British adventurer to drive electric Nissan Ariya from magnetic North Pole to South Pole

                LONDON: British adventurer Chris Ramsey is set to become the first person to drive from the magnetic North Pole to the South Pole and will be undertaking the journey in an all-electric vehicle.

Departing in March 2023, Ramsey will travel over 27,358km spanning 14 countries from the Arctic through to North, Central and South America, before finally crossing to Antarctica.

The expedition will raise awareness of the climate crisis and the critical role electric vehicles can play in reducing our carbon footprint.

Ramsey and his team have been preparing for the expedition for over four years, and May 24 marked a significant moment as they welcomed Nissan as the official vehicle partner of the unprecedented Pole to Pole expedition.

The partnership with the Japanese automaker will see the team explore the world’s most extreme yet beautiful terrains in the all-new Ariya e-4ORCE. With predicted temperatures ranging from -30°C to 30°C, the daring venture will also seek to demonstrate just how powerful, fun and thrilling electric vehicles can be.

In preparation for the brutal Arctic and Antarctic conditions, Ramsey’s expedition Nissan Ariya e-4ORCE will be modified and equipped by Arctic Trucks, a renowned specialist in polar vehicles. They will also provide logistical support and expertise to help plan a safe and accessible route through the most remote and hostile environments on Earth.

While much of the attention will be on the polar regions, the team will face numerous challenges crossing Arctic sea ice and traversing the Americas. The myriad of harsh environments would prove tough, from torrential rain, mud and soaring temperatures at the equator to the windswept altitude of the Andes.

New adventures in unfamiliar lands will become the team’s daily reality. Ramsey and his expedition crew will encounter many cultures and communities along the globe-spanning drive, investigating solutions for sustainability issues, from polar melting to habitat loss and the environmental threats posed by the climate crisis.

The focus of the expedition is to raise international awareness of the climate crisis and electric vehicle capability, but Ramsey and the team will also get involved with local projects along the way, including visiting a school that teaches children about renewable energy, and venturing into the Ecuadorian Amazon to meet a local tribe who protected their ancestral home.

This isn’t the first electric expedition for Ramsey, who has been adventuring in electric vehicles for over a decade. In 2017 he, and wife Julie, became the first team to complete the Mongol Rally in an all-electric vehicle. The pair travelled over 16,000km through 20 countries in 56 days, driving from the UK to Siberia behind the wheel of his Nissan LEAF.

“Our mission is to show that electric vehicles can tackle the harshest of environments – from the bitter cold of the poles to the hot and humid jungles of South America, and illustrate that they can meet the demands of drivers around the world, and encourage the switch to zero-emissions transport," said Ramsey, who is the founder of Pole to Pole Expedition.


SUKE set to reduce congestion in east KL by 30%

The 24.4km highway is expected to reduce congestion in the eastern part of the city by 30%. — Bernama
PETALING JAYA: The upcoming Sungai Besi-Ulu Kelang Elevated Expressway (SUKE) along Sri Petaling to Jalan Hulu Kelang is set to reduce traffic congestion in Kuala Lumpur with 80,000 vehicles expected to use it daily.

According to the national news agency Bernama in a Facebook post today, the 24.4km highway is expected to reduce congestion in the eastern part of the city by 30%.

Earlier in the day, Projek Lintasan Kota Holdings Sdn Bhd (Prolintas) group chief executive officer Datuk Mohammad Azlan Abdullah said an announcement will be made soon on the opening of SUKE, which is 98% complete.


Malaysia to exit as F1 race host from 2018, says PM

                PETALING JAYA: Malaysia's biggest motorsports event Formula 1 (F1) will come to an end next year after the Government decided to terminate the hosting contract.

Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak said Friday the decision was made due to a significant decline of returns since Malaysia first hosted it in 1999.

Petronas is the title sponsor for the F1 race in Kuala Lumpur.

The company will, however, continue to sponsor the Mercedes AMG Petronas Formula 1 Team as part of its marketing strategy, Najib said.

Tourism and Culture Minister Datuk Seri Nazri Abdul Aziz said in November last year that Malaysia spends about RM300mil a year to organise the F1 race but the returns have not been up to par.

He also said that Malaysia had not produced enough F1 drivers in all the years it hosted the race.

Youth and Sports Minister Khairy Jamaluddin had said in October last year that Malaysia was considering halting the annual F1 race after its contract ends in 2018 due to declining ticket sales and TV viewership.


Hyundai plans to boost US capacity as SUV sales rise, say sources

                DETROIT/SEOUL: Hyundai plans to expand its US factory, three people familiar with the matter said, hoping to ramp up production of sport utility vehicles (SUVs) as lower oil prices boost demand for gas-guzzling trucks.

Sales of the South Korean automaker's sedans like the Elantra and Sonata are slowing in the United States as consumers take advantage of lower fuel prices to switch to bigger, less fuel-efficient SUVs.

"It's a new assembly line right next to the current Alabama line. State of Alabama is negotiating final terms," one of the sources said, referring to the company's planned new production facility.

A Hyundai spokesman said there were "no plans at this stage" to increase capacity in the United States.

Hyundai currently builds its Santa Fe SUV at affiliate Kia Motors' production facilities in Georgia, while importing Tucson compact SUVs from Korea.

Hyundai's factory in Alabama builds its Elantra compact and Sonata mid-sized sedans.

Two other sources said Hyundai had been considering building a new US assembly lie to cope with SUV demand, but they had not heard about a final decision. The sources would not be identified because the matter was confidential.

"Hyundai needs to build a second plant in the US," Korea Investment & Securities auto analyst Suh Sung-moon said.

He said Hyundai might transfer Santa Fe production to Alabama, which could also produce the Tucson and a pick-up truck. Hyundai currently does not sell a pick-up truck in the United States.

Yonhap reported the new plant in Alabama would have annual capacity of 300,000 vehicles and start SUV production in 2017.

US sales of Hyundai, a strong performer during the 2009 global economic downturn, rose 4 percent from January to February, lagging the market's 9 percent growth.

Hyundai Motor will launch a revamped version of its Tucson SUV in Korea this month, followed by the United States and other countries.

Kia Motors plans to start production at its first Mexico plant in the first half of next year, to help ease capacity constraints at its US factory.


100km stretch of Jalan Chikus in Langkap, Perak closed

                IPOH: A 100-km stretch at Jalan Chikus in Langkap, Teluk Intan near the Attaduri Cemetery, has been closed to all vehicles since yesterday due to a cave-in.

Perak Infrastructure, Energy, Water and Public Transport Committee chairman Datuk Zolkafly Harun said the cave-in occurred at about 10 am yesterday.

"According to the Public Works Department, Landscape Section, the cave-in occurred due to overflow of water from Sungai Batang Padang due to the floods in Hilir Perak,” he said.

He said notices had been put up in the area to warn motorists and monitoring would also be conducted from time to time.


More motorists in Selangor using parking apps

                PETALING JAYA: Finding a public parking space and paying for parking is troublesome as most urbanites know.

To address this, some local councils in Selangor decided to go digital by introducing a new payment mechanism – a mobile app – that makes paying for parking a breeze without having to look for coupon agents or parking machines.

Among them are the Sepang Municipal Council (MPSepang), Shah Alam City Council, Ampang Jaya Municipal Council (MPAJ) and the Kuala Langat District Council (MDKL).

Sepang Municipal Council (MPSepang) introduced the mobile app in August last year, followed by Shah Alam City Council (MBSA) in January this year.

Ampang Jaya Municipal Council (MPAJ) was the latest to introduce FlexiParking after its app developer took over its initial app called MPAJ Parking this month.

The FlexiParking app was developed by Leading Innovative Technologies and Systems Sdn Bhd (LiTS) in collaboration with Suasa Efektif (M) Sdn Bhd.

LiTS chief executive officer Lai Thiam Sin said the app was in line with Selangor’s Smart City vision.

It took the company about a year to develop the app and they worked closely with the local councils to educate enforcement officers on how it works.

LiTS are currently in talks with the Selayang Municipal Council (MPS) and if all goes according to plan, the app will be launched there by the end of this month.

“More councils are receptive after seeing its implementation in MBSA,” Lai said.

He noted that in Sepang, initially the number of users was low as many wanted to use their existing parking coupons while some did not know about the app’s existence.

“Usually, new users would start with a minimum RM10 but after they have experienced the convenience of the app, they are more convinced,” he said.

 Lai.

Based on LiTS’ data, almost 80% of users across all three local councils were aged 40 and below.

A user is allowed to store up to six vehicles in the app and will be notified 10 minutes before the period paid for is about to expire.

To date, the app has 14,601 users and has garnered a 4.2 star rating on the Google Play Store.

By using the app, users are also saving the environment. As of July, a total of 4,405kg of paper has been saved in Shah Alam (2,832kg), Ampang Jaya (466kg) and Sepang (1,107kg).

This is measured by taking into account the weight of a parking coupon, 3gm, multiplied by the number of bays and hours used.

To create more awareness on the app, Suasa Efektif chief executive officer Zainuddin Othman said banners were placed in commercial areas and information on the app was printed at the back of parking coupons.

“We are waiting for approval to put up the banners at bank counters and display boards,” he said.

LiTS is hoping to get more local councils on board including Petaling Jaya City Council (MBPJ), Subang Jaya Municipal Council (MPSJ) and Klang Municipal Council (MPK).

“We would love to work with the Selangor government to streamline the parking payment system in the state.

“If all the local councils are on board, this could be done more easily,” said Lai, adding that they also planned to introduce the system to Ipoh, Kuantan and Melaka.

Motorist Soraya Ahmad is a convert to the new way of paying for parking.

“I like the fact that I can key in many car registration numbers and help family members pay for their parking. I have done this for my mother,” said Soraya who downloaded the app early March to use within Shah Alam.

She said the app’s GPS system needed improvement to identify the right road a vehicle is parked on.

“Often I can’t locate the street name and sometimes the road signs are blocked by ah long stickers,” she said.

Taman Sri Muda, Shah Alam resident T. Mogan was happy that the top-up fee did not expire.

“I used to buy scratch coupons and when we couldn’t finish them by the expiry date, they would have to be thrown away,” he said, adding that he still preferred using parking coupons than the app.

“Not everyone has a smartphone or an Internet data on-the-go. So the older generation would definitely stick to parking coupons,” he said.

Klang resident Yang Yong Seng, who used the app to pay for parking in Shah Alam, hoped it would be introduced in more areas.

“Paying through the app is definitely more convenient than searching for coins or buying coupons,” he said.


Ducati Panigale V4 and V4S launched from RM133K

                PETALING JAYA: Ducati Malaysia has introduced its flagship Panigale V4 and V4 S superbikes in the country.

The Panigale V4 and V4 S are priced at RM132,900 and RM172,000 respectively and were launched together with the Scrambler Icon Dark and Panigale V2.

The bikes are available to order at an authorised dealership - Ducati Petaling Jaya, Ducati Sungai Buloh and Ducati Penang with the initial two units of the V4 and five units of the V4 S already purchased.

Both model variants are powered by a 1,103cc Desmosedici Stradale 42-degree V4 engine that can deliver 214hp at 13,000rpm and 124Nm of torque at 10,000rpm.

The Panigale V4 has received a series of refinements for this year to make it more user-friendly, more refreshing of a ride yet faster regardless of whether it's on the road or track.

The improvements by Ducati and Ducati Corse engineers include aerodynamic, chassis, electronic controls and Ride by Wire mapping changes.

Such improvements looked at increasing the bike's stability and turn-in speed as well as throttle control for a more engaging ride.

The Panigale V4 and V4 S models have adopted more content from the V4 R, starting with the aero pack (aerofoils, screen and nose fairing.

A larger lateral fairing has also be included as well as a more efficient radiator through-air side vents while the aero pack provides better airflow protection for the rider and an improvement on overall stability.

Both Pangiale bikes benefit from a revision to the front of the frame which has now more rigid with less heft for an improved front-end feel at maximum lean angles.

Completing the chassis is the light magnesium front sub-frame and the shell-cast aluminium seat sub-frame that's attached to the front frame at the top and bolted to the head of the rear cylinder bank below.

In terms of electronics, the revised Panigale comes equipped as standard with Ducati Traction Control (DTC) EVO 2 and Ducati Quick Shift up/down (DQS) EVO 2.

The bike also features specially-developed Ride by Wire system mappings with several different torque delivery control logics.

The suspension system is made up of front Öhlins NIX-30 fork and a rear Öhlins TTX36 shock absorber as well as an Öhlins event-based steering damper.

These are controlled by a second-generation Öhlins Smart EC 2.0 system which features the new Objective Based Tuning Interface (OBTi) system among others.

For differentiation, the Panigale V4 S comes fitted with a lithium-ion battery instead as well as blacked-out Marchesini forged aluminium wheels and sports grips - hence the additional RM39,100 premium over the standard V4 variant.

Ducati Panigale V4

Ducati Panigale V4 S


MINI's latest concept car draws inspiration from a scrambler bike

                MILAN: Unveiled in Italy on Thursday and conceived by the company's Italian subsidiary, the MINI Clubman All4 Scrambler Concept takes the latest BMW trail bike, the R nineT, as its inspiration.

Those that know about motorbikes will be aware that the R nineT is one of the newest additions to BMW's two-wheel range and, more importantly, its first official scrambler bike in its 90+ year history.

Under the leadership of Federico Izzo, the head of MINI in Italy, a design team has taken all of the elements that make a scrambler a scrambler in terms of both performance and promise — i.e., that sense of freedom and adventure — and translated them to the MINI.

That means highlighting, through design or engineering, the car's all-terrain capabilities and practicality for those with extreme lifestyle demands.

So as well as four-wheel drive, the car sits on bigger, knobbly off-road tyres. The front and rear have been beefed up to take knocks and scratches, the suspension has been raised and wheel arches covered in a protective grey molding. There are even two rally-style spot lamps added to the front that are actually replicas of the R nineT's own headlamp design.

The grey exterior paint, specific to this model has been given a clever opaque tint so that its finish sits somewhere between metallic and matte. The final exterior touches are Scrambler badges plus a gloss metal roof rack and black gloss treatment for the alloy wheels.

Inside, the car feels remarkably plush yet hardwearing thanks to seats and surfaces being treated to generous helpings of tan nappa leather and Alcantara. There's a suede-effect headliner and even the luggage area is carpeted.

This might seem unusual for a car designed for heading into the great wide open where mud, splashes and spills tend to end up inside as well as outside the car. But if the compartment weren't perfectly soft and plush, owners' expensive leather luggage could well slide about and potentially get damaged or scratched.


BMW dealership opens in Batu Pahat

                PETALING JAYA: BMW Group Malaysia recently introduced Millennium Welt Batu Pahat as their latest dealership in the country.

Situated strategically in Batu Pahat, Johor within the Southern Corridor, the new BMW dealership is set to provide the BMW Group’s extensive 4S (Sales, Service, System, and Spare-parts) solutions to customers in the area.

 Wong (left) and Harris at the launch of the new BMW dealership in Batu Pahat, Johor.

“We are pleased to be able to better serve our customers in Batu Pahat and the surrounding areas here in the Southern Corridor with our newest partner, Millennium Welt Batu Pahat.

“The premium segment here in the state of Johor and the Southern Corridor has been growing at a steady pace over the last five years and contributes over 20% to the overall premium passenger car industry in Malaysia,” said managing director and CEO of BMW Group Malaysia, Alan Harris.

Occupying a total built up space of 13,000 square feet, the newly introduced Millenium Welt Batu Pahat BMW 4S dealership offers full sales and after sales services for BMW cars. This dealership is also an authorized service centre for MINI in the Batu Pahat area.

The new facility representing the BMW Group features the latest standards, furniture and offering for retail dealerships, complete with the capacity of displaying up to seven cars, two service bays for cars, a diagnose area and a scissors-bay, customer lounge area, Isetta Bar and also discussion rooms. This new dealership also provides employment to 19 staff.

“With our wealth of knowledge and experience of the premium automotive market in the state of Johor, we at Millennium Welt are pleased to introduce our latest BMW 4S dealership facility here in Batu Pahat,” said dealer principal of Millennium Welt, Bryan Wong.

The new Millennium Welt BMW 4S is located at No. 1702, Jalan Zabedah, 83000 Batu Pahat, Johor Bahru.


Are your children sitting comfortably?

                CINCINNATI: Ahead of Child Passenger Safety Week, which this year runs from Sept 18-24, Buckle Up For Life is attempting to raise awareness regarding finding and properly fitting the right car seat for your child.

Created by Toyota in association with Cincinnati Children's Buckle Up For Life is a national injury prevention program for US families and one that's been going since 2004.

"We know that proper use of car seats and booster seats can help prevent many child injuries and deaths," said Gloria Del Castillo, child passenger safety expert at Cincinnati Children's.

Indeed buying a child seat is now as normal as picking the colour scheme for the nursery or comparing strollers when a family is expecting. Yet, mistakes are easy to make - there is still no such thing as a universal car seat. All children's car seats sold in the US or in Europe have to meet strict safety standards, but there is no guarantee that a seat really will fit in a specific car. Likewise, the seat may not be suitable for a particular child's weight and both issues will affect the seat's effectiveness. "An alarming three out of four car seats are not installed properly. We can and must do better for our children," Del Castillo said.

READ MORE: BMW Safety 360° returns to Malaysia with a focus on kids

Here are some guidelines on buying a child seat.

> Buy new
Looking at used seats might mean you can afford a premium seat on a smaller budget, but the only way to ensure a child seat's history is to buy new. Likewise, if you have an existing seat you're going to re-use, check its expiration date because plastics and other materials degrade over time.

> Try before you buy
All car seats sold in the US or Europe have to meet rigorous safety standards regardless of their price. Therefore focus on whether the seat fits your child and, crucially if it fits every car in which it's going to be used.

> Installation
If the seat is going to stay solely in one car, then fit it in place using the ISOFIX system that anchors the seat directly to the car. If it's going to be used in several vehicles, it will need to be fixed with seatbelts.

> The pinch test
Once the seat's in position and you've strapped in your child pinch the harness near the shoulders. "If you can pinch a wrinkle in the fabric, tighten the strap until it is snug. Then grab the car seat at the bottom where it is attached to the car and tug from side to side and front to back. If the seat moves more than an inch in either direction, tighten it," explains Del Castillo.

> Kids don't grow up that quickly
As your child gets older and taller there can be a temptation to dump the car seat but unless he or she is over 150cm then a bolster cushion will be required - by US law.


Motorcycle lanes mooted for 101 roads with high death rates

                PETALING JAYA: Most road deaths in Malaysia are involving motorcyclists.

Some 1,949 motorcyclists were killed on the road between March 18 and Nov 18 - eight months into the movement control order (MCO).

This means that riders made up most or 68%% of the total 2,868 deaths recorded from traffic accidents during this period.

To keep more riders safe, the authorities are pushing for motorcycle lanes to be set up in 101 roads that have been identified with high motorcyclist deaths nationwide.

“Many of these identified roads are in high density areas like Perak, Selangor and Johor.

“But ultimately, we have the safety of every rider in Malaysia in mind, ” Malaysian Institute of Road Safety Research (Miros) chairman Datuk Suret Singh tells Sunday Star.

He says Miros, together with the Transport Ministry and the Road Safety Department, has proposed for the lanes to be set up under the 12th Malaysia Plan.

“We are all on the same page about this.

“It is a sustainable solution that will save lives, ” Suret adds.

However, these plans are still in the pipeline and the authorities will need to finalise the proposal before it can be approved.

“Motorcycle lanes have been proven to reduce the number of motorcyclist deaths by 95%, ” he says, adding that this was shown from the existing bike lane along the Federal Highway from Kuala Lumpur to Klang.

The main concern is small bikes - those with small capacity engines below 250cc.

Riders of such motorcycles need to be moved away from other vehicles on the road, Suret says.

“Some 65% of deaths in the last few years are motorcyclists in this category and the trend continues unabated.

“Having motorcycle lanes can save the lives of about 1,000 riders a year.

“With good infrastructure, maintenance and motorcycle-friendly roadside barriers, we can save another 1,000 lives. So that would be 2,000 lives saved in total, ” he projects.

Based on previous research, Suret shares that motorcyclists tend to speed in mixed traffic, with some riding up to 110 to 120 kilometres per hour (kph).

Many also zip out to the right lane, which is dangerous, reckless and not allowed for motorcyclists, he says.

“But in motorcycle lanes, riders tend to keep to an average speed of about 70 to 80 kph, ” he says.

On the increase of food delivery riders on the road, Suret says Miros has had several meetings with them on safety over the last few months.

“We have drawn up safety standard operating procedures and held discussions with food and parcel delivery companies, ” he explains, adding that Miros is pushing hard to strengthen rider safety.

This is especially important since food delivery services like GrabFood and Foodpanda have become more popular due to the movement control order (MCO).

“The booming business of home food delivery is here to stay even after Covid-19, as it has become a new norm.

“Miros is supportive of the strong growth of the business but rider safety should be uppermost in the business owners’ minds, ” Suret adds.

However, he observes that many riders tend to beat the red traffic light and weave between traffic in order to deliver the food on time.

“Such acts are a big no-no as it could cost lives, ” he says.

Of the total number of motorcyclist deaths, Suret says most or 70% of fatalities occur on federal and state roads.

“The remaining 30% are mainly unlicensed riders, including children aged below 16.

“Some are school pupils who ride motorcycles after school. Data shows that the peak time for crashes is between 4pm and 9pm.

“These riders are usually found on estate roads and housing areas. Many of them are underaged and do not understand the risks involved, ” he points out.

Suret urges all parties including parents, village committees and local authorities to stem this trend as it endangers lives of the young riders and other motorists.

Given the smaller volume of traffic on the road due to the MCO, Suret says Miros is expecting the number of road deaths to decline this year.

Over the last four years, road deaths have steadily fallen - from 7,152 in 2016, to 6,740 in 2017,6, 284 in 2018 and 6,167 last year.

“We are expecting a decline anyway as that has been the trend over the last few years.

“But this year, the dip might be even lower due to the intervening months with Covid-19 in the picture, ” he foresees.

Suret says Miros was expecting the death toll on the road to drop below 6,000.

But with the conditional MCO in various states restricting travel, it could go lower than that, he adds.


Tesla says parts shortages hampered first-quarter sales

                DETROIT: Tesla Motors Inc said on Monday that parts shortages hampered vehicle production and sales in the first quarter, but the electric car maker still plans to build 80,000 to 90,000 vehicles this year.

Tesla shares closed up nearly 4 percent, at US$246.99, after it reported over the weekend that it had taken 276,000 orders through Saturday for its new Model 3 sedan. After the close, the shares surrendered some of those gains, drifting to US$241.20, down 2.3 percent.

In the first quarter, Tesla delivered 14,820 vehicles, including 12,420 Model S sedans and 2,400 Model X utility vehicles. Earlier, the company told analysts it expected to sell 16,000 vehicles in the quarter.

Tesla said "severe shortages" of parts for the Model X in January and February cut into planned production. By late March, Model X production had ramped back up to 750 a week.

Unusually, Tesla blamed the parts shortages on its own "hubris" - specifically, in adding "far too much new technology" to the Model X, including a unique set of "falcon wing" rear doors that turned out to be far more difficult to engineer than the company anticipated.

Tesla also cited "insufficient validation" of its supplier capability, as well as its own inability to manufacture some of the parts in-house.

It said it is addressing all three issues "to ensure that these mistakes are not repeated with the Model 3 launch," which is scheduled in about 18 months.

Tesla chief executive Elon Musk has said the company aims to boost annual production to 500,000 units by 2020 after the introduction of the mass-market Model 3.

Investors have expressed concerns about the company's ability to meet ambitious production targets for the Model 3, especially after the slower-than-expected launch and production ramp-up of the Model X.


Toyota seek to counter mistakes of accelerator for brake

                TOKYO: Toyota Motor Corp plans to introduce a safety function as early as this year to help prevent accidents caused by drivers slamming the accelerator instead of the brake by mistake, the Yomiuri newspaper reported, citing a person familiar with the matter.

The new function is designed to prevent vehicles from quickly accelerating when the driver presses the gas pedal too firmly, the report said. Prime Minister Shinzo Abe has called for measures to counter a number of fatal accidents recently caused by simple mistakes made in some cases by elderly drivers.

The number of fatalities caused by drivers 75 years old or older reached a four-year high of 460 last year in Japan, according to National Police Agency data, and critics have been calling attention to cases involving senior drivers mistaking the accelerator for the brake. toyota will likely first focus on installing the new function on hybrid vehicles popular among senior citizens, if requested by car owners, the Yomiuri said.

Toyota plans to keep the cost at 50,000 yen (RM2,000) or less for the device, the report said.

READ MORE:
Elderly driver crashes car into Seremban restaurant
Japan unveils moves to stop car crashes caused by elderly
Toyota Corolla Sport with automatic braking gets top Japanese safety rating


Adjust the driver's seat — or face back pain and serious road risks

                BERLIN: The driver's seat is pushed back as far as it will go, until it's almost in a reclining position. The eyeline is at the same level as the window. Just one hand rests lightly on the steering wheel.

Some drivers think it's cool to sit this way. But an incorrectly adjusted front seat is bad for your back and dangerous for others.

According to the ADAC, Europe's largest motoring club, and a German association that promotes healthy backs (AGR), seat adjustment is a highly individual matter, as not everyone's body is built the same.

In the past, car seats could be adjusted mostly for inclination and amount of foot room, but much more is possible nowadays. Modern car seats can be adjusted for height, inclination and surface area. Many also come with bolsters and lumbar support built into the seat.

Perfect adjustments come at a cost

The more precisely that a seat can be adjusted to fit a driver, the better. That said, better seats usually cost more money. However, all those options are useless if the driver doesn't use them properly.

To find the right adjustment, the driver should first place his or her backside against the backrest. The backrest should be adjusted so that there is an angle of about 110 degrees between the thigh and the torso. Shoulder blades and the lumbar spine should be well-supported.

Foot room is correct when the feet can still comfortably reach the pedals and the legs are slightly bent when using the car's pedals.

The seat should be adjusted so the thighs are lightly supported and there is a width of three fingers between the back of the knee and the seat edge, says AGR. This ensures better distribution of pressure on the seat surface and prevents pressure on the back of the knee.

A cushion can't replace lumbar support

The seat height should be set so that the driver can easily see all around him or her, says AGR, and it should be as high as possible.

However, there should always be a hand's width of space between the head and the roof. The ADAC advises setting seat height so the driver's eyeline is about the halfway point of the front windscreen.

Lumbar support means ensures the spine is supported in its natural shape. Depending on the model, switches, joysticks or wheels often found at the bottom left of the seat are used to adjust support.

The adjustment should always be made from the bottom up; according to the AGR, the pelvic area is the most important for support.

If you don't have such adjustments, the solution is not to stuff a cushion between the back and the backrest, as this can become extremely dangerous in an accident, according to the ADAC. Instead, drivers should look for accessories that allow them to retrofit the seat; they just have to be installed in a way that they can't slip.

According to the experts, you want about 25 to 30 centimetres between the torso and the airbag steering wheel. The steering wheel is well-adjusted if you can rest your wrist on top of the rim with your shoulders resting against the backrest while your arm is stretched.

The dangers in improper headrest adjustments

When driving, your hands should be at the 9-and-3-o'clock positions on the steering wheel. Your arms should always be bent, not straight, and the shoulders should always be pushed up against the backrest.

A word of warning: The headrest should be as high and steep as possible, and adjusted so that it protects the head but does not support the neck. If you set it too low, you risk serious head and spinal injuries in an accident. The AGR advises that the upper edge of the headrest should be flush with the upper edge of the head.

Looking back at the example of poor driving from earlier, the issues are clearer: The driver's back is barely in contact with the backrest, the seatbelt is no longer optimally positioned and it's impossible to hit the brakes with enough force in case of an emergency. As for driving with one hand: That driver is likely to be overwhelmed in an emergency situation; evasive manoeuvres would become "unpredictable pulling without any accuracy," says the ADAC.

And if the airbag is deployed, the force of one's own arm can become a danger if it's resting on top of the steering wheel at the time.


Ten-year-olds given Bentley limo to drive at British driving school

                LONDON: Teenage would-be drivers in Britain can try their hand at piloting a posh Bentley limousine years before they are allowed to drive on the road legally.

The country's largest pre-17 driving school, called Young Driver, offers 10-17-year-olds the opportunity to get behind the wheel of the Flying Spur, which sports a V12, 6-litre engine turning out 560hp.

The dual-control Flying Spur has four-wheel-drive and it can dash to 100kph in just five seconds. However, instructors say rapid acceleration is definitely not on the programme for 10-year-olds.

The lessons take place under the watchful eye of a specialist instructor and parents often opt to sit in the sumptuous, leather-clad rear seats while their youngsters master the controls up front.

Before being allowed out with the Bentley, the teenagers have to cut their teeth on a humble Vauxhall Corsa, although only a minimum of only one hour's driving experience is needed.

"This makes an ideal treat and youngsters love having the opportunity to get behind the wheel of such a powerful and luxurious car," says Sue Waterfield from Young Driver. "It also encourages them to consider how different cars handle, and what a responsibility it is to be in control of them."

Youngsters undertake the same manoeuvres in the Bentley as they do in a standard lesson. Skills include practising parking, tackling junctions and negotiating roundabouts. The Flying Spur replaces the school's older Arnage model, driven by more than 2,000 young drivers. Lessons in the Flying Spur cost around £50 (RM256) for evey 30 mins.


Mercedes F1 boss Wolff invests in Aston Martin

                LONDON: Mercedes Formula One boss Toto Wolff has taken a stake in British sportscar maker Aston Martin, whose executive chairman Lawrence Stroll runs the Racing Point F1 team, according to company filings.

A Mercedes F1 spokesman said Wolff’s move was purely an investment on the Austrian’s part and would be diluted by a rights issue on Monday from 4.77% to less than 1%.

“Fully diluted following the pending rights issue, this investment will represent a 0.95% stake in the company,” he added.

“It is a financial investment and Toto’s partnership and executive role with Mercedes are unaffected by the transaction.”

Swiss billionaire Ernesto Bertarelli has also bought a 3.38% stake which will be similarly diluted.

Wolff previously had a 16% shareholding in former champions Williams but sold that after he joined the Mercedes team, where he serves as principal and owns 30%.

Canadian billionaire Stroll, whose son Lance drives for Racing Point alongside Mexican Sergio Perez, is close to Wolff. The Silverstone-based team — to be renamed Aston Martin next year — use Mercedes engines and gearboxes.

Mercedes-Benz’s parent Daimler also has a small stake in Aston Martin.

“It’s clear that Aston are now Mercedes’ B team,” the Daily Mail quoted one Formula One insider as saying.

Wolff’s future at Mercedes has been the subject of some media speculation, with the 48-year-old linked variously to senior management roles with Liberty Media-owned Formula One and at Aston Martin.

His Aston Martin shares were bought from Yew Tree Overseas Limited, a vehicle controlled by Stroll who acquired a roughly 25% percent holding in Aston Martin with a consortium of investors.

Mercedes have won the past six Formula One drivers’ and constructors’ titles but have six times world champion Lewis Hamilton out of contract at the end of the 2020 season, which has yet to start due to the Covid-19 pandemic.

Hamilton, who has also been linked to Ferrari, had told reporters before the global crisis changed the sporting and financial landscape that his decision would depend on Wolff’s plans.

The Briton is now expected to stay at Mercedes, with a radical overhaul of Formula One’s sporting and technical regulations postponed to 2022.


Karma SC1 Vision Concept to debut in North America at Pebble Beach

                LOS ANGELES: Karma Automotive has announced that the high-tech and futuristic SC1 Vision Concept will be shown to the American public for the first time at this week's Pebble Beach Concours d'Elegance.

In April at Auto Shanghai 2019, the California-based electric vehicle manufacturer Karma Automotive unveiled the SC1 Vision Concept to the world alongside the 2020 Revero GT and Pininfarina GT.

Of all presented models, the SC1 offered the most innovative design and technology, both of which represent the company's future, according to CEO Dr Lance Zhou. It will make its North American debut during Monterey Car Week in California.

The model is fully electric and equipped with a 5G-compatible infotainment system and a "humanised communication system with touch, voice, eye, and graphical interfaces."

The vehicle's artificial intelligence understands natural language and can track the driver's eyes; If the AI detects that the driver is not focused on the road or is dozing off, it will take control of the vehicle which can drive fully autonomously thanks to a slew of integrated radars and monitors.

Both the driver and passenger get dedicated surround-sound audio experiences, a feature that Karma says will soon be available as an option for commercial models.

The SC1 is painted in a fluorescent orange strongly contrasting the deep indigo and black interior which is revealed after lifting the doors upwards.

On Aug 18, the Karma SC1 Vision Concept will be on display at the Pebble Beach Concours d'Elegance on the Concept Lawn.


Infiniti on course for revamp, may abandon RWD platform

                TOKYO: For many automotive brands, vehicle sales have taken a beating of late.

Infiniti is in the same predicament. But it is looking to reinvent itself in hopes of bouncing back stronger.

The brand could be considered a "Nissan-plus" and less luxurious under the transformation as indicated by Inifiniti chief operating officer Ashwani Gupta during an interview with Automotive News. "Infiniti will be great again," said Ashwani.

One of the brand's cost-cutting measures is to use more of Nissan's platforms, which means it could stop making rear-wheel-drive cars (such as the as soon as 2023 comes along.

The focus of  Infiniti would be to make it more appealing again - especially in the US and China markets, with products such as the Altima and Maxima leading the assault.

READ MORE: Nissan plans big cuts to go small after first loss in 11 years

The new Infiniti vehicles could also receive a higher-performance version of Nissan's e-Power hybrid system to provide differentiation.

The brand's 2019 sales saw 188,994 vehicles moved globally with 117,708 units delivered to the US - a figure that was down 21% from the previous year.

Infiniti plans to start production of the new QX55 in November. The QX55 is a coupe-inspired crossover that gets its styling cues from the first-generation FX, and slots between the QX50 and QX60.

Electric cars are certainly in Infiniti's future; it previously announced it would launch a battery electric vehicle in 2022. It also said its entire lineup would be hybrid or all-electric by 2025.


Waze activates community and partners for Covid-19 relief

                PETALING JAYA: In response to the Covid-19 outbreak around the globe, Waze has activated its community and network of partners across its Volunteer Communities, Waze for Cities programs, and more, to support crisis response.

Waze data shows that across the world, most countries have dramatically stopped driving. Globally, Waze users are driving 60% fewer kilometers compared to the February daily average for a two-week period (11 February 2020 - 25 February 2020).

In line with the global trend, with the country-wide Movement Control Order in place, Waze users in Malaysia are driving significantly less (80% fewer kilometers), compared to the same February daily average.

Despite the overall decrease in the number of people on the road, there are still essential journeys that need to be made every day, such as purchasing daily necessities, seeking medical care, or to perform official duties for those under “essential services” - which is why Waze believes that its data can help users plan their drives more effectively.

To support this, Waze Map Editors and Waze Crisis Response team are currently working with 58 countries (and counting) to add region-specific relief efforts including road closures, red zones, and more, to the map.

Waze has also launched a Covid-19 Landing Page asking governments around the world to contribute data on medical testing center and emergency food distribution center locations to help improve its maps for users.

Once the data is received, Waze will validate and add the details to the map, and then inform drivers accordingly.

Another initiative that Waze has quickly rolled out is support for drive-throughs and curbside pickup to help provide users with minimal contact access to Waze’s partners products, such as food and other essentials, while remaining compliant with social distancing guidelines with new Location Personalities badges and search features.

Businesses who need to update their information can do so in a few simple steps or contact Waze’s support team for help.

For more information about Waze and its community as well as partners’ COVID-19 relief efforts please visit the Waze blog or view the landing page here. Photo by Bloomberg.


Toyota to test car sharing in Okinawa

                TOKYO: Toyota will use a new trial project on the subtropical island of Okinawa to assess the viability and benefits of tourism-centered car sharing.

The service will operate from January through the end of the year on the island's Motobu Peninsula, and will be based around Ha:mo, an optimised local transport system developed by Toyota.

Since many of Okinawa's most popular tourist attractions are located along the Motobu Peninsula―including the Churaumi Aquarium, Nakijin Castle Ruins and Kouri Island―tourist numbers visiting these sites remain strong.

However, the percentage of tourists actually staying in those areas is lower than in surrounding areas. Development of the local economy through tourism is therefore a pressing issue right now, and Toyota believes that one possible solution could involve car-sharing services that enable freedom of movement with minimal environmental impact.

Toyota is conducting this trial with cooperation from the Motobu Town Tourism Association, the Nakijin Village Tourism Association, and the JTB Group, in the hope that it will help develop tourism in the region by enabling people to discover new tourist sites and plan trips that take advantage of unique regional attractions. Toyota's vehicle of choice will be the COMS, an ultra-compact electric vehicle manufactured by Toyota Auto Body, with 30 units stationed at hotels and tourist sites.

Each COMS vehicle will be equipped with a tablet running a newly developed telematics app, which recommends tourist itineraries linking local points of interest. The app provides route directions and information on each tourism spot, offering courses such as a four-hour exploration tour of the UNESCO World Heritage-listed Nakijin Castle Ruins and nearby traditional villages.

Use of ultra-compact mobility vehicles increases the accessibility of areas such as roads that are too narrow for cars or too steep for bicycles, thus making more efficient use of the limited time tourists may have at their destinations.

To help ensure that this project has a strong basis of regional knowledge, the service will primarily be operated by local tourism associations. Installation of chargers and development of travel itineraries will be managed by the JTB Group, and tourists will be able to register for the vehicles at designated hotels as well as the JTB Group's booking websites and other locations.
Through this initial trial, Toyota will assess the effectiveness and usefulness of the Ha:mo system in improving access to tourism sites, and in stimulating local economies through increased interactions between tourists and locals. After accumulating operational know-how, Toyota will consider expanding the model to other regions within the prefecture. Going forward, it also hopes to contribute to the construction of a new transportation network, making low-carbon, highly-convenient mobility widely available.


Seven Ford EVs by 2024

                COLOGNE: Ford today announced significant strides towards an all-electric future in Europe, which will see the company transformed and offering a new generation of seven, all-electric, fully-connected passenger vehicles and vans by 2024.

Today’s announcement builds on the recent news that the company has created a new global business unit – Ford Model e – focused on the design, production, and distribution of electric and connected vehicles.

Together with Ford Pro, the business unit focused on Ford’s commercial vehicle business, these two business units will define Ford’s future in Europe.

With its extended range of electric passenger and commercial vehicle models, Ford expects its annual sales of electric vehicles in Europe to exceed 600,000 units in 2026, and also reaffirmed its intention to deliver a 6 percent EBIT margin in Europe in 2023.

The acceleration in Europe supports Ford’s goal to sell more than 2 million EVs globally by 2026 and deliver company adjusted EBIT margin of 10 percent.

Together, these efforts will support Ford’s global plans to significantly reduce carbon emissions. The company today announced it is targeting zero emissions for all vehicle sales in Europe and carbon neutrality across its European footprint of facilities, logistics and suppliers by 2035.

Seven new EVs by 2024

Following the successful European introduction of the all-electric Mach-E in 2021 and Mach-E GT this year, plus the launch of the E-Transit in the next quarter, Ford today unveiled plans for seven all-electric vehicles to join the Ford family in Europe – three new passenger vehicles and four new commercial vehicles.

Starting in 2023, Ford will begin production of an all-new electric passenger vehicle, a medium-sized crossover, built in Cologne with a second electric vehicle added to the Cologne production line-up in 2024. In addition, Ford’s top-selling passenger vehicle in Europe, the Puma, will be available as an electric version made in Craiova, Romania, starting in 2024.

Ford’s iconic Transit range will include four new electric models – the all-new Transit Custom one-tonne van and Tourneo Custom multi-purpose vehicle in 2023, and the smaller, next generation Transit Courier van and Tourneo Courier multi-purpose vehicle in 2024.

Ford confirmed the first volume all-electric passenger vehicle to come out of the Ford Cologne Electrification Centre will be a five-seat, medium-sized crossover. In 2021, sports utilities and crossovers accounted for 58 percent of all Ford passenger vehicle sold in the continent, up nearly 20 percentage points from 2020.

The all-electric crossover breaks new boundaries for Ford. Capable of a 500km driving range on a single charge, the vehicle and its name will be revealed later in 2022, with production starting in 2023.

The US$2 billion investment in Cologne includes a new battery assembly facility scheduled to start operations in 2024.

Turkish battery plant

To support Ford’s ambitious vehicle electrification plans, Ford, SK On Co., Ltd. and Koç Holding have signed a non-binding Memorandum of Understanding for a joint venture business in Turkey. Subject to execution of a final agreement, the three partners plan to create one of the largest EV battery facilities in Europe.

The joint venture would be located near Ankara and will make high Nickel NMC cells for assembly into battery array modules. Production is intended to start as early as mid-decade with an annual capacity likely to be in the range of 30 to 45 Gigawatt hours.


New Toyota Century is Japan’s challenge to Rolls-Royce, Bentley

                TOKYO: Toyota has just introduced a new Century. This is a big deal.

The Toyota Century is the most exclusive car in Japan. Introduced in 1967 and named for the 100th birthday of company founder Sakichi Toyoda, the Century defines top-tier Japanese luxury, the kind reserved for heads of state, chief executive officers, and Yakuza bosses. It is so iconic as a status symbol that it is exempt from stringent national restrictions on vehicle and engine size. It cannot even be purchased in a typical dealership, but only at specialised stores, and only by invitation. The emperor of Japan is chauffeured around in a modified Century.

Stately, formal, and very conservative, the model has gone through only two generations in the 50 years since its inception. This is an eon in the automotive world, where a standard car generally lasts just six or seven years. Even the Rolls-Royce Phantom, which evolves at a glacial pace, recently saw generational change after a dozen model years.

Of course, at first glance. you’d be hard pressed to tell the difference between the old Century and the new one. This is intentional. A car with this level of cultural import must be recognised immediately for what it is, and the new car cannot render the old one archaic or irrelevant.

“Tokyo undergoes more trends and fashion movements than probably any [other] city on earth, but there are select things the Japanese respect as tradition,” says Ben Hsu, editor in chief and founder of the authoritative Japanese domestic-market vehicle site Japanese Nostalgic Car. “The Century is one of them. The overall design has remained largely unchanged and immune to the latest styling trends.”

While it looks remarkably similar to the outgoing car, the third-generation Century actually features all-new bodywork. Look closely, and you will notice that it is slightly more formal in the angle of its front end, slightly more recumbent in the tilt of its windshield, and slightly thicker in its rear pillar, the better to protect the identities of its back-seat occupants (Centuries are most often chauffeured). It is also a smidge longer, wider, and lower, for ease of graceful entry and exit.

Inside, the car remains the same in many ways as well. Why mess with the hushed perfection of textured headliners, hand-knit lace antimacassars and privacy curtains, and expanses of clean-grain wood on the door trim, armrests, and writing table.

Also remaining virtually unchanged is the wool velour covering the seating areas. Fabric seats such as these are viewed as far more elegant than leather in Japan, as they’re quieter and don’t heat up or cool down with the climate. A hinged, pass-through opening from the left rear seat to the left front seat remains, another Century heritage feature, allowing pampered back-seat occupants to stretch their legs.

“This is the car of the Imperial Household,” says Masato Tanabe, deputy chief engineer on the Century redesign. “So this is foremost in the designers' minds when they are considering change. A certain amount of stability and externality is required in a vehicle with this use.”

Of course, some concessions have been made to the contemporary era. A large display has been integrated on a raised armature between the rear seats to deliver information and entertainment to the VIP occupants. Another LCD panel in the armrest controls the temperature of the cabin and the reclining and massaging functions of the rear seats. And there’s a screen up front for the chauffeur as well.

“New safety technology from the new Lexus LS has also been included,” Tanabe says. “Again, this is the imperial car, so when VIPs get in the vehicle, you want that person to be assured of safety. That said, there is no real trend in this car to go with high-tech materials. We must stick with the traditional materials and protect the history of the model.”

The Century has always been known for preternatural silence when under way, although the previous-generation car featured a thrusty 12-cylinder powerplant that was unique to the car. It was not offered in any other Toyota vehicle, and no other Japanese car featured such a huge engine. (It was highly taxed in Japan.) In a nod to increased emissions and efficiency regulations, the new car sadly loses the distinctive V12 but features a new hybrid V8 engine. Electric motors, with their stealthy lack of exhaust noise, are well suited to luxury applications.

“We love the V12, but we are not in that era anymore,” Tanabe says. “Even with the Century, we have to start thinking about the environment. This V8 Hybrid is still unique to this model and makes equal or higher output and refinement to the V12.”

While Toyota has had great success selling luxury cars to Americans via its upscale Lexus division, the Century has never been available in the US market. But that hasn’t stopped collectors and obsessives, who mine the Internet for automotive unobtainium, from bringing them into the country.

While American regulations preclude the import of most contemporary foreign-market vehicles, any car that is more than 25 years old can be brought over with impunity. While this leaves out the 12-cylinder Century II, which was first available only 20 years ago, in 1997, first-generation Centuries from 1992 or before are now fair game, and they have become increasingly sought after.

“The Century is definitely a car worthy of collection, and there are a handful floating around in the US,” says Hsu. “As more Americans become aware of its special place in Japanese society, we’re sure to see more here.”

Brad Phillips is one of those American Century fetishists. Phillips manages private client services for vintage automotive insurance and valuation company Hagerty, working with collectors who have vehicular assets in the more-than-eight-figure range.

He owns a slew of British, Italian, and American cars. But he couldn’t be more ecstatic about his Century. So much so that he took his 1985 Century on a 5,000km road trip this summer. Despite the complete unobtainability of spare parts, he would do it all over again.

“Everybody goes nuts for it. I don’t care if they’re in a Ferrari or a Camaro. They just want to know what it is because they’ve never seen one before,” Phillips says of the Century’s appeal. “This car is listed for US$12,000, and I paid less than that for it. I don’t know what other car you can buy for the money that has that kind of status and uniqueness.”


Proton challenge: Being tank-ful for the range

                National automaker Proton had a point to highlight, namely the fuel efficiency of its cars in the run-up to the impending introduction of its first SUV (sports utility vehicle) next month.

Thus, in July, five rounds of the Proton 1 Tank Adventure series were held in the Klang Valley, Terengganu, Sabah. Johor and Penang.

Only three Proton models were in the fuel efficiency challenge, namely the Saga 1.3-litre CVT and Iriz 1.3-litre CVT (both built from September 2014 onwards) and Persona 1.6-litre CVT (built from August 2016 onwards).

There were 170 participants including media writers, key opinion leaders (KOLs), celebrities, members of Proton car clubs and the public who drove more than 3,000km during the five rounds via a mix of wide highways, narrow single lane coastal roads with truck-filled traffic, twisty road conditions, and high mountain roads.

Each round involved a route of at least 600km on only one tank of petrol, and two persons in each car.  Fuel consumption results were verified by scrutineers from the Malaysia Speed Festival (MSF).

The prizes in the Proton 1 Tank Adventure series during the first five rounds were RM2,000 (winner); RM1,500 (first runner-up) and RM1,000 (second runner-up).

Winners from the first five rounds advanced to a recently concluded final round held on August, which was a two-day drive over 668km that started from the Proton Edar outlet in Kulai, Johor and finished at the Petronas station at Autocity Juru, Penang.

This time, it was 31 cars on a route with heavy weekend traffic, and driven mainly on highways.

CarSifu was in the media category, and provided with a Saga sedan.

My co-driver was a writer from a Chinese motoring magazine, and he was not keen on switching off the air-conditioning in the hot weather.

 Proton Edar CEO Abdul Rashid Musa (left) and Proton CEO Dr Li Chunrong launching the new Proton Ertiga Xtra variant with darker seat fabric and 7-inch touchscreen headunit with Navigation, DVD, Bluetooth and Smart E-link during the prize giving of the Proton 1 Tank Adventure challenge.

This was despite a briefing before the start of the fuel efficiency challenge, where participants were told that air-conditioning can increase fuel consumption by 15% to 20%.

Our co-driver was also not keen on using hypermiling or energy-efficient driving techniques, and was braking a fair bit as we tailgated other participants in the early part of the challenge during the first day.

After a durian buffet in Melaka, we headed towards Proton Centre of Excellence (COE) in Subang Jaya, and on the highway, our co-driver got a bit impatient and occasionally hit speeds of 90 to 100kph, resulting in engine speeds of well above 2,000rpm.

Our chances of being the most fuel-efficient drivers were looking rather gloomy at this point, especially as the air-conditioning was switched on all the time.

Upon reaching Proton COE, participants were taken to a test track where they experienced the outstanding handling and agility of the Persona and Iriz as trained Proton personnel drove them at high speeds on the steep-bank curves of the track.

Later in the evening, we were introduced to Proton head of creative design Steve Harper who has worked with Ford, Volvo and Geely.

Harper gave us insights into facets of automotive design and also spoke about Proton Design’s vision of blending the progressive and connected world with Malaysia’s traditional values, high-spirited people and natural beauty.

On the second day, after staying overnight at the Holiday Inn Kuala Lumpur Glenmarie, we started our drive at 9am to the next checkpoint - Gunung Lang Recreational Park, Ipoh - with three bars (out of six) lighted on the fuel level indicator.

This time, I took over the driver’s seat and did my best at maintaining engine speed around 1,500rpm by driving between 60 and 70kph.

Right after a lunch stop at Gunung Lang Recreational Park, with over 120km to cover before Autocity Juru, the lowest bar on the fuel level indicator winked out, and the REFUEL light came on.

We agreed to switch off the air-conditioning to conserve fuel, and kept the front side windows open despite the increased wind drag.

With about 60km to go before Autocity Juru, the REFUEL light started flashing and we were starting to worry about running out of petrol, although the challenge organiser had WhatsApp us that they were very confident we would finish our journey as long as we maintained speed at 70kph.

 Dr Li (left) with the winners of the 1 Tank Adventure public category.

And finally, we reached the Petronas station at Autocity Juru around 4pm, where our Saga was re-fueled with 34.74 litres.

This meant we obtained 19.23km per litre or 5.2 litres per 100km - the worst fuel consumption result in the Saga group, but still succeeded in finishing a 668km drive on one tank of petrol.

This final round offer top prizes of RM3,000 each in the media and public categories.

In the Iriz group, the most frugal fuel consumption of 3.5 litres per 100km was obtained by the media team of Yap Kam Foo and his wife Brenda Yang.

The Iriz winner in the public category was Omar Abdul Raman and Shukor Jamaluddin who got 4.42 litres per 100km.

In the Persona group, the most frugal fuel consumption of 3.92 litres per 100km was obtained by Khairul Ashraf and Zulhairie Hafizie in the public category.

The Persona winner in the media category was the team of Mohd Rigval Reza and Y.S. Khong, who obtained 4.36 litres per 100km.

 Participants stopping by for a durian buffet in Melaka.

In the Saga group, the most frugal fuel consumption of 3.72 litres per 100km was obtained by media team of Ross Hadi and Stanley Raymond.

The Saga winner in the public category was Mohamad Izaaz Naim and Faris who obtained 4.24 litres per 100km.

Among the celebrities, the team of Jasmine Suraya Chin and her friend Muhammad Irfan was the most outstanding as they obtained 4.18 litres per 100km in the Saga.

And the final average fuel consumption results?

They were quite impressive, as the best results for all three Proton models were below four litres per 100km while average group results range from 4.55 to 4.71 litres per 100km.

Some of the participants including the second runner-up in the Iriz group (media category) told media that they did not switch off the air-conditioning for the entire 668km drive due to the hot weather.


Porsche Centre Johor Bahru officially opens

                JOHOR BARU: Porsche Centre Johor Bahru has officially opened its doors and is ready to serve with its state-of-the-art features.

The RM28mil three-storey facility is a 4S centre (sales, service, spare parts and spray-paint) located in Danga Bay, Johor Baru and occupies a 5,412-sq m area while housing nine service bays.

The facility features a modular architecture dubbed "Destination Porsche" which includes a new model highlight display, E-Performance, Porsche Classic, the Fitting Lounge, Delivery Bay and a Certified Pre-owned cars area.

Visitors to the centre are able to hone their racing skills at the e-sports racing simulator section and even engage in a friendly rivalry among friends or someone at another Porsche Centre.

For those who own the latest Taycan performance electric vehicle, 175kW high-performance DC charging points, as well as 22kW AC charging points, are available.

Another aspect of the centre's numerous services is Porsche Classic where technical personnel who Porsche AG have trained will provide maintenance options or factory-approved restoration service.

In conjunction with the launch of Porsche Centre Johor Bahru, the latest 718 Cayman GT4 RS was unveiled.

With prices starting from RM1.55mil, the latest Cayman features a naturally-aspirated 4.0-litre flat-six engine derived from the 911 GT3 which can rev up to 9,000rpm.

Touted to possess a lightweight design, this 1,415kg (with a full tank of petrol) gets equipped with a new swan-neck fixed rear wing, and adjustable suspension.

Stopping power comes from a set of Porsche carbon-ceramic brakes, 20-inch lightweight alloy wheels wrapped by Michelin rubbers and hidden aero bits that helps it produce 25% more downforce compared to the GT4 when in performance mode. - JAY WONG


Oct 10-16: Fuel prices down across the board


Spanish car brand Hispano Suiza has a new brand image

                BARCELONA: Spanish car brand Hispano Suiza has a new corporate identity which is said to strike a balance between luxury and exclusivity on one side, and the sporty and competitive DNA that has marked its history on the other.

In a statment, Sergio Martínez Campos, CEO of Hispano Suiza said, "We are taking a step forward without changing the essence of our exciting brand. We are delighted to enter this new era, one that will be filled with news and excitement!”

The company also launched a new website and a new brand video.

The brand maintained its strong set of icons and symbols, like the emblematic stork, with new monochrome adaptations and introduced a new colour, namely Electric Red.

Hispano Suiza is part of the Peralada Group, which represents the pinnacle of luxury dining and entertainment through its global portfolio of casinos, restaurants, hotels, golf courses, vineyards, music festivals and marinas.

Founded in Barcelona in 1904 by Damián Mateu and Marc Birkigt, Hispano Suiza is owned by the Suqué Mateu family, now in its fourth generation.

Currently, Miguel Suqué Mateu, great-grandson of the brand's founder, helms Hispano Suiza as its chairman.

Between 1904 and 1946, Hispano Suiza manufactured more than 12,000 high-performance luxury vehicles and 50,000 aircraft engines.

Its headquarters, technical center and manufacturing plant are in Barcelona.

In 2019, the brand presented the Hispano Suiza Carmen, its new 100% electric hypercar, and a year later, it upped the ante with the Hispano Suiza Carmen Boulogne.

In total, 24 exclusive units will be produced.

In 2022, the first unit of the Carmen Boulogne was delivered in the United States.


2016 Detroit auto show:  Fuel cell Audi fuels production talk

DETROIT: Audi can always be counted on to bring a strong concept to an international automotive event and the h-tron Quattro, unveiled in Detroit on Monday continues the company tradition as well as its recent focus on greener forms of propulsion.

In recent months, Audi has unveiled a hybrid SUV and a plug-in electric SUV. However, what makes this stylistically very similar car stand out, other than its bright yellow exterior finish, is that this crossover gets its energy from a hydrogen fuel cell rather than a plug-in battery pack.

According to the company, the show car is capable of travelling 600km between refuelling stops and if that stop is made at a pump that supports the latest hydrogen refuelling technology, then the h-tron will be able to hit the road again in four minutes.

Theoretically, hydrogen is as clean as electric power, but in practice much of the gas available to consumers that have become early fuel cell adopters has been extracted from hydrocarbon gases, a process that creates pollution.

However, even in its slightly dirtier form, the hydrogen powering the h-tron emits just water vapour from its tail pipe and can go much further on a single tank than an electric car can on a single charge, and even with Tesla's supercharging technology, recharging an electric car take a minimum of 20 minutes.

And it's this mirroring of current car ownership that continues to make hydrogen and fuel cell technology appealing to automakers, despite the fact that the infrastructure needed to support its widespread adoption is even more in its infancy than that of its plug-in electric counterpart.

In terms of performance, it won't keep up with a Tesla Model X. The concept can go from 0-100kph in under 7 seconds and on to an electronically governed top speed of 200kph, but it does have a special battery pack - charged via regenerative braking - that can kick in on demand for extra acceleration.

Then there's the solar panel-laden roof, currently the largest installed on any car - conceptual or otherwise - that could generate an extra 1,000km of range per year as long as the owner lives in a hot country with plenty of direct, rather than diffused sunlight.

Like Toyota and Honda in Japan and its German counterpart BMW, Audi is making a serious investment in hydrogen as a potential fuel of the future and even has its own hydrogen refinement plant. However, it is also betting just as big on plug-in electric cars, with its first plug-in SUV scheduled for a 2017 production launch.


Toyota vehicles earn top marks in JNCAP

                TOYOTA CITY: Toyota models Alphard/Vellfire, Crown, and Corolla Sport received the highest score of Advanced Safety Vehicle (ASV) in the FY2018 preventive safety performance assessment conducted by Japan New Car Assessment Program (JNCAP).

The Alphard/Vellfire received the Grand Prix Award in preventive safety performance after gaining the highest score in the assessment.

The Crown, Corolla Sport, and Camry received the highest rank of five stars in the JNCAP collision safety performance assessment for FY2018. The Crown received the Grand Prix Award in collision safety performance.

JNCAP revises its testing methods and assessment standards meticulously, every year, taking into account actual traffic accidents that have occurred in Japan and the importance of establishing countermeasures.

JNCAP added the collision damage mitigation brake system that detects pedestrians at night in the list of items for assessment in its FY2018 preventive safety assessment, in consideration of the fact that, in Japan, pedestrian fatalities from road accidents frequently occur at night.

The Alphard/Vellfire, Crown, and Corolla Sport equipped with the latest Toyota Safety Sense―a pre-collision safety system that detects pedestrians at night―received the highest rank of ASV in JNCAP's assessment of preventive safety performance.

JNCAP revised its damage assessment criteria for the FY2018 collision safety assessment in accordance with the need to address the aging population, and adopted new crash test dummies that more accurately represent the human body.

Against this backdrop, the above-mentioned cars equipped with a TNGA platform received five stars, the top ranking in the collision safety performance evaluation.

With the development of safer cars, Toyota continues to promote educational activities for people, including holding awareness-raising activities at Toyota dealers that introduce customers to "Sapo-Toyo" (vehicles that support a safe and comfortable life with cars).


Police called in China after angry BMW owner protests in car showroom

                DANYANG (China): A BMW dealer in eastern China called the police after a woman seeking compensation sat on a car’s bonnet in its showroom and put a dent in it.

It is the latest in a string of similar protests by consumers in the country after one in northeastern China earlier this month that forced a Mercedes-Benz dealer to give a woman a new car.

Workers at Baode Automotive Sales Service in Danyang, Jiangsu province, said they took photographs of the damaged bonnet after the latest incident, on Friday, before calling the police, the news portal btime.com reported.

The woman said she wanted compensation because the airbags in her X1 SUV did not inflate in an accident, leading to people in the vehicle being injured.

A woman working at the showroom told the website that staff called the police.

 A blur image provided showing the woman compaining while sitting on a BMW car at the dealership.

“She could have talked to us nicely. It’s not necessary for her to sit on our car. And the thing is she has damaged it," she was quoted as saying.

A video of the Mercedes-Benz owner, surnamed Wang, who sat on a car in Xian, Shaanxi province, while crying and accusing the dealer of wrongdoing has been viewed more than 200 million times on the Internet.

She was protesting over an oil leak protest in her car and the video went viral. Eventually, Mercedes-Benz reached a settlement deal with her. Since then, similar protests have been staged across the country.

On April 17, a woman sat on the bonnet of a Mercedes-Benz car in a showroom in Lanzhou, Gansu province, claiming her 1.15 million yuan (RM707,000) sedan had faulty airbags.

In Changsha, Hunan province, a woman sitting on the bonnet of a Cadillac coupe was shown in a video asking staff in a showroom why they wrote the wrong date on her receipt.

In another protest, a pregnant woman in Foshan, Guangdong province, drove her Mercedes-Benz car in front of a dealer in the city and climbed onto the top of it, claiming the company cheated her. She said her car’s dashboard had malfunctioned and the sales staff had not responded to her complaints in a timely manner.

Wang said she was concerned that she had set a bad example for others to follow when seeking to safeguard their rights, state broadcaster CCTV reported.

“I want justice, not sympathy. I don’t want to see a second person cry on a bonnet,” she said. — South China Morning Post


Panasonic to invest US$700mil to produce Tesla EV battery, says Nikkei

                TOKYO: Japan's Panasonic will begin producing its new lithium-ion battery for Tesla from as early as 2023, with plans to invest about US$705mil (RM2.9bil) in production facilities in Japan, the Nikkei reported today.

The powerpack could help make electric vehicles (EVs) more attractive to motorists by extending cruising range by about a fifth, the Nikkei reported, without saying where it obtained the information.

"We are studying various options for mass production, including a test production line we are establishing this business year. We don't, however, have anything to announce at this time," Panasonic said in a statement sent to Reuters.

Panasonic unveiled the 4680 format (46mm wide and 80mm tall) battery in October. At around five times as big as batteries it currently supplies to Tesla, it is also expected to help the US-electric vehicle maker lower production costs.

Panasonic will make the 4680 batteries at a plant in Wakayama prefecture in Western Japan, with output of less than 10 gigawatt hours a year, equivalent to around 150,000 vehicles, the Nikkei said.

Panasonic is the sole maker of the more advanced Tesla battery, ensuring it remains a key supplier to the US company, at least for its pricier models, even as the EV maker seeks out battery suppliers in China and elsewhere.


Landslide on road to Bukit Fraser, use Kuala Kubu Baru route instead

PWD is breaking up the rocks into smaller pieces first. — Bernama
KUANTAN: Jalan Raub-Bukit Fraser (Fraser's Hill), about 165km from here, has been fully closed due to a rockslide believed to have happened at 5.50am today.

Pahang Fire and Rescue Department Zone 3 chief Shahrulnizam Nasir said the rockslide could have happened because of frequent rain over the last three days.

"Several trees were reported to have toppled over at the same location before this but were cleared by the authorities to enable to the road to be opened to users.

"However, the rockslide early this morning blocked the stretch completely and it is understood the Public Works Department (PWD) is assessing the best method to clear the boulders," he said.

Shahrulnizam said he was informed they were having difficulty moving them due their size which made it difficult for heavy machinery to be used.

It is learnt PWD is finding alternative ways like breaking up the rocks into smaller pieces first.

Those planning to head to Bukit Fraser, a popular tourist destination, need to use the alternative route for now, that is via Kuala Kubu Baru, Selangor.


By appointment aftersales services during CMCO at central Malaysia TC Subaru outlets

                KUALA LUMPUR: TC Subaru, the exclusive distributor of Subaru vehicles in Malaysia, will open its branches in central Malaysia for servicing, maintenance and repairs by appointment only from Oct 14 to 27.

This measure is to comply with the latest conditional movement control order (CMCO) and to ensure all Subaru operations stay safe.

Customers who want to service or repair their vehicles at Subaru Kuala Lumpur, Subaru Cheras and Subaru Petaling Jaya are required to contact the branches and confirm an appointment slot before heading down.

The company will not be able to welcome walk-ins during this period.

For customers who had scheduled test drives or have outstanding paperwork to complete, sales consultants from the respective branches will be contacting them to reschedule their appointments or arrange for alternative solutions such as digital transactions.

Subaru Kota Kinabalu remains closed until Oct 20.

TC Subaru has also implemented enhanced cleaning and safe distancing measures in its branches.

They include compulsory use of face masks and temperature checks, provision of contact details for contact tracing, checking-in, sanitising of vehicles, work equipment and work areas, limited number of visitors to eight at any one time and social distancing markers.

For updates, visit @subaruasia on Facebook and at subaru.asia/my.


Mercedes-AMG GT Black Series resets Nürburgring-Nordschleife lap record

                AFFALTERBACH: Mercedes-AMG has officially reset the lap record street-legal "sports car" category of fully standard. unmodified models with its high-powered GT Black Series.

The deed was done at the infamous 20.832km track of the Nürburgring-Nordschleife with 35-year-old professional racecar driver Maro Engel at the helm who managed to achieve a total time of 6:48.047 minutes.

The lap time was recorded by "wige SOLUTIONS” - an independent notary also certified the condition of the vehicle as well as the measurements.

The GT Black Series has a 4.0-litre (3,982cc) twin-turbo V8 engine producing 730hp from 6,700 to 6,900rpm as well as 800Nm of torque from 2,000 to 6,000rpm.

Power gets sent to the rear wheels via a seven-speed AMG Speedshift Dual-Clutch Transmission (DCT) 7G allowing it to accelerate from 0 to 100kph in 3.2 seconds before reaching a top speed of 325kph.

Other than the GT Black Series' outrageous power figures, it also has plenty of aero bits to help keep it grounded while the adjustable suspension system helped the car deal with high levels of lateral forces.

At the front, the carbon fibre front splitter was extended to "Race" position and the lower and upper wing blades of the rear spoiler were each adjusted to the middle position.

The AMG coil-over suspension with adaptive adjustable damping was lowered by 5mm (front) and 3m (rear) to enhance the venturi effect of the front diffuser.

Camber for the wheels were adjusted to the maximum of -3.8 degrees (front) and -3.0 degrees (rear).

Engel set the adjustable anti-roll bars to the hardest of the three settings before setting the nine-stage AMG traction control between positions six and seven - depending on the section of the track.

Next, he opted for the "soft compound" of the Michelin Pilot Sport Cup 2 R MO tyres - which is part of the GT Black Series' list of standard equipment.

These tyres were specially developed in collaboration with Michelin for the AMG GT series.

For safety, reliance was placed on the AMG ceramic high-performance brake system for stopping power and the Track Package that comes with a roll-over protection system and four-point safety belts.

Engel said that he was able to achieve up to 270kph in the Kesselchen section of the track and well over 300kph on the long Döttinger Höhe straight - pointing out that it was significantly faster than his GT3 racecar.

The GT Black Series comes fitted as standard with a carbon-fibre hood with two large exhaust outlets which helps to pull the heat from the slanted radiator from the engine bay.

Doing so helps to create additional downforce that adds to the efforts of the rear wing, largely enclosed underbody and front splitter.


Volkswagen Tour 2019 at 1Utama Shopping Centre: Ends on March 3

                PETALING JAYA: The first Volkswagen Tour 2019 will kick off at the Lower Ground Oval (New Wing) of 1Utama Shopping Centre, beginning today till 3rd March 2019 from 10am till 10pm.

The entire line-up of Volkswagen cars will be on display at the tour for visitors to enjoy - and those who have been eyeing the Beetle in particular should grab the opportunity to make one theirs as this is the last year of production for the iconic bug and there are only limited units left.

Also on display is the Tiguan JOIN from the Volkswagen JOIN range, which comes packed with added accessories such as additional front design element, rear spoiler, trunk garnish, chrome exhaust tip, load lip protector, footboards and VW Tint worth up to RM10,000.

As a Volkswagen is better experienced than explained, test drive opportunities are also available for models such as the Polo, Vento, Beetle, Passat, Tiguan and Golf.

Those placing bookings at the roadshow will also enjoy an exclusive RM500 petrol voucher (terms and conditions apply).

Existing Volkswagen customers with both new and cars 5 years and older are also invited to visit the Volkswagen Cares booth at the roadshow to discover and download the mobile app, and purchase the Volkswagen Care Plus membership.

For all visitors, plenty of activities await - look out for special appearances by the adorable Volkswagen mascot, "Buckle", and free coffee from OLDTOWN White Coffee throughout the roadshow as they will be brewing all day out of the "Gopitiam" Kombi.


In Australia, Spotify warns drivers to slow down near schools

                BRISBANE: Spotify is loud and clear in its zero tolerance approach to speeding on roads near schools. The Swedish music streaming giant has teamed up with the Australian Road Safety Foundation (ARSF) to launch the "Slow Down Songs" campaign in Queensland. The aim is to warn drivers that they need to slow down in areas close to schools by playing them music that slows down to deliver a road safety message.

While the project may sound surprising, it could help raise awareness among Australians about the importance of sticking to speed limits in zones frequented by children and young people.

"Every school day, our children are in danger. Despite higher visibility in signage and crossings, many drivers still speed through school zones, often ignoring the 40km speed limits in place," explains Andrew Thompson of the Brother & Co agency, which worked with Spotify and the ARSF on the campaign.

And while it can be relatively easy to ignore or miss road signs, drivers can't fail to notice the music on their Spotify playlist suddenly changing. And it's precisely this element of surprise that the "Slow Down Songs" campaign taps into. According to the Brisbane Times, this initiative relies on Spotify's ability to geotarget drivers when they come within five kilometers of a school zone in Queensland.

A musical reminder

Once identified by the streaming service, drivers will be played one of 10 songs that have been specially adapted to encourage them to slow down. The tracks all start normally before suddenly slowing down to make way for a road safety message, then speeding up again. Local artists like The Jungle Giants, Caitlyn Shadbolt and Shag Rock all donated songs to be edited for the campaign.

For the moment, only drivers in Queensland will be played these new-gen safety messages, although the initiative could one day roll out across Australia. Plus, the campaign currently only works with Spotify Free users, but the organizers hope to be able to expand it to all the streaming site's users in the future.

"People don't realize that speeding, even a few kilometers over the limit in a school zone can be the difference between life and death, so we're tackling the casual attitude towards speed in school zones to prevent the fatal or serious injury of our children," said ARSF founder, Russell White.


Global sales of Toyota hybrids surpass 10 million units

                TOYOTA CITY, Japan: Cumulative global Toyota hybrid vehicle sales has hit 10.05 million units as of January 31, 2017 thus surpassing the 10 million unit mark.

This latest milestone of 10 million units was achieved just nine months after total sales reached 9 million units at the end of April 2016.

Toyota launched its first hybrid vehicle 20 years ago, and the circumstances surrounding environmentally friendly vehicles have since changed dramatically.

Toyota now sells 34 different hybrid models in more than 90 countries and regions.

To recap, Toyota launched the Coaster Hybrid electric vehicle (EV) in August 1997 and the Prius — the world’s first mass-produced hybrid passenger vehicle — in December of the same year.

The Prius proved so popular that it became a byword for an “environmentally friendly vehicle.”

The Toyota Hybrid System (THS), which was used in the first generation Prius, evolved into THS II in 2003, and was thereafter rolled out in a wide range of Toyota vehicles.

“When we launched Prius, no one even knew what a hybrid was. Those who drove it were called geeks or other names. Today, thanks to those early adopters who gave Prius a chance, hybrids have grown in popularity, and have ridden a wave of success out of the unknown and into the mainstream,” said Takeshi Uchiyamada, chairman of the board of directors at Toyota and known as the father of the Prius.

As of January 31, 2017 Toyota estimates that the use of Toyota hybrid vehicles in lieu of conventional petrol-powered vehicles of similar size and driving performance has resulted in 77 million fewer tons of CO2 emissions and has saved 29 million kilolitres of petrol.

Toyota also announced the Toyota Environmental Challenge 2050 in October 2015, setting challenges that it will undertake to help reduce the negative impacts of automobiles on the global environment to as close to zero as possible, and to contribute to the creation of a sustainable society.


MAA ups TIV forecast by 5% to 630,000

                KUALA LUMPUR: The Malaysian Automotive Association (MAA) remains confident of car sales moving forward despite the recent overnight policy rate (OPR) hikes.

The association had revised its latest forecast total industry volume (TIV) up by 5% to 630,000 units for 2022 from a lower forecast made in January.

“When we check with our members, the OPR increase is manageable.

“Banks are still depending on the quality of their customers – buyers can still get loans and they are not as stringent as believed,” MAA president Datuk Aishah Ahmad told a press conference.

The revised forecasts also did take into account the recent hikes in the OPR.

In January, it forecast forecast the TIV to grow to 600,000 this year from 508,911 in 2021.

Forecasts for passenger vehicle sales have also been revised upwards and they are now anticipated to grow by 25.3% to 567,000 from a the previous forecast of 540,000.

The commercial vehicles segment has seen its figures revised upwards to a growth of 12% to 63,000 from an earlier forecast of 60,000.

The revised forecasts also took into account the other issues that are affecting the automotive industry such as the ongoing continuation of components and chips shortages which could dampen the production of motor vehicles during the year.

The MAA also took into consideration that businesses may hold back investments in view of the ongoing uncertainties at the global level as well as the domestic political scene.

“Many analysts are expecting that the 15th General Election (GE15) will take place within the year,” she said.

Aishah said buying interest moving forward would be sustained by the continued growth in the gross domestic product (GDP) including the fulfillment of backlogged orders arising from the sales and services tax (SST) exemption flexibility that was recently announced.

“There will be continuation of efforts to fulfill backlogged orders and promotional campaigns by car companies to boost sales and maintain their market share,” she said.

“The introduction of new models such as those with latest designs and features as well as electric vehicles at affordable and competitive prices may assist to sustain buying interest moving forward,” Aishah added.

Commenting on the request by the MAA for the current Open Market Value (OMV) excise duty calculation method to be retained, Aishah said that this was still a work in progress.

“We have sent another letter to request for the government to reconsider and we have also had discussions with the Customs Department. The Customs Department have indicated that they would support an OMV calculation method that would not be revised,” she said.

“The introduction of new models such as those with latest designs and features as well as electric vehicles at affordable and competitive prices may assist to sustain buying interest moving forward,” Aishah added.
“The introduction of new models such as those with latest designs and features as well as electric vehicles at affordable and competitive prices may assist to sustain buying interest moving forward,” Aishah added.

“We are now waiting for the Ministry of Finance (MoF) to come out with the official approval letter. MoF is still working on it but it should be a positive (outcome),” she added.

The OMV is the final market value set for completely knocked down (CKD) vehicles fresh out of the factory, before the addition of excise duties.

It was reported earlier that the planned revision in how the OMV is calculated would cause CKD car prices to increase - but it is now put on hold with these latest developments.

In its note yesterday, UOB Kay Hian Research (UOBKH) said it made no change to its 2022 TIV forecast of 605,000 units which implies a 19% year-on-year growth.

“Automobile sales are expected to remain robust in the second half of the 2022 year due to the present substantial order backlogs, and the sector is also anticipated to benefit from an improvement in the global chip supply,” UOBKH said.

“Most of the car makers have been receiving positive bookings that will keep them occupied at least for the next five to six months or from now till the end of the year,” it added.

Having said that, the research house said it forecasts TIV in 2023 to register 550,000 units, down 9% from 2022 as it expects a significant slowdown in consumption due to the end of SST exemption.

There could also be a potential re-introduction of GST that could raise car prices further, it noted.

“Additionally, the rising inflation will corrode end consumers’ purchasing power,” UOBKH said.

It maintained its underweight rating on the automotive sector which now trades at 10.6 times 2023 forward price-to-earnings (PE) ratio, which is a slight discount to its historical five-year PE mean.

“We believe that the sector’s valuation could derate due to a cyclical car demand downturn from a high base. Additionally, the ongoing weakening of the ringgit against the US dollar and the prolonged chip shortage could pose downside risks to the sector’s earnings,” UOBKH said.

“Based on the companies under our coverage, we are forecasting a 6.8% and 4.6% fall in sector earnings and revenue in 2023, respectively,” the research house added.


First Hyundai hydrogen-powered trucks go to Switzerland

                FRANKFURT: Hyundai Motor Company today shipped the first 10 units of the Hyundai XCIENT Fuel Cell, the world’s first mass-produced fuel cell heavy-duty truck, to Switzerland.

The company plans to send a total of 50 XCIENT Fuel Cells to Switzerland this year, with handover to commercial fleet customers starting in September.

It plans to roll out a total of 1,600 XCIENT Fuel Cell trucks by 2025, underlining the company’s environmental commitment and technological prowess as it works towards reducing carbon emissions through zero-emission solutions.

“XCIENT Fuel Cell is a present-day reality, not a mere future drawing board project. By putting this ground-breaking vehicle on the road now, Hyundai marks a significant milestone in the history of commercial vehicles and the development of hydrogen society,” said In Cheol Lee, Executive Vice President and Head of Commercial Vehicle Division at Hyundai Motor.

“Building a comprehensive hydrogen ecosystem, where critical transportation needs are met by vehicles like XCIENT Fuel Cell, will lead to a paradigm shift that removes automobile emissions from the environmental equation.

“Having introduced the world’s first mass-produced fuel-cell electric passenger vehicle, the ix35, and the second-generation fuel cell electric vehicle, the NEXO, Hyundai is now leveraging decades of experience, world-leading fuel-cell technology, and mass-production capability to advance hydrogen in the commercial vehicle sector with the XCIENT Fuel Cell,” he added.

XCIENT is powered by a 190-kW hydrogen fuel cell system with dual 95-kW fuel cell stacks. Seven large hydrogen tanks offer a combined storage capacity of around 32.09 kg of hydrogen. The driving range for XCIENT Fuel Cell is about 400 km* on a single refuelling.

Refuelling time for each truck takes 8-20 minutes.

Fuel cell technology is particularly well-suited to commercial shipping and logistics due to long ranges and short refuelling times. The dual-mounted fuel cell system provides enough energy to drive the heavy-duty trucks up and down the mountainous terrain in the region.

In addition to XCIENT Fuel Cell, Hyundai Motor is developing a long-distance tractor unit capable of travelling 1,000km on a single charge. It will be equipped with an enhanced fuel cell system with high durability and power, aimed at global markets including North America and Europe.

In 2019, Hyundai Motor Company formed Hyundai Hydrogen Mobility (HHM), a joint venture with Swiss company H2 Energy, which will lease the trucks to commercial truck operators on a pay-per-use basis, meaning there is no initial investment for the commercial fleet customers.

Hyundai chose Switzerland as the starting point for its business venture for various reasons. One of the reasons is the Swiss LSVA road tax on commercial vehicles, which does not apply for zero-emission trucks. That nearly equalises the hauling costs per kilometre of the fuel cell truck compared to a regular diesel truck.

Hyundai’s business case involves using purely clean hydrogen generated from hydropower. To truly reduce carbon emissions, all of the trucks need to run on only green hydrogen. Switzerland is the country with one of the highest shares of hydropower globally, and can therefore deliver sufficient green energy for the production of hydrogen. Once the project is underway in Switzerland, Hyundai plans to expand it to other European countries as well.

By using hydrogen-powered vehicles in commercial transportation, Hyundai ensures a steady demand for hydrogen fuel. And by producing industrial hydrogen, Hydrospider ensures a steady supply. This is the basis for the business case that makes hydrogen mobility economically viable and allows it to grow. Through this process, Hyundai will gradually build up a hydrogen infrastructure in Switzerland.

The set-up of the truck-refuelling infrastructure in Switzerland with stations running with 350 bar opens up the chance to extend the network for fuel cell passenger cars as well. Fuel cell passenger cars are refuelled with a pressure of 700 bar. Adding these refuelling solutions to the existing grid will be possible in a cost-effective manner.

Access to an adequate hydrogen refuelling infrastructure will reduce range anxiety and encourage more people to buy hydrogen fuel cell cars.

As Hyundai looks to the future, zero-emissions mobility will play a significant role in the company’s strategy. In addition to the XCIENT Fuel Cell trucks, Hyundai is also the manufacturer of NEXO, its second-generation hydrogen-powered SUV. By 2025, the company aims to sell 670,000 electric vehicles annually, including 110,000 FCEVs.