Bridgestone Turanza T005A gets Thailand workout

                BRIDGESTONE might have switched its branding focus from top-ranked motor sports to an environmentally ‘Green’ image but it has not altered its status as a reputable and respected tyre maker globally with a strong range of products.

The Turanza is its top range tyre, aimed at the premium class of cars, and the latest evolvement was introduced recently as the T005A.

Changes in current automotive development trends require ancillary components that form part of the automotive chain to keep pace and the tyre is an essential part of that combination.

Based on that target, Bridgestone has come up with a new Turanza that it says provides a quieter, safer and more comfortable ride performance.

To give the regional media a first-hand experience of the improved Turanza T005A, we were assembled at Bridgestone’s proving ground near Bangkok.

This was conducted via four routines but only one enabled the experience to be gained from the driver’s seat; we were ‘chauffeured driven’ for the three others.

The logic behind this assessment was that we could focus on the Turanza’s new qualities while being driven rather than to drive and feel.

 Bridgestone’s proving ground near Bangkok has been designed to test new tyres in all sorts of driving scenarios.

As the Turanza is a premium tyre that is suitable for like-status and luxury vehicles, gauging its performance parameters from a passenger’s perspective makes good sense.

The safer performance was arrived at with an optimised contact design, chamfering and new compound; the first refers to the contact pressure distribution and contact shape with the road to improve wet road performance.

Chamfering is applied to the sipe edges on the tyre shoulder, which are rounded to prevent deformation and provide a flat contact area on the road to improve braking performance.

Item three sees a combination of two compounds – silica and polymer – through the application of Bridgestone’s Nano Pro-Tech approach to improve wet performance.

The braking performance between new and old Turanzas is a shorter stopping distance of more than two metres on wet road surfaces for the T005A; this was demonstrated by the Bridgestone staff over a simulated wet road section before the impression routines.

For a quieter performance, Bridgestone introduced high-angle sipes and optimised pitch variation for the tyre tread pattern.

The sipes involved are on the three pattern ribs to the centre of the tyre; the approach is to soften the impact of the tyre on the road and improve pattern noise.

 Checking out the high-speed performance of the tyre.

In the second aspect, random and different pitch variation is applied to every tread block so that the tone of each block is varied, thereby reducing pattern noise.

Bridgestone’s tests revealed that the tyre noise generated is reduced by more than one decibel when running over rough surfaces (at 60kph) and smooth surfaces (100kph).

To achieve a smoother performance, the tyre’s contact design is optimised and the sidewall is reinforced for a more sturdy profile.

By optimising the contact design, road contact shape and pressure distribution are better to keep balance between damping and shock at a high level.

With a stiffer sidewall, there is less damping or flexing and this improves ride comfort; however, Bridgestone says this does not apply to tyres with lower aspect ratios.

Our first routine of the day was on ‘Comfort and Silence’ in which we were to observe the difference between the new and the old, the Turanza GR100.

 The Turanza T005A being tested for silent running.

Why does the preceding tyre bears a different name from the new Turanza?

The name follows the different stages of tyre development as well as the place where the development was mostly done.

Apparently, Bridgestone realises the oddity and might toe a singular name for future Turanza models to avoid confusing customers.

By the way, the A in the name stands for Asean and this tyre variant is for a region that places a premium on comfortable motoring.

The best part is that the Turanza T500 (without the A) looks completely different in tread pattern with simpler and wider grooves and is destined for European countries, where other tyre performance parameters are deemed more important.

However, the Turanza T500 is fitted as standard to the Lexus LS sold here and is also an original equipment (OE) item on the new Audi A7 Sportback.

 The Turanza T005A.

Back to the tyre impression sessions; the routine involved two Toyota Camry 2.0G, one with the new Turanza and the other the predecessor (tyre size was common at 215/55 R17).

We were driven over a course twice that had different road surfaces in each of the Camrys and the general consensus was on a quieter running Turanza T005A; for us, it was clearer over the coarse surfaces than the smoother ones, although it was supposed to be the other way round.

Session two was conducted in two BMW 520d for some high speed driving around the 2km-plus oval in which a lane change was made at 140kph followed by a tyre pattern noise observation from 60kph to100kph.

Again the BMW with the Turanza T005A did the 140kph lane change comfortably against a slightly more tail-happy one for the car running on the GR100.

We could also quite clearly discern the lower pattern noise between the two tyres shod to the respective Bimmer.

The third session was wet handling in the Camry 2.0G with the new Turanza T005A on a damp circuitous course; the speed we were driven at was between 60kph and 120kph.

Apart from revelling in the confident manner in which the Camry was driven through the wet course without losing traction, we also came away impressed at how dynamically strong this Toyota sedan was.

Our drive impression was in the Camry through a gymkhana course, beginning with a braking session, a lane change manoeuvre and a slalom section.

We were left to our own on the speed but to a maximum of 70kph; however, we felt the braking experience could be better done with a marker at which we were to brake.

Instead we were told to brake as and when we feel the need to and have the Camry stopped within a designated box.

This confused us a bit as to the basis for comparison; we chose instead to brake when we hit 70kph and see where the Toyota would stop for the respective tyre.

Doing so confirmed that the Camry with the Turanza T005A came to a standstill further from the designated box than the one with GR100.

Likewise, we felt more in control driving through the lane change and slalom on the T005A Camry, confirming its better grip performance.

The Turanza T005A is available here in 16-inch to 20-inch range – 205/55 R16 to 245/40 R20 – and are imported from Thailand, Indonesia and Japan (based on the sizes that are made in the respective country).

Bridgestone Malaysia says the recommended retail price for the latest Turanza range starts from RM437 to RM1,137.


Hackers stole data from 57 million Uber riders, drivers, says CEO

Khosrowshahi. - Bloomberg
SAN FRANCISCO: Uber said Tuesday that hackers compromised personal data from some 57 million riders and drivers in a breach kept hidden for a year.

"None of this should have happened, and I will not make excuses for it," said a statement from chief executive Dara Khosrowshahi, who took over at the ridesharing giant in August.

Two members of the Uber information security team who "led the response" that included not alerting users that their data was breached were let go from the San Francisco-based company effective Tuesday, according to Khosrowshahi.

The Uber chief said he only recently learned that outsiders had broken into a cloud-based server used by the company for data and downloaded a "significant" amount of information.

Stolen files included names, email addresses, and mobile phone numbers for riders, and the names and driver licence information of some 600,000 drivers, according to Uber.

Uber paid the hackers US$100,000 to destroy the data, not telling riders or drivers whose information was at risk, according to a source familiar with the situation.

Co-founder and ousted chief Travis Kalanick was advised of the breach shortly after it was discovered, but it was not made public until Uber's new boss Khosrowshahi learned of the incident.

"You may be asking why we are just talking about this now, a year later," Khosrowshahi said.

"I had the same question, so I immediately asked for a thorough investigation of what happened and how we handled it."

Khosrowshahi said that what he learned about Uber's failure to notify users or regulators prompted corrective actions.

"All companies would be wise to remember this: cock-ups are bad, but cover-ups can kill you," computer security specialist Graham Cluley said in a blog post.

"You can ask forgiveness for being hacked, but many people will find it harder to forgive and forget if you deliberately concealed the truth from them."

Yahoo and Equifax were hit with criticism for how long it took the companies to disclose hacks.

"Breach disclosure is taking too long," said McAfee vice president of labs Vincent Weafer.

Weafer described Uber's decision to pay the hackers off as unusual, and questioned whether it was wise.

"You are relying on trust among thieves that the data has not been copied or leaked in any way," Weafer said.

Uber is notifying drivers whose license numbers were swiped, and offering them credit and identity theft protections.

The company also said it is notifying regulators, and monitoring affected rider accounts for signs of fraud.

"While I can't erase the past, I can commit on behalf of every Uber employee that we will learn from our mistakes," Khosrowshahi said. "We are changing the way we do business."

Khosrowshahi inherited a litany of scandals and a toxic workplace culture when he replaced Kalanick.

Kalanick's brash style has been credited with driving Uber to the leading spot in the smartphone-summoned ride market, but also blamed for fostering an atmosphere of impropriety and rule-breaking.

A planned tieup with Japanese tech giant SoftBank suggests the ridesharing giant is set to come of age in the business world, but it still faces a long road ahead.

The deal would give Uber an additional US$1 billion in capital and could allow SoftBank to acquire as much as 14 percent of the company over time.

While Uber has become a global phenomenon operating in more than 600 cities and dozens of countries, it is trying to move past scandals and missteps that have included executive misconduct, a cutthroat workplace and potentially unethical competitive practices.

One step towards the future was the hiring of Khosrowshahi earlier this year, which left founder Kalanick in the background.

But Uber needs to clean up governance and other practices in order to meet its goal of a 2019 stock market debut that will open up the privately-held firm to greater scrutiny.

Under Kalanick, Uber reached an eye-popping valuation of $68 billion, unprecedented for a private firm.

At the same time, it has faced resistance from traditional taxi operators and regulators, and faces possible bans in cities for failing to live up to local rules.

Uber has other issues as well. It is in court facing Waymo, the former Google Car unit, which has alleged the theft of trade secrets on autonomous vehicle technology.

Uber's use of software aimed at thwarting rivals like Lyft has also hurt its image, and could create further legal woes.


Ferrari F8 Spider convertible arrives: RM1.18mil

                KUALA LUMPUR: The Ferrari F8 Spider open-top sports car has arrived in Malaysia, priced at RM1.178 million (before duties, customisation options, taxes and insurance).

It is powered by a mid-rear-mounted 3.9-litre turbocharged V8 engine producing 710hp at 8,000rpm and 770Nm of torque at 3,250rpm.

It is billed as less extreme than the Ferrari 488 Pista Spider, but sportier than the 488 Spider which it replaces in the range.

The new car offers exceptional handling thanks to advanced vehicle dynamics solutions, which include a new version of the Ferrari Dynamic Enhancer (FDE+) which can now be activated via a RACE drive setting.

Adaptive Performance Launch analyses grip as the car accelerates and then uses electronic controls to optimise the torque delivered.

As for the rev limiter’s “Wall Effect” strategy, rather than gradually limiting the revs towards the limit, it cuts off right at the 8,000 rpm red-line, thus maximising the amount of power available in power-on dynamic driving situations and consequently, improving lap times.

Meanwhile, maximum torque is 10Nm higher than on the 488 Spider and is available even at lower engine speeds.

The F8 Spider's design continues the direction embarked upon with the F8 Tributo, and the retractable hard top takes just 14 seconds to deploy or retract and can be closed or opened while the car is on the move up to 45kph.

The F8 Spider’s cockpit retains the classic, driver-oriented look and has all controls mounted on the new steering wheel.

“The F8 Spider bolsters the brand’s mighty fleet of ‘drop-top’ supercars and joins Ferrari Malaysia’s impressive stable of Prancing Horses. A compelling performer with the brand's award-winning V8 engine at its core, the F8 Spider propels into Malaysia, ready to energise the local market,” said Datuk Nik Hamdam Nik Hassan, group CEO, automotive group, Naza Corp Holdings Sdn Bhd.

The after-sales package includes a seven-year maintenance programme that is available across the entire Ferrari range, and also to owners buying pre-owned Ferraris.

Regular maintenance (at intervals of either 20,000 km or once a year with no mileage restrictions), original spares and meticulous checks by staff trained directly at the Ferrari Training Centre in Maranello using the most modern diagnostic tools are just some of the advantages.


Jakarta's Formula E gets going after two-year delay

The Formula E Mahindra Racing team prepares for a track test at the Jakarta Formula E circuit in Jakarta on June 3, ahead of the race on June 4. - AFP
JAKARTA: After various controversies and multiple delays caused by the Covid-19 pandemic, Jakarta is finally ready to host its first-ever Formula E electric motorsport on Saturday at Ancol Beach, North Jakarta.

It is the second international racing event being held in the country this year after the MotoGP grand prix at the newly built Mandalika International Circuit in Lombok, West Nusa Tenggara, in March.

The event in Jakarta will be Formula E’s ninth round of the season. According to the Formula E website, Saturday’s action gets underway with free practice from 7.15am Jakarta time, a qualifying session at 10:40am and the race from 3pm.

The venue for the race – a 2.37-kilometer, 18-turn brand new Ancol circuit – was completed just months after the central government rejected an initial plan of using the streets around the National Monument (Monas) in Central Jakarta, the city's iconic landmark.

The track kicks off with a tight opening sector after a long run down the start/finish straight before a series of fast, long straights and natural high-speed corners.

It offers unique banked sections, undulations, bumps and a mix of technical and high-speed sections and will provide an uncharted territory for 22 drivers competing in the E-Prix.

The clockwise track is inspired by the Kuda Lumping, a traditional Javanese dance that portrays troops riding horses made from woven bamboo and decorated with paints and fabrics.

Jakarta governor Anies Baswedan said on Wednesday that all the necessary preparation for the E-Prix was almost completed.

"We're finalising a few non-essential details, such as painting [the venue] and applying [sponsorship] stickers. But all the substantial facilities for the race are ready," he said as reported by kompas.com.

On Thursday, Anies organized a meet and greet event with the 22 racers at the Monas complex, during which he expressed hope that Jakarta's Formula E race could boost the sustainable energy campaign in Indonesia's capital, which is one of the most polluted cities in the world.

"We hope that the Jakarta E-Prix can strengthen authorities' commitment to dealing with air pollution and to convert fossil-fueled vehicles to electric ones.

By hosting the race, we want to show the world that Jakarta is ready to take transformative measures to fight climate change," Anies said.

The event was also attended by Indonesia Motor Association (IMI) head and People's Consultative Assembly (MPR) speaker Bambang Soesatyo, the chief organiszing committee of Jakarta's Formula E, Ahmad Sahroni, and Formula E co-founder Alberto Longo.

Formula E electric motorsport is a net-zero carbon event and Jakarta's E-prix will be 100 per cent powered by sustainably-sourced Hydrotreated Vegetable Oil (HVO) supplied by state-owned oil and gas company Pertamina.

Meanwhile, the organiser will measure, reduce and offset all its unavoidable emissions by investing in renewable energy production. Anies said Jakarta aimed at reducing greenhouse gas emissions by 30 per cent in 2030 and reaching zero emissions by 2050.

To realise this, he said, Jakarta was currently seeking to gradually convert thousands of its city buses, Transjakarta, to electric buses.

People living in Greater Jakarta are warmly welcoming the capital’s debut to host the Formula E race, with some 22,000 tickets and various merchandise selling out around a week before the event, according to the organiser. —  JAKARTA POST


Boustead and LTAT taking over AES ops

                KUALA LUMPUR: Conglomerate Boustead Holdings Bhd and Lembaga Tabung Angkatan Tentera (LTAT) are taking over the controversial automated traffic enforcement system (AES) operations in Malaysia by acquiring a 50% stake in Irat Properties Sdn Bhd.

In a filing with Bursa Malaysia, Boustead said the RM127.8mil deal would see it subscribing 60 million new shares at the issue price of RM2.13 in Irat Properties, joining its parent LTAT and Irat Holdings Sdn Bhd.

Boustead said LTAT was also subscribing 550,000 redeemable convertible preference shares (RCPS) of 1 sen par value each in Irat at the issue price of RM100 per RCPS for RM55.5mil.

With the subscription, Boustead will have a 50% stake, followed by LTAT 49.17% and Irat Holdings 0.83%, respectively.

Deputy chairman and group managing director Tan Sri Lodin Wok Kamaruddin said the proposed acquisition was set to build Boustead’s diversified portfolio in property investments.

“This is part of our strategic thrust to strengthen our property division and improve the group’s earnings potential.

“For the financial year ended Dec 31, 2014, (FY14) the property division delivered the highest contribution to the group, with a profit of RM295mil and turnover of RM652mil,” Lodin said, adding that the acquisition of these new properties would bring synergies to the group and further add value.

He said as testament to the effectiveness of AES, studies conducted by the Malaysian Institute of Road Safety Research (Miros) showed a decay rate in accident-prone areas where AES was installed, demonstrating a drop in fatal accidents and lower summons volumes.

On Feb 27, Irat Properties entered into a sale and purchase agreement to acquire 100% interest in ATES Sdn Bhd and Beta Tegap Sdn Bhd, the two concessionaires hired to undertake the operations of AES.

The concessionaires inked a deal in 2012 with the Government to establish and operate and maintain AES equipment and systems to be handed over to the Road Transport Department on a five-year concession period.

However, the RM700mil AES project targeted to track traffic offenders, was a failure due to concerns from the public. Out of the planned 404 cameras that were supposed to be rolled out, only seven were operational as of February.

Established in 2009, ATES’s unaudited consolidated financial statement for FY 2014 revealed that it recorded a loss after tax of RM20.61mil, while its consolidated net liabilities was RM47.12mil. The concessionaire was hired to undertake the AES operations in Perlis, Kedah, Penang, Perak, Kelantan, Sarawak, Sabah and Labuan.

Meanwhile, Beta Tegap, who was engaged to undertake the operations in Kuala Lumpur, Putrajaya, Selangor, Negri Sembilan, Malacca, Johor, Pahang and Terengganu recorded a loss after tax of RM22.58mil, while its consolidated net liabilities as at June 30, 2014 stood at RM32.80mil.


Careful motorists to be rewarded under govt incentive proposal

                BENTONG: Instead of only introducing measures to penalise errant motorists, the Transport Ministry is now looking into proposals to award incentives to law-abiding road users.

“With the licence upgrades, one can get a better premium for their insurance,” minister Datuk Seri Liow Tiong Lai said.

He said there were suggestions for an upgrade of driving licences if motorists were free of traffic offences or accidents.

The level of upgrade would depend on the number of years that the motorist is free of such offences.

“This is to recognise the good drivers and those who obey the law rather than only penalising the offenders,” he told a press conference after attending the Felda Lurah Bilut Chinese New Year celebration here yesterday.

Liow said the suggestion came from public feedback on the Kejara demerit points system and the Automated Enforcement System.

On Tuesday, Liow said that the ministry would expedite the implementation of a revamped Kejara, which could see suspension and even cancellation of driving licences of those who flouted the rules.

He said there was no easy way out when it came to road safety except for being courteous on the road.

“We need to have discipline and we need to obey the traffic rules.”

He said a Cabinet committee led by Deputy Prime Minister Datuk Seri Dr Ahmad Zahid Hamidi would be set up to look into an integrated plan on how to reduce road accidents.

“I’m confident that this will help reduce the number of road accident deaths by 10% this year,” Liow said, adding that he aimed to lower the figure by 10% annually.

Road accidents in Malaysia claimed 6,706 lives last year and 6,674 in 2014.

At an event in Putrajaya, Liow said the road safety education module would be reviewed to include more current situations such as the usage of mobile phones while driving.

“According to a study by the World Health Organisation, young drivers have a higher risk of being distracted while driving and using a phone,” he said when launching the review of the module project.

The review, spearheaded by the Road Safety Department and the Malaysian Institute of Road Safety Research, will take a year to complete and the new module could be used in schools next year.

The public can give their feedback on the review at www.rse.miros.gov.my from now till March 17.


They're cheap and last for years: Where's your car fire extinguisher?

                BERLIN: A small fire under the car bonnet can quickly spread into a large, destructive blaze if its source isn't extinguished.

And yet it's rare to find a fire extinguisher in many vehicles.

"Expensive total loss could be avoided in many cases" if the driver has a fire extinguisher on hand, according to Soeren Heinze, of Auto Club Europa.

"And the extinguishers don't even cost that much - it's usually under US$20 (RM81) for a basic powder fire extinguisher, and only about US$35 or US$40 (up to RM160)for a slightly pricier foam extinguisher.

The accessories section of most car shops usually has a variety of fire extinguishers just for vehicles.

Jan Ole Unger, a firefighter in the German city Hamburg, says a 2-kilogram one that can fit in the boot or under back of the passenger's seat is best. "In this case, you should absolutely follow the manufacturer's installation instructions," adds Unger.

The extinguisher should be securely fastened in a spot that's easily accessible in case of an emergency, advises Heinze.

Fire protection expert Mathias Obst says it's worth making sure the extinguisher complies with standards of the country in which it is sold.

An extinguisher's contents and quantity play a decisive role in stopping flames. "The extinguishing sprays available in many markets aren't useful for vehicle fires because they don't have enough chemical in them, and the pressure's insufficent," says Obst.

Most extinguishers use ABC powder, which covers three types of flames: solids, liquid fires and gas fires. Foam extinguishers, on the other hand, are suitable only for class A and B fires, says Heinze. Powder ones also have more extinguishing capacity for the same amount of substance contained within them.

The right technique is crucial: "Try to fight the ember with short bursts - otherwise the two-kilo [powder] extinguisher is empty after only 12 seconds," according to Obst. The disadvantage of powder extinguishers is that once the fire's out, the powder's residue gets into every nook and cranny, and becomes very difficult to remove.

A foam extinguisher causes barely any consequential damage - but it can't be used on gas fires. "The advantage is that it's easy to use," explains Obst. The powder extinguisher pushes its contents out with great force, which may be overwhelming for some users.

Once purchased, an extinguisher lasts for over 10 years. "However, it's important that they're regularly serviced," says Heinze.

Usually they need to be inspected every two years by the manufacturer or a specialist.

Either powder or foam extinguishers are suitable for combustion vehicles and electric cars.

"The decisive factor is always the fire's progress. The usual fire extinguishers can be used on any vehicle for a small cable fire," says Unger. If a car is fully ablaze, however, there's not much that can be done with a two-kilogram extinguisher no matter the vehicle.


BMW raided in cartel investigation as Daimler claims immunity

                MUNICH/BRUSSELS: BMW’s headquarters were raided by European Union officials investigating an alleged cartel among German carmakers, it said on Friday, as rival Daimler claimed whistleblower status in an effort to avoid fines.

EU staff had “conducted an inspection” at BMW’s Munich offices this week, the premium carmaker said in a statement, adding that it is “assisting the European Commission in its work”.

The EU’s Brussels executive said its antitrust officials had swooped unannounced on “a carmaker in Germany” on Oct 16 in the first confirmed raid related to allegations that several German automakers had engaged in an illegal cartel.

The competition watchdog said in July that it was investigating collusion among German carmakers in response to a tip-off after Der Spiegel magazine reported that Daimler, BMW, Volkswagen and its Audi and Porsche arms conspired to fix prices in diesel and other technologies over decades.

“The BMW Group wishes to make clear the distinction between potential violations of antitrust law on the one hand and illegal manipulation of exhaust gas treatment on the other,” the company said. “The BMW Group has not been accused of the latter.”

Brussels has yet to initiate formal antitrust proceedings against any of the carmakers.

However, the allegations have begun to spawn U.S. lawsuits, adding to strains on an industry already struggling with the reputational fallout from widespread diesel emissions-test manipulation exposed in the wake of VW’s Dieselgate scandal.

Daimler said on Friday that it had “filed an application for immunity from fines with the European Commission some time ago”, effectively claiming to have blown the whistle on what Chief Financial Officer Bodo Uebber described as “possible antitrust agreements” with rival manufacturers.

Daimler sees no need to set aside any funds for possible antitrust fines, Uebber added.

To gain immunity, the EU’s antitrust website says, a company that participated in a cartel must be the first to inform the Commission of an undetected cartel by providing sufficient information to justify inspections.

The Commission has declined to identify the original source of the tip-off, saying this is to avoid compromising its investigation.

“Daimler is cooperating with the Commission under its leniency programme,” an EU representative said on Friday.

Volkswagen could also benefit from leniency after sharing information, according to earlier reports. Even after an initial alert, other cartel participants can reduce EU fines -- by up to 50 percent for the first to step forward with material evidence.

VW offices have not been subject to EU raids in relation to the cartel investigation, a spokesman for the Wolfsburg-based car giant said on Friday, declining further comment.


Syndicate behind stolen cars equipped with genuine papers

                MALACCA: There are dozens of stolen vehicles on the road equipped with genuine road tax sticker and number plate.

The work was done by a syndicate, masterminded by a 62-year-old man named “Peter” from Negri Sembilan. The gang had managed to obtain documents to sell the stolen vehicles as genuine cars. The members were also involved in car-jacking and car theft.

One of the car-jacking cases was reported in January when two men robbed a young couple of RM20,000 and took off in their car at Taman Melaka Raya.

Subsequently, the police set up a special team to investigate the cases. The syndicate was uncovered when one of its members was arrested before Peter was detained on May 17.

Questions emerged on how the syndicate had obtained road tax documents and vehicle registration grants for stolen vehicles. The documents were said to have been issued to Peter.

Malacca police have sought help from Bukit Aman to trace those working with Peter to issue the genuine documents.

State police chief Deputy Comm Datuk Ramli Din said police were working with Bukit Aman after confiscating 14 vehicles under Ops Lejang that was set up to track down members of the syndicate.

Nine people aged 40 to 62 have been detained.

The arrests would help solve 15 cases of vehicle thefts in five states and the Federal Territory.

“The mastermind has a criminal record of 11 cases, including drug abuse and robbery” said DCP Ramli.

He added that Peter and his gang had sold the stolen cars complete with genuine registration number and road tax sticker at a much lower price than market value.

He said seven of the buyers were also being investigated as they all had criminal records.


Authorities may impose lower speed limit on 10 more KL roads

                KUALA LUMPUR: Ten more roads in the heart of Kuala Lumpur may soon have a mandatory speed limit of 30kph.

This is being proposed by Kuala Lumpur City Hall (DBKL) and Malaysian Institute of Road Safety Research (Miros), an agency under the Transport Ministry.

The roads being considered will probably be located in and around schools, malls and transport hubs.

While the locations have yet to be identified, newly appointed Miros chairman Prof Dr Wong Shaw Voon said they hoped to introduce it at 10 highly pedestrianised areas.

The locations were also chosen based on accident records involving vulnerable road users as well as the high number of complaints and feedback received from the community.

Prof Wong, who is a lecturer at the Mechanical and Manufacturing Engineering Department of Universiti Putra Malaysia, said the authorities would also include speed management interventions like road humps, roundabouts and speed table rumble strips (transverse bars) to help slow down traffic in these areas..

Studies on the feasibility of the initiative are expected to be completed by the end of the year.

“DBKL has already imposed a 30kph speed limit in some school zones.

“Under the new proposal, several roads with a current speed limit of 40kph will be reduced to 30kph while roads with 60kph speed limit will be reduced to 50kph,’’ he added.

Prof Wong said by lowering the speed limit, the probability of death or serious injury could be reduced too.

“People are constantly in a rush to get somewhere.

“If they could just slow down, we can prevent accidents.

“With speed management we can also reduce the number of accidents by adopting the safe system approach incorporating the three Es, namely engineering, education and enforcement.

“The safe system approach uses the four elements of safer people, safer roads, safer speeds and safer vehicles.”

He gave an example of a person driving fast who meets with an accident, but if the car is equipped with anti-braking system, airbags coupled with good road infrastructure, these would reduce the likelihood of fatalities or serious injuries.

Prof Wong said under the safe system, all aspects needed to be improved, so that if one were to fail, the others would kick in.

“You can’t control the accident but you can control the speed, which is essential in reducing accidents,’’ said Prof Wong who was one of Malaysia’s participants to the Third High Level Conference of Global Road Safety in Stockholm in February 2020.

Nine recommendations were proposed with a target of 50% reduction in road deaths and serious injuries by 2030.

Malaysia is one of the countries that ratified the “Stockholm Declaration” on road safety and one of the nine recommendations was mandating a 30kmph speed limit in urban areas.

Prof Wong said that reducing the speed limit to 30kmph was recommended in some urban areas to protect vulnerable road users and accommodate human errors.

Many cities in the world have already adopted the system.

“Take Sydney, Australia, the central business district does not have schools or hospitals yet the speed is set at 30kph because there are a lot of pedestrians,’’ he said.

It has been reported that 80% of road accidents in Malaysia are caused by human error.

According to police data, in Kuala Lumpur alone, over 200 lives are lost every year in road accidents.

In national statistics, Kuala Lumpur contributed 3% of road deaths.

The percentage of fatalities due to speed related crashes was 30%, while serious injuries accounted for 31%.

Speed-related crashes included vehicles that went out-of-control, overturned or hit roadside objects.

“We have an opportunity here to save lives by getting people to slow down,” said Prof Wong, adding some residents had put up signs asking people to slow down on their own initiative.

“An area in Kajang put up a signboard asking people to drive at 30kph a few years ago.

“It was a neighbourhood with a lot of elderly folk and children.

“They did this although the speed limit was not sanctioned by the authority.”

Prof Wong acknowledged there were already areas in the city where a 30kmph speed limit had been imposed but it was being ignored.

“This is where enforcement comes in which is part of the safe system approach.

“Together with engineering and education, we also need enforcement,’’ he added.

Making city roads safer

Transportation planning expert Goh Bok Yen said road safety should be viewed from a broader perspective, not just reducing the speed limit.

“It is timely for DBKL to transform city roads and make them user-friendly to non-motorised vehicles such as bicycles and pedestrians.

“Achieving a more balanced redistribution of road space between vehicles and pedestrians in the central business district is crucial,” Goh said.

He added that new road design guidelines to accommodate lower speed must come with wider and safer walkways for non-motorised users.

There must be a shift from traditional car-centric road design and operation to a balanced one which looks into the needs of multiple road users, said Goh.

“Arterial roads such as Jalan Kuching, Jalan Cheras and Jalan Tun Razak would still be vehicle- centric, whereas Jalan Tun HS Lee, Jalan Petaling and Jalan Tuanku Abdul Rahman should prioritise non-motorised vehicles by having wider walkways.”

He said vehicle speed could be reduced by providing narrower lane widths for moving vehicles to lower operational speed.

Goh said the next move was to restrict certain categories of vehicles such as trailers in the CBD, only allow motorcycles on dedicated lanes in arterial roads and even having public transport-only roads like Oxford Street in London.

“Lowering the speed limit is the first step, what is more important is a mindset change on the part of motorists, pedestrians and other stakeholders.”

Town planner Ihsan Zainal Mokhtar said KL needed to be made more walkable, hence a reduction in the speed limit of major roads was a way forward.

“But the roads, kerbs and walkways need to be redesigned too, otherwise they are just not safe,’’ he said.


Are China's cars finally going to make inroads in Western markets?

BEIJING: After a decade of development, often through buying or benchmarking foreign technology and know-how, Chinese automakers are looking with greater ambition at selling their cars in major Western markets.

Improvements in car design, technology and marketing at firms including Geely, GAC Motor and Great Wall Motor have brought them a bigger share in their home market, the world’s largest, and give them a better chance of survival in competitive markets in Europe and the United States.

Once distant dreams of staking a claim in Western strongholds may now be edging nearer.

“We have in the Western world an outrageous arrogance. We think we’re ahead. It’s going to change,” says Alain Visser, Senior Vice President of Lynk & Co, a new brand set up by Geely.

“China is passing you at a speed that in our arrogance we don’t even see,” Visser said earlier this month.

Hangzhou-based Geely, which owns Volvo Cars and Lotus and makes London black cabs, has its sights set on selling cars in Europe in 2019 and the United States a year later. The Lynk & Co brand, set up in Sweden with Volvo, will spearhead its attack.

Geely plans only to sell “green” cars - conventional hybrid, plug-in hybrid and all-electric models - in those markets, and would primarily sell through directly-owned stores and online rather than through traditional dealer franchises. It could also offer cars for rent via a subscription model similar to Netflix and Spotify.

GAC Motor, whose parent Guangzhou Automobile Group partners Honda Motor, Toyota Motor and Fiat Chrysler in China, may beat Geely to the US market, eyeing entry by end-2019. But unlike Lynk & Co, GAC is more likely to sell through a traditional distribution network of franchised retail stores there.

It’s taken Chinese automakers years to get this far, and, to be sure, there will be significant road bumps.

“A key obstacle in markets like the United States is a consumer bias against Chinese-made goods,” said Jeff Cai, a Beijing-based senior director at JD Power & Associates. “Our research found most US consumers think China is a third-world country that builds low-quality products.”

There’s also the thorny issue of China’s trade surplus with the United States - an imbalance high on US President Donald Trump’s radar. Cars shipped in from China would likely increase that surplus.

Geely’s Lynk & Co aims to open its own flagship store in Berlin in the second half of 2019, and a similar outlet in San Francisco in 2020.

In some US states, which don’t allow direct selling, Lynk & Co plans a subscription-based sales model, renting cars to consumers on contracts as short as a month. Those deals will include insurance, warranty and other benefits.

Visser says Lynk wants to test this unconventional retail model because it reckons around a quarter of revenue is lost through the traditional distribution business in dealer margins and discounting. He expects to recoup more than half those “losses” by selling direct.

Some of those savings will be passed on to customers by selling Lynk & Co cars at a more affordable price, Visser said, adding Lynk & Co aims to sell 250,000 vehicles a year across Europe and the United States - though he gave no firm timescale for that.

In the United States, selling direct could put Lynk & Co on a collision course with the politically powerful National Automobile Dealers Association (Nada), the lobby group for franchise dealer operators.

While Visser says Nada has “unbelievable power”, he believes dealers will eventually come around to Lynk & Co’s retail model as it would likely be franchise dealers who get to service Lynk & Co cars, carrying out repairs and regular maintenance - and that’s where dealers make most money.

For its part, GAC Motor is looking at the possibility of building out its overseas presence from the US northeast, two people close to the company said.

That region, including Massachusetts, Connecticut, Maine and New York, is seen as being more open to foreign cars and to the sport-utility vehicles (SUV) that GAC Motor plans to sell, they said.

The company said it has not yet decided a US entry point, but would more likely opt to build a sales network with franchise dealers or join an existing dealer group.

GAC Motor - which says it has developed rather than acquired its technologies - said it was conducting market research to determine the brand’s positioning and identify products for its US business.

Its first US offering is likely to be an SUV sold in China as the Trumpchi GS8. Given the political sensitivities, the model will be renamed for the US market.

“We respect culture in the US and understand there’s no precedence to use the current president’s name as a brand name,” the company said through a spokesman.


Hennessey’s new electric car costs US$3mil and has six wheels

                LOS ANGELES: Famed supercar maker John Hennessey says he is building a new US$3 million (RM12.7mil) posh powerhouse.

Code-name “Project Deep Space” has six wheels and runs only on electric power.

“I had wanted to do something in the electrification space, and started thinking about it over 10 years ago," said the founder of the Sealy, Texas-based tuning company that also makes the US$2.1 million Hennessey Venom F5 hypercar and modifies 600 additional cars and trucks each year.

"But I couldn’t overcome the fact that with electrified vehicles the batteries are super heavy.”

In 2014, Hennessey’s Venom GT set a 435.31kph world land speed record.

 Hennessey.
Fast-forward to October 2019 and Hennessey had changed his plan: Rather than waiting for battery technology to advance enough so he could make a featherweight electric speed-demon like the Venom cars, he’d make a grand-tourer fit for driving from San Francisco to Lake Tahoe, or from Denver to Aspen.

It would be heavier than track cars, yes, but also far more comfortable.

“I thought what if we could do something different that moves four people—if we had six wheels, we’d have the additional power of two more electric motors [at each wheel] and also the additional grip of six tires rather than four tyres,” he said, calling the project “the next chapter of the next 30 years” for the company.

“It’s a car that is really focused more towards luxury and an amazing driving experience.”

Bound for the theatre, not the track

The second of four new name-brand vehicles Hennessey will produce during the next decade, Deep Space signals the biggest change yet for the 30-year-old company that historically has focused on high-performing—not highly elegant—vehicles.

The first of the series, the ultra-light Hennessey Venom F5 hypercar, started production in 2020 and will attempt a land speed record next year. (A spokesperson declined to give details about the next two vehicles planned.)

In stark contrast, the new grand tourer is said to be 20 feet long—the length of a futuristic and possibly unwieldy Mercedes-Maybach concept saloon—with a hefty body weight to match.

Hennessey declined to specify a weight but indicated it could be as much as 2,267kg, far more than the sub-1,360kg weight of the Venom F5.

Deep Space has seating for four adults; a single driver’s seat sits up front, two seats rest in the middle, and one seat reclines to lie flat in back. Its gullwing doors open up to reveal high-quality textiles that will be bespoke ordered by each customer.

The car also has storage room for four sets of golf clubs and additional luggage. From the top looking down, it looks like the smoothed-over outline of a horseshoe crab.

“It needed to look like an alien spaceship, and I promise you it does,” said Nathan Malinick, Hennessey’s design director who first sketched the vehicle on the back of a bank statement. “This is [like] something from Deep Space.”

Shell Pennzoil will provide lubricants for the new technology.

Electrification engineering specialist Delta Cosworth is providing the electrical powertrain for the car, which Hennessey said will exceed 2,000hp and hit top speeds of an estimated 200mph (320kph).

Delta has long provided engineering and technology for previous Hennessey cars including the Venom F5. But while Hennessey is prepping the F5 for a world-record run in early 2022, Deep Space will not attempt an all-out speed world record.

Redefining luxury

“We would like for Project Deep Space to be the world’s quickest accelerating four seat car from 0-200mph, but we have no intention of making this into a top speed car to compete with,” he said.

“This car is not designed to go to the Circuit of the Americas [Formula 1 race track] and try to set a lap record.”

Instead, it’s all about an athletic body and the cosy confines of cabin space, said designer Malinick, who designed business jets and concepts at Embraer Executive Jets before joining Hennessey in 2020.

“If I were to compare it to clothing, Lululemon would be a great example,” he said. “It’s a space where you have wonderful materials that are rich, comforting. It’s something you want to wear all the time, and it’s redefining what luxury is. That is our hope with this car.”

Hennessey’s six-wheeled car will get stares at the local coffee shop when it finally hits city streets, but it is not the only one.

In 1977, the England-based Panther car company built a six-wheeled convertible called the Panther 6. (It made two of them, each powered with a Cadillac engine and not much else.)

The rare six-wheeled Covini C6W of the early 2000s featured an Audi-built engine under its Italian-made hood; Mansory’s Mercedes Benz G63 AMG 6x6 features extreme racing components, an AMG 8-cylinder twin turbo engine, and six wheels.

Hennessey already makes six-wheeled pickups like the Hennessey Goliath and Velociraptor. A company spokesman would not comment on the steering system for the six wheels on the Project Deep Space.

On the electric side of things, the closest runner to Project Deep Space is the Swedish-built Koenigsegg Gemera hybrid.

The 1,700hp Gemera lacks the extra two wheels and the pure-electric power arrangement of the Hennessey car, but like the Texas vehicle it is a grand tourer-style car with open-up doors, an unconventional four-person seating arrangement, and a hybrid-electric powertrain.

The US$1.9 million Gemera will start deliveries in 2023.

Hennessey said customer input, supply-chain planning, and scheduling to coincide with the last of the Venom F5s all affect the timeline for Project Deep Space, which will start production in 2026.

“We would rather underpromise and overdeliver,” he said.

The company plans to cap production at 105 vehicles, some of which have already been reserved via a refundable US$100,000 deposit and signed letter of intent.


WATCH: BMW Z4 vs Toyota Supra in drag race

A screen grab from Mat Watson's video on the drag race.
PETALING JAYA: It's a no-brainer that the BMW Z4 and Toyota Supra are going to be pitted against each other sooner or latter.

In this case, it was sooner. CarWow's Mat Watson lined up the two cars on a British airstrip and off they went, with Mat and the other driver putting pedal to the metal.

Which car won the drag race? Find out in the video below.

BMW and Toyota began co-developing their respective roadsters in 2013 to share costs and shorten time to market.

The Supra mechanicals are based off the Z4 and in many ways they are similar inside out. Both are rear-wheel driven and use BMW engines and even share the same ZF 8-speed automatic transmission. The Supra and Z4 use the in-line six cylinder engine and 2.0-litre 4-cylinder engines in their base variants.

While the Supra is a hardtop roadster, the Z4 is only produced with a retractable softtop. However, the German car is the heavier car, being 40kg heavier than its Japanese counterpart.

The embedded video from CarWow shows the 6-cylinder versions of each car racing against each other.

Officially, BMW's straight-six engine makes 335hp and 500Nm of torque at the crank. Proving that the new Supra is tuner-friendly, another auto site Car Throttle has had the Supra engine dyno-ed and showed it could deliver over 376hp and 556Nm at the wheels. Compare those numbers to the US-specced Z4 which was dyno-ed at 339hp/579Nm at the wheels.


Naza Bikes launches N5R bike

                PETALING JAYA: Naza Bikes has launched the fairing version of its popular N5 naked bike series, the new N5R, at Naza Automall in Petaling Jaya.

Apart from the obvious difference which is the fairing that houses sleek dual slim headlights, the N5R features two concepts on the new bike.

The first is its True Sport light weight chassis, while the second is the EZ-suit system of switchable riding position with adjustable handle, seat height and step position.

“The Naza N5 naked street bike was initially designed to meet increasing market demands for more dynamic 250cc entry-level motorcycles. Now, following the success of the N5, the N5R takes it up a level to provide a more sporting feel with full fairing and switchable riding position,” said Naza Bikes sales and distribution head Tan Soon Wei.

For a focus on sports riding, the seat height is raised by 20mm, the handle bars are lowered by 30mm and step position moved back 30mm.

For a street sports position that focuses on daily street riding, the seat height is lowered by 20mm, the handle bars are raised by 30mm and step position moved forward by 30mm.

“The Naza N5R is user-friendly and thrilling to ride,” Tan added.

Mechanically indentical to its naked sibling, the N5R is powered by a 249 cc, single-cylinder engine that kicks out 28ps at 9,500rpm and 24.17Nm of torque at 7,000 rpm, mated to a constant mesh six-speed transmission.

It also uses the same lightweight steel tubular trellis frame with a 37mm upside down telescopic fork at the front and a dual swingarm with gas charged hydraulic absorber at the rear.

Braking power comes from 300mm discs with four-piston calipers at the front and 230mm disc with two-piston caliper at the rear.

It has a dry-weight of just 143kg, which is lighter than most of its rivals.

The new Naza N5R has a basic selling price of RM13,888 (excluding GST).


VW video explains stricter WLTP test procedure

                WOLFSBURG: Euro 6d TEMP EVAP ISC – this is the complicated name of the emission standard that will be mandatory for all newly registered vehicles with the second stage of the WLTP (Worldwide Harmonised Light Vehicles Test Procedure) type test come Sept 1.

The WLTP procedure introduced last year will be further tightened by new technical requirements and the technical procedures involved in type testing will be increased yet further.

Volkswagen explains the main innovations in the video below.

In this process, the abbreviation "EVAP" (evaporative emissions) stands for the verification of evaporate.

In this process, the abbreviation "EVAP" (evaporative emissions) stands for the verification of evaporative emissions. An activated charcoal filter in the tank system already prevents petrol vapours from being released into the environment of Volkswagen models.

In the past, this was tested in an airtight chamber for 24 hours. In the future, however, the period will be 48 hours – at constant limit values. The vehicles will be retrofitted with technology to meet these additional requirements.

Another major change with the second WLTP stage is the measurement of whether the emission limits are still met during vehicle operation.

In future, vehicles up to five years old will be subjected to a random WLTP test. This field monitoring (ISC = InServiceConformity) is carried out on selected vehicles with a mileage of up to 100,000km. Volkswagen also uses a mobile exhaust gas measurement laboratory for on-site measurements of customer vehicles.

The first WLTP stage came into force for all new vehicles on Sept 1 last year.

The fact that the next stage follows one year later – and there will be others – is due to the procedure's high complexity. The regulations, which will come into force in September 2019, also contain details about the previous procedure and thus provide legal certainty.


Toyota to stage world premiere of i-TRIL Concept

                BRUSSELS: Toyota will be rolling out a 3-seater electric city car concept called i-TRIL Concept at the upcoming Geneva Motor Show as indicated in this teaser image.

Developed by Toyota Motor Europe in collaboration with the company’s ED² design studio in Nice, this electric motor powered concept showcases numerous innovative aspects of Toyota's research into ever better and more engaging environmentally-friendly mobility solutions.

Featuring a one-plus-two seating layout, Active Lean technology and capable of operating autonomously the i-TRIL Concept represents a viable alternative to A and B segment cars, other EV products, and motorcycles for those who still wish to have fun whilst driving even at slow speeds in the urban environment.

The new 2017 Yaris alongside its sporty derivative, the Yaris GRMN, will also be at the Geneva show along with the full Gazoo Racing line-up.

The revised Yaris range is said to have a more dynamic exterior design and upgraded interior finish.

The Yaris GRMN will be unique in the hot hatch market as it will be powered by a supercharged engine - a 1.8-litre unit that will produce more than 210 DIN hp. It was inspired and influenced by Toyota’s return to the World Rally Championship in 2017 with the Yaris WRC.

Toyota will reveal more details on March 7.


Honda's Philippine unit to close plant

                MANILA: The Philippine unit of Honda Motor Co Ltd said on Saturday its production facility will shut down next month, as the Japanese automaker struggles to shore up global automobile operations.

Japan’s third-largest automaker has seen its profitability decline by more than half in the past two years, led by a series of quality-related issues.

In a statement, Honda Cars Philippines Inc said its plant south of the capital Manila will cease operations next month. But automobile sales and after-sales services will continue through Honda's regional network.

READ MORE:  Honda's Hachigo seizes the wheel as quality crisis hits profits

“To meet Honda’s customer needs in the Philippines for reasonably priced and good quality products, Honda considered efficient allocation and distribution of resources,” the company said.

Production will focus on other hubs in Asia and Oceania, it added.

Honda Philippines’ plant, which has 650 workers, started operations in 1992. It makes BR-V and City passenger cars catering to local demand.

Honda Philippines counts Rizal Commercial Banking Corp and a unit of conglomerate Ayala Corp as its local partners.

The Philippines’ automotive output is a minnow compared with its Southeast Asian peers, notably Thailand. A government tax incentive program launched in 2015 has failed to significantly raise the country’s local auto production.


New renderings for upcoming Mazda BT-50 pick-up

                MELBOURNE: Independent automotive graphic designer Kleber Silva, from Sao Paulo, Brazil, had a go at rendering what he thinks the new Mazda BT-50 pick-up will look like, and it certainly looks like something that Mazda's “Soul of Motion” designers would be proud of.

Silva's rendering can be seen at https://www.behance.net/gallery/97002453/Mazda-Pickup-Concept.

The front end has the new prominent Mazda grille, and gives the pick-up a much more premium and stylish look compared with the current model, which was developed together with the Ford Ranger.

However, the new BT-50 will be based on the upcoming next-generation Isuzu D-Max pick-up.

Mazda will have its own design and styling for the BT-50 while the underlying architecture will come from the D-Max.

2017 Mazda BT-502017 Mazda BT-50


Honda to cease diesel vehicle sales in Europe by 2021

                TOKYO: Honda Motor Co Ltd said on Monday it would phase out all diesel cars by 2021 in favour of models with electric propulsion systems, as the Japanese automaker moves to electrify all of its European cars by 2025.

Honda is the latest automaker cutting production of diesel cars to meet stringent global emissions regulations. The plan is part of its long-term goal to make electric cars, including all battery-electric vehicles, to account for two-thirds of its line ups by 2030 from less than 10% now.

By next year, according to European Union emission targets, CO2 must be cut to 95 gram per km for 95% of cars from the current 120.5 gram average, a figure that has increased of late as consumers spurn fuel-efficient diesels and embrace SUVs. All new cars in the EU must be compliant in 2021.

For Honda, declining demand for diesel vehicles and tougher emissions regulations have clouded its manufacturing prospects in Europe.

Honda said in February it would close its only British car plant in 2021 with the loss of up to 3,500 jobs.

Japan’s No. 3 automaker has said it would cut the number of car model variations to a third of current offerings by 2025, reducing global production costs by 10% and redirecting those savings toward advanced research and development.


US House unanimously approves sweeping self-driving car measure

                WASHINGTON: The US House on Wednesday unanimously approved a sweeping proposal to speed the deployment of self-driving cars without human controls by putting federal regulators in the driver’s seat and barring states from blocking autonomous vehicles.

The House measure, the first significant federal legislation aimed at speeding self-driving cars to market, would allow automakers to obtain exemptions to deploy up to 25,000 vehicles without meeting existing auto safety standards in the first year. The cap would rise over three years to 100,000 vehicles annually.

Representative Doris Matsui said the bill ”puts us on a path towards innovation which, up until recently, seemed unimaginable.” Automakers, business groups, and advocates for the blind praised the House measure. But one consumer group said the House bill did not do enough to ensure self-driving cars would be safe.

Under the bill, manufacturers seeking exemptions must demonstrate self-driving cars are at least as safe as existing vehicles. States could still set rules on registration, licensing, liability, insurance and safety inspections, but not performance standards.

Automakers would have to submit safety assessment reports to regulators, but the bill would not require pre-market approval of advanced vehicle technologies. The measure now goes to the Senate, where a bipartisan group of lawmakers has been working on similar legislation.

Automakers and technology companies, including General Motors Co and Alphabet Inc’s self-driving unit Waymo, hope to begin deploying vehicles around 2020. They have been pushing for new federal rules making it easier to deploy self-driving technology, but some consumer groups have sought additional safeguards.

Current federal rules bar self-driving cars without human controls on US roads. States have issued a variety of different rules in the absence of clear federal guidance, and automakers have complained that California’s rules are too restrictive.

US senators might circulate their draft legislation this week. One sticking point is how to handle commercial self-driving trucks, which are not included in the House measure. The Senate version may also soften the provisions preempting state rules.

Volkswagen AG and other automakers have been lobbying Congress to act, often bringing test vehicles to Capitol Hill so lawmakers can test out driverless cars.

Advocates hope self-driving cars can help reduce US road deaths, which rose 7.7 percent in 2015, the highest annual jump since 1966. The US National Highway Traffic Safety Administration said in a 2014 study that US traffic crashes cost society US$836 billion a year in economic loss, with human error behind 94 percent of crashes. Consumer advocates want to give the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration quicker access to crash data and more funding to oversee self-driving cars.

“The autonomous vehicle bill just passed by the House leaves a wild west without adequate safety protections for consumers.

It pre-empts any state safety standards, but there are none at the national level,” the Consumer Watchdog group said in a statement.

The policy group Transportation for America said cities are worried the House ”legislation will preempt local authorities from managing their own streets and fail to give local leaders the confidence that manufacturers and operators will be aware of and follow local laws and regulations.”

On Tuesday, Reuters reported that US Transportation Secretary Elaine Chao will unveil revised self-driving guidelines next Tuesday in Ann Arbor, Michigan, citing sources, and the department confirmed plans to unveil the new guidelines next week. The House bill would require compliance with the guidelines.

GM said in a statement that ”while more work is needed,” the House measure is ”good progress towards a law that will facilitate realisation of the safety, mobility, and environmental benefits of self-driving vehicles.” The House bill would also require automakers to add a driver alert to check rear seating in an effort to prevent children from being left behind, and to consider performance standards for headlights.


2019 Mitsubishi Triton VGT pick-up launched: RM100K to RM135K

                PETALING JAYA: The new Mitsubishi Triton VGT comes in five variants and is priced on the road without insurance at:

- RM100,200 (Triton MT)
- RM105,990 (Triton AT)
- RM112,500 (Triton MT Premium)
- RM118,600 (Triton AT Premium)
- RM135,200 (Triton Adventure X)

For now, it is the only pick-up (up to 2.4-litre) that has a 200,000km or 5-year warranty (whichever is first).

The first 1,000 customers get a limited edition Thule Subterra luggage package worth RM2,000.

All five Triton VGT variants have a powerful 2.4-litre MIVEC Turbo diesel DI-D commonrail VGT Intercooler engine with 181ps at 3,500rpm and 430Nm at 2,500rpm.

Transmission is either a six-speed manual or a new six-speed automatic with sport mode.

All Triton VGT variants have safety features such as Anti-lock Braking System (ABS), Electronic Brake Force Distribution (EBD), brake assist, Active Stability Control (ASC), traction control, brake override system, Hill Start Assist, Trailer Stability Assist, rear parking sensors, and ISOFIX child seat points.

Two airbags, fabric seats, a Easy Select 4WD system and driver's seatbelt reminder are also standard kit except for the top Adventure X variant.

Features that are exclusive to the flagship Adventure X variant include the Super Select 4WD-II system, automatic bi-LED projector headlamps, LED daytime running lights, automatic wipers, Apple Carplay and Android Auto, paddle shifters, leatherette seats, powered driver's seat, Forward Collision Mitigation (FCM) with Autonomous Emergency Braking, Blind Spot Warning (BSW), Lane Change Assist (LCA), Rear Cross Traffic Alert (RCTA), Auto High Beam (AHB), Ultrasonic Mis-acceleration Mitigation System (UMS), front passenger's seatbelt reminder, front parking sensors, and seven airbags.

Mitsubishi Motor's Super-Select 4WD II system, developed with decades of experience in off-road competition such as the Dakar Rally, delivers optimum traction and handling characteristics on all surfaces.

Also, Hill Descent Control automatically applies brakes on downhill terrain, allowing the driver to focus on steering operations.

The new Triton is also billed as having a a best-in-class turning radius of 5.9 metres.

Driver assistance systems include Forward Collision Mitigation (FCM) which can detect vehicles and pedestrians ahead; Blind Spot Warning with Lane Change Assist (BSW with LCA), which helps avoid colliding with another vehicle when changing lanes by detecting vehicles behind or at the rear quarter and alerting the driver with an audible alert and flashing light in the left or right door mirrors.

An Ultrasonic Misacceleration Mitigation System (UMS) is now fitted to help reduce accidents resulting from improper use of the accelerator when moving off or reversing in carparks and other confined spaces.

This system sounds a buzzer and displays a warning if front or rear sensors detect a nearby obstacle. Engine output is also automatically controlled if the driver suddenly accelerates during such situation.

Also helping to enhance safety is Rear Cross Traffic Alert (RCTA) which helps avoid collisions when reversing by scanning the area on either side.

If a vehicle is detected approaching, the driver will be alerted to take appropriate action.

"We are proud to introduce the new Mitsubishi Triton as the fifth generation of a successful line of pick-up trucks. Besides drawing on 40 years of experience in developing pick-up trucks that are durable, reliable and comfortable, the new Triton adopted four pillars under the 4Sure Handling USPs: ASure Power; 4Sure Control; ASure Agility; 4Sure Safety," said Mitsubishi Motors Malaysia CEO Tomoyuki Shinnishi at the launch of the new pick-up at 1 Utama Shopping Centre.

Triton MT (RM100,200)

- Easy Select 4WD
- 245/70 R16 tyres
- Projector halogen headlights
- 2-DIN head unit, CD, MP3, USB
- 4 audio speakers
- 1 USB socket
- Manual air-conditioning
- Fabric seats
- Anti-lock Braking System (ABS)
- Electronic Brake Force Distribution (EBD)
- brake assist
- Active Stability Control (ASC)
- traction control
- brake override system
- Hill Start Assist
- Trailer Stability Assist
- rear parking sensors
- ISOFIX child seat points
- driver's seatbelt reminder
- 2 airbags

Triton AT (RM105,990)

- Halogen daytime running lights

Triton MT Premium (RM112,500)

- 245/65 R17 tyres
- front fog lamps
- Door mirrors: powered foldable with integrated turn indicators
- Push-start ignition
- Auto-dimming rear view mirror
- Touchscreen audio with Bluetooth, voice command
- 6 audio speakers
- 3 USB sockets
- Rear smart phone storage compartment
- Automatic air-conditioning
- Rear air-con vents
- leather-wrapped steering with audio controls
- Cruise control
- Speed sensing automatic door lock
- Leatherette front knee pads
- Reverse camera

Triton AT Premium (RM118,600)

- Off-road mode (gravel, sand, mud/snow, rock)
- 265/60 R18 tyres
- Rest reminder
- Hill Descent Control (HDC)

Triton Adventure X (RM135,200)

- Super Select 4WD-II system
- automatic bi-LED projector headlamps
- LED daytime running lights
- automatic wipers
- Apple Carplay and Android Auto
- paddle shifters
- leatherette seats
- powered driver's seat
- Forward Collision Mitigation (FCM)
- Autonomous Emergency Braking (Vehicle & Pedestrian)
- Blind Spot Warning (BSW)
- Lane Change Alert (LCA)
- Rear Cross Traffic Alert (RCTA)
- Auto High Beam (AHB)
- Ultrasonic Mis-acceleration Mitigation System (UMS)
- front passenger's seatbelt reminder
- front parking sensors
- seven airbags


Arctic cold 'no sweat' for electric cars in Norway

Benassi has experienced it on cold winter days, but like other Norwegians, he's learned to cope. — AFP
OSLO: Norwegian electric car owners have a word for the way they feel when they look nervously at their battery indicators while driving in subfreezing weather: "rekkevideangst", or "range anxiety".

Tesla owner Philip Benassi has experienced it on cold winter days, but like other Norwegians, he has learned to cope with it.

With temperatures often falling below zero, rugged terrain and long stretches of remote roads, Norway may not seem like the most ideal place to drive an electric car, whose battery dies faster in cold weather.

Yet the country is the undisputed world champion when it comes to the zero-emission vehicles.

A record four out of five new autos sold in Norway last year were electric, in a major oil-producing country that aims to end the sale of new fossil fuel cars by 2025 -- a decade ahead of the European Union's planned ban.

By comparison, electric cars accounted for 12.1 percent of new car sales in the EU in 2022, up from 9.1 percent a year earlier, according to data published Wednesday by the European Automobile Manufacturers' Association.

Benassi took the plunge in 2018.

In his gleaming white Tesla S, the 38-year-old salesman for a cosmetics company clocks between 20,000km and 25,000km year.

Like most new electric vehicle owners, he had moments of panic in the beginning when he saw the battery gauge drop quickly, with the prospect of it falling to zero on a deserted country road.

"I didn't know the car well enough. But after all these years, I have a pretty good idea of how many kilowatts it needs and I know that it varies a lot depending on whether the car has spent the night outdoors or in a garage," he said.

The car uses much more battery when it is parked outside in temperatures that can reach minus 15 degrees Celsius, Benassi said.

"It takes quite a while for it to go back to normal consumption," he added.

In the cold season, how much range electric cars lose depends on the model and how low the temperature gets.

"But the following rules of thumb apply: a frost of around minus 10C will reduce the operating range by around a third compared to summer weather, and a severe one (minus 20C or more) by up to half," said Finnish consultant Vesa Linja-aho.

"By storing the car in a warm garage, this phenomenon can be mitigated somewhat," he added.

Charging stations

Drivers must plan their routes before long journeys, but car applications and Norway's vast network of more than 5,600 fast and superfast charging stations help make the process easier.

Electric cars accounted for 54 percent of new car registrations last year in Finnmark, Norway's northernmost region in the Arctic where the mercury has at times fallen to minus 51C — a sign that the cold issue is not insurmountable.

Other Nordic countries that regularly experience chilly temperatures also top world rankings for electric vehicles — they accounted for around 33 percent of new car sales in Sweden and Iceland in 2022.

"Now more and more new electric cars have systems for pre-heating the batteries, which is very smart because you get more range and because if your car is heated before you charge, it will also charge faster," said Christina Bu, head of the Norwegian Electric Vehicle Association.

Electric car owners are not the only ones who have to worry about the cold.

"Actually, if it's very, very cold — freezing temperatures — sometimes diesel engine cars can't start and an electric car starts," she said.

'Everyone can do it'

Norwegians are clearly sold: more than 20 percent of cars on Norway's roads are now electric — and green, with the electricity they consume generated almost exclusively by hydro power.

Norway's longstanding policy of tax rebates for electric cars has facilitated the transition, although the government has begun to roll back some of the incentives to make up for a budget shortfall estimated at nearly 40 billion kroner (RM17bil) last year.

There is "a simple answer to why we have this success in Norway and that's green taxes", Bu said.

"We tax what we don't want, namely fossil fuel cars, and we promote what we do want, electric cars. It's as simple as that," she said.

"If Norway can do this, everyone else can do it as well."


Perodua Smart Build: Car maker maps out sustainable and inclusive blueprint

                RAWANG: Perodua today launched its first sustainable blueprint – the Perodua Smart Build – that includes nearly the entire Malaysian automotive supplier and dealer ecosystem, designed to propel itself and the industry towards greater globalisation.

“Perodua Smart Build is an evolution of what Perodua and the Malaysian automotive industry were originally set up to do: to create a sustainable and robust automotive ecosystem,” said Perodua president and chief executive officer Datuk Zainal Abidin.

He said that Perodua Smart Build is also Perodua’s "Transformation 3.0", as it builds upon its previous milestones.

Zainal said that Perodua began its first transformation phase in 2011 with the announcement that it will build the Energy-Efficient Vehicle ecosystem, stop defect outflow, set up Perodua Global Manufacturing Sdn Bhd and change Perodua’s mindset to be quality conscious.

“Transformation 2.0 was to focus on customer satisfaction, organisational development and the fostering of unity within the entire Perodua group of companies.

“Now, we are in the third phase of transformation to ‘build’ a sustainable future for both Perodua and its partners to a point where we will be able to find our own niche in the automotive industry.”

He said that under "Transformation 3.0", Perodua is working together with its business partners to rationalise the gap in quality, cost and delivery within the automotive ecosystem and get the industry to be “in the right size”.

Zainal also said that Perodua is also working with all its partners to see where existing expertise can be used beyond Malaysia.

He gave the example of how Perodua staff are now working to design Daihatsu models in Japan as part of Perodua’s effort to export local expertise abroad.

Zainal said Perodua would continue to leverage on its close partnership with Daihatsu to realise Perodua Smart Build’s objective.

“Perodua Smart Build will be accomplished with the help of our shareholder, technology and technical partner Daihatsu Motor Company of Japan; and the Malaysian government who had the foresight to create this ecosystem for the benefit of the country,” he said.

According to Zainal, Perodua Smart Build is designed to help Perodua and the automotive ecosystem reap the benefits of the National Automotive Policy by making the industry more competitive and progressive.

Chief among the components of Perodua Smart Build are full product development by Perodua and its suppliers, the establishment of a first-class working culture and first-class thinking that would be able to contribute to the nation.

“Perodua Smart Build’s launch does not mean that we have reached the full potential of these components; rather, it marks the start of Perodua and its partners’ journey towards a higher level of competitiveness."

He added that a number of Malaysian suppliers are already part of Daihatsu’s global supply chain, and Perodua is working with the Ministry of International Trade and Industry to prepare more local suppliers to follow suit.

“We are also focusing more on developing our dealers, including strengthening their operations and guiding them towards the adoption of global best practices to further improve customer satisfaction.”

He explained that Perodua’s goal is to ensure its dealers’ business sustainability by providing guidance of best practices and the latest technology for growth, adding: “We consider our dealers business partners in the same way Daihatsu is our business partner, and we are committed towards their prosperity as long as they, too, are committed to our goals.”

“Where products are concerned, our future offerings will better reflect contemporary trends without compromising our fundamentals – space, practicality, quality, dependability, fuel efficiency and unparalleled value,” said Zainal.


U Mobile partners with Waze for GPS connectivity in SMART Tunnel

                KUALA LUMPUR: U Mobile has partnered with Waze and SMART Tunnel to make GPS connectivity possible for all drivers commuting through the world’s longest dual purpose tunnel.

Drivers no longer have to worry about getting lost or taking the wrong exit in the area, thanks to the installation of Bluetooth-enabled hardware devices known as Waze Beacons.

The devices enable seamless connectivity and undisrupted navigation even in areas where there is limited GPS signal reception through the emission of wireless signals that guide navigation apps.

To ensure undisrupted navigation in the SMART tunnel, drivers simply have to enable their Bluetooth connections on their devices.

As of today, almost 240 Waze Beacons have been installed along the 5.2km road tunnel.

Jasmine Lee, U Mobile’s Chief Marketing Officer and a frequent commuter in the SMART Tunnel, shares that this new feature, installed just before the Movement Control Order came into effect, will make the drive in the tunnel much more convenient.

“U Mobile is a firm believer in unleashing the unlimited potential of technology, be it 5G trials, 4G network expansion or service innovation. This latest partnership with Waze and SMART Tunnel has made U Mobile the first telco in the world to power uninterrupted GPS navigation in a tunnel.

With Waze’s Beacons technology, all mobile device users, regardless of which telco service they are subscribed to, will now be able to leverage on the full features of Waze uninterrupted throughout the tunnel.”

“Waze has always been about more than just giving people driving directions - we’re about solving transportation challenges and making roads better together. With 30,000 commuters using the SMART Tunnel daily, we’re happy to collaborate with U Mobile and SMART to ease traffic congestion and reduce drivers’ hesitation and confusion caused by signal loss,” says Kelvin Sim, Waze Malaysia Country Lead.

“With the Waze Beacons installed in the SMART Tunnel, our users’ travel experience will become smoother and more convenient as they will enjoy uninterrupted GPS navigation and are able to share real-time information that may translate to updates on traffic conditions and proposed directions. Users will also be able to get updates on traffic jams, road closures or accidents that may have happened inside the tunnel and its surroundings, enhancing drivers’ safety as well,” says Mohd Noor Mohd Ali, Chief Operating Officer of SMART.

To use the service, all Waze users in the SMART Tunnel will be prompted to turn on Bluetooth to enjoy uninterrupted GPS navigation.


Koenigsegg engine earns Popular Science's top award

 The Koenigsegg ValveFree engine.
DETROIT: Swedish boutique supercar maker Koenigsegg's ingenious cam-free internal combustion engine has beaten off stiff competition from some of the world's biggest car companies to be crowned this year's Popular Science Grand Award Winner.

Christian von Koenigsegg was considered crazy for wanting to start his own supercar company, completely from scratch. But when his first car was finished in 2002, people quickly started changing their opinion. And 14 years later, the Swedish entrepreneur and inventor has proven himself an automotive genius, delivering innovations with his tiny committed team that some of the world's most storied and established brands are struggling to keep up with.

Therefore it should seem obvious that the Koenigsegg FreeValve engine, which made its debut this year in a Chinese Qoros concept car, should be hailed as one of the biggest innovations of 2016.

It ditches the camshaft, the spinning belt-driven rod at the top of the engine that opens and closes valves as it turns and which has been a mainstay of the internal combustion engine for over a century.

In doing so, von Koenigsegg has created a gasoline engine that sets new levels of efficiency and of performance without increasing cubic capacity or adding turbochargers. That's because each valve on the engine can be opened or closed independently, at a unique moment and for a unique amount of time via hydraulic actuators. In other words, eradicating every single inefficiency related to a camshaft.

 McLaren 570s.

In second place is the McLaren 570s which Popular Science has singled out because it is, in the publication's opinion, the first truly usable supercar. Despite sitting low to the ground, having 562hp on tap and a 322kph+ top speed, it can be driven comfortably in real-world situations.

The top three is rounded out by the Chevrolet Bolt EV which makes the list for being the first true electric car for the people thanks to its ability to cover 383km on a single charge and costing just US$37,495 (RM158,000) before grants or subsidies.

Elsewhere in the list there are awards for the new Mercedes E-Class (eighth place) for its cutting-edge car-to-car communication system that relays live road and weather conditions in seconds to other Mercedes cars; and for the Audi SQ7 TDi.

Ranked in fifth place, the premium SUV makes this year's cut for its innovative lag-free turbo system that uses two traditional turbos plus a third, electrically powered compressor that spools up instantaneously regardless of engine revolutions or exhaust gases. It makes a diesel feel as responsive as a gasoline engine.

 Audi SQ7 TDi.


Ferrari sees extended life for roaring combustion engines after EU deal

                MILAN: The head of Ferrari on Monday welcomed plans to exempt cars that run on e-fuels from the European Union's planned 2035 phase-out of new combustion engine vehicles as they will give the luxury carmaker "greater freedom" on its power systems.

The European Union and Germany have reached a deal allowing new cars powered by combustion engines (ICE) to be sold beyond the 2035 deadline, or 2036 for so-called small volume manufacturers like Ferrari, if they run on carbon-neutral e-fuels.

"The good news for us as a company (...) is that on top of electric cars, we'll also be able to go on with our internal combustion engines ones," CEO Benedetto Vigna told a Reuters Newsmaker event.

"This decision is very interesting for us because it allows ICEs to go beyond 2036," he added.

Ferrari, which is renowned for its powerful petrol engines, is already producing plug-in hybrid cars and has promised its first full-electric vehicle for 2025.

However, Ferrari, which sold over 13,200 cars in 2022, has never provided a roadmap for going all electric.

Presenting its new business plan last year, Ferrari said fully-electric and hybrid models would make up 80% of those in its range by 2030, while 20% would still be powered by internal combustion engines.

"This does not change," Vigna said. "We don't want to tell clients which car to use. We want to make three kinds of propulsion available for them - hybrid, electric and ICE - and they will chose".

Spending unchanged

Vigna reassured investors that the company's investment plans would not be affected by combustion engines getting an extended life, as Ferrari had already "embedded" this scenario in its business plan.

"The figure I gave (last year) - 4.4 billion euros ($4.7 billion) for capex in the 2022-2026 period - it's enough for us to go ahead with electrification and also with ICEs which are compatible with e-fuels," he said.

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Vigna said Ferrari's upcoming electric model would be "a unique car" but would not be drawn on details, adding that "keeping secret is part of the recipe".

He added it was wrong to assume that specific forms of propulsion would match specific models in the future. Fuels are a mean to provide the performance expected from a Ferrari car, he said.

He said that the price of e-fuels, or synthetic fuels, was likely to come down as they are developed in coming years.

"They're a new technology, and like for all new technologies they have time to become cheaper," he said.


China must commit to battery recycling in electric vehicle boom, says Greenpeace

 Batteries for electric vehicles are manufactured at a factory in Dongguan, China. — Reuters
SHANGHAI: China needs to step up the recycling and repurposing of batteries for electric vehicles in order to ease supply strains and curb pollution and carbon emissions, environmental group Greenpeace said today.

Though the deployment of electric vehicles is an important environmental initiative, the manufacturing of batteries is energy- and carbon-intensive and puts the supply of key raw materials like lithium and cobalt under severe strain, the group said in a research report.

“We’re about to see a tidal wave of old EV batteries hit China,” said Ada Kong, Greenpeace East Asia’s senior programme manager. “How the government responds will have huge ramifications for Xi Jinping’s 2060 carbon neutral commitment.”

Greenpeace said 12.85 million tonnes of EV lithium-ion batteries will go offline worldwide between 2021 and 2030, while more than 10 million tonnes of lithium, cobalt, nickel and manganese will be mined for new batteries.

Repurposed batteries could be used as backup power systems for China’s 5G stations or reused in shared e-bikes, and would save 63 million tonnes of carbon emissions from new battery manufacturing, it estimated.

It said total global demand for energy storage could be met by old EV batteries by 2030.

China, the world’s biggest EV user and EV battery manufacturer, has launched its own battery recycling schemes to cope with the expected surge in utilisation, and is also implementing tracing systems that will track the entire lifespan of a battery from manufacturing to disposal.


VW unveils Arteon as flagship car in effort to shift from crisis

                GENEVA: Volkswagen AG is unveiling a new four-door fastback that will replace the flopped US$78,000 Phaeton luxury sedan as its namesake brand’s flagship model in a bid to change the conversation about the company to cars from crisis.

The Arteon, featuring options for front-wheel and all-wheel drive, will be available first in Europe, with deliveries in Germany starting in June, VW said Monday in a statement at the Geneva International Motor Show. The car, whose price has yet to be announced, targets buyers wanting the comfortable, upscale ride of models like Mercedes-Benz’s 54,800-euro (US$58,000) CLS coupe but at a lower cost.

VW ended production of the Phaeton almost a year ago, and has been working ever since to introduce a vehicle that costs more than the mid-sized Passat sedan and station wagon but isn’t positioned too far above the brand’s usual mass-market segment. The Arteon is part of a general product overhaul to revive profit as the German automaker continues to wrestle with fallout from the diesel-emissions cheating scandal that emerged in late 2015.

The Arteon complements VW’s Phideon sedan in China, the nameplate’s largest market, where the marque plans this year to sell more than 3 million cars for the first time. The locally built Phideon went on sale in mid-2016 at a starting price of about 50,000 euros.

Demand for the Arteon in Europe and the U.S. would help reduce Volkswagen’s dependence on China, where its deliveries declined in January following the removal of a tax break for smaller cars. China accounts for about half of the brand’s global volume. Adding to the model’s importance in Germany, the Arteon will be built at VW’s troubled factory in the northern city of Emden, where the manufacturer has cut production as demand for the Passat, the site’s only model, has waned.

 All pix above show the Arteon Elegance grade. The Arteon R-Line grade and its sporty darkened interior.

Atlas SUV
In the US, VW is rolling out the new Atlas mid-size sport utility vehicle and adding longer-wheelbase variants of the compact Tiguan sister model. The marque’s global overhaul will also include a revamped Polo subcompact later this year and another SUV based on the Golf hatchback.

Fresh vehicles are key for maintaining the VW brand’s sales momentum as the carmaker undergoes a painful restructuring, including the elimination of 30,000 jobs worldwide, to free up funds for developing electric vehicles. Other slow-selling models that VW is weeding out to cut production costs include the Eos convertible and the Polo’s three-door variant.


Tesla revises Germany plan to have car plant cranking in a year

Preliminary works on Tesla's new plant near Berlin. — Bloomberg
BERLIN: Tesla Inc. will rework plans for its factory near here to appease environmental critics and ensure its first European outpost can start producing cars in about a year, a senior local government official said.

The electric-car pioneer has faced criticism from local citizens concerned about deforestation and water usage related to the plant’s construction.

Initial setbacks included a court-ordered temporary halt in February on clearing trees and a potential fine for ramming piles into the ground before receiving the necessary permits.

But new blueprints to be presented this week or next will address some of those concerns by reducing the amount of fresh water required and waste water created, said Joerg Steinbach, the economy minister in the state of Brandenburg, where the facility will be located.

Following an eight-week process of public review and response, an open hearing will take place by early September, he added.

“We expect a proposal that in sum will be more environmentally acceptable and thereby even more approvable,” Steinbach said in an interview at his office in the city of Potsdam near here. “I assume that within the first half of next year cars will be rolling off the conveyor belt there.”

Representatives for Tesla did not reply to requests for comment.

Electric-car hub

Tesla chief executive officer Elon Musk is moving into Germany’s heartland to challenge Volkswagen AG, BMW AG and Daimler AG’s Mercedes-Benz as the country targets a massive increase in electric-car sales.

It’s a bold move, given that battery-powered cars are only starting to take off in Europe’s biggest economy. And when it comes to major infrastructure projects, the country is notorious for red tape, which could irk the independent-minded Musk, who’s used to getting his own way.

Once complete, plans for the project potentially worth as much as 4 billion euros ($4.5 billion) call for eventual employment of 12,000 people and the assembly of 500,000 vehicles annually.

For Brandenburg, it’s a landmark deal to bring Tesla to the forest-filled area surrounding Berlin. The state has struggled to attract high-profile investors and jobs, and the arrival of the US carmaker has the potential to create an influx of other large employers.

Brandenburg wants Tesla to become a stepping stone in the region’s plan to become an electric-car hub.

Together with neighbouring Saxony-Anhalt and Saxony, the state will benefit from billions of euros of structural aid as coal mining and power generation are phased out, providing a potential source of financing to help attract companies.

BASF SE in the southern part of the state, for example, plans to make cathodes for electric batteries from 2022, employing 2,000 workers. Before the end of the year, Steinbach hopes to announce at least two more companies setting up shop, but he declined to specify in which industries.

Unconventional practices

Brandenburg state officials say they’re well aware that time is of the essence because Tesla has a technological advantage over its German rivals that it wants to exploit quickly.

The US carmaker wants to finish the plant just outside of Berlin in less time than it took to build a new plant in China, which went up in less than a year.

Steinbach’s staff are in daily contact with representatives from Tesla, often including weekends. On his desk is a laundry list of issues, from power and train connections to cutting through bureacratic paperwork, he said.

As a manager at German pharmaceutical giant Schering and later dean of Berlin’s Technical University, Steinbach is no stranger to complex supply chains, new technologies and manufacturing processes.

He has had frequent stints in China and the US. Yet he admits that relations with Tesla, whose CEO recently had a public row with California authorities over a plant shutdown there, can be trying.

“It requires a lot of flexibility,” said Steinbach, adding that Tesla’s unconventional business practices sometimes clash with Germans’ propensity for highly structured planning.

“I find out-of-the box great, but at some point it becomes exhausting.”

Even so, nothing should stand in the way of creating a new auto-industry hub just outside of the nation’s capital now, the 64-year old trained chemist says.

“I think we’re now past the point of no return,” Steinbach said.


Over 38,000 new Perodua Myvis delivered out of 70,000 bookings recorded

                RAWANG: More Myvi update from Perodua. It has achieved a new milestone of 38,000 new Myvi deliveries out of 70,000 bookings as of the third week of April.

While the 1.3L variants can be delivered almost immediately, the 1.5L Myvi variants has a waiting period of around three months.

Perodua is working to improve its efficiency to ensure deliveries would be within an acceptable time frame, said Perodua Sales Sdn Bhd managing director Datuk Dr Zahari Husin.

According to Malaysian Automotive Association (MAA) numbers, from January to March, the compact carmaker sold 55,568 vehicles against a 135,140-unit total industry volume (TIV), returning over 41% market share. This is an improvement of more than 10.5% over the 50,260 units registered in the first quarter of 2017, making it a record first quarter for Perodua in terms of sales.

The 55,560 sales consisted of 24,473 Myvis, 14,962 Axias, 10,101 Bezzas and 6,032 Alzas.In fact, 18% of all new cars registered in Malaysia in the first quarter of 2018 were Myvis.

The third-generation Myvi is the most sophisticated model in Perodua’s 25-year history, featuring Malaysian innovations such as a built-in toll card reader and digital memory air-con.

The Myvi also has a full 5-star Asean NCAP safety rating based on the latest protocol and is Malaysia’s most affordable car with active safety functions, courtesy of its Advanced Safety Assist (ASA) systems.

Perodua is kicking off the Perodua Pilihanku festive sales campaign at all its showrooms and service centres nationwide. During the promotion, Perodua is offering free vehicle inspections and cash redemptions of up to RM1,800 for selected models and variants.


Second-gen Mirai FCEV coming in 2020, says Toyota chairman

                TOKYO: Toyota is preparing to launch the second generation of its Mirai fuel-cell car next year, chairman Takeshi Uchiyamada said today.

He was speaking at an international ministerial meeting on hydrogen energy here.

Toyota launched the first iteration of the Mirai in late 2014. It offers a 500km range and takes only 5 minutes to refuel fully.

The world’s first mass-produced hydrogen fuel cell electric vehicle is a four-door, mid-size sedan with performance that fully competes with traditional internal combustion engines – but uses no petrol.  Instead, Mirai creates electricity on demand using hydrogen, oxygen and a fuel cell, and emits nothing but water vapour in the process.

 The first-generation Mirai.

The Mirai uses the Toyota Fuel Cell System (TFCS), which features both fuel cell technology and hybrid technology, and includes Toyota's new proprietary FC Stack and high-pressure hydrogen tanks. The TFCS is more energy efficient than internal combustion engines and emits no CO2 or pollutants when driven.

Drivers are promised the same level of convenience as offered by petrol engine vehicles.

Hydrogen can be generated using a wide range of natural resources and man-made byproducts such as sewage sludge. It can also be created from water using natural renewable energy sources like solar and wind power.

When compressed, it has a higher energy density than batteries, and is relatively easy to store and transport, therefore it also carries expectations for potential future use in power generation and a wide range of other applications.

Toyota employs a newly-designed high-pressure (700 bar) tank that’s 40% stronger than conventional ones and splits the storage for better weight distribution.

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Huge self-driving skateboards: Citroen's vision for urban transport

                PARIS: City streets are becoming ever more crowded and traffic ever more dense, while car manufacturers see themselves as not the problem, but the solution.

Case in point: Citroen is planning an entirely new kind of mobility that promises to take the pressure off growing cities while keeping citizens mobile (and buying whatever Citroen is making).

With a kind of giant self-driving skateboard that seats a few passengers, the French manufacturer wants to roll out an electric mobility service that will cover a wide range of needs with a modular design.

The project, developed together with other partners, is called Urban Collectif and outlines a vision that, according to the maker, will become reality in 10 to 20 years at the earliest.

Its centrepiece is the so-called Skate, a 2.60 by 1.60 metre platform in which the battery and electronics for autonomous driving are installed.

So it's a car without a roof or doors, you say?

You might think so, but the idea gets interesting when you think about what you might be able to do with a simple self-driving platform like this.

For this standardised Skate, project partners will be able develop so-called pods that can be mounted on top as needed.

That means any basic platform can be modded to become a car, a yoga studio on wheels, a rolling workshop or a food truck, according to initial prototypes demonstrated by Citroen.

Together with a hotel chain, they have also developed a mobile hotel room, as well as a fitness studio to make sitting in rush hour traffic less dull.

Together with a city marketing company, they were able to turn the Skate into a kind of bus stop that can also drive passengers to a destination.

While Citroen hasn't quite elaborated on how congestion problems are to be solved by replacing cars with different kind of cars, the ideas for the Skate's implementation do suggest that car interiors will soon become far less rigid in their purpose.

To make things more futuristic, the Skate is driven by a newfangled set of wheels that look more like balls and can be turned in any direction by the integrated motors. This means the Skate, in theory, would be able to drive diagonally or sideways.

Given that an autopilot is taking care of the driving, the riding speed is limited to 25kph and these cars, for want of a better word, would be limited to certain lanes, Citroen says.

The idea might seem far-fetched, especially given the slow pace at which autonomous driving and electric mobility is arriving, but Citroen boss Vincent Cobee is a firm believer in this concept and says it will be relatively easy to implement.

But he also admits that Citroen alone won't be solving the problem of urban mobility. "If the mayors and the mobility providers don't join in and partners don't set up pods, then this will remain just a vision."