Dyson shifts up a gear with electric car hub

Dyson. — AFP
LONDON: James Dyson, the Brexit-backing billionaire behind the vacuum cleaners that bear his name, is establishing a new British research hub as he shifts up a gear in his drive into electric cars.

Dyson, speaking to AFP as his company published soaring profits on booming Asian sales, outlined plans to open a second research and development centre in a former Royal Air Force airfield in Hullavington, south-west England.

The entrepreneur, who owns 100 percent of the company he founded in the 1970s, has revolutionised household appliances with his bagless vacuum cleaners, bladeless fans and air purifiers.

Dyson now has Britain's air pollution concerns in his sights and expressed confidence this week over the group's electric car ambitions.

The company will shift its 400-strong automotive engineering team to the sprawling Hullavington facility in May, alongside workers from other divisions.

The first vehicle — as yet unnamed — will be available for orders from 2020.

"We will be taking orders. You can order one now, if you like," he joked in a telephone interview from nearby Malmesbury, where the group has its main base.

The exact manufacturing location is "still under discussion", he added, but indicated that it would either be in Britain or Asia.

A five-year investment programme ending in 2021 will see the bulk of £2.5 billion (RM13.5bil) pumped into Dyson's automotive unit.

Electric vehicles are increasing in popularity as governments worldwide drive forward plans to gradually phase out polluting petrol and diesel cars.

In Britain, new car sales fell for the first time in six years during 2017, largely on plummeting demand for diesel-powered vehicles, industry data showed.

Total sales dropped 5.7 percent to 2.54 million vehicles, the first annual drop since 2011, according to the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders. And Brexit-fuelled inflation caused by a weaker pound has also hit demand, it said.

Turning to Brexit, Dyson — a vocal Leave supporter in the run-up to Britain's shock EU exit referendum in 2016 — expressed hope that London would reach a free trade deal with Brussels.

Without an accord, bilateral trade would likely be subject to higher World Trade Organization (WTO) tariffs.

"I hope that (Britain) can come to an agreement... but we are already operating quite successfully without an agreement," he told AFP.

Dyson explained that because his company makes goods in Asia, it already has to pay WTO duties to Brussels for items heading to Europe.

He added: "But I think it would be very sensible for Europe to come to an agreement on free trade with Britain. I think it would be hurtful to both sides not to do that."

Britain is scheduled to leave the European Union in March 2019.

Dyson Group said that 2017 operating profit surged by almost one third to around £800 million (RM4.3bil), aided by fast growth in China, India, Japan, Korea and Taiwan. Revenues leapt 40 percent to £3.5 billion (RM19bil).


China's passenger car sales tumble 92% in first half of February

China’s passenger vehicle sales recorded 4,909 units in the first 16 days, down from 59,930. — AFP
BEIJING: Retail sales of passenger cars in China crumbled 92% on an annual basis in the first 16 days of February, according to China Passenger Car Association (CPCA), as the coronavirus outbreak slammed the brakes on businesses across the country.

China’s passenger vehicle sales recorded 4,909 units in the first 16 days, down from 59,930 vehicles in the same period a year earlier, data from CPCA showed, the first major figures to demonstrate just how hard the epidemic is hitting the world’s biggest auto market.

“Very few dealerships opened in the first weeks of February and they have had very little customer traffic,” it said.

Mainland China recorded 889 new confirmed cases of coronavirus infection on Thursday. The death toll also rose by 118 to 2,236, mostly in the Hubei provincial capital of Wuhan where the outbreak began, and which remains under virtual lockdown.

China’s auto market is likely to see sales slide more than 10% in the first half of the year due to the coronavirus epidemic, and around 5% for the whole year, provided the epidemic is effectively contained before April, the country’s top auto industry body, the China Association of Automobile Manufacturers said last week.

To stabilise the market, where more than 25 million vehicles were sold last year, China’s commerce ministry said it will introduce more measures to boost auto consumption.


Model makeover helps skirt China autoshow crackdown

                SHANGHAI: Amid the razzmatazz, music and crowds at the Shanghai autoshow on Monday, hundreds of attractive young women, and men, mingled among the stands and company booths, introducing the newest sedans and handing out pamphlets.

For years, often skimpily dressed female models have been a staple at China's big autoshows - as much of a draw as the latest car models themselves. This year is different - the organisers have banned models from the Shanghai show.

Indeed, as China's premier car exposition opened on Monday, the tone was more subdued, though models said many had found ways to get around the crackdown.

"I'm not called a 'model' here because they banned models this year," said Dai Jun, 25, a part-time model working for a luxury European carmaker at the show. Dressed in a smart suit, Dai was standing next to one of the automaker's new car models.

Others now work as "high-end sales consultants" or "tour guides" and are armed with brand information, giveaways and longer skirts. Many stood next to cars and posed for photos despite talk ahead of the show that this would not be allowed.

"I heard they banned models but I think it's just a technicality," said Kate, 20, an Estonian model working for a car company at the show. She declined to give her surname.

Models play various roles at China's autoshows. Some carmakers use models as a marketing strategy aimed at their target audience. Others employ them simply to attract crowds.

Hundreds of smaller car expos are held across China, with models at some known to swallow snakes, kiss crocodiles and even pose naked in a not-so-subtle attempt to draw in crowds.

Even as Beijing announced its plans weeks ago to bar models, and children, from autoshows, social media platforms such as Weibo and Wechat carried recruitment advertisements seeking "professional models", "taller than 170cm" (around 5 ft 6 ins), and with "no pimples".

In emailed comments to Reuters, He Yingrui, a spokesman for the autoshow, said models had been banned and the organisers hoped automakers would "resolutely stop evil activities and all kinds of low-brow delights and corrupt public morals."

The ban prompted a backlash from China's influential netizens, similar to a response in January when a TV drama about a Chinese empress was scrubbed of all footage showing actresses' cleavages.

"There are better ways to deal with skimpily dressed women (than banning them), like regulating plunging neck lines," said Johney Zheng, president of Esee model agency. "I think in one or two years, things will return to normal."


Nissan innovation that makes cars quieter wins 'Popular Science' award

                YOKOHAMA: A Nissan innovation that can help make cars quieter and more energy efficient has won an award from Popular Science.

The noise-reducing technology, known as acoustic meta-material, received a 2020 Popular Science Best of What’s New Award in the automotive category.

Established in 1872, Popular Science is one of the US’ oldest and most trusted brands, reporting on groundbreaking innovations and discoveries.

The Best of What’s New Awards recognise breakthrough products and technologies that represent significant advancements in their categories.

Nissan’s acoustic meta-material is a new lightweight sound insulation material.

Its makeup is simple: A combination of a lattice structure and plastic film controls air vibrations to limit the transmission of wide frequency band noise (500-1200 Hertz), such as road and engine noise.

While most materials used to isolate this frequency band consist mainly of heavy rubber board, Nissan’s acoustic meta-material is one-fourth the weight yet provides the same degree of sound isolation.

The material represents a breakthrough by Nissan engineers in their effort to offer customers a relaxing, quiet cabin while reducing vehicle weight and thereby improving mileage.

“We plan to use acoustic meta-material in a wide range of applications – not only in luxury cars and electric vehicles, but also in vehicles where the use of heavy sound insulation materials has been limited,” said Susumu Miura, Nissan’s advanced material engineer in charge of the acoustic meta-material project.

Acoustic meta-material is currently under development for commercialisation and represents how Nissan Intelligent Mobility technology is being developed to enhance the driving experience.


Speed limiters will hurt sales of performance cars, says Alpina

                MUNICH: Proposals to make speed limiters mandatory in cars and impose speed limits on Germany's autobahn network have triggered debates in the country.

In a report by whichcar, Alpina CEO Andreas Bovensiepen said he hopes both proposals will not see reality, as they will definitely affect sales of performance cars.

He explained that it would be insane to think that lowering speed limits alone will result in fewer accidents.

"If you go slower, the kinetic energy is lower, so in theory you’ll have more safety – this is a dangerous way to think,” he said in the whichcar report.

“If there are speed limiters I think the majority of cars will get a much lower quality in suspension. The German manufactures will say ‘oh, why should we invest so much money in suspension if there’s hardly any difference if you can go no faster than 120kph’. In that case you don’t need five-link suspension etc.,” he said

However, Bovensiepen also said with autonomous driving cars, it would be safer to have speed limiters installed.


Citroen survey reveals what Europeans are getting up to in their cars

                PARIS: A new survey from Citroen has revealed some interesting habits about what Europeans get up to in their cars.

Ahead of the Paris Motor Show, which takes place Oct 1-16, the car company released the results of their European survey, entitled "Our lives in cars."

Carried out in Germany, Spain, France, Italy, Poland, Portugal and Britain, the survey revealed that the average European spends 4 years and 1 month of their life in their car, and those who are driving almost every day will thank or wave to a whopping 10,056 people on the road.

It also showed that Europeans are partial to taking part in some "car karaoke," singing at the top of their voices in their cars 3,917 times, as well as completing more mundane tasks such as doing their hair, shaving or putting on their makeup in-car 1,234 times.

Perhaps to help speed up those "Are we there yet?" moments, they will also take part in a game 58 times, and "We'll be there soon" will be said 228 times.

Loved ones will make out in their cars 61 times, and perhaps as part of the making-up process, Europeans kiss 2,432 times and make love 4 times in their cars. Some countries are of particular note here, with the English and French making love around 3.4 times - compared with 8 times for Italians!

The study will also be highlighted in Citroën's upcoming campaign, "Citroën inspired by you."


Toyota recalls first mass-produced EVs less than 2 months after launch

                TOKYO: Toyota Motor Corp said on Thursday it would recall 2,700 of its first mass-produced electric vehicles (EVs) for the global market because of a risk the wheels could come loose.

The world's largest automaker by sales submitted the recall of the bZ4X SUVs to Japan's transportation ministry. Of the 2,700 vehicles, 2,200 were earmarked for Europe, 260 for the United States, 20 for Canada and 110 for Japan, the company said.

Subaru Corp also said Thursday it was globally recalling about 2,600 units of the Solterra, its first all-electric vehicle jointly developed with Toyota, for the same reason.

Japan's safety regulator said sharp turns and sudden braking could cause a hub bolt to loosen, raising the risk of a wheel coming off the vehicle. It said it was not aware of any accidents being caused by the defect.

The regulator advised drivers to stop using the vehicle until a more "permanent" repair measure was in place.

All of the cars recalled in Japan had not yet been delivered to customers as they were meant for test drives and display, spokesmen of the automakers said.

"We sincerely apologise for any inconvenience this causes you," Toyota said on its website. "We would have repaired it as soon as possible, but we are investigating the details."

A Toyota spokesman said not every model was subjected to the recall but declined to say how many it has built overall.

For Subaru, most of the vehicles were for dealers and none were delivered to customers in the US, a Subaru spokesman said.

The recall comes less than two months after Toyota, a relative latecomer to the EV market, rolled out the electric SUV, bZ4X, to the domestic market, albeit as a lease-only option.

Toyota's unit that offers the leases, KINTO, has cancelled promotional test-drive events planned in three Japanese cities for safety measures.

Toyota has been criticised by some investors and environmental organisations for not acting quickly enough to phase out gasoline-powered cars and embrace EVs instead.

The company has repeatedly pushed back against the criticism, arguing the necessity to offer a variety of powertrains to suit different markets and customers.

Gasoline-electric hybrid models remain far more popular in Toyota's home market than EVs, which accounted for just 1% of the passenger cars sold in Japan last year, based on industry data.

Still, the market is growing fast and foreign automakers including Tesla Inc are making visible inroads on the streets of cities such as Tokyo.


VW seeks open-source approach to refine car operating system

Senger predicts that in future, there will likely be fewer automotive operating systems than carmakers.
FRANKFURT: Volkswagen wants to use an open-source approach to refine elements of a software-based car operating system being developed by the carmaker, Christian Senger, its board member responsible for digital services and software, said.

With the advent of autonomous driving, carmakers have been forced to link up radar, camera and ultrasonic sensors and connect them to braking and steering components, something which requires thousands of lines of software code.

“There is a race to create automotive operating systems. We are seeing that many non-automotive players are building up competence in this area,” said Senger.

By 2025, VW wants to increase its own share of software development on its cars to 60%, from 10% at present, and to design the electronics and vehicle architecture as well.

Volkswagen board member Thomas Ulbrich said in March that US electric car maker Tesla has a 10-year start on rivals when it comes to building electric cars and software.

“In future, there will likely be fewer automotive operating systems than carmakers,” Senger explained.

Volkswagen will define the core operating system but may seek an open source approach to enhance elements of it.

“The operating system is not something that we will control on our own. We will define its core and then quickly include open-source components, to create standards. This will create opportunities for partnerships,” Senger said.

Adopting an open-source approach to development with external partners is a new approach, Senger said. “This is almost unimaginable for traditional carmakers. But this is the key breakthrough opportunity.”

In January, Volkswagen launched Car.Software, an independent unit responsible for developing lines of code, with around 3,000 digital experts and a budget of more than €7 billion (RM33.4bil). By 2025, it wants to have more than 10,000 software experts.

Senger said it has received many inquires from other carmakers about whether they can participate in the project.

“We are in the process of looking at the opportunities,” Senger said, adding that Volkswagen wants to create a new system, rather than integrate legacy software from rivals.

“This will filter out many who are not willing to do this,” Senger said about potential partners.


Embedded smartcode tags to stop the clones

                PETALING JAYA: A major nationwide crackdown is under way to weed out cloned car syndicates that are causing the Government to lose over RM100mil in tax revenue.

Besides enforcement, Road Transport Department (JPJ) director-general Datuk Seri Ismail Ahmad said there were also plans to use embedded smartcode radio frequency identification (RFID) tags in road tax discs to curb the problem.

“The Government is losing millions in tax revenue,” he said.

“We are looking at implementing a smartcode tag for all vehicles to prevent car cloning.”

Other measures include introduction of a Vehicle Entry Permit (VEP) system in the middle of this year whereby foreign cars that are above five years old can be traced if taxes are not paid.

Since the syndicates were detected last year, a total of 506 cloned cars have been seized by JPJ where losses in tax revenue amounted to some RM30mil.

On the department’s newly formed 25-member special squad to tackle the problem, Ismail said the squad would focus its attention on Kelantan, Terengganu, Negri Sembilan and Perak.

“There are still between 2,000 and 3,000 cloned cars on the road and we aim to go after them,” he added.

Ismail noted that clone car syndicates were under pressure and would move their operations about to avoid detection by the authorities.

Cloned luxury cars usually involve scrapped vehicles from Singapore, taking on the identity of a Malaysian-registered vehicle or that of a vehicle from Singapore.

The process involves changing the engine and chassis numbers, and making cloned road tax discs, and car grants with details input into JPJ’s system.

Last May, the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission arrested four suspects, two of whom were JPJ officers in Negri Sembilan, after more than 10,000 blank road tax discs were smuggled out of the state over the last two years.

A total of 1,500 car grants had also been issued without authorisation.

Meanwhile, a check on social media revealed that Singapore-based companies are offering cloned cars ranging from BMW, Mercedes-Benz, Audi, Lexus, Peugeot, Honda, Toyota, Mitsubishi, Nissan from between RM4,500 and RM30,000.

The dealers even assure buyers that the cloned cars come with cloned documents, including cloned road tax discs from between RM800 and RM1,000 depending on the car model.


Honda Civic hatch gets Orange Edition package in Australia

                MELBOURNE: Honda Australia announced a special Orange Edition accessory package to mark the official release of the new Civic hatch.

Inspired by Honda’s global motorsport activities, the Orange Edition~ package is limited to 100 units and follows in the wake of the Black Pack kit for the Civic sedan.

The special edition kit can be fitted onto the VTi, VTi-S, VTi-L and VTi-LX with four colour options of White Orchid Pearlescent, Lunar Silver Metallic, Sonic Grey Pearlescent and Crystal Black Pearlescent.

The kit costs AUD$2,998 (RM10,250) and consist of a black set of 17-inch alloy wheels while the front under spoiler, door and mirror decal set, side skirt set and rear under spoiler are in orange.


Sime Darby Motors teams up with TOC Automotive College

                PETALING JAYA: Sime Darby Motors (SDM) has teamed up with TOC Automotive College to establish programmes to continuously upskill electric vehicles (EV) technicians servicing global automotive brands represented under SDM.

SDM, in a statement, said this was part of its efforts to unlock opportunities for local talent in the automotive sector.

Through this partnership, training by TOC Automotive College will supplement EV service and maintenance training received from SDM’s brand principals, including BMW, Ford, Hyundai, Jaguar, Land Rover, MINI and Volvo.

This will ensure continuous education and exposure to the latest in technologies and world-class practices for all SDM’s EV technicians.

SDM managing director of retail and distribution Jeffrey Gan said its technicians have already acquired a strong knowledge base and hands-on experience from the training provided by its world-class principals.

“This partnership with TOC aims to offer enhanced learning opportunities to cultivate a strong pool of highly capable technicians equipped with up to date skills and knowledge, especially given the growing demand for EVs in Malaysia.

“This will also contribute to the Government’s efforts to build a competent and skilled talent pool, in support of the nation’s economic growth and development,” Gan said.

TOC executive director Datuk Iqmal Shafiq said: “By elevating the skills of EV technicians for global automotive brands, this will indeed open the door to greater opportunities for Malaysian talent.

“Paving the way for the future of the automotive industry in Malaysia, we look forward to imparting our expertise to continue nurturing the capabilities of automotive professionals towards global standards.”

The first batch of participants comprises 20 technicians enrolled for a three-month programme that starts in May 2022.

Key modules include the principles and concepts behind electrification and hybridisation, safety and systems operations, as well as practical activities such as diagnostics, testing and repair works.


Hyundai customers to enjoy service promotions until end-August

                PETALING JAYA: Hyundai-Sime Darby Motors (HSDM) is extending its mid-year service campaign to Aug 31 to cater to customers who were previously locked down under the Enhanced Movement Control Order.

With this campaign, customers who send in their vehicles to any Hyundai authorised service centre will enjoy discounts of 15 percent on selected parts and 10 percent on labour charges.

Hyundai Loyalty Card holders will enjoy greater discounts of 25 percent on selected parts and 15 percent on labour charges. Selected parts entitled for discounts include gaskets, oil filters, air filters and spark plugs.

The Hyundai Loyalty Card is an exclusive privilege that comes automatically with the ownership of any Hyundai model. Membership privileges include exclusive monthly promotions, such as a 20 percent discount on KLIMA Fresh and BlueChem products.

“Some of our customers have missed out on the campaign privileges due to the lockdown as they could not travel beyond 10km from where they live and could not send in their car for service," said HSDM managing director Low Yuan Lung.

"Therefore, we are extending the campaign period so that more can benefit from it.”

Customers can expect more privileges in the future, such as birthday month discounts on after-sales service, discounts on Hyundai merchandise and a higher trade-in value when they buy another new Hyundai vehicle.

Existing customers can register for a complimentary Hyundai Loyalty Card at any authorised Hyundai service centre nationwide and check for promotional updates via Hyundai’s official website.


F1 will always be dangerous, says Ecclestone

                LONDON: Formula One is as safe as it has ever been but danger will always be part of the sport, commercial supremo Bernie Ecclestone said on Sunday after the death of French driver Jules Bianchi.

"If you were to choose to have an accident today in anything, you'd choose a Formula One (car) because it's probably the safest it's ever been," the 84-year-old Briton told BBC radio.

"What actually happened to Jules was just very, very, very unfortunate.

"Of course, it's dangerous," he added of the sport. "They have 20 races a year, so you see how many accidents there are.

"We do our best, or always have done our best, for driver safety." Bianchi, 25, died in hospital in Nice, southern France, on Friday after nine months in a coma following his horrific accident at the Japanese Grand Prix last October.

He was the first Formula One driver to die of injuries received in a race since Brazilian triple world champion Ayrton Senna at Imola in 1994.

The Marussia driver, popular and tipped for a stellar future after coming through the Ferrari academy, skidded off the track in wet conditions and fading light while yellow warning flags were being waved to tell drivers to slow down. He smashed into a recovery tractor that was removing another crashed car.

"The tractor should never have been there," said Ecclestone, who started out in Formula One in the 1950s and witnessed the sport at its deadliest over the next two decades.

"We've done an awful lot of work to make sure that if a car does go off and hits something, they hit the tyre barriers or whatever, then its all OK," he added.

"Hitting that thing (the tractor), it wouldn't make any difference if you'd hit it with a saloon car...if you'd hit it with a tank you'd have had problems." Formula One's governing body has introduced a number of safety measures after the crash at Suzuka, including the use of a 'virtual safety car' and making the area around the cockpit stronger.

The Grand Prix Drivers' Association (GPDA) said Bianchi's death was a reminder that more could always be done, however.

"It is at times like this that we are brutally reminded of how dangerous racing still remains," the body said in a statement as the world of motorsport paid tribute to the Frenchman..

"Despite considerable improvements we, the grand prix drivers, owe it to the racing community to the lost ones and to Jules, his family and friends, to never relent in improving safety." Ecclestone said the accident was a tragic waste of talent and must never happen again.

"It's just a shame to lose such a talented guy at his age, and such a nice person. What happened was just tragic," he said.

"I hope he'll be remembered the way he was as a driver and a person, not because he had an accident."


With 659hp, Bentley's 'Speed'-badged Continental GT is indeed fast

                LONDON: Bentley has announced the most powerful model variant of the Continental GT Coupe and Cabrio, a Speed version said to be able to hit top speeds of up to 335kph.

The two-door luxury car has been given an even more powerful W12 engine, an adapted chassis and a modified design with darker trim parts for the interior and exterior.

At the centre of this nearly three-tonne powerhouse is a 12-pot, 6.0-litre engine with 659 horses - 24 more than the standard model.

It can manage the sprint to 100kph in just 3.5 seconds and on the right surface, it won't stop accelerating until it hits 335kph.

But this level of performance also comes with massive fuel consumption: 13.7 litres (CO2 emissions: 311 g/km).

To ensure the car is not only fast, but also agile, the engineers are making use of some of the new GT generation's peculiarities.

For example, the Speed also gets rear-axle steering for more control as well as a new set-up for the three-chamber air suspension and an eight-speed dual clutch.

Braking is provided by new carbon-ceramic discs, which, according to Bentley, are larger in diameter (440mm) than on any other production car. It also features an electronically controlled limited slip differential on the rear axle, a first for Bentley.

The coupe is available from €267,869 (RM1.3mil) and the convertible from €294,644 (RM1.4mil), according to the manufacturer.


Grab Malaysia to charge RM3 to RM5 cancellation fee from March 25

                PETALING JAYA: Grab Malaysia will start charging a fee on passengers who cancel or who are late to their ride after a certain allowed amount of time starting from March 25.

In an updated Passenger Cancellation Policy, Grab says passengers who cancel their rides five minutes after getting a driver, will be charged a fee ranging from RM3 to RM5. The exact amount depends on the type of vehicle or service that the passenger has ordered.

For services like GrabCar, GrabTax (metered or executive) and JustGrab for Airport, the cancellation fee is RM3. For a six-seater GrabCar or 10-seater JustGrab, it’s RM4. While for services like GrabCar Premium or GrabCar Luxe where a passenger orders a Vellfire for the airport, it’s RM5.

Grab says it will also be charging passengers an RM5 fee when a driver cancels a ride after waiting at a pick-up point for more than five minutes.

For GrabShare rides, passengers have three minutes to arrive at the pick-up point before the driver is entitled to cancel the ride.

For each booking, passengers may be charged between RM3 to RM5 for late cancellation or charged RM5 after the driver cancels the ride for waiting more than five minutes. The company says it will not charge both fees at the same time.

Passengers will not be charged if they cancel within five minutes of getting a driver. Drivers are also required to wait for five minutes or three minutes if they are performing GrabShare services before they are entitled to charge a cancellation fee.

The company says that the cancellation fee will be waived if a driver does not arrive within 10 minutes after the first-shown estimated time of arrival. An example of this situation is when a passenger is allocated a driver who is three minutes away. But when the passenger has waited for more than 13 minutes, the cancellation fee will be waived.

In an event where a passenger wants to cancel after waiting for too long, Grab encourages the customer to contact the driver via call or GrabChat.

The company assures that it has measures in place to detect if a driver is not moving towards the customer.

For passengers who are on GrabPay, the cancellation fee will be deducted directly from GrabPay credits balance or credit/debit card. The fee will be added automatically to the next ride fare for passengers who are paying by cash.

The company promises that 100% of the cancellation fee will be allocated towards the driver as compensation for his or her time on the road.

Grab also says that it expects the new cancellation fee policy to affect less than 1% of bookings as most passengers don’t cancel after booking.


Toyota to create new team for electric cars

                TOKYO: Toyota Motor Corp said today it is setting up a new in-house unit to develop electric vehicles as the Japanese automaker speeds up efforts to produce more of the lower-emission cars.

Toyota said the unit would initially consist of four people - one each from the automaker, machine manufacturer Toyota Industries Corporation, and parts suppliers Aisin Seiki Co and Denso Corp.

The team will be responsible for planning a strategy for developing and marketing electric cars to keep pace with tightening global emissions regulations, a Toyota spokesman said, and will expand by drawing upon engineers, designers and other personnel from various sections of the company as needed.

"Regulations on lower emissions vehicles are changing very quickly, so we also have to respond quickly," spokesman Itsuki Kurosu said.

"With its small size, the new venture will be able to be more nimble in its planning and decision making, to speed up the process to develop electric cars."

The automaker, which has invested heavily in hydrogen fuel-cell vehicles as the most promising "green" alternative to conventional cars, this month said it would like to have the option of developing full-sized electric vehicles.

It has been developing ultra-compact electric vehicles for years, but by adding longer-range models to its product range, Toyota would be changing its tune from promoting plug-in petrol-electric hybrid cars and hydrogen fuel-cell vehicles (FCVs) as the most promising alternative to conventional cars.

Even as rivals such as Nissan Motor Co, Volkswagen AG and Tesla Motors have touted pure electric cars as the most viable zero-emission vehicles for the future, Toyota had said it would reserve EVs for short-distance commuting given the high price of rechargeable batteries and lengthy charging times.

Toyota has pledged to make all of its vehicles essentially emissions-free by 2050.


Quill Motorcars wins regional aftersales award — again

                PETALING JAYA: The recent Rolls-Royce Motor Cars annual dealership awards for 2015 saw Rolls-Royce Motor Cars Kuala Lumpur win the coveted award.

Rolls-Royce Motor Cars Kuala Lumpur edged out 23 competing dealerships from across the Asia Pacific region by excelling in overall service delivery and management of its parts inventory, customer tracking and marketing.

Quill Motorcars Sdn Bhd, which runs the dealership, has won several awards during its tenure for both its sales and service operations. It was appointed as a dealer in 2010 and its showroom is based here.

The business has since grown to become one of the leading Rolls-Royce dealerships in South-East Asia. The dealership sells the full range of iconic Phantom Series II, Ghost, and Wraith cars. Dawn is due to be launched in the third quarter of this year.

 Arunasalam (left) and two technicians posing with a Rolls-Royce.

All Rolls-Royce cars sold by Quill Motorcars Sdn Bhd come with a four-year service inclusive warranty, and 24-hour roadside assistance.

With a team of Rolls-Royce trained technicians qualified to service and maintain the brand’s cars, as well as state-of-the-art equipment and diagnostics, the dealership is able to service all models in the Rolls-Royce range. Technicians will have live access to all the latest service data from Rolls-Royce headquarters in Goodwood, England. They also have a 24-hour direct line with the aftersales team based in the Asia Pacific regional office in Singapore, which, in extreme cases, will provide a "Flying Doctor" service on demand.

The team, headed by Datuk Michael Ong, comprises Daniel Tan as general manager, Rashdan Yaacob as sales manager and Arunasalam Suppan as aftersales operations manager.

“When we set out to represent the Rolls-Royce brand, we knew that we had to work to the highest standards," said Ong. "These are amongst the most well engineered motor cars ever built, requiring strict quality standards equal to any other official Rolls-Royce service locations in the world. Furthermore, our customers are very busy and discerning individuals who expect nothing less than the best aftersales service possible.”


BMW M GmbH begins concept testing for all-electric cars

                MUNICH: BMW M GmbH announced last week it has started the first test drives of a so-called concept test vehicle for innovative drive and chassis control systems.

A multidisciplinary team of developers is now putting to test the hardware and software solutions designed for future fully electric high-performance cars.

The concept testing focuses on a four-wheel drive system comprising four electric motors and an integrated driving dynamics control system.

Exactly 50 years after its foundation, BMW M GmbH is in the midst of a transformation process towards electric mobility.

The anniversary year has already seen the market launch of the all-electric i4 M50 performance car and the iX M60. The i7 M70, the first BMW M automobile based on the 7 Series luxury sedan, is to follow as early as next year.

The test vehicle is based on the i4 M50 with a modified body. Wheel arches have been widened to permit the integration of specifically manufactured high-performance front and rear axle designs.

The front end of the vehicle features an adapted body strut concept taken from the M3/ M4 series for particularly high torsional rigidity in extremely dynamic driving situations. The arrangement of the radiator units is also based on the configuration developed for the current high-performance sports cars.

The core of the revolutionary high-performance drive system now making its debut on the road in the test vehicle is an electric M xDrive four-wheel drive system with four electric motors.

BMW said the fact that all four wheels are each driven by an electric motor opens up completely new possibilities for infinitely variable, extremely precise and fast distribution of drive torque.

Within milliseconds, the power and torque of the spontaneously reacting electric motors can be dosed so precisely that the load demand signalled via the accelerator pedal can be realised at a level of dynamics that is unattainable using conventional drive systems.

This means that the driver is able to experience entirely new performance characteristics even under extremely demanding conditions such as in highly dynamic situations or adverse road conditions.

The four motors are connected to a central, highly integrated control unit that permanently monitors the driving condition and the driver's input.

The ideal power transmission to the road is calculated within milliseconds from the values for the accelerator pedal position, steering angle, longitudinal and lateral acceleration, wheel speeds and other parameters.

The signals for this are transmitted just as quickly and directly via a multi-plate clutch and differentials to the four motors, which are able to implement them immediately and precisely.

The high-performance character of the new drive system is also evident in the recuperation of braking energy. Right up to the limits of driving dynamics, the four motors can assume the function of a generator when braking before a bend, for example, and feed electricity back into the high-voltage battery.

BMW M chief Franciscus van Meel revealed that an XM model, its first high-performance car featuring a V8 M hybrid drive, would start production before the end of the year.


Volkswagen on track to modify Dieselgate cars

                WOLFSBURG: Volkswagen has completed modification of over half of the first wave of vehicles affected in the Dieselgate scandal in Germany.

New engine control software has been installed in some 4,300 Volkswagen Amarok.

The vehicles now meet the limits required to comply with the EU5 emissions standard.

In December 2015, the Volkswagen Group presented solutions to the German Federal Motor Transport Authority for the EA189 engines affected in the Dieselgate scandal.

Volkswagen began implementing the solutions at the end of January for engines with a capacity of 2.0 liters.

Over the next few months, the solutions will also be implemented on 1.2 and 1.6-litre engines.

Volkswagen started with the Amarok at the end of January.

The Volkswagen Passat with the affected 2.0-litre engines will follow in March.

Modification of the 1.2-litre engines is due for the end of the second quarter.

Completing the recall, the measures for vehicles with a 1.6-litre engine will be carried out in the third quarter of 2016.

A software update is planned for the 1.2-litre, 1.6-litre and 2.0-litre EA189 engines.


Tips to avoid flood damage to your car

                PETALING JAYA: With the recent flash floods happening around the country, it’s crucial to know when and how to save your vehicle from any potential damage that could result in massive repair bills.

Follow these six important tips:

Avoid driving or parking in low-lying areas
Low areas or certain basement parking lots can be prone to flooding during heavy downpours.
Your car may become partly submerged and the flood can cause heavy damage to your car, especially to the engine, electrical systems, and interior.

Avoid driving through tunnels
The risk of being caught in a flash flood is higher when driving into an underground tunnel as you are approaching lower ground that rain water is flowing to.
In general, avoid driving through any flooded areas if possible.

 Maintain a steady slow speed
Assess the situation or surroundings first if you need to drive through a flood.
If the level is below half your vehicle’s tyre, make sure to wade through at slow speed by engaging low gear.
This helps to create a small bow wave which will avoid the surrounding water to flood the engine bay or flow into the exhaust pipe.

Your safety is the utmost priority
If your car engine happened to stop and you are stranded in the car, turn off the engine, gather your belongings and leave the stalled car immediately.
Do not try to start your car again as it will lead to more major damage.
Seek refuge at higher ground and stay there until help arrives.

Don’t start the car immediately if your car has been submerged
Water would most likely have seeped into the engine, transmission, or fuel system of your car after being submerged.
Don’t start the car as you’ll just compound the damage.
Immediately seek for mechanic’s advice after the flood water has subsided or tow your car to your trusted mechanic and let the car professional take care of it.

Disconnect your vehicle’s battery
Do not leave your vehicle in accessory mode with the electronics running when you are stuck in a flood.
Turn off the engine, disconnect your vehicle’s battery and please seek assistance from a mechanic once the situation returns to normal to test if the battery is functioning optimally.

Once the situation is over, do check if your car has flood insurance.

Most vehicle insurance providers offer flood insurance as an add-on and it is a good idea to opt for coverage upon renewal.

To find out more about Bosch products and services, Bosch Car Service or Bosch Preferred Workshops visit https://bit.ly/MYDealers.

Bosch Automotive Aftermarket Malaysia wishes all to practice safe driving during this rainy season.


Mercedes-Benz Trucks get MirrorCam instead of mirrors

                STUTTGART: Since the summer, an increasing number of trucks sporting the Mercedes star have been seen on the roads without the typical large exterior mirrors.

Instead, small streamlined camera arms are mounted on the roof frame. What's behind this? Since June 2019, Mercedes-Benz Trucks has been supplying the new Actros with the MirrorCam as a standard feature – as the only manufacturer in the industry worldwide to date.

The digital rear-view mirror not only looks futuristic; the system can also do much more than conventional main and wide-angle mirrors and its performance far exceeds the legal requirements.

READ MORE:
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US to test mirrorless, camera-based systems in passenger cars
Six screens, 12 cameras: Audi car tech to run on new Samsung chip

Patrick Hirth is a cab development mechanic at Mercedes-Benz Trucks and has already driven more than 200,000km with the new MirrorCam.

He says: "After a short familiarisation period, drivers experience the advantages of the MirrorCam in many different situations for themselves. Overtaking, manoeuvring, driving in poor visibility and darkness, cornering and bottleneck situations – the MirrorCam makes all this safer and less stressful."

The MirrorCam consists of two cameras mounted on the left and right of the roof frame, two upright monitors mounted on the A-pillars in the driver's cab and control elements in the door module and in the secondary display.

The images transmitted by the cameras are transferred to the two 15.2-inch monitors with a resolution of 720 x 1920 pixels. Like the conventional mirror system, the monitor image is divided into a main and wide-angle field of vision.

As the MirrorCam cameras are attached to the roof frame and the monitors are located inside the cab, the driver has a much better direct view through the side windows.

The MirrorCam also assists the driver when reversing and the display then changes to a special manoeuvring view. In particular, reversing around corners is made easier as areas further away from the vehicle are also displayed in the usual size.

The distance lines in the display of the MirrorCam are also useful: they help the driver to better gauge the distance to objects behind the vehicle according to the driving situation.

In addition, before moving off, the driver can use the door control panel to position one of the lines to symbolise the end of the vehicle in the display.

A special highlight of the MirrorCam is demonstrated when cornering with a semitrailer truck: the image on the display on the inside of the corner also swivels, so the driver always has a perfect view of the end of the trailer when cornering.

The high mounting position of the camera arms not only ensures excellent visibility, it also gets much less dirty in this position than the lower glass mirror. The water-repellent coating of the camera lenses also means less dirt.

"I much prefer driving with the MirrorCam now. The system is quite simply superior to conventional main- and wide-angle mirrors in crucial situations," said Hirth.


Mercedes to release a new generation of its Citan small van this year

                FRANKFURT: Mercedes is preparing the next generation of its Citan. The small van will be available as a panel van and as a tourer for family use in the second half of the year, the manufacturer has announced.

In 2022, the company will also launch an electric version of the model. In addition, Mercedes will then add an upgraded version of the Citan based on the tourer to its passenger car range as a stand-alone T-Class.

The Mercedes Citan was originally developed in cooperation with Renault and the new edition is also based on the Renault Kangoo, a new generation of which will also be released in mid-2021. However, the company has promised more independent features this time.

“We were involved in this generation from the very beginning and were thus able to anchor our own design, safety, ride comfort and interior characteristics in the conception stage,” said development engineer Nicola Crimi.

A typical Mercedes cockpit with borrowings from the A-Class like the steering wheel or the MBUX infotainment system including a touchscreen and voice control would be part of the deal, for example.

The Citan will be available again in two different lengths with two wheelbases and up to three rows, Crimi said, promising a wide selection of engines: “We'll start with gasoline and diesels before the electric version comes next year.”

Mercedes is not planning a Citan powered by hybrid drive, however. The company is set to release further details in the coming months.


KEMB swipes the top 3 wins in Scania’s A Good Driver competition

                KUALA LUMPUR: The best Konsortium E-Mutiara Bhd (KEMB) drivers won the first, second and third place in Scania’s ‘A Good Driver’ Competition.

The winners drove coaches that are subscribed to Scania Ecolution agreement and achieved the best fuel economy and CO2 emission reductions.

The champion is Razali Mat, the first runner-up is Mohd Ruhaimie Mohd Noor and second runner-up is Mohd Zaki Said.

They received their prizes at the KEMB’s headquarters in Kota Bharu.

The best driver in the contest got the Champion Jacket with AGD Champion Badge. Corresponding companies to the winners get service vouchers worth RM5,000/3,000/1,000 respectively.

Under Scania’s programme, "A Good Driver" (AGD) is a truck or coach and bus driver from "A Good Company".

The drivers automatically qualify as long as they are part of the Scania Ecolution partnerships and drive the specific vehicles under the programme.

The vehicles they drive are marked with a Scania Ecolution sticker plus a t-shirt with AGD Qualifier Badge.

To win, a good driver’s driving must result in the best percentage of km per litre improvement throughout the duration.

This can be tracked using Scania Fleet Management System.

“Congratulations to KEMB as ‘A Good Company’ for being the best winner in this competition. Its unwavering commitment in the Scania Ecolution partnership will not only produce top-class drivers that saves fuel but also reduce CO2 emissions for the environment and future generation,” stated Thor Brenden, service sales and operations director, Scania Southeast Asia.

The total KEMB fleet of 69 units carries 2 brands of coaches: The E-Mutiara Premier brand and the Musafir Economy brand, catering to different set of target passengers.

A further 18 units will be delivered accordingly.

After more than 20 years of sustainable partnership between KEMB and Scania, KEMB was the first to sign the Scania Ecolution agreement in Asia when it was introduced in 2018.

This move was another milestone as KEMB has already signed-up for the Repair & Maintenance (R&M) and the Fleet management System Control 10 (FMS) for its fleet.

This move gave the opportunity to KEMB to reduce CO2 emissions while lowering fuel consumption for its fleet.

To attest to KEMB’s commitment to the Scania Ecolution agreement, it has managed to significantly lower fuel consumption of its fleet and reduced CO2 emissions by 2,358,338 kg. that is equivalent to the planting of approximately 35,375 trees from day one up till present day of the Scania Ecolution partnership.


Touch ‘n Go RFID tag fitment will cost RM35 from Feb 15

                PETALING JAYA: Touch ‘n Go has announced that from Feb 15, its RFID tags will be priced at RM35 for purchase at fitment centres nationwide.

Currently, the RFID tag fees are waived as part of a pilot programme to encourage sign-ups that began in 2018. The RM35 purchase comes with a free first-time replacement on the same vehicle for when users need to get a new RFID tag.

Touch ‘n Go chief executive officer Syahrunizam Samsudin said the company has invested in one million TNG RFID tags for Malaysians during the pilot programme for the past 18 months.

"Now it is time for us to move forward and continue to expand the use of RFID technology together with our partners across the mobility ecosystem. This includes fuelling, parking, and retail drive-thrus," he said in a press statement.

The company’s RFID registration website currently has three fixed fitment centres listed at locations in Selangor and Kuala Lumpur. Users can look for other RFID fixment locations in Johor and other Klang Valley areas on this website.

The RFID tag is placed on a user’s car windscreen or headlamp. Embedded with a radio-frequency chip, the tag is used as an electronic payment system when going through toll plazas.

The company says the RFID system is now live for all Class 1 vehicles in 22 highways including the Ampang-Kuala Lumpur Elevated Highway (AKLEH), Penang Bridge (JPP) and Lebuhraya Damansara-Puchong (LDP).

The RFID tag can be linked to the company’s eWallet where the app can be used for online reloads.

Big plans are afoot to expand the use of the RFID tag to paying for parking, petrol and fast food at drive-through restaurants. Such facilities would be rolled out in stages, starting from the third quarter this year.

While the RFID tag is currently linked to the TNG eWallet, CIMB Group which owns TNG had revealed that the RFID tag could one day be linked to credit cards, debit cards and bank accounts.

In conjunction with the launch of the RM35 RFID tag from Feb 15 to April 15, Touch ‘n Go announced that 40 users stand a chance to walk away with an Ultimate RFID Toll Pass worth RM2,500 each for its eWallet.


Buy a Nissan and stand a chance to win Star Wars-themed Croatia holiday

                KUALA LUMPUR: Following our write-up earlier today on the second tie-up between Nissan and Lucasfilm, local Malaysian distributor has chipped in with a Star Wars-themed contest for November.

Customers who buy a Nissan car from Edaran Tan Chong Motor Sdn Bhd stand a chance to win a holiday trip to Croatia, one of the locations where the upcoming Star Wars flick was filmed.

Themed "The Journey Continues with Nissan", Edaran Tan Chong Motor will be launching the campaign with Star Wars-themed vehicles at a Malaysian Automotive Institute auto show at Malaysia Agro Exposition Park Serdang, Serdang from Nov 9-12. Star Wars: The Last Jedi will open in Malaysian cinemas on Dec 14.

The local campaign launch would be followed by a series of TV and radio commercials, roadshows and test-drive events.

During the campaign period, the distributor is offering rebates of up to RM6,500 for selected models, plus the continuation of the RM1 promotion for accessory package.

The local campaign is a collaboration between Nissan and The Walt Disney Company Malaysia, which owns Lucasfilm, the production company that created the Star Wars franchise.


Carmakers face electric reality as combustion engine outlook dims

                FRANKFURT: European car bosses gathering for the Frankfurt auto show are beginning to address the realities of mass vehicle electrification, and its consequences for jobs and profit, their minds focused by government pledges to outlaw the combustion engine.

As the latest such announcement by China added momentum to a push for zero-emissions motoring, Daimler, Volkswagen (VOWG_p.DE) and PSA Group made disclosures about their electric programs that could give policymakers some pause.

USE

Planned electric Mercedes models will initially be just half as profitable as conventional alternatives, Daimler warned - forcing the group to find savings by outsourcing more component manufacturing, which may in turn threaten German jobs.

“In-house production is almost irrelevant to the consumer,” Daimler boss Dieter Zetsche told reporters and investors on the eve of the Frankfurt show, speaking in the midst of a German election campaign in which automotive jobs have loomed large.

Volkswagen, for its part, said it was seeking new global supplier contracts to source 50 billion euros ($60 billion) of electric car content including batteries, which are not yet manufactured competitively in Europe.

“A company like Volkswagen must lead, not follow,” Chief Executive Matthias Mueller told reporters.

VW diesel emissions-cheating exposed by U.S. regulators triggered global public outrage, dozens more investigations into test-rigging by the wider industry and a push by some lawmakers to ban diesel and eventually all engines.

TIGHTENING NOOSE

Tesla Inc shares jumped nearly 6 percent on Monday after a Chinese minister said it was a question of when, not if, Beijing bans fossil-fuel cars, tightening the rhetorical noose around the combustion engine. France and Britain have promised its outright abolition by 2040.

But PSA, the maker of Peugeots and Citroens, said it was concerned about the risks if consumers are left behind in the rush, and a new generation of battery cars does not sell.

“If it doesn’t gain acceptance in the market, then everybody - industry, employees and politicians - has a big problem,” PSA Chief Executive Carlos Tavares said in a pre-show interview with German weekly Bild am Sonntag.

While Tesla has carved itself a successful premium niche, electric vehicles have yet to penetrate volume markets, with the heavily subsidized exception of Norway, and still account for less than 1 percent of global car sales.

Automakers have sought to adapt to the changing tide - and in some cases distance themselves from “dieselgate” - by announcing multibillion-euro investments in electric cars, underpinned by plans to sell millions within a decade.

A year into the scandal, VW unveiled plans to develop 30 new electric cars and sell 2 million-3 million annually by 2025. On Monday it upped the goal to 80 models and said it would need four times the capacity of Tesla’s “gigafactory” to supply their batteries.

JOBS FLIGHT

Since the battery is the single biggest-value item in an electric car, however, experts point out that mass adoption would shift business and jobs from European suppliers to China, which already dominates the automotive power-pack market.

According to consulting firm AlixPartners, electric drivetrains including batteries require 40 percent less manufacturing labor than mechanical ones. That would hit 112,000 jobs at European suppliers, even before any outsourcing.

A phase-out of combustion engines by 2030 could cost 600,000 jobs in Germany alone, the country’s Ifo economic institute has warned. Chancellor Angela Merkel, on course for re-election on Sept. 24, said she was “no friend of bans”, in a Berliner Zeitung interview published on Tuesday.

Any deepening of the doubts surrounding mass electric car uptake could vindicate Fiat Chrysler CEO Sergio Marchionne - one of the few car bosses who has largely resisted the plug-in vogue.

“My aversion to electrification was based on pure cost issues,” Marchionne told analysts recently, predicting that stubbornly high battery costs would combine with tightening combustion-engine regulation to choke off overall sales.

“There’s going to be a huge increase in prices in 2021-22 if effective electrification becomes as widespread as people expect,” Marchionne said. “That, based on everything I know in terms of economics, will cause a shrinkage of demand.”


Opinion: Autos are driving in the chip industry's blind spot

                NEW YORK: For years, technologists have been talking about smarter cars packed with sensors, chips and supercomputers that can replace human drivers.

That was enough to get investors excited about the future of automotive semiconductors. An earnings report from NXP Semiconductors NV late Monday reminds us of one slight flaw in the plan: People need to actually buy cars.

The Dutch company said revenue will drop 20% this quarter to around US$1.8 billion.

The figure is in line with estimates that analysts slashed by 23% over the past eight weeks. NXP cut its first-quarter revenue estimate at the start of March, only to fall short of that mark. The company forecast a second-quarter operating loss of as much as US$237 million, versus an estimated deficit of $169 million.

So far this year, much of the attention in semiconductors has been on whether smartphones are a necessity - Xiaomi Corp. thinks so, I disagree - and whether work-from-home and streaming demand will drive server sales enough to make up for the drop in consumer spending. The outlook from Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co. suggests otherwise.

NXP, however, is playing in a different arena: It got 47% of its revenue from automotive clients last year. The company said Monday that it was "navigating a challenging and very fluid environment.”

That’s an understatement. After a 4.5% decline in global automobile shipments in 2018 and a 3.9% drop last year, hopes that the industry might avoid a third year of contraction are out the window as the Covid-19 pandemic hits demand and supply.
NXP isn’t alone.

Germany’s Infineon Technologies AG gets 43% of its revenue from the auto sector. This month, the company completed its US$9.3 billion(1) acquisition of California’s Cypress Semiconductor Corp. You’ll never guess which sector accounts for 39% of that company’s business.

Forgive Infineon shareholders if they start to feel that the 47% premium they paid for Cypress might be a little steep. Ironically, shareholders seem to be forgiving management, with the stock rebounding from a mid-March low to be 30% off its February peak, and back to where it was in early October.

Bloomberg Intelligence senior analyst Anand Srinivasan has been ahead of the curve. He predicted two weeks ago that the then-consensus estimate for a 4% decline in NXP revenue this year was conservative, and that 6% might be more realistic. Today, data on the Bloomberg terminal points to a 10% drop, the worst since the financial crisis in 2009.

At Infineon, analysts are looking at a 7% drop in sales for the year ending Sept 30. That may also be conservative.

Xiaomi may believe that smartphones are a must-have, and Apple Inc. certainly hopes that its new iPhone SE will find favour even among tight-fisted consumers.

But with a global recession on the way, you’d have to be Elon Musk to believe that the auto sector, and the chipmakers that supply them, are going to survive with only minor bruising. — TIM CULPAN


First drive of new Ford Focus

A DRIVE was organised for members of the media immediately after the launch of the new Ford Focus on March 10, and we got to try out the four-door Titanium+ variant. Our first impression of the Focus sedan is positive.

We are happy to report that the new Focus 1.5 turbo engine mated to a six-speed SelectShift automatic transmission makes it feel like you’re driving a bigger car.

With its smooth power delivery, fluid gear changes on top of the throaty exhaust note, it was really fun being behind the wheel.

READ MORE:
The Ford Focus launch
Ford Focus Specifications

The car handles well, the steering is sharp and responsive and Ford did a great job with the insulation as the cabin is very quiet.

The new Focus strikes a balance in comfort, sporty driving and functionality in one package.

And this car has got good looks too as the Titanium+ comes with a sleek wing on its boot.

Look up front at the creases on the hood and the new trapeziodal grille, which gives the car a lean and muscular disposition.

You have to give it to Ford. It has a winner on its hands. A full review of the car will come soon after we can get our hands on it for a few days.


Ital Auto Malaysia is the new local official Ferrari importer

                KUALA LUMPUR: Ferrari S.p.A has appointed Ital Auto Malaysia Sdn Bhd as the authorised Ferrari importer for Malaysia from May 5.

Ital Auto Malaysia Sdn Bhd is a subsidiary of Ital Auto Pte Ltd, the authorised Ferrari importer for Singapore since 2009.

Ital Auto Pte Ltd is a subsidiary of Komoco Holdings Pte Ltd, a Singapore-based regional automotive group that includes Ital Automotive, a Ferrari dealership in Shanghai, China.

In a statement, Singapore-based Ferrari Far East Pte Ltd said previous Ferrari importer Naza Italia and Ital Auto Malaysia had effected a successful transfer of assets related to the Ferrari franchise to Ital Auto Malaysia.

Ital Auto Malaysia will also take over Naza Italia’s existing client deposits and bookings for Ferrari vehicles.

In addition, the entire existing operating team of Naza Italia will be transferred to Ital Auto Malaysia.

"The Naza Italia dealership staff have developed a strong reputation for delivering exceptional customer service and the team will ensure continuity with a focus on enhancing the ownership experience for Malaysian customers as well as a smooth start to operations.

"With the transfer of staff and assets, Ferrari and Naza Italia bring their long partnership to an amicable close," the statement said.

Ital Auto Malaysia is currently building a temporary dedicated aftersales facility in Glenmarie, Shah Alam, which will be operational from next month.

The new importer will also be preparing a city showroom to be located on the retail podium of the Four Seasons Hotel, Kuala Lumpur.

Also, a brand new flagship 3S centre built to Ferrari's exacting corporate identity standards is expected to be operational in the first quarter of 2025.


SPONSORED: Peugeot Dynamic duo

                Peugeot's 208 hatchback and 2008 SUV are designed with good handling, stylish looks and safety in mind.

Their advanced 1.2-litre Puretech turbo engine delivers not only a punchy performance but also a fuel economy that is ahead of its similar sized rivals.

Peugeot 208 Puretech

The Peugeot 208 Puretech exudes character and allure, is well-packaged with safety features, and offers a smooth ride quality.

The 208 Puretech also won the “Best Economy Car (1.0-litre to 1.5-litre)” award at the CarSifu Editors’ Choice Awards 2017, organised by Star Media Group, which honour the best passenger vehicles in the market.

It asserts itself as a show stopping hatchback with a new styling that shines with attraction and character, new technology for greater comfort and safety and a new efficient engine that offers both economy and performance.

It features assertive, robust and distinctive styling, and the new bumper presents a sharper, more precise and muscular line alongside a fully integrated wider grille and thicker chrome finisher combined with separate front foglamps, new front headlamps, 3D LED rear lamps and an LED light signature that captivates atop 16-inch alloy wheels.

Together, they suggest the quality and robustness characteristic of a Peugeot hatchback.

The 208 Puretech comes in six eye-catching colours: Digital White, Virtual Blue, Nera Black, Atomic Orange, Rouge Red and Aluminium.

The hatchback is priced on-the-road without insurance from RM73,100.

Peugeot 2008 SUV Puretech

The Peugeot 2008 SUV Puretech stands out in the SUV segment where its appeal lies in its exclusive combination of robustness and sophistication.

It provides unique sensations due to its dynamic styling, innovative technological equipment and unparalleled road handling.

It strikes a powerful silhouette, and has a new robust vertical front grille which features the lion at the centre of its multifaceted grid.

Its muscularity is further emphasised by 17-inch Hydre Antra dual tone rims.

The appeal of the French SUV is enhanced by its elegant newly designed lighting signature consisting of LED daytime running lamps, front fog lamp with cornering assist lighting and 3D rear lamps.

A panoramic roof with blue mood LED lighting is also fitted.

The 2008 SUV Puretech is available in four stunning colours: Digital White, Ultimate Red, Emerald and Artense Grey.

It’s priced on-the-road price without insurance from RM96,700.

Peugeot Puretech engine

What set these Peugeots apart from their previous incarnations are their award-winning 3-cylinder PureTech engines.

Both the 208 hatchback and 2008 SUV Puretech are powered by the 1.2-litre turbocharged Peugeot Puretech engine, which won the Petrol Engine of the Year award at the CarSifu Editors’ Choice Awards 2017.

The 1.2-litre Peugeot Puretech 3-cylinder petrol engine produces 112PS and 205Nm of torque, and has the power and performance of a 1.6-litre engine, but the fuel efficiency of a smaller engine.

This compact engine features direct fuel injection, light-weight materials and turbo charging for a fuel efficient, responsive and enjoyable driving experience.

In the new 208 Puretech, its fuel consumption is rated at 5 litres per 100km on the mixed driving cycle, which means the car can travel up to 1,000km with a 50-litre petrol tank.

On the extra-urban driving cycle, fuel consumption is even lower at a miserly 4.2 litres per 100km, which translates into an incredible 1,190km driving range.

The Peugeot Puretech also won the 2015, 2016 and 2017 International engine of the year award in the 1.0-litre to 1.4-litre category, and is a product of Peugeot’s 100 years of intelligent, innovative engineering.

Stop-Start Technology ensures optimal control over fuel consumption as it deactivates the engine when speed is below 20kph and restarts smoothly when the accelerator is pressed.

This Stop-Start technology also reduces fuel consumption by up to 15% in dense urban traffic and re-ignition which is 40%
quicker.

The engine is mated to an efficient six-speed automatic transmission with Quickshift technology, which makes quicker gear changes possible while providing a high degree of driving pleasure.

Its output is improved by reducing internal friction and using lockable converters that prevent any slippage.

High comfort & safety kit

Both the 208 and 2008 have refined interior, with the Peugeot i-Cockpit making a welcoming sight as it delivers a stimulating, incisive and safe driving experience.

The compact sport leather steering wheel offers precise steering and improved manoeuvrability while the large seven-inch HD multifunction colour touchscreen puts all the functionality at your fingertips.

In addition, the head up instrument panel allows driver information to be accessed without taking your eyes off the road.

This innovatively designed layout was deservedly recognised at the 29th Annual Festival Automobile International by winning ‘Most Beautiful Interior’.

Other features include Arkhamys 3D Audio system with six speakers, full digital connectivity with USB and Bluetooth, digital dual zone climate control via touchscreen, versatile modular seats, generous cabin storage and voluminous cargo space.

Committed to reliability and protection, the 208 hatchback and 2008 SUV Puretech achieved five star safety ratings from Euro NCAP thanks to their six airbags and an Electronic Stability Program (ESP) featuring Anti-Lock Braking System (ABS), Electronic Brake Distribution (EBD), Emergency Brake Assist (EBA), Anti-Skid Regulation (ASR) and Dynamic Stability Control (DSC).

Other safety features include Very High Strength Steel grade body construction, Hill Start Assist, three sets of ISOFIX points at the rear for child seats, pretensioner safety belt with load limiter and seatbelt alarm audio, advanced electric power steering and Peugeot Rolling Code Transponder immobilizer security.

Nasim Sdn Bhd, the official distributor for Peugeot in Malaysia, offers a Peace of Mind warranty valid for a total of 5 years or up to 120,000km, whichever comes first.

In addition, all Peugeot models come with Nasim’s 3-years complimentary 24-hour Peugeot Roadside Assistance service, exclusive access to the Peugeot Lounge at Subang Airport and Peugeot Privilege membership.


New Lexus RX shows up

                TOKYO: Lexus has premiered its new luxury crossover, the RX, online to the globe on June 1.

The new RX is a pioneer in the luxury crossover market and has undergone a complete renewal as a core Lexus model.

The original RX 300 started a new segment-the luxury crossover-when it debuted in North America in 1998. Building upon this, in 2005, Lexus launched its first HEV model, the RX400h, the world's first hybrid luxury crossover.

By 2030, Lexus targets to have full lineup of battery electric cars in all categories, and sell only all-electric cars by 2035.

In the latest RX, Lexus set out to create a car that was fun to drive and one that could give plenty of driver feedback.

The "Lexus Driving Signature" evolves even further by thoroughly improving the vehicle's fundamentals, while maintaining the refined ride and high level of quietness that are the basis of the Lexus brand.

A variety of powertrains are now available namely a 2.4-litre turbocharged HEV DIRECT4; a 2.5-litre PHEV E-Four; a 2.5-litre HEV E-Four/FF and a 2.4-litre turbocharged AWD.

Following the RZ, DIRECT4 all-wheel drive force system using electrification technology is available on the new RX500h F SPORT Performance.

The four-wheel drive control works with a newly developed hybrid electric system to maximise the front and rear wheel grip and provide posture control.

This variant is powered by the 2.4-litre turbocharged HEV DIRECT4 with rear high output eAxle motor. It has rear wheel steering for high maneuverability and high speed stability.

With DIRECT4, drivers will notice a direct, and torque-filled driving experience.

The "spindle body" grille provides ample cooling with a powerful design style that conveys the new driving experience.

The interior design is created around a human-centered concept, which aims to create a deeper connection between driver and car, whilst offering a spacious and comfortable passenger space.

To create a driver focused SUV, the new RX features a combination of high rigidity and light weight with optimal weight distribution.

It is based on the GA-K platform which is equipped with multi-link rear suspension for high dynamic performance.

The side and rear design with a low centre of gravity and a planted stance reflects a new driving experience

Safety features include the advanced preventive safety technology called Lexus Safety System+.


Bugatti Chiron gets sunroof option

Chiron with Sky View roof option.
PARIS: Despite a price ticket of close to three million dollars, there's a feature that until now you could have on a Ford Fiesta but you couldn't have on a Bugatti Chiron.

And that feature is a sunroof. That's right, there was no option on the Chiron order sheet for a sunroof until now, but Bugatti has seen the error of its ways, and this relatively humble feature is now an available option for its mighty hypercar.

Chiron customers can now have their car with what Bugatti is calling "Sky View," which is basically a pair of glass panels located above the car's two seats. The panels have been laminated for a total of four layers to provide UV protection for occupants, to be stiff and strong to keep the car rigid, and to provide the necessary protection in the event of a crash.

A further advantage for buyers choosing the Sky View option is the additional 2.7cm of headroom the 65cm-long and 44cm-wide panels provide for those sitting inside.

Not everything about Sky View is entirely positive though. For a start, although Bugatti has tinted the glass panels to reduce the amount of incoming light and stop it being too overpowering, there's no mention of any sort of sunshade.

So, if the tinting isn't as dark as the buyer would like there will be no way of reducing the amount of light coming in without some aftermarket tinting. And although there are probably good performance-related reasons for it, the panels are fixed so they can't be removed or opened for a more open-air type of feel.

Bugatti claims that the new glass panels fitted into the car's carbon fiber monocoque chassis have actually improved the overall stiffness of the already sturdy roof of the Chiron. That means overall chassis stiffness and the crash safety of the car are maintained. The manufacturer hasn't said anything about whether the new option increases the car's weight, or, considering its positioning, whether it's shifted the car's centre of gravity in any way.

The first chance to see the Chiron with its Sky View roof will be during Monterey Car Week in Pebble Beach, California, at the end of next month.


Toyota brings Budapest Operetta and Musical Theatre to Malaysia

                KUALA LUMPUR: Toyota will be showcasing the internationally acclaimed Hungarian theatre company Budapest Operetta and Musical Theatre as part of its corporate social responsibility (CSR) programme.

Dubbed the 26th Toyota Classics 2015 annual concert, the one-night gala performance is part of a tour that sees it landing in seven Asian countries - one of them being Malaysia, and will be held at the at Dewan Filharmonik Petronas.

The “Wildlife Protection and Conservation”-themed performance has already visited Brunei, Cambodia and Laos before landing in Malaysia for its upcoming Oct 19 performance and will continue on to Thailand, The Philippines and finally Vietnam.

Tickets are being sold at the Dewan Filharmonik PETRONAS Box Office here with prices ranging from RM106 to RM265. Proceeds will go to local charities and three non-government organisations.

The NGOs are the Borneo Conservation Trust, Malaysian Nature Society and World Wide Fund for Nature (Malaysia), who will be receiving a targeted proceeds of RM365,000.

“Since its inception in 1990, Toyota Classics has held over 184 sell-out classical concerts in Asia, and helped to promote classical music in these countries,” said Takeyama.

He added that the concert is a “fundraising initiative” by the company to raise funds in assisting and financing communities and environmental projects carried out by non-governmental organizations (NGOs).

To date, the Toyota Classics concert series has raised approximately USD7mil (approximately RM26mil) over the last 25 years.


Low demand quashes hopes for a VW Polo R

                PETALING JAYA: It looks like the pocket rocket that is the Volkswagen Polo R will not be going into production after all.

VW R chief Jost Capito said in a recent interview that even though there is interest in the Polo R, the demand does not justify the means.

“The Polo would not work - when we see what the clients have in this range, there is an interest but the volume would be too low, and the cost would be too high," he told Car Throttle.

The German car maker had recently released a number of R variants standard models such as the T-Roc and the Touareg. It also promises that the next Golf R would be even faster.

So, for the enthusiasts who have been waiting for an alleged 300hp Polo R, that's not going to happen. They will have to look at another R-badged Volkswagen to fill the void.


Nissan seeks to reclaim Fairlady Z magic with new successor

                YOKOHAMA: Nissan Motor Co. rolled out a close-to-final-production prototype of its Z series coupe, seeking to recapture some of its reputation as a leading manufacturer and designer of sports cars.

The Z Proto will refresh a platform that hasn’t changed in over a decade, and will be the seventh iteration since the car debuted in the late 1960s as the Fairlady Z in Japan and Datsun 240Z in the U.S.

The Yokohama-based company hasn’t yet announced a price and launch date for the new Z-car.

Chief executive officer Makoto Uchida is cutting costs and capacity after Nissan posted its biggest loss in two decades, while seeking to move past the turmoil triggered by the arrest of former chairman Carlos Ghosn. He unveiled the Ariya electric SUV in July and has promised to roll out 12 new vehicles in the next 18 months.

"For Nissan, the Z is our DNA,” Uchida said at an online event held today to unveil the car. The Z was the first car he bought back in the early 90s, the CEO added. "When you get into the Z, you can feel it moving you and Nissan into the future.”

The Z prototype, with a bright yellow body and a black roof, inherits many of its design cues from the first generation Z, according to Alfonso Albaisa, Nissan’s head of design. Its headlights have two half-circles that hark back to the 240Z model, he said.

Although the drivetrain is still under consideration, a model with a V6 twin-turbocharged engine and a six-speed manual transmission will be offered.

"We were really wanting to see if we can capture tomorrow but also trigger memories of all the people who love Zs,” Albaisa said.

The Nissan GT-R, a more expensive and advanced two-door automobile meant to compete with Porsches and other high-end sports cars, remains in the automaker’s lineup, although it hasn’t changed much since its debut more than a decade ago.

 The Z Heritage Cars. The original Datsun Z debuted in 1969 and proved to be a revelation for the automotive world.


Let a turbo engine cool down gradually after a hard drive

                BERLIN: Turbocharged car engines need a cooling down period after a hard drive on the motorway and should not be switched off suddenly, say experts.

After a high-speed run, a driver should continue at medium or low speed for a few kilometres before pulling into car park or motorway service station and shutting down the engine.

Exhaust gas temperatures can reach 1,000 degrees Celsius and the short break allows the turbocharger to spin down to idle speed and oil to circulate through the bearings before the motor stops.

Failing to do so could lead to overheating and turbocharger rotor or housing damage, Germany's Tuv inspection agency says.


Those with expired road tax between one and three years can renew without Puspakom checks

                PUTRAJAYA: Those who have not renewed the road tax for their vehicles between one and three years can now do so without having Puspakom checks, says Datuk Seri Dr Wee Ka Siong.

The Transport Minister said this however is only applicable for private and individual vehicle owners.

The exemption is not applicable for commercial vehicles such as buses, lorry and e-hailing vehicles to ensure safety of the public, said Dr Wee.

“We have been getting a lot of requests from people so we made a decision that those whose road tax have expired between one and three years can renew it.
“Before this, those with expired road tax (more than a year) would need to undergo Puspakom or Road Transport Department (JPJ) checks.

“However, as some people are facing hardships due to Covid-19, we are giving this exemption, ” he said in a press conference after witnessing a memorandum of understanding (MoU) signing for a strategic collaboration programme between JPJ, Universiti Teknologi Mara (UiTM), Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia (UKM) and Department of Skills Development under the Human Resources Ministry today.

Dr Wee said to date, there are 4.274 million vehicles that have expired road tax of between one and three years.

Meanwhile, Dr Wee also announced an extension of the 70% discount on summonses.

Initially, the discount was in conjunction with the National Day last month.

However, the discount has been extended till the end of September, he said.

“We found that many are unable to renew their licence because they have been blacklisted for not paying their summonses.

“Many are looking for jobs and some want to work with e-hailing or food delivery companies but they need a licence so we are extending the discount.

“But this is also a lesson because if they are wrong, they still need to pay, ” he said.

It was reported that the discount is given to all compoundable summonses issued by JPJ and the Land Public Transport Commission (SPAD, or what is now known as the Land Public Transport Agency) for offences under the Road Transport Act and Commercial Vehicles Licensing Board Act and other rules and orders under it, including cases that are still blacklisted.

This discount offer is not applicable for summonses issued by the police.

On a separate issue, Dr Wee said there should be dedicated lanes for motorcyclists to ensure their safety, although that is dependent on the financial capacity of the government.

He said having a dedicated lane for motorcyclists would require it being separate from the current road system.

This requires space and financial allocation, which is under the Works Ministry.

Earlier, Dr Wee who witnessed the MoU signing, hoped that the strategic collaboration will produce JPJ officers with higher-order thinking skills, digital capabilities, creative and are able to think out of the box.

Dr Wee said the collaboration is part of the long-term plan by JPJ to further enhance the department’s workforce.

He said improving the performance of the public service sector has always been the development agenda of the nation as this would produce an efficient civil service that can serve the rakyat and the country.


Despatch rider charged with causing mischief in car park fire

                PETALING JAYA: A despatch rider who allegedly caused a fire at the Taman Jaya LRT car park has been charged with committing mischief at the Sessions Court here.

Budiman Shah Baharudin, 26, claimed trial Monday to a charge under Section 435 of the Penal Code.

Deputy Public Prosecutor Syafiq Hasim suggested that no bail be granted for Budiman considering the seriousness of the offence.

Budiman was believed to have committed the offence on Jalan Persiaran Barat at between 12.50pm and 1.15pm on Dec 21 after he allegedly threw a mineral bottle containing petrol at a grey Proton Wira belonging to the victim.

He also caused fire to five other cars and public property nearby worth RM449,600 in total.

Defence counsel Datuk Suraj Singh who represented Budiman requested the court to grant bail since he still lives with his parents.

"There is no reason for the accused not to come to the court and he has never been charged before," said Suraj.

Judge Manira Mohd Nor granted RM10,000 bail in one surety and set Jan 27 for next mention of the case.


2018 Geneva Motor Show: Bugatti Chiron made sportier

                GENEVA: Bugatti has honed the Chiron and is offering a Sport version of its 1,479hp super sports car two years after its world debut at the Geneva International Motor Show.

The Chiron Sport offers significantly improved handling and even greater agility with no change in the power or performance data. For this purpose, Bugatti has developed a dynamic handling package and reduced the weight of its car by about 18kg.

As a result, the Chiron Sport reaches higher cornering speeds and can lap the Nardò handling circuit in the south of Italy five seconds faster than the Chiron. The main differences between the appearance of the Chiron Sport and the standard version are a new wheel design and new four-pipe exhaust deflector.

The basic price of the Chiron Sport is €2.65 million (RM12.8mil) net. A base price of US$3.26 million (RM12.7mil) including transport, customs duties, taxes and fees has been set for the US market. In addition, there is an optional colour and trim package allowing customers to individually tailor the sporty appearance of their Chiron Sport. It is planned to deliver the first vehicles to customers at the end of the year.

“We have developed the Chiron Sport for customers wanting an even sportier driving experience with their Chiron, with improved lateral dynamics on winding roads,” says Stephan Winkelmann, President of Bugatti Automobiles S.A.S. “What was important for us was to leave unchanged the unique character of the Chiron, its combination of ultimate performance, longitudinal acceleration and maximum speed with luxury, comfort and everyday usability.”

This is why the extreme power and performance data of the Chiron as well as the ease and convenience of driving remain unchanged. There is however a significant improvement in the handling of the Chiron Sport.

The Bugatti developers have made the suspension stiffer. This includes a new control strategy for the shock absorbers, which react 10 percent more stiffly than on the Chiron on average. The steering has also been modified without sacrificing its direct feel and its performance. These new settings only take effect in the Handling mode of the Chiron Sport, which is therefore distinguished from the EB mode more clearly for the driver.

In addition to these changes, the rear-axle differential has been optimised and the car now features a Dynamic Torque Vectoring function that distributes torque individually to the wheels on each side, significantly improving the steering behaviour and agility of the vehicle, especially in tight curves. This change is effective in all driving modes.

Weight savings came from new lightweight wheels, together with increased use of carbon fibre, for example for the stabiliser, the intercooler cover or the newly developed windscreen wipers. The Chiron Sport also features lighter glass in the rear window and a new, lighter exhaust deflector.

On the handling course of the Nardò test circuit, Bugatti developers recorded a lap time which is five seconds faster than the base Chiron model. Due to its design the Nardò circuit is especially well-suited as a reference track for the Chiron, as the super sports car can reach its full handling potential even at cornering speeds in excess of 200kph.

The windscreen wiper arms developed by Bugatti for the Chiron Sport are an interesting technical detail. This is the first production car to feature windscreen wiper arms made from carbon fibre. This new development means that Bugatti no longer needs the articulated joints which normally feature on conventional wipers.

The function of these joints has been integrated into the carbon fibre structure of the wiper arms. In addition, the wiper arm tips, which are made from aluminium, are produced by a weight-saving 3-D printing process. This means that the new carbon fibre wipers are 77 percent or 1.4 kg lighter than their predecessors.

In addition, thanks to the new material, the wiper arms have a new profile that allows improved aerodynamic properties.

The Chiron Sport can be recognised by its new “Course” alloy wheel rims and the new exhaust deflector, which has four round tailpipes instead of the rectangular design used on the Chiron. In addition, the Sport version has a number of design features that underline its identity as a Chiron Sport. For example, the engine starter button and the driving mode selector knob on the steering wheel as well as the marketing plate have an anodised black finish, the “Sport” logo is in evidence on the door sill strips and there is an insert on the central console with an embroidered “Chiron Sport” logo.

In addition, Bugatti’s design team has created a package of colour and trim options for the Chiron Sport allowing customers to give their vehicles the sportiest look possible. The Chiron Sport on show in Geneva features all the options available.

Including this optional colour and trim package, the Chiron Sport on show in Geneva costs €2.98 million net (RM14.4mil), which probably makes it the most expensive production car on display at this year’s show.


Fully electric Volvo XC40 Recharge unveiled, offers 400km range

                GOTHENBURG: Volvo Cars on Wednesday introduced the XC40 Recharge, the company’s first ever fully electric car and the first model to appear in its brand new Recharge car line concept.

The XC40 Recharge, based on the award-winning and best-selling XC40 small SUV, is the first of a family of fully electric Volvos. Not only is the XC40 Recharge the company’s first electric car, it is also the first Volvo with a new infotainment system powered by Google’s Android operating system.

Volvo said in statement that over the next five years, it would launch a fully electric car every year, as it seeks to make all-electric cars 50 per cent of global sales by 2025, with the rest hybrids.

Recharge will be the umbrella term for all chargeable Volvos with a fully electric and plug-in hybrid powertrain.

From early 2020, customers visiting the Volvo Cars website would first be asked whether they want a Volvo Recharge car or not. To further encourage electric driving, every Volvo Recharge plug-in hybrid model will come with free electricity for a year, provided through a refund for the average electricity cost during that period.

“We have said this several times before: for Volvo Cars, the future is electric,” said Volvo Cars CEO Håkan Samuelsson. “Today (Oct 16) we take a major new step in that direction with the launch of our fully electric XC40 and the Recharge car line.”

The XC40 Recharge features a state-of-the-art, fully electric all-wheel drive powertrain that offers a range of over 400km (WLTP) on a single charge and output of 408hp. The battery charges to 80% of its capacity in 40 mins on a fast-charger.

The Android-powered infotainment system is fully integrated with Volvo On Call, the company’s digital connected services platform. Via Volvo On Call plug-in hybrid drivers can track how much time they spend driving on electric power.

To meet the anticipated growth in demand for its Recharge cars, Volvo Cars will triple production capacity for electrified cars and will as of next year prepare a Designer’s Choice selection of popular Recharge models, offering the potential for reduced delivery times. Volvo Cars aims for plug-in hybrid cars to make up 20 per cent of total sales in 2020.

Every Volvo model in the range includes a Recharge option, from the XC40 via the 60 Series cars to the company’s flagship, the large XC90 SUV. Volvo Cars is the only car maker to offer a plug-in variant on every model in its line-up.

The XC40 Recharge and the Recharge car line are also tangible proof points of the company’s ambitious new action plan, also launched on Wednesday, which represented concrete actions in line with the Paris climate agreement and supports Volvo Cars’ ambition to become a climate-neutral company by 2040.


Adventurer claims Hyundai Nexo hydrogen range record of 778km

                PARIS: French aeronaut Bertrand Piccard has claimed a world record for the longest distance covered by a hydrogen-powered car on a single tank of fuel.

The adventurer drove 778km across France in the five-door Hyundai Nexo SUV, with a number of prominent passengers joining him for sections of the journey.

Passengers included the Grand Duke Henri of Luxembourg and several prominent politicians among them French Economy minister Bruno Le Maire.

This is the furthest distance ever covered by a hydrogen-driven car after a Hyundai ix35 covered 653km on a single tank in 2016.

The Nexo is fitted with tanks of high-pressure hydrogen, which is mixed with air inside a fuel cell to create a chemical reaction that produces the electricity to the drive.

Hyundai said the journey was designed to promote hydrogen technology as a high-performance solution for future mobility.

Piccard left the FaHyence hydrogen station in Sarreguemines on Nov 25 and arrived the next day at the Musee de l'Air et de l'Espace in Le Bourget — a distance of 778 km.

This well exceeds the official one-tank benchmark of 660 for Nexo laid down under the Worldwide harmonized Light vehicles Test Procedure (WLTP). It measures the fuel consumption and CO2 emissions from passenger cars, as well as their pollutant emissions.

Piccard is known for more thrilling challenges, including the first round-the-world trip in a balloon with the Breitling Orbiter and the first round-the-world trip in a solar plane with the Solar Impulse.

"With this adventure, we have proven that with clean technologies, we no longer need revolutionary experimental prototypes to break records," said Piccard.

"Everyone can now do it with standard zero-emission vehicles,” said the Frenchman.


Volkswagen Malaysia shows appreciation to nation’s heroes

                KUALA LUMPUR: Volkswagen Passengers Cars Malaysia (VPCM) has updated its “Welcome Back” aftersales campaign to include additional benefits specially for Volkswagen owners who are part of the nation’s frontliners.

The new additions to the “Welcome Back” campaign include priority booking, complimentary car sanitisation and a 10% discount off the total bill.

Owners who are frontliners are required to indicate their respective occupational areas when registering online, and a Volkswagen personnel will be in touch for verification.

Once approved, the additional benefits will be credited into their Volkswagen Cares App wallet and will be ready to be used for their pre-booked appointment.

The appointment must be made within 30 days after the MCO is lifted.

The “Welcome Back” campaign celebrates all owners, and those – including non-frontliners who register will receive a gift and additional RM50 engine oil voucher (for owners not redeeming their free maintenance service and non-Volkswagen Cares Plus (VCP) members).

To register and book an appointment, visit the website.


Proton records positive sales in August

                PETALING JAYA: Proton posted its second best month of the year in August with 11,378 units sold, a reduction of 14% from July but still an improvement of 24.7% over the same month in 2019.

Market share for the month is forecast at 21.6% while year-to-date market share is estimated to be slightly higher at 21.7%.

The Proton models with high sales figures for August are the Saga, X70 and Persona.

The Proton X70 remains as the best-selling SUV in Malaysia, extending its lead further in the segment.

“Proton is pleasantly surprised by how quickly we have been able to recover the lost sales during the MCO period, as it only took us three months to get back on track. By exceeding our YTD volume in August 2019 we are quietly confident of recovery from the headwinds of COVID-19.

"The positive effect this has on the company, our employees and the vendor community cannot be understated and we hope to continue this trend until the end of the year so as to give the automotive industry ecosystem a strong boost,” said Chief Executive Officer, Proton Edar, Roslan Abdullah.

Proton has posted sales of 61,672 in 2020 so far.


CATL to make new EV battery in 2023 that offers 1,000km range

                SHANGHAI: Chinese battery giant CATL will start mass production next year of its latest generation product, with greater efficiency that lets electric cars drive over 1,000km on each charge, the company said on Thursday.

The world's biggest battery maker is scrambling to retain its top position against competition from rivals such as BYD, which will soon start supplying batteries to Tesla.

CATL's new battery, called Qilin, will boost volume utilisation rate to 72%, the world's highest, versus 50% for its first generation launched in 2019, the firm said, and increase the battery system's energy density to 255 Wh/kg.

But the firm did not say if any electric vehicle maker had placed orders for the new battery.

CATL, which supplies batteries to automakers such as Tesla, Volkswagen, BMW and Nio suffered a fall of 24% in first-quarter net profit, hit by soaring metal costs.

In May, the company said it expected a better profit margin in the second quarter, after raising prices and passing on costs to automaking clients.

CATL sold the equivalent of 41.5 GWh of batteries in the first four months, more than double the sales of second-placed LG Energy Solution, Seoul-based SNE Research says.

As it ramps up overseas expansion, CATL is in the final stages of vetting sites in the United States to build electric vehicle batteries, Reuters has reported.

The firm, based in the city of Ningde in the southern province of Fujian, has said it would start supplying cylindrical cells to BMW from 2025 for a new series of electric vehicles.

Tesla is also ramping up output of its "4680" batteries that hold about five times the energy of the existing 2170 cells.


Maserati debuts one-off Grecale Mission from Mars

                MODENA: Maserati has introduced the Grecale Mission from Mars, a one-off Grecale that showcases the Maserati Fuoriserie bespoke programme.

For a start, the paintwork on the outside and the cabin evokes the red dust of the planet Mars.

The exteriors are painted in Galactic Orange, a Fuoriserie interpretation of the bodywork in a multi-layered colour. Its highly liquid base is reminiscent of molten metal, on top of an intense, futuristic and almost frosted
orange-red resin.

The wheels are next. The so-called Vortex Wheels's surface is protected by a transparent topcoat of black ink. The grey of the tyres is made from a special blend dedicated to the planet Mars.

The badges are specific and the trident on the C-pillar merges into the bodywork, giving it a 2D aspect, in larger proportions than usual.

The design of the Trident logo has been revisited with a glitch effect, both symbolising the rhythm of the waves and information incoming from outer space, and bringing to mind the feeling of movement at very high speed.

The mirror effect is similar to a solar lens, here embedded in the dark orange of the bodywork.

To give the Grecale a more outer space feel, the panoramic sunroof displays a “star chart”. Just look up to see a projection of the main constellations. In addition, Maserati said the seats are also of a different design from the standard Grecale, with lines it said visualise electric current flow.

The Grecale is a new model launched by Maserati on March 22.