RM6mil in grants for city mobility challenge

                KUALA LUMPUR: The City Architecture for Tomorrow Challenge (CATCH) has Kuala Lumpur as the host pilot city, and offers up to US$1.5 million (RM6.21 million) in grants with an aim to attract innovators to submit cutting-edge mobility solutions.

The CATCH challenge seeks to address mobility challenges in Kuala Lumpur, and enhance the quality of life for residents through the use of data, technology and city planning.

This is the region's first global challenge that will attract innovative, data-driven entries from global participants.

The challenge is a global call for solutions, for a period of eight months, where participants – from start-ups, academic and research institutions to corporates, or even the general public – can conceptualise and develop solutions that are dynamic, intelligent and data-driven to design future city infrastructures.

During February, CATCH roadshows will be held in seven cities - Bangalore, Mumbai, Jakarta, Ho Chi Minh City, Bangkok, Singapore and Kuala Lumpur.

The challenge will go through several stages:

- Global call for applications: February – March 2020
- Challenge roadshows: 17th – 28th February 2020
- Semi-finalists announcement: April 2020
- Proof-Of-Concept (POC) development: April 2020 – May 2020
- Finalists announcement: June 2020
- Minimum Viable Product (MVP) concept development and incubation programme: June 2020
- MVP development and trial implementation: June 2020 – September 2020
- Winner announcement: September 2020

CATCH participants will be given grants to support the development of their ideas:

- Semi-dinalists Stage: Up to USD$5,000 (RM20,706) for Proof-Of-Concept (POC) development
- Finalists stage: Up to USD$150,000 (RM621,195) for prototype development and testing
- Grand winner: USD$500,000 (RM2.07 million) for scale-up of implemented solution in Kuala Lumpur

A joint initiative by Toyota Mobility Foundation (TMF) and Deloitte Future of Mobility Solution Centre, this programme also brings together a group of government and private sector partners.

The strategic partners are Malaysia Digital Economy Corp (MDEC) and Kuala Lumpur City Hall (DBKL) while advisors are Ministry of Transport and Malaysian Administrative Modernisation And Management Planning Unit (MAMPU).

Data partners are Royal Malaysia Police, Land Public Transport Agency, Grab, MapIT MSC, Mass Rapid Transit Corporation and Prasarana Malaysia.

CATCH participants can expect support from organisers and partners including immersive incubation programmes, mentorship from industry leaders, networking opportunities with public and private sector stakeholders, mobility and city data from participating data partners, and trial implementation support in Kuala Lumpur.

Kuala Lumpur mayor Datuk Nor Hisham Ahmad Dahlan said the city has been undergoing rapid expansion, and this has exacerbated its infamous traffic snarls.

"Hence, the need for data-driven solutions to improve mobility from programmes such as CATCH," said Nor Hisham at the recent official launch of the challenge.

TMF president of secretariat Shin Aoyama said the foundation was set up to address mobility issues around the world, using a unique approach driven by sustainability, innovation and partnership.

"CATCH was designed in partnership with the Malaysian government, to encourage data-driven but human-centered interventions to improve city planning and the mobility ecosystem. We aim to provide mobility to the marginalised and underserved segments of society,  by leveraging data and technology as a base for city planning," he said.

MDEC CEO Surina Shukri said through CATCH, the global pool of talented start-ups, academics and the world’s brightest minds can develop their next-gen urban digitalisation ideas and accelerate Kuala Lumpur’s evolution into a city of the future.

"The programme is in-line with MDEC’s efforts to drive forward the country’s digital economy, catalyze next-gen innovation through Malaysia’s Global Testbed Initiative and reinforce the country’s position as the Heart of Digital ASEAN."

She also noted that with rapid urbanisation and 70% of the Malaysian population based in cities, efficient city mobility will become critical to economic growth.

UMW Toyota Motor president Ravindran K said, “We take pride in overcoming “impossible” challenges to make “Mobility for All” a reality. TMF provides the platform to create a better, more mobile society and we fully support this digital and data-driven approach.”

TMF programme director Pras Ganesh said, "Mobility drives development. We can canvas massive amounts of data into valuable insights. CATCH aims to provide tangible and sustainable benefits."

For details, go to the challenge website – tmf-catch.org.

-ENDS.


Porsche confirms new model above Cayenne that will duel with Ferrari SUV

Blume (left) and Meschke.
STUTTGART: Porsche has confirmed that it will introduce an all-new D-segment electric model positioned above the Cayenne.

This new vehicle concept is designed to offer strong performance and automated driving functions with the typical Porsche flyline, along with a completely new experience inside the vehicle.

The Ferrari Purosangue fighter, believed to be a seven-seater, will be based on the SSP Sport platform developed in-house by Porsche.

“We are thereby underlining and strengthening our sporty luxury positioning. We are observing growing profit pools in this segment, in particular in China and the US,” said Porsche CEO Oliver Blume at its annual press conference today.

At the same time, Porsche wants to continue with its ambitious electrification strategy.

The all-electric Macan, which was supposed to launch in 2023, will be available to customers in 2024.

Porsche said its development has reached the home straight, as it has ironed out the software issues plaguing the electric compact SUV.

The company also said the all-electric 718 is planned for the middle of the decade. In the medium term it will only be available as an all-electric model. It will be followed by the all-electric Cayenne.

The fourth generation of the SUV will underline Porsche’s goal of delivering more than 80 per cent of its new vehicles as all-electric models in 2030.

During 2023, the Cayenne is already set to undergo one of the most comprehensive upgrades in the history of Porsche.

The updates to the third-generation model include three further-developed plug-in hybrids with greater ranges.

Thanks to a new chassis, there will also be an even wider breadth of abilities, balancing the on-road performance for which Porsche is famous, long-distance comfort and off-road capability.

Blume said Porsche is bullish on the Asean market and sees its growth trailed not far behind the company's top markets of China, US and Europe by the end of the decade. Already Thailand is the second biggest market after Norway for sales of electrified Cayenne models.

> Porsche in 2022 infographic (pdf)

The company is also well positioned to tap into the South-East Asian growth story with its assembly plant in Malaysia, which for the time being is only assembling the base version of the Cayenne.

Blume said Porsche would leave the door open for local assembly of more models subject to market development.

Group sales revenue in 2022 amounted to 37.6 billion euros, corresponding to growth of 13.6 per cent (2021: 33.1 billion euros). The Group operating profit was 6.8 billion euros, exceeding the previous year’s figure by 1.5 billion euros (an increase of 27.4 per cent).

Group deliveries and automotive net cash flow also reached new all-time highs in 2022. The Group operating return on sales rose from 16.0 per cent to 18.0 per cent.

This year, the Stuttgart sports car manufacturer is pushing its strategy of modern luxury forward and has started its ambitious Road to 20 programme to ensure its long-term profit goal.

The Road to 20 programme is the continuation of the successful Profitability Programme 2025, with which Porsche made itself more resistant to crises in previous years.

Under the ambitious Road to 20 programme, Porsche is aiming for a Group operating return on sales of more than 20 per cent in the long term.

“With the Road to 20 we are making Porsche even more resilient and our brand stronger than ever,” said Lutz Meschke, Deputy Chairman and Member of the Executive Board for Finance and IT.

“And we’re going to take a fresh look at everything, from our product range and pricing to our cost structure. We want to increase the quality of our contribution margins and make our products even more attractive.”

> Porsche's Road to 20 infographic (pdf)

Porsche said it has well-filled order books and was able to deliver 309,884 vehicles to customers in the previous year, despite the effects of the war in Ukraine, the challenges of the coronavirus pandemic, and global supply chain disruptions.

This corresponds to an increase of 2.6 per cent compared to 2021 (301,915 vehicles).

In the 2022 financial year, automotive net cashflow increased from 3.7 billion euros to 3.9 billion euros.

“Our success factors are improved price positioning, the strong product mix, the increase in vehicle sales, exchange rate effects, and our strict cost discipline,” said Meschke.

Porsche has also set itself ambitious sustainability targets. The company is working towards a net carbon neutral value chain for its vehicles in 2030.

This also includes a net carbon-neutral use phase for future BEV models (based on an assumed total mileage of 200,000km per vehicle).


Honda Malaysia sold over 10,000 cars in May, best month in 1H 2019

                PETALING JAYA: Honda Malaysia today said May was its best month in the first half of 2019, where it had its highest sales of over 10,500 units.

It said it had sold over 44,200 in the first six months, with the most popular model by volume being City at 34%, HR-V (20%) and CR-V (14%).

The Jazz, City, Civic, HR-V, CR-V and BR-V continue to lead in their respective segments, it added.

Honda Malaysia said it is still on top in the non-national segment and is second in overall Total Industry Volume (TIV) for the first half of 2019, contributing 15.3% to the TIV.

In conjunction with the announcement, Honda Malaysia is running a "Tech Frontier Rewards" promotion on all models except Civic Type R, offering cash rewards and gifts worth up to RM5,000. The promotion ends on Sept 30. Read the fine print as usual as terms and conditions apply.

“The first half of 2019 has been challenging but encouraging for us. The Civic reached a milestone of 130,000th units sold while the Jazz delivered the 100,000th unit to its owner," said Honda Malaysia managing director and chief executive officer Toichi Ishiyama.

"It is truly inspiring for us to see how these two models have become a favorite among Malaysians and we are hoping to achieve more milestones this year."


Singapore's COE premiums at all-time highs in 2022

                SINGAPORE: Certificate of entitlement (COE) premiums went on a relentless upward march for much of 2022, with all-time highs set in four out of five categories – larger and more powerful cars, commercial vehicles, motorcycles and the open category.

Premiums for the remaining COE category – for cars with less power – ended S$1,511 (RM4,956), or 1.6%, shy of the S$92,100 (RM302,088) record set in January 2013 at the second-last tender exercise of 2022.

Consumers may get a slight reprieve in the latter half of 2023, however, as vehicle population data suggests that premiums may come down slightly as the supply of COEs starts to increase.

“The supply of COEs may improve from August but it can happen as late as November 2023,” said Ron Lim, head of sales at Nissan agent Tan Chong Motor.

Nicholas Wong, general manager of Kah Motor, which distributes Honda cars, hopes that more COEs will be available from June as the number of deregistrations increases.

He estimated the increase in the COE category for larger and more powerful cars and electric vehicles (EVs) to be “less than 3%”, while the supply of COEs for smaller and less powerful cars may grow by as much as 10%.

But before the COE supply improves, 2023 is going to start where 2022 ended – where the supply of COEs is low and premiums are high.

The high prices of 2022 have been driven by the low supply of COEs, which is primarily determined by the number of vehicles being taken off the road.

Transport Minister S. Iswaran said in November that demand for vehicles has been strong.

Besides the restrictive supply, other factors also contributed in chasing up premiums.

The two-car COE categories are differentiated by engine size and power output.

In May, a criterion specific to EVs was introduced as part of Singapore’s push for EV adoption.

EVs with up to 110KW of power were moved to the typically cheaper category A, where the power threshold for non-EVs was 130bhp or 97KW.

Some motor dealers said the move effectively pushed up the price of category A COEs, as EVs receive S$25,000 (RM82,000) in rebate through the enhanced vehicular emissions scheme. This gives buyers more bidding muscle over non-EVs.

Comparing COE premiums from the first and last tender exercises in 2022, the price gap between the traditionally cheaper car category and the more expensive category B, which is meant for larger and more powerful cars and EVs, has narrowed from 34% to 22.7%.Category A prices managed to close in, even as category B prices have also been climbing in 2022, hitting a record high of S$115,388 (RM378,472) at the first tender exercise in November 2022.

Although open category COEs can be used to register any type of vehicle other than motorcycles, they usually end up being used to register category B cars.

The price for this type of COE hit a new high at the same tender to close at S$116,577 (RM382,373).That particular tender exercise was the first under the new quota period from November 2022 to January 2023.

The number of COEs for category B cars available was 12.9% less than in the previous three months, while that for open category vehicles was 11% smaller.

Category B COEs apply to a large variety of models, spanning many petrol-hybrid models, larger family cars, as well as the top-rung luxury limousines and sports cars.

This increases the demand for category B COEs, and buyers of the more expensive models also tend to be able to afford higher COE prices.

Motorcycle COE prices broke records repeatedly in 2022. The peak of S$13,189 (RM43,260) set in November was more than 7.8 times higher than the S$1,701 (RM5,579) peak of 2010, when the supply of such COEs was at its lowest.

This is despite measures introduced in March on the back of surging motorcycle COE premiums. Back then, the authorities halved the validity period of secured COEs to three months, so the unused COEs can be returned to the pool for bidding sooner.

The bid deposit was also raised from S$200 (RM656) to S$800 (RM2,624) to make it more expensive for bidders to “waste” a secured COE.


Michelin unveils cost-effective X Multi tyre range

                KUALA LUMPUR: Michelin Malaysia unveiled its latest generation of X Multi truck and bus tyres that’s designed to provide greater mileage and cost savings, better stability and improved retreadability.

Manufactured in Thailand, the tyres are the multi-purpose X Multi Z and the purpose-built X Multi D (for the drive wheels) and T (for the trailer) while retaining its affordability.

When compared to the Michelin XZE range, the company says that its three new tyres offer improved levels of driver safety at highway speeds, withstand heavier loads, has less rolling resistance for better fuel economy and are more durable.

While helping to improve a business’ operating costs, the tyre are available in the sizes of 11R22.5, 12R22.5 as well as low profile 275/70R22.5 and 295/80R22.5 tyres.

According to the French tyre manufacturer, between the 295/80R22.5 and 275/70R22.5 sizes, a 10mm decrease in tyre profile allows for even better highway stability as well as help improve load times and volume gains thanks to the height reduction.

While comparing to the Michelin XZE, the multi-purpose X Multi Z tyre comes with a newly designed tread pattern and compound for a 25% improvement in tyre mileage.

Tyre sizes available for the X Multi Z are 11R22.5, 12R22.5, 295/80R22.5 and 275/70R22.5.

The X Multi D tyre, meant for the drive wheels, has 192 hexagonal blocks with “double wave” sipes tread pattern for traction, which Michelin touts to provide good grip levels till the end of the tyre’s life.

Furthermore, it possesses an additional full metallic ply for better resistance to crown impact / penetration and is available in sizes of 11R22.5, 295/80R22.5 and 275/70R22.5

The X Multi T (only available in 275/70R22.5) tyre is meant for the trailer section and has been designed to provide better loading efficiency for better volume gain, while overall grip in both dry and wet conditions have also been improved.

“The new Michelin X Multi range delivers improved performance across the board, without requiring any compromise in the key features of Michelin tyres, including safe, energy-efficient operation and lower total cost of ownership,” said Michelin Malaysia managing director Beltran Yturriaga.


Harley-Davidson Malaysian dealers go Live with Pan America 1250

                PETALING JAYA: Adhering to the current SOP of MCO 3.0, the dealers of Harley-Davidson Malaysia are working together to bring you the latest introduction to the Harley-Davidson family, the Pan America 1250 via a series of online talks.

The online initiatives will focus on the Pan America 1250 adventure motorcycle and its related accessories, service maintenance, riding gears, and apparels.

Keep 3pm free on June 12, 16 and 30 where the three-part series will go live.

You can log into the respective official Facebook pages of the dealerships in Malaysia namely Harley-Davidson of Petaling Jaya, Kuala Lumpur, Penang, Johor Bahru and Kota Kinabalu.

Facebook pages are:
Harley-Davidson® of Petaling Jaya: https://www.facebook.com/harleydavidsonpjRoute 77 Harley-Davidson® of Kuala Lumpur: https://www.facebook.com/route77harleyHarley-Davidson® of Penang: https://www.facebook.com/harleydavidsonofpenangHarley-Davidson of Johor Bahru: https://www.facebook.com/harleydavidsonjbHarley-Davidson® of Kota Kinabalu: https://www.facebook.com/harleydavidsonkk/

Once lockdown has been lifted, walk in to the nearest Harley Davidson dealer to see, feel and test ride the Pan America 1250.

Harley-Davidson motorcycles are distributed in Malaysia by Didi Resources Sdn Bhd.


BMW reveals pricing structure for subscription trial, starts from under RM8K monthly

                NEW YORK: Getting a new car on a subscription that's a lot like a very expensive mobile phone contract is an idea in the motor industry that's gaining a lot of traction at the moment, and a number of big players are currently trying them out to see how they're received by consumers.

Until very recently, BMW wasn't confirming it was about to start a trial of a new vehicle subscription service, but the rumours were true and the trial has now been officially launched and the pricing structure announced.

This flexible alternative to traditional leasing agreements, which themselves are becoming increasingly popular in Europe and the United States these days, is called Access by BMW in this particular case. The pilot scheme is limited to Nashville and the surrounding areas of Tennessee in the US at the moment, but if it proves successful we can expect to see the scheme become commonplace at BMW dealers everywhere before too long.

How successful such schemes turn out to be will come down to how they are priced, and BMW has revealed pricing for the Nashville pilot.

Under the programme, subscribers are able to request a vehicle based on their needs using a mobile phone app that's available for both iOS and Android. Once the request is made, a concierge from BMW will deliver a vehicle that's as close as possible to a match for the needs of the subscriber to where they are at an agreed time. On arrival it will have been freshly valeted, pre-set to the subscriber's preferences, and will have a full tank of fuel. Subscribers are then able to swap vehicles as often as they like within a given month, and they are even able to switch between the two pricing tiers if they want to.

Of course, it doesn't come cheap, and the two tiers of pricing have been initially set at US$2,000 (RM7,736) and US$3,700 (RM14,312) per month, depending on whether you want the lower or upper tier. As well as the vehicle itself, the subscription also includes taxes, fees, full valets, a US$1 million (RM3.9mil) liability insurance policy with a US$1,000 (RM3,900) excess and the company's roadside assistance service. However, subscribers are limited to driving a maximum of 2,000 miles per month, and there's also a US$575 (RM2,224) joining fee.


BMW Shorties announce finalists for 2019

                PETALING JAYA: The BMW Shorties, Malaysia’s prestigious and longest-running short film competition, has announced 10 Finalists for its competition in 2019.

Sashi Ambi, Head of Corporate Communications of BMW Group Malaysia said, “Much like in the previous years, judging the Shorties this year was no easy task. After all, the panel of judges were deliberating on art and creativity which were tremendous in this years’ selection.

"I believe that the panel have made an interesting selection which really contributes to the body of work of not only the BMW Shorties program, but for Malaysian creative arts in general.”

Saw Teong Hin, director and BMW Shorties judge said, “Our nominees for BMW Shorties have presented such original and refreshing voices to the local scene this year, and I believe these two aspects are much needed in our current landscape. I am confident our nominees will go far in the industry, now that they have conquered the BMW Shorties.”

The BMW Shorties will announce its 13 th Grand Prize Winner, who will be awarded RM80,000 in production grant, on Saturday, Nov 23, 2019 at REXKL.

Recognition for filmmaking talent will also be awarded in an extensive range of supporting categories, including Best Director, Best Actor, Best Actress, Best Screenplay, Best Cinematography, Best Production Design, Best Editing, Best Sound Design and the People’s Choice Award, along with this year’s new category for Best Student Award.

Short films by BMW Shorties 2019’s Top 10 Finalists are now available for public viewing and voting on the BMW Shorties’ website HERE.


Guangzhou Auto seeks to be first Chinese carmaker to crack US

                DETROIT: Guangzhou Automobile Group Co., which produces cars in China with Fiat Chrysler Automobiles NV, plans to start exporting its own brand of automobiles to the United States next year and become the first Chinese carmaker to begin retail sales to American consumers.

GAC, which created its Trumpchi brand in 2010 after being a production partner for foreign carmakers for more than a decade, will start a research and development center in Silicon Valley in the first half of this year to prepare for the company’s entry to the US, the company’s President Feng Xingya said.

“Exporting to the US is a key part of our efforts to become a global player and success in North America is a vital yardstick,” Feng said in an interview here on Jan 8. “We won’t ship our cars here before we are fully confident that our cars would nail it.”

Chinese automakers have set their sights on breaking into the US retail market with their own brands for a long time, with Warren Buffett-backed BYD Co. and Volvo Cars owner Zhejiang Geely Holding Group Co. declaring their American ambitions at least nine years ago. Neither have been able to meet that target, though BYD has begun to sell electric buses to fleet owners in the US and Volvo Cars is exporting made-in-China vehicles to American showrooms.

For GAC, a successful entry will mark the culmination of at least five years of preparation. The Guangzhou, China-based company is working to develop models tailored for the US market to ensure their cars will appeal to local consumers and meet all regulatory requirements, Feng said.

GAC’s export plan comes as competition in China intensifies, with demand expected to grow at a slower pace. While Chinese automakers like Great Wall Motor Co. and Chongqing Changan Automobile Co. have been exporting to overseas markets, GAC would be the first to take a brand to developed markets with stricter emission and fuel-economy rules.

The company almost doubled its delivery of Trumpchi vehicles last year to more than 380,000 units on the popularity of its GS4 and GS8 sport utility vehicles. The automaker expects to have about 10 percent of Trumpchi sales from overseas markets by 2020.

“Trumpchi’s success in China is giving them confidence to march into the US market,” said Fu Yuwu, president of the Society of Automotive Engineers of China. “Chinese automakers haven’t done enough to become global companies and they won’t have better understanding of markets overseas unless they actually sell cars there.”

GAC plans to use the research center in Silicon Valley to speed up research into connected cars, recruit talent and deepen its knowledge about local consumer preferences and government regulations, Feng said. The research center will also help the company identify acquisition targets that may help with the company’s development of advanced technologies, he said.


Polestar joins peers in adopting Tesla standard for EV charger access

                LONDON: Polestar Automotive Holding UK Plc plans to use Tesla Inc.’s charging port in its future electric vehicles, making it the fifth automaker to embrace what could become the new standard in the US.

Embracing Tesla’s North American Charging Standard will get Polestar drivers access to Tesla’s Superchargers in the US and Canada under the deal announced Thursday.

The carmaker founded by Volvo Car AB and its Chinese parent Zhejiang Geely Holding Group Co. will equip models sold in the region with the NACS port from 2025.

The agreement bolsters Tesla’s efforts to make NACS the dominant plug and port in the US after Ford Motor Co., General Motors Co., Rivian Automotive Inc. and Volvo Car announced agreements with the Elon Musk-led company in recent weeks.

Tesla’s charging network is widely seen as being more reliable than others that have used the Combined Charging System, or CCS.

Adapters to allow existing Polestar customers to access Tesla’s network are expected in mid-2024, the company said in a statement. Its models with NACS ports will come with CCS adapters to maintain compatibility.


Portion of VEP fees to be used to improve public transport

                JOHOR BARU: The state government will use its share of the proposed vehicle entry permit (VEP) fees to improve public transportation in the state.

State Public Works, Rural and Regional Development Committee chairman Datuk Hasni Mohammad said the money collected would be channelled to improve the bus transportation system.

“We are also looking at improving traffic flow, especially on the major roads, such as Jalan Tebrau, Jalan Tun Abdul Razak and Jalan Skudai, which are congested during peak hours,” he said.

The state is expected to get 25% or RM5 from the RM20 that will be imposed on foreign vehicles entering Malaysia through the Causeway here and the Second Link Expressway in Tanjung Kupang, Gelang Patah, from Aug 1.

Asked for the four-month delay in implementing it, Hasni said there were some issues which needed to be ironed out, including tabling a proposal in Parliament because it involved border crossings.

Besides Singapore, Malaysia also has border crossings with Brunei, Thailand and Indonesia. He said under the 11th Malaysia Plan, the state had requested RM7.674bil from the Federal Government for infrastructure and rural development.

Under the 10th Malaysia Plan (2011-2014), Johor received RM8.5bil.

Hasni said the bulk of the allocation totalling RM3.06bil under the 11MP would go towards 10 major road projects.

They include the Gemas-Ayer Hitam road, the Pasir Gudang Highway (third phase), the Muar-Tangkak-Segamat road (fifth package) and the Batu Pahat-Ayer Hitam road.

He said the state was also looking at ways to improve east-west connectivity, especially with a better road system.

On public transportation, Hasni said RM2.8bil had been requested, including RM1.3bil for Rapid Transit Bus projects in Iskandar Malaysia.

“Part of the allocation will be used to develop a transport hubs in Kempas, Muar, Batu Pahat and Nusajaya,” he said.


Swiss slam brakes on subsidies for hybrid cars

                PARIS: A Swiss region has pulled subsidies for hybrid cars, citing a report which found they offered negligible emissions and fuel consumption advantages when tested on Alpine Switzerland's roads.

The mountainous southern Wallis canton commissioned a study by Impact Living, a project management firm which helps clients transition to more environmentally-friendly solutions.

Their report on fuel consumption by plug-in hybrid electric vehicles (PHEVs) in Wallis found little in the way of benefits - with one of the authors calling their claimed environmental advantages a "con".

"These vehicles do not permit any environmental improvement... it's a climate target con and it's a consumer con," energy engineer Marc Muller told RTS radio on Wednesday.

Studies have suggested the real-world gains in carbon dioxide emission reductions for PHEVs - which can switch from battery power to petrol - are not as high as in manufacturers' tests, Impact Living said.

For example, in 2020, the International Council on Clean Transportation research NGO, studying 100,000 PHEVs in Germany found the real-world fuel consumption and carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions were more than twice as high as official test results - four times for company cars.

However, such studies were not based specifically on the mountainous Swiss terrain, which would appear to offer more favourable conditions for battery recharging through the regenerative braking system, due to all the downhills.

Home to the Matterhorn mountain and ski resorts such as Verbier, Crans-Montana and Zermatt, Wallis's Alpine topography is essentially mountains and valleys.

Impact Living recorded data from 20 hybrids and 15 conventional cars driving around Wallis for three months.

Their study, published Tuesday, found that "unfortunately, the quantitative results (measurements of actual fuel consumption) show that PHEVs are far removed from what they promise and only present very slight advantages - or none - compared to a conventional car."

Environmental targets

From 2021, as in the neighbouring European Union, the average level of emissions from new cars in Switzerland can not exceed 118 grammes of CO2 per kilometre, as measured under globally-harmonised test procedures.

Many European countries offer purchase incentives on hybrid cars, or tax benefits on buying or owning them.

In line with its environmental targets, Wallis had been giving a grant of 2,500 Swiss francs (RM11,467) on the purchase of PHEVs weighing less than 3.5 tonnes, and 5,000 francs (RM23,000) for those weighing more.

"The plug-in hybrid does not appear to be a solution given the results," Impact Living concluded.

"In real life, the plug-in hybrid average is slightly above the 118g CO2 per km target value."

Wallis canton has withdrawn PHEV subsidies, given the study's findings.

"The results are catastrophic," Wallis council president Frederic Favre told RTS radio.

"We cannot support tools that do not allow us to achieve the targets we have set for ourselves."


Screens replacing speedometers: Your next car's instrument panel

The new A-Class sports a digital dashboard.
BERLIN: Digital speedometers in cars are nothing new, but recent years have seen the introduction of even more advanced LCD monitors and upgraded display technology. While these high-quality displays have become de rigeur in luxury vehicles, they will likely soon be making their way into more affordable compact models as well.

These digital all-round displays show more than just speed, revolutions and electric range; they also provide information about weather, navigation, traffic, music and even notifications from your mobile phone.

"Digital displays make driving safer, because people take in 90 per cent of sensory information through their eyes," says Sajjad Khan of Mercedes.

In its new A-Class, the German carmaker will do away entirely with analogue displays, instead opting for two adjacent 7-inch screens. Buyers will also have the option to install 10-inch displays, offering various display modes and flexible configurations depending on a car’s equipment and features.

However, just as important as the size of the screens and their different display options are their responsiveness. "No user wants to wait seconds for an answer these days," says Khan. "It has to come in real time." This applies to touch commands, as well as visual map layouts and voice control.

At new Chinese manufacturer Byton, one concept car’s cockpit consists of a 1.25-metre-wide and 25-centimetre-high monitor. It can be operated by touch, but also by gestures, facial recognition and voice commands.

 The Peugeot 3008 SUV also comes with a digital instrument cluster.

An additional tablet in the middle of the steering wheel gives information about speed, as well as vehicle controls and information. "The monitor can be customized and divided into three sections," says Henrik Wenders of Byton. Video clips, navigation information and even a health program can appear in the display.

Meanwhile, suppliers such as Continental, Bosch, Faurecia, Valeo and ZF are developing their own increasingly advanced systems. Bosch is working on two digital cockpits that can be controlled by touch or voice. The touchscreens feature haptic feedback, while 3D elements on the edge of the display can be operated like sliders, rendering any buttons superfluous.

In the Concept 2020, ZF is likewise developing a digital cockpit with as few buttons as possible. A 12-inch monitor provides all necessary information, while a self-diagnostic program includes a 3D diagram that shows where the car is experiencing any issues.

“The focus is on simplifying the depictions. The visual communication with the driver should be as intuitive as possible,” says Uwe Class from ZF.

Professor Dieter Nazareth, Dean of the Faculty of Computer Science at Landshut University of Applied Sciences, foresees voice controls like Siri and Alexa making their way into cars soon.

"The trend is heading in this direction, because voice is the primary mode of communication for humans," says the automotive software expert. For him, it is incomprehensible that modern cars still have instrument clusters with mechanical indicators. "Displays are more flexible, and can be used to show more information," says Nazareth.

Nazareth estimates that manufacturers will combine voice control and touchscreens, but considers gesture control to be unnatural. Particularly for continuous values ??like speed or revolutions per minute, cars need a visual representation.

"No car driver wants to constantly receive this information by voice," he says. Spoken indicators are more effective when used, for example, to advise about approaching black ice or warn that the fuel tank is close to empty.

 The digital screen of Mercedes-AMG GT 63 S 4MATIC+ 4-Door Coupé,


Tawau teenager first in Sabah brought to court for using mobile phone while driving

File pic of a driver using a phone while driving.
KOTA KINABALU: An 18-year-old in Tawau was the first person in Sabah to be brought to court for the offence of using a mobile phone while driving.

Jaiz Jikka was fined RM500 by the Tawau magistrate's court after he pleaded guilty to the charge read out in front of Tawau High Court Deputy Registrar Amir Shah Amir Hassan today.

The teen, who was unrepresented, was charged under Rule 17 (A) of the Road Traffic Rules 1959 (LN 166/1959) for using a mobile phone while operating a vehicle.

According to the prosecution charge sheet, he was charged with the offence when driving a four-wheel-drive at KM80 of Jalan Tawau - Semporna at 6.27pm on July 29.

The accused, who is from Kampung Pangi, Kunak, was found using his mobile phone without a hands-free kit during a roadblock along the route.

For the offence, it allowed a fine up to RM1,000 or maximum three months jail term if found guilty; and a second-time offender can be fined up to RM2,000 and not exceeding six months jail term, or both.

The offence has also been categorised as a summonses that is non-compoundable effective July 6, where it must be brought and settled in court.


Honda aims for 13,679.4km Guinness World Record title

                TOKYO: Honda’s 1.6 i-DTEC engine will undergo an 8,500mile (13,679.4km) real-world fuel economy test across 24 contiguous European countries with the aim to set a new Guinness World Records title for fuel efficiency.

The test will occur on June 1, where two members of Honda’s European Research & Development (R&D) team - 18-year colleagues based in Swindon, UK - Fergal McGrath and Julian Warren.

The duo will take turns to helm a Honda Civic Tourer for the epic journey from Aalst, Belgium.

The remaining 23 countries, in alphabetical order, are Austria, Bulgaria, Croatia, Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Italy, Latvia, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Netherlands, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain and Sweden.

Based at Honda’s European manufacturing facility in Swindon, UK, the drivers are 18-year Honda R&D colleagues.

Under the rules of the Guinness World Records title attempt of ‘Lowest Fuel Consumption – all 24 contiguous EU countries’, the same two drivers must be in the car for every kilometre of the journey.

They will drive an average of 595km, taking 7.5 hours per day, heading towards the Netherlands and Germany, navigating the Continent in a clockwise direction, with the aim of returning to their starting point some 25 days later, on June 25.

Under the rules and regulations, the entire trip will be measured in both litres per 100km and miles per gallon.

If successful, the record will be applied to all cars - including hybrid and electric models, and the car to enter each of the 24 countries specified, collecting a range of evidence including a fuel/mileage logbook, GPS readings, video, photographs and independent witness signatures as proof.

To ensure accurate monitoring of the route, journey time and distance driven, the record car has been fitted with a tracking device, provided by fleet telematics and stolen vehicle recovery expert, TRACKER (part of the Tantalum Corporation).

The unit will provide a host of real-time information throughout the journey, to ensure that Honda can supply a robust and reliable automated data-evidence to meet the requirements stipulated by Guinness World Records.

The title attempt comes on the back of several independent tests, which have proven Honda’s engine has consistently out-performed its rated fuel efficiency in real-world driving conditions – and now a never before attempt in Europe.

The car which attempts the record must be a standard model in every respect, with no modifications to give an advantage and will be judged by an independent witness at the beginning and end of the record attempt.

The car can only travel by road, therefore the route does not extend to the UK, Ireland, Cyprus and Malta, which make up the remainder of the 28 EU countries.

In order to ensure no unfair advantage by reducing weight, the tank of the car must be filled to the maximum at each fuel stop.

“Since its launch in 2013 we have seen the 1.6 i-DTEC engine consistently over-perform on real-world fuel efficiency in our Civic, Civic Tourer and CR-V models, and this is our opportunity to put it to the ultimate test on a huge scale,” said Honda UK managing director Philip Crossman.

“We are very much looking forward to the record attempt, and while we’re excited we’re both a little nervous about the scale of the task that awaits us,” said McGrath.

He added that a huge amount of planning has gone into taking on this challenge and looks forward to a successful result when returning to Brussels on June 25, but there’s more than 170 hours behind the wheel to contend with first.

Follow Honda’s record attempt and get involved at #RealFuelChallenge and supporters can follow the live progression of the two drivers at www.tracker.co.uk/RealFuelChallenge.


Shades of Detroit? Germany's auto heartlands in peril as 'golden age' fades

The Schmitts are facing an uncertain future at the Michelin plant where they work. — Reuters
BAMBERG (Germany): When Kristin and Thomas Schmitt took out a mortgage and bought a house last summer, the German couple’s dream looked as if it was coming true. Two months later, they learned that the tyre factory where both work would be shut down early next year.

A malaise in Germany’s mighty automobile industry, caused by weaker demand from abroad, stricter emission rules and electrification, is starting to leave a wider mark on Europe’s largest economy by pushing up unemployment, eroding job security and hitting pay.

“It’s a nightmare. This is pulling the rug out from under our feet,” said Kristin Schmitt, 40, of the plant closure in the Bavarian region of Bamberg, one of Germany’s auto supplier hubs.

The couple, who have three children, still hopes managers at their Michelin tyre factory change their mind, but the risk of unemployment looms large - and not only for the Schmitts.

The German auto sector is expected to cut nearly a tenth of its 830,000 jobs in the next decade, according to the VDA industry association.

Some think-tanks and government officials fear that the toll will be higher as electric cars provide less assembly work than combustion engine vehicles, simple work steps are replaced by automation and companies relocate production.

This is not yet 1970s Detroit, a US car centre that was plagued by urban decay as factory relocations, cheaper imports and higher fuel prices destroyed jobs.

But the danger is growing, automotive companies, workers, as well as regional and labour leaders, said.

Different firms are taking different steps. At the Schmitts’ plant in Hallstadt, workers are trying to avoid forced layoffs; at a Bosch factory in nearby Bamberg, pay cuts and reduced hours have been agreed, as has investment in new fuel cell technology.

With pockets of rising joblessness in the affluent, auto-producing heartlands of Bavaria and Baden-Wuerttemberg in southern Germany, there are serious implications for a country which relies on the car industry for roughly 5% of its economic output and, and an important part of its national identity.

“Germany is entering uncharted waters. The transition could well mark the end of the golden age for cars as a mass employer,” said Stefan Bratzel, head of the Center of Automotive Management, a German research institute.

“For politics, it’s a ticking time bomb.”

The outbreak of the coronavirus is adding to the crisis by disrupting global supply chains and dampening passenger car sales in China, an important market for German manufacturers.

Threats of mass lay-offs will be a defining feature of upcoming wage negotiations in the metalworking industry where unions are focusing more on job security than pay hikes.

“It could well be that we have passed the peak of automotive production,” Volkmar Denner, CEO of Germany’s largest car supplier Robert Bosch, said in January when he announced massive job cuts and a business review to cope with plunging profits.

Post-war ‘miracle’

The Schmitts live north of the city of Bamberg, whose medieval and baroque architecture has been lovingly restored since the 1950s. It is typical of the well-heeled cities that prospered during the “economic miracle” of Germany’s post-war reconstruction.

Yet this region, which heavily depends on combustion engine technology, is facing a challenge that will have repercussions for Germany as a whole.

 A company truck entering the Bamberg branch of Michelin in Bamberg. — Reuters

“We’re talking here about some 25,000 jobs in the region; that’s roughly 15% of the overall workforce,” said Bamberg mayor Andreas Starke. “This shows how dependent the region is on combustion engines.”

For the Schmitts - Thomas works on the assembly line and Kristin in the stockroom - and their more than 850 colleagues at the Michelin tyre factory, the chances of keeping their jobs are looking grim.

Works council head Josef Morgenroth is trying to convince the management that the company can’t pull out of an earlier agreement which ruled out forced lay-offs until the end of 2022.

The local Michelin management declined to comment, saying it was still in talks with the works council.

‘Automobile crisis’

To help workers affected by the car industry disruption, politicians, companies and labour unions have called on the government to support the shift to alternative technologies such as electric cars or hydrogen-powered fuel cells.

In a rare joint statement, automakers and unions said in January that Berlin must expand state-backed employment schemes, known as Kurzarbeit, to cover a longer pay subsidy period of up to 24 months as well as retraining in new skills such as building electric vehicle parts.

The German cabinet is expected to approve the more flexible Kurzarbeit rules next month. Under the scheme, companies can apply for state aid to avoid lay-offs and keep skilled workers for a limited time of currently up to 12 months.

Depending on agreements between company and works council, employees work reduced hours or even stay at home, with the government paying two-thirds of the lost net income.

For the economy as a whole, this means consumers have less money to spend, eroding Germany’s most important pillar of economic support in recent years as exports falter. That in turn could become an issue for the European Central Bank as it seeks to stimulate the wider euro zone economy with a limited arsenal.

Research institute GfK expects German household spending to grow by 1% in 2020, down from roughly 1.5% last year.

Even without the planned changes, the number of employees already forced to work in Kurzarbeit schemes jumped to 96,000 in November, up from about 20,000 two years before, and surpassing levels last seen during the euro zone debt crisis in 2012/13, according to the Federal Labour Office.

Projections suggest that the number will rise to 117,000 this month, with the increase mainly due to the problems in the car industry, said Detlef Scheele, head of the state agency.

Pay cut vs job cut

Some auto suppliers have cut pay without applying for state aid under the short-time schemes.

At the Bosch factory, management and the works council sealed a deal to avoid forced lay-offs until 2026 under the condition that all 7,000 employees reduce working hours and accept a pay cut of nearly 10% from April 2020.

“Of course, this is causing mixed feelings,” said Sven Bachmann, production manager at the plant, which is 100% focused on combustion engine parts. “For me personally, the relief prevails that my job is safe for the next six years.”

In addition, the company pledged to invest in fuel cells, which could become an important alternative energy source for trucks and buildings over the next 10 years.

“This pledge is really important because it shows Bosch is not only thinking about cutting costs, but also about securing future growth and jobs,” said works council head Mario Gutmann.

The city of Bamberg is complementing the efforts by building a new district on an old US military base where stationary fuel cells, powered with hydrogen, will provide electricity, heating and warm water for up to 1,000 apartments.

Mayor Starke is hoping that Bamberg’s efforts to diversify its local economy can help cushion the negative effects of the car crisis on the regional labor market.

There’s a lot at stake for people like the Schmitts.

“We cancelled our holidays, we also told the children that we have to scale back special treats,” Kristin said. “Now, we all pray that we can keep the house.”


Rolls-Royce Cullinan all set for world debut but first a few more teases

                LONDON: One last batch of teases from Rolls-Royce. It revelaed the first of the Cullinan SUV showing the tailight with the brand's logo.

The images will be reeled out from today until Thursday when the SUV would be introduced in a global digital reveal.

Rolls-Royce so-called Final Challenge for its first SUV has followed the journey of National Geographic photographer Cory Richards to some of the most remote parts of Scotland, the United Arab Emirates and the United States of America in a camouflaged Cullinan, showing the car traversing all types of terrain.

The global digital reveal of Cullinan will occur at 7pm (Malaysian time) May 10 by way of an online video stream  Short films demonstrating the capability of Cullinan in all terrains are also available at this location.

The global digital reveal of Cullinan can also be followed on social media:

#RollsRoyceCullinan
#EffortlessEverywhere
Facebook: www.facebook.com/rollsroycemotorcars
YouTube: www.youtube.com/rollsroycemotorcars
Instagram: @rollsroycemedia
Twitter: @rollsroycemedia


One-minute battery swaps are spurring EV adoption in Asia

                HONG KONG: Hsiao Ding Hong fell in love with his electric moped right away. The battery-powered two-wheeler doesn’t make noise, vibrate or emit any exhaust.

It has a sleek gray-blue exterior, can be controlled via smartphone app and even sings for Hsiao on his birthday. Best of all, it takes just one minute to get a full charge.

That’s because Gogoro Inc., the Taipei-based company that sold Hsiao his moped, lets him swap out its two batteries as often as he likes for up to 630km of riding each month, all for a subscription fee of 849 new Taiwan dollars (RM123).

Every weekday, as the 26-year-old university administrator rides to work in Taiwan’s Hualien city, Hsiao’s app identifies the nearest swapping station with charged batteries in stock.

Once there, he pulls out his moped’s depleted batteries and inserts them into a vending-machine-like device, which then distributes fresh ones. Within 60 seconds, he’s on the road again with 64km of new range.

“Had battery swapping not been an option, I wouldn’t have purchased an electric scooter,” says Hsiao, who used a gasoline-powered model until 2021. “The battery swapping service is really appealing because it saves a lot of time.”

Hsiao is one of many in Asia who are starting to embrace electric mobility with the help of batteries that can be changed out on the fly.

While battery-swapping is complicated to implement in electric cars — part of why it has failed to catch on in the West — companies like Gogoro are proving that mopeds, rickshaws and other two- and three-wheelers are well suited to quick-and-easy battery switches, which can both alleviate range anxiety and spur wider EV adoption.

The boost can’t come soon enough, either.

In India, for example, nearly 80% of vehicles sold are two-wheelers, and motorcycles and rickshaws account for roughly one third of fuel consumed on the road, according to clean energy research group BloombergNEF.

“Electrifying two-wheelers and rickshaws can help increase emissions mitigation in this decade before electric vehicle adoption takes off in other segments,” says BloombergNEF analyst Allen Tom Abraham.

In 2020, just 2% of two-wheelers in Southeast Asia were electric. BloombergNEF expects that figure to reach 20% by 2030, thanks in part to battery-swapping.

Why swapping is surging

Today, Gogoro says it has more than 500,000 active monthly users and over 260 swaps on its network every minute, plus pilot programs in Indonesia, the Philippines and India. Also in India, Hyderabad-based RACEnergy sells retrofitting kits to convert gasoline rickshaws into electric models with batteries that can be swapped at its stations.

In Singapore, MO Batteries offers a local swapping pilot program and has plans to enter Malaysia; the company is also testing battery swapping with logistics heavyweight DHL in Vietnam.

Swapping’s potential has even lured multinationals to the fold: Honda Motor recently installed its first swapping station for moped riders in Tokyo.

That enthusiasm stands in contrast to Western companies, whose battery-swapping efforts have largely failed to take off. Israeli startup Better Place launched in 2007 to target battery swapping for electric sedans, but by 2013 it was bankrupt, due in large part to the exorbitant cost of developing charging and swapping infrastructure for cars.

That same year, Tesla Inc. unveiled a plan to enable 90-second battery swaps for the Model S, but never rolled it out at scale.

Battery-swapping stations for mopeds and rickshaws are easier to build and finance than those for cars, says Abraham at BloombergNEF.

Companies like Gogoro also make a habit of signing partnerships that ensure multiple vehicle manufacturers use a standard interchangeable battery. By contrast, limited interoperability for car batteries has made swapping a hard sell almost everywhere outside of China.

Chetan Maini, who created India’s first electric car, the Reva, knows how hard it is to get drivers to electrify.

When Maini set out to sell the Reva in the early 2000s, EV adoption in India was limited by high upfront costs and minimal charging infrastructure.

It took him a decade to develop a business that could circumvent those limitations: In 2017, Maini co-founded Sun Mobility, a Bangalore-based battery-swapping startup that partners with around 10 manufacturers of electric rickshaws and mopeds.

Customers can switch out their batteries at roughly 300 Sun Mobility stations in 18 cities.

Maini says that letting drivers effectively subscribe to on-demand access makes electrification more financially manageable, as batteries account for roughly half of an electric vehicle’s cost.

Backed by Germany’s Bosch Gmbh, which has a 26% stake in the startup, Sun Mobility has around 15,000 customers — up 650% from last year — and is working with investors to raise at least US$100 million for further expansion, according to co-founder Ajay Goel. Maini estimates that moped drivers save up to 40% on monthly costs.

“From a time and space perspective, the swap solution is efficient,” says Abhinav Singh, a director in charge of the delivery operation at Amazon India, which last year doubled, to 200, the number of vehicles in its fleet using Sun Mobility’s battery-swapping service. “You’re able to turn the vehicles around really fast.”

What’s next for swapping

For some battery-swapping startups, vehicle electrification is just the beginning.

Gogoro founder and chief executive officer Horace Luke says his company is already transforming some of its 12,000-plus stations into so-called virtual power plants, meaning parked batteries could send electricity back to the grid when demand spikes.

Gogoro has tested this idea at 10 stations in Taiwan so far, and Luke says he’s preparing to monetise the service.

While Asia’s battery-swapping experience offers a case study for other developing nations — similar services are emerging in Kenya and Brazil — the model still has hurdles to work through, chief among them the need for more battery standardisation.

Companies like MO Batteries are working to provide universal solutions, but the reach of any given swapping startup is limited by how many manufacturers use the model of battery it supports.

And while battery-swapping stations are proliferating, there still aren’t enough of them to support a full-scale electric transition.

In India, for example, each Sun Mobility swap allows an Amazon rickshaw driver to travel 45km, which is sufficient for grocery delivery in downtown Mumbai but falls short of reaching the suburbs.

To get the company’s long-haul delivery fleet on board, “the ubiquity of the swapping solution will have to be as much as fuel stations,” Singh says.

It will also take time for drivers to overcome their range anxiety, even with swapping on the table.

In Taiwan, where Gogoro has spent hundreds of millions of dollars and nearly a decade expanding its network, Hsiao still plans all his battery switch-outs ahead of time — even for the scenic 22-mile drive to a local gorge.

He also swaps batteries more than is needed, citing factors like uphill riding that make him nervous about running out of juice.

It’s for “ensuring peace of mind,” Hsiao says. “If I were on my gasoline scooter, I wouldn’t have worried about that.”


One side of your face may have a higher cancer risk because of driving

                CHICAGO: You know that burning feeling on your right side when you’re in your car and stuck in a mid-afternoon jam? This, scientists say may be a cause to worry.

The right side of our face may be at a higher risk of sun damage and is ageing faster from our daily driving, says a study.

The study shows that while the windshields of cars may block a majority of harmful rays from vehicle drivers and passengers, side windows aren’t as effective.

The study, published in JAMA Ophthalmology, found that car door windows offered varying levels of protection from the rays that are tied to cataracts and skin ageing.

Brian Boxer Wachler, of the Boxer Wachler Vision Institute in Beverly Hills, analysed the ultraviolet protection provided by the glass in 29 cars from 15 different automobile manufacturers made from 1990 to 2014.

Boxer Wachler’s research found that while front windshields blocked an average of 96% of UV-A rays, side windows only blocked 71%. Overall, only 14% of the cars offered a high level of side-window UV-A protection.

UV rays account for a small portion of the sun’s rays but are the most damaging to human skin. UV-A rays are not filtered by the ozone layer and can penetrate through the second layer of skin. This causes skin ageing and may lead to skin cancers.

Because drivers in the US have their left side exposed to sunlight, UV rays have been blamed for the increased number of cataracts and skin cancers that occur on the left side. Boxer Wachler believes the insufficient protection provided by car side windows could be a contributing factor.


Audi ranked as a leader in race to fully autonomous vehicles

                WASHINGTON, D.C.: Audi ranks as one of the leaders in the industry movement towards autonomous driving in a new study by Navigant Research. Audi, Daimler, BMW and General Motors are leading all other automakers as they move towards the goal of producing self-driven vehicles in the next few years, the study found.

“Our approach looked at the overall strategy and execution to see who’s got the best history in this area as well as who’s got the most on the drawing board now and has made announcements about what is going to be launched in the next year or two,” David Alexander, London-based senior research analyst for the market research and consulting firm based in Boulder, Colorado.

Today’s Audi vehicles already show many of the advanced driver assistance technologies that form the building blocks of what we call “piloted” driving, including Audi active lane assist, adaptive cruise control, Audi side assist and Audi pre sense rear, which helps drivers change lanes safely.

Among the brand’s accomplishments with more advanced piloted driving, still in development, have been the completion of a test drive by a selected group of journalists in an Audi A7 that drove more than 900km, largely hands-free on Interstate highways, from Silicon Valley, California, to the International Consumer Electronics Show in Law Vegas last January. A video encapsulating this event and six other milestones of Audi piloted driving can be viewed here.

Audi has predicted that the company will field a model capable of fully autonomous driving within the next few years.

Navigant ranked each of 18 original-equipment manufacturers according to a number of criteria and then, based on their scores, grouped them into ranked categories.

After the “Leaders” group of four that included Audi, Navigant ranked as “Contenders” Volvo, Ford, Toyota and Honda; as “Challengers” Nissan, Jaguar Land Rover, Tesla and Hyundai/Kia; and in the last group, Fiat Chrysler, Mazda, Renault, PSA Peugeot Citroen and Mitsubishi.

Alexander acknowledged that Google has helped create a lot of media, public and industry interest in self-driving and has done significant development work on the concept. But Navigant didn’t include the tech giant among serious candidates for fielding its own self-driving vehicle in the next few years “because they’re not in danger of putting anything into production in that time,” he said.


Mitsubishi Outlander 2.0 introduced from RM140k

                KUALA LUMPUR: Mitsubishi Motors Malaysia (MMM) rolled out its locally assembled Mitsubishi Outlander as a more affordable variant with a 2.0-litre engine and now takes its place next to the fully imported Outlander from Japan that was introduced in April, 2016 with a larger 2.4-litre engine.

Bookings can be made at all Mitsubishi showrooms nationwide for the locally-assembled Outlander that has an introductory price of RM139,988 (on-the-road with GST without insurance) that will be revised at the end of the year.

The 2.0-litre variant is available in three colour options of Red Metallic, Solar White and Ruby Black (new and exclusively for Malaysia), while being covered by a five-year unlimited mileage factory warranty.

Under the hood lies the same powertrain as the Lancer - a 2.0-litre 4B11 engine producing 145PS and 196Nm of torque, and gets mated to an INVECS-III continuously variable transmission that manages power delivery to the Multi-Select four-wheel drive (4WD) system with three modes of 4WD Eco, 4WD Auto and 4WD Lock.

In terms of features, it comes equipped with LED front and rear lights, LED daytime running lights, reverse camera with guide lines, automatic wipers, keyless entry with push-start button, front and rear parking sensors, digital video recorder (dashcam) and security/solar film for all windows.

Entertainment comes from a 7.0-inch HD touchscreen infotainment system infused with Apple CarPlay and Air Gesture Control.

For safety there's seven airbags, anti-lock braking system, electronic brakeforce distribution, electronic stability programme, brake assist, active stability & traction control, hill-start assist, rest reminder and lSOFIX child seat mounts as standard within its Reinforced Impact Safety Evolution (RISE) body construction.

Opting for the fully-imported 2.4-litre Outlander will cost an additional RM31,000 at RM171,000 and that means there's also additional goodies such as an electric parking brake, auto hold function, large floor console, auto levelling LED headlamps, paddle-shifters, auto dimming rear view mirror, powered leather seats, sunroof and a powered tailgate.

"The Outlander SUV boasts outstanding safety and space for the family, and the move to locally assemble a new 2.0L variant makes the SUV even more affordable for Malaysians. We assure that there's no difference in quality between locally-assembled and imported units," said MMM chief executive officer Tomoyuki Shinnishi.

The Outlander is being contract-assembled at Tan Chong Motors Assemblies' (TCMA) Segambut plant in Kuala Lumpur - the same plant as the ASX rolls out from since 2014, and has Mitsubishi Motors Corporation (Japan) personnel stationed at the local production line to oversee processes and quality control.


Singer ups Porsche 911 power for Goodwood encore

                LOS ANGELES: Singer Vehicle Design has given the first details about its latest re-imagined Porsche 911, which will be making its debut at the Goodwood Festival of Speed.

The car is called “Newcastle” as that's where its owner lives, and is based on a 1990 Porsche 911 coupé.

 The 'Newcastle' Porsche 911 engine.

Just like each of the company's meticulously redeveloped cars, the attention to detail is impressive - for instance, the carbon fibre bumperets have been nickel plated, and the quality of the interior, which includes folding rear seats for extra space, could give Rolls-Royce a run for its money.

However, it's the engine that sets this car apart, even from other Singers. It is the most powerful naturally aspirated engine the company has ever developed for one of its cars. Built in partnership with Ed Pink Racing Engines, it has a 4-litre capacity, outputs 390hp and that power runs to the back wheels via a six-speed manual transmission.

"Receiving a nod from [Goodwood Festival of Speed founder] Lord March, for not one - but two years in a row - provides some sense of arrival within one of the most valued communities of the motorsports world," said company founder Rob Dickinson.

"To partake in such a highly visible and globally recognised event is indeed an honour, and we are proud to be here and share the vision of our client's desires, as well as our very own personalised approach to creating a true celebration of the Porsche 911."

The car will be racing in the Hill climb event and will be driven by Chris Harris, motoring journalist, Porsche fan and BBC Top Gear co-host.

The 2016 Goodwood Festival of Speed runs June 23-26.


Refreshed Porsche Cayenne heads to Shanghai for April 18 world premiere

                STUTTGART: Porsche showed off the headlights of the facelifted Cayenne in its final teaser as it gets set to stage the world debut of its flagship SUV at Auto Shanghai on April 18.

Following its launch in 2017, Porsche has enhanced the third-generation of the Cayenne that involves its powertrain, chassis, design, equipment and connectivity.

A highly digitalised display and operating concept are also highlights of the refreshed model as it is set to be unveiled in China, the company's largest single market.

The new Cayenne boasts all-new HD matrix headlights that are more energy efficient and have an impressive light throw of up to 600m.  They are also twice as bright than previous systems.

Each headlight has two chips., and each chip comes with 16,384 individually controllable micro-LEDs on a thumbnail-size surface.

The high-beam is adaptive and does not dazzle oncoming traffic at night.

The rear will sport an updated light bar with fresh graphics.

READ MORE: New Cayenne debuts Porsche Driver Experience

Performance in the all-wheel drive Cayenne will also be improved.

The entry level version will get a turbocharged 3.0-litre V6 making 349hp and 502Nm or 14hp and 50Nm more than before.

The Cayenne S will get a twin-turbo, 4.0-litre V8 instead of a V6 to prodice 468hp and 599Nm.

The Cayenne Turbo GT offers up 651hp (+20 hp) and the same torque of 850Nm.

Hybrids or E-Hybrids continue to be part of the Cayenne range and they will gain a larger 25.9-kWh battery instead of the current 17.9-kWh pack. They will also get an 11-kW onboard charger instead of the optional 7.2-kW one in the outgoing model.

Each of the hybrid variants will have 463hp (+8hp) and 649Nm.

Chinese customers will also get a 2.0-litre petrol engine variant.

All variants get an eight-speed automatic.

With the next-generation Macan being all-electric, the Cayenne will also follow suit once it enters the next generation after 2025.


Nissan dives into what motivated logo redesign

                PETALING JAYA: For decades, the Nissan logo has stayed true to a belief held by its founder Yoshisuke Aikawa, “Shisei tenjitsu o tsuranuku,” which he interpreted to mean, “If you have a strong belief, it penetrates even the sun.”

The revised logo was introduced at the same time as the launch of the Ariya electric crossover on July 15.

Nissan’s new “calling card” reflects the significant changes in society over the last two decades and is a re-imagination of the iconic Nissan brand logo for a new chapter.

Nissan’s new logo comes alive as it pivots to the future while staying proudly connected to its rich heritage, and tradition of innovation.

The company name remains at the centre of the logo, communicating an instantly recognizable brand that evokes past milestones and memories while also conveying evolution.

“The new Nissan logo communicates our guiding message, carried over from past iterations: If you have a strong, determined belief, it can even penetrate the sun.

"At Nissan, this strong belief in the power of achievement has never wavered and can be seen in our pioneering efforts in electrification, driver assistance and digital connectivity. Our logo has to convey all of this in just a glance, to show our commitment to our customers, employees and society,” said Tsutomu Matsuo, deputy general manager of Nissan’s advanced design department.

The new logo began  appearing in July, both in digital and physical forms.

Nissan’s electric vehicles will feature an exclusive illuminated logo lit by 20 LEDs (corresponding to the number of years between logo redesigns).

This will be followed by the new logo being incorporated across mediums; from letterhead and dealership signs to social media and digital advertising.

One of four iterations will allow the new logo to flexibly accommodate varying communication points.

Notably, in certain digital and video applications the logo will actually “come alive” as it shifts and pulsates against a variety of backgrounds, allowing the logo to reflect today’s ever-changing environment and the flexibility needed to remain exciting, relevant and intriguing.

The recently unveiled Ariya is the first car to bear the new logo.

As the new icon of Nissan Intelligent Mobility – designed to fully embody the three pillars of Intelligent Driving, Intelligent Power and Intelligent Integration – the Ariya is not only fitting, but was also a key influence on the tailoring of the logo.

Additional vehicles will sport the new logo in the coming years as the new chapter of Nissan evolves.


China's Great Wall Motor wins approval for BMW car plant

                BEIJING: China’s Great Wall Motor has gained domestic regulatory approval to build a factory in China together with BMW, it said on Friday, paving the way for the German carmaker to develop and build a low-emission MINI.

Since February 2018 BMW, which sells a little more than 2 million cars a year, and Chinese SUV manufacturer Great Wall, which sold around 1 million vehicles last year, have tried to share the costs of building a low-cost electric vehicle on a joint platform to be used by both brands, but the project ran into regulatory hurdles.

The project, with total investment of 5.1 billion yuan (RM3bil), will have annual capacity of 160,000 combustion engine cars for export, Great Wall said in a Shanghai Stock Exchange filing.

The filing said plant construction will begin next year and be completed in 2022, but the company added that capacity for new energy vehicles has yet to be approved by authorities.

A BMW statement said: “The initial focus of our cooperation with the Chinese manufacturer Great Wall is the joint research and development and the future local production of Mini electric vehicles.”

The German carmaker also said that a further announcement about the joint venture will be made in the city of Zhangjiagang on Nov 29.

The two manufacturers had envisaged building low-emission vehicles in China, but a trade dispute between China and the United States had led BMW executives to freeze plans for the creation of a Chinese export hub.

“We have no basis for taking a decision at the moment. Whether this is financially viable and whether it makes sense needs to be evaluated,” BMW’s Chief Executive told journalists at the Geneva car show in March.


No need to change Renault alliance after French government hikes stake, says Nissan CEO

                YOKOHAMA: Nissan CEO Carlos Ghosn said today there was no need to change the automaker's capital alliance with Renault, after France raised its stake and voting rights in Renault last month.

The French government, which owns almost 20 percent of Renault, has said it wants to safeguard French interests at the automaker, which is deepening its ties with Nissan. However, Renault has warned that the government's move could damage the alliance.

Ghosn, speaking to reporters in Japan, said the capital alliance between Nissan and Renault had "zero influence" on the automakers' daily operations.

Since Renault rescued Nissan from bankruptcy in 1999, the Japanese carmaker has outgrown its parent to account for two-thirds of their combined 8 million vehicle sales and a bigger share of profit.

"We continue to work today exactly the way we were working from the beginning, with the two teams working together, developing synergies," Ghosn said. "So there's no reason for us to change."

Asked about potential partnerships with other automakers, Ghosn said the Renault-Nissan alliance had no immediate plans for any more partnerships for now.

He also said it was "too early" to consider tie-ups with non-automakers such as Google Inc, which is trying to enter the auto market.

Renault-Nissan already has partnerships with Daimler AG and Avtovaz.

Nissan's rivals Toyota Motor Corp  and Mazda Motor Corp this month launched a long-term partnership amid a push by automakers worldwide to cut costs by building scale.

Last week, Nissan also expanded a recall linked to Takata Corp's  faulty air bags, and Ghosn said the automaker had allocated sufficient funds to cover the recall.

He declined to specify how much the automaker had put aside to cover the cost of Takata-related recalls. Some 36 million cars have been recalled worldwide since 2008 over Takata air bag inflators, which can erupt with too much force, spraying shrapnel inside the car.


Two-wheelers come first in Indonesia’s electric vehicle strategy

At present, only 21,000 motorcycles in Indonesia are electric, which means many of their riders had to contend with higher fuel costs. — Bloomberg

BALI: Indonesia’s state-owned electric vehicle company is focusing on the more than 115 million motorcycles roaming the country’s roads as it presses ahead with efforts to reduce emissions.

To get started, Indonesia Battery Corporation plans to produce 50,000 battery packs for two-wheelers next year, president Director Toto Nugroho said in an interview on the sidelines of the BloombergNEF Summit here on Saturday.

The prototype already has safety accreditations and output is ready to begin.

"It’s a very good market, and it would be good for our environment to reduce emissions and cut imports of fuels so we will work on that first,” he said.

IBC was formed in 2021 to realise President Joko Widodo’s ambition to have an end-to-end EV supply chain — from nickel ores to locally made electric cars.

The government is under increased pressure to cut oil imports after the soaring global cost of crude forced it to hike gasoline prices, a move that sparked protests and weakened support for Jokowi, as the president is known.

Only 21,000 motorcycles in Indonesia are electric, which means many of their riders had to contend with higher fuel costs.

The government aims to boost domestic use of electric vehicles to 2 million units in 2025, and there are plans to offer an incentive of 7.5 million rupiah (around RM2,200) for consumers to swap gas-guzzling bikes for electric ones.

In the next five years, IBC will produce battery materials and cells while recycling used batteries in a project with partners LG Energy Solution and China’s CATL, Nugroho said.

The plant will use renewable energy and comply with global standards so it can export products to US and European markets.

Antam, one of IBC’s parent companies, will form a joint venture to mine battery materials in the eastern island of Halmahera. IBC is researching how to make batteries using only local natural resources.

"We want to make sure the battery we produce here will not be dependent on imported minerals like lithium, graphite and cobalt,” Nugroho said.

"We want a battery that doesn’t use those minerals.”


Volkswagen uses first low-emission LNG powered overseas car freighter

                WOLFSBURG: For the first time, vehicles from Europe will be transported from Europe to North and Central America on a car freighter powered by liquefied natural gas (LNG).

The LNG drive reduces carbon dioxide emissions by up to 25 percent, nitrogen oxide emissions by up to 30 percent, soot particles by up to 60 percent and sulphur oxide emissions by up to 100 percent.

Last Tuesday evening, the SIEM CONFUCIUS with more than 4,800 vehicles for North America leaves Emden, Germany for Veracruz in the Gulf of Mexico.

"We are proud to put the world's first LNG vehicle transporter of this size into service. This is an important part of our decarbonisation strategy," emphasises Thomas Zernechel, Head of Volkswagen Group Logistics.

By 2025, in accordance with the environmental mission statement "goTOzero", the company aims to reduce its total net CO2 emissions by 30 percentand be get CO2-neutral in 2050.

All transports - by water, road and rail - must be climate-friendly to achieve this.

"We have to take action now, because ships like the LNG freighter SIEM CONFUCIUS and soon its sister ship SIEM ARISTOTLE will be in service for many years," says Zernechel.

The ships are powered by 12,600 kW dual-fuel marine engines with direct injection and exhaust gas after treatment from MAN Energy Solutions.

In eco-speed mode they travel at a speed of 16.5 knots (30.6 km/h).

The two tanks in each ship, each holding 1,800 cubic metres, are sufficient to cover the entire distance with the fuel stowed in Europe.

In addition to liquid, deep-frozen natural gas, the car carriers could also be operated with biogas or E-gas from regenerative sources.

Volkswagen Group Logistics organises, coordinates and is responsible for around 7,700 ship departures worldwide every year.

Several hundred liners and eleven car freighter charter ships, two of which are now being replaced by the LNG units, sail the world's oceans for the Group every day.

They ship 2.8 million new cars a year.


New Toyota Hilux debuts, five variants from RM93K to RM147K

The top-of-the-range Hilux Rogue variant.
PETALING JAYA: The new Toyota Hilux was launched in an online premiere via Facebook Live on Thursday.

The number of variants has been reduced from six to five starting with the 2.4 Single Cab MT (Manual Transmission) followed by a new mid-range 2.4 E AT variant which means the

Next up is the 2.4 G MT followed by the 2.4 V AT and the flagship 2.8 Rogue AT.

They are priced (on-the-raod without insurance) respectively at RM92,880; RM108,880; RM111,880; RM133,880; and RM146,880. There is a RM2,000 discount for early birds who buy the Rogue by the end of 2020.

Note that prices for the refreshed model include sales tax as pick-up trucks are deemed commercial vehicles and do not qualify for the 2020 sales tax exemption.

Previously, the company offered the Hilux starting with a base 2.4 Single Cab, followed by the 2.4 Standard MT (dropped), 2.4 G MT, 2.4 G AT (dropped), 2.4 Luxury Edition and finally the 2.8 Black Edition.
READ MORE:
First drive of Toyota Hilux Rogue
Here's what's new in the facelifted Toyota HiluxSPECIFICATIONS


11 more Awas cameras for North-South Expressway

                PETALING JAYA: There will be 11 more Automated Awareness Safety System (Awas) cameras installed at accident-prone locations to improve road safety.

Deputy Transport Minister Datuk Kamarudin Jaffar said the initial costs of installing the cameras along the North-South Expressway (NSE) would be borne by Plus Malaysia Bhd (PLUS).

"The exact locations of these additional cameras are still being studied, but one of it will be the Menora Tunnel (in Perak)," said Kamarudin in a press conference today.

Kamarudin also encouraged other highway operators to follow in the foot steps of Plus in improving safety on the highways to help reduce the number of road accidents.

PLUS managing director Datuk Azman Ismail said the initial RM3mil cost and subsequent expenditure for the 11 cameras will be absorbed by the company.

"The enforcement will still be done by the Road Transport Department (JPJ).

"Based on our studies, the presence of cameras are very effective in curbing drivers from driving above the speed limit.

"Our focus is to reduce the number of accidents caused by speeding," he said.

Kamarudin explained that the RM3mil was not a one-off cost as Plus would have to calibrate the devices once every few months, run tests and make sure the cameras were operating effectively.

The 11 cameras will be an addition to the 19 cameras that were installed and operated by JPJ currently.

Earlier, PLUS had handed over 10 Honda CRVs to the JPJ as part of its initiative to enhance safety on its highways.

The vehicles, totalling RM1.3mil, will help the JPJ carry out its enforcement and monitoring duties on the highways.

The PLUS-JPJ collaboration, as well as with other enforcement agencies and road safety initiatives by PLUS, has seen a significant drop in the number of road accidents on the NSE.

In 2016, a total of 14,532 accidents were reported but that number dropped to 13,269 in 2018.


Honda and Softbank seek to improve pedestrian safety with 5G tech

                TOKYO: SoftBank Corp and Honda R&D Co, Ltd announced today that they are testing 5G technologies to reduce collisions between pedestrians and vehicles.

The trial involved using SoftBank's 5G experimental standalone mobile communication system installed at Honda's Takasu Proving Ground in Hokkaido.

It would work in tandem with a cellular V2X communication system.

The trial would explore and study three scenarios.

> Reducing collisions involving pedestrians who are visible to vehicles

> Reducing collisions involving pedestrians who are not visible to vehicles

> Reducing collisions involving pedestrians by sharing information about areas not visible to vehicles

Standalone 5G combines 5G equipment and 5G base stations, unlike the conventional standalone system that uses 4G equipment and combines it with 5G base stations.

Both companies said the trial is set to wrap up by March next year.


China's Geely picks Swedish software firm for driverless cars

                STOCKHOLM: Geely has chosen Zenuity, a joint venture between its Volvo car marque and Swedish technology group Veoneer, as its preferred supplier for assisted and self driving software.

Geely’s deal, encompassing car brands including Geely Auto, performance brand Polestar, subscription-based electric carmaker Lynk & Co and British sports car maker Lotus, provides a welcome boost for Zenuity.

Regulatory challenges and soaring development costs mean carmakers have delayed forecasts for the mass adoption of self-driving cars, putting pressure on suppliers such as Zenuity, which declined to comment on financial terms on Wednesday.

Veoneer said in April it was carrying out a review of Zenuity, which is focused on developing software for assisted driving features (ADAS) such as lane keeping and autonomous driving (AD), and seeking efficiencies from the venture.

Chief executive Dennis Nobelius said the Geely deal was a significant win as only 3-5 first generation self-driving software platforms would survive to the end of the next decade, compared to the more than 40 CB Insights estimates exist now.

“Our plan is clear, that we want to be one of those,” he told journalists. “We have a number of RFQs (request for quotation) at this moment for ADAS and we’re discussing deeper relations when it comes to the AD part.”

Nobelius said a German vehicle manufacturer would produce models with Zenuity ADAS features in the coming weeks.

Zenuity’s entire ADAS software stack along with parent Veoneer’s sensors were being showcased to customers and experts at a event in Detroit, Michigan later on Wednesday.

Uncertain road

Gothenburg-based Zenuity was formed in 2017 by Volvo, which Geely bought from Ford in 2010, and former Veoneer parent Autoliv, which put 1.1 billion Swedish crown (RM478mil) in the venture.

It is competing with larger rivals in self-driving technology, where US companies are leading the way, with Google’s Waymo last year winning the first approval to test cars without safety drivers on Californian roads.

Zenuity, whose customers include Volvo and Geely Auto, employs more than 600 people and this year won approval to begin hands-free testing on Volvos on Swedish highways.

Technology advisor Erik Coelingh said Zenuity’s edge came from the fact that it had products for both ADAS and AD.

“Exactly when AD will come in large volume is relatively uncertain, but until cars drive themselves then you will have ADAS,” Coelingh said.

“So the fact that we have both really is a very good position to be in this uncertain market.”


Covid-19: Seven key areas to sanitise in your car's cabin

                KUALA LUMPUR: Whether it's for work, groceries and/or necessities, there are seven main areas to help keep your vehicle sanitised and even if you do wash your hands, it's also good to wipe down the parts you touch.

Whether your vehicle is parked in the basement, under a shed or worse — left exposed to the elements for long periods of time  — there's always going to be a moment that requires you to go for a spin for something, anything or nothing.

To keep your vehicle "virus-free", here are seven areas that should be sanitised.
1. Steering wheel, paddle shifters and gear knob - these are the first places your hands go to in order to operate a vehicle.

2. Doors - including the handles too as well as the door pockets if you regularly store things there.

3. Signal and wiper stalks - even if its just a touch or two, we still need to signal where we're going, turn on the headlights and obviously the wipers if its raining so do give those a good rub down.

4. Sound systems and climate control - in our neck of the woods, it's always hot so having air conditioning during the day is a definite need in the comfort department while listening to any updates about the coronavirus (Covid-19) on the radio.

5. Seats - even if they are upholstered in fabric, its also a good idea to wipe them down with a cloth after every trip to make sure that there are no viruses clinging on to them at the end of the day.

6. Boot - after picking up some things to bring home, make sure they are always placed in the boot to prevent the cabin (eg, rear seat, floor or front passenger side) from becoming possible contamination spots.

7. Keys - don't overlook the key or key fob in your hand. It's crawling with microbes when handled often enough. It's unnecessary to sanitise it if the car is of the keyless entry-type where the key is always in your pocket. But consider doing so if you also stash dollar notes and coins together with it since money changes hands and you really don't know what they might have picked up. (Thanks to a CarSifu reader for highlighting this point)

With these seven areas in mind, grab a fresh cloth and use a solution or hand-sanitiser that's at least 70% alcohol-based.

Remember to stay home to stay safe and only venture out when necessary as the movement control order (MCO) in Malaysia runs from March 18-May 12.


Kia Imagine concept to become production model in 2021

                FRANKFURT: Kia has revealed that the Imagine concept will be hitting the market as a production model in just a couple of years.

Earlier this year at the Geneva Motor Show, Kia debuted the flashy Imagine concept, the company's first completely electric four-door passenger car.

Late last week, the company's COO Emilio Herrera revealed in an interview with Automotive News Europe that the model will be coming to the public as a production model as soon as 2021.

Described by Gregory Guillaume, Vice President of Design, as a representation of "Kia's desire to move forward in the exciting world of electrification," the crossover was destined to be mass-produced.

However, as it was a showy, human-centric concept created from an "emotional point of view" with a "wry sense of humour," the version of the vehicle that will be available for purchase will probably be a bit more subdued.

Though it will likely have a multitude of cockpit displays like the concept iteration, it's unlikely that the same 21 LCD screens will be fanned across the dash.

Despite Herrera offering few details about the upcoming crossover, he did confirm that it will be built upon a dedicated electric platform.


Mercedes passes the 4-million SUV milestone

                STUTTGART: In its most successful August in its 100-year-plus history, German premium carmaker Mercedes Benz sold a remarkable 156,246 cars worldwide.

And while demand is up for all luxury automotive marques - BMW is halfway through its most successful year of all time - it's SUVs that are leading the charge.

"SUVs once again contributed significantly to the best-ever unit sales by Mercedes-Benz this August," Ola Källenius, Member of the Board of Management of Daimler AG responsible for Mercedes-Benz Cars Marketing & Sales. "Mercedes-Benz has already delivered more than four million SUVs to customers worldwide. Their popularity is rising year on year."

Of the 156,246 cars sold over the past month, 56,286 - that's just over one in three - were of the SUV variety.

Mercedes is planning an even bigger push into the SUV market over the coming months and is tipped to unveil a plug-in electric SUV to challenge the Tesla Model X at the Paris Motor show in October.


Toyota C-HR Prologue concept previews next C-HR, N. America excluded

                BRUSSELS: Toyota has decided to stop selling the C-HR in North America after the current model year and will instead flog the next generation of the model in Europe.

For US and Canadian customers looking for a similarly-sized compact SUV, they will instead be offered the Corolla Cross, Corolla Cross Hybrid and RAV4.

The Toyota C-HR Prologue concept was unveiled last week, previewing the next generation C-HR set to arrive in Europe in 2023. It will be offered as a hybrid and plug-in hybrid.

The concept highlights a new C-HR that is sportier and more compact with surfacing that is described as both precise and organic.

The concept shows off bigger wheels with shorter overhangs , while enlarging the cabin space.

The “hammerhead” face highlights Toyota's design language for its EVs and hybrids and comes with full LED headlights. Grill apertures shrink in size, while headlamps slim down to accentuate the high-tech identity.

The concept car also boasts of a third colour accent to make it stand out further.

Like the first-gen C-HR, the next one was designed and developed at Toyota’s European Design Development headquarters in France.


Got a call offering to upgrade your Touch ‘n Go card? It’s a scam, company says

                PETALING JAYA: Touch ‘n Go eWallet has issued an alert reminding members of the public to beware of a new scam tactic by fraudsters claiming to be the company’s employees.

In a posting on Facebook, Touch ‘n Go eWallet said these individuals will contact users with a fake ‘card upgrade’ offer where they can allegedly exchange their Touch ‘n Go cards for the enhanced version.

The scammers will also attempt to convince users that the offer is legitimate by sharing photos of their apparent ‘staff ID’.

The company has urged members of the public to ignore any calls from such individuals, adding that it currently is not running any initiatives for users to exchange or upgrade Touch ‘n Go cards.

Additionally the company reiterated that it will never ask their staff members to share employee IDs or contact customers for OTP numbers.

On social media, a number of users have shared their experiences with such scam tactics.

One Facebook user said she received a phone call from an individual claiming to be from Touch ‘n Go offering to send her a new card on behalf of the company.

The user said the individual asked for the last four digits of her IC number and the OTP number which had been sent to her mobile phone to complete the process.

The user said she found the call to be suspicious after realising that she had been signed out of her ewallet account and hung up immediately.

Another social media user also said she had received a similar phone call where she was told to share her PIN in order to verify her own account.

She also discovered that she had been logged out of her Touch ‘n Go eWallet app.

The caller claiming to be from Touch ‘n Go said her account will be locked if she did not cooperate. The user ignored the caller and reminded others to be alert as well.


CKD cars may cost more in Malaysia?

                PETALING JAYA: Locally assembled vehicles may cost more following the potential restructuring of auto duty rates by the government.

While it is still unclear on how the new rates will eventually affect overall duties for cars, a source familiar with the matter said the prices of locally assembled cars could see a price hike.

“With the excise duty gazette released on Dec 31, completely-knocked-down (CKD) vehicles will most likely be liable to pay more taxes. We are still analysing the impact, ” he told StarBiz.

According to reports, Finance Minister Lim Guan Eng had said that the Finance Ministry and International Trade and Industry Ministry were in discussions to restructure car import duties, with a joint committee studying the matter.

RHB Research in a report said it is unclear how the review will affect overall duties for cars at this juncture, noting however that higher car prices will be politically unpopular.

It pointed out that a potential hike in vehicle prices may likely lead to lower car sales, given the current soft consumer sentiment.

“In the Pakatan Harapan election manifesto, it promised to reduce the excise duty on imported cars below 1,600cc engines for first-car buyers with household income below RM8,000 a month.

“However, lower car prices will not mean higher car sales immediately and could bring about other unintended consequences.”

One industry observer pointed out that a large proportion of cars sold in Malaysia are CKD.

“This will make completely-built-up (CBU) cars more attractive but their approved permits cannot exceed 10% of CKD total industry volume (TIV).”

Under the Asean Free-Trade Area Agreement, import duties on CKD and CBU vehicles from Asean countries have been reduced to 0%. For vehicles from non-Asean countries, the import duties on CKD cars have been reduced to 10%, while import duties on CBU vehicles were reduced to 30%.

The industry observer reckoned that the tax structure may have been reviewed because local CKD vehicle manufacturers have been known to under-declare their foreign content levels and “escape with huge profits”.

Another industry observer said increasing car prices would be a politically unpopular move.

“In any case, if this happens, it will benefit national brands due to their lower price points. However, it will deter foreign direct investments into the industry, ” he said.

RHB Research said while lowering car prices would lead to longer-term positives, the research house added that this too could have a negative impact on the industry eventually.

“The objective to lower car prices is achievable in the medium term. The overnight implementation of lower new car prices could result in a significant upheaval for car residual values, until the market is able to fully digest the changes.

“A change in the duty structure arising from revisions contained in 2006 National Automotive Policy (NAP) resulted in a collapse in new car sales and it took more than 12 months for the market to recover to pre-NAP TIV sales levels.

“Non-national marques could be affected the most since national marques, in general, have lower effective excise duties from higher local content. For the initiative to be effective, the government also needs to make sure that savings from the duty reduction are passed to consumers, as opposed to distributors using it to improve margins.”

RHB Research added that new car sales will suffer in the short run.

“We expect to see consumers postpone purchases as the new prices take effect. The resulting correction in used car residuals, due to lower new car prices, would also affect new car sales due to the erosion of the equity value embedded in used car residuals, which car

buyers typically usually use as a down payment when buying new cars.

“The banking sector could see an uptick in impairments, if there is a significant correction in used car residuals as collateral value falls short of the outstanding loan value.”

Ultimately, the research house said the potential restructuring of duty rates on automobiles is a significant regulatory risk.

“We maintain our 2020 TIV forecast of 595,000 units (a 1% year-on-year decrease), pending further details on the regulatory changes. Pending clarity on this, investors will likely stay cautious on the sector, ” it said.

According to the latest data from the Malaysian Automotive Association (MAA), year-to-date November vehicle sales was flattish at 549,445 units compared with 550,410 units in the previous corresponding period.

The MAA will announce last year’s TIV figures later this month. At its biannual media conference in July last year, the association maintained its 600,000 units TIV forecast for 2019, in light of the economic uncertainties.

MAA president Datuk Aishah Ahmad said consumers and businesses were expected to remain cautious going into the second half of 2019, adding that this would only spur aggressive promotional campaigns by local car companies.