Honda to recall 200,000 hybrid vehicles made in China

                SHANGHAI: Honda will recall just over 200,000 hybrid vehicles due to issues with brake pedal sensors in some models, China's State Administration for Market Regulation said in a statement today.

A total of 105,608 hybrid vehicles produced between Oct 8, 2018 and Sept 7, 2020 by the Japanese carmaker's venture with Dongfeng Motor Group Co. would be recalled, along with another 95,081 units from Honda's manufacturing partnership with Guangzhou Automobile Group Co. made between Aug 27, 2018 and Aug 6, 2020.

The issue relates to lubricating oil introduced into brake pedal sensors during the manufacturing process, which could cause issues with the sensors over time, and the recall would begin from March 31, 2023, the statement added.


Special edition Ford Ranger XLT Plus priced from RM136,800

                KUALA LUMPUR: Sime Darby Auto Connexion (SDAC), the sole distributor for Ford in Malaysia, has unveiled the official price and availability of a new special edition Ford Ranger XLT Plus.

Priced at RM136,888 on-the-road, without insurance, registration and road tax, for Peninsular Malaysia only, the Ranger XLT Plus Special Edition is now open for booking.

Display units will arrive at all Ford showrooms nationwide from March 10.

 Absolute Black.

However, Ranger fans, truck enthusiasts and members of the public who want to get a first look can head on to the Ground Floor, Centre Court at Queensbay Mall in Penang where one unit of the special edition will be on preview from Feb 24 to 27.

The Ranger XLT Plus Special Edition gets a refreshed exterior for a bold, forward-looking and powerful statement along with a new Ford Block-Letter front grille design, more pronounced fender flares and redesigned sports bars.

 Aluminium Metallic.

Inside, the special edition comes with a free in-built digital video recorder (DVR) that provides a range of functions, including high-definition (HD) recording, wide-angle viewing, night view recording, a built-in polarised filter, Mobile App connect via hotspot and new illuminated front scuff plates with the Ranger logo.

Compatible with both Apple iOS and Android, the DVR also comes with a 32GB memory card, which allows drivers to record their life adventures or as a safety feature.

 Arctic White.

Powering the XLT Plus Special Edition is a 2.0-litre Single-Turbo engine capable of delivering 180PS and 420Nm of torque mated to a 10-speed automatic transmission.

Other features include Easy Lift Tailgate, SYNC® multimedia system with reversing camera, electronic shift-on-the-fly 4x4, Electric Power Assisted Steering (EPAS), Limited Slip Differential, Hill Descent Control, Hill Launch Assist, Antilock Braking System (ABS) with Emergency Brake Assist (EBA) and Electronic Brake Force Distribution (EBD), ISOFIX child seat mounts, Electronic Stability Control with Traction Control, Rollover Mitigation, Trailer Sway Control, Adaptive Load Control and Ford MyKey.

SDAC managing director Turse Zuhair said the Ranger XLT Plus Special Edition is the ideal work-family-play vehicle for a special breed of drivers – men and women who are business owners and entrepreneurs with a burning drive to defy all odds in life, every day.

 Meteor Grey.

“They pursue success with a passion for life and are constantly pushing boundaries. With this new special edition, they can enjoy more exclusivity while celebrating their achievements,” he said.

Available colours are Absolute Black, Aluminium Metallic, Arctic White, Lightning Blue and Meteor Grey.

As with the entire Ranger line-up, it comes with a Ford’s new five-year manufacturer’s warranty or 160,000km, whichever comes first.

Customers who have a purchase enquiry or wish to book the Ranger XLT Plus Special Edition can connect with a Ford Ranger Specialist via WhatsApp Chat or at their preferred Ford showroom.

For details, follow the Ford Malaysia Facebook, Instagram, Twitter and YouTube channel or visit www.sdac-ford.com.my.


Make yourself visible with Volvo Life Paint

                LONDON: Volvo Car UK has launched Life Paint, a product aimed at increasing the visibility and safety of cyclists on the road. The unique reflective spray is designed to react to a car’s headlights, alerting drivers to the presence of cyclists in the dark.

Life Paint was conceived by creative agency Grey London and has been produced in partnership with Swedish start-up Albedo100. It is a reflective safety paint which is invisible by daylight, but in the dark reflects light in the same direction as the light source, shining brightly to illuminate the objects it has been sprayed on.

Life Paint is transparent and can be washed off. It can be applied to clothes, shoes, helmets, pushchairs and children’s backpacks – even dog leads and collars. Its aim is to make the invisible visible at night.

Life Paint has been trialled in six London-based cycle shops, where 2,000 cans were given away free of charge. If Life Paint proves popular, the project will expand nationally and internationally.

The initiative marks another step by Volvo to improve safety for those both inside and outside its cars. This builds on the development of Intellisafe, a state-of-the-art Volvo safety system which integrates some of the most cutting-edge safety technologies to Volvo cars.

The technology uses a combination of radar sensors and cameras to identify other vehicles, pedestrians and cyclists and automatically brake if the driver fails to take the necessary action. This works in conjunction with Volvo’s Active Bending Headlights, which adjust left to right according to the steering input to help see round corners better and improve safety at night.

Intellisafe’s unique pedestrian and cyclist detection system, enhanced to work in darkness on the all-new Volvo XC90 to be introduced to the UK in June this year, was the inspiration for the Life Paint project. Together, these innovations contribute towards Volvo’s Vision 2020 – the concept that that no one should be killed or seriously injured in a new Volvo by 2020.


Journey to BMW's carbon-fibre car plant in Leipzig - VIDEO

 An i8 and i3 on display at the Leipzig plant.

What’s mostly reinforced plastic, powered by electric motor and held together by glue?

Say “i” and aye it is. We are referring to BMW’s i sub-brand,  those cars that are its investment in a future that would bolster its relevance to a mobile public.

CarSifu has visited a number of car plants locally and abroad, and it’s always the same cookie-cutter processes that mark out those cars build for the masses.

 Carbon fibre strands.

Parts, sub-systems and chassis come together in an orchestrated process that’s precise to a fault. They are put together in stages either manually or by robots as they move from one section to the next, sealed against corrosion, spray painted and quality-checked before they are sent along to the stockyard.

Car manufacturing is a volume business and thousands of workers are typically employed. Such operations are also highly automated to speed things up as each car rolls off the factory floor, ready to be shipped to showrooms around the country and in many cases, around the world.

However, BMW’s Leipzig plant is not a run-of-the-mill factory. It’s one of the most modern, innovative and sustainable car factories in the world.

How many car makers can say they are able to mass-produce carbon fibre reinforced plastic (CFRP) parts? None, except BMW.

The Leipzig plant, sandwiched between BMW headquarters Munich in the south and Berlin up north, was opened in 2005 and is the hub where BMW makes its i cars since 2013. At 2.1 million sq m in area, it’s about the size of 300 soccer fields and employs 4,700 workers.

It produces the compact i3 urban EV and the i8, plug-in hybrid sports car. There’s spare capacity to build possibly a mid-range i5 electric sedan or plug-in hybrid. Other than the two i models, the Leipzig plant also produces the BMW 1 Series, 2 Series Coupe and 2 Series Active Tourer.

The i3 is already selling down south in Singapore although BMW Group Malaysia hasn’t announced plans to bring in the i3, as it waits for the government to make the first move. The i3 is also available with a range extender, a small petrol engine that doubles the car’s range to around 300km. The i8, however, is available locally at RM1.12mil.

 Moulded carbon fibre mat.

BMW plants across Germany are opened to the public. At the Leipzig site, visitors pay a small fee to go on a guided tour of the classic production (ie the 1 and 2 Series cars) or the i cars. Visitors are received at the central administrative building, an award-winning landmark created by British-Iraqi architect Zaha Hadid.

CarSifu visited the plant in June in conjunction with the preview of the new MINI Clubman in Berlin and a drive of the BMW X5 plug-in hybrid in Munich.

Prior to the i car tour in our case, we were briefed about the plant operations by its chief, Daniel Schaeffer.

He explained how the i cars were built, with parts coming from different factories across Germany. It sources its carbon fibre from a joint venture plant in Moses Lake, Seattle, in the United States.

 The CFRP side body of an i3 is unbelievably light.

Unlike making conventional cars, the i car production is simplified. i car production is unique in the sense that the metal stamping process for body components and painting stages are eliminated, resulting in a marked reduction in water and energy usage and thereby costs.

The i models are made of a Life module and a Drive module; the Life module being BMW-speak for the passenger cell made of CFRP parts, while the aluminium Drive Module is where the li-ion battery pack, powertrain, chassis and other structural features are found.

Exterior body panels, bonnet and bumpers/fenders are made with what BMW terms “unreinforced” thermoplastic.

Four buildings in the sprawling complex are dedicated to I production. With classroom briefing done, it was time for a walkaround. The body shop is linked to the assembly shop and the tour is conducted along a network of overhead walkways. Two other buildings a few blocks away make respectively the CFRP parts and exterior parts before they are transferred to the body shop and onwards to final assembly.

The visit ended with a look at how BMW makes composite panels.

BMW’s serial production of CFRP is an intriguing process and its technology is, some say, at least five years ahead of any potential rivals.

The CSL coupe was the first BMW to use CFRP on its roof 12 years ago followed by the M3 roof and M6 roof and bumper supports.

Unlike in the past where carbon fibre is woven in a time-consuming and costly manner, BMW's version is made of fibre bundles laid in the same direction per layer and sewn together

No autoclave is used. Instead, resin transfer molding (RTM) presses does the job of binding the mats to resins injected into the mold at high pressure to create the CFRP. The individual CFRP panels are then glued by robots to form the composite body shell or Life module.

BMW has managed to shorten the production of composite panels down to merely 8 minutes compared to hours in the past. Excess mats do not go to waste as they are sent to another plant to be recycled.

Everyone knows carbon fibre reinforced plastic parts are light but just how light they are is eye-opening; you could lift an entire i3 side body panel with one hand. The lightweight Life Module of CFRP offsets the weight penalty of the Li-ion battery stack on the floor of the i3 and i8 and other components. BMW says CFRP weighs half as much as steel and 30% less than aluminium. And the other advantage is it doesn’t rust.

The Life Module is installed with interior fittings after it is mated to the Drive Module. The painted shell is then attached to the car body. At the end of the production lines BMW i Series and classic BMW models meet at the assembly finish.

Schaeffer also emphasised that BMW’s sustainability mantra is not just for public relations but manifested in the plant operations, with four turbines on site to provide all the energy needs for I car production. The turbines churned out an annual power production of around 26 GWh, which supplies 1/5 of the plant’s power needs. Sustainability is also seen in the use of natural fibres, recycled materials or renewable resources in the interior trim.

The Leipzig plant produces 740 cars daily, of which 100 are i3s and 20 are i8s.

 The lithium ion battery pack lies on the floor of the i3.

All that arcane knowledge gleaned from Project i is being shared with the core models, with the upcoming sixth-generation 7 Series featuring carbon fibre reinforcements in the passenger cell.
You can be sure the 7 Series won’t be the last to get the CFRP treatment.

Already there are murmurings that new patents BMW has filed could mean the expansion of CFRP use to its motorcycle chassis in future. We won’t be surprised if it comes to pass.


Thailand approves tax breaks for EVs, 'high potential' foreigners

                BANGKOK: Thailand's cabinet approved on Tuesday tax incentives to promote a shift to electric vehicles (EVs), and to attract "high potential" foreigners to help boost the economy, the finance minister said.

The vehicle tax measures include reducing import duty this year and next by as much as 40% for completely built EVs priced up to 2 million baht (RM259,000), and by 20% for those priced between 2 million and 7 million baht (RM905,000).

The government will cut excise tax on imported EVs to 2% from 8%, which is expected to add 7,000 EVs in the first year, Finance minister Arkhom Termpittayapaisith told a news conference.

Also approved was the slashing of income tax rates sharply from 35% to 17% for skilled foreign professionals in targeted industries or economic zones, under a previously announced plan to draw a million wealthy foreigners, including pensioners.

The EV scheme for 2022-2025 was approved last week as part of a zero-emission vehicle policy and a goal of ensuring 30% of thailand's total auto production are EVs by 2030.

Thailand is a major regional automaker and typically produces about 2 million vehicles per year, for firms that include Toyota, Honda and Mitsubishi .

Eligible car manufacturers will also receive subsidies of between 70,000 baht (RM9,050) and 150,000 baht (RM19,394) for each EV and 18,000 baht (RM2,328) for electric motorcycles, Arkhom said.

"This is to encourage investment and employment. It's necessary, otherwise we won't be able to keep pace as car manufacturers and others will overtake us," Arkhom said.

The plan to lure foreigners deemed high value seeks to add 1 trillion baht (RM130bil) to domestic spending, boost investment by 800 billion baht and increase tax revenue by 270 billion baht over a five-year period.

READ MORE:Pekema proposes way to spur EV growth in MalaysiaMore convenience at Shell-Porsche EV high performance charging stations
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Why you should check your tyre pressure system after a wheel change

                BERLIN: All new cars have tyre-pressure monitoring systems - and cars are fitted with one of two different systems. Whatever your car has, after a wheel change, you're well advised to make sure everything is as it should be.

Once you change the wheels, you'll need to check the tyre-pressure monitoring system (TPMS) is working as it should, according to the safety experts at inspection agency TÜV.

Direct TPMS systems use sensors to monitor pressure and temperature directly in the tyre, and that information is transmitted to a central control unit.

Sometimes maintenance is needed for those sensors, and parts that are subject to lots of wear and tear, such as valve caps, may need to be replaced. And sometimes, the car needs to undergo a relearning process.

Sensors also may outlast their batteries' service life, which is usually around five years - in which case, the sensors should be replaced. A specialist garage should be able to tell you how long the batteries are likely to last.

The other kind of tyre-pressure monitoring system is indirect, and uses wheel speed sensors that are part of driving aids such as antilock braking system (ABS) and electronic stability programme, or ESP.

If your car has this type of system, the TPMS will need to be adjusted after a wheel change. The car owner's manual should contain instructions about how to do this. TPMS systems are mandatory for new cars in many countries.


First images of new Maserati GranCabrio prototype unveiled

                MODENA: Maserati has released initial images of the new GranCabrio prototype as it takes to the streets of Modena for the initial stages of development testing.

The GranTurismo and GranCabrio are the brand’s first cars to adopt a 100% electric solution, with the former already having made its debut earlier this month.

The new models are intended to launch the Folgore electric range by 2030.

Ahead of the launch of the new GranCabrio, expected next year, prototype models are undergoing intensive testing (on the road, on the track and in various usage conditions), aimed at gathering essential data for optimal final tuning.

Like the hardtop version, the GranCabrio is expected to launch with a combustion engine first in the form of a twin-turbocharged 3.0-litre powerplant making up to 550hp/650Nm

The all-electric GranCabrio wil be the Italian carmaker's most potent series convertible as it would be endowed with two motors that collectively reel out 750 horses and 1,350Nm of torque from the get-go.

As the GranCabrio would be heavier than the coupe because of the added weight, its 0-100kph sprint would be a little slower than the 2.7s than that of the GranTurismo. But still very impressive all the same.


Brabus raises the roof and the bar with its latest droptop

                BOTTROP (Germany): All Brabus cars are either fast, powerful or both. But the 850 6.0 Biturbo Cabrio promises to take everything to another level as the fastest four-seat road legal convertible on sale today.

How fast, exactly? Brabus says that the car, based on a Mercedes S 63 Cabriolet can hit 350kph. That's 217mph. That's also faster than an Audi R8, a Bentley Continental GT Speed Convertible, a Porsche 911 Turbo S Cabriolet, a Ferrari 488 Spider, a McLaren 650S Spider and any series production Lamborghini other than an Aventador, which officially tops out at exactly the same 350kph top speed.

But as well as speed, there is an immense amount of bhp on offer too. The car's twin-turbo 6-liter V8 produces 625kW, that's 850hp or 838bhp plus an epic 1,450Nm of torque, accessible from as little as 2,500rpm.

All of those performance stats working in harmony equate to a 0-100kph time of 3.5 seconds, a 0-200kph time of 9.4 seconds and, so claims Brabus, an electronically limited top speed. The tyres of the 850 6.0 Biturbo Cabrio can't handle more than 350kph, even if the rest of the car can.

To achieve those sorts of numbers, Brabus has had to almost completely rebuild the Mercedes' stock V8: increasing capacity to almost 6 litres from 5.5. Adding its own turbochargers, crankshaft, pistons, connecting rods and even re-machining the cylinder heads to ensure the biggest bang possible with the least possible waste on every revolution.

The engine also breathes better thanks to new intake manifold, exhaust and bigger air filter boxes. The finishing touch is real gold in the engine bay for heat shielding the turbos' intake and charge-air pipes.

The exterior has needed some serious aerodynamic upgrades to reduce drag and to ensure it stays on the road rather than entering a near-Earth orbit when approaching top speed. They include a new lower front spoiler, larger side air intakes and a redesigned rear air diffuser. All of which have been wind-tunnel developed, made from carbon fibre, and will be made available to S Class owners who want to improve or individualize the look of their cars without the total engineering overhaul.

However, like with all things Brabus, despite the incredible retuning, the 850 6.0 BiTurbo Cabrio comes with a three-year, 100,000km warranty.


GM announces drive for sustainable rubber

                DETROIT: General Motors said Monday it was moving toward sustainable rubber production for the cars and trucks it produces every year, reducing contributions to deforestation in Southeast Asia and South America.

Steven Kiefer, senior vice president for global purchasing and supply chain, said the move would push the auto industry and its supply chain towards "net-zero deforestation."

The new policy would also help guarantee the labor and human rights of the six million small farmers and 30 million workers who harvest rubber in countries such as Indonesia, Thailand and Brazil.

"We want to encourage affordable, safer and cleaner options for our customers that drive value to both our organisation and the communities in which we work," Kiefer said at a news conference.

"At the same time, it should help insure the supply of natural rubber as demand rises."

He was joined by representatives of tire producers including Bridgestone, Goodyear and Michelin and Continental, which supply more than 80 percent of the tires used by GM.

GM said in a statement it was working with the companies to ensure traceability throughout its natural rubber supply chain.


How to choose a motorcycle helmet

                BERLIN: Cruising on a motorcycle, with no helmet on and the wind in your hair, just like Peter Fonda in the cult classic film "Easy Rider" - for some, it’s the epitome of freedom. But not only is riding on a motorcycle without a helmet against the law in most countries, it’s also extremely dangerous.

So when it comes to helmets, which type is the safest, and what do they cost?

"The full-visor or full-face helmet is the classic," says Frank Braemer from clothing and accessories manufacturer Polo. "It’s a universal helmet for all purposes and every type of motorcycle, and offers the best protection because the area around the chin is completely shielded.” Depending on the price, these types of helmets can come with extravagant extras, such as a sun visor or even a sound system.

For his part, Ralf Schefzig, a motorcycle trainer at the Auto Club Europa (ACE), prefers the flip-up helmet style. “On the one hand, the folding mechanism offers the convenience of an open-face helmet, like when you want to stop at a traffic light in the summer and take a deep breath," says Schefzig.

“On the other hand, it also guarantees the same protection as a full-visor helmet during the journey,” he adds. However, Schefzig advises against using the helmet with the visor flipped up, as it then no longer meets safety standards.

"There are some flip-up helmets that are also tested as open-face helmets," adds Till Ferges, editor of the German motorcycle magazine Motorrad News. When a helmet passes safety standards both when closed and flipped open, it is said to be dual homologated, or P/J approved.

Nevertheless, he still recommends always riding with the helmet closed. The jaw is something of a natural crumple zone, and injuries in this area are not necessarily life-threatening. "But I know people who have taken the brunt of an impact on their chin,” says Ferges, “and I wouldn’t wish the resulting damage from such an accident on anyone.”

According to Schefzig, getting into a crash with open flip-up helmet can be more dangerous than with a regular open-faced helmet. “In a crash, it’s possible that the flipped-up chin section gets caught somewhere and can cause serious additional neck injuries,” he says.

Open helmets are currently experiencing a true renaissance due to the continued prominence of retro trends across the motorcycle industry. But while open-face helmets may be appropriate for a slow cruise along a central boulevard, they aren’t suitable for any sort of high-speed driving.

"Every insect that hits your face feels like a stone," says Schefzig from the ACE. Meanwhile, drawing from his own experience, Ferges adds that “instead of insects, it can sometimes be whirled up stones.” Not only can these be painful, they can also pose a grave danger by causing a sudden, momentary distraction.

Even less protection is offered by so-called brain caps. These half-shell helmets end well above the ears, but are usually worn because of the casual look favoured by chopper riders.

A good-quality open helmet will cost at least US$115 (RM472), and bikers can expect to pay about US$175 (RM718) for a full-face helmet, says Schefzig.

 Half-shell helmets offer less protection than full-face helmes.

According to Ferges, it’s worth noting that discontinued models from manufacturers tend to be much cheaper than newer ones, but are not necessarily any worse than the latest models.

Which type of helmet a biker needs depends on the type of motorcycle they have and the type of driving they plan on doing. "If you ride a 50cc scooter with a top speed of 40kph, you can get a helmet that offers the protection you need for just US$100 (RM410)," says Braemer. "But if you have a high-performance motorcycle with 200hp, a helmet with only basic safety features just won’t be enough.”

He advises prospective buyers to learn about helmet choices in a shop, rather than blindly buying one online "because the helmet’s decal matches the motorcycle." In the end, the only way to test whether a helmet really fits is to try it on.


Peugeot to add plug-in hybrid electric version to its 508 range

                PARIS: The latest Peugeot 508 is already a very desirable car that's transformed the 508 nameplate, but things are set to get even more interesting for it, with Peugeot announcing it intends to produce a high-output hybrid version next year.

Instead of being just another petrol/electric hybrid with moderately better fuel economy than a regular 508, the main focus of this particular plug-in hybrid will be performance.

The new model will offer top-of-the-range performance and a limited electric-only capability for the 508's sporty GT trim, thanks to a mild hybrid 1.6-litre petrol engine driving the front wheels and an electric motor in the back to drive the rear wheels.

If that setup sounds familiar it could be because it's the same system that's been confirmed for the DS 7 Crossback E-Tense, which is another model based on PSA's EMP2 platform, due to go on sale next year.

The 508 PHEV's four-cylinder engine, which will be assisted by a starter/generator motor, is expected to generate a total system power of around 200bhp. The electric motor driving the rear wheels will be responsible for providing 100bhp of that, and will be capable of propelling the 508 PHEV on electric-only for a range of 50km.

Energy for the electric motor will be provided by a lithium-ion battery under the floor of the boot. Although that's normally where the spare wheel is to be found, the design of the EMP2 platform means this won't impact boot space in either fastback or estate body styles.

An eight-speed automatic is expected to be the only gearbox offered, and the same system is also set to be employed in the plug-in hybrid versions of the 3008 and 5008 SUVs that are in the pipeline, and are also built on the versatile EMP2 platform.

PSA has ambitious plans to electrify every model in its portfolio, with larger models getting plug-in hybrids while smaller models like the Peugeot 208 will be offered in fully electric versions.

In another development, PSA has confirmed it will be returning to the US market.

The company said it "confirms the implementation of its 10-years progressive return project in North America," as announced in April 2016.

The automaker, which left the US in 1991, started its return in 2016 with the introduction of its Free2Move app "that provides access to all car-sharing providers."

The second phase will use PSA vehicles to "develop mobility solutions," followed finally by US sales of the brands for which "local production is considered."

The statement came two-days after PSA North America CEO Larry Dominique told reporters the US auto tariff threat could delay the company's return.

"Tariffs would affect how fast and at what price point we return to the US market," he said.

US President Donald Trump in May began a formal process which could result in raising US duties on all imported autos and parts, goods valued at hundreds of billions a year.


Uber joins scooter wars with Lime investment

Lime offers electric scooters in about 70 cities in the US and Europe. — AFP
SAN FRANCISCO: Uber made a move into electric scooters Monday, as the ride-service giant agreed to a strategic partnership with Lime, one of the major players in the fast-growing segment.

Lime announced the new US$335 million investment to be led by GV — formerly Google Ventures —with additional funding from Google parent Alphabet and others including Uber.

Uber will make "a sizable investment," according to Lime co-founder and chief executive Toby Sun, and will enter into a partnership allowing users to rent scooters directly from the Uber app.

"The new funds will give us the ability to expand our operations globally, develop new technologies and products for consumers and build out our infrastructure and team," Sun said in a blog post.

"Uber will work with us as a strategic partner in the electric scooter space to offer people a greater variety of transportation modes at their fingertips and make it increasingly easy to live without a car."

Sun said the agreement will allow for co-branded scooters which will be available in the Uber app.

Uber recently acquired the electric bike startup Jump and allowed users to choose two-wheelers as it moves to expand its role in transport beyond ride-hailing.

Its rival Lyft, meanwhile, acquired the bike-sharing group Motivate as part of a similar strategy.

Lime offers electric scooters in about 70 cities in the US and Europe, with a launch last month in Paris.

Scooter sharing has been gaining traction for short-distance transport in cities. Proponents claim the electric two-wheelers can be an alternative to the automobile.

The trend has led to a frenzy of investment in scooter startups, with Lime and Bird reportedly reaching valuations of more than $1 billion.

The new Lime investors include IVP, Atomico and Fidelity Management and Research Company, joining existing investors Andreessen Horowitz, Coatue, Fifth Wall and the Singapore sovereign wealth fund GIC.


myTukar rebrands to reflect rapid growth as used car e-platform

                KUALA LUMPUR: myTukar has launched a new brand identity to reflect its strengthened branding and capabilities as part of the regional CARRO network.

The exercise aims to mirror its parent company’s focused vision and cohesive direction to be the #1 used car marketplace in South-East Asia and beyond.

Expected to be rolled out in the coming weeks, the all-new brand look is also the start, with a series of exciting new changes lined up for the company.

myTukar CEO Derrick Eng said many things have changed since the start of the pandemic.

 (From left) myTukar founder and chairman Fong Hon Sum, Derrick Eng and Aaron Tan.

He said the public's lifestyle, habits and preferences have changed as the country moves into the endemic phase.

“There is no better time to 'tukar' your ride too. With our collective effort as a company, alongside our partners, dealers and customers who trust in our credibility, the used car industry has never been so accessible, transparent and trusted.

“The improvement to myTukar is beyond rebranding; we have integrated our capabilities, business, data intelligence and technical knowledge with our parent company, CARRO to bring even better value to our customers.

“This rebranding is our commitment to delivering customers an end-to-end purchasing experience when they decide to buy their next dream ride.

CARRO chief executive officer and co-founder Aaron Tan said the company's regional expansion started with a goal to switch the traditional pre-owned car ownership process to one that is more digital.

“After our entry into Indonesia and Thailand, our expansion journey brought us here to Malaysia and into a partnership with myTukar," said Tan.

“myTukar’s rebrand today is a renewal of the company’s commitment to delivering a world-class experience to customers, ensuring a smooth and transparent car ownership process."

With customers now more confident in used cars, demand for used cars shot up by 8% in the first quarter of 2022.

To meet the rise in demand, myTukar is organising another automotive fair at its flagship retail showroom, the myTukar Retail Experience Centre, in Puchong South, Selangor.

Held from July 1-3, more than 6,000 visitors are expected to attend the three-day fair, where over 1,000 used cars will be on sale.

Customers will also soon be able to enjoy a new unique experience, as myTukar will be introducing its fleet of flatbed trucks to deliver vehicles directly to customers’ doorsteps.

Customers would also be able to obtain on-the-spot trade-in value for their vehicles, enjoy a low interest rate of 1.88%, same-day loan approval and car collection.

Participating banks that will be at the event include Maybank, CIMB Bank, Public Bank, RHB Bank, Hong Leong Bank, and myTukar’s financial service provider, Genie Financial Services.

myTukar’s rebranding announcement follows the brand’s rapid growth digitally and its recent physical expansion nationwide.

Over the years, the company’s transaction volumes grew by 63% for wholesale, 260% for retail and net revenue increased by 89%.

In the lead up to myTukar’s grand reveal of its rebrand, gigantic orange boxes with a QR code were placed at various locations across the country.

The boxes were a way to attract lucky participants to be among the first in line to win prizes worth up to RM20,000.

With more people scanning the code, higher tiered prizes were revealed adding a community element to unlock the best prizes.

Since it began in 2018, myTukar has evolved into an online marketplace of over 4,000 sellers, and offers a full range of services related to car ownership.

For details on myTukar and their latest ventures, visit https://mytukar.com/.


Build batteries or lose jobs, auto bosses tell Europe

                FRANKFURT: Europe shouldn’t rush to abandon the combustion engine and must build up its own production of electric car batteries to compete with China, auto suppliers and manufacturers said at the Frankfurt Motor Show.

The comments come as the future of the car has become a hot topic in campaigning ahead of Germany’s Sept 24 election, especially after Britain and France announced plans to eventually phase out combustion engines to try to cut pollution.

Roberto Vavassori, president of the European Association of Automotive Suppliers (CLEPA), warned a headlong rush to electric cars would hand business to China, which along with South Korea and Japan dominate battery production for such vehicles.

“We need to provide a sensible transition period that doesn’t give unwanted gifts to our Chinese friends,” he said, estimating European automakers were paying 4,000-7,000 euros (up to RM35,000) to China for batteries for every electric car.

Vavassori called for a European drive to develop the next generation of battery cells. He said carmakers and politicians should look at other ways of cutting vehicle emissions too, such as more efficient engines and synthetic fuels.

Germany’s Daimler and Volkswagen both announced plans on the eve of the Frankfurt show to accelerate their shift to electric cars.

The head of Volkswagen’s core auto division said today that European industry should come together to create a regional supplier of batteries.

 Messe Frankfurt or Frankfurt Exhibition Centre is the venue of the motor show.

“For the initial phase, I still feel in good hands with the Korean suppliers, but I would appreciate if competition were to grow and a European consortium would emerge,” said VW brand Chief Executive Herbert Diess.

German Chancellor Angela Merkel has raised the possibility of state support to bring chip and battery production back to Europe and her Social Democrat challenger Martin Schulz has also called for investment in cell production in Germany.

The stakes are high, with the auto industry as a whole providing around 12.6 million jobs in the European Union, or about 5.7 percent of the total.

Trade unions have been putting pressure on manufacturers to make electric cars in existing factories and invest in battery production in Europe, rather than outsourcing the work to Asia.

“Self-contained value chains are a central pillar of our industrial model and play a big role in the success of the German economy,” Joerg Hofmann, president of the IG Metall union, told steel and car industry members today.

 A demo of a Li-ion battery stack on show in Frankfurt.

CLEPA’s Vavassori said Europe was lagging behind in the production of sensors and microchips, as well as batteries, and there was a risk in relying on Chinese supplies given geopolitical instability.

“We need production in Europe for vehicles of the future, or we put all Europe at risk,” he said.

Many in the car industry want governments to focus on setting targets to bring down carbon dioxide emissions, rather being prescriptive about quotas for electric cars.

“Mandating certain percentages of certain technologies doesn’t take us to the best solution,” said Daimler boss Dieter Zetsche, who currently chairs ACEA, the main European carmakers’ association.

On Wednesday, ACEA offered to further cut CO2 emissions by 2030, albeit dependent on uptake of electric cars.

Germany’s Robert Bosch, the world’s biggest auto supplier, is keeping its options open, optimising the combustion engine and also exploring synthetic fuels, which could use existing filling stations and engines.

“This is a faster way of limiting global warming,” said Bosch chief executive Volkmar Denner. “We are doing this alongside electric vehicles.”


More people leaning towards buying EVs post Covid-19, says survey

                LONDON: Government-enforced lockdowns around the world due to Covid-19 are having a dramatic positive impact on people’s awareness of the benefits to the environment, reports Venson Automotive Solutions.

Forty-five percent of people surveyed by Venson confirmed that the radical improvement on air pollution across the globe as a result of the demobilisation of transport, has made them reconsider their electric vehicle (EV) ownership plans.

A further 17% said it re-affirmed the decision they had already made to make the switch to an EV.

Of the 45% of motorists who are now reassessing their EV options, 19% said their next company car or private purchase would be an EV, with the remaining 26% confirming they intend to become an EV driver in the next 5 years.

In an EV attitudes survey conducted by Venson in July 2019, 41% of people said they were considering moving to an EV, but 31% said they wouldn’t for another 10-15 years, confirming the intention by many to play their part in protecting the environment has since accelerated.

“Reducing emissions has been a hot topic and a clear government, business and personal target for several years now, but still the growth of electric vehicle (EV) ownership has been slow," said Venson marketing director Alison Bell.

"This is despite evidence that transport is responsible for 23% of global emissions, and driving petrol and diesel fuelled vehicles contributes 72% of the transport sector’s greenhouse gas emissions.”

The latest survey from Venson also reveals that the British public would like to see more done by their government – and businesses - to expedite the take up of EVs once the country has recovered from the Covid-19 crisis.

This includes further investment in the charging infrastructure (62%), the introduction of more Clean Air Zones in major cities (38%) and new legislation that supports businesses to move to fully electric company car or commercial vehicle fleets in the next 5 years (38%).

“In recent years, we have seen the cost of electric vehicles fall, battery efficiency increase, and the network of both public and private charging points grow significantly. All of these steps have boosted consumer confidence in an EV future, however whilst ownership is increasing, we still have a long way to go," said Bell.

"Having said that, fleet managers looking to introduce fully-electric fleets could find employees more open to the idea now they have seen the global benefits it could bring to the environment.”

Venson is a Surrey-based financial services company whose activities include fleet policy advisory, funding, fleet management, vehicle rentals, workshop management and vehicle conversions.


China car sales to see historic plunge in first months of 2020

Workers checking cars at a port in Lianyungang, Jiangsu province last December. — Reuters
BEIJING: China’s car sales are likely to slump the most on record in the first two months of 2020 as the coronavirus keeps buyers away from showrooms, intensifying headwinds for automakers in the world’s biggest market.

Sales are set to fall by 25% to 30% in the January-February period, according to a preliminary forecast by Cui Dongshu, secretary general of China Passenger Car Association. The virus outbreak will likely drag down China’s full-year auto sales by as much as 5%, Cui said today.

China’s auto sales were already heading for an unprecedented third straight annual decline before the virus forced authorities to lock down the epicenter of Wuhan city and beyond.

About two-thirds of China’s economy remains closed this week and companies are set to face difficulties when operations resume, including potential supply-chain issues and parts shortages.

"China’s car industry has never had to factor in so many negative issues — the challenges have been piling up,” Cui said. "It will take months for economic activity to return to normal. People’s purchasing power will be undermined by falling incomes.”

Companies from Tesla Inc. to Volkswagen AG and Toyota Motor Corp. have warned of disruptions in their operations. Automakers probably will dial back production by 15% in China this quarter after extending holiday shutdowns because of the virus, supplier Aptiv Plc said.

The PCA is scheduled to report China car sales for January next week.


Audi says it's ready for the future with new brand campaign

                INGOLSTADT: Audi is redefining “Vorsprung” and putting people with their values and needs at the heart of the refined brand strategy.

Under the communicative approach “Future is an Attitude”, Audi would unite worldwide marketing activities from now on, while taking account of cultural and country-specific requirements.

“Vorsprung durch Technik” will remain the brand claim.

With its global campaign, the Audi brand is paving the way to an electric, digitalised and "emotional" future as shown by the e-tron Sportback and concept cars like the AI:ME and Q4 Sportback e-tron concept.

The Hamburg agency thjnk is responsible for its creative implementation.

The campaign woould be conducted through all channels of communication, from TV to the digital platform. On the newly launched website progress.audi, all contents of the campaign will be gathered, and further background stories will be offered to users.

In the context of the new brand campaign, the re-worked Audi corporate identity would be visible globally for the first time.

Audi said its presentation would be guided by the brand’s new image through a new visual language.


Epic Pole to Pole expedition begins with the Nissan Ariya

                LONDON: British couple and EV (electric vehicle) adventurers Chris and Julie Ramsey have started world-first Pole to Pole adventure in their electric Nissan Ariya.

Their journey ahead will see them drive south, covering more than 27,000 km through North, Central and South America, aiming ultimately to reach the world’s most remote place, Antarctica’s South Pole, in December.

No vehicle has ever completed the journey between these extremes of the globe and the Pole to Pole team are undertaking the challenge in a 100% electric vehicle.

The expedition-ready Nissan Ariya has undergone some minor modifications to help it cope with the extreme terrains that the team are set to face along their route.

Most notably the suspension has been lifted and wheel arches extended to accommodate huge 39-inch tires that will help the car ‘float’ on deep snow and sea ice.

No modifications were made to the Ariya’s battery and powertrain, which remain standard, or the e-4ORCE system, Nissan’s advanced electric all-wheel-control technology.

As the couple travels through the remote polar regions, they will tow an innovative renewable energy unit, which includes an extendable wind turbine and foldable solar panels.

The prototype will take advantage of the expected high winds and long daylight hours, harnessing the natural energy to charge the Ariya’s battery, whilst Chris and Julie take well-earned breaks from driving in the challenging environment.

The team hopes the charging innovation can have a positive legacy by inspiring a transition to electric vehicles for future polar exploration.

“After four years of planning and hard work, we’re so excited to officially get Pole to Pole underway,” Chris said.

“Julie and I have done several EV adventures over the past 10 years but Pole to Pole is definitely our biggest and most exciting challenge. We’ve had to think differently, be innovative and collaborate with like-minded partners to make this expedition a reality. Our expedition Ariya is fun to drive and performed well over the 5,000 km journey to get to this starting point. It gives us the confidence we can tackle every driving scenario we’ll face in the coming months.”

Julie added, “We’re excited to share our adventure with you and shine a light on the amazing people, communities and projects along the way that is making a positive difference to the climate crisis. We’d love for everyone to be part of Pole to Pole, so please follow and get involved in the adventure on our social channels.”


Auto parts maker ZF Friedrichshafen wins biggest order in firm's history

                FRANKFURT: ZF Friedrichshafen has won an order worth a low double-digit billion euro amount from BMW to supply gear boxes, giving the German auto parts maker breathing room as it prepares to navigate the switch to electric vehicles.

The order for 8-speed automatic gear boxes for internal combustion engines, including a hybrid variant which combines fuel with electricity, is the biggest in the firm’s history, chief executive Wolf-Henning Scheider said on Thursday.

Higher R&D spending, increased material costs and a weaker automotive market chipped away at ZF’s operating profit in 2018, with a fall of 9 percent to 2.1 billion euros on sales of 36.9 billion euros.

ZF said the market would remain challenging this year due to ongoing political and economic uncertainties and forecast sales of between 37 and 38 billion euros.

The company is betting on strong demand for hybrid vehicles as the auto industry shifts away from the combustion engine towards electric cars in a bid to reduce emissions from driving.

Hybrid vehicles are expected to appeal more to consumers than electric cars as they help overcome so-called “range anxiety” or the fear of running out of power before reaching a charging station.

“We see plug-in-technology, at least over the next decade, as a good solution for customers,” Wolf-Henning Scheider said.

ZF last week agreed to buy US rival Wabco for over US$7 billion, an acquisition it has long targeted to bolster its expertise in autonomous-driving technologies.

Scheider said ZF would specialise in autonomous driving for commercial vehicles from van size upwards, such as robotaxis, as it believes the technology will be too expensive for private passenger cars.

“On the other hand, for commercial vehicles, it is a technology that pays for itself very quickly,” he said.


Volkswagen will pay US$1.21bil to settle US dealer claims

                WASHINGTON: Volkswagen AG confirmed late week it will make US$1.21 billion in payments to 652 US brand dealers as part of its US$16.5 billion diesel emissions settlement to date.

VW's dealers will receive an average of US$1.85 million each on average over 18 months under the settlement that was first announced in principle in August.

Separately, the US Justice Department, Federal Trade Commission and lawyers for owners of 475,000 polluting diesel cars filed legal papers late Friday asking a federal judge to grant final approval to buy-back offers and diesel remediation efforts at an Oct 18 court hearing.

A filing by lawyers for company dealers says Volkswagen won't sell any US diesel vehicles for the 2016 and 2017 model years. The company, which has been barred from selling all diesel vehicles in the United States since late 2015, said earlier this month it is uncertain whether it will ever sell diesel vehicles in the United States again.

As part of the settlement with VW brand dealers, the company will continue making some incentive payments to dealers, buy back diesel vehicles that dealers can't sell and suspend capital improvements for two years that it wanted dealers to make. A federal judge must still approve the settlement.

Volkswagen still faces billions of dollars in potential civil and potential criminal US fines for violating emissions laws, as well as a possible costly buy-back of 85,000 vehicles equipped with 3.0 litre diesel engines if it can't convince regulators that they can be fixed.

The Justice Department said Friday in a court filing that regulators are still working on "a technical solution that reduces the emissions of these vehicles."

Reuters reported that Volkswagen has held talks in recent months with the Justice Department about settling the criminal investigation. "The United States will continue to vigorously pursue its claims for civil penalties to fully hold (Volkswagen) accountable," the Justice Department filing said Friday.

VW has admitted it installed improper software that deactivated pollution controls on more than 11 million diesel vehicles sold worldwide.

In June, VW agreed buy back 475,0000 US vehicles equipped with 2.0 litre engines at a cost of up to US$10.03 billion or offer fixes if regulators approve. To date, about 311,000 owners have already registered to take part in the settlement and only about 3,300 owners have opted out.

VW also agreed to spend up to US$5.3 billion to address claims by federal regulators and 44 US states. VW is still in talks with the Justice Department about winning approval for proposed fixes for the 2.0-litre vehicles.

Under the Justice Department deal, VW will provide US$2 billion over 10 years to fund programmes to promote construction of electric vehicle charging infrastructure, development of zero-emission ride-sharing fleets and other efforts to boost sales of cars that do not burn petroleum.

VW also agreed to put up US$2.7 billion over three years to enable government and tribal agencies to replace old buses or to fund infrastructure to reduce diesel emissions and award states about US$600 million.

The Justice Department said it received nearly 1,200 comments on the proposed consent decree but said it was making only some minor mostly technical changes to the agreement.


VIDEO: Lexus V-LCRO seat takes hold of drivers

                CALIFORNIA: Lexus has taken a 75-year old technology and incorporated it into their seats, calling it V-LCRO and if you haven't guessed it - it's actually velcro.

The Japanese luxury automaker calls the new seats Variable Load Coupling Rear Orientation (V-LCRO), which significantly reduces movement across the back and seat to keep drivers in place, thereby allowing them to better engage in aggressive turns.

Available as an option, the seat secures the driver in place, refining the functionality of the vehicles' contoured seat-backs.

This also requires the driver to wear a specially designed custom-tailored matching suit that features a complex pattern of hooks and loops that helps create a significant amount of grip at any angle and up to 3.0G - that's three-times the pull of gravity, in any direction.

What it means is that at 3.0G, a person weighing 100kg will now weigh 300kg.

Lexus RC FLexus GS F

To complement this design, the Lexus RC F and GS F - both equipped with a 467hp naturally aspirated engine, gets exclusive access, for now, to the seats and may be offered as part of the F-Sport package later on.

"The beauty of this technology is its simplicity. With V-LCRO, Lexus has created an unprecedented connection between driver and vehicle, and the impact on the track has been phenomenal," said Lexus F performance racing driver Scott Pruett.

If you still haven't got it by now, watch the end of the video below and the fact it's April 1 to make the connection. Got it? We hope so.


Panamera 4 E-Hybrid Sport Turismo: Green performer

                March came and we crossed into Singapore to experience one of Porsche's finest — the Panamera 4 E-Hybrid Sport Turismo plug-in hybrid electric vehicle (PHEV).

We've always enjoyed the luxurious charm a Panamera has to offer. It was even more so with the introduction of the Sport Turismo version, what with greater headroom at the rear.

Like all Porsches, there is always the element of "aggressive fun", thanks to its legendary 911 range.

Such description is normally NOT associated with PHEVs - at least until now.

Back in Malaysia, this Stuttgarter "wagon-like limo" costs RM1,125,000 with a PDK (Porsche Doppelkupplung - Porsche dual-clutch) after duties and before adding preferred options), so it'd better be worth the money.

This particular variant for our short day drive around Singapore is considered the mid-range variant in Malaysia in terms of pricing and sits above the Panamera 4 Sport Turismo but below the more powerful Panamera Turbo Sport Turismo.

Under this Panamera's hood lies a 2.9-litre (2,894cc) twin-turbo V6 engine with 330PS/450Nm which works in conjunction with a 136PS/400Nm electric motor that draws its charge from a 14.1kWh lithium-ion battery for a system output of 462hp and 700Nm.

This Panamera is about 310kg heavier than its combustion-only brethren, putting its kerb weight at around 2,200kg. Heavy yes, but did it hamper the PHEV's performance?

We drove through the city centre before heading towards the fringes of the island state. Being around the busy Orchard Road area, it seemed appropriate to put the Panamera in E-Power mode which makes it run purely on electricity.

Other Hybrid modes include Hybrid Auto (default), E-Charge (charging the battery via engine power) and E-Hold (helps keep the battery at a particular charge level).

The battery had roughly 80% charge left in it and with ambient temperature close to 40-degree Celsius, the air-conditioner was working hard to keep the afternoon heat from seeping into the cabin.

We managed to squeeze a range of about 21km, which isn't impressive but it's adequate by today's PHEV performance. Still, the E-Power mode helps the driver save the fuel for some "play time" — probably on our side of the Causeway.

In theory, considering Singapore's small size, the Panamera 4 E-Hybrid Sport Turismo owner should be able to get through extended periods of time without having to refuel so long as he practises diligent route planning and has a wall box to keep the battery well-charged.

When the battery charge is depleted, the combustion engine awakens, marked by an audible exhaust note and a sudden spike in the rev counter to around 2,000rpm to immediately meet power demands.

Unfortunately, with all this power, there wasn't enough tarmac to unleash it on. Sure, there were some wonderful straights and a few areas that offered an interesting winding experience, but these quickly become short-lived.

With the battery drained and the road nearly devoid of traffic, it was obvious we needed to flicked on the Sport mode. We were keen to see how well its added 310kg, consisting of an electric motor, battery and other essentials, affected its behaviour out on the road.

The sumptuous torque available makes the car feel effortless when getting off the line.

The cabin's controls are beautifully glossy until someone presses a button and leaves a fingerprint on it.

Rear-seated passengers will enjoy greater headroom but because of the electric motor, the boot has lost 95 litres of space to 425 litres.

The car felt planted when cornering and it takes directional changes like a champ, thanks to the 21-inch wheels with sticky and staggered 275/35 (front) and 315/30 (rear) Pirelli P-Zero tyres.

The front end of the car wants to stay in contact with the road. Combined that with the optional four-wheel steering system, the rear is highly subservient to the front end and us well-behaved as the PHEV is man-handled.

Porsche has managed to mask the car's added weight even when cornering hard.

Dial it up to Sport+ mode and the car sharpens up. The gearshifts are even more abrupt as the chassis and suspension stiffen up for a sportier drive that came at the expense of comfort.

Step down to Normal mode and the car regains its comfort-oriented composure in a Jekyll-and-Hyde persona switch. It's this talent that will stand the Panamera 4 E-Hybrid Sport Turismo PHEV in good stead. It's comfortable enough to ferry statesmen, yet aggressive enough for a track battle.


UK car sector heading towards electric future

                LONDON: Four famous car brands born in Britain but now foreign-owned — German-held Bentley and MINI, Indian-backed Jaguar Land Rover, and Chinese-controlled Lotus — have each this month outlined plans for purely electric models to sit alongside their petrol vehicles.

All-electric cars, which need to be charged from the mains, and hybrids, which combine electrics with petrol engines, are gaining in popularity as more consumers turn away from the pollution-spewing internal combustion engine.

"You need to be into electrification," Lotus Cars chief executive Phil Popham told AFP in an interview after unveiling the firm's first all-electric sports car Evija — pronounced "E-vi-ya" — which the company will start making next year.

Lotus, 51-percent owned by Chinese auto giant Geely, plans an initial sale of only 130 of the supercars, which will each cost about £1.7 million (RM8.7mil).

"Electrification is absolutely part of our future," said Popham. "In the not-too-distant future, all of our cars will offer electrification."

Lotus' plant in Hethel, eastern England, will see a £100-million investment over the next five years as it ramps up its sports car range with financial firepower and technical knowhow from Geely, which bought its majority stake two years ago. Etika Automotive of Malaysia holds the remaining 49 percent of Lotus.

Popham said the removal of large components, like the internal combustion engine and gearbox, will see the so-called hypercar Evija have an electric motor on each wheel.

It will reach 0-100kph in three seconds and have a top speed of 320kph. Fully-charged however, it will be able to drive a distance of only 400km.

In the more affordable premium market, Jaguar Land Rover, owned by India's Tata Motors, is planning a range of electric vehicles at its central England factory — starting with the next-generation Jaguar XJ luxury saloon model.

"The future of mobility is electric," said JLR chief executive Ralf Speth, whose company introduced its first electric vehicle I-PACE last year.

Elsewhere, BMW-division MINI recently launched plans for its first all-electric MINI Cooper at its factory in Cowley, southern England.

"We'll be able to really react to demand from customers as we go forward because MINI electric (cars) go down exactly the same production line as the traditional combustion engine product," David George, director of MINI UK, told AFP on a visit to the facility.

In Europe as a whole, the number of electric car models, including hybrids, is set to triple by 2021, according to Brussels-based environmental lobby group Transport & Environment.

A total 214 models will be available for purchase by 2021, up from 60 in late 2018, T&E said.

"There is a growing trend for consumers to be looking for more environmentally conscious and efficient products and technologies," said Bentley chief executive Adrian Hallmark.

He was speaking in July after the Volkswagen-owned luxury carmaker detailed its futuristic all-electric self-driving concept, the EXP 100 GT, at its facility in central England.

When Nissan unveiled its first mass-market electric car hatchback Leaf nine years ago, the Japanese carmaker described it as a "game-changer" for Britain's biggest car plant in Sunderland, northeastern England.

Since then, more and more carmakers have sped up plans for more environmentally-friendly products — and also electrify their current offerings.

However, Cardiff University economics professor and auto specialist Peter Wells lamented the fact that many automakers were merely replicating electric versions of pre-existing models — rather than optimising how they deploy cutting-edge technology.

"The mindset is that the industry should simply replicate the existing petrol/diesel product ranges, only in hybrid and electric," said Wells.

"In my view this strategy can still result in less than optimised vehicle designs," he noted.


Honda builds its 25 millionth car in US

                COLUMBUS: Honda built its 25 millionth automobile in the United States on Wednesday. The 2018 Accord was produced at the Marysville plant near the Ohio state capital.

Starting production in 1982, the plant made Honda the first Japanese automaker to produce cars in the United States and is one of five Honda auto plants now operating in the United States.

Twelve different Honda and Acura cars and light trucks are now produced at the company's five auto plants in Ohio, Alabama and Indiana, along with the engines and transmissions that power them, which are produced in Ohio, Alabama and Georgia.

Honda has invested almost US$14 billion in its US facilities that support automotive production including US$3.4 billion in new investment during the past four years to advance Honda's US operations. Honda also buys parts and materials from 624 original equipment manufacturers (OEM).

To celebrate the production milestone, Honda has started an annual scholarship fund for students pursuing educations in the fields of engineering, supply chain and manufacturing at colleges and universities. The initial donation of US$25,000 will be administered through the Thurgood Marshall College Fund. In addition to the financial support, scholarship recipients will be invited to interview for internships and co-op positions at Honda operations.


New Nissan LEAF will park itself

                YOKOHAMA: With the current and growing backlash against diesel as a vehicle fuel, we'd expect a completely new generation of the Nissan LEAF to be all about the electric powertrain, its range on a single charge, how it performs, and how long it takes to recharge.

However, as we get ever closer to the Sept 6 reveal date for the all-new 2018 LEAF, it seems as though the autonomous drive technology it's going to have onboard is increasingly becoming the main focus.

This week, we learned about a feature it's going to have called ProPilot Park, an autonomous parking system for the EV.

Of course, there are already quite a few different parking systems already available with varying levels of autonomy, but the Nissan system looks to be pretty comprehensive as it will be capable of parking the LEAF in parallel, angled, and traditional perpendicular spaces.

It's claimed that it will even be capable of pulling forward into a perpendicular space or backing into it.

The Japanese auto giant has even gone as far as to kindly provide us with a video that demonstrates how the system operates.

It appears all you have to do is press a button to activate the system before cruising by potential parking spaces. When you locate your preferred space, and as long as the system recognises it as a viable option for the LEAF to park in, all you have to do is hold the parking button and let the car do the rest.

For some reason that's not entirely apparent, US versions of the new Nissan LEAF won't have this feature available just yet. It's only going to be made available for Europe and Japanese versions of the 2018 first model year of the new generation of the LEAF.

However, a representative of Nissan has confirmed the company is looking at including it on American versions at some time in the future.

ProPilot Park is actually the second autonomous feature announced for the new LEAF. The other is a self-driving function for use on the highway that will be able to manage acceleration, braking, and steering between low speeds to freeway speeds, although it's not going to be capable of changing lanes or leaving the highway. — AFP Relaxnews


Tesla's Model 3 now has a mid-range battery option

                SAN FRANCISCO: Before the reservation holders of the Model 3 with a standard battery pack even get their vehicle, Tesla has added a fourth battery pack option, changing the prices of the whole Model 3 portfolio.

Tesla previously promised that the Model 3's base price will start at US$35,000 (RM146,000), but drivers were disappointed with the US$49,000 (RM204,000) price tag that was revealed when the car was launched.

In response, the company promised an upcoming model with a standard battery pack that will remain faithful to the initial price promise.

Those who reserved the cheaper option, however, may find themselves frustrated because, instead of delivering customers the standard version, the brand brought out a fourth battery pack option now available for order: the mid-range battery pack which starts the model at US$45,000 (RM188,000) and can be delivered in 6-10 weeks.

This surprise option changes everything ... about the prices. As Electrek noted, rear-wheel drive is now exclusive to the mid-range battery pack and the long-range pack was reduced to one powertrain option: dual motor all-wheel drive. The all-wheel drive powertrain returned to its previous value of US$5,000 (RM21,000), which brings the long-range Model 3 to US$54,000 (RM225,000).

What does this new battery pack provide? The range is an EPA estimated 418km on a single charge, roughly 112km less than the most powerful performance model option. The top speed is reduced 48kph from the performance model to 210kph maximum, and you'd be able to reach 100kph in 5.6 seconds instead of just 3.3.

The standard battery is expected to to bring a range of 354km, a top speed of 209kph, and a 0 - 100kph time of 5.6 seconds. Basically, for US$10,000 (RM42,000) less, the standard battery model will only reduce the range by 96km. That is, if the prices don't shift again.


Volvo unveils EX90 electric SUV in push to ditch engines

                STOCKHOLM: Volvo Car AB showed off the EX90, a battery-powered sport utility vehicle to succeed its gasoline-era flagship as the automaker pushes to go all-electric by the end of the decade.

The vehicle, featuring lidar sensors to better see its surroundings, has as much as 600km of range and succeeds the popular XC90 introduced eight years ago.

Chief executive officer Jim Rowan is under pressure to deliver on the manufacturer’s ambitious electrification plan, with EVs making up just 15% of total shipments in October.

Volvo Car is entering a crowded space as manufacturers jostle for a piece of the lucrative SUV market.

Last month, Mercedes-Benz AG and Polestar Automotive Holding unveiled new battery SUVs to take on Tesla Inc.’s Model Y. Chinese manufacturers are also seeking to make inroads into Europe, with Nio Inc. planning to start sales in markets including Sweden.

The 7-seater EX90, available from US$80,000 (RM376,000), is the first model built on the carmaker’s new dedicated EV platform with production at Volvo’s US plants in Ridgeville and Charleston, South Carolina, starting next year.

In 2024, output will start in China.

Making the car a success is crucial for reaching targets to sell 1.2 million vehicles annually by mid-decade, up from around 699,000 last year, and to cease making combustion autos by 2030.

"We are very comfortable with that target,” Rowan said during an interview with Bloomberg Television.

"We are launching a new EV every year for the next five years.”

Following the EX90 is a smaller SUV in 2023. The company is also holding an investor day today.

Asked about some recent mixed signals on electrification regulation, Rowan said EVs are set for rapid adoption after reaching a tipping point.

"Technology wins the day,” he said.

"EVs are the better technology than combustion engines — there’s better acceleration and less noise.”


Why catalytic converters in cars are 'hot' items among thieves

                MALACCA: The catalytic converters of even the old-faithful Proton Wira have been a major target of thieves here, as the automobile part is in high demand globally, say Malacca police.

They said the Wira and Naza RIA were among the favourite models of car part thieves in the state.

Catalytic converters are partially made of rare metals, including palladium, rhodium and platinum, which makes them attractive to thieves in recent months due to the lucrative price of white gold.

Palladium is one of the metal components used in making white gold and dental fillings, as well as ceramic capacitors, which regulate the flow of electricity in smartphones and laptops.

Even Malacca deputy police chief Senior Asst Comm Datuk Sharul Lalli Masduki admitted that this was the first time he witnessed such mass theft of catalytic converters after his team managed to cripple a gang specialising in such theft.

SAC Sharul Lalli said seven individuals, aged from 19 to 42, were detained in a series of raids from Nov 18 to Nov 25.

"We have confiscated 65 of these catalytic converters," he said during a press conference at Malacca police headquarters in Bukit Beruang here today.

SAC Sharul Lalli said of the 65 units, 30 were found to be stolen, while investigations are ongoing to determine where the gang had obtained the rest.

He said the modus operandi of the gang was to steal the catalytic converters and sell it to a 39-year-old middleman.

SAC Sharul Lalli said the gang only takes 10 minutes to steal the car part.

"It is mostly used for making white gold," he said, adding that the stolen items were sold outside the country.

He said that all seven suspects had been remanded to assist in the investigation under Section 379 (A) of the Penal Code.


Lexus Mutiara Damansara - refurbished for richer experience

                PETALING JAYA: Lexus Malaysia has opened its doors to its refurbished flagship Lexus facility in Mutiara Damansara, marking its further elevation beyond being just a premium automotive brand.

Guests can now experience the exquisite Lexus luxury lifestyle in a facility that truly elevates all the five senses and more.

Through liberal use of high-tech digital innovation and technology, the new facility is able to create an unparalleled Lexus experience for every guest who visits the new outlet be it for a brand new Lexus automobile, quality after-sales care, a high-quality certified pre-owned vehicle or simply to purchase Lexus Lifestyle merchandise.

In presenting the new Lexus Mutiara Damansara, Lexus Malaysia president Ravindran K said the enhancements to the facilities allowed Lexus Malaysia to redefine its core brand values and to clearly showcase them with a truly exclusive Lexus experience.

Lexus Malaysia deputy chairman Akio Takeyama said the Lexus brand and its products were never deemed conventional.

“Neither then should the retail experience be. By designing innovative ways to excite and change the world, Lexus remains the visionary luxury brand that anticipates the future for people and society,” he said.

Part of the challenge for a luxury lifestyle brand is to remain in step with the customer and at Lexus, this challenge is amply met through its omotenashi (Japanese hospitality) mantra by anticipating and fulfilling customers’ needs at every touch point.

Among the highlights of the refurbished Mutiara Damansara centre are:
* DELIGHTING all senses beginning with the Lexus Signature Scent of Wild Earth greeting visitors

* SEAMLESS and wireless sales and service experience for customers and prospects through Lexus Touch tablets

* HIGHEST quality coffee from Cafés Richard, a highly sought-after French brand synonymous with high-end Parisian cafés

* A highly-digitalized experience with surround LCD displays, digital vehicle information consoles among others throughout the centre

* MARK Levinson audio system installed in an acoustically tuned room for guests to experience the kind of audiophile-quality sounds they can enjoy in select Lexus vehicles·

* A RETAIL space with well-stocked premium quality Lexus Lifestyle Collection merchandise

* A Zen Room for guests to enjoy tranquillity and relaxing to soft music on massage or lounge chairs while their vehicles receive expert care


Uber and Hyundai Motor team up to develop electric air taxi

                SEOUL: US ride-hailing company Uber Technologies Inc and South Korean automaker Hyundai Motor plan to jointly develop electric air taxis, they said today, joining the race for flying cars to ease urban congestion.

Hyundai will unveil a concept electric aircraft developed with Uber at the Consumer Electronics Show (CES), which kicks off in Las Vegas later in the day, with the model designed to carry up to four passengers with a pilot and fly on trips of up to 100km.

Uber has pledged to begin demonstrator urban flights in 2020 and commercial operations in 2023 as part of its project, which also counts Boeing subsidiary Aurora Flight Sciences as one of its partner firms. Hyundai is the first carmaker to team up with Uber on the project.

“Hyundai will produce and deploy the air vehicles, and Uber will provide airspace support services, connections to ground transportation, and customer interfaces through an aerial ride share network,” the two companies said in a joint statement.

“The overall cost to produce and operate UAM (urban air mobility) vehicles should be really low enough for everyone to enjoy the freedom to fly,” Shin Jai-won, Executive Vice President and Head of Urban Air Mobility Division at Hyundai Motor, said at a CES presentation.

Shin, a former NASA engineer hired by Hyundai last year, said the mobility industry believes that once the everyday flight market matures fully, it will exceed the current number of commercial airplanes flying around the world - about 25,000.

Last year, Hyundai pledged to invest 1.8 trillion won (RM6.2bil) in what it called “urban air mobility” by 2025.

Hyundai will continue to collaborate with industry leaders on future projects, Euisun Chung, executive vice chairman of the group said at the presentation.

Plane makers, car manufacturers and technology firms are jumping into the flying car segment, although significant technological and regulatory hurdles remain to be addressed.

US planemaker Boeing said in October it was working with Volkswagen’s sports car brand, Porsche, to develop a concept electric flying vehicle capable of transporting people in urban areas.


Mercedes delays electric debut after Jaguar and Audi SUVs flop

                NEW YORK: Mercedes-Benz is putting off the US debut of its first electric vehicle by a year in the latest sign of just how difficult a time automakers are having replicating Tesla Inc.’s success.

Daimler AG’s luxury brand will start sales of the EQC crossover in 2021 rather than early next year. The German carmaker said in an e-mailed statement that it’s made the strategic decision to first support growing demand for the model in Europe, where deliveries began earlier this year.

The world’s top-seller of premium autos has touted the EQC and the series of battery-powered models it has planned under the EQ sub-brand as an answer both to Tesla and its traditional rivals.

But the initial electric vehicles Jaguar and Audi introduced in the US market this year have underwhelmed on the sales charts, failing to keep up even with Tesla’s years-old Model S and X.

Daimler has at least 10 purely battery-powered cars planned through 2022 to help meet tougher emissions rules around the globe.

But while regulatory pressure is picking up, US demand has been tepid for models other than Tesla’s lower-priced Model 3. Consumers continue to harbour concerns about limited driving range, long charging times and high sticker prices.

Jaguar has sold 2,418 I-Pace SUVs in the US this year through November, while Audi has delivered 4,623 e-tron crossovers, according to InsideEVs. By contrast, the website estimates that Tesla has sold about 111,650 Model 3 sedans.

Luxury-car makers’ biggest retailers are divided over the outlook for electric cars in the US. In February, the president of Sonic automotive Inc., the fifth-largest US dealership group in the country, wondered aloud on an earnings call whether Tesla had built a cult following for its cars and said the brand needed to be taken seriously by BMW and others.

But in October, Roger Penske, the chief executive officer of Penske automotive Group Inc., said the I-Pace hasn’t sold as expected and that consumers have been cancelling orders for the e-tron.

"They’re expensive, and everyone has range anxiety, and to me, what’s going to be the residual value at the end?” Penske said during an earnings call. "The growth is going to be slow.”
automotive News first reported Mercedes’s decision to delay the EQC earlier Friday.


Australian lithium recovery seen by mid-2020 as EV production revs up

                MELBOURNE: Strong demand from the electric-vehicle sector alongside supply cuts should help Australian lithium miners recover towards the middle of next year, earlier than expected, industry executives said today.

Australian producers of spodumene, a type of concentrated lithium ore that accounts for about half of global lithium supply, have suffered this year after a flood of production sent prices tumbling by more than 20%.

Recently, miners said they do not expect a recovery until the end of this year or early 2020.

BMI managing director Simon Moores suggested that the wait could be longer, but still earlier than market consensus of 2021.

“There are two factors. One is the build-up of the demand picture downstream. The amount of battery plants that are going up, the amount of contracts that we see being signed long-term. The demand picture is getting even stronger,” he said.

“On the supply side, you have also started to see a response,” Moores added, speaking at an industry event here.

Since November last year, BMI has revised up by 50% its estimates for the global build-out of lithium ion battery capacity by 2028.

The consultancy expects production for next year to come in at 10.7 million electric vehicles, up 35% from 7.9 million this year. By 2028, that will be 36.8 million at more than 2000 gigawatt hours, a presentation slide by BMI showed.

Australian miner Pilbara Minerals has scaled down its expansion plans. It stopped mining about two weeks ago, cut or furloughed 20% of its workforce, and doesn’t expect to restart mining for the next six weeks in order to respond to the weak market, Chief Executive Ken Brinsden told Reuters on the sidelines of the event.

“China’s caught a cold. So Western Australia’s spodumene has got the flu, but it does not mean that the story is over,” Brinsden told the conference.

The source of weak demand was a change in China’s electric vehicle subsidies toward lithium hydroxide, high nickel cathode that did not have the immediate uptake from the industry of the scale that China expected, Brinsden said.

“Our key objective is to minimise the cash spend in a period of time in which the market is weak. And, our hope is our peers to the same. And on the face of it, it looks like they will.”


Singapore’s ban causes jam

File pic of traffic jam at the Causeway. — Reuters
JOHOR BARU: Malaysians are irked by Singapore’s decision to deny entry to all foreign vehicles with outstanding fines for traffic, parking or vehicular emissions, which has already started at the two-entry points.

Many Malaysians travelling into Singapore for work started their day yesterday being stuck in congestion at both the Causeway and Second Link near Gelang Patah.

Among them is Kathleen Ann Kili, 28, who said that the congestion at the Tuas Checkpoint was much worse because drivers stopped to pay their fines while some were forced turn back around.

“The checkpoint booths at the Malaysian side are not enough, which is the first cause of congestion. Now with the ban, the situation gets from bad to worse,” she added.

“People usually go around 5am to catch the first bus and avoid the rush, but from what I have experienced it’s beyond words because more people are opting to use buses following Singapore’s decision. “It will take time for people to be accustomed to this change because we cannot expect people to pay their outstanding fines quickly, so like it or not we have to bear with it,” she added.

Another factory worker, Mohd Faiz Mustaffa, 31, said there was nothing new with Singapore’s ban as the regulation had long been practised.

“It is their country. Like it or not, we just have to follow their laws,” he said.

It was earlier reported that foreign motorists are reminded to check any outstanding fines for vehicle-related offences and pay up, or they can be denied entry into Singapore.

Motorists should also retain the receipt for verification purposes during their subsequent entries to Singapore.

The move to deny foreign vehicles with outstanding fines for traffic, parking or vehicular emissions entry into Singapore was previously announced in February.

Singapore pointed out that as of February, drivers of foreign vehicles had accumulated about 400,000 outstanding fines amounting to S$32mil (RM96.35mil).

Motorists can check their outstanding fines at www.axs.com.sg.


Perodua offers assistance to flood-affected customers

                KUALA LUMPUR: Perodua is offering assistance to all of its customers who were affected by the recent flash floods.

The company is allowing owners affected by the floods to claim RM100 for towing services to the nearest Perodua service outlet.

In addition, a 20% discount off selected parts is being provided as well as free inspections for flood-related vehicles.

The company also encourages all owners affected by the floods to call its toll-free customer care line at 1-800-88-6600 for further enquiries or assistance.

“Our customers matter most to us and these value added services are provided to help relieve some of the burden our customers have to deal with during this disaster,” said Perodua president & CEO Datuk Dr Aminar Rashid Salleh.


Jeep announces further details about new electric Avenger SUV

                PARIS: Jeep has revealed its first EV – the Avenger – in full at the Paris Motor Show, with the brand announcing new details about the model.

Slotting underneath the Jeep Renegade, the Avenger will arrive in 2023 as the brand’s most compact model.

Designed primarily for Europe, it is based on a platform called ‘e-CMP2’, and will be produced at a factory in Tychy, Poland, alongside a range of models from parent company Stellantis – including the Peugeot e-2008 and Vauxhall Mokka-e.

Its electric motor develops 154bhp and 260Nm of torque, and is paired with a 54kWh battery that allows for a range of 400km. It can also be rapid charged at up to 100kW, with a 20 to 80% charge said to take just 24 minutes.

In the UK, the Avenger will only be offered as an EV, though Italian and Spanish markets will be able to choose it with a turbocharged petrol engine.

The firm says it offers "Jeep brand capability", but the Avenger will only be offered in a front-wheel-drive guise, not the brand’s trademark 4×4. That said, it will be equipped with a "Selec-Terrain7"’ mode, which includes specific settings for snow, mud and sand, along with hill descent control.

Short overhangs and large wheels also give it 20cm ground clearance, the most in the segment, with Jeep saying it’s the "benchmark7" in the class.

The Avenger keeps the American brand’s trademark seven-hole grille and bulging fenders, while gets cladding all around the exterior, helping to give it that chunky look that Jeeps are known for.

Inside, the Avenger gets a 10.25-inch touchscreen as standard that is said to offer "smartphone-like graphics", and also includes wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto.

Christian Meunier, Jeep brand CEO, said: “The new Jeep Avenger represents a key milestone for the brand as it is the first of a portfolio of all-new Jeep EVs to be introduced in Europe.

“It offers Jeep brand capability that is right sized for the European market and at the Paris Motor Show, we are showcasing why it is a great all-electric Jeep brand alternative to current players in the B-SUV segment.”

The Avenger will be followed by three further all-electric models in Europe by 2025 as the brand seeks to build its electrified line-up.

Reservations for the new Jeep Avenger will open from January 2023, with prices likely to start from around £35,000 (RM186,000) in the UK.


Porsche pop-up store opens in Penang!

                PENANG: Sime Darby Auto Performance (SDAP), the authorised importer of Porsche vehicles in Malaysia, has opened its doors to its first pop-up store within the confines of Gurney Paragon in Penang.

The new 1,603 sq ft store aims to provide an unparalleled level of customer experience where Porsche customers and enthusiasts will have access to Porsche-related reading materials while enjoying a cup of gourmet coffee.

Also, test drives are available, although prior arrangement with Porsche Centre Penang is required.

Other than the latest range of Porsche Driver’s Selection apparel and accessories being made available at the pop-up store, the recently launched 718 Cayman SportDesign Series with its up-rated performance and SportDesign Package with carbon fibre elements and high gloss black 20-inch forged one-piece alloy wheels will be showcased.

The 718 Cayman SportDesign Series, which has been exclusively limited to only 15 units, is priced at RM625,000 (includes all applicable duties, except registration fee, road tax and insurance) and comes with a four-year warranty with a free maintenance package.

Porsche enthusiasts are able to receive further information and assistance, including arranging test drives, via Porsche Centre Penang.

“As part of our commitment to a priceless and unique ownership experience for our owners in the Northern region, the new pop-up store offers a drop-off service for customers by appointment for vehicle service maintenance. We understand how busy life can be, which is why we want to make it as convenient as possible. Customers can opt to leave their vehicle at the drop-off area of the new pop-up store while we handle the transporting and servicing at Porsche Centre Penang,” said SDAP chief executive officer Christopher Hunter.


Naza World Auto-Mania is back

                PETALING JAYA: Naza World Auto-Mania is back after the successful response from the first event held in April this year.

Naza World, home of some of the most desirable cars and motorcycles, will open and extend its operating hours from 10am to 8pm from October 2 to 4, 2015.

“The event in April was such a tremendous hit with our customers that we have decided to organise another Naza World Auto-Mania. As with the first event, we will also be offering year end promotions, cash rebates and special gifts,” said Colonel (Hon) Datuk Wira Haji SM Faisal Tan Sri SM Nasimuddin, Group Executive Chairman & Group CEO, NAZA World Group of Companies.

The event will also see the preview of the latest variants of the Chevrolet Colorado Sport and Cruze Sport models.

There will be ‘Cars and Motorcycles of the Day’ promotional slots throughout the three-day of Naza World Auto-Mania 2015 where the vehicles will be offered at a very special price or with additional accessories packages.

Customers who purchase any car or motorcycle during the event will be entitled to on-the-spot lucky draws.

There will also be fun and games for the rest of the family and speed-loving visitors can have a go at realistic driving and riding simulators programmed with the world’s most challenging courses.

A blood donation drive will also be held during the event.

It is held at the Naza World Automall, Jalan 51A/221 in Petaling Jaya.


Digi teams up with PetDag for service centres in petrol stations

                KUALA LUMPUR: Looks like Petronas stations are attracting more than just restaurants and banks. The latest partnership is with telco Digi.com Bhd.

It has just team up with Petronas Dagangan to offer selected services such as subscribing to a Digi line or credit reload at Kedai Mesra in Petronas as well as refuelling, refreshing and reloading at Petronas stations.

The Digi services are available at over 200 Petronas stations in the Klang Valley.

In addition, Digi pop-up booths will also be set up at some Petronas stations to make it more convenient for motorists who want to perform these services prior to entering Petronas' Kedai Mesra. These services can be completed as quickly as 20 seconds at the booths, enabled by Digi’s Mobile Sales app.

The benefits from the Digi-Petronas partnership is also offered to Digi’s commercial fleet tracking service iFleet and Petronas Dagangan’s corporate fleet card programme, Petronas SmartPay.

Petronas SmartPay fleet card users who sign-up for iFleet services receive 10% off their subscriptions per month, per vehicle while iFleet customers receive an attractive discount per litre of Petronas’ quality fuel when they sign up for SmartPay.

In recent months, Petronas Dagangan had announced tie-ups with Starbucks and KFC.

READ MORE:Fuel up with (more) KFC outlets at Petronas stations


Lexus talks bringing F-brand power to crossovers

                ORLANDO: During a media event preceding the Rolex 24 Hours at Daytona sports car endurance race near here, the VP of Lexus product planning and strategy revealed that the company is considering bringing the high-performance F-badge to crossovers and SUVs.

Lexus executive Cooper Ericksen was quoted by Motor1 on Monday as saying that the company has been toying with the idea of bringing a crossover or SUV into the F-performance world.

In fact, executive VP and chief engineer of Lexus UX Chika Kako went as far as to say that "the brand's smallest crossover ‘has potential' to join the F family as a high-horsepower gasoline electric hybrid," but they're still weighing whether or not on-road performance is more valuable than off-road performance.

Considering that this new genre of model would compete against the likes of the BMW X2 M35i or Mercedes GLA45, there's a great deal of power that Lexus would have to bring to the table, considering that the most recent UX luxury crossover has a horsepower of 160 while the BMW and Mercedes iterations measure up to 306hp and 375hp, respectively.

Then again, Ericksen simply stated that this potentially F-branded SUV or crossover is just the subject of "active conversation;" the F nomenclature may be reserved for Lexus coupes and sedans.


Saudi PIF said to be in talks to invest in aspiring Tesla rival Lucid

California-based Lucid Motors unveiled a prototype of a luxury sedan the Lucid Air at its unveiling in Fremont, California on Dec 14, 2016.
SAN FRANCISCO: PIF, the Saudi Arabian sovereign wealth fund that Tesla Inc CEO Elon Musk has said could help him fund a US$72 billion (RM295bil) deal to take his electric car maker private, is in talks to invest in aspiring Tesla rival Lucid Motors Inc, people familiar with the matter said on Sunday.

The talks between privately-held Lucid Motors and PIF underscore the latter’s appetite to invest in electric car makers to diversify the oil-rich Middle Eastern kingdom’s investment portfolio.

A deal with Lucid Motors would also be more in line with PIF’s limited resources, given that, despite its US$250 billion (RM1tril) in assets, PIF has already made substantial commitments to other technology companies or investments, including a US$45-billion (RM185bil) agreement to invest in a giant technology fund led by Japan’s SoftBank Group Corp.

PIF and Lucid Motors have drawn up a term sheet under which PIF could invest more than US$1 billion (RM4.1bil) in Lucid Motors and obtain majority ownership, the sources said. PIF’s first investment in Lucid Motors, however, would be for US$500 million (RM2bil), and subsequent cash injections would come in two stages that are contingent on Lucid Motors hitting certain production milestones, one of the sources added.

The talks between PIF and Lucid Motors may not result in a deal, the sources cautioned.

The sources asked not to be identified because the matter is confidential. PIF and Lucid Motors did not immediately respond to requests for comment.

Musk, a 47-year-old investor and engineer, stunned financial markets earlier this month, when he revealed on Twitter he was considering a $420 (RM1,723) per share take-private deal for Tesla, an auto manufacturing pioneer that developed the world’s first ever premium all-electric sedan car.

He added that funding was “secured,” and elaborated last Monday that he believed Saudi Arabia’s PIF could provide the necessary funding, although sources close to the sovereign wealth fund have played down that prospect. Earlier this year, PIF built a stake of just under 5 percent in Tesla by snapping up shares in the open market, rather than acquiring newly issued shares.

Musk has also said he believes two-thirds of existing Tesla shareholders would roll over their holdings into a private company, rather than cash out, and that he was still talking with major shareholders and advisers before settling on a structure for a deal.

Getting access to cheap capital is a constant challenge for automakers, which can spend US$1 billion or more engineering a single new model and bringing it to mass production, only to have the vehicle flop because of a cyclical sales slump or a shift in market tastes.

Based on the edges of Silicon Valley in Newark, California, Lucid Motors was founded in 2007 as Atieva by Bernard Tse, a former Tesla vice president and board member, and Sam Weng, a former exec at Oracle Corp and Redback Networks. It received backing from Chinese investors, including tech entrepreneur Jia Yueting and state-owned automaker BAIC. Other venture capital backers have included Venrock, Mitsui & Co and Tsing Capital.

Lucid Motors is not yet selling any cars. In 2016, it unveiled a prototype of its Lucid Air model, a US$100,000 (RM411,000) luxury sedan it had hoped to begin building in Arizona in late 2018. It is not clear when this car will become available, though the company is accepting refundable deposits of US$2,500 (RM10,252) from consumers on its website.

Tesla is much more advanced as an electric car maker, though investors are questioning how long can it go before turning a profit. It has been burning through cash as it has aggressively ramped up Model 3 production, a process Musk has called “production hell.”

Analysts at UBS last week questioned the profitability of the Model 3, in a report that said Tesla could lose US$6,000 (RM24,603) on every base model.


2020 Perodua Bezza facelift open for booking: You now get better safety features

                KUALA LUMPUR: The 2020 Perodua Bezza facelift is offered in four variants priced from RM34,580 to RM49,980 (on-the-road before insurance in Peninsular Malaysia).

The Bezza facelift comes with a five-year/150,000km warranty (whichever comes first).

The Bezza facelift has four variants:

- 1.0-litre G manual (RM34,580)
- 1.0-litre G auto (RM36,580)
- 1.3-litre X auto (RM43,980)
- 1.3-litre AV auto (RM49,980)

All prices are on-the-road before insurance in Peninsular Malaysia

Bezza facelift (standard features):

- LED headlamps
- two-tone side skirts
- Electric side mirrors

Bezza facelift 1.0-litre G (features):

- Silver finish on front grille
- 14-inch alloy rims
- Turn signals on side mirrors
- reverse sensors
- ABS with EBD

Bezza facelift 1.3-litre X (extra/better features):

- Chrome finish on front grille
- 15-inch alloy rims
- Smart entry with smart key
- Push start-stop button
- Front corner sensors
- Vehicle Stability Control (VSC)
- Traction Control (TRC)

Bezza facelift 1.3-litre AV (extra/better features):

- Retractable side mirrors
- Reverse camera
- Advanced Safety Assist (ASA) 2.0

Bookings have opened for the compact sedan in all 186 Perodua sales outlets nationwide, and the Bezza facelift will have its official launch on January 8 in Kuala Lumpur.

The new sharp front-end styling, courtesy of new-design bumpers and grille, is joined by LED headlamps and two-tone side skirts, both of which are standard across the range.

The top two X and AV variants get new 15-inch alloy rims while power-adjustable door mirrors are now standard across the range (retractable on AV).

Two body colours new to the Bezza – Garnet Red (exclusive to 1.3 litre variants) and Granite Grey – join the four existing hues on offer, namely Ivory White, Glittering Silver, Ocean Blue and Sugar Brown.

The top AV variant gets Perodua’s Advanced Safety Assist 2.0 (ASA 2.0) suite of driver assistance safety systems, making it the most affordable sedan in Malaysia with such a feature.

ASA 2.0 comprises Pedestrian Detection (up to 50 km/h), Pre-Collision Warning (up to 100 km/h), Pre-Collision Braking (up to 80 km/h), Front Departure Alert and Pedal Misoperation Control, all of which work together to mitigate collisions.

Meanwhile, the X variant now gains the Vehicle Stability Control and traction control, already previously offered on the AV variant.

White-illuminated gauges uplift the interior, while keyless entry and start, as well as front corner sensors, are offered on the top two X and AV variants.

All variants get reverse sensors; the AV adds a reverse camera.

“We hope the improvements we’ve made will join hands with the 508-litre boot, up to 22 km/l fuel efficiency and all the other reasons you love the Bezza to furnish you with the motoring experience you’ve always desired,” said Perodua president and CEO Datuk Zainal Abidin Ahmad.