Malaysia to host Asia GT Festival next year

SERI KEMBANGAN: Country Heights and its partner, Goldenport Enterprises announced that Malaysia will host its first Asia GT Festival from Mar 15 -17 2019 at Sepang International Circuit (SIC).The racing festival will see over 30 GT cars from all around the world racing for the coveted prize money pool of RM5.45mil.The first to be held outside of China, Asia GT Festival is a precursor to a five-year agreement between Country Heights and Goldenport Enterprises and it will be on SIC’s motorsports calendar for the duration of the agreement.“Through this Asia GT Festival, we want to grow Malaysians’ exposure to a different kind of four-wheeled motorsport racing,” said Executive Director of Country Heights, Matahari Lee at the press conference.“Besides that, our other objective of hosting this race is to provide aspiring Malaysian racers the opportunity to be part of an internationally renowned racing event.” He added that this racing event is a step forward for Country Heights and the MINES Car City Centre towards their vision of developing the country’s automotive lifestyle and motorsports industry.The race festival is expected to be participated by some of the world’s famous racing brands such as Porsche, Audi, Ferrari, Bentley, McLaren, and Mercedes Benz.Throughout the three-day event, spectators can expect to see races such as the GT3 and GT4 categories and the Malaysia Speed Festival (MSF) support races that will feature performance-modified manufactured cars.Tickets for the Asia GT Festival is now available and can be purchased through MotoNation’s Facebook page or their official website.The ticket price categories range from RM20 to RM350.


PIAM and Malaysian Takaful Association launch 2022 nationwide road safety campaign

                KUALA LUMPUR: In an effort to reduce road accidents and fatalities as well as to foster greater road safety awareness among road users, the Persatuan Insurans Am Malaysia (PIAM) and the Malaysian Takaful Association (MTA) jointly kickstarted the year-long PIAM-MTA 2022 Nationwide Road Safety Campaign.

The campaign aptly themed “#steadybrader”, hopes to educate and promote safe driving behaviour while encouraging road users to remain steady when riding or driving vehicles.

With the Campaign, both PIAM and MTA hope that road accidents and fatalities will be significantly reduced amidst the nation’s attention and focus on battling the Covid-19 pandemic for the past two years.

At the launch of the campaign, PIAM chairman Antony Lee said World Health Organisation (WHO) had estimated that 1.25 million people on the avarage died in road accidents.

"It is also the top cause of death among youths aged between 15-29 years. By 2030, WHO predicts that road traffic injuries will rise to become the fifth leading cause of death, after heart disease, cerebrovascular disease, chronic pulmonary disease and lower respiratory infections.

"These global figures drive home the message of how serious the matter is. Hence, road safety warrants urgent attention from all road users as it claims thousands of lives every year," he said.

Lee also said statistics from the police road showed that road accidents remained high in Malaysia.

"Closer to home, the latest statistics in 2019, as provided by the police, showed a total of 6,167 fatalities due to road accidents.

"This amounts to about 17 fatalities per day due to road accidents. According to the Ministry of Transport Malaysia, more than 80% of road accidents are due to negligence," he said.

During the year-long Campaign, PIAM and MTA have lined up a year long series of activities which include:

> Sustained awareness of road safety programmes through digital media;
> Road safety educational quiz series;
> Community outreach initiatives using gamification; and
> Various collaborative programmes with government agencies and companies who share similar hope and vision for safer roads.

The campaign was launched by Road Transport Department (JPJ) director of Enforcement Division Datuk Lokman Jamaan.

In his keynote address, Lokman confirmed that human negligence is one of the main contributors to road accidents.

This includes offences such as driving above speed limits, driving against the traffic and driving under the influence of alcohol and drugs.

Lokman said the stakeholders in road safety authorities cannot ignore the high figures of fatalities caused by road accidents.

"It is my earnest hope that this campaign will instill a greater sense of awareness with regards to road safety among Malaysians and reduce road accidents," he said.

The launch of the Campaign also included a lively panel discussion session entitled “Road Safety – A Shared Responsibility”.

Panelists for the discussion included Lokman; Lee; Bukit Aman principal assistant director (Enforcement), Traffic Investigation and Enforcement Department Supt Dr Bakri Haji Zainal Abidin and MTA deputy chairman Mohamed Sabri Ramli.

During the panel discussion, both PIAM and MTA emphasised that they welcomed and hoped to forge collaborative efforts with government agencies and private companies to join them in this year-long road safety campaign to reduce road accidents and save lives.


Volkswagen Malaysia: Fun CNY 2020 videos

                KUALA LUMPUR: Volkswagen Passenger Cars Malaysia has created a series of fun videos to find out which Volkswagen suits you best based on your Chinese horoscope.

There are 12 short videos (10 seconds each), for the 12 animals of the Chinese zodiac.


100 years of Mazda at the Geneva Motor Show

                HIROSHIMA: The year 2020 coincides with the 100th anniversary of Mazda.

The Japanese manufacturer is planning on celebrating this centenary at the Geneva Motor Show, which runs March 5-15, with a display of iconic models from decades past.

Initially a cork manufacturer and then a manufacturer of machine tools and commercial vehicles, it was not until the 1960s with the launch of the R360 that Mazda really started producing passenger cars. The light automobile was followed by sedans, station wagons and family coupés.

The Geneva Motor Show will also be an opportunity for Mazda to celebrate half a century of its presence in Europe. The manufacturer first made a major splash on the continent in 1967 with the launch of the innovative Mazda Luce, which was designed in collaboration with the Italian company Bertone.

Since then, Mazda has often been dubbed "the most European of Japanese car brands." In the 1990s, the company opened a state-of-the-art research and development centre near Frankfurt, Germany, with a design studio that has since developed several award-winning concepts.

Mazda also has a long history of innovation, such as the 1967 introduction of the Cosmo Sport/110S, which was the first production model in the world to be equipped with a Wankel engine, or its 1991 triumph in the 24 Hours of Le Mans, when it became the first Japanese manufacturer to win the race outright, and with a unique engine to boot.

In Geneva, Mazda will also be exhibiting its most recent creations, including its brand new all-electric SUV, the MX-30.


View bits of new Perodua Myvi up close

                SERI KEMBANGAN: Perodua is offering a sneak peek at its much anticipated new Myvi in Serdang near here.

And it's really a sneak peek as the car maker wants to save the full reveal for the launch which should happen in the coming weeks.

Most of the new Myvi was hidden in a big enclosure with only some parts visible to the public.

Here's a look at some parts of the new Myvi, which is raising a high bar for cars in its segment. While competitors may groan, it's all good news for the public, who can expect even better cars in future especially in the area of safety and comfort.

Check out the Myvi body parts at Malaysia Agro Exposition Park Serdang near here from Nov 9-12.

READ MORE:
New Perodua Myvi starts from RM44,300
Automatic braking & Advanced Safety Assist included in Perodua Myvi


Acura to show RDX prototype at Detroit 2018

                LOS ANGELES: It would be easy to think the 2018 North American International Auto Show in Detroit is going to be the North American International Crossover Show with all the updated and all-new crossovers being teased and trialed by various manufacturers ahead of the January event.

The truth is that SUVs are what sell at the moment, so it's no surprise the latest teaser is of an all-new prototype RDX crossover from Acura, the luxury arm of Honda.

The luxury Japanese automaker is billing this preview of the third-generation of the RDX as a prototype, which suggests some notable changes may be made before the final production version lands in showrooms. Even so, it's an intriguing and enticing insight into what will be coming down the line.

Acura is announcing it as the biggest redesign of the RDX in more than a decade, which leads us to believe this is a thorough, ground-up redesign of the crossover, and not just a significant refresh.

Although the current model houses a 3.5-litre V-6 under the hood, modern trends suggest a turbocharged four-cylinder is likely to be powering the next generation of the Acura, especially as that's also what the first generation of the RDX had.

Back in 2007, turbocharging wasn't Honda's favoured way of doing things on the whole, but it's now becoming more and more prevalent in its vehicles so a version of the 1.5-litre unit the company uses in a number of its current models could be utilized.

The teaser video looks as though Acura's current signature grille shape and striking LED headlights will dominate the front fascia. And on the inside, a large infotainment screen will be the dominant feature sitting perched on top of the dashboard, with the controls below it arranged in a sort-of waterfall-like arrangement.

But perhaps the most pertinent fact released so far is that the new RDX will be built on an entirely new platform that's exclusive to Acura, which means one not shared with any model with a Honda badge on it.


2019 Continental GT Convertible promises to be brand's sportiest version to date

2019 Bentley Continental GT coupe.
LONDON: The 2019 Bentley Continental GT Convertible is now being seen out and about undergoing testing, both on the roads around the UK and predictably, undergoing dynamic assessment at the Nurburgring in Germany.

Although the manufacturer isn't yet confirming hard details about the car, it certainly seems as though the 2019 GT Convertible, or GTC as it's currently known, will be the sportiest drop-top model the luxury marque has ever produced.

Autocar is reporting that a 2019 GT Convertible test mule has been spotted at a service station in the county of Cheshire in the UK, and information gathered from the insurance database using the car's registration number revealed it had a 6.0-liter W12 engine under the hood.

 The current Continental GTC.

There's a good chance it's the identical unit already revealed for its hard top sibling, which means it will kick out an impressive 626 bhp and 903Nm of torque. It's the same engine that's also shared with the Bentayga SUV, but in this case it will have been specifically fine-tuned to suit the two-door GT.

Somewhere down the line it's expected a 4.0-litre V8 will also be offered for the GT coupe and this drop-top version, but it's not known when it will arrive or if it will be available in the GT Convertible from launch. It had been envisioned that the V-8 would be added to the Continental lineup in time for the arrival of the convertible, but so far, no models equipped with the V-8 have been seen testing.

The new convertible, like the coupe, will be a little lighter than its predecessor. But weighing in at around 2.3 tons it will still be one of the heavier convertibles on the market.

There's no date for when the convertible will arrive in showrooms, but the smart money is on early in 2019 with prices slightly increased over the levels of the present model. But if you can't wait for the brand new Continental GT and you're prepared to forgo open-top motoring, the GT Coupe will be on sale in the summer.

sc/cm - Relaxnews


Testing group says Tesla Autopilot slips in driver assistance ratings

                WASHINGTON: Tesla's advanced driver assistance system Autopilot fell in a ranking of 12 major systems, Consumer Reports said today.

Of 12 systems tested by Consumer Reports, a nonprofit organisation that evaluates products and services, Ford Motor's BlueCruise was first, followed by General Motors' Cadillac Super Cruise and Mercedes-Benz Driver Assistance.

Tesla, which was second in Consumer Reports ratings in 2020 behind Super Cruise, fell to seventh, the group said. The electric vehicle maker did not respond to a request for comment. Tesla hasn’t changed autopilot’s basic functionality, instead adding more features to it, the group said.

"After all this time, Autopilot still doesn’t allow collaborative steering and doesn’t have an effective driver monitoring system," said Consumer Reports auto Testing director Jake Fisher in a statement.

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) is investigating 830,000 Tesla vehicles with Autopilot after a series of crashes with parked emergency vehicles.

NHTSA is reviewing whether Tesla vehicles adequately ensure drivers are paying attention. In June, the agency said evidence suggested drivers in most crashes with emergency vehicles under review had complied with Tesla's alert strategy that seeks to compel driver attention, raising questions about its effectiveness.

NHTSA acting administrator Ann Carlson said earlier this month the agency was "working really fast" on its Autopilot probe. "We're moving as quickly as we can, but we also want to be careful and make sure we have all the information we need," she said.

In 2020, the National Transportation Safety Board criticised Tesla's "ineffective monitoring of driver engagement" after a 2018 fatal Autopilot crash.

Autopilot enables cars to steer, accelerate and brake within their lanes without driver intervention but Tesla says the feature requires "active driver supervision and do not make the vehicle autonomous."

NHTSA has separately opened more than three dozen Tesla special crash investigations where advanced systems including Autopilot were suspected of being used with 19 crash deaths reported.


Trial of former Nissan boss Ghosn expected to start in September, says NHK

Ghosn.— Reuters
TOKYO: The trial of former Nissan Motor Co boss Carlos Ghosn on charges of under-reporting his salary is expected to start in September, public broadcaster NHK said today.

Ghosn was released on US$9 million bail earlier in March after spending more than 100 days in a Tokyo detention centre. He faces charges of under-reporting his salary at Nissan by about US$82 million over nearly a decade.

Ghosn has said the charges are “meritless”. He was stripped of the role of Nissan chairman but remains a board member.


F4 SEA season ends on a high note

                SEPANG: The Formula 4 South East Asia (F4 SEA) Championship - fueled by Petron, completed an incredible weekend where junior drivers from all over world competed in the fifth and ultimate event of the 2017-18 season at the Sepang International Circuit (SIC).

After each intense six-race weekend during the season, the best performing driver with the lowest score was crowned the 'Event Champion'.

Newcomer Alessandro Ghiretti in car No.28 was crowned the Event Champion with 21 points, followed by reigning 2016 champion Presley Martono who came in second with 22 points while third and fourth positions went to Daniel Cao and Kane Shepherd - the driver and rookie favourites coming into the weekend with 27 and 28 points respectively.

Malaysia’s Muizz Musyaffa managed to win the final race of the event to make it his first victory in F4 SEA, placing him fifth overall in the championship.

With just one less point, Isyraf Danish finished just behind Muizz in the final race, making it a Malaysian one-two on the podium.

In car number one, Hibiki Taira of Okinawa finished in seventh with 37 points ahead of another Malaysian Nazim Azman in eighth.

In the red number 42 car was Luke Thompson who took ninth with 47 points doing Ireland proud ahead of newcomer Armand Johany who flew the Jalur Gemilang colours for his first race in the number 31 car.

Two more Malaysians, Armand’s brother Arsh was eleventh in car number 38, tying with Timothy Yeo, but was broken by Arsh who claimed the faster lap in the last race.

The F4 SEA 2018 season is now on the horizon,  but the race series and race service providers - MERITUS.GP, will be recognising and rewarding the drivers who excelled this season at the upcoming MERITUS Awards Gala that's been slated for June.


China launches nationwide car purchase campaign as May sales tick up

                BEIJING/SHANGHAI: China announced a nationwide campaign today to promote automobile purchases in a major push to shore up demand in the world's largest auto market.

The announcement from the Ministry of Commerce came shortly after data showed passenger vehicle sales in China rose 7.3% in May from April, higher on the month but far from the robust recovery policymakers are hoping for.

The commerce ministry said it would coordinate and push local authorities to roll out targeted policies and measures in favour of car consumption. Financial institutions will be encouraged to introduce measures to boost lending for auto purchases, it said.

The campaign will target multiple car sales categories including both new and secondhand vehicles, it added, and push to replace gasoline cars with new energy vehicles (NEVs) such as battery-driven cars and plug-in petrol-electric hybrids.

It did not specify how much funding it would provide for the scheme.

The move marks the latest measure by authorities to boost spending on big-ticket items, which have bucked a tepid rebound in overall consumption after China abruptly ended Covid-19 containment measures late last year.

The government plans to extend and optimise tax incentives for NEV purchases and looks at ways to promote their development, state media reported on Friday. Officials in May also announced measures to promote rural NEV purchases.

Price cuts, new products

The China Passenger Car Association (CPCA) said today passenger vehicle sales in China totalled 1.76 million vehicles in May. For January-May, sales were up 4% year-on-year at 7.74 million cars.

Cui Dongshu, the association's secretary general, said sales had been helped by heavy price cuts by automakers, though the discounting was slowing.

More than 40 brands have cut prices in China since January after an initial move by Tesla in a fight for market share as car demand slumped, with the ripples spreading through the wider industry.

The roll-out of a raft of new products and low-priced new models had also helped to support sales, he added.

Sales of NEVs rose 10.5% in May from April and accounted for 32.9% of total May sales, CPCA data showed.


Tesla talks with Indian suppliers

                MUMBAI: Tesla Inc is in talks with at least three Indian auto component suppliers as part of its plans to enter the local market, the Economic Times reported.

The company is seeking critical electrical, electronic and mechanical components, the report said, citing people familiar with the matter.

The parts include instrument panels, windshields, differential brakes, gears and power seats, the paper said.

Sona Comstar Ltd, Sandhar Technologies Ltd and Bharat Forge Ltd are among Indian companies already supplying components to Tesla, the Economic Times said. Tesla didn’t respond to queries by the paper on the talks.

A Tesla factory to produce cars in India is “quite likely” if the electric automaker can first begin sales with imported vehicles, chief executive officer Elon Musk said in July.

Tesla is currently lobbying for lower taxes on imports as it considers plans to expand into India, one of the world’s biggest emerging car markets, Bloomberg News had earlier reported, citing people with knowledge of the matter.


Volvo expects electric car margins to match conventional vehicles by 2025

                GOTHENBURG: Volvo Cars expects its margins on electric cars to match those of vehicles with combustion engines by 2025, said the head of the Chinese-owned Swedish carmaker.

Global automakers are planning a US$300 billion surge in spending on electric vehicle technology over the next five to 10 years but have admitted that higher component costs and limited take-up in initial years will hit margins.

Volvo is investing about 5 percent of its annual revenue, equating to a little more than US$1 billion a year, in building driverless and electric cars and has promised to deliver five fully electric cars to market in the next few years.

It showcased the first less than a month ago, made by its luxury performance brand Polestar to rival to Tesla’s Model 3. It also plans to launch a Volvo-branded electric compact SUV this year in the company’s push to derive 50 percent of its sales from fully electric cars by 2025.

“It’s very difficult to say if we’re going to have the same margins in 2025 as we had in 2015 ... because electric cars are very expensive,” chief executive Hakan Samuelsson said on the sidelines of a safety showcase by the company here.

“But I would be absolute sure we will have the same margins with electric cars as we will with conventional combustion cars in 2025.”

Samuelsson said the convergence would be helped by reducing costs for components such as batteries and declining margins on conventional cars.


Three things you may not know about Perodua Bezza

                PETALING JAYA: The launch is over. The crowd is back in the showrooms, with some intending to buy while others are curious and want to check out Perodua's first sedan. And an energy-efficient one at that.

Of the 4,028 orders received in the five days after bookings opened for the Bezza, 50% was for its 1.3L Advance variant, 35% for its 1.3L Premium X variant, while the remaining 15% was for its 1.0L AT/MT variants.

The A-segment compact sedan is the first Perodua vehicle that has its upper body fully designed by Malaysians. It took RM300mil to develop and has 95% local content.

While you have been inundated with information about the Bezza in the past week, here are some details that may have escaped attention.

1. Boot design
The boot is one of the key defining feature in the Bezza. Perodua set out to build a boot that is truly practical and one of the biggest in its class.

The Bezza's boot has been designed with typical hardcase and cabin-size luggages in mind to maximise the 508-litre capacity usage. This has resulted in minimal space wastage and a tightly-packed storage for maximum load. Although other bigger car models may have larger boot compartments, they may not be able to pack in the same amount of luggages as the Bezza's. While the Proton Saga is slightly bigger than the Bezza, it loses out in boot space, having only 413l.

 Note the label that states this battery is designed for start/stop operations as opposed to the one in the lower-priced Bezzas without this feature (below).2. Battery
One difference in the 1.3L Advance top variant is that it features auto start/stop for better fuel economy.

To handle that kind of load, a different battery is used compared to the lower-priced variants which do not have the start/stop feature. The battery in the 1.3L Advance is more robust and has higher cranking power to cope with the repeated engine restarts.

3. Vehicle Stability Control
Perodua created its own history by introducing stability control in an A-segment car. This Vehicle Stability Control (VSC), restricted to the top variant, has earned the Bezza a 5-star Asean NCAP rating. On top of that, it also comes with start/stop operation, hill start assist and reverse camera, features that were previously unheard of in the entry level/budget class.

Thanks to Perodua, it has raised the bar and will force rivals to go back to the drawing board to rethink their product specifications. That benefits consumers in the end.

READ MORE:
Perodua Bezza launched
VIDEO: Carsifu talks about Bezza and first drive
Full Perodua Bezza specs
Perodua Bezza to drive auto sales
Perodua Bezza gets top safety rating
Perodua Bezza priced from RM37,300 to RM50,800
Bezza name used in 2010 for Perodua concept car People checking out the Bezza at Perodua Sentral showroom in Petaling Jaya today.


Recall for 2017-19 Mazda models in Malaysia

                PETALING JAYA: Mazda Corporation has announced a product recall to replace a fuel pump as a precautionary measure.

Affected models are Mazda2, Mazda3, Mazda6, CX-3, CX-5 and CX-9 manufactured between 2017 – 2019.

Mazda distributor Bermaz Motor said 2020 production models are not affected.

The replacement of the fuel pump is free of charge and all costs related to this replacement activity will be borne by Mazda Motor Corporation, Japan.

Affected customers will be informed via notification letters and mobile SMS, which will include details of the product recall.

Upon receipt of notification to replace the fuel pump, Bermaz Motor urges all affected customers to contact any Bermaz authorized service centres to make an appointment.

Vehicle owners can obtain more information on this product recall or check their vehicle chassis number here.

If customers are experiencing unusual conditions while driving, it is important to stop the vehicle in a safe place and contact the Bermaz authorized dealer or service centre for help.

The duration of repair service is estimated to take approximately 1.5 hours or slightly longer depending on the model and the service centre workload at the time of appointment.

The replacement stocks will be available in stages.

The safety of the customers is of the utmost priority, and Bermaz Motor extends its apologies for the inconvenience caused to the affected customers.

As the sole distributor of Mazda vehicles in Malaysia, Bermaz Motor, together with Mazda Corporation, is looking seriously into resolving the matter as soon as possible.

Based on the information received from Mazda Corporation Japan, a total of 19,685 units of Mazda vehicles in Malaysia are affected in the product recall.

This product recall is necessary as a preventive measure to address the possibility of loss of engine power or vehicle stalling caused by the fuel pump module.

It is also in line with the fuel pump recall in other affected countries including China, Asean countries and other areas (Asia, Middle East, Africa, Middle America and Caribbean).


Seoul targets half of new vehicles as autonomous in 2035

                SEOUL: South Korea is targeting to commercialise a Level 4 autonomous vehicle in 2027 and to have half of newly launched vehicles as Level 4 models by 2035, the country's transport ministry said today.

South Korea aims to become the world's third country to commercialise a Level 3 autonomous vehicle this year after the United States and Japan, reported Yonhap citing the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport as saying.

"To achieve the aim, the government will overhaul the existing transportation systems, and set up safety standards and insurance programmes for autonomous cars to provide Level 4 autonomous bus services as well (by 2027)," the statement said.

Hyundai Mobis Co., a major affiliate of Hyundai Motor Group, introduced Level 4 self-driving automation technology in its concept M.Vision at the Consumer Electronics Show (CES) in January 2020.

At Level 4, a vehicle can drive itself under limited conditions and will not operate if all required conditions are not satisfied. At Level 5, a vehicle's automated driving features can drive under any conditions.

To support the plan, the government will set up real-time telecommunications systems for communication between autonomous cars on roads, and between autonomous cars and the electric vehicle infrastructure in major cities and roads by 2030, the statement said.

The ministry said it will initially establish the real-time telecom systems in 110,000km of roads by 2030.

The government also seeks the commercialisation of urban air mobility services in the metropolitan area by 2025.

The country's three major wireless services companies — SK Telecom Co., KT Corp. and LG Uplus Corp. — said last month they will take part in a government-led demonstration programme that will test urban air mobility vehicle safety and traffic management capabilities for commercial services.

Urban air mobility is widely considered the next big thing in aviation amid concerns for the worsening of traffic congestion and air pollution.

Most urban air mobility vehicles in development are being designed to run on electricity and travel at low altitudes in urban areas.

In July, Hyundai Motor Co., another affiliate of Hyundai Motor Group, showcased its UAM technologies at Britain's Farnborough Airshow through its wholly-owned US  urban air mobility unit, Supernal.

Supernal unveiled a peep into the future electrical vertical take-off and landing (eVTOL) aircraft concept, its design and technologies.

Supernal aims to commercialise the eVOTL aircraft in 2028 while collaborating with more than 50 companies, including affiliates of Hyundai Motor Group, to help ease related regulations and establish the infrastructure for UAMs.

Morgan Stanley forecast the global UAM market will grow up to US$1.47 trillion by 2040, jumping from US$7 billion won in 2020.


Daimler deploys electric cars for driver training

                STUTTGART: Daimler AG is working with a driving school on a pilot project to introduce electric vehicles as an integral part of driver training.

From April, the driving schools, run by ACADEMY Holding AG, will be offering learner drivers a simple introduction to locally emission-free mobility. The specially developed training course tackles every aspect of electric mobility, focusing on gaining familiarity and experience, as well as on the correct way to handle and work with alternative drive systems. The aim of the initiative is to integrate electric vehicles into the driver training process and so to generate enthusiasm for electric mobility, particularly among young people.

The initiative is also designed to make the first experience of driving significantly easier for learners. Instead of spending their first driving lessons having to concentrate on the gear changes in a manual vehicle, they will begin with an electric vehicle – thanks to its automatic transmission there is no need to use the clutch or change gear, allowing learner drivers to focus on what's important: the traffic.

Once they have acquired a certain level of routine in their driving, they continue learning on a manual vehicle with a combustion engine. By taking this approach, learner drivers are able to qualify with a full Class B or BF17 passenger car driving licence and, in addition, receive the eDriverLicence.

The theoretical elements relating to alternative drive systems and mobility concepts will be integrated as a double lesson into the theory training and will cover the principles of alternatively powered vehicles as well as information about mobility services.

Issues such as charging time, range, acceleration characteristics, recuperation and the awareness of the silent electric vehicles for other road users' will be addressed here.

The eDriverLicence instruction element adds the topic of electric mobility as a complement to the basic driver training to achieve the class B and BF17 licence. Once they have passed their eDriverLicence driving test, young drivers over the age of 18 are immediately able to use the car2go service and drive electric.

They can register straight away with car2go – and without incurring registration charges. They would also receive a one-off gift of 100 free minutes.

A further eDriverLicence offer for "old hands" allows anyone with a valid driving licence who is interested to take the eDriverLicence test – with professional instruction from the driving schools participating in the pilot project. The course includes two driving lessons and a double theory lesson. These course participants, too, can take advantage of a one-off gift of 100 free minutes with car2go, without a registration fee.

Ten electric vehicles equipped for tuition purposes have been provided by Daimler AG at a monthly rate to five selected ACADEMY driving schools in the wider Stuttgart area. Each driving school will get one smart fortwo electric drive and one Mercedes-Benz B-Class Electric Drive. As well as the vehicles themselves, each driving school participating in the pilot project has been equipped with a charging station (wallbox) to allow fast recharging.

The ACADEMY driving schools, representatives of a successful franchise system, form the largest group of independent driving schools in Germany.


More roadblocks ahead but no barbed wire in Selangor, say police

                PETALING JAYA: More roadblocks will be set up to ensure the compliance of standard operating procedures (SOP) during the implementation of the enhanced movement control order (MCO) in the 34 sub-districts in Selangor from July 3.

Selangor police chief Comm Datuk Arjunaidi Mohamed said it would be impossible for police to set up barbed wire fences, such as those used for enhanced MCO in selected localities.

"Currently, we have between 120 and 140 roadblocks in the state. We will increase this number while our compliance operation task force will conduct snap checks.

"Enforcement will be focused at the roadblocks located at the entrance of roads to each sub-district involved in the enhanced MCO," he said during an interview with a media portal on Friday (July 2).

Some 80% of the state police's 14,000-strong personnel would be used for Covid-19 operations, he added.

"The police will be stationed at all necessary locations in Selangor to ensure that only those permitted to travel are able to do so.

"We will also conduct mobile roadblocks at strategic locations from time to time depending on the necessity," he said.

Comm Arjunaidi said only workers listed under essential or permitted services and industries would be allowed to travel during the implementation of the enhanced MCO.

"They must have the necessary documents and letters when going through roadblocks.

"This also applies to those working in Selangor and staying in Kuala Lumpur and vice versa as well.

"Those who don't have the necessary documents will be told to turn back and if they have crossed state borders, they will be issued compound notices and then instructed to turn back," he added.

However, Comm Arjunaidi said leeway will be given to those going for vaccine appointments.

"For example, if two people from a household are going for vaccine appointments on the same day and at the same location, we will allow them to be in the same car despite the SOP saying that only one person is allowed in a car.

"It is similar for those travelling for medical reasons.

"We urge those with inquiries or facing any problems regarding the SOP to call our operations room. We will assist and provide the necessary advice," he said.

Comm Arjunaidi advised the public to give their full cooperation to successfully curb the spread of the virus.

"Selangor recorded the highest number of Covid-19 cases daily. So, the enhanced MCO is necessary in Selangor.

"If the people give their full cooperation, God willing, we will be able to bring down the number of cases within or earlier than two weeks," he said.


Electric car in Britain bursts into flames while charging overnight

The 2017 Smart ForTwo Electric Drive caught fire as it was charging overnight.— ESSEX LIVE
ESSEX: An electric car, which had been left charging outside an office building, caught fire and burned until only its skeleton remained.

The 2017 Smart ForTwo Electric Drive car which has a 17.6kWh battery, had been charging overnight, according to The Daily Mail.

Pictures of its remains show a charred frame and the melted lithium ion battery pack. The yellow charging cable was still attached to the car.

The brick wall of the office building was also partially sooted.

Local media reported an Essex County Fire and Rescue Service spokesman as saying that the electric car was "100 per cent destroyed and caused smoke damage to a building after catching alight".

Firefighters had been called to the scene at the Rettendon Turnpike junction in Wickford, at around 4am on Sunday morning.

The fire was extinguished by 6.25am, according to local media, and the firefighters ventilated the building and ensured the scene was safe.

"The cause of the fire has been recorded as accidental, and was due to an electrical fault," said the Essex County Fire and Rescue Service spokesman. – The Straits Times/Asia News Newtork


SDAC-Ford announces Raya promotion

                KUALA LUMPUR: Sime Darby Auto Connexion (SDAC), the sole distributor of Ford in Malaysia, is offering a nationwide service promotion to help customers stay safe and stress-free while travelling during the upcoming Hari Raya festivities.

Valid from now until 30 June 2018, the Ford Raya Service campaign includes a free 27-point vehicle inspection by Ford-certified technicians, who are on hand to ensure that vehicles are in roadworthy condition before customers head back to their hometowns for the celebrations or embark on road trips during the holiday.

Discounts of up to 20 percent on engine oil and selected parts are also being offered, and only original equipment manufacturer (OEM) parts are used, providing greater assurance of quality and peace of mind for the customers.

Additionally, customers can enjoy savings of up to 10 percent on labour for lubricant, brake and timing belt packages.

During this promotional period, customers who spend more than RM350 on a single receipt at any authorised Ford dealer will receive a free gift and all walk-in customers will receive free Raya packets, while stocks last.

Customers can book their service appointments online via the official SDAC-Ford website: www.sdacford.com.my.

Alternatively, customers can call their nearest service centre to make an appointment by accessing the ‘locate a dealer’ tab on the website for more information about their preferred locations and relevant contact information.

“At SDAC, we take road safety seriously as a key aspect of our business. Through our Raya service and maintenance packages, customers can rest assured that their vehicles will be in the best condition for a safe journey home,” said Syed Ahmad Muzri Syed Faiz, managing director, Sime Darby Auto Connexion.

“I wish all Muslims ‘Selamat Berpuasa’ and would like to take this opportunity to urge all Malaysians to remain vigilant on the road and practice safe, defensive driving habits at all times, including during their balik kampung journey for the celebrations,” he added.

To engage and connect more effectively with customers online, SDAC’s multilingual website (www.sdacford.com.my) now features a chatbot that offers support in Bahasa Malaysia and Simplified Chinese besides English.

It is the first automotive website in Malaysia offering a multiple language chatbot for a better and more seamless customer experience.


Odd steering wheel and controls trip up Tesla, rivals, says Consumer Reports

                DETROIT: Automakers are adopting new technology and designs for vehicle controls faster than ever, but that does not always make consumers happy, according to a new ranking of automotive brands by Consumer Reports.

Tesla Inc's new "yoke" steering wheel installed in Model S sedans and Model X sport utility vehicles is so difficult to use that it dropped the most valuable automaker's position in the Consumer Reports annual car brand rankings by seven spots to 23rd place - below average, the independent testing organization said on Thursday.

"It makes driving these vehicles frustrating all the time," said Jake Fisher, senior director of automotive testing for Consumer Reports.

The more conventional Tesla Model 3 is ranked as "average" by Consumer Reports.

Overall, Fisher said, “reliability has to do with the frequency of unrolling new technology. The brands at the top tend to very methodically roll out new technology."

Japan's Subaru Corp was No. 1 in the latest Consumer Reports ranking - a brand known for efficient all-wheel drive systems and safety-oriented marketing but not for pushing technology to the edge.

Other mainstream brands including Honda, Toyota, Hyundai and Ford earned above-average scores on the brand ranking.

"There isn't much daylight between mainstream brands and luxury brands," Fisher said.

"These luxury automakers try to differentiate themselves" with new designs for controls or complex dashboard displays, Fisher said.

"They make the driving experience more stressful."


Goodyear unveils demo tyre produced with 90% sustainable materials

                KUALA LUMPUR: The Goodyear Tire & Rubber Company has unveiled a demonstration tyre that is made from 90% sustainable materials.

This demonstration tyre has passed all applicable regulatory testing as well as Goodyear’s internal testing.

The demonstration tyre also tested to have lower rolling resistance when compared to the reference tyre, made with traditional materials.

Lower rolling resistance means this demonstration tyre has the potential to offer better fuel savings and carbon footprint reduction.

In addition, after announcing the capability to demonstrate a 70% sustainable-material tyre in January last year, Goodyear, working with its supply base, plans to sell a tyre with up to 70% sustainable-material content this year.

Goodyear senior vice-president and chief technolgy officer Chris Helsel said the American tyre maker would continue to make progress toward its goal of introducing the first 100% sustainable-material tyre in the industry by 2030.

“The past year was a pivotal one toward achieving this goal. We researched new technologies, identified opportunities for further collaboration and utilised our team’s tenacity to not only demonstrate our capabilities to produce a 90% sustainable-material tyre, but to also produce a tyre with up to 70% sustainable-material content this year,” said Helsel.

The 90% Sustainable-material Demonstration Tyre - 17 Ingredients Across 12 Different Tyre Components

This 90% sustainable-material demonstration tyre includes 17 featured ingredients across 12 different components, including:

> Carbon black, which is included in tyres for compound reinforcement and to help increase their life. Goodyear’s 90% sustainable-material demonstration tyre features four different types of carbon black that are produced from methane, carbon dioxide, plant-based oil and end-of-life tyre pyrolysis oil feedstocks. These carbon black technologies target reduced carbon emissions, circularity and the use of bio-based carbons, while still delivering on performance.

> The use of soybean oil in this demonstration tyre helps keep the tyre’s rubber compound pliable in changing temperatures. Soybean oil is a bio-based resource that helps to reduce Goodyear’s use of petroleum-based products.

> Silica is an ingredient often used in tyres to help improve grip and reduce fuel consumption. This demonstration tyre includes a high-quality silica produced from rice husk waste residue (RHA silica), a byproduct of rice processing that is often discarded and put into landfills.

> Polyester is recycled from post-consumer bottles by reverting the polyester into base chemicals and reforming them into technical grade polyester used in tyre cords.

> Resins are used to help improve and enhance tyre traction performance. In this demonstration tyre, traditional petroleum-based resins are replaced with bio-renewable pine tree resins.

> Bead wire and steel cords provide reinforcement in the structure of a radial tyre and those on the demonstration tyre are made from steel with high-recycled content, which is produced using the electric arc furnace (EAF) process. The utilisation of the EAF process allows for steel to be produced with reduced energy use and higher recycled content.

> ISCC certified mass balance polymers from bio- and bio-circular feedstock are also included in this tyre.

The shift to sustainable materials is evident in some of Goodyear’s current product lines.

Today, eight product lines, and some racing tyres, include soybean oil. In addition, Goodyear has more than doubled its use of RHA silica in its product lines since 2018.

With the introduction of a tyre with up to 70% sustainable-material content, Goodyear is demonstrating tangible commitment with in-market solutions to building a better future.


Honda NSX arrives in Singapore

                SINGAPORE: The Honda NSX hybrid supercar was launched in Singapore today, making it the sole country in South-East Asia to do so.

The world’s first all-aluminium exotic car has a base price of S$888,999 (or RM2.7mil before COE) and is available in a choice of eight colours: Berlina Black, Source Silver Metallic, Casino White Pearl, 130R White, Nouvelle Blue Pearl, Nord Gray Metallic, Valencia Red Pearl and Curva Red. The two-seater NSX comes with a 5-year unlimited mileage and 10 years hybrid battery warranty offered by Kah Motor.

The car was unveiled by Formula 1 race driver Fernando Alonso from McLaren-Honda, together with Ted Klaus, NSX global development leader from Honda R&D Americas, Inc.

The NSX produces a combined peak output of 576hp and reaches speeds exceeding 300kph. Each NSX is guaranteed to be “track-ready” the moment it rolls off the assembly line at its Ohio factory in the United States. It is marketed in North America as the Acura NSX.

The car is designed based on a "total airflow management" concept to achieve superior levels of downforce, minimise drag and enhance grip, stability and balance.

The Sport Hybrid SH-AWD power unit consists of a twin-turbocharged mid-mounted V6 engine paired with an all-new 9-speed dual clutch transmission (9DCT) and Direct Drive Motor that supplements the engine with instant torque response.

 The NSX features an all-new power unit from a clean sheet design with a longitudinally-mounted twin-turbo V6 engine mated to an all-new 9-speed DCT.

The Direct Drive Motor also operates as a generator, maintaining the state of charge of the hybrid batteries to consistently support driver demands. These systems, which comprise the rear power unit, are supplemented by the capabilities of the front-mounted Twin Motor Unit (TMU). Containing two electric motors that independently drive the left and right front wheels, the TMU provides “active AWD,” increasing forward acceleration and continuously varying torque—both positive and negative—supplied to the front wheels.

The NSX Integrated Dynamics System features four selectable dynamic modes—Quiet, Sport, Sport+ and Track—integrating all of the vehicle’s dynamic systems: steering, brakes, throttle, Vehicle Stability Assist, dampers and Sport Hybrid SH-AWD control systems, as well as providing a customizable auditory experience via new Intake Sound Control and Active Exhaust Valve technologies.

It features LED headlights, LED daytime running lights and LED taillights. The NSX is expected to achieve fuel economy of 10l/100km and a CO2 output of 228g/km.

The first production model of the NSX was sold at auction in the US earlier this year, fetching almost 10 times its book price at a cool US$1.2mil (around RM5mil).

The car featuring the coveted #001 VIN number was bought by Rick Hendrick, owner of the Hendrick Motorsports NASCAR team, with every dollar raised donated to charity.


Saint Laurent Vespa on show in Paris concept store Colette

                PARIS: A Vespa scooter revisited by fashion house Yves Saint Laurent can currently be admired on the first floor of the Colette concept store here. It's on show until Dec 20, when the famous Parisian store closes its doors for good.

This collectors' model is a Vespa Primavera 125 with a matte all-black finish, designed by Anthony Vaccarello, the current creative director of the Yves Saint Laurent fashion house. Everything on the scooter is black, from the mirrors to the passenger grab handle. The wheel rims and muffler guard are finished in glossy black.

This scooter is only being produced on demand in a limited quality. It can be ordered only at Collette.

Yves Saint Laurent has taken over the first floor of the famous Parisian boutique with a whole range of collectors' items, including the Vespa.


VW forms unit dedicated to autonomous driving tech

                WOLFSBURG: Volkswagen announced on Monday the establishment of Volkswagen Autonomy GmbH, a new subsidiary dedicated to developing autonomous driving technology.

Its goal is to accelerate the development of autonomous driving technology at Level 4 and onwards.

Two centres for research would be set up — one in Munich and the other here. A third Volkswagen Autonomy GmbH subsidiary is expected to launch in Silicon Valley next year, and a fourth will be established in China in 2021.

The goal of this division is to bring VW's self-driving system up to market maturity.

To do so, the company announced that it will be cooperating more with Ford and Argo AI — a leader in autonomous vehicle technologies. To begin with, the subsidiaries will focus on people in urban areas and their respective transportation needs which can be addressed with commercial vehicles like "robo" taxis and vans.

According to company senior VP Alexander Hitzinger, the company has plans to begin "commercialising autonomous driving at a large scale around the middle of the next decade."


Nippon Steel sues Toyota, Baoshan for patent infringement

A production line of Nippon Steel & Sumitomo Metal Corp.'s Kimitsu steel plant is pictured in Kimitsu, Chiba Prefecture. — Reuters
TOKYO: Japan's biggest steelmaker Nippon Steel Corp said today it had filed patent infringement lawsuits against Toyota Motor Corp and China's Baoshan Iron & Steel Co Ltd (Baosteel) with a Tokyo district court.

Nippon Steel is seeking 20 billion yen ($176 million) in damages from each company, alleging the two firms have infringed on its patents on non-oriented magnetic steel sheets that are used in electric vehicles, it said in a statement.

Toyota said in a statement to Reuters the suit was "very regrettable" and that it had found no patent infringement issues before it signed a supply deal with the steelmaker.

A Baosteel spokesman had no immediate comment.

In a rare lawsuit against its key customer, Nippon Steel has also filed a petition for a preliminary injunction stopping Toyota from manufacturing and selling motor-driven vehicles that use the electrical steel sheets allegedly violating its patents.

"The electrical steel sheets are indispensable materials for automobile electrification and are one of our key products aimed at helping decarbonisation for cars, electrical products and power plants" a Nippon Steel spokesman said.

The world's fifth biggest steelmaker by output has decided to take legal action as it could not reach a resolution through discussions with both companies, it said.

This is the first time Nippon Steel has filed a patent infringement lawsuit against Toyota, the spokesman added.

The steelmaker declined to give further details, including the names of the Toyota products and the size of their sales.


Dubai tops New York, London for cars per person

                DUBAI: The number of vehicles in Dubai has doubled over the past eight years giving the Gulf emirate more cars per person than New York or London, official figures showed Monday.

The bustling city state now has 1.4 million vehicles for a population of 2.4 million, equivalent to 540 for every 1,000 people, according to the Roads and Transport Authority figures.

That compares with 305 vehicles per 1,000 people for New York and 213 per 1,000 for London.

The number of registered vehicles has risen from just 740,000 in 2006, an average annual increase of 8.2 percent.

If that trend continues, the number of vehicles registered could reach 2.2 million by 2020, when the emirate is due to host the five-yearly world trade fair, Expo.

Dubai has invested heavily in public transport infrastructure in recent years, opening a metro rail network in 2009 and the first phase of a tram network last year.

But car remains king and, despite massive road expansion projects, traffic jams are frequent.


SsangYong to reveal bigger Tivoli, show off SIV-2 midsize SUV

SEOUL: SsangYong will launch an extended version of the Tivoli at Geneva to provide even more carrying capacity and practicality. The Tivoli XLV was shown as the XLV Air concept at the IAA motor show in Frankfurt last year, and following favourable feedback the company has decided put the car into production.

Sharing the same platform and 2,600mm wheelbase as the Tivoli, the XLV features a lengthened body from behind the C pillar, an increase of 235mm over the standard car, expanding the load capacity to a huge 720 cubic litres of space.

The styling cues that distinguish Tivoli are retained, including its harmoniously fused SUV body design, sports coupé look and floating roofline.

Designed to offer a multi-role, multi-function solution to a wide range of customers, Tivoli XLV will be offered with a choice of a Euro 6 compliant 1.6 litre petrol or 1.6 litre diesel engine, and matched with the option of a 6-speed manual transmission or 6-speed Aisin automatic, two-wheel drive or four wheel drive.

 The SIV-2 concept.

SsangYong will also showcase its SIV-2 (Smart Interface Vehicle) midsize premium SUV concept at the show.

As the next iteration on from the SIV-1 concept which was shown at Geneva in 2013, this takes a step further under the design concept of ‘Dynamic Motion’.

Based on SsangYong’s development theme of ‘Robust, Specialty, Premium’, this new concept pursues the emotional interface between the driver and car, and will evolve to become a key strategic model within the SsangYong range.

The SIV-2 is a mild hybrid, powered by a 1.5 litre direct injection turbocharged petrol engine combined with a 10kW electric motor-generator and a 500Wh lithium ion battery. This creates a 48V mild hybrid system which offers quiet and efficient driving, reduced CO2 emissions and silent running when idling and at slow speeds.

This eco-friendly concept features a lightweight body, a low centre of gravity and a chassis and suspension system that can be further developed to create alternative models with high efficiency powertrains such as HEV, PHEV and EV to future proof the SsangYong brand.


VW's new T7 Multivan is a people-carrying hybrid Golf

                FRANKFURT: No, it's not a new model of human-hunting Terminator: The T7 is the latest from long line of people carriers from Volkswagen that has its origins in the flower-power hippie camper vans of the 1960s.

An old-school favourite from the VW range that even makes the Golf look like a fresh new car, the Multivan is getting ready to enter into its seventh generation.

With the new generation, the Multivan is switching to VW's so-called Modular Transverse Toolkit (MQB) platform, essentially making it a more spacious offshoot of the Golf. This also brings significant advances in electronics and the drive system, VW promises.

There are now digital instruments and online entertainment including extensive touch controls and an assistant that can drive the van largely autonomously in traffic jams.

Things are also changing under the bonnet, and for the first time VW's Multivan is available as a plug-in hybrid, running with a 1.5-litre petrol engine and an electric motor with a dual-clutch gearbox and 13-kWh battery — standard for all variants.

This should be enough for a purely electric drive of almost 50km. VW gives the system output as 218hp. VW has not yet specified the fuel consumption.

In addition, two petrol engines with 136hp and 204hp will be available. A diesel with 150hp will follow a few months later.

All engines are supposed to be much more frugal and consume up to 1 litre less than in the predecessor — also because VW has dramatically reduced air resistance.

At the same time, the new edition of the Multivan is even bigger and is offered as a long version of 5.17m or a short version of 4.97m, while the wheelbase grows by 12cm to 3.12m. The width is increased by almost 4cm, but thanks to slimmer mirrors it takes up less space when parking.

And although the width and height have shrunk, the interior offers more space for passengers and luggage. VW puts boot volume at 469l to 4,053l.

In addition, the Multivan is more variable than ever: the individual seats are 25 per cent lighter and can therefore be removed or turned around more easily.

The folding table in the middle can also be moved along the entire longitudinal axis of the vehicle and used as a table or centre tray, VW says.

The T7 is launching at around €45,000 (RM225,000) in its home market from mid-2021 onwards and is set to go on sale at the turn of the year, VW says.

In the second half of 2022, the old T6.1 and the new Multivan will also be joined by the fully electric ID Buzz. The transporter version T6.1 and the camper California will continue to be built on the old basis.


155cc Yamaha NMax scooter priced at RM8,813

                PETALING JAYA: Hong Leong Yamaha Motor Sdn Bhd has announced that the nett sales price of the Yamaha NMax will be at RM8,812.84 with GST.

The 155cc scooter will be available at all dealers by April. This brings a great value proposition to those looking for a small scooter, given that the 149cc Honda PCX costs RM11,340.94 with GST.

The NMax pips the PCX on several counts, at least on paper.

Firstly, the Nmax pumps out 11.1kW at 8,000rpm, compared to 9.34kW at 8,500rpm for the latter. Maximum torque for the NMax is 14.4Nm, which comes in at 6,000rpm versus the PCX’s 13Nm at 5,500rpm.

Whether this will translate into superior on-road performance is still debatable, given the NMax is 5kg heavier than the PCX (131kg). We will do a comparo as soon as we can get our hands on the NMax.

For those looking for a larger scooter, good news comes in the form of the J300, Kawasaki's latest offering to Malaysia. The 299cc scooter is now at your neighbourhood retailer, selling for RM31,489 with GST. Colour option is either black or white.

 The J300.


Mercedes previews new A35 ahead of Paris debut

                STUTTGART: The new Mercedes-Benz A-Class has already proved to be a big hit with everyone who has come across it, but now things are getting even more serious as Mercedes previews the first of the hot versions ahead of a debut at the Paris Motor Show next month.

Arriving on the market ahead of the full-blown performance beast A45, the A35 will give buyers a taste of genuine AMG engineering at a very reasonable price point in a car that's already highly acclaimed.

The A35 should arrive early in the New Year and will be a rival in terms of pricing and performance to the BMW M140i and the Volkswagen Golf R.

This new Mercedes has already been seen in its ubiquitous black and white camouflage undergoing testing at the Nurburgring, but now we're starting to get teaser images showing a very small amount of what it's like without the wraps.

The A35 will be a five-door A-Class designed to undercut the price of the full-fat next-generation A45, making it the most affordable AMG model available at an expected price of around €39,000 (RM188,000).

Under the bonnet will be a detuned version of the turbocharged M260 four-cylinder engine from the A45, which itself is an evolution of the M270 in the recently introduced new-generation A-Class.

The cylinder bore and stroke of the engine won't change from the unit in the regular A-Class, but will instead have different pistons and bespoke software to make it a bit more powerful than the Golf R that develops 296bhp.

The predicted 0-100kph benchmark for the A45 should be just a little below four seconds, which makes us believe the A35 will come in at 4.5 seconds. That would make it as quick from a standing start as the Golf R, which itself is as fast as a number of genuine sports cars, such as the Porsche 718 Cayman S.

From what's been seen of the test cars in their camouflage it seems visual differences between the A35 and A45 will be small.

However, one tell-tale sign of which car you are seeing disappearing into the distance in front of you will be the tailpipes. The A45 will have a quad-exhaust setup while the A35 will be rocking twin pipes.


Auto Bavaria recognised as BMW dealership par excellence for 10th consecutive year

                KUALA LUMPUR: Auto Bavaria, the longest-serving and largest BMW authorised dealership group in Malaysia, has once again been recognised for its commitment to delivering exceptional customer experience.

Auto Bavaria won the Diamond award for its customer loyalty programme, BMW Excellence Club, at the BMW Dealer Awards Night 2020, for the tenth consecutive year since 2010.

The annual BMW Dealer Awards Night aims to recognise top performing BMW dealerships in its network in Malaysia across all key areas of the business, focusing on sales and after sales, service operation excellence, as well as contribution to business performance.

It was a memorable evening for employees of Auto Bavaria, taking home a total of 32 awards in seven categories despite it being a year fraught with challenges.

Auto Bavaria managing director Vi Thim Juan, said the company was truly honoured to be recognised with the Diamond award for the BMW Excellence Club for 10 consecutive years.

"It is a testament to our resilience and our strong commitment to delivering exceptional customer experience despite the challenges faced by the automotive industry throughout 2020.

"Growing from strength to strength since our establishment in 1988, this award is a result of the hard work, passion and dedication and our people.

"Apart from acknowledging our outstanding business performance, it reflects our steadfast commitment to the BMW brand promise of delivering service excellence beyond the point of purchase. We look forward to celebrating many more wins, to pushing more boundaries and continuing our commitment to excellence in years to come,” Vi said.

 BMW Group Malaysia managing director Hans de Visser (right) presenting an award to Dealer Principal for Auto Bavaria Ara Damansara Joe Lee Se Juan.Awards Received by Auto Bavaria during BMW Dealer Awards Night 2020

1. BMW Excellence Club Award 2020
- Diamond Category
> Joe Lee Se Juan, Auto Bavaria Ara Damansara (1st Place)
> Muhd Azrul Azman, Auto Bavaria Sungai Besi (2nd Place)
> Choong Chin Seong, Auto Bavaria Kuala Lumpur (3rd Place)

- Platinum Category
> Wong Loke Win, Auto Bavaria Penang (1st Place)
> Danny Boey, Auto Bavaria Johor Bahru (3rd Place)

2. BMW Vision Club Award 2020
> Muhd Azrul Azman, Auto Bavaria Ara Damansara, Diamond Category for Head of Sales
> Mandy Tang, Auto Bavaria Sungai Besi, Diamond Category for Head of Sales
> Wong Kim Kooi, Auto Bavaria Penang, Platinum Category for Head of Sales
> Chua Kok Sing, Auto Bavaria Ara Damansara, Diamond category for Sales Advisor
> Chong Kean Tuck, Auto Bavaria Ara Damansara, Diamond category for Sales Advisor
> Ros Faizan Mohd Yusof, Auto Bavaria Ara Damansara, Diamond category for Sales Advisor

3. BMW Financial Services Highest Penetration for MINI Financial Services Award (Platinum Category)
> Choong Chin Seong, Auto Bavaria Kuala Lumpur

4. BMW Financial Services - Top Sales Advisor for BMW Easy Drive 2020
> Diamond Category: Chea Ying Ying, Auto Bavaria Kuala Lumpur
> Platinum Category: Wong Yoke Leng, Auto Bavaria Sungai Besi

5. MINI Issigonis Club Awards 2020
> Joe Lee Se Juan, Auto Bavaria Ara Damansara, JCW Category for MINI Top Dealership
> Choong Chin Seong, Auto Bavaria Kuala Lumpur, Cooper S Category for MINI Top Dealership
> Victor Tan Wei Teck, Auto Bavaria Ara Damansara, MINI Top Sales Manager JCW
> Belinda Ong Gaik Choo, Auto Bavaria Ara Damansara, JCW Category for MINI Top Sales Advisor
> Lee Sok Yee, Auto Bavaria Ara Damansara, JCW Category for MINI Top Sales Advisor
> Wong Ann Mee, Auto Bavaria Kuala Lumpur, Cooper S Category for MINI Top Sales Advisor
> Stephy Chan Wai Yee, Auto Bavaria Kuala Lumpur, Cooper S Category for MINI Top Sales Advisor
> Cally Chan Li Beng, Auto Bavaria Penang, Cooper Category for MINI Top Sales Advisor

6. BMW Motorrad Dealer Award 2020
> Gary Saw Kooi Hong, Auto Bavaria Penang, Sales Advisor Category
> Muthuramu Suppiah, Auto Bavaria Ara Damansara, Motorrad Aftersales Manager
> Tee Kean Chu, Auto Bavaria Penang, Motorrad Service Advisors
> Choe Kah Hoe, Auto Bavaria Penang, Motorrad Tehnician

7. BMW Aftersales Dealer Award 2020
> Antony David, Auto Bavaria Ara Damansara, Head of Aftersales
> Mohd Azlan Aladin, Auto Bavaria Penang, Head of Aftersales
> Fun Meng Chiang, Auto Bavaria Kuala Lumpur, Head of Parts Department
> Chuah Teong Lieh, Auto Bavaria Ara Damansara, Technical Category
> Balamurali A/L Kreshenan, Auto Bavaria Tebrau, Technical Category
> Kamarolzaman, Auto Bavaria Kuala Lumpur, Technical Category


2016 Beijing Auto Show: LeSEE electric vehicle debuts

                BEIJING: Chinese global technology company LeEco unveiled its autonomous LeSEE electric vehicle (EV) concept car at the Beijing Auto Show 2016.

LeEco founder and CEO Yueting Jia said, "At LeEco, we are realizing our vision of one ecosystem to provide a seamless, premium connected experience across all of our next-generation devices.”

LeEco will be partnering with Faraday Future to fund a an autonomous driving research center in Silicon Valley.


Toyota joins Grab's US$2.5bil fund raising, unveils tie-up

A Grab driver. — Image from Grab
TOKYO/SINGAPORE: Toyota Motor Corp’s trading arm became the latest participant in ride-hailing firm Grab’s current financing round that is expected to raise US$2.5bil (RM10.7bil), led by Chinese peer Didi Chuxing and Japan’s SoftBank Group Corp.

Toyota Tsusho Corp, in which Toyota is the biggest stakeholder, has invested an undisclosed sum in Grab, the companies said in separate statements today.

The investment is the latest in a Southeast Asian startup as major companies seek growth in the region’s huge developing economies with young, tech-savvy demographics.

Toyota said it would install its driving recorder devices in vehicles operated by Grab, as the automaker expands further into new driving services.

Under a pilot programme, Toyota will have its TransLog device installed in 100 rental cars operated by Singapore-based Grab, enabling the companies to analyse driving patterns as well as offer improved access to connected car services.

Didi and SoftBank are already investors in Grab and other ride-hailing services globally. In July, Grab said the pair would add US$2bil and that US$500mil (RM2.1bil) would come from others, making the fund-raising Southeast Asia’s biggest-ever single round of financing.

A person close to Grab has said the US$2.5bil fund raising would value the company at US$6bil (RM25.6mil).

Grab operates private car, motorcycle, taxi and carpooling services across seven countries with 1.2 million drivers.

It said it has a market share of 95 percent in third-party taxi-hailing and 72 percent in private-vehicle hailing in Southeast Asia.

But its share could be under threat as San Francisco-based Uber, the world’s largest ride-hailing service, is expected to increase its focus on the region after it folded its China business into Didi last year.

The ride-hailing sector is currently dominated by technology firms, but automakers such as Toyota, Volkswagen, and General Motors have been investing in tie-ups with these service providers to hedge against the shift in the vehicle market away from private ownership.

Toyota has already tied up with Uber, providing flexible vehicle leasing terms for Uber drivers, while the two also plan to share research and development efforts. This agreement also includes an undisclosed investment in Uber.


US regulators to rate new auto tech, but Europe leads in safety testing

                WASHINGTON: Autopilot, Super Cruise and Drive Pilot are different names given to technology that automates steering and braking in a growing number of vehicles, but none of it can safely “pilot” cars without regular human intervention.

These systems and the potential for consumers to misunderstand and misuse them are putting pressure on regulators everywhere to overhaul safety testing and consumer rating systems that have not kept up with the pace of deployment of new semi-automated driving technology.

That may be especially true in the United States, where the National Transportation Safety Board chided regulators this week for lagging their European counterparts in efforts to ensure consumer and road safety.

The acting head of the US vehicle safety regulator said on Wednesday that his agency would make changes this year to a testing program that assigns safety grades to new and future vehicles.

“We’re raising the bar for safety technologies in our new vehicles,” said acting National Highway Traffic Safety Administration chief James Owens.

NHTSA in December 2015 issued proposed rulemaking for testing procedures that would be similar to more comprehensive testing done by European regulators.

No rules have been put forward since then, however, and Owens’ comments came a day after the NTSB sharply criticised NHTSA for its hands off approach to overseeing semi-automated driving technology.

The NTSB, an independent US government agency, also compared NHTSA’s testing and ratings unfavourably to consumer safety systems put in place by European agencies.

Surveys have shown that consumers overestimate the capabilities of semi-automated systems, as automakers race to deliver on the promise of truly driverless cars.

Safety advocates also criticise manufacturers for using misleading terms to market those systems, including Autopilot, Pro Pilot Assist and Traffic Jam Pilot.

European regulators have been expanding their rules and ratings to evaluate new technology such as automatic braking and lane-keeping, while US regulators have done little to change their traditional “five star” crash test grading system.

European safety ratings assess all advanced driver assistance systems (ADAS) currently available and regulators have passed some laws on the technology.

In 2018, European Union regulators required the installation of acoustic and visual warning signals for lane-keeping systems every 15 seconds if drivers take their hands off the wheel.

As a result, Tesla had to issue a software update to its Autopilot system in the EU.

A regulatory body is currently working on rules for more advanced hands-off systems that can control braking, acceleration and lane changes at speeds of up to 60kph.

Under draft EU rules, carmakers among other things need to show how the system safely hands control back to the driver, how the car monitors the road and how it reacts in emergency situations.

Pressure on automakers in Europe also comes from non-binding performance ratings by Europe’s New Car Assessment Program, known in the industry as Euro NCAP.

Euro NCAP began rating automatic braking systems in 2014. It is testing the performance of advanced cruise control, lane-centering systems and blind spot detection since 2018 and beginning in May will also grade how well a car’s system is keeping the driver engaged.

The group is a non-governmental body but funded by some EU countries and also receives money from national motor clubs and insurers. Matthew Avery, a Euro NCAP board member, said the group was sharing testing methods with NHTSA and the NTSB on a regular basis.

As regulation moves slowly, Euro NCAP plays a crucial role in holding carmakers accountable, Avery said.

“The manufacturers initially scream blue murder and say our targets are impossible to achieve, but then one of them does it and everyone follows,” he said.

Carmakers in the United States are allowed to self-certify that their vehicles comply with existing rules, said University of South Carolina law professor Bryant Walker Smith, who focuses on automated driving. But there are currently no rules for ADAS.

NHTSA also publishes an annual New Car Assessment Program (NCAP), which evaluates the crashworthiness of a vehicle and outlines what semi-automated features a car comes with. But the agency does not assess the safety of those systems despite nearly all modern cars being equipped with some features like automatic emergency braking.


Tesla to update battery software following car fires

                SAN FRANCISCO: Tesla Inc will update its battery software after two recent fires involving its Model S electric vehicles (EV) in Shanghai and Hong Kong, the U.S. automaker said on Thursday, adding that investigations into the incidents are ongoing.

“As we continue our investigation of the root cause, out of an abundance of caution, we are revising charge and thermal management settings on Model S and Model X vehicles via an over-the-air software update that will begin rolling out today, to help further protect the battery and improve battery longevity.” Tesla said in a statement on Wednesday.

On Tuesday, Hong Kong’s Apple Daily newspaper reported that a Tesla car caught fire in a shopping mall parking lot 30 minutes after being parked.

Tesla said its investigation with authorities into that incident so far found only a few of the car’s battery modules affected and that the majority of the battery pack was undamaged.

The Hong Kong incident came three weeks after Tesla said it had sent a team to investigate a video on Chinese social media that showed a parked Tesla Model S car exploding in the commercial hub of Shanghai.

There have been at least 14 instances of Tesla cars catching fire since 2013, most of them following a crash.


Renault announces EV partnership with Dongfeng

                PARIS: The French automotive firm is to start building a mid-sized all-electric sedan for the Chinese market in partnership with Dongfeng.

Based on the Fluence Z.E. the new car, a joint venture between Renault's RandD arm and domestic automotive firm, Dongfeng, will start rolling off the production line in 2017.

A prototype has already been built and the new car will be aimed directly at the emerging green Chinese consumer base.

It will be branded as a Dongfeng rather than a Renault model but is the first of a number of all-electric cars that Renault has planned for the country.


Renault faces more cuts, CEO calls for ‘Renaulution’

                PARIS: Renault may have to cut more costs than initially planned to get out of the red zone and its cash-flow projections are alarming, the French carmaker’s new chief executive said in an internal memo seen by Reuters.

Luca de Meo, a former Volkswagen executive who took over as CEO in July, wrote in the memo to unions and staff that generating cash and restoring profitability was an immediate priority.

“The aim is to get back on the right track and to resolve our most pressing problems as quickly as possible: treasury and costs. This means we will perhaps need to go further than planned with our cost-cutting efforts,” he said.

Renault acknowledged in May that its global ambitions had been unrealistic and announced plans to cut about 15,000 jobs, shrink production and restructure French plants in a bid to save 2 billion euros.

De Meo did not give a figure in his memo for how much more money the company may need to save.

Asked to comment on the memo, a Renault spokesman said De Meo was working on a plan to transform the company by focusing more on profitability than sales volumes.

Renault, like its Japanese alliance partner Nissan, is rowing back on an aggressive expansion plan pursued by Carlos Ghosn, its former boss-turned-fugitive.

The pair were among the weakest global automakers going into the Covid-19 crisis, lacking a clear plan for using their alliance to emerge from the slump and share the burden of investing in electric vehicles and other technology.

‘Red zone’

De Meo said Renault was in a “red zone” as the pandemic had exacerbated existing problems, including a decline in earnings since 2018, its ability to generate cash, falling sales and new models that were not profitable enough.

“Our cash-flow projections are alarming. More than ever, we must redouble our efforts to reach sustainable profitability, and generate cash flow,” he said.

De Meo said that Renault should model itself on the turnaround path followed by French rival PSA, the maker of Peugeot cars, which has focused on trimming costs and producing more profitable vehicle ranges in recent years.

“In the next five years, we are going to do what PSA has done in the past five years,” he said.

De Meo also said Renault’s brand had been diluted so it would need to cut back on the number of products within different ranges by about 30% and could also raise prices for its small passenger cars, or C-segment, by 25% to 30%.

The CEO called on staff to get behind his turnaround plan. Renault union members already staged sporadic strikes when the earlier round of cost-cutting was announced in May.

“We will need to take decisions that are sometimes difficult, but are necessary and positive for the company. I would describe it as a revolution,” he wrote in the memo.

“This revolution, which must be pushed forward by all the men and women of the company, I’m calling it a ‘Renaulution’.”


As autos go electric, Toyota chases hydrogen dream

                TOKYO: As UN climate conference delegates considered how to save the planet over the weekend in Glasgow, Toyota Motor's chief executive was in Japan racing an experimental hydrogen car - a vehicle he says could preserve millions of auto jobs.

The colourful Toyota Yaris subcompact that Akio Toyoda steered around the Okayama International Circuit in western Japan was powered by a converted Corolla engine running on hydrogen.

Making such a powerplant commercially viable could keep internal combustion engines running in a carbon-free world.

"The enemy is carbon, not internal combustion engines. We shouldn't just focus on one technology but make use of the technologies we already posses," Toyoda said at the track. "Carbon neutrality is not about one having a single choice, but about keeping options open."

Toyota's latest push into hydrogen tech comes as the world's biggest carmaker joins the rush to win a share of the growing market for battery electric vehicles (BEV) as the world tightens emission regulations to meet carbon-cutting pledges.

By 2025, Toyota plans to have 15 EV models available and is investing US$13.5 billion over a decade to expand battery production.

Not only electric

At the gathering in Glasgow, six major carmakers, including General Motors, Ford Motor, Sweden's Volvo and Daimler AG's Mercedes-Benz signed declaration to phase out fossil-fuel cars by 2040.

Toyota declined to join that group, arguing that much of the world is not ready for a shift to EVs. Another notable absence was Germany's Volkswagen.

"We don't want to be seen as an EV maker, but as a carbon-neutral company," said Toyota vice chairman Shigeru Hayakawa.

Hayakawa likened the technological choice facing the auto industry to the late 19th century contest that pitted direct current electricity transmission against alternating current. The stakes are high.

"If the adoption of carbon-free fuels happens quickly, that could bring the first battery EV boom to an end," said Takeshi Miyao, an analyst at auto industry research company Carnorama.

In Japan, where mass layoffs are politically difficult, hydrogen's allure is that it would cause less disruption than a full switch to EVs.

The Japan Automobile Manufacturers Association estimates the automotive industry employs 5.5 million people.

Although Toyota and other car makers are putting resources into building hydrogen fuel cell vehicles (FCV), none have shown the appetite Toyota has for hydrogen engine technology.

Challenging technology

One problem is that the engine is not completely carbon-free and cannot therefore be classed as zero-emission.

Although the byproduct of hydrogen and oxygen combustion is water, a small amount of engine metal burns as well, resulting in about 2% of the emissions of a gasoline engine. The exhaust also contains traces of nitrogen oxide.

There is a carbon cost to building electric car batteries, but EVs do not pollute when operated.

Hydrogen cars also need bulky pressurised tanks for their fuel. Much of the rear seat and trunk in Toyota's hydrogen car was taken up by fuel tanks that blocked the rear window.

Safety concerns meant Toyota engineers had to refuel the vehicle far from the pits where other teams worked on their cars.

Such concerns have also slowed the construction of hydrogen fuelling stations in Japan, despite Japanese government backing for the fuel, which it sees as a key component in the country's future carbon-neutral energy mix.

At the end of August, there were 154 hydrogen stations in Japan - six short of what the government wanted by the end of March.

"Hydrogen has long been known as a potential low-carbon transport fuel, but establishing it in the transport fuel mix has been difficult," the International Energy Agency (IEA) said in a progress report this month.

Even with adequate fuel infrastructure, Toyota still must build a vehicle that can compete in price, range and operating cost with conventional gasoline cars and EVs.

In Okayama, Toyoda declined to say when Toyota might launch a commercial hydrogen-engine car.

"It's good to have a lot of choices. If everything becomes EVs then much of that industry is in China," said Eiji Terasaki, 57, who had travelled to the Okayama circuit from neighbouring Kagawa prefecture to watch the races.


Panasonic needs four more EV battery plants, says executive

Watanabe speaking about his company's strategy at its headquarters in Moriguchi, Osaka prefecture on June 30. — Reuters

OSAKA: The battery arm of Japan's Panasonic will need to build four more factories to reach its target for a sharp boost in annual capacity of batteries for electric vehicles by 2031, says its technology chief.

The comments by Shoichiro Watanabe of Panasonic Energy are the Tesla supplier's first clear indication of the number of additional factories it will need.

They could also fuel expectations of more investment by Japanese companies in the United States, after a deal the two countries struck in March key to widening access for Japanese manufacturers to US electric-vehicle (EV) tax credits.

In May, Panasonic Energy said it aimed to boost annual EV capacity to 200 gigawatt hours (GWh) by early 2031, or about four times its capacity in March this year.

With a plant in Nevada, it is building a second in Kansas that is expected to take annual capacity to 80 GWh once operational, it has said.

"We will need to build around another four factories," Watanabe, the company's chief technology officer, said in an interview at its headquarters in Osaka on Friday.

But he stopped short of mentioning specific locations, time frames or investment sizes.

He signalled an openness to potential joint ventures for EV battery production, with automaker Mazda Motor among others, citing the changing nature of such projects in which investment is no longer shouldered by battery makers alone.

"The style where battery producers will make all investments is disappearing," he said, adding that the 200 GWh capacity was the minimum necessary to be a major player.

North America

Panasonic has said it is focusing on North America to build up capacity for production of 4680 batteries, the newest cells championed by Tesla's chief executive, Elon Musk.

Previously it said it planned to build at least two new factories for 4680 production in North America by 2030. Oklahoma has been seen as a possible site.

The four new plants will need to be supported by about a dozen factories of materials suppliers, Watanabe said, in a battery supply chain built around the principle of "local production for local consumption".

Joint procurement with major customers could also be considered, he said, taking into account tax breaks under the US Inflation Reduction Act and the need to limit the carbon footprint.

Given the size of investment required, makers of materials used in the batteries will also need to make decisions about their plans as early as possible, he said.

Panasonic will not rule out the possibility of a joint battery venture with Mazda as part of a supply partnership the companies are working out, Watanabe said.

Last month, the firms said they would hold talks on setting up a partnership to supply Mazda with cylindrical lithium-ion batteries made in Japan and North America.

They aim to sign off on it this year, and expect to supply batteries after 2025.


Prepare for longer interstate travel ban

                PETALING JAYA: The interstate travel ban is likely to last until Hari Raya Aidilfitri as the Health Ministry has recommended an extension of the conditional and recovery movement control orders.

Health Minister Datuk Seri Dr Adham Baba said the ministry anticipated a need to extend the restrictions beyond the expiry date on Wednesday.

“Based on the current situation in our country and concerns about the existence of a new (South African) Covid-19 variant, we need to strictly implement measures to curb and contain the spread of the virus.

“The Health Ministry is of the view that there is a need to extend the conditional and recovery MCOs that are currently in place, ” he said when contacted yesterday.

During the Hari Raya Aidilfitri season last year, the government had banned interstate balik kampung trips and large-scale open houses due to the ongoing MCO then.

Although he did not elaborate on how much of an MCO extension the ministry would be recommending, he hinted that travel curbs could go beyond Hari Raya Aidilfitri, which is expected to fall on May 13.

“I think the Senior Minister (Datuk Seri Ismail Sabri Yaakob) has already announced that there would be no interstate travel until after Hari Raya Aidilfitri, ” Dr Adham said.

Senior Minister (Security) Datuk Seri Ismail Sabri Yaakob said an announcement will be made tomorrow (April 27) and that the National Security Council will discuss the extension in their meeting.

“We will announce it tomorrow (Apr 27), ” Ismail Sabri said when contacted.

“We make recommendations based on public health actions in preventing the outbreak and controlling the pandemic, ” said Dr Adham.

Previously, Dr Adham had proposed that interstate travel for Hari Raya be postponed because of the worrying level of Covid-19 infections.

When asked if inter-district travel would be allowed, he said that so far, the government was only going with an interstate travel ban except for Sabah and Kelantan, which have already put in place inter-district travel bans.

The conditional MCO in Selangor, Kuala Lumpur, Johor, and Penang, and the recovery MCO in Perlis, Melaka, Pahang, Terengganu, Sabah, Putrajaya, Labuan, Perak, Negri Sembilan and Kedah were initially slated to end on Wednesday.

Kelantan, which has seen a sharp rise in infections, is under the MCO until Thursday.

The MCO is usually implemented for a two-week period, meaning that the next extension could possibly be from April 29 until May 12, which is expected to be the eve of Hari Raya.

Last Friday, Ismail Sabri also said that the interstate travel ban would continue since many Covid-19 cases resulted from such movement.

Currently, the government only allows interstate travel with police permission for employment, medical and educational purposes from Mondays to Thursdays.

Interstate travel from Fridays to Saturdays is allowed with a police permit only in cases of emergencies, marriages or deaths.

Medical Practitioners Coalition Association of Malaysia president Dr Raj Kumar Maharajah said the country should continue to be under the MCO until infectivity rates or the R0 (R-naught) goes below 1.0, where each infected person infects fewer than one new person.

“We have no choice. It’s either the devil or the deep blue sea.

“As much as it is sad that we have to forbid interstate travel during the festivities, we must do it as we don’t want the infection spreading to kampung folk and the elderly, ” he said.

Dr Raj Kumar added that the situation was still unpredictable as the virus continued to mutate, and urged Malaysians to follow standard operating procedures until the country could be sure that vaccinations were reducing the spread.

Malaysian Public Health Physicians’ Association president Datuk Dr Zainal Ariffin Omar recommended that interstate travel be limited according to zones such as northern, east coast and southern.

“Malaysians have been hoping to see their families to celebrate Hari Raya. A total MCO is not needed in every state.

“Inter-district travel ban should also be allowed for certain districts in certain states only, and not every state, ” he said.

Looking at the current upward trend of cases, Dr Zainal Ariffin cautioned that the MCO could last until next year.

“Vaccinating 80% of the population will help but we also need to assess the situation again in the future, ” he said.


Worn-out shocks in your car mean life-saving systems may not work

                MUNICH: A rougher ride and higher risk of a crash is the outcome if you let your car's shocks wear down too much, experts say, as this can interfere with some of the most important safety features in cars.

The problem is: Worn-out old shocks aren't something most drivers will notice, as the change tends to creep in gradually. That's why safety experts call on all drivers to have their car's shocks tested during inspections or trips to the garage.

Worn shock absorbers can impair the workings of electronic assistance systems such as ABS (anti-lock braking system), ASR (anti-slip control) or ESC (electronic stability control), which are tuned to an intact chassis, according to the safety specialists from inpection agency Tüv.

These systems enable a safer grip on the road in as many situations as possible. The electronic stability control (ESC), for example, has been saving lives for years by stabilising vehicles in extreme situations and prevent crashes.

It does this by making sure individual wheels automatically break to prevent the vehicle from over-steering or under-steering. However bad shocks can severely impair the function of driving aids like ESC.

The risk of an accident with bad shocks also increases the more load you're carrying on board, such as when you take luggage with you on a road trip.

The Tüv safety experts advise regular checks because shock absorbers only gradually lose their effectiveness, meaning you're unlikely to notice any sudden changes.

If there's been lots of wear and tear, the car will be less pleasant to drive and will tend to lurch in curves or during evasive manoeuvres. The braking distance is also often longer, while the tyres wear faster and unevenly.


BHPetrol Sg Besi service station has reopened

                KUALA LUMPUR: Boustead Petroleum Marketing has re-opened its Sungai Besi service station (Kuala Lumpur southbound – after Sungai Besi toll plaza).

This is the latest flagship for BHPetrol’s service station, upgraded with a new image and renovated facilities, and open 24 hours.

Its BHPetromart is designed with new format and layout, complete with a cozy cafe for customers.

Customers are also get to enjoy reloads of Touch N Go at no charge, new surau facilities for Muslim travelers and top-class toilets.

Those who are driving back to their hometown or holiday destinations this Chinese New Year, can check out items with special offers at the station.

These include 600ml Arctic Mineral water with every purchase of RM30 petrol, and a local delights combo offer (nasi lemak/curry puff and hot drink) at special promotion price.

There are also free giveaways for mandarin oranges (Feb 12 - 19) and fortune cookies (Feb 12 - 28).


Sam Ke Ting freed from reckless driving conviction linked to 'basikal lajak'

                PUTRAJAYA: The Court of Appeal here has freed clerk Sam Ke Ting from her conviction and sentence in a "basikal lajak" incident six years ago.

In a unanimous decision, a three-judge panel chaired by Justice Hadhariah Syed Ismail allowed Sam's appeal on grounds that the charge was defective.

"In this case, the charge was incorrect, it was defective. The conviction was also incorrect. On this grounds alone, the appeal is allowed," she said here on Tuesday (April 11).

The other judges on the panel were Justices Hashim Hamzah and Azman Abdullah.

Sam's legal battle was a convoluted one as she had been acquitted from her charge under Section 41(1) of the Road Transport Act 198 twice by the same magistrate's court in Johor Baru.

However, a second appeal by the prosecution took her to the High Court where on April 13, 2022, a Johor Baru High Court judge allowed the prosecution’s appeal and convicted Sam of driving recklessly and sentenced her to six years in jail and a RM6,000 fine.

Sam obtained leave from the Court of Appeal on April 18, 2022 to appeal against her conviction and jail sentence.

In today's decision, Justice Hadhariah said a guilty verdict could only follow the finding of fault of the driver.

"That is how the law stands. You cannot simply say that because it is a fatal accident, the driver must have been liable. That is not what the law says," she said.

In her appeal, Sam's lead counsel Datuk Hisyam Teh Poh Teik had argued that there was duplicity in Sam's charge.

The defence submitted that the conviction by the High Court was "unsustainable" as the charge was defective, duplicated and without a prima facie case.

According to the charge sheet, Sam was accused of driving her vehicle recklessly or dangerously until it caused the death of the eight teenagers.

The appellate court said that it did not have to consider the issue of a prima facie case but it did find an element of duplicity, as admitted by the prosecution during its own submissions earlier on Tuesday.

"Section 163 of the Criminal Procedure Code stated that a charge must contain a specific ingredient.

"In this case, as there is duplicity, there are two offences in one charge. Therefore, the prosecution's charge violated Section 163," she said.

Justice Hadhariah also said that the panel disagreed with the prosecution's submission that a duplicity in the charge sheet did not prejudice nor did it caused a miscarriage of justice to the appellant.

The panel also found there was a "confusion" during the prosecution's stage at the magistrate's court level as well as at the High Court level.

Both High Courts had called for Sam's defence on both offences; driving recklessly as well as driving dangerously.

Justice Hadhariah said a defective and duplicated charge such as Sam's was not an irregularity but it was an illegality.

"Even the prosecution could not answer if the conviction was for driving recklessly or driving dangerously.

"The conviction was for an offence that did not exist under the law," she added.

Justice Hadhariah also spoke of the judgment by magistrate Siti Hajar Ali that acquitted Sam twice with high praise.

Calling the magistrate's decision as "wise and comprehensive", Justice Hadhariah said the magistrate had given her maximum evalution from all sides in the case.

"The magistrate's finding was correct. She had said (in her decision) that it was impossible for the accident to be avoided because the dangerous situation was created by the basikal lajak riders.

"In a paragraph in her judgment, the magistrate said the only way to avoid the accident was for the car to fly over them. This was not meant as a joke, but this was the accurate finding as we are not talking about one or two bicycles, we are talking about 30 to 40 bicycles," she said.

Justice Hadhariah then set aside the High Court's decision and acquitted and discharged Sam.

"You are now a free person," she said. The court also ordered for Sam's RM10,000 bail money to be returned to her.

On Oct 28, 2018, the Johor Baru magistrate's court freed Sam without calling for her defence over the charge of reckless driving which caused the death of the teenagers at Jalan Lingkaran Dalam, Johor Baru, Johor at 3.20am on Feb 18, 2017.

The eight teenagers killed in the incident were Mohamad Azrie Danish Zulkefli, 14; Muhamad Shahrul Izzwan Azzuraimie, 14; Muhammad Firdauz Danish Mohd Azhar, 16; Fauzan Halmijan, 13; Mohamad Azhar Amir, 16; Muhammad Harith Iskandar Abdullah, 14; Muhammad Shahrul Nizam Marudin, 14 and Haizad Kasrin, 16.

In 2019, High Court judge Shahnaz Sulaiman allowed the prosecution's appeal and remitted the case back to the magistrate's court for Sam to enter her defence on the reckless driving charge.

Magistrate Siti Hajar Ali, who heard the case in 2019 again, discharged and acquitted Sam at the end of the defence case prompting the prosecution to file the second appeal to the High Court.

On April 13, 2022, High Court judge Abu Bakar Katar allowed the prosecution’s appeal and convicted Sam of driving recklessly and sentenced her to six years in jail and RM6,000 fine.

Sam then filed her appeal.