Nissan expert explains how ‘new-car smell’ packaged into Qashqai

                PARIS: Odour evaluation is a key part of the development process for every Nissan vehicle, with bespoke teams around the globe pursuing the highest product quality standards to meet customer expectations.

The so-called “new car smell” is a key characteristic of any newly purchased vehicle and Nissan’s engineers strive to ensure that it is just right, recognising that it’s an important ingredient in the pride of new car ownership for buyers.

Peter Karl Eastland is odour evaluation lead engineer, based at Nissan Technical Centre Europe in Bedford, UK.

The most recent example of his work can be found on the all-new Qashqai, which went on sale in Europe in July. Particular attention has been paid to elevate the all-new Qashqai’s on-board ambience, from the fit and finish, materials including new premium leather, to the user-friendly technology.

But the attention to detail in fine-tuning every aspect is reflected in the important role of ensuring the life-on-board experience isn’t compromised by any unappealing odours.

With a Master’s degree in Chemistry with Forensic Science from Leicester University, Eastland and other engineers and technicians are responsible for ensuring the smell delivers a positive response among Nissan’s new car customers.

“We aim to provide the best sensory experience for the customer. While tastes and preferences evolve over time, smell remains a constant. Therefore, it is part of our job to make sure that any material we use is always going to be perfect in terms of scent and that all of the senses are harmonised,” said Eastland.

The evaluation process blends objective and subjective assessment, culminating in an ideal “new-car smell”.

“That new car smell isn’t just a consequence of the manufacturing process; months of work are devoted throughout the development phase of the new vehicle to carefully analyse the use of materials and chemicals, such as seat fabric, adhesives, and polymers, to ensure that they don’t combine to generate an unpleasant odour for the car’s occupants,” said David Moss, Senior Vice President, Region Research & Development.

Liaising with the Nissan engineering and manufacturing teams, Eastland and his team test all the materials, such as the soft material used for the new 3-D diamond quilted seats on the all-new Qashqai, in a variety of conditions to replicate real-world environments, keeping in mind that their chemical properties – such as odour – can change according to temperature, for example.

Where a potential new material or chemical is found to negatively affect the overall cabin ambience, Peter and his colleagues will identify alternatives to ensure the new-car smell is preserved.

Eastland also liaises with fellow experts at Nissan’s other technical centres in Atsugi, Japan and Farmington Hills, United States as there exists a global Nissan standard for scent evaluation.


Leonardo DiCaprio lends star status to BYD new energy strategy

                LOS ANGELES: Leonardo DiCaprio has a new role - as brand ambassador in China for BYD's line of new energy vehicles.

The Hollywood star and environmental activist will work with the brand over the course of 2017 to highlight new developments and announcements in China regarding the company's new line.

"All over the world people are realising that cars that run on fossil fuels are inefficient and a major threat to the planet," said the star in a statement.

"I am very pleased to be joining an effort to increase the number of clean vehicles on the road in China and beyond."

The company is one of the largest new energy vehicle manufacturers in the world, and is known for its "Cool the Earth by 1°C" campaign, which aims for the creation of a "Zero Emissions Energy Ecosystem."


Ducati ends 2021 with 24% higher sales and over 59,400 units sold

                BOLOGNA: Ducati closed 2021 with a record figure of 59,447 motorcycles delivered to customers all over the world and achieving an increase in sales of 24% over 2020's 48,042.

The 2021's sales was also 12% over 2019's 53,183 units.

Ducati’s growth in 2021 came in all its main markets, starting with the United States, which regained the place of leading market for Ducati with 9,007 units which corresponds to an increase of 32% on 2020.

 Scrambler.

Following are Italy with 8,707 bikes with a growth of 23% and Germany with 6,107 units (11%).

The Chinese market also grew with 4,901 units (21%), as well as the French with 4,352 (12%) and the UK with 2,941 units (30%).

Ducati vice-president Global Sales and After Sales Francesco Milicia said: "With 59,447 motorcycles delivered to customers, Ducati notches up a historic result and once again underlines its solidity, despite the difficulties encountered across all sectors due to the supplies crisis.

Sales grew double-digit in all major countries, from the United States to Australia, where the new subsidiary achieved an increase of 50%.

 Monster.

Multistrada V4 was by far the biggest-selling and most-loved bike for Ducatisti in 2021 with 9,957 motorcycles delivered to customers.

The Scrambler 800 family followed with 9,059 units and the Monster with 8,734 motorcycles sold.

Ducati CEO Claudio Domenicali said 2021 was a magical year for Ducati.

"We delivered over 59,000 motorcycles, a number never achieved before in 95 years of the company's history.

"We also won the title of MotoGP Constructors' World Champion for the second consecutive year, and we started the electric era of our company with the V21L prototype, which foresees the bike that will race in the MotoE championship from 2023.

"The pandemic, which is still underway, in addition to generating so much suffering, has also made activities more complex, forcing us to conduct a continuous internal reorganisation," he said.

 DesertX.

Domenicali said the DesertX would be an extremely attractive proposal for adventure fans this year.

The DesertX is designed to tackle the most demanding off-roads with 21-inch front and 18-inch rear wheels, long suspension travel and ample ground clearance.


Feb 1-7: Fuel prices swing up

PETALING JAYA: Fuel prices are all up for the first week of February.

The RON95 petrol will be priced at RM2.31 per litre (up 2 sen) while RON97 petrol will retail at RM2.58 per litre (also up 2 sen).

Meanwhile, diesel will retail at RM2.34 per litre (up 3 sen).

The new prices were announced on RTM1 this evening and will take effect from 12.01am on Thursday.

The weekly fuel pricing mechanism came into effect in April last year and the prices of petrol and diesel was been placed on a managed monthly float system from Dec 1, 2014 following the removal of fuel subsidies.


Proton sales grew over 80% in February

                SUBANG JAYA: Proton posted a second consecutive month of strong results in 2020 when sales in February grew by over 80% compared to the same month in 2019.

A total of 9,974 units were registered, which is also a healthy 17.3% increase over January 2020.

As a result, Proton’s market share for the month is estimated to stand at 23.8%, the highest it has been since August 2013 and an increase of 10.3% over February 2019.

Three models in Proton’s current range were the sales stars in February, finishing first in their respective segments.

The Proton Persona retook the lead in the B-segment Sedan class with 2,653 sales or nearly double of its closest competitor.

Meanwhile, with 1,973 units sold the Proton X70 was the most popular SUV in Malaysia for a second consecutive month as customers who ordered early started receiving the 2020 Proton X70.

To date, over 7,000 orders have been received.

Proton’s third segment leader for February was the Exora MPV, which continues to have a stranglehold on the C-segment MPV market.

Proton’s other models, the Saga and the Iriz also had an excellent February.

The former continues to be the company’s best-seller, with 3,934 units being sold and demand still outstripping supply.

The latter meanwhile climbed to second spot in the B-segment hatchback category as sales continue to be strong following the launch of the updated model in 2019.

“February was a strong sales month for Proton despite the Total Industry Volume (TIV) shrinking compared to January. By being able to maintain our sales growth our market share is now at its highest point in 77 months. Bookings for the 2020 Proton X70 have also been strong so we feel encouraged about our plans for the rest of the year,” said Dr Li Chunrong, CEO of Proton.


New Perodua Axia rolls out from RM24,090, Style variant debuts

                PETALING JAYA: Perodua officially unveiled the compact hatchback Axia for 2019 with more safety features and six variants on offer as well as a lifestyle variant known as Style.

The six variants comprise E (RM24,090), G (RM33,490), GXtra (RM34,990), Style (RM38,890) , SE (38,890) and the range-topping AV at RM43,190. All prices are on-the-road without insurance.

All the variants come with the 1.0 litre three-cylinder engine, which produces 67hp at 6,000rpm and 91Nm of torque at 4,400 rpm.

 The Axia AV.

The E variant comes with a five-speed manual transmission while the rest is equipped with a 4-speed automatic transmission.

The addition of the Style variant gives the Axia a crossover look with rugged front and rear bumpers with skid plates, all-round body cladding, clean lens tail lamps and a rear spoiler. The Style is the only variant which comes with 15-inch wheels (the rest comes with 14-inch wheels) and an Sunrise Orange colour.

"The new Perodua Axia Style embodies the desire to be different; to unleash the fun and active side that exists in all of us. It is upbeat and trendy, and at the same time retains all the hallmark Axia qualities of practicality, spaciousness, clever design and ease to drive," said Perodua president and chief executive officer Datuk Zainal Abidin.

 The Axia Style.

In terms of safety equipment, Vehicle Stability Control and Traction Control has been introduced to variants GXtra and up.

The range-topping AV variant however, gets the Advanced Safety Assist (ASA) 2.0 suite consisting of Pedestrian Detection, Pre Collision Warning, Pre Collision Braking, Front Departure Alert and Pedal Misoperation Control. All variants come with two airbags and ISOFIX.

Colours available are Ivory White, Glittering Silver, Midnight Blue and Lava Red for variants Gxtra, SE and AV, while the Style has all the previous colours except Lava Red and offers Sunrise Orange instead. The G variant gets Ivory White, Glittering Silver and Midnight Blue and the E variant gets Ivory White.

 The Axia AV.

"The 2019 Perodua Axia offers Malaysians much more in an entry-level vehicle than ever thought possible. It offers major advances in safety and style never seen before in this segment and yet retains its affordability," said Zainal.

Also present at the launch was Perodua chairman Tan Sri Asmat Kamaludin.

VIEW: Perodua Axia variant comparison and specifications


BMW releases menacing M5 Edition 35 Years, 350 units to be built

                MUNICH: The M5 has been around for 35 years, so BMW thought it would be cool to issue an M5 Edition 35 Years. Only 350 units would be made and they will be available worldwide from July 2019.

The special edition has the most powerful engine in the model's history under the bonnet along with a range of sporty design and equipment features.

The point of departure for the configuration of the Edition model is provided by the M5 Competition, in which racing-inspired performance reaches a whole new dimension in a sedan.

This is due to the V8 engine with M TwinPower Turbo Technology, a maximum output of 625hp and a maximum torque of 750Nm along with the particularly direct engine connection, the distinctively configured suspension technology, the all-wheel drive system M xDrive and the Active M Differential in the rear axle transmission.

Like the M5 Competition, it uses a 8-speed automatic transmission. The intelligent M xDrive contributes to ensuring that maximum engine power goes onto the road.

The driving experience offered by the M5 Competition is defined by powerful thrust, optimum traction, outstanding ride stability and handling that can be controlled precisely at all times. It completes the sprint from standing to 100kph in 3.3 seconds, passing the 200-kph mark after 10.8 seconds.

The exterior has M design features developed especially for the Edition model and BMW Individual fittings give the vehicle the status of an exclusive collector’s item. Its striking appearance is ensured by the BMW Individual special finish in Frozen Dark Grey metallic which has a special pigmentation to create a silk matt surface impression.

Newly designed 20-inch M light alloy wheels in Y spoke design and the colour Graphite Grey were created exclusively for the Edition model. In addition, the calipers of the standard M compound brake system are finished in high-gloss black. The M carbon ceramic brake system is optionally available with brake calipers finished in gold.

In addition to M multifunction seats and the BMW Individual Merino full leather trim in black with beige contrast seams, particularly exclusive interior flair is created by the trim finishers in aluminium carbon structure gold anodized – which is presented here for the first time. These finely structured, shimmering surfaces are found in the instrument panel, the door trim sections and the centre console.

Door sill finishers bearing the inscription “M5 Edition 35 Jahre” and a laser engraving with the inscription “M5 Edition 35 Jahre 1/350” on the cupholder cover in the centre console are further distinguishing marks of the Edition vehicles.


Ford to make charging more convenient for electric vehicles

                LONDON: Ford has come up with a concept to help allay concerns for people and businesses that when it comes to switching to a fully electric vehicle, there is a concern that charging stations will not be there when they are needed.

The American carmaker is using big data to identify the most beneficial places to locate new rapid-charging points.

Data scientists at the company have developed an algorithm, based on more than 1mil kilometres of driving data and including where vehicles actually stopped, to pinpoint the places that could help drivers integrate charging within their operating patterns, rather than making special journeys to out-of-the-way locations.

Following in-depth analysis within the city of London, the team concluded that it would be possible to significantly improve access to on-the-go charging through deploying a relatively small number of strategically positioned rapid-charging stations.

“Being able to harness, analyse and leverage the huge amounts of data that is available through existing vehicle use can make a real difference to how easy we find it to get about in the cities of the future,” said Ford Mobility (city data solutions) project lead John Scott.

“We at Ford are committed to delivering smart vehicles for a smart world – including electric vehicles that will contribute to cleaner, quieter towns and cities. But we also want to try to use data to help improve investment efficiency into the necessary infrastructure to support that approach,” he added.

As part of its far-reaching Ford City Data Solutions Report, published in December 2018, Ford fitted 160 connected vans with a simple plug-in device to record journey data.

With the consent of participants, this generated more than 500 million data points, from more than 15,000 days of vehicle use, that was sent to the cloud for analysis.

It was from this data, captured over an eight-month period, that Ford’s Global Data Insight and Analytics team were able to identify where charging points would be most useful to a fleet. Although the vehicles in the trial were not electric, it was possible to understand their operation and forecast their ability to access charge points as if they were.

By seeing where vehicles travelled, where they parked and for how long, they could identify ways in which charging could be integrated within regular journeys, especially for businesses whose drivers might make multiple stops, for example, to make deliveries.

It is an approach that Ford envisages could be extended to further cities, the data coming from connected vehicles, and enabling those cities to more effectively plan how to spend their infrastructure budget.

From a separate London fleet trial involving 20 Transit Custom plug-in hybrid electric vehicle (PHEV) vans, the company also found that fleets operated in pure electric mode for 35% of their time on the road, increasing to 45% in Greater London, and to 68% in central London.

The Transit Custom on sale this year will be the only hybrid in the one-tonne van class, to be joined by the plug-in Tourneo Custom eight-seat people carrier.

During their trial – based on 80,000km of PHEV fleet mileage – no use of public charging facilities was observed because the vehicles were instead charged either at depots or at home.

Furthermore, on average, vehicles started the day with only 45% charge, underlining the value that charging points en route could add.

It was also found that operators became more adept at effectively charging vehicles, predominately at their depots, as time went on.

Rapid-charging stations can provide up to 80% battery charge in 30 to 40 minutes.
There are now more than a million electric cars in Europe and it is expected that worldwide, electric vehicles will account for the majority of all new car sales and a third of all fleets by 2040.

But there are already concerns around a shortfall in the provision of charging points.

Previously, Ford announced how big data could help make cities safer – by highlighting where future traffic incidents might happen.

And the company last week revealed an extensive range of new vehicles under a new Ford Hybrid banner.

The comprehensive line-up of 16 electrified models announced in Amsterdam will cover everything from small family cars to SUVs and people movers – with a Mustang‑inspired performance SUV and fully electric Transit van on the way.

Future all‑electric vehicles will be supported by the IONITY consortium that aims to build 400 stations in key European locations by 2020.

“Electrification changes the way we drive – and refuel – our vehicles. We realise that charging time and behaviour are fundamentally different for electric vehicles compared with traditional models, where refilling with petrol or diesel may take only five minutes,” said Scott.

“In locating these additional charging points, we’ve attempted to take into account regular driving and stopping patterns so that topping up slots into drivers’ regular day-to-day activities.”


Electric bus maker Gemilang bullish on EV growth in Malaysia

                PETALING JAYA: The transition to electric vehicles (EVs) in Malaysia is inevitable as this is an emerging trend around the globe.

This is according to experienced bus manufacturer Gemilang International Ltd which makes and supplies EV buses worldwide.

To be sure, its view is echoed by many who cite increasingly supportive government policies, growing environmental concerns and EV batteries that are slowly getting cheaper, as reasons for this growing transition.

Gemilang chairman and CEO Pang Chong Yong said besides China, which is one of its main target markets, the company’s current order book suggests that Australia and the United States are also moving aggressively towards changing to EVs and the company expects to receive more orders for EV buses from these two countries.

“In Malaysia, the first introduction of EV buses was back in 2015, when Gemilang supplied bus bodies for 15 units of electric buses to Sunway’s Bus Rapid Transit (BRT),” he told StarBiz in an e-mail interview.
 Pang.
Another project was the supply of 10 units of bus bodies for Putra Nevo EV bus - Malaysia’s first Super Quick Charge EV for Putrajaya, he noted.

He said although Malaysia was quicker in its introduction of EV buses compared to its nearest neighbour, Singapore, Gemilang had already supplied Singapore with more than 40 units to-date, surpassing the quantity sold to the Malaysian market.

“Hopefully the Malaysian government will finalise a development plan for EVs and start to electrify city buses soon,” Pang said.

Gemilang, which is Johor Baru-based and listed on the Hong Kong Stock Exchange (HKEx) meanwhile is planning to continue to ride on the growth of EVs, both here and globally whereby certain cities have already called for EVs to replace combustion engine powered vehicles.

However, its business which also includes manufacturing non-EV buses, is not shielded from the effects of the current Covid-19 pandemic.

“During a normal year before the pandemic, the company normally made about RM200mil to RM300mil in revenue with RM20mil to RM30mil in profit after tax,” said Pang.

“However, in 2020, although the company’s order book was full then, it was unable to deliver attractive financial numbers as it was not allowed to operate during MCO 1.0,” he said.

“As a result, the company could not deliver the orders on time.”

“Still, in terms of the growth of the business, it can be safely said that the order of EV buses this year is more than double if not triple when compared to last year’s order.

“In other words, we foresee half of the company’s revenue this year coming from the EV segment,” Pang said.

According to him, the biggest challenge for EVs now was the infrastructure of charging facilities as well as power supply.

“These can be costly to build hence a series of supportive EV policies and relevant subsidies will play important roles to encourage the adoption of EVs,” Pang said.

On why the company chose to list Gemilang in Hong Kong instead of in Malaysia, Pang said: ”HKEx is a well-established stock market internationally, compared to Bursa Malaysia.

“As our business focuses mainly on export markets, listing on the HKEx no doubt strengthens the brand of Gemilang and promotes the transparency of our operations to the markets.”

He said the company had no plans for now for a dual listing in Hong Kong and Malaysia, but if the opportunity comes about, Gemilang will consider it.

“Listing on Bursa Malaysia will definitely be beneficial to Gemilang especially in terms of exposure to local investors as Malaysia is our home ground,” he added.

In 2020, some 90% of the company’s revenue came from export markets.

“While we expect export markets to continue to be the main contributor of our company’s revenue, we hope to be given more local orders as we believe the circulation of EV buses in Malaysia’s cities will happen soon,” Pang said.

In the past decade, Gemilang has supplied aluminum buses to companies such as Rapid KL and Rapid Penang as well as manufactured the MRT feeder buses that are used across cities in the country.


After Wild West start, scooter providers chase scale to survive

                LONDON: The era of breakneck growth for electric scooter firms is giving way to more selective expansion focused on profits as they face tougher regulations, more demanding customers and wary insurers.

Hurt badly by global coronavirus lockdowns last year, companies offering by-the-minute rental of e-scooters say ridership is soaring to pre-Covid 19 levels among urban consumers eager to avoid public transport or taxis.

But that doesn't mean the app-based industry is returning to the free-wheeling, pre-pandemic world where "micromobility" firms were loosely regulated and raked in money from investors.

Scooter firms now face cities that are using licensing to limit the number of operators, consumers demanding better software and vehicles, and insurers leery of safety risks.

This is forcing up costs and will push the low-margin industry towards further consolidation. Some smaller providers have already been snapped up, including Boston-based Zagster, bought by transport technology company Superpedestrian in 2020, and San Franciso-based Scoot, taken over by Bird Rides in 2019.

"It really takes scale to get the economics to work," says Travis VanderZanden, CEO of Santa Monica-based Bird, which is due to go public via a merger with special purpose acquisition company (SPAC) Switchback II Corp .

"So I think we're going to see some of the smaller players fall by the wayside."

Bird is a global player that expects revenue to double in 2021 from a pandemic-hit 2020, and then double again to US$400 million in 2022. That is still small compared to a car-based ride hailing company such as Uber, which had gross revenues of US$4.1 billion in 2019.

Bird's planned merger - which will go to a Switchback II shareholder vote on Nov 2 - values the company at US$2.3 billion, about 20% below its January 2020 price tag, according to startup data platform PitchBook.

Lime, also a global player, saw its valuation fall nearly 80% during a June 2020 funding round from one less than a year earlier.

While the pandemic battered valuations at the top, an analysis by Reuters found it also cut off funding for many smaller e-scooter providers.

"There are a lot of companies that can't invest in hardware, can't invest in safety features and can't invest in training," says Wayne Ting, CEO of Lime, whose investors include Uber. Lime acquired Uber's micromobility unit Jump.

The current environment is a far cry from 2017 when electric scooters accessed through smartphone apps first appeared in large numbers.

A flood of new providers created "Wild West competitions" as predominantly European cities hosted unlimited numbers of vendors, said Candice Xie, CEO of Chicago-based Veo, which operates in more than 40 U.S. cities.

"A lot of companies raced to the bottom in order to get market share," she said.

Vehicles were dumped on streets from Detroit to Paris, and the term "scooter blight" was born.

Early rental scooters "were consumer grade and not built for a high level of utilization," said Voi Scooters CEO Fredrik Hjelm. Stockholm-based Voi operates nearly 100,000 scooters across western Europe.

New sheriff in town

Now, cities and countries have tightened regulations, creating tough bidding processes for licences aimed at limiting the number of scooter providers.

Copenhagen temporarily ejected all scooter providers earlier this year while it rewrites its regulations.

Some US cities, including Columbia, Missouri, and Winston-Salem in North Carolina, have allowed e-scooter providers to return with more oversight after expelling them.

Large scooter providers say awarding licences to a few major players with track records guarantees better service and allows them to operate larger fleets profitably.

"This has become a game of slim margins and scaling up," said Voi's Hjelm. "And it's far better to have fewer operators with greater density."

Britain has launched trial projects for e-scooter providers in certain cities - but with speed restrictions, and users must have a driver's licence.

"We're determined to make sure safety is at the core of our trial and that it works for everyone," said Helen Sharp, head of Transport for London's e-scooter trial for three operators: Lime, Tier and Dott.

To meet London requirements, Berlin-based Tier has developed software to stop its scooters accessing certain busy roads.

"You might just be able to push it, but it wouldn't be easy," said Tier's UK and Ireland head of cities, Georgia Yexley.

But better scooters and software drive up costs.

Fred Jones, Tier's regional general manager for northern Europe, said the company's scooters can now last five years and have 83 replaceable components to extend their lifespan.

"That costs a lot, not just the scooter, but the parts and skilled labour to service them," Jones said. "If you don't get that right, the economics won't work."

Ensuring they do is key for funding.

Silicon Valley venture capital firm Autotech Ventures avoided micromobility firms until this year when it bought into Chicago's Veo and another unidentified firm.

"Veo has taken a disciplined approach to growth, achieving impressive unit economics and much higher profitability than virtually all of its peers," said AutoTech Ventures managing director Dan Hoffer.

According to PitchBook, in the first half of 2021 venture capital deal activity in the micromobility sector fell to US$1.4 billion from US$4.6 billion in the same period in 2020.

Wary insurers

Another problem for would-be e-scooter providers is insurers see e-scooters as inherently more dangerous than bikes or cars.

"Riders are particularly vulnerable, more so than cyclists," said Martin Smith, technical claims manager for motor at Aviva, a large UK insurer that does not cover e-scooters.

Regular motor insurers such as AXA UK, Admiral and Unipolsai also avoid e-scooter providers, leaving them to specialist players, such as Zego.

Bird CEO VanderZanden said to get lower insurance rates it uses data from the 300 cities it operates in globally, highlighting the benefits of scale.

It has also added physical safety features like a double brake and developed software to boot irresponsible riders off its service - all running on its own operating system.

"Having amazing vehicles is one thing," VanderZanden said. "But you need data to show insurance companies to make this work."