Ghosn claims innocence in first appearance since November arrest

A court sketch, drawn by Nobutoshi Katsuyama, showing Ghosn during an open hearing to hear the reason for his continued detention, at Tokyo District Court. — Kyodo via Reuters
TOKYO: Nissan Motor Co Ltd’s ousted chairman Carlos Ghosn declared he was innocent today in his first public appearance since his arrest in November, telling a Tokyo court that he was wrongly accused of financial misconduct.

“I have been wrongly accused and unfairly detained based on meritless and unsubstantiated accusations,” he told the Tokyo District Court, according to a prepared statement.

“Contrary to the accusations made by the prosecutors, I never received any compensation from Nissan that was not disclosed, nor did I ever enter into any binding contract with Nissan to be paid a fixed amount that was not disclosed.”

Ghosn, credited with rescuing Nissan from near-bankruptcy two decades ago, appeared thinner than before his arrest as he entered a court in handcuffs and a rope around his waist. He wore a suit without a tie, and his dark hair showed grey roots.

A crowd of journalists and television crew gathered outside the court house while earlier, 1,122 people lined up for 14 court seats assigned by lottery, highlighting the level of public interest in the case of the once-feted executive.

The hearing, requested by his lawyers, was held to explain the reasons for his prolonged detention since his Nov 19 arrest. Presiding judge Yuichi Tada read out the charges and said Ghosn was being detained due to flight risk and the possibility that he may conceal evidence.

Ghosn’s Japanese lawyers are also expected to speak in his defence at a news conference scheduled later in the day. The legal team is headed by former prosecutor Motonari Otsuru.

Investment losses and Saudi payments

Ghosn has been formally charged with under-reporting his income. The 64-year-old executive has also been arrested, but not yet indicted, on allegations of aggravated breach of trust in shifting personal investment losses worth 1.85 billion yen ($17 million) to the carmaker.

Regarding allegations that he transferred losses to Nissan, Ghosn said he had asked the company to temporarily take on collateral for his foreign exchange contracts. He said he did this to avoid the only other choice he had, which was to resign and use his retirement allowance for collateral.

“But my moral commitment to Nissan would not allow me to step down during that crucial time,” he said. “A captain doesn’t jump ship in the middle of a storm.”

Ghosn also said the contracts were transferred back to him, and that Nissan had not incurred any loss.

Ghosn is also accused of making $14.7 million in payments to Saudi businessman Khaled Al-Juffali using Nissan funds in exchange for arranging a letter of credit to help with his investment losses.

Ghosn said in his prepared remarks that Juffali’s company was compensated for “critical services that substantially benefited Nissan”, including soliciting financing and solving problems involving a local distributor.

The Khaled Juffali Company also issued a statement today saying it had received the payments for legitimate business purposes.

The case has rattled Nissan’s alliance with French automaker Renault SA, where Ghosn still remains chairman and chief executive. He had been pushing for a deeper tie-up between the pair, including potentially a full merger at the French government’s urging, despite strong reservations at Nissan.

His arrest has also put Japan’s criminal justice system under international scrutiny and sparked criticism for some of its practices, including keeping suspects in detention for long periods and prohibiting defence lawyers from being present during interrogations that can last eight hours a day.

Ghosn, who was arrested first on Nov 19, has been re-arrested twice on different charges since then, a tactic often used by Japanese prosecutors to keep suspects in detention.

He has been held at the Tokyo Detention Center, a spartan facility where small rooms have a toilet in the corner and no heater - a far cry from the jet-setting lifestyle Ghosn was accustomed to. His son, Anthony Ghosn, said his father had lost 10kg during his detention, according to France’s weekly Journal du Dimanche.

Under Japanese law, suspects can be detained without charges for up to 23 days, and then re-arrested on separate allegations.

On Dec 31, the Tokyo District Court granted prosecutors’ request to extend Ghosn’s detention by 10 days until Jan 11.

Nissan, which has ousted Ghosn from its board, has said a whistleblower investigation also uncovered personal use of company funds and other misconduct.


Toyota brings back Yaris Hatch to US market

                DALLAS: Toyota introduced this week the 2020 Yaris Hatchback, a model based on the segment's sedan that features extra cargo space while still being a "taut, toned athlete."

Toyota announced on Monday that the 2020 Yaris Hatchback, a model with a long and complicated history, will make its debut at the New York International next month.

The 2020 Yaris Hatchback is essentially a rebranded, hatch-styled Mazda2, as the Mazda subcompact is not currently sold in the US.

However, the model did make it to the States in 2015 when Toyota and Mazda signed an agreement that saw the Mazda2 renamed the iA sedan and sold in the US under Scion, a now-discontinued Toyota brand. When Scion became defunct, the iA became the Yaris iA which then became just Yaris. Throughout all the name changes, the model continued to be a rebranded Mazda2 - and the Yaris Hatchback too has the bones of the Mazda2.

Bear in mind the Yaris for Malaysia is based on the region-specific Vios and is different from the one for the US market. The third-generation Yaris for Malaysia is due for launch soon with three variants priced from RM72,000 to RM85,000 (estimated). They will run on a 1.5-litre engine and are up to RM5,000 cheaper than the Vios sedan.

For the 2020 model year, the 2019 Yaris sedan, aka the Mazda2 sedan, was transformed into the 2020 Yaris Hatch with a "bulldog-like stance" and "gutsy attitude" that will especially benefit urbanites.

Though this model is longer than the 2018 Yaris Liftback, it has a tight 9.9m turning circle that will allow drivers to get into those hard-to-reach parking spaces and twist and turn around heavy traffic.

The audio system is composed of six speakers and a 7-inch touchscreen display that can support both Apple CarPlay and Android Auto. Integrated voice recognition technology allows for hands-free phone operation.

As standard, the hatch comes with a slew of driver assist features and safety systems like a Low-speed Pre-Collision Safety System, Traction Control System, Anti-lock Brake System, and Brake Override System as well as Dynamic Stability Control, Electronic Brake-force Distribution, and Brake Assist.

Its power comes from a 1.5-litre inline four-cylinder engine that produces up to 106hp with a 6-speed automatic transmission. An additional Sport Mode gives the car "enhanced acceleration response."

The Yaris Hatchback will be offered in two trims: LE and XLE. The latter is upgraded with leatherette upholstery, automatic climate control, rain-sensing windshield wipers, automatic LED headlamps, and a leather-trimmed steering wheel, shift knob, and parking brake handle.

The 2020 Toyota Yaris Hatchback will debut at the New York International Auto Show, which opens to the public on April 19. The price has not yet been announced, but it will probably be a bit above that of the 2019 Yaris sedan whose MSRP is US$15,450 (RM64,000).

 The Malaysian version of the Yaris will be locally assembled.


Nissan presses partner Renault to sell down stake, Wall Street Journal reports

                TOKYO: Nissan Motor Co Ltd is pressing partner Renault SA to cut its stake in the Japanese automaker and revamp their more than 20-year-old alliance, the Wall Street Journal said on Friday, citing people with knowledge of the talks.

French car firm Renault owns about 43% of Nissan, while the Japanese firm owns 15% of its top shareholder, but without voting rights.

In June, Nissan revealed for the first time some details of its alliance pact with top shareholder Renault that keep the latter from unilaterally increasing its stake beyond 44.4%.

Their talks cover the question of whether Nissan will join Renault's new unit being set up to house its electric vehicle (EV) assets in exchange for its French ally winding down the Nissan stake, the paper said.

Nissan's chief operating officer Ashwani Gupta was among the firm's executives who visited France last month and discussed whether the Japanese car maker would invest in Renault's new EV business, the paper added.

Renault is pushing ahead with plans to split its EV and combustion engine businesses in a bid to catch up with rivals such as Tesla and Volkswagen in the race to cleaner driving.

It expects to unveil a detailed blueprint for the new EV entity this autumn.

Renault declined to comment on the report, while Nissan did not immediately respond to Reuters' request for comment outside normal working hours.


CES 2019: Hyundai debuts holographic AR glass technology for future windshields

                LAS VEGAS: This week at CES, Hyundai, in collaboration with WayRay AG, introduced the crowd to the world's first Holographic Augmented Reality Navigation System, a safety technology that puts stereoscopic guidance icons and navigational alerts right on the roadway in front of you.

At CES 2019 in Las Vegas, Hyundai announced its collaboration with Swiss deep-tech company WayRay to develop a Holographic AR Navigation System built right into a vehicle's windshield beside the company's existing HUD system.

This tech aims to provide drivers with, "navigational and ADAS features to enhance their in-car experiences," by projecting information like vehicle speed and navigational alerts holographically onto the glass.

What's more is that instead of displaying the images, icons, and symbols like a conventional heads-up display would, this system makes the information look as if it is displayed on the road, "appropriately adjusted in accordance with the specific viewing angle of the driver."

Rather than just being warned to decelerate when a vehicle merges into your lane, the AR system will project a warning phrase like "slow down" that appears to be placed on the road and an orange caution triangle on the car that you should be watching out for - all without wearing a headset.

Because all this information appears directly on the roadway, your sight never moves from the street. The companies intend t, "expand holographic AR technology to display people, objects, buses, bicycle lanes, and crosswalks," though all that information, even if holographically integrated naturally into your surroundings, seems potentially distracting especially when combined with Hyundai's existing HUD system.

The partners intend to continue their collaboration to refine the AR technology and eventually incorporate V2X (Vehicle to Everything) technology into the system, as well.


Self-driving cars will drive down insurance costs

                LONDON: According to new Aon data, one of the big consequences of self-driving cars' life-saving capabilities, could be big money savings in the form of lower insurance premiums.

The Global Insurance Market Opportunities Report, published Monday, suggests that even if uptake is slow, by 2035, there could be enough autonomous cars on US roads to cut insurance premiums by 20% compared with current levels.

And, if autonomous cars become the norm by 2050 (that's the model that Aon is working with) premiums will be 40% lower.

"Adoption of autonomous vehicles will of course be affected by many variables," said Paul Mang, CEO of Aon Analytics. "However, we as an industry need to act quickly to ensure that we have the products available to align to the new paradigm."

Aon's research predicts that there could be an 81% drop in insurance claims frequency once self-driving really hit the road. However, that could be offset by an increase in repair costs - radar and laser sensors are very expensive to replace.

Consumers may be warming to the idea of self-driving cars, but even recent studies on the subject show that people still aren't completely convinced by the benefits of autonomous vehicles.

A March study from JD Power of 7,900 US adults found that only young drivers (56%) are ready to actively embrace and put their trust in the concept. Just 23% of Baby Boomers (the biggest car buyers) have faith in the technologies.

Aon's data could change this as it appeals to the public's purse strings, rather than their heart strings, particularly those of older drivers. However there are still ethical issues to overcome.

A research paper published in the journal Science in June, found that consumers believe a self-driving car should sacrifice its driver in order to save 10 pedestrians, unless it's their car, of course. Then it should protect their life at all costs.

Therefore, clarity is key according to Thatcham, the UK insurance industry-funded automotive research center. It is calling for a simplification of the language around self-driving car systems.

"Keeping things simple and clear is paramount," said Peter Shaw, Chief Executive of Thatcham Research. "There is still much work to be done by legislators and the automotive industry to give drivers absolute clarity and confidence around what automated driving systems are capable of doing and under what circumstances they can be used."

Yet it also says that drivers will have to take responsibility for actions, and a list of strict rules relating to what they will and won't be allowed to do when behind the wheel of an autonomous car should be created.


More SUVs than ever are being sold worldwide, half of them electric

                PARIS: SUV sales have reached a new record in 2021, with a market share of 45% worldwide.

While this boom in sales looks to be somewhat of a setback in efforts to reduce CO2 emissions, it's important to note that nearly half of the models sold this year are electric, either 100% electric or plug-in hybrid.

It's a statistic that bodes well for a segment which has never seen such popularity and such a range of choices.

For 2021, SUVs alone account for almost half of all car sales worldwide (45%). They are particularly popular in the United States, Europe and India.

At a time when automakers are moving more or less rapidly to all-electric, there has never been more choice on the market for electric SUVs.

Nearly one in two SUVs sold worldwide is now an electric vehicle.

This is obviously still a drop in a bucket for a global fleet where combustion engine vehicles represent 98 percent, but the trend is showing a change in direction.

In fact, SUVs remain among the biggest polluters on the roads. Currently, if SUVs were a country, they would rank sixth in the world for absolute emissions, with more than 900 million tons of CO2 released in a year.

To compensate for the growth in the number of SUVs on the road over the past 10 years, the global fleet of electric cars would need to be twice as large as it is today, which is ultimately only a matter of time.

In the immediate future, global sales of electric cars (all models) in 2021 alone should be enough to offset the additional emissions from the millions of SUVs bought in that time.

These figures were provided by the International Energy Agency (IEA) and were based on the World Energy Outlook and Global Fuel Economy Initiative 2021 reports.

Meanwhile a few days ago, the Cetelem Automotive Observatory 2022 pointed out that although the image of a large polluting car remains associated with SUVs, this type of vehicle continues to appeal to a large number of drivers, and its success could well continue in the era of all-electric.


Proton might raise prices due to weakening ringgit

                KUALA LUMPUR: Proton Holdings Bhd is considering increasing the prices of its cars starting January 2016, due to the weakening ringgit.

In a statement on Tuesday, chief executive officer Datuk Abdul Harith Abdullah said many raw materials are purchased in foreign currency. The weaker ringgit affects the company’s operation cost and the entire eco-system chain, he said.

“Hence, we are evaluating our price structure and the percentage of the price increase will depend on the models,” he said.

The price increase is seen as an industry situation as prices would need to be raised to compensate for the effect of the lower ringgit.

To cushion the impact, which has been impacting Proton’s bottomline since August 2015, the company has put more effort into reducing operational costs and rationalising operations.


Geely Bin Rui — a potential Proton C-segment model — debuts

                CHENGDU: The Geely Bin Rui C-segment sedan has made its official debut at the 2018 Chengdu Motor Show today, and is priced from 79,800 to 110,800 yuan (RM48,000 to RM66,680).

As the Geely Group has a 49.9 per cent stake in Malaysian automaker Proton Holdings Bhd, the Bin Rui might be re-skinned as a future Proton C-segment sedan.

Size-wise, the Bin Rui is 4,680mm long, 1,785mm wide, and 1,460 mm tall with a 2,670mm wheelbase.

Rivals in this segment include the Toyota Corolla Altis, Honda Civic and Mazda3.

The Bin Rui has an electric power steering (EPS) and runs on 205/50 tyres with 17-inch rims.

It has two powertrain variants.

The first is a 1.0-litre turbocharged engine with DVVT that produces 134hp at 6,000rpm and 205Nm of torque at 2,000 to 3,000rpm mated to a 6-speed dual-clutch gearbox. The 1.0-litre turbocharged Bin Rui has a top speed of 200kph.

The second is a 1.4-litre turbocharged engine with VVT that produces 131hp at 5,200rpm and 215Nm of torque at 2,000 to 4,000rpm mated to a 8-speed CVT. It has a top speed of 190kph.

The Bin Rui units on display at the motor show had black leather upholstery with red stitching, chrome door handles in the cabin, a large touchscreen, electric parking brake with auto hold, and 205/50 R17 tyres.

The Bin Rui was developed using Geely Auto’s new B-segment Modular Architecture (BMA) which greatly shortens the vehicle development cycle and improves product quality. BMA based models can be developed with a wheelbase as short as 2,550mm (similar to Proton Persona) or as long as 2,700mm (similar to 2018 Honda Civic).

The BMA will be used to develop future SUVs, sedans, crossovers, wagons, and MPVs (multi purpose vehicles) for Geely.

Multiple powertrain options can be used with BMA, including Geely’s 1.0-litre and 1.5-litre turbocharged direct injection engines, 1.4-litre turbocharge engine, and hybrid powertrains such as Plug-in Hybrid Electric Vehicle (PHEV), Hybrid Electric (HEV) and Mild Hybrid Electric Vehicle (MHEV).


Kymco offers world's first personalised battery swapping service for two-wheelers

                TAIPEI: Taiwanese motorcycle manufacturer Kymco has introduced Ionex Recharge, the world's first personalised energy replenishing service, providing on-demand battery delivery and battery swapping for electric scooters and motorcycles.

Riders can have their vehicle batteries swapped at a designated time and place without the riders' presence.

Furthermore, riders can also subscribe to an overnight battery swapping service and wake up to a fully-charged vehicle in the morning. This personal service aims to make electric vehicles not only eco-friendly but also rider-friendly.

The world is in transition to zero-emission vehicles; more than 120 countries have pledged to go net-zero by 2050.

As part of this transition, motorcycles and scooters are poised to become the next global transformation in personal transportation. Meanwhile, start-ups and established brands alike are rushing to announce new electric models for riders, aiming to claim their place in the coming era.

However, for consumers, the persistent inconvenience of needing their vehicles charged or batteries swapped has made many hesitant about going electric.

Such reluctance is grounded in the everyday challenges faced by today's electric vehicle riders. For example, in multi-unit residential buildings, parking space adjacent outlets are usually not present.

Even when riders are on the road, nearby charging stations can be hard to find, and the charge time might be too long.

To eliminate the wait, battery swapping was introduced as an alternative to charging. However, riders still have to make the effort to find either public charging stations or battery swapping stations, forcing them to go out of their way for energy replenishment.

"Kymco has always been at the forefront of the electrification of scooters and motorcycles. We have dedicated ourselves to creating the most thoughtful customer experience of the electric era," said Kymco chairman Allen Ko.

"Ionex Recharge is a fully personalised energy service that eliminates urban riders' concerns about charging once and for all. It is the most significant leap forward in the electrification of personal transportation."


Q by Aston Martin: Vanquish S Red Arrows Edition

                LONDON: Spectacular British aviation skills are the inspiration for Aston Martin's latest Q by Aston Martin creation; the Vanquish S Red Arrows edition.

Just 10 examples of the Red Arrows inspired cars are being commissioned by Aston Martin Cambridge, each with special design features, hand-crafted interiors and graphic elements that draw on the visual language of aviation, as well as the skill and agility of the RAF's globally acclaimed official aerobatic unit, the Red Arrows.

The limited edition is the third Q by Aston Martin - Commission from Aston Martin Cambridge, following on from the success of last year's V12 Vantage S Spitfire 80 Edition, marking 80 years of the Supermarine Spitfire's first flight, and the earlier Vantage S Blades Edition, developed in collaboration with the Blades Aerobatic Display Team.

The Q by Aston Martin Vanquish S Red Arrows edition was announced at the handover of the former RAF St Athan facility in South Wales, soon to become Aston Martin's second manufacturing site in the UK.

Strictly limited to just nine customer cars, Reds 1 through 9 are available to purchase through Aston Martin Cambridge.

Fittingly, nine Vanquish S models mirrors the nine-aircraft formation made famous by the Red Arrows.

The 10th car is being gifted to the RAF Benevolent Fund, the charity established to provide support to former servicemen and women and their families.

The Q by Aston Martin Vanquish S Red Arrows edition is finished in striking Eclat Red, mirroring the instantly familiar livery of the Hawks and referencing the word 'Eclat,' the Red Arrows' motto.

An exposed carbon fibre roof panel includes an inlaid 'charge' pattern mimicking the canopy design of a fast jet, while Union Jack enamel wing badges and a titanium exhaust complete the exterior package.

Inside, Red Arrows and RAF inspired details are used throughout, such as the Pinewood green inserts that evoke the design of the classic flight suit and Martin Baker Ejection Seat fabric, together with the green webbing seatbelts.

The signature Red Arrows emblem of nine aircraft in classic 'diamond' formation is embroidered on the seat backs, along with unique sill and engine inspection plaques.

The latter will be signed, 1 through 10, by the equivalent number 'Red' pilot in the squadron. The Royal Air Force Aerobatic Team logo is embroidered on the transmission tunnel, and the rear of the cabin is finished in the 2+0 configuration, allowing for rear-mounted stowage of twin racing helmets, both finished in the Red Arrows livery.

The One-77-derived steering wheel is paired with a bespoke centre rotary toggle switch inspired by aviation instrumentation and switchgear, including black/yellow hatched design pattering on seat fold and door pulls.

The door cards are embroidered with a graphic of the iconic 'Vixen Break,' a spectacular high-G 9-aircraft formation.

Each Q by Aston Martin Vanquish S Red Arrows owner will receive bespoke accessories that could include racing helmets, racing suits, bespoke embroidered bomber jackets and a Vanquish S bespoke luggage set, together with a highly-detailed die-cast 1:18 model of their car and the Hawk aircraft.

A specially designed car cover and Build Book will also be issued.


Behold the new entry-level Ford vehicle — it's a truck named Maverick

                DETROIT: Ford has confirmed it will introduce a compact pickup truck called Maverick next week, augmenting its entry-level vehicle offerings more than three years after it said it would largely abandon the US sedan market.

While Ford said it will provide more details about the truck on June 8, executives have talked about the "white-space" vehicle that will move the US automaker into a new segment, and people familiar with the plans said the Maverick's starting price will be below US$20,000 (RM83,000).

The four-door small pickup will be built, starting in July, at the company's Hermosillo, Mexico, plant with plans to eventually build more than 120,000 annually, according to AutoForecast Solutions. Ford declined to comment on pricing or other details about the vehicle ahead of next week's reveal.

In an industry where the average new vehicle now sells for almost US$41,000 (RM169,000), according to Kelley Blue Book, and the number of vehicles sold for less than US$20,000 is rapidly shrinking, Ford hopes Maverick helps attract buyers turned off by its April 2018 announcement that it would stop selling the Fiesta, Focus, Taurus and Fusion sedans, the last of which was discontinued last year.

Ford's current entry-level vehicle is the EcoSport SUV, which starts at just under US$20,000.

Dealers are excited they will have a low-cost vehicle to draw buyers into the Ford brand.

"When they decided to get rid of the sedans, they made it very, very difficult for us to compete in that entry-level market," said Rhett Ricart, owner of Ricart Ford in Columbus, Ohio. "Ford's timing on this thing's perfect. It's going to put us back in the game."

But Ford is re-entering a different market today. In 2012, 54% of all US new vehicles sold for less than US$30,000 (RM124,000), but that share slid to 20% last year as consumers shifted to more expensive trucks and SUVs, according to Cox Automotive. As of April, only six car models sold for less than $20,000.

Today's low-cost buyers focus instead on saving money, analysts said.

"Cars have become so reliable, entry-level sales have moved to off-lease and used cars," said Sam Fiorani, vice president of global vehicle forecasting at AutoForecast Solutions. "When you have the average transaction price of $40,000, under $30,000 is quote unquote affordable."

Ford is not alone in eyeing this end of the truck market either, as Hyundai Motor Co will this summer introduce the Santa Cruz compact pickup, which it has dubbed a "sport adventure vehicle."

"It's going to take us into an entirely new territory for the Hyundai brand and it's going to attract a new buyer that probably wouldn't have considered purchasing a Hyundai in the first place," Hyundai North American sales chief Randy Parker said in an interview.

The Santa Cruz price tag will start around US$25,000 (RM104,000), he said. AutoForecast Solutions expects Hyundai to build fewer than 35,000 a year at its Alabama plant.

The Maverick also is an example of leveraging existing platforms to save money and speed vehicles to market. It will be built on the same vehicle architecture used for the Bronco Sport, Lincoln Corsair and Ford Escape SUVs, saving the company 68% off the original investment made for the Focus, Ford disclosed last December


Nio blackmailed for millions in bitcoin by data-stealing hackers

                SHANGHAI: Hackers have stolen Nio Inc. user and car-sales data and are now blackmailing the Chinese electric-vehicle maker.

Nio received an email this month in which the sender demanded US$2.25 million in Bitcoin in return for not releasing the data, the automaker said Tuesday.

An internal investigation revealed that part of Nio’s user and vehicle sales information prior to August 2021 had been compromised.

"The company strongly condemns such unlawful acts and will not bow down to cyber crimes,” Nio said in a statement, adding that it had reported the incident to regulators. It pledged to take responsibility for any potential damages to customers.

Data security issues have become a concern for auto manufacturers and their suppliers. Hackers stole around 40 terabytes of data from German auto-parts maker Continental AG during a cyberattack in August.

The loot may include information connected to customers Volkswagen AG, Mercedes-Benz AG and BMW AG, Germany’s Handelsblatt reported last month.

China has demonstrated an increased concern over information-security issues related to intelligent vehicles, as part of a broader oversight on data exports including a crackdown last year on ride-hailing firm Didi Global Inc.

Personal information and important data collected and generated within China should be stored in the country, the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology said in guidelines released last year.


Ineos Automotive plans 2022 Europe launch for off-road vehicle

                LONDON: Ineos Automotive, a unit of chemicals and energy giant Ineos, will launch a rugged off-road vehicle in Europe in 2022 and North America in 2023 for farmers and other primarily rural uses, it said today,

The company plans initially to launch with a utilitarian version of the Grenadier for business customers - which should make up the majority of sales of the four-wheel drive vehicle - and a more comfortable passenger version.

The vehicle will also launch in parts of Africa and the Middle East in 2022.

Ineos Automotive is also working on a pickup truck version of the Grenadier, which will be crucial for the North American market. In the US market, pickup trucks make up a sizeable and a highly-profitable portion of total auto industry sales.

The boxy Grenadier will have petrol and diesel engines and drive trains built by BMW. Production of the vehicle will launch in late 2021 at a former Daimler AG passenger car plant in Hambach, in north-eastern France, that Ineos Automotive acquired from the German carmaker last year.

Gary Pearson, who heads up Ineos Automotive's markets in the UK, Middle East and North Africa, said the combustion engine technology the company is using is right for today's market.

But with bans on fossil-fuel vehicles looming in Europe, the company is looking at hydrogen fuel-cell technology for future zero-emission versions of the Grenadier rather than going electric.

"As electric technology moves on, it may well become right for us," Pearson said. "But today in terms of range, the weight of batteries... in a vehicle that needs to pull things, lift things, carry things, that's not necessarily right for us at the moment."

An agreement between parent company Ineos and Hyundai to explore opportunities for hydrogen production and supply includes evaluating using the South Korean carmaker's fuel-cell system in the Grenadier.


Toyota Crown sedan may morph into an SUV

                TOKYO: If a car model doesn't meet sales target, its days are numbered - or it could switch bodystyle.

That's what Toyota is planning to do to the luxury Crown sedan, according to Japanese newspaper Chunichi Shimbun in a recent report.

Toyota wants to retain the Crown's name but turned it into the world's favourite bodystyle - an SUV.

The Crown SUV could debut as early as 2022 and be exported to China and US a year later. It would be based on the TNGA-K platform that is shared by the Highlander, Harrier and the JDM-spec Kluger, said the newspaper.

The Crown nameplate is one of Toyota's oldest, having been around for 65 years and through 15 generations. The Crown is believed to be the the first Japanese car to be sold in North America in 1958.

The 15th-generation Crown was introduced in 2018 and was recently refreshed featuring a bigger infotainment screen instead of two individual displays.

Will the next generation Crown become an SUV? Only time will tell.


Benelli TNT 135 LE rides in at RM9,988

                SUBANG: Benelli in Malaysia has launched the smallest variant in the company’s line-up of bike in the form of TNT 135 LE (Limited Edition) that takes aim at new/young riders.

Costing RM9,988 without GST and insurance and available either Black, White or Red, the bike is accompanied by a Limited Edition sticker with running numbers for up to ‘1000’.

The company touts it as a mini/fun bike that comes with tons of additional red aesthetic accessories that include the clutch and brake levers with handle bar protectors, handle bar riser, front axle bar slider and a front brake reservoir cover cap.

Other accessories include a rear axle bar slider, engine oil cap, oil filter cap, engine protector, frame decorations, carbon fibre exhaust cover for the dual-tipped exhaust and matching front and rear foot pegs.

Between the steel-tube lattice designed frame is a 134.7cc oil-cooled single-piston Euro 4 motor with an electric starter is fed by a 7.2-litre petrol tank, to produce 13hp at 9,000rpm that’s managed by a five-speed manual transmission with a wet multi-plate clutch.

The bike rides on 41mm inverted front forks with 120mm of travel and an oil-damped rear telescopic coil spring with 50mm of travel - giving it 160mm of ground clearance.

With a wheelbase of 1,215mm, grip comes from its front 120-70 and rear 130/70 tires with 12-inch aluminium alloy wheels.

Braking duties are handled by a single front 220mm disc with two-piston calliper and a single rear 190mm disc matched to a single-piston calliper.


China EV maker Li warns terms like self driving may mislead people

                BEIJING: The chief executive officer of Chinese electric-car maker Li Auto Inc. has said the industry should limit using the terms autonomous and self driving, considering no automobile today is truly capable of that and its common usage is becoming misleading for consumers.

Li Xiang’s comments, on his WeChat account Monday, come days after a fatal accident involving an electric car from rival Nio Inc.

The 31-year-old driver of that vehicle had Nio’s navigation-on-pilot function activated and was killed when his car rear-ended another on a highway.

That and similar accidents in China have raised consumer concerns over the safety of electric cars, which tend to have more advanced driving technology and intelligent features than traditional cars.

Some people say the way the vehicles are being advertised, including describing driver-assistance functions as autonomous driving, is potentially dangerous.

"The terms ‘autonomous’ and ‘assistance’ are conflicting each other in describing one single status,” Li said.

Drivers are still ultimately responsible for their own safety even when using assisted-driving functions, he said.

It’s an issue that’s sparked debate outside of China as well. Earlier this year, the US National Transportation Safety Board found that the autopilot function could not have been in operation on a Tesla Inc. Model S that crashed in Texas, killing the two occupants.

On Monday, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration opened a formal investigation into Tesla’s autopilot system after almost a dozen collisions at crash scenes involving first-responder vehicles.

Advanced driver-assistance systems help drivers park, stay in their lane or avoid objects using cameras, radar and other electronic sensors, but a fully autonomous car that can drive everywhere, under all conditions is a long way off.

Even California-based Waymo, the business that was formerly Google’s autonomous car project, no longer uses the term self-driving to depict its technologies.

The Nio accident is under investigation and the company is "actively partnering with relevant departments and submitting materials,” according to a statement Monday.

Li also urged media and industry bodies to adopt unified Chinese nomenclature for assisted and autonomous driving technologies to replace the Level 2 to 5 scale that’s generally used to reflect to what degree a machine takes over.

This would make things more "simple and clear,” Li said. "The hyperbole in marketing should be avoided.”


Govt mulling 10-year driving licence renewals, says Loke

                KUALA LUMPUR: Driving licences that can be renewed for up to 10 years are being considered by the government, says Transport Minister Anthony Loke.

He said Transport Ministry officers have been told to study the feasibility of the proposal.

"Maybe we can offer discounts for those who renew for 10 years to encourage Malaysians to renew their licences for longer periods. It is an option that might be implemented in future," said Loke during his winding-up speech on the motion of thanks on the Royal Address in Parliament today.

Loke also said the Transport Ministry was conducting a study on the current road tax structure to reduce its cost.

"We must understand that road taxes are a big revenue source for the government, nearly RM3bil.

"So far, no decision has been made on the matter but I will consider it," added Loke.

Currently, Malaysian driving licences can be renewed yearly or a maximum of five years.

Loke also said they were also studying the road tax structure for electric vehicles (EV) to encourage EV ownership.

He said he was aware that road taxes for certain EVs were more expensive than regular vehicles.

"So far, we have a tax holiday on EV road taxes. I will ask Transport Ministry officers to study how EV taxes can be in line with our policies on promoting EVs.

"There has to be incentives in terms of competitive road taxes and charging stations," added Loke.

A road tax exemption for EVs is in place from Jan 1, 2022 to Dec 31, 2025.


All Klang Valley toll highways to go cashless by end of 2016

                CYBERJAYA: All 21 highways in the Klang Valley will implement the fully electronic toll payment system by the end of this year, said Association of Highway Concessionaires Malaysia (PSKLM) president Datuk Zainudin A Kadir.

He said the move was an initiative to encourage the use of the electronic toll system that was more convenient, comfortable and helped users enjoy a smooth ride at any toll plaza.

"On average, the manual toll collection is 360 transactions per hour, compared to 1,000 transactions using the Smart Tag, and over 700 transactions using Touch n Go," he told a media briefing at the Kuala Lumpur-Putrajaya Expressway (MEX) headquarters here on Wednesday.

He said highway concessionaires would bear the cost of RM150,000 per lane, including the cost of works to configurate the system.

Zainuddin said the implementation of a fully electronic toll payment system will not cause layoffs of toll attendants, as they would be redeployed to other divisions including customer service, checking the system, and monitoring the toll plazas.

He said there were about 3,500 toll attendants nationwide currently, adding the new system would be implemented in stages.

Malaysia began to implement electronic toll payment system at Bangunan Sultan Islandar on the PLUS Highway on Dec 16, 2008, followed by several other toll plazas at the Second Link Expressway and PLUS highways, he said.

The Mambau and Lukut toll plazas along the Seremban-Port Dickson Highway implemented the electronic toll payment system on June 1 last year, followed by seven other highways comprising 12 toll plazas on Sept 9.

Zainuddin said 10 toll plazas on four highways, namely MEX, the New Pantai Expressway (NPE), Cheras-Kajang Highway (Grand Saga) and Kemuning-Shah Alam Expressway (LKSA) will implement the fully electronic toll payment system at midnight on Jan 13.

The toll plazas comprise three on MEX, namely the Salak Selatan Toll Plaza, Putrajaya Toll Plaza and Seri Kembangan Toll Plaza, three toll plazas along the NPE (PJS2, PJS5, and Pantai Dalam), two toll plazas on Grand Saga (Batu 9 and Batu 11) and two on LKSA (Seri Muda and Alam Impian).

Zainuddin said the highway concessionaires involved would offer various incentives to consumers, including the distribution of 140,000 free Touch n Go cards, where users would only have to pay for a RM5 reload to receive the card.

Apart from that there is also an offer for a new Smart Tag at RM99, if purchased with a reload of RM20, and a 10 per cent rebate for Class 1 vehicles from Jan 13 to March 12 this year.

When asked if the government was considering to end the highway concessions, Zainuddin replied: "So far, no".


BMW Motorrad recalls leather jacket and gloves over potential allergy risk

                MUNICH: BMW Motorrad is recalling a motorcycle jacket and leather gloves following advice from the local regulators.

Random tests by the authorities on the items have indicated chromium VI above the legally standardised limit. Chromium VI can cause allergic reactions in some persons.

The items referred to the Club Leather Men's Jacket size M, part number 76129899222 and the DownTown glove, part number 76218560843 to 76218560849 in Europe.

BMW Motorrad said it regularly test the leather lifestyle products it sell for chrome VI and have not detected any abnormalities to date.

Owners are asked to hand the affected items of clothing in at an authorised BMW Motorrad dealership. Irrespective of their age, affected items can be exchanged for an equivalent BMW Motorrad product.


Get up to RM3,000 savings if you buy a Haval SUV

                PETALING JAYA: Haval distributor Go Auto Sales Sdn Bhd says its April promotions would enable customers to enjoy savings of up to RM3000.

The promotion is available at all Haval showrooms nationwide.

“We are offering new and existing customers with free insurance and rebates with savings up to RM3000 for both Haval H1 and H2 models this month,” said Go Auto Group executive director Datuk SM Azli SM Nasimuddin Kamal.

Haval Malaysia will also carrying out roadshows nationwide in shopping malls and other locations to be closer to the public.

To kick-off its roadshow, Haval will be having its first Central Roadshow at AEON Mall Shah Alam from April 24 to 29 2018 with many activities and promotions available for the public.

For more information, customers can contact Customer Care at 03-5569 7332 or email us at customercare@goauto.com.my.

Customers can also visit www.haval.my or our official Facebook page at www.facebook.com/havalmy or instagram page at www.instagram.com/havalmy.


Wee acts to cut long queues at Johor JPJ after spot check

Dr Wee speaking today to JPJ customers in Johor Baru who had to put up with long queues. — All pix from Facebook/WeeKaSiong
JOHOR BARU: A surprise visit by Datuk Seri Dr Wee Ka Siong to the Johor Road Transport Department (JPJ) here uncovered a host of unsatisfactory matters.

The Transport Minister said he was saddened to see people wasting their time in long queues that snaked around the JPJ building during his spot check at Taman Daya today.

In a Facebook post, he said those in the queue told him they were unable to renew their driver’s licence at the Urban Transformation Centres and post offices, while some questioned the usefulness of the mySIKAP portal as they still needed to go to JPJ to print their documents even after performing the transactions online.

"I went to the source to find out what went wrong and I was disappointed to find that only two out of the four driver’s licence printing machines there from service provider Percetakan Keselamatan Nasional (PKN) were functioning,” said Dr Wee.

"I immediately contacted the service provider to ask them to repair the machines or send replacements, and they have promised to take action instantly. Do not waste the people’s time with long queues under the hot sun,” he added.

At the same time, Dr Wee instructed the JPJ headquarters to compile information from all of its branches as well as those in UTC and post offices about the latest condition of the driving licence printing machines that were supplied by the same service provider.

"I do not want the same situation in Johor JPJ to happen in other places, and the people will surely be angry if they are forced to make a few trips here and there for their driver’s or motorcycle licence, which should be an easy matter in the first place.

"From this surprise working visit, I can say that the JPJ service counter system is quite ancient (more than 10 years old) and needs to move towards digitalisation for the long term and to provide more efficient services,” he said.

Several hours after his initial post, Dr Wee updated it in the evening by saying that PKN had sent its technical team to fix the faulty printers as well as added more printers, bringing the number of functioning printers to five, instead of two earlier in the day.

The MCA president said such spot checks would become his way of verifying reports submitted by the department officers and the public.

Dr Wee added that he would try his best to close the gap between JPJ’s plans and the people’s aspirations in order to achieve the most desirable thing, which is to have consistently smooth and efficient public services.


Police seize Nissan Skyline with police livery, owner detained

                SEPANG: Police have seized a Nissan Skyline and arrested its owner for using police livery and decals on the vehicle.

The supercar was one of the vehicles on display at an autoshow at the Malaysia Agro Exposition Park Serdang (MAEPS) during the weekend.

Sepang OCPD Asst Comm Wan Kamarul Azran Wan Yusof said police from Sepang CID arrested the vehicle owner at around 10.30pm on Saturday.

"I can confirm that an investigation is under way after a police report was lodged on the vehicle which looked like a police car. The vehicle is owned by a 45-year-old car accessory shop operator,” he said.

"We have seized the Nissan Skyline R32 car which had the police emblems and livery on it," added ACP Wan Kamarul in a statement today.

He said police also seized the vehicle's keys and autoshow entry slip.

"We have opened investigations under Section 89 of the Police Act for owning items which are supplied to the police in dispensing their duties. Investigations are ongoing," he said, adding that the vehicle owner was released on bail after his statement was recorded by police.

Pictures and videos of the vehicle have gone viral on social media after the vehicle was put on display at the Art Of Speed Malaysia autoshow.


All-electric BMW iX1 launches at RM285,800

                PETALING JAYA: BMW Malaysia today unveiled the iX1 electric Sports Activity Vehicle (SAV/SUV) at the Malaysia Autoshow 2023.

The electric addition to the X1 will arrive in the M Sport variant, priced at RM285,800 (on-the-road without insurance).

The iX1 produces peak output of 230kW /313 hp and a reasonable range of up to 440km (WLTP). High-power charging at rates of up to 130 kW reduces downtime by bringing the vehicle from 10% to 80% charge in 29 minutes.

BMW is quick to point out that the battery was made in a sutainable way, meaning the cobalt and lithium materials used are the result of responsible mining. The powertrain also does not use any rare earths.

The iX1 has an upright front and slender wrap-around adaptive LED headlights with high beam assistant and new daytime running lights, along with 3D taillights in a stylised L-shape with standard full-LED technology that adorn the rear.

Generously flared in size, the hallmark square wheel arch design of the new electric SAV also conveys the characteristic BMW X design language, complete with flush door handles that set it apart from all other powertrain variants.

Standard are flush door handles, welcome lights, front apron with air intake trims, and automatic tailgate operation.

The kidney grille surround is in Chrome, while the kidney grille front slats are in satinated aluminium.

Other variant-exclusive highlights include the M high-gloss Shadowline, M designation on both sides and 19-inch M light alloy wheels in Double-spoke style 871M Bicolour.

In the cabin, the iX1 gets a driver-oriented BMW Curved Display which debuted in the all-electric iX and i4 models. Sitting atop the Luxury instrument panel is a 10.25-inch instrument cluster and 10.7-inch control display, running the BMW Operating System 8 and fitted with the BMW Live Cockpit Professional as standard.

Drivers can control all vehicle functions via the central touchscreen Control Display, the buttons on the M Leather steering wheel featuring the Sport Boost shift paddle, or the voice-controlled Intelligent Personal Assistant.

A hand rest in front of the Control Display makes touchscreen operation even more convenient, while the new floating armrest feature frees up space for extra storage areas in the centre console and also houses the gear selector, volume control as well as the My Modes button, which include six modes for individualisation of the driving experience.

The M Headliner anthracite and standard slightly elevated front seats provide all-round visibility as well as maximum driving pleasure. The front and rear footwell lights also add to its roomy ambience.

Sport seats arrive as standard for the driver and front passenger, along with a host of functionalities for added comfort and convenience, such as electric adjustment with memory function for the driver.

Thanks to the standard inclusion of the interior and exterior mirror packages, drivers are aided on the road with automatic anti-dazzle functionality. Other standard kit are the Heads-Up Display, Harman Kardon Hi-Fi loudspeaker system as well as BMW Live Cockpit Professional with Augmented View.

Dual-zone climate control ensures comfort for both driver and passengers.

Like the i4 M50, the SAV is also equipped with BMW IconicSounds Electric, a set of artificial sounds to simulate the driving experience, as well as other sounds to warn pedestrians.

Because the high-voltage battery is positioned very low between the axles, this allows the iX1 to offer a 490-litre luggage capacity, which can further be expanded to 1,495 litres by folding the rear passenger seats. For added convenience, the comfort access system with BMW Digital Key Plus also arrives as standard to the SAV.

Each axle has an electric motor for all-drive ability. With overboost, these motors deliver an output of 230 kW/ 313 hp, along with 494 Nm of torque. The electric all-wheel drive accelerates the vehicle from 0 to 100kph in just 5.6 seconds, and top speed is electronically limited at 180kph.

The first-generation BMW eDrive technology also includes charging hardware and high-voltage battery cells mounted flat in the floorpan, with a total battery capacity of 64.7 kWh – enabling the 440km range.

The iX1 is supplied witha Flexible Fast Charger as well as a Mode 3 charging cable – for AC charging at up to 11 kW or HPC fast-charging at up to 130 kW, that can charge the vehicle from 10% to 80% in 29 minutes.

Convenient charge management is offered via the My BMW App and Connected Charging – allowing owners to check the vehicle’s state of charge remotely and review all charging interactions through the BMW Charging Dashboard.

The suspension mirrors technology from the X1.

The SAV is fitted with Adaptive M Suspension, which automatically adapts to road conditions and drive styles for better ride comfort and improved long-distance capability.

Intelligent driver assistance systems include Driving Assistant Plus and Parking Assistant Plus. Other standard features include the Hill Start Assist, Speed Limiter, Attentiveness Assistant, Lane Departure Warning with active steering intervention. Front Collision Warning and Left Turn Warning – both with braking function, along with Speed Limit Info and Evasion Assistant.

In terms of connectivity, the iX1 is specified with Connected Package Professional, Connected Drive Services, Teleservices, Smartphone Integration with Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, wireless charging tray, Intelligent Emergency Call, and tyre pressure indicators. Digital services include Remote Software Upgrade, BMW Connective Drive Upgrades, as well as BMW Maps.

Exterior colour offerings are Alpine White, Black Sapphire, Cape York Green, M Portimao Blue, Storm Bay and Space Silver. Interior upholstery is available in either Alcantara Black with Blue Contrast Stitching, Leather Vernasca Black or Leather Vernasca Mocha.


Google Assistant may become even more useful to drivers one day

                SAN FRANCISCO: Google will be adding a feature that drivers are bound to fall in love with.

The California-based tech company is integrating a new user-defined voice shortcuts feature into Google Assistant.

Although voice command has been around for years, the company is said to be working on honing Google Assistant's capability to allow users to customise voice commands within the app.

Wouldn't it be cool to trigger Twitter to tweet with this simple command?: "Hey Google, new tweet".

The feature would also be able to launch Google Maps to display saved places or the timeline; it could even allow a user to share a location with a contact.

At this stage, there's limited functionality with regards to voice shortcuts in Google Asssitan. But it holds the promise of greater utility in the future as Google engineers continue to refine it.

It could also see the integration of Google Assistant into vehicles soon to provide some competition to Apple's Siri which is found in Volkswagen’s Car-Net app.


DBX707: Aston Martin's most potent SUV arrives, priced from RM1.1mil

                KUALA LUMPUR: The new Aston Martin DBX707 SUV has arrived in Malaysia, promising blistering performance and luxury.

The launch edition is priced from RM1,098,000 (base price excluding duties, taxes and options).

The British car maker boasts that the DBX707 was built to become the "fastest, most powerful and best handling" SUV of its kind. Its world debut came in February, a year after the standard DBX was launched.

The unit shown here has already found a customer, who had spent an extra RM380,000 on options.

Taking the V8 DBX’s widely acclaimed design, dynamics and driver-pleasing character as its starting point, DBX707 builds on those sporting attributes. As you might have guessed, the number in the name refers to the total output from the engine in PS.

According to Aston Martin, every part of the SUV has been enhanced to boost performance, intensify driving pleasure and amplify its on-road presence.

Starting with the powertrain, Aston Martin’s engineering team set about realising the full potential of the DBX’s 4.0-litre twin-turbocharged V8.

Led by Aston Martin’s head of powertrain engineering Ralph Illenberger, the DBX707’s engine now features ball bearing turbochargers and a bespoke engine calibration to free up more power and torque.

Also new to Aston Martin’s flagship high performance SUV is a 9-speed wet clutch automatic transmission. Capable of managing much increased torque loadings compared with a regular torque converter automatic, this high-performance transmission allows output of the V8 to be lifted to an immense 697hp (707 PS) and 900Nm, increases of 157PS and 200Nm over the DBX (V8).

To manage this immense straight-line performance, carbon ceramic brakes (CCB) have been made standard in the DBX707.

Measuring 420mm in front and 390mm in the rear, the CCB rotors are gripped by 6-piston calipers and contribute to an overall reduction of 40.5kg in unsprung weight.

To underline the driver-focused credentials of the DBX707, the GT Sport and Sport+ driving modes now feature “Race Start” to give drivers the full experience of the vehicle’s unrivalled off-the-line acceleration.

Although torque can be distributed 100% to the rear axle on demand, revised active logic in the all-wheel drive transfer case enhances control between the driveline and ESP system for a more natural, sports car-like driving experience in the DBX707.

The air suspension system of the DBX V8 features new damper valving with recalibrated dynamic spring volume matching for improved body control and electronic power steering response.

The latter has been optimised to offer better feedback for the driver to judge cornering loads and available grip with greater accuracy.

The front end of the DBX707 has a larger front grille defined by six double-vaned horizontal bars and newly-designed daytime-running lights (DRL). Combined with the new air intakes, brake cooling ducts and new front splitter profile, the modifications help improve cooling airflow to maintain optimum performance while creating a unique, visual identity for the range-topping Aston Martin SUV.

At the rear, a new lip spoiler is added to the roof wing to reduce lift and increase high-speed stability while the twin rear diffuser now rises to meet the new, large- diameter quad-exhaust system.

Finished in satin black to complement the gloss black treatment of the diffuser, this new exhaust has been tuned to deliver a unique sound signature that creates greater emotional engagement on the move.

Inside the cabin are standard Sport seats and sleek, dark chrome switchgear complementing the satin black appointments of the exterior.

Three choices of interior environments are available to buyers, namely Accelerate, Inspire – Comfort and Inspire – Sport.

All seat options come with 16-way electric adjustment plus heating as standard while Piano Black veneer is draped across the cabin as standard. Carbon fibre and bronze metal mesh finishes are also available as an option.

In addition to the wide range of options to choose from, Q by Aston Martin offers bespoke personalisation services.

Like all models sold by Aston Martin Kuala Lumpur, the DBX707 is offered with an optional extended warranty of up to 20 years of coverage.

The Aston Martin DBX707 is now available for viewing and booking in Malaysia.

> SPECIFICATIONS


Mitsubishi restyles Mirage and Attrage compact models

                TOKYO: Mitsubishi Motors Corporation is set to launch facelifted and updated Mirage hatchback and Attrage sedan models, both global compact cars, in Thailand on Nov 18.

Both models will feature sharp and dynamic exterior designs which embody the "Mitsubishi-ness" that identifies the company's compact cars.

Mirage and Attrage are MMC global strategic models and a total of 140,000 units were sold in fiscal 2018. MMC's local production and sales company, Laem Chabang Plant of Mitsubishi Motors Thailand, manufactures those vehicles.

The Mirage is sold as Space Star in some European and Asian markets, while the Attrage is known as irage G4 in some regions.


Auto industry is being turned on its head. Carlos Ghosn says embrace it

Three forces – electrification, autonomous drive and connectivity – are about to change our industry in ways we are only beginning to imagine.

PARIS: In his latest LinkedIn Influencer post, Renault-Nissan Alliance CEO Carlos Ghosn addresses the issue of "disruption" in the auto industry and competitors who promise a new approach to what a car can be.

The LinkedIn post is excerpted below from a keynote speech Ghosn gave at the opening of the New York International Auto Show on March 23.

If you have read some of the recent commentary on the auto industry, you could get the impression that it's headed into a long, stormy, uneasy winter.

There's been a lot of talk about "disruption," about new competitors who promise a new approach to what a car can be.

Much of this unease over potential disruption has resulted from the rapid emergence of new technologies and "mobility services" – all of which are competing to establish a new vision of our industry's future. In addition, these technologies are developing at a speed unfamiliar to our industry.

Whether we're talking about Autonomous Drive and connected vehicle technologies, ride-sharing services, or alternative propulsion technologies, the fact is, nobody in the industry knows for certain which will become mainstream.

Companies can make some educated guesses and calculated bets – and we have – but in the end customers will decide which technologies and business plans will survive.

So, yes, the future isn't clear. The biggest questions revolve around how these potentially disruptive changes will come about:
What regulatory roadblocks will emerge?
> What role will tech companies play?
> Which of our companies will succeed or fail in addressing the coming wave of change?

And which will be able to move quickly and adapt in such a rapidly changing technological landscape?

I don't pretend to know all the answers to these questions. But rather than fear the disruption, I believe our industry really has no choice but to embrace it.

I expect the global auto industry to see more changes in the next five years than it has in the last 20. And those changes will bring tremendous opportunities for those companies with the skills and foresight to seize them.

Rather than fear tech companies' interest, I see this new competition as healthy for our industry. We have a lot to learn from them, and they have much to learn from us, which is quite clear considering all the automotive talent they have been hiring.

With that said, here are some thoughts on what I see on our industry's long-term horizon.

When I last spoke at the New York International Auto Show breakfast in 2012, our industry was still focused on whether electric vehicles were the future. Nissan had just introduced the LEAF a year earlier and we had sold 30,000 units.

Since then, the Renault-Nissan Alliance is leading the industry with more than 300,000 EVs sold globally – not as much as we had expected, but certainly a healthy start.

More significantly, today nearly every major automaker has ambitious projects underway for new EVs and other zero-emissions vehicles. It's clear EVs are here to stay.

There are several reasons to be bullish about EV's future.

To deal with the threat of climate change, the world is demanding that our industry invest more in zero-emissions transportation. Governments around the world are imposing stricter limits on CO2 emissions, and one major response has to be electrification.

But beyond environmental regulation, EVs just make sense.

We have already seen within Nissan and Renault how the cost of EVs continues to go down as their economies of scale begin to inch closer to those enjoyed by the internal combustion engine.

EVs are also relatively simple machines: a battery and electric motors. They require far less service, no oil changes and they are extremely reliable.

With battery technology improving and the charging infrastructure expanding in much of the world, we are nearing the turning point where EVs will become more of a mainstream option.

There's been another important change since 2012. Then, no one was talking about Autonomous Drive vehicles.

In January, I visited Nissan's Silicon Valley R&D offices in California. I spent considerable time driving around the streets of Sunnyvale – hands-free and with my eyes off the road.

Autonomous Drive cars that can change lanes on their own, negotiate city streets and handle the drudgery of stop-and-go traffic are coming soon. In fact, the Renault-Nissan Alliance will launch at least 10 models with significant Autonomous Drive functionality by 2020.

Those cars will be far more connected than those on the road today. They will be a much more personal space, an extension of ourselves – just as smartphones are today.

And the EV is the perfect platform for the future of Autonomous Drive and connected vehicle technology, which will, in turn, help accelerate the adoption of EVs.

The trend toward more connected cars is also critical to meet the expectations of our future buyers, those who are just getting their driver's licenses today.

The benefits of highly connected, Autonomous Drive cars are clear: They hold the promise of making driving far safer, less stressful, more efficient and more rewarding. And as we did with our EVs, the Alliance will aim these future cars at the heart of the mass market.

With each international auto show, more automakers are spelling out their visions and placing their bets on the future. And that's good.

Yes, there's a lot at stake. Yes, there is a lot of uncertainty. But this is not a time for the conservative or the cautious.

Because for those open to new ideas and new ways of doing things, the opportunities for our industry to grow and better serve society's needs has never been greater.

The pending merger of new technologies and new business models means not only new business opportunities, but ultimately a more efficient and safer transportation system at a lower cost to society.

Three forces – electrification, autonomous drive and connectivity – are about to change our industry in ways we are only beginning to imagine.

To me, it feels like we're at the dawn of a new spring in the auto industry, and I'm excited to see how this new era unfolds.


Rolls-Royce sets record for personalisations

                LONDON: As well as selling over 4,000 cars for only the second time in history, 2016 will be remembered at Rolls-Royce as the year that virtually every car it delivered arrived with at least one customised touch.

Rolls-Royce sold a remarkable 4,011 cars over the past 12 months, meaning that the company's hand-built cars are now more common on the world's roads than a current-generation Lamborghini.

The figure isn't quite an all-time record, (that was set in 2014), however, it is only the second time in Rolls-Royce's 113-year history that it's sold over 4000 cars and it is the first time that every client ordering a car did so with at least one unique bespoke element; whether it was something as simple as an integrated picnic hamper or, in the case of avid Rolls-Royce collector Michael Fux, a unique shade of blue.

"Rolls-Royce patrons live in a world beyond material acquisition, indeed they seek to commission, curate and collect," said company CEO Torsten Müller-Ötvös of the growing trend and the challenges it presents to his team.

Fux Blue

As well as a unique shade of blue named "Fux Blue" which will remain exclusive to its creator, Mr Fux's Rolls-Royce Dawn featured a matching Fux Blue fabric roof, and an Arctic White treatment to the rear deck, interior trim, console and door panel veneers.

Nautical Dawn

Presented at the 2016 Pebble Beach Concours d'Elegance was another Dawn inspired by the owner's love of sailing and luxury yachts. The Nautical Dawn boasts a Midnight Sapphire windshield surround and hood, teak interior panels and a bespoke cabin clock design based on the patron's favorite watch. Even the door treadplates feature the international maritime signal flags that spell out D-A-W-N.

Peace and Glory

One of the most complex commissions undertaken by the company in 2016 was for a Taiwan-based entrepreneur who wanted a hand-embroidered fabric in his Phantom that mimicked the pattern of tiger fur. The Peace and Glory Phantom also features a number of interior motifs either embroidered into the leather or laid within the wooden veneers.

Blue Magpie

Another Taiwanese owner commissioned the Blue Magpie. A Phantom Drophead Coupé filled with touches that reference the collector's homeland including headrests embroidered with blue magpies. The car is also the only one of its kind to feature a teak and white maple luggage compartment floor.


Hyundai reveals i20 N Rally2 for privateer teams and drivers

                BERLIN: Hyundai's motorsport arm unveiled its i20 N Rally2 - an all-new rally car intended for privateer teams and drivers.

Meant for both professional rally drivers as well as drivers who compete purely for pleasure, Hyundai Motorsport Customer Racing created the car that's based off the i20 N road-going version.

The i20 N Rally2 still maintains the use of a five-speed sequential gearbox from the i20 R5 but reiterated that every other part, including the 1.6-litre turbocharged engine of the i20 N Rally2, is practically brand new.

The i20 N Rally2 has been provided with new suspension components and dampers which is said to provide the car with a more driver-friendly handling characteristic on all surfaces.

This is vital in the Rally2 category, which forms the basis for numerous national and regional championships as well as the international WRC 2 and WRC 3 classes, and are the cars of choice

The new car will aim to continue the success of the i20 R5, which has claimed numerous titles with customers, including national titles in Spain, Portugal and Poland since debuting late in 2016.

Teams with the i20 R5 will continue to enjoy the same high level of support, uninterrupted by the development of the new car.

An extensive testing program for the i20 N Rally2 will begin later this month, with the first deliveries to customers and final homologation scheduled for mid-2021.

"Every area of the new car is an improvement over the original (i20 R5) thanks to the design work completed by our dedicated team of designers and engineers. Our focus is now on testing the car to further develop each aspect of the design to improve both performance and reliability, while also ensuring that the handling enables each and every one of our customers to achieve the best possible results when they can start competing with the i20 N Rally2 next year," said Hyundai Motorsport team principal Andrea Adamo.


Peugeot 208 and 2008 at Penang roadshow

                GEORGE TOWN: Nasim Sdn Bhd, the official distributor for Automobiles Peugeot in Malaysia, is organising the Peugeot Let Your Body Drive (LYBD) Roadshow in Queensbay Mall, Penang from Dec 1 to 4.

Peugeot enthusiasts and the public alike will be able to get a first-hand look at the soon-to-be-launched Peugeot 208 PureTech and 2008 SUV PureTech for the first time in Malaysia at the roadshow.

Bookings for these two models, powered by Peugeot’s new and award-winning PureTech engine, will be open for customers who are interested during the roadshow.

Visitors to the LYBD roadshow in Queensbay Mall Penang can also take the opportunity to test drive a range of Peugeot cars such as the 308 THP, 408 Turbo and 508 THP.

On top of that, customers are treated to a complimentary fresh coffee for every test drive. The family-friendly event is also catered to the younger ones, with a special dedicated kid’s corner and various exciting activities planned throughout the duration of the roadshow.

The new 208 PureTech, the brand’s best-selling model with a new energetic look and the new 2008 SUV PureTech, an SUV model appreciated for its versatility and dynamic performance, are two of the top 20 best-selling automobile models in Europe.

The 208 PureTech and 2008 SUV PureTech use Peugeot’s cutting-edge PureTech engine, winner of the 2015 and 2016 International Engine of the Year award in the 1.0-litre and 1.4-litre technology category.

Delivering power and efficiency, PureTech is the best in class when it comes to fuel efficiency with 4.2 litre for every 100km and churns out 205Nm of torque as early as 1,500rpm.

Drivers will go longer distances, up to 1,190km, and fewer trips to the petrol station on a single tank.


French and British vehicle testing firms aim to scale up with merger

                LONDON: The French group UTAC CERAM and the British group Millbrook, both of which are key partners to automotive customers in Europe and around the world, have today announced they have reached an agreement to merge their operations to create a market leading group in vehicle testing, homologation and emerging technologies for autonomous, connected and electric vehicles.

The deal is expected to be completed in the first quarter of 2021, subject to the normal regulatory clearances.

The combined group will draw on significant technological assets and technical expertise to meet the rapidly changing environment facing the automotive industry.

The new alliance will generate multiple synergies, creating a leader in complementary markets, combining high quality customer portfolios, developing an extended range of services and leveraging its deep technological resources, human expertise and broad geographical coverage.

Millbrook brings extensive expertise in automotive electric driveline development, in particular through its battery and electric drivetrain test centres based in Britain and the United States. These services will ideally complement UTAC CERAM’s expertise in ADAS and Euro NCAP testing and in cybersecurity, connectivity and simulation, as deployed in its Teqmo autonomous vehicle test centre.

The group will operate several test centres throughout the world — in France at the Linas-Montlhéry and Mortefontaine facilities, in the United Kingdom in Bedford and Leyland, in the United States in Detroit and California, in Finland at a vehicle test facility with indoor and outdoor winter testing tracks, and in Morocco with a brand new test centre offering a track where vehicles are exposed to extreme heat. The Morocco site is scheduled to open in 2021.

The new group will be headed by Laurent Benoit, the current president of UTAC CERAM.


McLaren rolls out limited edition 650S Can-Am

LONDON: McLaren Special Operations (MSO) has created the limited production 650S Can-Am which is inspired by the McLaren Can-Am racers of the 1960s.

Only 50 examples will be made globally, all based on the 650S Spider, and priced from £255,850 (over RM1.6mil)

The Can-Am series, or Canadian-American Challenge Cup, was a no-holds-barred battle of power and speed around some of the most iconic circuits in North America and Canada.  It attracted the best drivers of the time including Graham Hill, John Surtees, Jackie Stewart and, of course, Bruce McLaren.  The championship started in 1966, only a year after Bruce McLaren Motor Racing was established and in the series that followed, the young Kiwi became one of most successful names in the sport.

Key to the success of the McLaren Can-Am racers was the use of the latest technologies and materials.  This principle is carried through to today’s 650S Can-Am.  Where lightweight materials such as aluminium and mallite were used in the construction of yesterday’s racers, the modern-day celebration features extensive carbon fibre usage that also includes the MonoCell chassis.

A carbon fibre retractable hard top features for the first time while further carbon fibre is used for the bonnet, Airbrake, front splitter, rear bumper centre, door blades and 650S Can-Am branded sill cover.  MSO has also created a unique set of lightweight forged alloy wheels inspired by those of the 1960s racers with a gloss-black finish on each of the five spokes and a diamond cut rim. Held in place by titanium bolts, the wheels are shod with Pirelli P Zero Corsa tyres.  Carbon ceramic brakes with black painted callipers are standard equipment.

Further unique features include carbon fibre louvered front wings and a new quad-exit, polished stainless steel exhaust system. The louvres are designed to reduce pressure over the front wheels and increase downforce, while the four circular tailpipes at the rear of the car housed within a new visual carbon fibre rear grille echo the aggressive and purposeful throttle trumpets of the historic models.  They also provide the 650S Can-Am with a unique soundtrack.

Like the 650S Spider, this limited production model features the award-winning 3.8-litre twin turbo V8 which produces 641bhp and 678Nm of torque. Performance and economy figures are just as exhilarating: zero to 100kph sprint takes a mere three seconds and its top speed is 329kph.

The 650S Can-Am is offered in three colours - Mars Red, Papaya Spark (orange) and Onyx Black.

Inside, the standard sports seats are upholstered with leather and Alcantara, which complement the exterior.  Carbon fibre features extensively throughout the cabin while a further bespoke Can-Am touch is the unique dedication plaque on the driver’s door.


IEA sees oil demand suffering long-lasting blow from coronavirus

                NEW YORK: The oil market will suffer a long-lasting blow from the coronavirus, with demand taking years to recover and peaking at a lower level, the International Energy Agency said.

After an unprecedented 8% drop this year, global oil consumption will return to pre-crisis levels in 2023, provided Covid-19 is brought under control next year, the Paris-based agency said today.

Even in that case, which is the most optimistic scenario for oil considered by the IEA, the pandemic has an enduring impact. The IEA reinforced its view that global oil demand will plateau around 2030, topping out at lower levels than forecast last year.

"The era of global oil demand growth will come to an end in the next decade,” IEA executive drector Fatih Birol said in the agency’s annual World Energy Outlook.

It’s a stronger tone than last year’s report, which emphasised that there was "no definitive peak” on the horizon. If the recovery from the pandemic is slower and there’s lasting economic damage, oil demand may only have a couple of years left to grow, the IEA said.

The outlook from the agency, which advises most major economies, comes as oil majors like BP Plc and Royal Dutch Shell Plc acknowledge that combination of the pandemic with and the drastic changes required to avert a climate crisis will have profound consequences for their assets and business models.

Long-term growth in oil demand will be tamed by the switch to more efficient or electric vehicles, the IEA forecast. Consumption will increase by about 750,000 barrels a day each year to reach 103.2 million a day in 2030.

That’s about 2 million a day less than predicted in last year’s report.

The increase will be entirely concentrated in developing nations — most notably India — and dominated by feedstocks for plastics and other petrochemicals, rather than fuel for road transportation. After 2030, annual growth will dwindle to just 100,000 barrels a day.

Worst case

If prolonged coronavirus outbreaks impede the economic recovery, resulting in a global economy that’s 10% smaller in 2030 than current projections, then the outlook for oil is even more bleak.

Oil consumption wouldn’t recover to pre-virus levels until "the latter part of the 2020s” in this scenario, and would plateau shortly afterward at just under 100 million barrels a day, the agency said.

The outlooks from the IEA and international oil companies make the view of the Organisation of Petroleum Exporting Countries — which last week projected that oil demand will continue to grow for another two decades — an outlier.

The cartel also sees oil consumption recovering to pre-pandemic levels in 2022, a year earlier than the IEA.

Big investments

Despite subdued prospects for consumption, the global oil industry nonetheless faces a challenge to meet projected demand.

Even after 2030, about US$390 billion of investment will be required each year to find new supplies that offset declining output at aging oilfields, the IEA said.

Prices should recover to US$75 a barrel by the end of the decade, from current levels just above US$40, as demand picks up, encouraging drillers to spend again.

The US shale industry, which provided much of the world’s new oil supplies in the past decade, will rebound to pre-crisis levels in 2022. America is set to remain the largest oil producer all the way through to 2040. However, the shale sector’s failure to reward investors and reliance on debt means "there is a high degree of uncertainty” over its future performance.

"Capital markets are not in the mood to step in and bankroll the next wave of projects,” the agency warned. "It is not clear whether this investment will come in time.”

Opec members also face a difficult period as depleted revenues strain national budgets, and a chunk of growth that had been anticipated from Nigeria, Iraq and Angola is now expected to be lost.


Proton announces 12.5% sales spike

                SUBANG JAYA: Despite a decline in overall car sales in September, Proton was able to record a 12.5% increase in sales compared to the same period last year.

From January to September, the national carmaker was able to sell 56,297 units compared to 50,091 units during the same period last year.

"Proton is fortunate for the planning of its Saga and Persona launches in August and September 2016 respectively," said Proton vice president of sales and marketing Abdul Rashid Musa.

The Saga managed to the contribute 42.7% (24,061 units) and the Persona provided 27.4% (15,448 units) to the national carmaker's overall year-to-date car sales. The uptake of the Persona rose by 90% compared to the same period last year.

"We have been doing our roadshows more aggressively, going into more busy areas especially during weekends and the display of the key safety features of our cars had generated a lot of interest among the public," said Rashid.

He also added that the company will be doing things differently by trying to bring the showroom to the people instead in trying to help them understand more about the car's components, safety features and quality of the vehicle.

Additionally, he mentioned that the cost of maintenance has been reduced by up to 30% for parts and the company's MyProton app (available on Google Play and App Store) is helping to make service bookings easier and more convenient, while allowing the owner to track all service dates, parts and lubricants changed as well as the costs involved.

"We want to portray an affordable yet value-for-money product with good aftersales service, which is why there are currently 27 service centres nationwide that operate seven days a week," he added.

To help attract more buyers, the company has also decided to extend its Amazing 5 promotion indefinitely, which comes with a five-year or 100,000km free service (including parts, lubricants and labour) and a five-year or 150,000km warranty.

Lastly, there will be customer day events held at all branches and dealers nationwide starting from Nov 3-5, 10-12 and 24-26.

In a separate development, Proton sources said its CEO, Dr Li Chunrong, aims to make its vendors supply parts at 20% cheaper than before as part of an organisational review to make the car maker competitive.

According to The Malaysian Reserve report on Oct 31, Dr Li sought the cuts at a meeting with vendors last week. Proton is expected to help the vendors achieve the target.

Production costs can be lowered through economies of scale by cutting down on the number of variants and if Proton could guarantee a minimum number of orders, according to the report.


Ghosn met Lebanese president after fleeing Japan, say sources

Ghosn and wife Carole in this file pic. — AFP
BEIRUT: Fugitive former Nissan chairman Carlos Ghosn met Lebanon’s president after fleeing from Japan, where he was smuggled out of house arrest by a private security company, two sources close to Ghosn said on Wednesday.

One of the sources said Ghosn was greeted warmly by President Michel Aoun on Monday after flying into Beirut via Istanbul and was now in a buoyant and combative mood and felt secure.

The plan to slip Ghosn out of Japan, which marked the latest twist in a year-old saga that has shaken the global auto industry, was crafted over three months, the two sources said.

“It was a very professional operation from start to finish,” one of them said.

In his meeting at the presidency, Ghosn thanked Aoun for the support he had given him and his wife Carole while he was in detention, the sources said. He now needs the protection and security of his government after fleeing Japan, the sources added.

The meeting between Aoun and Ghosn has not been made public and a media adviser to the president’s office denied the two men had met. The two sources said specifics of the meeting were described to them by Ghosn.

Ghosn could not be reached for comment on the meeting and has been silent publicly other than to issue a written statement shortly after his arrival saying he had “escaped injustice and political persecution.”

Lebanese officials have said there would be no need to take legal measures against Ghosn because he entered the country legally on a French passport, although Ghosn’s French, Lebanese and Brazilian passports are with lawyers in Japan.

The French and Lebanese foreign ministries have said they were unaware of the circumstances of his journey.

Lebanon has no extradition agreement with Japan.

Ghosn was first arrested in Tokyo in November 2018 and faces four charges - which he denies - including hiding income and enriching himself through payments to car dealerships in the Middle East.

He has enjoyed an outpouring of support from Lebanon since his 2018 arrest, with billboards proclaiming, “We are all Carlos Ghosn” erected in solidarity with his case.

Under the terms of his bail, he had been confined to his house in Tokyo and had to have cameras installed at the entrance. He was prevented from communicating with his wife, Carole, and had his use of the Internet and other communications curtailed.

The sources said the Lebanese ambassador to Japan had visited him daily while he was in detention.

Wife claims account of Ghosn escape fiction

While some Lebanese media have floated a Houdini-like account of Ghosn being packed in a wooden container for musical instruments after a private concert in his home, his wife called the account “fiction” when contacted by Reuters.

She declined to provide details of the exit of one of the most recognised titans of industry. The accounts of the two sources suggest a carefully planned escape known only to a few.

They said a private security firm oversaw the plan, which involved shuttling Ghosn out via a private jet to Istanbul before pushing onward to Beirut, with even the pilot unaware of Ghosn’s presence on board.

An attorney for Ghosn said he would hold a news conference in Beirut on Jan 8.

The sources close to Ghosn, however, said a date for the news conference had yet to be finalised. They said Ghosn was unwilling to share details of his escape so as not to jeopardise those who aided him in Japan.

He is staying at the home of a relative of his wife, but plans to return soon to a gated villa in the upscale Beirut neighbourhood of Achrafieh, one of the sources said.

Nissan sacked Ghosn as chairman, saying internal investigations revealed misconduct including understating his salary while he was its chief executive, and transferring US$5 million of Nissan funds to an account in which he had an interest.

In Lebanon, Ghosn is considered a poster boy for success in a country where rampant unemployment pushes young Lebanese abroad to find work and the economy relies heavily on remittances amid a deep financial crisis that has sparked a wave of protests.

Ghosn was born in Brazil of Lebanese descent and lived in Lebanon as a child. He oversaw a turnaround at French carmaker Renault that won him the nickname “Le Cost Killer” and used similar methods to revive Nissan.

READ MORE: Carlos Ghosn jailbreak said to be all-purpose face saver


Tesla in fatal Autopilot crash was speeding, says US report

                WASHINGTON: A driver killed in the May 7 crash of a Tesla Motors Inc car while using Autopilot driving-assist software was exceeding the speed limit, US highway safety investigators said on Tuesday in a preliminary report that did not state a probable cause.

The US National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) said its preliminary findings showed the Model S was traveling at 120ph in a 105-kph zone at the time it struck a semi-truck near Williston, Florida.

Joshua Brown was killed when his vehicle drove under the tractor trailer. It was the first known fatality involving a Model S operating on the Autopilot system that takes control of steering and braking in certain conditions. The accident increased scrutiny of automated driving technology.

The report said the NTSB confirmed the Model S driver was using the advanced driver assistance features Traffic-Aware Cruise Control and Autosteer lane-keeping assistance at the time. The NTSB has not yet determined the probable cause of the crash.

The initial police report into the crash estimated Brown's speed at 105kph. Speeding alone would not be considered the cause of a vehicle crash, but could be a contributing factor, said NTSB spokesman Christopher O'Neil. "All aspects of the accident remain under investigation," O'Neil said, adding that the agency will typically release a final report about a year after the preliminary report.

Palo Alto, California-based Tesla did not immediately respond to a request for comment. Chief executive Elon Musk has repeatedly said the company has no plans to disable the feature.

In related news, Tesla is going to build its own computer vision chips, which will see it splitting up with Mobileye, its supplier for the components. At present, Israeli-based Mobileye is supplying the hardware that is part of Tesla's semi-autonomous system.

Mobileye was also in the news recently when it hooked up with Intel and BMW to build self-driving cars. The BMW self-driving car is expected to be ready by 2021.


Europe plans to have an EV charging point every 60km by 2026

                BRUSSELS: The European Parliament and Council have reached a provisional agreement to update the rules on alternative fuel infrastructure in the European Union.

In particular, the aim is to expand the deployment of charging stations throughout the bloc by mandating unprecedented minimum distances.

MEPs propose that electric charging stations for cars with a capacity of at least 400 kW be deployed every 60 km along the Trans-European Transport Network (TEN-T) by 2026, and that their capacity be increased to 600 kW by 2028. This network includes the main roads and highways in Europe.

The agreement also requires trucks and buses to have a charging station every 120 km by 2028. These will have to offer a power of 1,400 kW to 2,800 kW, depending on the road.

The scheme also includes the mandatory presence of at least two charging stations for trucks in parking areas, again from 2028. Plus, there are plans to deploy hydrogen refuelling stations across the network, approximately every 200 km, by 2031.

All these measures may be subject to exemptions, particularly for the most outlying regions, islands and roads with very little traffic.

The aim of this agreement is evidently to simplify access to recharging solutions for all electric vehicles traveling on major roads, so that they can make long journeys without being stopped in their tracks.

In addition, payment should be facilitated, whether by means of traditional card payments, contactless or even QR codes, and prices will have to be displayed per kWh or per minute/session, in a perfectly transparent way.

This agreement will have to be studied and approved by the European Parliament's Committee on Transport and Tourism, then by the Parliament itself and finally by the Council to be definitively approved.

In 2022 alone, the European Commission approved funding for some 20 projects to modernize and develop alternative charging solutions. This should result in the creation of 5,700 electric charging points in 1,400 dedicated stations and about 50 hydrogen refuelling stations over the next three years.


Govt to implement RFID toll collection at all toll plazas nationwide soon

                GEORGE TOWN: The Federal Government will implement the Radio Frequency Identification (RFID) for toll collection at all toll plazas nationwide soon.

When asked whether it would take three to five years to implement the RFID technology, Works Minister Baru Bian said it would not take that long.

"Three to five years is too long. But give us time to ensure that it is properly implemented to benefit road users," Baru said after opening the Highway Concession Conference 2019 today.

The event was jointly organised by the Works Ministry and Malaysian Highway Authority in cooperation with Highway Concessionaires Malaysia.

The Works Minister had pointed out that toll plazas without booths could only be started when the RFID system is widely used throughout all highways nationwide.

From the initial plan by the Malaysian Highway Authority (LLM), RFID systems were supposed to start in the third quarter of last year.

The special lane for SmartTag would only be eliminated after the removal of boom gate barriers and toll booths as part of the multi-lane free flow roll-out probably in the next two years.

Baru said the Federal Government needed to develop standards and guidelines for the highway industry, particularly in the areas of building information modelling, communication protocol, big data analytics, and strategic and tactical asset management.

"Communication protocols ensures seamless integration for machine-to-machine communication.

"Big data analytics are to help with future planning, while strategic and tactical asset management is to enable optimum asset management and maintenance.

"In formulating theses standards, we need not reinvent the wheel.

"We can adopt and adapt those standards that are already available and modify them to suit our needs," he added.

On the proposal by Maju Holdings Sdn Bhd to take over Plus Malaysia Bhd, Baru said the government had received the offer.

"We are studying the offer. No other companies have made an offer.There's no time frame for any decision.

Any present and future development of highways in the country will be studied in the light of a holistic study on the direction of tolls in the country," he said.

In January, the Works Ministry appointed an independent auditor to study and research the direction in which the toll industry in this country is taking.


Infiniti QX60 Monograph concept previewed

NASHVILLE: The Infiniti QX60 Monograph concept previews a more upscale and commanding design for the brand’s popular three-row SUV.

“We commenced the design of the Monograph knowing this was an opportune time to start a discussion about where we are planning to take the QX60 in the future and more broadly, where we are heading as a brand with our design language’” said Alfonso Albaisa, senior vice president, Global Design, Nissan Motor Co. Ltd.

Focused solely on the exterior, Infiniti designers imagined the QX60 Monograph as a sophisticated yet functional solution for a busy, modern family.

The proportions include a wide stance, sleek greenhouse, horizontal shoulder line and muscular wheel arches. The combination of which creates a commanding posture and defined SUV persona.

“In crafting this Monograph, we wanted to change the tonality of the QX60 and transform the nameplate from a sculptural and architectural point of view. We raised the visual center of gravity, giving it a strong, straight shoulder line that carries through to the hood, with a higher, more prominent grille, and longer-looking cabin to deliver a sense of muscularity and a commanding presence” Albaisa said.

Viewed from the side, the Monograph shows off its powerful horizontal hood, muscular fenders and long wheelbase. Paired with the gentle rake of the A-pillar and tapered, teardrop-like glasshouse, the result is a long sweeping, sophisticated profile.

Embossed with the Infiniti name, QX60 Monograph features large alloy wheels that fill the pronounced fenders and reinforce the performance-inspired aesthetic.

At the rear, the wide body and track, paired with horizontal window line give QX60 Monograph a sense of poise and stability.

The high shoulder line raises its visual center of gravity. The roof flows into a subtly integrated rear roof spoiler — also in gloss black — to further enhance the car’s aerodynamic appearance.

“The QX60 Monograph embodies the Japanese concept of ‘Ma,’ a sense of minimalism where designers seek harmony, adding just the right amount of elements with very specific meaning to create something special. This is evident on the body, where at a glance it is simple, but when you get closer, you see that there are elements that are playing against each other in a sense of harmony.” Albaisa explains.

The intricate folds of traditional Japanese origami were the inspiration for the inner mesh of the signature ‘Double Arch’ Infiniti grille.

The result is a two-dimensional surface that projects a sense of three-dimensional depth. The same mesh pattern is echoed in the side air intakes in the lower corners of the bumper. The wide track and the sharp lines in the bodywork combine to deliver a sense of stability and a sophisticated visual statement.

A large panoramic roof features a “kimono fold” pattern. This geometric feature, a series of intricate perpendicular lines, draws inspiration from the folds of a silk kimono and the structures of Japan’s modern architecture.


Faraday Future FF 91 on track for December debut

The Faraday Future FF 91 in production.
LOS ANGELES: Last year, a lot of noise was made around the Faraday Future FF 91, but since then most of the news about the manufacturer has been about financial problems and solutions. Now, Faraday Future is confirming the first deliveries of the FF 91 will roll out on schedule in December.

Faraday Future announced that the first body-in-white example of the FF 91 has been completed ahead of schedule at the company's production facility in Hanford, California, before full production officially gets under way, and deliveries to real-life customers start in December.

After making its debut at last year's Consumer Electronics Show (CES) in Las Vegas, the manufacturer says the FF 91 has been undergoing an intensive testing schedule before being put into production.

 The FF 91.

After those well-documented financial problems, recent fundraising efforts have proved successful and the project is back on track. Just as well, since Faraday Future has an impressive 64,000 orders for its first all-electric supercar, which is priced between US$150,000 and US$200,000 (between RM611,000 and RM815,000).

Perhaps in an effort to reassure existing and future customers, Faraday Future has released a list of the production steps and processes used in creating the FF 91, such as aluminium-resistant spot welding, cold metal transfer welding, and overcoming the issue of welding aluminium components to the FF 91's steel body.

With a trio of electric motors generating a staggering 1,050hp, the FF 91 will be able to get you from a standing start to 100kph in as little as 2.39 seconds. Although the manufacturer isn't discussing the car's top speed, presumably because it will be limited to 250kph anyway, a more important figure is the range on a full charge. With a 130 kWh battery powering the electric motors, the FF 91 has an estimated range of 608km, and can be charged at a rate of 804km of range per hour of charging via direct current.