Indonesia drive-in concert delivers live music as coronavirus rages

People watching a drive-in concert by local pop band Kahitna during the New Live Experience series, at a parking area of the Jakarta International Expo on Saturday. — Reuters
JAKARTA: As night fell in the Indonesian capital, pop ensemble Kahitna took to the stage for a drive-in concert nearly two hours long that attracted eager listeners in rows of hundreds of parked cars.

The eight performers played yearning, sentimental tunes, capitalising on patrons’ nostalgia for the group’s 1990s heyday, with listeners honking and flashing their lights as the band launched into its hit tune, “Cerita Cinta” or “Love Story”.

That was a reminder of the good times before the coronavirus pandemic brought the music industry to a juddering halt, said Chaeruddin Syah, one of the concert organisers.

“Our economy has declined for four to five months, we have not worked at all and have not made any money,” said Syah.

“We hope this concert can provide solutions and inspiration to the entertainment industry.”

Indonesia, which is grappling with a surge in virus infections, racked up its biggest daily increase in cases for a third straight day on Saturday. The South-East Asian nation has tallied about 170,000 infections and 7,261 deaths.

The organisers of Saturday’s event said they had prioritised safety, asking listeners to provide negative test results and wear masks.

The concert, which was followed by another on Sunday, drew a crowd of about 900 people in 300 cars, all of whom had to stay in their vehicles.

Each car tuned into an FM radio channel to hear the concert. Each was sprayed with disinfectant on arrival, and received a carbon dioxide detector to alert occupants to open their windows if levels of the dangerous gas rose too high.

“This concert is an extraordinary initiative,” said one listener, a 45-year-old who gave her name only as Emilia.

“This is really good, especially when we don’t know when the pandemic will end.”

A city of 10 million, Jakarta has recently recorded the highest daily increase in infections among Indonesian regions, and maintains curbs on public transport and businesses, although this week its governor said cinemas would re-open soon.

The adverse impact of the virus had forced musicians and their crews to adapt, said Adib Hidayat, who tracks music trends for the Indonesian industry.

“If the (drive-in) concept could have a strict protocol and a tight discipline from the audience, it could be one of the new breakthroughs,” he said.


Ford counterattacks in 'Cruise' dispute with GM

                DETROIT: Ford Motor Co said late on Friday it will ask the US Patent Office to rescind trademarks obtained by rival General Motors Co for the terms "Cruise" and "Super Cruise," escalating a brawl GM began by suing Ford over its use of "Blue Cruise" for an automated driving system.

The legal fight between the two Detroit automakers turns on whether "Cruise" is a generic term for technology that allows the car to take over some share of driving tasks from a human motorist.

The clash underscores the intensity of competition among established automakers to be seen as leaders in automated driving technology, competitive with Silicon Valley rivals Tesla Inc, Alphabet Inc 's Waymo unit and others.

GM filed a federal suit against Ford on July 24, accusing Ford of violating GM trademarks by using the name "Blue Cruise" for a system that enables hands-free driving.

GM had previously trademarked "Super Cruise" for its hands-free, partially automated driving technology. It also has trademarked "Cruise," the name of its robo-taxi unit in San Francisco.

Ford reiterated on Friday its position that GM's suit is frivolous. The effort to nullify GM's trademarks for the use of the word "Cruise" takes the fight to a new level.

"To defend itself, Ford has no choice but to ask the US Patent and Trademark Office to rescind both of GM’s 'Cruise' and 'Super Cruise' trademark registrations that should have never been registered in the first place," Ford said.

"Any number of companies use the word 'Cruise' in connection with driver assist technology."

Among the examples Ford cited: "Predictive Cruise," marketed by Mack Trucks; "Smart Cruise Control" marketed by Hyundai Motor Co, and Autocruise, used by auto supplier ZF Friedrichshafen AG.

GM said Friday that Super Cruise "has had a well established commercial presence since 2017," and added in a statement that the company "remains committed to vigorously defending our brands and protecting the equity our products and technology have earned over several years in the market and that won’t change."


New Mercedes-Benz C-Class headed for Geneva showing

                STUTTGART: Mercedes-Benz will be premiering its new Mercedes-Benz C-Class in saloon and estate forms with new petrol, diesel and plug-in hybrid models at the 2018 Geneva Motor Show on Mar 6.

The German carmaker says that its C-Class' exterior and interior benefits from a stylish makeover.

Options include a fully digital instrument display and multimedia systems featuring customised information and music offerings.

The assistance systems likewise benefit from the new electronic architecture and are now on a par with those of the S‑Class.

The C-Class in its current generation was Mercedes-Benz's top-selling model in its fourth year on sale. The brand sold a combined total of over 415,000 Saloon and Estate models worldwide in 2017.

The vehicle's new appearance is defined in particular by its front end and the design of the headlamps and tail lights.

On the new version, the AMG Line (C43)will feature the diamond radiator grille as standard.

The front bumpers have been redesigned for all lines and feature either a silver trim strip (standard), a chrome-plated trim strip (in combination with Avantgarde exterior) or a three-part chrome trim strip (Exclusive exterior).

The design of the front and rear lamps is defined by clear-lined contours for the Multibeam LED headlamps with Ultra Range high beam that have been made available for this model for the first time.

The interior is deemed to be sporty by the company, boasting of its premium look and feel as well as flowing forms.

The centre console is characterised by an elegant flowing trim accented with open-pore brown walnut or open-pore anthracite oak.

The 3D real wood veneer in the centre console combines a hand-crafted character with a modern feel.

New interior colours include magma grey and black and saddle brown for the AMG Line interior.

Furthermore, the cabin adopts the control and display concept from the current S‑Class and comes with the option of a fully digital instrument display with three individually selectable display styles.

There's the touch-sensitive controls on the steering wheel, including Distronic and cruise control.

The infotainment system can additionally be operated via the touchpad with controller (new with haptic feedback) in the centre console or by means of Linguatronic voice control.

For added safety, the car is able to be driven semi-autonomously in certain situations by utilising its map and navigation data for assistance functions.

For example, Active Distance Assist Distronic as part of the Driving Assistance package is able to support the driver in numerous situations on the basis of map information and predictively adjust the speed e.g. when approaching bends, junctions or roundabouts.

Other new developments include intuitively understandable Active Lane Change Assist and Active Emergency Stop Assist as new functions of Active Steering Assist.

The optionally extra Multibeam LED headlamps new to the C‑Class incorporates 84 individually controllable LEDs each and allows for quick electronically controlled adjustment of the headlamps to suit the current traffic situation.

Another optional extra is the Energizing comfort control, which combines the efforts of the vehicle's various comfort systems, such as climate control (including fragrancing) and the seats (heater, ventilation, massage) as well as lighting and musical moods.


Public support for mandatory driver re-testing grows in the wake of Prince Philip’s car crash

Debris is seen at the scene where Britain's Prince Philip was involved in a traffic accident, near the Sandringham estate in eastern England, on Jan 18.— Reuters
LONDON: Support by the British public for regular mandatory driver re-testing shot up in the days following the Duke of Edinburgh’s recent car crash, new research shows.

Drivers themselves are backing a change in the law, which would force every motorist to retake their test, either at set intervals or in old age, in order to keep their licence.

Two in three motorists now support the idea of compulsory driving re-tests. A majority suggest that they should take place once licence-holders are 70 or over, according to new survey results.

The policy has been growing in favour for some time, with just over half of drivers backing re-tests in the first half of January, but support surged after 97-year-old Prince Philip’s Land Rover Freelander crashed into a Kia and overturned on Jan 17.

The findings emerged in research by the online motor retail specialist, BuyaCar.co.uk, which began canvassing opinion on mandatory re-testing before the incident.

The sudden marked shift in public opinion also revealed a belief that it’s not just elderly drivers who could benefit: three in five respondents thought that every motorist should be tested every 10 years - a higher proportion than before the crash.

However, a majority believed that this should be linked to age, with opinion fairly evenly split on a range of options between the ages of 70 and 90.

Before the royal crash a small majority of 53% said drivers should be re-tested. Since the crash, this increased to 66%.

In both cases, the most common timescale suggested was every 10 years, but a majority of drivers believe that it should be linked to age.


Fancy an armoured SUV? Get the Range Rover Sentinel

LONDON: Put the new Range Rover Sentinel in a cloak-and-dagger setting and it would fit right in. It's the first luxury armoured vehicle to be fully engineered by Land Rover’s Special Vehicle Operations, (SVO) hand built at its Oxford Road facility, providing the highest levels of protection an SUV can offer against a wide variety of attacks.

The Sentinel is based on the standard wheelbase Range Rover Autobiography. It delivers the supreme comfort, command driving position and all-terrain capability of the Range Rover, while providing peace of mind thanks to outstanding occupant protection and, outwardly, looking identical to the standard model.

This mobile fortress is designed to withstand the most damaging and targeted of threats including penetration by 7.62mm high velocity, armour piercing incendiary bullets. This special vehicle delivers lateral protection against up to 15kg Trinitrotoluene (TNT) blasts and defence against DM51 grenade explosions from both beneath the floor and above the roof.

At its core is a specially-developed six-piece armoured passenger cell, made of super-high-strength steel, providing strong protection from attack. The standard glass has been replaced by multi-laminated armour privacy glass of optical quality, providing excellent clarity for the driver and occupants, while also delivering bullet protection.

The Range Rover Sentinel is fully certified to VR8 standard against ballistic threats by QinetiQ, an independent organisation that was formerly part of the British Government’s Defence Establishment Research Agency.

Sentinel retains the plentiful legroom of the standard model that comfortably seats two full-size adults in the rear. A payload of up to 650kg can be carried thanks to revised Dynamic Stability Control and Ride Stability Control systems. The Command Driving Position found in all Range Rover vehicles remains, giving the driver a clear view of the surroundings, particularly useful in the event of an attack.

The suspension has been up-rated to ensure Range Rover’s ride comfort and handling are retained, yet still delivers precise on-road dynamics to allow occupants to escape attack. The Sentinel has undergone the same testing as a standard production vehicle and retains the outstanding off-road capability for which Land Rover is famous.

The Sentinel has an anti-tamper exhaust, a self-sealing fuel tank, auxiliary back-up battery and a split charging system. The 100mm opening in the driver’s window for document delivery ensures the vehicle is secure. The load space features anti-smash protective glass ensuring the cabin remains a safe house.

When it is time to leave in a hurry, run flat inserts in the tyres – fitted to special 20-inch split rim alloy wheels – allow the vehicle to be driven even if the tyres are deflated. This system ensures that however determined the attack, the Range Rover Sentinel can use the considerable performance of its 340PS 3.0-litre V6 supercharged petrol engine in conjunction with a specially-calibrated ZF 8-speed automatic transmission to escape. In addition, 380mm front and 365mm rear ventilated disc brakes, both with high-density pads, ensure impressive stopping power when needed.

If the worst happens and the main doors are blocked by an accident or an attack, occupants can leave the vehicle via the Emergency Escape System behind the rear seats. Despite this special security feature, the basic design is uncompromised and the Range Rover Sentinel is still equipped with the elegant split-level tailgate of the standard production vehicle.

Optional protection features include under floor and under bonnet fire suppression systems, a customer configurable siren system, emergency service lights and an external speaker system to address people outside the vehicle from the safety of the cabin.

The Range Rover Sentinel is unmatched in capability and protection by any third-party conversion. Externally, it is discreet and almost identical in appearance to the vehicle from which it is derived, with few visual clues as to what lies beneath the skin.

A full driver-training programme is also provided to ensure drivers are capable of handling the vehicle to maximum effect in the most challenging circumstances.

Customers can choose from an extensive range of exterior paint colours; and Ebony, Ivory or Dark Cherry interior colour ways with leather headlining an option. A range of bespoke options is available on request.

Standard Range Rover features such as Blind Spot Monitoring, Closing Vehicle Sensing and Surround Camera Security incorporating T-junction view also lend themselves perfectly to the duties this very special Range Rover is designed to perform.

The Range Rover Sentinel is fully EU Homologated, available in Britain, Europe, South America, Africa and the Middle East with VR8 level certification.

Available to order from this month, the Range Rover Sentinel has a guide price from under €400,000 (RM1.9mil) and benefits from a three-year, 80,000-km warranty. Additional global aftersales support includes scheduled visits each year by a specialised technician.


Volvo will steer clear of charging for just any software update

                STOCKHOLM: BMW veered into a public-relations mess this year when it started charging car owners monthly subscription fees to warm their behinds. Volvo Car won’t be making similar moves.

"If you are to charge for software updates, it must be a step change in consumer benefit,” Volvo’s chief operating officer Björn Annwall said in an interview this month.

"We will not ask people who have bought a car for 1 million kronor (US$96,500) to pay another 10 kronor to get extra heat in the seat.”

While BMW will no doubt have other manufacturers follow in its footsteps - Mercedes-Benz recently started asking buyers of its EQ electric vehicles to fork over US$1,200 a year to unlock quicker acceleration, for example - the auto world has started to second-guess just how much money there is to be made from the rise of software within their hardware-intensive business.

In a 91-page deep dive into the topic last month, analysts at UBS pegged the total addressable market at US$700 billion by 2030. That’s no pittance, but pales in comparison to the US$2 trillion opportunity they anticipated previously.

Annwall sees Volvo generating little additional revenue from software until mid-decade. Only if major upgrades become available - a self-driving mode, for example - would Volvo charge extra.

"You don’t have to hold the steering wheel - now that’s a step change in user benefit.”

Annwall was speaking at the opening of Volvo’s new tech hub here, where the manufacturer builds software for selling and marketing cars online.

The company, which last month unveiled a battery-powered sport utility vehicle to succeed its gasoline-era flagship, intends to cease making combustion cars by the end of the decade.

It’s going to be an uphill push: EVs made up just under a fifth of the company’s shipments last month.


Govt offers RM6.2bil to buy Litrak and three other highway concessionaires

                KUALA LUMPUR: The government has made a huge offer to take over Lingkaran Trans Kota Holdings Bhd (Litrak) and other three other toll concessionaires all linked to Gamuda Bhd.

The government, in February this year, has announced its intention to acquire the four highways, as part of its election promise.

Litrak, in filing with Bursa Malaysia today, said the company has received a RM2.47bil take over offer from the government.

The offer values the stock at RM5.20 a share, a huge premium over its last traded price.

In the filing, Litrak also said the government has offered to buy its 50% owned associate company Sistem Penyuraian Trafik KL Barat Holdings Sdn Bhd (Sprint) for RM1.984bil.

The take over offers for Litrak and Sprint will be undertaken by a special purpose company wholly owned by Minister of Finance Inc (MOF Inc).

"The offers to Litrak and Sprint remain valid until 5pm on July 12, after which the offers shall forthwith lapse and cease to have any force or effect unless MOF Inc agrees in writing to extend the period during which the offers shall continue to be valid,' it said.

Meanwhile, MOF Inc is simultaneously making similar offers to acquire all the securities of Kesas Sdn Bhd and Syarikat Mengurus Air Banjir Dan Terowong Sdn Bhd (SMART)

The offers to acquire Litrak, Sprint, Kesas and SMART are interconditional upon each other unless waived by MOF Inc or SPV in writing," it said.

Separately, Gamuda also said that its highway concession companies have also received take over offers from the government.

Gamuda owns a 44% stake in Litrak, a 52% stake in Sprint, a 70% stake in Kesas and a 50% stake in SMART.

The government's offer values Kesas at RM1.377bil, while SMART is worth RM369mil.


Driving WRXs in Manila

Rear spoiler? Check. Turbo? Check. Gold wheels? Check. Boxer engine? Check. All-Wheel-Drive system? Check!Commonly known as the “Rex”, the latest Subaru WRX STI can be thought of as an all-wheel-drive (AWD) jet.We saw two of these “jets” when we travelled to an arid Clark International Speedway in Manila, the Philippines – about two hours away from our hotel in Pasay City – where two of the latest turbocharged WRXs had their regional unveiling: the entry-level WRX and the performance oriented WRX STI.WRXUnder the hood, the entry-level WRX gets a 2.0-litre turbocharged horizontally-opposed, four-cylinder engine (commonly known as a boxer engine) with direct injection, which produces 264bhp at 5,600rpm and 350Nm of torque from 2,400rpm to 5,200rpm.That powerplant is mated to either a six-speed manual transmission or a Sport Lineartronic, which is fundamentally a continuously variable transmission (CVT).Equipped with paddle shifters, the CVT allows the driver to cycle through six steps (like a six-speed gear shift) when in Intelligent or Sport Mode and eight steps when in Sport Sharp mode.The WRX goes from 0 to 100kph in 6.3 seconds and onwards to a top speed of 240kph, but with a six-speed manual transmission (M/T) the WRX is quicker by 0.3 seconds to 100kph and has a lower top speed of 215kph.In terms of fuel consumption, it drinks 8.6L/100km (9.2L/100km with an M/T) and emits 199g/km of CO2, on a combined cycle.Power is transmitted to an All-Wheel-Drive (AWD) system equipped with variable torque distribution, while a centre differential gear coupled with viscous rear limited slip differential is is used with the manual.On the scales, the WRX with the Sport Lineartronic weighs the heaviest with a kerb weight of 1,528kg, while the manual is 1,465kg.WRX STIThe more visceral WRX STI slots itself in the middle, weighing in at 1,509kg.Its 2.5L engine is equipped with a multi-point sequential injection over the entry-level WRX’s direct injection, and produces 296bhp at 6,000rpm and 407Nm of torque at 4,000rpm.The STI is only available with a six-speed manual transmission.It’s hard to differentiate between the new and outgoing model because both wear similarly styled sheet-metal.Thankfully, the all-new WRX STI dons a new front bumper and grille, a rear diffuser, a large rear spoiler and an oval fuel cap.The cabin speaks in a sporty language, with faux carbon fibre predominantly found along with red accents within its dark cabin, yet there is a hint of refinement thanks to the perforated leather clad semi-bucket seats.The exhaust note doesn’t seem as throaty as one might expect, but it does make its presence known once the accelerator is floored.This allows for some exhaust drone to enter the cabin, which is thankfully not overwhelmingly.With the Filipino heat raking at our skin, it was the perfect working environment for the up-rated Brembo brakes.It features a pair of four-piston brake callipers and ventilated discs at the front and dual-piston callipers and ventilated discs for the rear – partially hidden by 18-inch aluminium alloy wheels with 245/40 tyres.When we threw the car around the track, the Brembo brakes worked flawlessly, and allowed us to brake deeper into corners than the outgoing model without much roll and rear-end fuss.The engine felt free and was effortless in putting down its power as the rev-counter ran to redline on the first gear.Though there’s some travel when shifting through the gears with the light clutch, finding each gate required little fuss.Being a left-hand drive, applying heel-and-toe isn’t too easy with the centre tunnel interfering with the heel and making it hard to blip the throttle when down-shifting – keeping it from bucking around the corners.Although our on-track moment helming the all-new WRX STI was brief, it was evident that the understeer that had plagued many of its predecessors seemed to have been nullified, finally.This was attributable to Subaru’s latest AWD system which features a driver’s control centre differential.But according to Subaru vehicle research and experiment department Tetsuo Fujinuki, the key was to provide handling characteristics that would behave as the driver intended.To achieve this, steering response had been upped – better than a Subaru BRZ two-door rear wheel-drive sports car - it seems, along with more rear-tyre grip and a flatter cornering behaviour.Thankfully, a BRZ was also available for us to make a comparison.Both cars do have a rather flat cornering behaviour, but the STI’s cornering abilities were more confidence inspiring, while the BRZ’s required a tad more work.Another stark difference was how unobtrusive the electronic stability controls were, which helps the driver achieve the desired effects rather than simply reining in the power when things get dicey.Since there just wasn’t much interference from the electronic stability controls, meant it could turn a situation with the potential for panic into gobs of fun.With such characteristics, a driver’s senses isn’t put into high alert with a light rear-end or excessive roll thanks to its firmer and revised suspension tuning.That said we weren’t able to note how the STI’s firm suspension would absorb uneven road surfaces, since we were on a relatively smooth racetrack.The WRX STI (with an estimated price of RM270,000) should be highly sought after by connoisseurs while the entry-level WRX may be priced at RM230,000.“We are looking to launch the all-new Subaru WRX and WRX STI in Malaysia by the third quarter of 2014 with the estimated prices,” said Tan Chong International and Motor Image Subaru CEO Glenn Tan during the car’s launch in Manila.


BYD to expand electric vehicle offerings in Europe

                OSLO, Norway: China automaker BYD will introduce the full-electric, second-generation BYD Tang compact SUV to Norway.

Already one of the world’s best-selling models as a plug-in hybrid electric vehicle (PHEV), the BYD Tang EV600 boasts a 520km (373 miles) range based on the NEDC test cycle.

Plans are also underway to bring to Europe later this year a full range of battery electric vehicles (BEV) for the commercial vehicle sector; including a panel van, 7.5-tonne and 19-tonne rigid distribution trucks, and a yard tractor.

BYD is looks to expand its overall European EV portfolio, following success in the public tTransport sector where the current BYD eBus range of products remains the market leader in Europe.

Isbrand Ho, managing director, BYD Europe, said, “The Norwegian market is the natural choice for BYD to start this trial as we look to expand our EV presence in Europe. Norway is the most advanced market in Europe when it comes to the widespread adoption and usage of electric vehicles,” he said, “as well as possessing a comprehensive charging network."

He added, “This is another milestone in our commitment to protect the environment, contributing to the reduction of emissions and cleaner air in Europe.”


Mitsubishi Mobile Service introduced in Sarawak

                PETALING JAYA: Mitsubishi Motors Malaysia (MMM), the official distributor of Mitsubishi vehicles in Malaysia, introduced the Mitsubishi Mobile Service Unit to serve Mitsubishi customers living in rural areas off Kuching, Sarawak.

As part of our After Sales business expansion program, the Mitsubishi mobile service unit is to provide greater convenience and assurance for our customers living in rural areas in Sarawak that are far away from authorized Mitsubishi service centres. The Mitsubishi mobile service unit is capable of servicing up to 10 cars per day and will cover vehicle schedule maintenance, inspection of vehicle wear and tear, and timing belt replacement.” said Tomoyuki Shinnishi, Chief Executive Officer of Mitsubishi Motors Malaysia.

The mobile unit comes equipped with special Mitsubishi Multi Use Tester Diagnostic Scanner, hydraulic jack with stand, air compressor and tool sets. The unit will also carry spare parts such as oil filter and lubricants and its own generator for power supply.

The Mitsubishi mobile service unit will be operated by certified Mitsubishi authorized service dealers EON Auto Mart and Jimisar Autotrade in Kuching, and will be traveling as far as 150km radius away from Kuching to towns such as Sematan, Lundu, Bau, Serian and Simunjan.

This is Mitsubishi Motors Malaysia’s first mobile service truck and customers shall see more of these mobile units in the near future as we are encouraging our authorized Mitsubishi dealers with fleet and rural customer base to embark on this effort to service our customers better,” added Shinnishi.

Customers in Sarawak who are interested in obtaining services by the Mitsubishi mobile service unit truck can schedule an appointment with Mitsubishi authorised dealers:
NoMitsubishi Service CentresPhone NumberTime 1.EON Auto Mart, Kuching082 - 230 6709.00am-5.00pm2. Jimisar Autotrade, Kuching 082 - 457 8109.00am-5.00pm
Alternatively, customers may also contact Mitsubishi’s Motors Customer Careline at 1800 18 8161, 9 am – 5 pm, Mondays to Fridays.


TyrePlus gets a new look and more

                KUALA LUMPUR: TyrePlus, your one-stop tyre shop which offers services such as tyre repair and replacement to oil changes and other car maintenance services, recently announced its rebranding exercise throughout its entire Malaysian network.

“Car owners in Malaysia demand and expect the maximum safety for themselves and their families. As such, we have introduced and are now expanding the TyrePlus network in Malaysia to answer such demands.

“That is what they can expect when they send their cars to TyrePlus. We offer top quality service and products such as Michelin, Bosch, Mobil 1, Total and Tech as well as well highly trained professionels at our workshops,” said Michelin Malaysia’s managing director Pascal Nouvellon.

 Michelin Malaysia managing director Pascal Nouvellon (third from left) and Michelin marketing director Indonesia, Malaysia, Singapore, Putu Swaditya Yudha (third from right) at the rebranding event.

TyrePlus was introduced in Malaysia in 2009 and currently, has a large car maintenance network in Malaysia with over 50 outlets nationwide.

Nouvellon also said that customers appreciate a vehicle service centre that is trustworthy and offers them peace of mind when it comes to maintaining their cars.

“For our customers, their safety is our top priority. Our premises at TyrePlus is now designed and catered to the needs and convenience of our customers and they can expect fast and high service quality as well as reliability,” said Nouvellon.

Customers who visit TyrePlus from May 28 to June 30 stand a chance to receive Michelin cooler bags, TyrePlus branded petrol cards and complementary Tech tyre repair services with the purchase of Michelin tyres. They also can walk away with a anti-slip mat with the purchase of Mobil 1 lubricants.

 Michelin tyres and Mobil lubricants are among the brands found in TyrePlus car service centres.


PPD1 number plate auctioned for RM120,000

The JPJeBid system as seen on a mobile phone.  — Bernama
BUKIT MERTAJAM: The vehicle registration number PPD1 fetched the highest bid at RM120,000 in the online auction conducted by the Road Transport Department (JPJ).

RTD in a statement on Wednesday (Sept 25) said it was conducted over five days from Sept 19 to 23 through its JPJeBid system.

Another registration number, PPD9 also secured a high bid of RM53,888, and the exercise fetched a total of RM1.106mil.

This was the second series of online bidding after the first vehicle number series, PPC, ended with a total collection of RM969,738.

According to the statement, 796 bids were received through the system for the PPD series with 376 successful bidders.


The uphill road: battery limitations to test China's electric vehicle ambitions

                BEIJING/DETROIT: It took one 330km trip from Chongqing to Chengdu in his Nio ES8, a seven-seater all-electric SUV, for its owner Wang Haichun to be consumed with buyer’s remorse.

Despite being billed as capable of going 335km on a single full charge, the ES8 didn’t get anywhere near that when driving on freeways at speeds above 100kph, he said, adding that after 180km, there was only 50km of range left.

“We had to recharge the car once and drove with a high level of anxiety throughout, constantly having to keep an eye on the range meter,” the 44-year-old manager of a property firm said. Towards the end of the trip, he shut off the air conditioner and audio system to preserve power.

“I wouldn’t want to do that kind of trip again – ever.”

So unhappy was Wang, who paid 481,000 yuan (RM297,000) for the vehicle, he sold it. He and his wife have since bought a Lexus NX300h petrol-electric SUV.

Asked to comment on Wang’s experience, Nio Inc said in an e-mailed statement the ES8 can travel more than 200km when constantly driven at a 100kph and that battery swap stations are available for quick recharging. The statement did not address Nio’s advertising of 335km on a single full charge.

In real world conditions, all-electric cars can sometimes fall far short of advertised ranges, car engineers say. That’s particularly so when driving at length on freeways or hilly terrain and in hot or cold weather.

The problem adds to drawbacks which have hindered wider acceptance - EVs have shorter driving ranges than gasoline vehicles anyway, are more expensive and take a long time to recharge.

China, Europe and the US state of California have set ambitious requirements for automakers to dramatically increase EV sales over the next 5-10 years, but those goals are at risk unless EVs can come close to matching gasoline engine cars in cost and ease of use.

Chinese ambitions

In China, the country most aggressively pursuing the adoption of EVs and home to the world’s largest auto market, some of the industry’s biggest names believe pure battery electric cars will be as cheap as gasoline counterparts by 2025.

Those making that prediction include Ouyang Minggao, executive vice president of the EV100 forum, a think tank which is widely seen as the de facto voice of government policy.

“The turning point is coming. We believe that around 2025, the price of pure electric vehicles will achieve a big breakthrough,” he said in a speech in January.

Ouyang cited a reduction in battery costs to US$100 per kilowatt hours from US$150-US$200 currently and a planned tightening of emissions rules in China which will make gasoline vehicles there more expensive.

But others in the EV industry are less optimistic.

“Chinese policymakers think EVs will become more like conventional gasoline cars as early as 2025. But that’s naive and all automaker engineers would agree with me,” said a veteran EV engineer at Honda Motor Co.

“Sure, there’s an EV boom but hybrids and plug-in hybrids will be needed as bridging technologies,” he said.

The engineer was one of five interviewed by Reuters for this article who believe it will take a decade before battery EVs achieve cost and performance parity with gasoline cars.

Most were not authorised to speak to media and declined to identified when describing the shortcomings of EV technology.

But pressure to deliver parity will only grow as China rolls back subsidies while setting quotas for sales of new energy vehicles (NEVs). China wants NEVs - which also include hybrids, plug-in hybrids and hydrogen fuel cell vehicles - to account for a fifth of auto sales by 2025 compared with 5 percent now.

Cutting cobalt

For most automakers, battery cells cost around US$200/kWh, the engineers said, although costs for Tesla Inc are believed to be around US$150/kWh, partly due to its much greater scale of production. Tesla declined to comment.

To cut costs, firms are working on slashing the use of cobalt, the most expensive part in lithium-ion batteries.

Firms such as China’s Contemporary Amperex Technology Co Ltd (CATL), BYD Co Ltd and South Korea’s SK Innovation Co Ltd are developing NMC 811 technology.

It uses 80 percent nickel, 10 percent manganese, 10 percent cobalt, while a conventional lithium-ion battery uses 60 percent nickel, 20 percent manganese and 20 percent cobalt. NMC 811 also delivers more energy density, meaning batteries will cost and weigh less.

Others are developing similar technologies with slightly different ratios. Batteries jointly produced by Tesla and Panasonic Corp substitute manganese with aluminum and use less cobalt than NMC 811.

Less cobalt and more nickel increases the risk that a battery cell will catch fire - a problem still being worked on. Even so, South Korean battery makers say the next generation of batteries due in three years or so will cost much less and offer much greater driving ranges.

But the engineers who spoke with Reuters caution that even if battery unit costs are brought down to US$100/kWh, this would not necessarily translate into a steep decline in vehicle costs.

That’s because the investment to improve battery quality needs to be factored in, while the cars also need sophisticated battery management systems to prevent overheating and overcharging - adding thousands of dollars to their cost.

Toyota Motor Corp, which does not have a pure EV on the market currently, says it is concerned about battery durability. Battery capacity can drop by half over 5-10 years - the reason for low EV resale values, said Shigeki Terashi, executive vice president in charge of Toyota’s EV strategy.

“Falling EV battery capacity is not a major issue in China now because sales there have only recently begun, but in time this problem will likely become more evident,” he said in a interview.

Recharging times

A longer term effort to improve batteries are solid state batteries, where the liquid or gel-form electrolyte in a lithium-ion battery is replaced with a solid. That could help double a battery’s energy density.

“That’s the holy grail,” says consultant Jon Bereisa, a former GM engineering director who spearheaded much of the automaker’s early lithium-ion battery development.

Many in the industry believe the technology is at least a decade away from mass-market commercial use.

“There are a lot of limitations to solid state drive..it will be very difficult to adopt the technology in the automotive applications used by the general public,” said YS Yoon, president of SK Innovation’s battery business.

Advances in recharging are also key to making electric vehicles mainstream. A big obstacle is heat, which increases resistance and in turn reduces the current.

Most EVs can get a partial charge in under half an hour, although several models due out in the next year can get close to a full charge in 20 minutes.

TE Connectivity is working with automakers to cut charging time to as little as 5 minutes and chief technology officer Alan Amici says that goal may be attained in five years.

But others are sceptical. Bereisa thinks battery costs could achieve parity with gasoline cars by the late 2020s but his verdict on fast fuelling parity is “maybe never”.

“It’s physics,” he said, adding that to charge an EV with the same amount of energy in the same amount of time as a gasoline car, you’d need a charger powerful “enough to run a small city”.


Proton Perdana aims high

                For some, it could be a hit or a miss when it comes to the fourth generation Proton Perdana, but one thing’s for certain, it’s both sporty and stately at the same time.

We had the opportunity to get the 2.4-litre (2,354cc) Premium variant of the Perdana at RM138,888 (on-the-road with GST and insurance), all to ourselves.

This D-segment sedan’s sheet metal and its 5,020mm-long silhouette is somewhat differentiated from the eighth generation Honda Accord it was based on, in terms of look and feel. By the way, that “donor” Accord model’s production ran from 2008 to 2013.

At least there’s plenty of design cues to help tell it apart, for instance the power dome on the hood that maybe pays tribute to the hey-days of the Iswara and Wira and that front splitter that gives the front end a far more extended and aggressive look.

The rear end looks very different too, with the bumper section getting busy with a high-angled boot lip, chrome accents flanked by the LED tail lights, some trapezoidal shapes to mix things up and finally a premature-looking diffuser that hides the real exhaust.

The Perdana’s large and cavernous wheel arches truly need a set of 20-inch wheels to really fill them in and the 17’s with 225/50 series Goodyear EfficientGrip tyres just barely cut it.

But, at least those alloy wheels retain some of that necessary aggressive looks.

Popping the hood gets a familiar sight, nothing out of the ordinary, just where the magic happens to produce 178hp at 6,500rpm and 222Nm of torque at 4,300rpm before the driver dictates how much gets sent to the front wheels via the five-speed automatic.

The Perdana may look every bit sporty with the naughty body kit and alloys, but the interior is more of a polar opposite with its more mature beige-black colour selection and polished wood accents.

With wide-opening doors, the interior looks very inviting, but the eight-way powered driver’s seat with lumbar support (four-way for front passenger) was a bit of a let down having looked more comfortable than they really were.

The stiff seats look large with their squared-off backrests and they could benefit from having memory function too - at least for the driver’s side if there are more than one driver in the household, but they’ll do the job when it’s time to ‘touge’ (art of mountain drifting) with good amounts of support and more than enough bolstering.

Passengers seated on the rear bench will find it extremely plush, but if there are thoughts of cramming a fifth person in for a long haul over the weekend, seat rotation may be necessary.

There’s just plenty of leg, shoulder and head-room for four though, at the front and rear.

While the beige helps to visually ‘open’ up the cabin, the black does well to hide the intrusions and there’s plenty of stowage compartments and cupholders - all of which seem to chant the word “Accord.”

Twist the key, shift it into “D” and everything becomes a smooth transition, from the acceleration to the braking, only the steering wheel felt extremely hefty, which was great for providing a more direct feel at highway speeds when manoeuvring in confined spaces.

Shifting into S (sport mode), gets the engine speed rising higher, getting rid of its restrictions and allowing it to run more freely towards the 6,800rpm red-line, especially with the aid of the paddle-shifters for a more engaging drive.

However, with the automatic being only a five speeder, getting the 2.4-litre to downshift quickly can be challenging, needing to wait till it gets to around 3,500rpm to do so, while a six-speeder would have allowed that to happen around the 4,000rpm mark instead.

Furthermore, gear changes aren’t lightning quick, but they do relatively engage with authority.

The Perdana can and will hold the line well when aggressively pushed through corners, with some understeer happening if it gets over its limits.

But, perhaps due to its length, drivers will need to be cautious when being aggressive, especially when braking around tighter bends, which seems to have a tendency on calling out the tail end if the brakes get applied a little too much.

Reducing the velocity down to more docile levels, the suspension actually does provide quite a bit of travel for some comfort.

There was still quite a significant amount of road surface information coming back to the senses for an informative drive and that can quickly lead to a heavier foot.

With the Perdana Premium being just a tickle over five metres long, having a reverse camera is definitely a necessity, but due to the angle of the display, it incurs quite a bit of visual interruption from the mid-day sun.

There’s a small symbol of a key imprinted on the driver’s door handle to indicate keyless entry, but there wasn’t, nor was there a “PUSH-START” button.

The Perdana also does not have a photochromic (auto dimming) rear view mirror.
If only such items were to be included in the mix of offerings, we’re certain that the ownership experience would have been complete.

Sure it’s got some of the bells and whistles, but the package just doesn’t seem complete with certain aspects of the car, such as the unsophisticated rear view mirror, lack of keyless entry, push-start button, stiff front seats and the protrusion of the hood’s power dome when viewed from within the cabin.

All that seems to mar and prevent that sense of luxury from coming full circle at the last moment.

Although the Perdana does come off as one of the most affordable D-segment sedans currently available with savings of almost RM34,000 versus the new 2.4-litre Accord VTi-L’s RM172,800 price tag, it will obviously emerge the big winner just on price point alone.

A bit more equipment would allow the Perdana to close the gap with its current generation competitors.

SPECIFICATIONS - Proton Perdana 2.4L

Engine: 2,354cc, 16-valve DOHC
Max power: 178hp at 6,500rpm
Max torque: 222Nm at 4,300rpm
Transmission: 5-speed automatic with paddle-shifters

Kerb weight: 1,535kg

Features: Four airbags, antilock braking system, electronic brake-force distribution, electronic stability control, automatic HID projector headlights with auto-levelling, LED daytime running lights, front and rear fog lamps, LED rear light cluster, shark-fin antenna,full body-kit with rear boot-lid spoiler, leather seats and interior, automatic dual-zone climate controls, 8-way powered driver's seat with lumbar support, 4-way powered passenger seat, automatic cruise control, six-speaker sound system with sub-woofer, 6.2- inch TFT screen with radio, CD ,DVD, integrated DSP, Bluetooth connectivity, USB port, AUX-jack, navigation and reverse camera, ISOFIX anchor points, 17-inch dual-tone finished wheels with 225/50 series tyres.

Warranty: Five years unlimited mileage.

Price (metallic):RM138,888 (on-the-road with GST and insurance).

Price (solid):RM138,438


Extravagant and cosy: C5X a true Citroën

                BERLIN: The DS appeared almost 70 years ago, the XM 40 years ago and even the C6 is now almost 20 years old.

Recently, Citroën has not had much to say in the upper echelons of modern mobility.

But this French manufacturer isn't giving up and is now making a fresh attempt with the C5X.

And when they bring this crossover from the factory in China to Europe in May as their new flagship, it's no coincidence that a bit of the old cult CX plays a role.

After all, the latest Citroën is a direct descendant of one of the most popular executive cars of the 1970s.

Three cars in one

For prices starting at €35,730 (RM164,000) in Europe, you essentially get three different cars in one. The C5X wants to be as robust and brawny as an SUV, as spacious as an estate and as elegant as a coupé.

The result is idiosyncratic and not necessarily cohesive. But while the top dogs from German manufacturers look as drab as a grey business suit, the Citroën at least catches the eye.

The technical basis for this somewhat exotic company car is the largest platform of the Stellantis group, on which the Peugeot 508 and the DS9 are also built.

Citroën has stretched it to a wheelbase of 2.97 metres and a length of 4.81 metres, thus fulfilling the promise of ample space. Even in the rear, two adults can sit comfortably, and the boot with the flap up to the roof holds 585 litres.

A coupé dressed as an SUV

The French have also implemented the coupé idea consistently. Not only because of the sloping roof line above the - small flaw - four doors. The elegant interior with decorative stitching and smart materials also fits the bill.

Added to this are upmarket equipment and a host of assistants. The cockpit, for example, has a head-up display and a digital screen landscape around the steering wheel.

Treat this like an SUV, and you'll soon be disappointed: Although the C5X has a beefy appearance and offers plenty of ground clearance, it lacks all-wheel drive.

The engine line-up is rather down-to-earth, at least at the lower levels. The entry-level model is powered by a three-cylinder engine with a displacement of 1.2 litres and 96 kW/131 hp, which isn't much to write home about in this class. Above that is a four-cylinder engine with a displacement of 1.6 litres and 131 kW/180 hp.

Unlike in the past, there's no diesel, but a plug-in hybrid that also takes on the role of a sports car. Drive it with both power sources and you have 165 kW/224 hp at your disposal.

With that, you can race from 0 to 100 in 7.9 seconds and hit 233kph at full throttle (not bad, considering Citroën practised more restraint in the past).

And those who care at least a little about the climate can charge the 12.4 kWh battery at home in two hours at best and drive up to 60km at up to 135 kph without the combustion engine.

With power comes tranquillity

When it comes to driving behaviour, the big French car is remarkably calm. German models in particular focus on rigidity and directional stability and shrug off irregularities in the road, but the Citroën calmly irons out any such irritations.

This is made possible by a suspension with hydraulic dampers. In the plug-in, there is also an anticipatory control system.

Finally, the armchair-like seats, which are upholstered with a special kind of foam, make the Citroën a competitor in terms of cosiness.

With the C5X, Citroën makes a virtue out of necessity: Since the German competitors from the Audi A6 to the VW Passat are hard to beat anyway, the French aren't even trying the classic combination of saloon and estate.

Instead, they are reinventing the mid-size class. For those who want to go their own way with a little extra comfort, it's an attractive alternative.

Data sheet: Citroen C5X plug-in hybrid

Engine and drivetrain
Hybrid drive with four-cylinder direct-injection petrol engine and electric motor
Displacement: 1598cc
Petrol engine
Max. power: 130 kW/180 hp at 6000 rpm
Max. torque: 250 Nm at 1750 rpm
Electric motor
Power: 81 kW/110 hp
Max. torque: 320 Nm
System
Max. power: 165 kW/224 PS
Max. torque Torque: 360 Nm
Drive: front-wheel drive
Transmission: eight-speed automatic
Dimensions and weights
Length: 4805 mm
Width: 1865 mm
Height: 1485 mm
Wheelbase: 2785 mm
Unladen weight: 1796 kg
Payload: 463
Boot capacity: 485 litres
Driving data
Top speed: 233 kph
Acceleration 0-100 km/h: 7.9 s
Average consumption: 1.2 l/100 km
CO2 emissions: 29 g/km
Electric range: 60 km
Important standard equipment
Safety: Six airbags, LED headlights, automatic distance control, lane departure warning system
Comfort: automatic air conditioning, digital cockpit, rear view camera, navigation, comfort seats


25 years of the Boxster: Porsche marks anniversary with limited run

                STUTTGART: The Boxster is turning 25. To mark the occasion, Porsche is launching a limited special edition with a six cylinder engine, a retro look and details reminiscent of the 1993 concept.

When the Boxster 25 Years goes on sale in the coming days in its home market from upwards of €94,986 (RM469,000), the design will borrow more than just its colour scheme from a 1993 prototype that preceded the start of series production in 1996.

Details such as the colour-contrasting windscreen frame, the aluminium fuel filler cap and the polished tailpipes have also been adopted by the designers from back then.

While the 718 Boxster and the closed Cayman offshoot are mostly sold as four-cylinder models today, the anniversary model has a six-cylinder behind the seats.

Adopted from the 718 GTS 4.0, it draws 400hp from 4.0 litres of displacement, according to Porsche. That's enough for a sprint from 0 to 100kph in 4.0 seconds and a top speed of 293kph.

The fuel consumption of the Boxster, which can be equipped with either a manual gearbox or a dual clutch, is given by Porsche as 9.6 litres at best (219 g/km CO2).

While the Boxster has sold more than 350,000 units in 25 years, the anniversary model will remain a rarity: Porsche does not intend to build more than 1,250 of them.


All abuzz about Proton X50

The X50 is based on the Geely Bin Yue (above) and is positioned as a rival to the Honda HR-V and the Toyota C-HR.
SHAH ALAM: After the success of the Proton X70, customers are looking forward to the launch of the carmaker’s upcoming compact SUV, now known as the X50.

The X50 is based on the Geely Bin Yue, and rivals include the Honda HR-V and the Toyota C-HR.

Based on the X70’s competitive pricing strategy, making it RM25,000 to nearly RM40,000 cheaper than its Japanese rivals, automotive industry observers expect the X50 variants to be priced in the RM75,000 to RM95,000 range.

The X50 is expected to be launched by the end of this year or early 2020.

 All photos shown in this article refer to the Bin Yue. Equipment list and design of the X50 will vary.

It was launched in China last November, and Geely Auto says it is compact yet spacious, with a cabin that has been optimised for interior space.

The 1.5-litre turbocharged Bin Yue with a 7-speed wet dual-clutch transmission is significantly more powerful than its rivals, with power output of 177ps and 255Nm of torque.
This powertrain was jointly developed by Geely Auto and Volvo Cars.

Like the X70, the X50 is expected to be launched with a raft of premium safety features such as Adaptive Cruise Control, Lane Departure Warning, Autonomous Emergency Braking and Blind Spot Information System.

Meanwhile, Proton is upgrading its dealer and after-sales network with more 3S (sales, service and spare parts) and 4S (sales, service, spare parts, shop for body and paint) centres for better customers' experience.

As of May, there are 79 new and upgraded Proton 3S and 4S outlets in the country.

Proton dealers are also happy with the response to Proton’s new cars this year.

Ammie Lim, the sales manager of Jutania Otomobil Sdn Bhd located in Sea Park, Petaling Jaya, said the dealership already received some enquiries about the X50.

For now, demand for the X70 has been high and the dealership has registered more than 150 units to date.

“Customers are very satisfied with the SUV and are very impressed with the level of technology and features at that price point.

“Our next best seller is the Persona, followed by the Iriz."

In the first five months of 2019, Proton saw remarkable year-on-year sales growth of over 70%.

The biggest sales contributor has been Proton’s first SUV, the X70, which was launched last December with four variants priced from RM99,800 to RM123,800.

The X70 has become the top-selling SUV in the country this year, with Proton delivering 13,572 units in the first five months of 2019.

With its premium features and attractive prices, the X70 has elevated Proton’s image and this has raised public expectations for its upcoming X50.


Nissan Qashqai inspires - an office workstation

                LONDON: Ever suffered a drop in productivity at work? Fallen asleep at your desk? Or missed out on the morning coffee run?

Well that could all be a thing of the past following the creation of an innovative office workstation - inspired by the technologies in the new Nissan Qashqai and a novel approach by Nissan engineers.

The prototype crossover workstation was created following an observation by an engineer at Nissan's European Technical Centre, that the car's technology could boost productivity in the workplace.

The principles of Nissan's Around View Monitor (AVM) and Moving Object Detection (MOD) were installed to help workers stay one step ahead of their colleagues, while the addition of the vehicle's Driver Attention Alert (DAA) helps prevent any loss of concentration and the occasional mid-afternoon lull in productivity.

The workstation also comes complete with the Qashqai's NASA-inspired spinal seat and provides continuous support of the pelvis, lumbar, vertebrae and chest.

"Admittedly, the Qashqai desk is a bit of fun, but it ably demonstrates the crossover potential of our technologies to help make people's lives easier," said David Moss, Vice President at Nissan's European Technical Centre.

"As cars become more connected, this technology is finding uses outside of our vehicles.  Another recent example of this has seen Nissan provide our AVM technology to the Japan Agency for Marine-Earth Science and Technology and Top Industries Ltd., in a project that may help uncover the mysteries of the oceans.

"There aren't currently plans to put the workstation into production, but you never know!"


Suzuki drums up another Swift variant

PETALING JAYA: A fourth variant of the popular Suzuki Swift has arrived.

The limited edition RR2 is priced at RM69,888 and has the same specifications as the refreshed Swift GL but also gets a 16-inch alloy wheel, sporty front and side decal and body kit with wheel arch extension to distinguish it from all the other GA, GL and GLX variants. It is available only in the Bayside Blue and Supreme Red.

As it's a limited edition, only 168 units of the RR2 are available.

All four versions run on a 1.4 litre petrol engine with a maximum output of 95PS (70kW)/6,000rpm and offer a 5.2m minimum turning radius, making it an ideal city compact. The Swift has a 42-litre fuel tank, 211 litres luggage capacity, two airbags, Brake Assist Function and Anti-Lock Braking System with Electronic Braking Distribution System.

Fact Sheet - New SUZUKI Swift (with RR2)


New VW Golf and GTI on tour at 1 Utama shopping centre, PJ

                KUALA LUMPUR: Volkswagen Passenger Cars Malaysia (VPCM) is kicking off Volkswagen Tour 2022 by organising its first roadshow at 1 Utama Shopping Centre in Petaling Jaya from Feb 23-27.

The event will run from 10am till 10pm daily at the mall's centre court, ground floor, old wing.

A highlight of the tour would be the new Golf R-Line and GTI, which were launched in Malaysia only last week.

Locally assembled at Pekan, they are Volkswagen’s most modern Golf generations yet with improved performance, enhanced digitalisation, and more intuitive controls.

Other crowd favourites on display are the flagship Arteon R-Line 4MOTION; as well the world’s best-selling mid-sized sedan, Passat R-
Line and Passat Elegance.

Test drive is available for selected models in Volkswagen Malaysia’s line-up including the Tiguan Allspace Highline.

To ensure the health and safety of everyone, the roadshow will be organised in compliance with government standard operating
procedures (SOPs) and #SafeHands measures.

Visit the Facebook event page for more information.


Ex-Volkswagen boss Diess to join chipmaker Infineon

                BERLIN: Former Volkswagen boss Herbert Diess is set to become chairman of the supervisory board at German semiconductor manufacturer Infineon, the company said.

Diess "is expected to assume the role" subject to a vote at an annual general meeting in February, taking over from Wolfgang Eder, Infineon said in a statement on Friday.

Eder, in post since 2019, said Diess was "the ideal candidate to become my successor", touting his "excellent knowledge of the company and of the industry landscape".

Infineon in November unveiled plans for a five-billion-euro ($5.2 billion) new factory in the eastern German city of Dresden, as Europe races to reduce its reliance on semiconductors made in Asia.

A global shortage of semiconductors, spurred by a pandemic-era boost in demand for consumer electronics, has snarled international supply chains and forced manufacturers to trim production in a range of industries.

German carmakers have been among those hit hard, as semiconductors are a crucial component in both conventional and electric vehicles.

Diess stood down as CEO of Volkswagen in September, handing the wheel to former Porsche CEO Oliver Blume after four turbulent years in charge.

Under Diess, VW became the first legacy carmaker to try to follow US upstart Tesla by seeking to develop a centralised electronic architecture for its vehicles.

But the drive proved controversial, with critics charging that Diess had moved too fast, while underestimating how complicated it was to shift in-house an operation that was not among the carmaker's core expertises.


Sweden goes Vision Zero

                When Sweden introduced the concept of Vision Zero in 1995, it turned the traditional view of road safety work upside down. From a focus on the prevention of accidents, the present direction is that no-one should die or be seriously injured in traffic.

The basic starting point for Vision Zero is the ethical standpoint that no-one should be killed or suffer lifelong injury in road traffic. This means that the view of safety in the road transport system concurs with those values that apply for safety in society as a whole. In working life, and within the rail, shipping and air transport sectors, it goes without saying that no deaths should occur as a consequence of accidents.

According to Vision Zero, the main problem is not that accidents occur – it is instead whether the accidents lead to death or lifelong injury. Vision Zero stresses the fact that the road transport system is an entity, in which different components such as roads, vehicles and road users must be made to interact with each other so that safety can be guaranteed. In order to prevent serious results from accidents, it is essential for the roads, and the vehicles they carry, to be adapted to match the capabilities of the people that use them.

The Vision Zero ideas and methods have since spread to other parts of the world such as New York City, which adopted the practices in 2014.

Key innovations based on Vision Zero

Median barriers and cameras are innovations that have increased the level of safety on Swedish roads. Older solutions such as roundabouts and alcolocks have been developed and have acquired greater importance since Vision Zero was established.

Vision Zero emphasizes the fact that all the different components of the road transport system belong together and influence each other. If an accident leads to serious personal injuries, it is because the various components of the road transport system do not work together.

Human-beings are the fundamental component

The three basic components of the road transport system are the road, the vehicle and the human-being. Human beings are the fundamental component in the system, which must be sized and designed with due consideration to the tolerance of the human body against external forces and the fact that humans sometimes make mistakes.

The system approach that was adopted by Vision Zero involved a new way of thinking, which has in turn led to a change in the focus of road safety work. In those innovations that are developed in the spirit of Vision Zero, there is collaboration between the design of vehicles and road environments, and they are made with the basic starting-point of our limitations as human-beings.

Both new and old

Different solutions have been developed in order to preserve the level of safety within the system. It is a question of both pure innovations and old solutions, which are used in a new way.

Solutions that help drivers maintain the right speed are traffic cameras and Intelligent Speed Adaptation (ISA),  a technology that notifies a driver about the maximum permitted speed. The driver could choose to receive a warning signal if this limit is exceeded.

Alcolocks prevent people who are under the influence of alcohol from starting their vehicles. Centrally-separated 2+1-lane roads make the roads collision-free, which means that head-on collisions are avoided and that speeds can be increased. Roundabouts at road intersections give rise to a natural reduction in speed and the risk of head-on collisions is avoided.

Source: Swedish Transport Administration


China's NEV sales to account for 20% of new car sales by 2025, 50% by 2035

A Tesla Model S being charged in Beijing. — Reuters
SHANGHAI: Sales of new energy vehicles (NEV) in China, the world’s biggest auto market, will jump to 20% of overall new car sales by 2025 from just 5% now, and to 50% by 2035, the China Society of Automotive Engineers (China-SAE) said today.

The association also predicts 95% of NEV sales in 2035 will be battery electric vehicles, while hybrid vehicles will make up the rest, China-SAE president Li Jun, told its annual conference here.

Li’s presentation slide showed that China-SAE had slightly lowered its outlook for NEVs for 2025 to 20%, from a 25% goal mentioned in a policy proposal published by China’s Ministry of Industry and Information Technology last year.

The influential industry body, whose members include senior auto executives and academics, is involved in setting the country’s mid- to long-term electric vehicle policies. The technology roadmap is not government policy, but is a key reference for policy makers, companies and investors.

Li also said carbon dioxide emissions from China’s auto industry were expected to peak around 2028, and drop to 20% of peak levels by 2035.

Chinese president Xi Jinping in September announced plans to boost the country’s Paris climate accord target, saying that it would achieve a peak in carbon dioxide emissions before 2030 and carbon neutrality before 2060.

NEVs include battery electric, plug-in hybrid and hydrogen fuel-cell vehicles. The industry expects China to sell around 1.1 million NEVs this year.

Li expected China to have around 1 million hydrogen fuel-cell vehicles between 2030 and 2035.


Nissan to double global job cuts to over 10,000, says source

                TOKYO: Nissan Motor Co Ltd plans to expand job cuts to over 10,000 to help turn around its business, a person with direct knowledge of the matter said on Wednesday, as profit continues to plunge while the automaker grapples with management upheaval.

The global plan includes the 4,800 job cuts announced in May and will mostly be at factories overseas with low utilization rates, the person said. It will be announced along with financial results on Thursday, said the person, who declined to be identified as the information was still private.

Nissan declined to comment on the job cuts. Its shares ended the day up nearly 1.0%.

Analysts expect Nissan to post one of its weakest quarterly performances since the 2008 global financial crisis when it announces its first-quarter earnings on Thursday.

On Wednesday, the Nikkei business daily reported the automaker would report operating profit of “several billion yen” for the quarter, around a 90% drop from 109.1 billion yen a year earlier. Analysts estimate a decline of 64%.

The job cuts, exceeding 7% of Nissan’s 138,000-strong workforce, come as Nissan struggles to improve dismal profit margins in the United States, a key market where former chairman Carlos Ghosn for years pushed to aggressively grow market share during his time as chief executive.

Years of heavy discounting to grow sales in the world’s second-biggest auto market have left Nissan with falling demand for the Altima sedan and other models, a cheapened brand image and low resale values, while the costs to offer high discounts have hit its bottom line.

The latest job cuts also highlight the extent of problems facing Chief Executive Hiroto Saikawa, who is also grappling with fractured relations with French alliance partner Renault SA following the arrest of their shared former chairman.

Ghosn has been charged with financial misconduct and denies wrongdoing.

Saikawa kept his job in a vote at an annual shareholders meeting last month, though he had to fight off a rare rebuke by top proxy advisory firms who urged shareholders not to reappoint him considering he was groomed for leadership by Ghosn.

In May, Nissan forecast a 28% plunge in annual operating profit, adding to a 45% fall in the previous year, putting the automaker on course for its weakest earnings in 11 years.

While addressing faltering performance, Saikawa also has to repair trust with Renault, which has deteriorated in past months as the French automaker sought more control within Nissan.

Renault owns 43% of the Japanese automaker, which in turn holds a 15%, non-voting stake in its partner. Saikawa, who has sought more equal footing with Renault, last month said Nissan would postpone discussions on the alliance’s future to prioritize performance.

The extended job cuts were first reported by Kyodo late on Tuesday.


BMW Digital Key Plus: Open car with iPhone still in bag or pocket

                MUNICH: BMW is pressing ahead with the development and popularisation of its BMW Digital Key feature, which is available to iPhone users today.

It has refined the technology further and is now introducing the BMW Digital Key Plus, said to be a convenient and secure way to unlock and start your car without taking your iPhone out of your bag or pocket.

This latest incarnation of the service is based on Ultra-Wideband (UWB) technology, the technology found on the U1 chip of iPhone. The BMW Digital Key Plus feature would be available first in the all-electric iX for iPhone.

Ultra-Wideband technology is a short-range, high-bandwidth digital radio technology that is known to have precise localisation with the greatest possible security. UWB’s precision also ensures that relay attacks, where the radio signal is jammed or intercepted, are not possible.

Apple and BMW have been working closely with the Car Connectivity Consortium to establish the Digital Key specification 3.0 for UWB, providing a global standard for the automotive industry.

BMW is one of the pioneers in the use of a smartphone as a digital vehicle key since 2018.


KL eDrive traffic app to get more features

                KUALA LUMPUR: The eDrive app has received positive reviews since it was introduced and is a useful tool for Kuala Lumpur city folk, said the Kuala Lumpur City Hall (DBKL).

Road users who have benefitted from it are now asking the local authority to add more features to the app.

DBKL project management executive director Datuk Mahadi Che Ngah said the RM2.9mil app that was linked to the Integrated Transportation Information System (Itis) now had 3,365 users since it was made available on Google Play Store and Apple App Store for download.

Users use the app mainly to check on traffic situations and plan their journey accordingly.

“We received positive response so far. We will do an official launch once the system is stable,” he said.

He also said they were targeting between 200,000 and 300,000 users based on its current capability.

The app, he said, was important as traffic information was directly linked to the smartphone.

“It is supervised by us to provide the latest official traffic information in Kuala Lumpur,” he told StarMetro.

He said the contract for the app developer, Janasys Sdn Bhd, was awarded through open tender and it was not merely for developing the app.

“The contract to start developing the app was from Feb 2 last year to Jan 14 this year.

“The defect and liability period is for a year between Jan 15 this year and Jan 14 next year while the maintenance period is from Jan 15 next year to Jan 14, 2019,” he said.

Mahadi also said that the overall cost included improving the app, but it depended on what kind of improvements were to be done.

“If it is beyond the scope of the contract, then we would have to pay additional fee,” he said, defending the app which had earlier received public criticism, especially on its cost.

He said the app developers also had to coordinate work between two other contractors, including Vads Lyfe to ensure the app ran well.

He added that the RM2.9mil included the app developer training Itis staff to use the software tool.

At the end of the current contract with the app developer in 2019, he said they would have an open tender again for a maintenance contract.

One of the features in the app is the Parking Guidance Information System for 14 malls, including Suria KLCC, Pavilion Kuala Lumpur, Low Yat Plaza and Maju Junction.

 The Transport Management Centre in Bukit Jalil, Kuala Lumpur, is where the Itis system operates from.

On proposals from the public to add more features for the app, Mahadi said they would study the requests to see if the features could fit with the current system.

He also said they received feedback from users to include information such as dengue hotspots, Air Pollutant Index and major events in Kuala Lumpur.

“We also received feedback to link up CCTVs in Putrajaya to the app to expand its area of coverage,” he said.

Mahadi said currently the app provided a 5km radius of Variable Message Sign (VMS) and CCTV view of 40 locations.

“However, the app was developed to be able to also take in feeds from another 1,000 moveable CCTVs available via Itis and we may include that later,” he said.

Recently, Segambut MP Lim Lip Eng slammed DBKL over the development of the eDrive app as it was a non-navigational tool.

He pointed out that there were already traffic and navigation apps available such as Waze and Google Maps, hence the app was redundant and a waste of taxpayers’ money.


Touch ‘n Go’s ewallet, RFID, PayDirect services restored

                PETALING JAYA: Touch ‘n Go says the eWallet and its services are up and running following an outage earlier today.

It apologised for the downtime but did not explain what caused it.

The eWallet service had been facing disruption for a couple of hours, preventing users from accessing it as well as the RFID menu, and PayDirect feature.

Those trying to access these features would instead be greeted by a “connection timed out” warning or other error messages.

Those using highways with tolls had been asked to use their TnG cards instead.

This has prompted users to post angry comments on social media, as they were not able to use PayDirect or RFID at toll gates.


Discounted traffic summonses can be paid at Maybank ATMs

                KUALA LUMPUR: Members of the public can pay their traffic summonses with discounts of up to 80% at Maybank ATM machines until Dec 31.

This is on top of other options including paying up at any district or state police contingent nationwide, post offices, or through the MyBayar Saman portal.

Kuala Lumpur Traffic Investigation and Enforcement Department chief Asst Comm Sarifudin Mohd Salleh said, however, that payment for the summonses could not be made through Maybank online banking services.

"People can pay their summonses through Maybank ATMs," he said today.

He said there were no congested lines of people queuing up at state and district police headquarters in the city on Monday.

"Based on our observation, there was no congestion for those who wish to pay their summonses as there are fewer people queuing up at traffic counters in the city," he said.

Inspector-General of Police Tan Sri Acryl Sani Abdullah Sani announced on Sunday that the discounts on traffic summonses had been extended until Dec 31.

"We have decided to extend the discount offer period until Dec 31.

"Our rationale for extending the discount period is to avoid crowding and last-minute rushes at these traffic counters," he said.


Amazon reportedly in talks to buy stake in mapping company HERE

                FRANKFURT: Amazon is in talks with a consortium of German carmakers about taking a stake in high-definition digital mapping company HERE, two auto industry sources familiar with the matter said on Thursday.

Last August, BMW, Audi and Mercedes  agreed to pay 2.5 billion euros (US$2.8 billion) to buy Nokia's mapping business as part of plans to develop self-driving cars.

Since then, the consortium has started negotiations with potential new partners mainly from the automotive industry. Now, online retailer Amazon has emerged as a possible shareholder.
"Amazon would take a stake as part of a broader deal to lock them in as a provider of cloud computing services," one source familiar with the talks said.

The consortium needs the capacity of cloud computing to ensure that maps can cope with live updates on traffic and road conditions using data collected from sensors on thousands of Mercedes, BMW and Audi cars.

It has been in talks with cloud computing providers, including Amazon, one of the sources said.

Taking a stake in HERE could make sense strategically for Amazon, which is rolling out new one- and two-hour delivery services in major cities in the United States and Europe and needs accurate, real-time maps to compete with rivals for the best logistics.

Intelligent mapping systems like HERE's are the basis on which self-driving cars, linked to wireless networks, can perform functions such as recalculating a route to the nearest electric charging station or around a traffic jam or ice patch.

For the consortium, having more partners will spread the cost and could improve the volume of data about traffic information being fed to the map from vehicles on the road.

Audi, the premium brand owned by Volkswagen, Daimler, the parent company of Mercedes-Benz, and BMW declined to comment on whether they were in talks with Amazon.

Amazon in Germany and the United States did not respond to requests to comment.

BMW said: "The new owners Audi, Daimler and BMW have said from the start that they are open for new partners to join. We have noticed that there is lots of interest not only from potential partners from within the automotive industry, but also from other sectors." Renault and automotive supplier Continental  have both expressed interest.

Continental said on Thursday a decision on whether to buy a stake in HERE would be made within the next few months.

Ford is also among the companies interested in taking a stake in the HERE consortium, a third auto industry source said on Thursday.

Asked whether Ford was in talks with the group about taking a stake in HERE, a spokesman for the company said, "We have been and will continue working with many companies and discussing a variety of subjects related to our Ford Smart Mobility plan. We keep these discussions private for obvious competitive reasons and we don't comment on speculation."

Self-driving and connected car services could become a US$50 billion market, analysts at Exane BNP Paribas have estimated.

Germany's carmakers decided to club together to bid for HERE to accelerate plans for self-driving cars after Internet rival Alphabet unveiled a prototype autonomous vehicle.


2017 Tokyo Motor Show: Work out while driving with ExerRide Seat

                TOKYO: Want to lose weight while driving? At the 2017 Tokyo Motor Show, TS Tech Co Ltd is showcasing its ExerRide Seat, which it claims can help motorists exercise while driving.

A device in the seat cushion is said to manipulate your pelvis, and condition your core by stimulating inner muscles (transverse abdominal muscles in particular) in the body.

There are two operating modes, based on the vehicle's speed. When the car is stationary, at traffic lights or during idling stops, the ExerRide Seat uses "Twist" mode which is more intense. When the car is driven at a constant speed, such as on a highway, the ExerRide Seat uses "Swing" mode which is less intense. The ExerRide Seat is said to be able to help a 65kg male adult burn 100 calories in 30 minutes of driving.

The ExerRide Seat is based on an idea by Za Lab, consisting of teams of young employees at TS Tech which has been making motorcycle and automobile seats for over 50 years.

Notable activities by Za Lab teams include the presentation of various research topics at Za Forum, a public event held biennially by TS Tech since 2012.


KLIMS’18: Final day for lucky draw to win cars

                KUALA LUMPUR: Today is the final day of the Kuala Lumpur International Motorshow 2018 (KLIMS’18), which offers visitors a chance to win either a Toyota C-HR, a Honda City or a Perodua Myvi through a lucky draw.

Every entrance ticket is entitled for the lucky draw at the motor show, which is held at the Malaysia International Trade and Exhibition Centre (MITEC).

The winning tickets will be drawn tonight, after the show closes, by Malaysian Automotive Association (MAA) president Datuk Aishah Ahmad.

MAA is the organiser of the motor show, which features over 74 marques of vehicle brands and automotive products spanning over six exhibitions halls covering two levels at MITEC.

Participating automotive brands include CAM, Citroen, Daihatsu, DS, Ford, Kawasaki, Benelli, Honda, Hyundai, Isuzu, Kia, Lexus, Petronas Motorsports, Mitsubishi, Nissan, Perodua, Peugeot, Proton, Tata, Toyota and UD Trucks.

There are plenty of giveaways at KLIMS’18. At the Toyota booth, a mystery man contest is running every day. If you can identify him by asking him “Are you all about the drive” you can walk away with RM1,000 cash or more.

Mitsubishi is rewarding visitors with the most creative shot with the new Triton with a GoPro Hero 7 Black prize going to the best photographer.

At Hyundai, if you like and follow their social media accounts and answer some simple questions, you will be able to win an Ogawa massage chair.

A Huawei Nova 3 phone is up for grabs at the Osram booth for visitors who snap a creative picture with their brand ambassador.

At Nissan, visitors can register and redeem a coffee/ chocolate art printed with the Nissan Leaf.

Visitors should also take the opportunity to visit the Innovation Centre display zone on level 2 where local university students are showcasing the vehicles developed by them such as the armoured vehicle from Universiti Pertahanan Nasional Malaysia; a retro motorcycle prototype from Universiti Malaysia Perlis; a level 2 autonomous car by Universiti Teknologi Mara and a single-seat race car by Universiti Putra Malaysia (UPM).

 From left: Mechanical engineering students Umaitul Afiqah, Siti Khairiah and Nur Fitriana from Universiti Putra Malaysia (UPM) who designed and built a single seater race car, with their display at KLIMS'18.

The latter was developed by 13 students from UPM’s department of Mechanical and Manufacturing Engineering to compete at Formula SAE (previously known as the Society of Automotive Engineers) Japan.

This student design competition requires the participants not only to design and build the car according to the strict homologation rules but also find sponsors to fund the project, give presentations, cover the safety aspects and come up with a business model among others.

In other words, it is exactly like how one would manage a professional motorsport team such as F1 or Formula 3.

Leading the UPM team was 21-year-old Umairatul Afiqah, a petite female student who spearheaded the project.

“I joined this project because it offered me the chance to do more practical work rather than just attending lectures in the class. I also had to handle the responsibilities as team leader. It took us four months to develop the car from scratch,” she said.

Interestingly, Umairatul had no interest in racing before getting involved in the project but has now developed a taste for speed.

“I was involved in almost every aspect of building the race car including test driving it and I do like the thrill of it.”

The most difficult thing she and her team had to face was getting the funds for the project to take-off.

“This project was largely funded from UPM and a handful of companies. Most corporate companies we approached don’t see any benefit to funding a student designed race car which is a shame because motor sports teams require such funding and participation.”

KLIMS’18 opening hours are from 10am to 10pm on weekends.

Entrance fees are RM25 on weekends.

For children aged three to 12 years old, entrance tickets are RM5.

There is also a family package where parents and up to five children aged 12 years old and below are charged RM50 (weekends).

Those with special needs (with handicapped card/physically handicapped) get free entry together with one accompanying person.

Star Media Group is the official media partner of KLIMS’18.


Peak car is just 14 years away after over a century of growth

                LONDON: Bloomberg's research arm BNEF tends to focus on decarboniSation, including how drivetrains are changing.

But another vital aspect to road transport emissions is just how many vehicles are on the road. It argued that the vehicle fleet will continue to grow for at least another decade.

Its latest report lays out a scenario for passenger road transport for the coming decades in which the global passenger vehicle fleet grows from 1.2 billion to a record of just over 1.5 billion in 2039.

BNEF expects worldwide annual sales to peak in 2036, ending more than a century of growth.

Changes in the prime driving-age population is a powerful factor in the outlook.

According to United Nations numbers, Europe’s working-age population will drop 11% by 2040, while Japan and South Korea’s will shrink more than 20%.

China — the world’s largest auto market — will see its working-age population contract 14%.

Over the same period, the share of the global population that is 69 years or older rises to 10% from 4%.

Urbanisation is another major driver in the outlook.

Urbanisation in India and other low-middle income markets like Brazil, Russia, Mexico, South Africa and Turkey mean that most urban dwellers, particularly those living in highly congested megacities, will find owning a passenger vehicle more costly or less convenient than owning a two-wheeler, using shared mobility services or taking public transit.

This results in passenger vehicle sales in India, for example, approaching 8 million units by 2040, but never exceeding that number due to increased congestion in cities and higher sales of two-wheelers, which already account for most vehicles sold each year in the country.

The number of vehicles on the road also depends on who or what is behind the wheel.

Per car, shared and self-driving vehicles travel more kilometres on average than private vehicles.

BNEF said shared and autonomous vehicles are a growing portion of the vehicle fleet, but are still heavily outnumbered by private vehicles.

This trend has a significant effect on the drivetrain mix, as shared and self-driving vehicles are far more likely to be electric.

As of the end of last year, the private vehicle fleet comprised just over 1% EVs, far lower than compared with 6% of shared vehicles (e.g., ride-hailing, taxis and fleet-based car-sharing) and autonomous vehicles. However, private vehicles do make up 98.7% of the global passenger vehicle fleet and have 15 times the absolute number of EVs as shared and autonomous vehicles.

Policy measures will affect the rate with which shared vehicles electrify.

Either with an eye on upcoming regulation or through a growing sense of what their customers want, all major ride-hailing companies now have programs in place to encourage drivers to buy EVs.

The majority have set specific targets for the full adoption of EVs on their platforms.

While these companies don’t typically own the vehicles used on their platforms, they are testing the levers they can pull to encourage EV adoption.

Long-term outlooks such as this report deal with many factors which, when altered even slightly, can have a significant effect on the results.

BNEF said it would track the near-term developments around vehicle sales, shared-vehicle business models and self-driving technology, as they will affect the ability of the transport industry to decarbonise.


BP urges EPA to work with car makers to improve fuel efficiency

                WASHINGTON: BP PLC has urged the head of the US Environmental Protection Agency to keep working with automakers to improve vehicle fuel efficiency as the Trump administration considers freezing the requirements at 2020 levels, according to a copy of a letter seen by Reuters.

BP, which has made investments in making cleaner fuels, told EPA Administrator Andrew Wheeler that it appreciates the need to balance efficiency with vehicle safety and affordability, the June 13 letter said.

BP said it wanted to find a path that “effectively balances these issues and continues the impressive trajectory of efficiency improvements” already seen in engines.


Elephants cause panic among highway users in Gerik

IPOH: The presence of three elephants at the East-West Highway near the Puncak Banjaran Titiwangsa rest and service area in Gerik caused panic among road users who were passing by the area last night.

In the 7pm incident, one of the animals was said to have approached and leaned against the rear of a Perodua Axia, which was heading from Kelantan to Perak, after another vehicle sounded the horn.

Perak Wildlife and National Parks Department (Perhilitan) director Yusoff Shariff, when contacted by Bernama, confirmed the incident.

He said that the department had sent representatives to guard and monitor the location at about 9.30 pm.

“However, based on our investigation, the car was damaged after it skidded to the road shoulder while avoiding the animals which were crossing the road,” he said.

Yusoff said that further investigation was ongoing to find out whether the claim that the animal had stepped on the vehicle was true.

He added that the two elephants and a calf have been released into their habitat in the nearby forest and asked the road users to be vigilant when passing the area.

Perhilitan had previously reminded the public not to sound the horn if they came across animals while driving because it can create panic and cause them to be aggressive.

File pic of female elephant and her calf spotted along the Gerik-Jeli East-West Highway.


Former civil servant wins Proton Search Contest 2016

                SUBANG JAYA: The search for the longest-owned Proton Saga came to a close as former civil servant Mohd Isa Ibrahim Shah was announced as the grand prize winner of the Proton Search Contest 2016 which earned him an all-new Proton Saga.

85-year-old Isa, who formerly worked for RISDA, won the hearts of the judges as he recounted the story of how his 1985 1.3litre Proton Saga was and is still being used today for his charitable works with indigenous peoples.

Besides winning a new Saga, Isa’s original and beloved Saga will be refurbished by Proton.

10 other Saga owners received the consolation prize of RM1,000 as well as refurbishment of their cars worth RM5,000.

 The winners of the Proton Search 2016 Contest.

The consolation prize winners are Abdul Razak Ahmad, Azizah Junid, Ishrat Banu Hassan, Mohd Jamil Chew Abdullah, Mustapa Kassim, Wong Sok Kim @ Wong Sok Kum (owners of car made in 1985), Govindarajoo s/o Periasamy, Mohd Tajuddin Idris, Samian Sawiyo and Thangaras s/o Doraisamy (owners of car made in 1986).

The nationwide Proton Search Contest 2016 was held in conjunction with the launch of the new Proton and was held from Mar 8, 2016 to June 8, 2016. It received a total of 886 entries.

The contest was organised in search of the longest owned Proton car which is still running today and in relatively good condition. The contestants were also requied to share warm memories of the car either through written stories or a short video.


Maserati to unveil first model with electric powertrain in April

                MODENA: It has been reported that Maserati will use the Beijing Motor Show in April to debut the brand's first hybrid model, a Ghibli hybrid sedan.

Though it has been known since last fall that this sedan would be the first vehicle in Maserati's portfolio to go electric, the company did not disclose when in 2020 the wraps would be taken off.

On Monday after speaking with "a source familiar with Maserati's plans," Automotive News Europe disclosed the date and place.

The only detail the company confirmed about the EV is that it will be "the first hybrid electric propulsion for the brand." It's predicted to have a plug-in hybrid powertrain.

Maserati also indicated that the GranTurismo and GranCabrio will "herald the full electrification era" as they represent the brand and its roots.

The Beijing Motor Show is open to the public from April 25 to April 30, but the hybrid Ghibli is expected to be announced during the preliminary press days on April 21.


China's BYD takes aim at Tesla in battery factory race

                LOS ANGELES: Chinese automaker BYD Co Ltd (002594.SZ), backed by Warren Buffett's Berkshire Hathaway Inc, aims to triple its production of batteries as it takes on Tesla Motors in the race to supply electric vehicles and boost energy storage.

Shenzhen-based BYD plans to add 6 gigawatt hours of global production for batteries in each of the next three years, and hopes to keep adding at that pace afterwards if demand is solid, Matthew Jurjevich, a spokesman for the company, said.

That means BYD could ramp up from 10 GWh capacity at the end of this year to about 34 GWh of batteries by the beginning of 2020. This would put it about even with Tesla's planned US$5 billion Nevada gigafactory.

The companies are fast emerging as two of the key players in the nascent electricity storage sector.

Storage technology is considered critical to integrating large amounts of renewable energy because it can absorb excess power from wind farms or solar panels and keep that for use when conditions don't allow for power generation.

"We have demonstrated that BYD is capable of adding 6 GWh every year with strong market demand," Jurjevich, who works for BYD's US unit, said in an interview.

The sector has attracted Tesla, BYD and a range of startups as well as stalwart battery manufacturers and is expected to grow to US$1.5 billion by 2019 from US$128 million in 2014 in the United States alone, according to GTM Research.

BYD, which declined to provide investment budgets, ended last year with 4 GWh of capacity and will be at 10 GWh later this year. The U.S. energy storage market is expected to triple this year to 220 MW, according to GTM.

Most of BYD's production is in China, but the company is opening a major new factory in Brazil this year that will contribute meaningfully to output next year, Jurjevich said.

BYD, which started out making mobile phone batteries, will also scale up manufacturing in the United States as demand for its batteries increases, he added.

According to data published last year by Lux Research, BYD is the sixth-biggest manufacturer of batteries for hybrid and plug-in vehicles. Panasonic Corporation, which makes cells and batteries for Tesla, is the biggest.

Tesla, founded by entrepreneur Elon Musk, has said it will launch its own production of battery cells in Nevada in 2016 and reach 35 GWh of capacity by 2020.

Tesla does not currently produce battery cells, according to a company spokesman.

BYD opened two plants in southern California in 2013 to produce both electric buses for public transportation and batteries.

The company shocked many in 2003 when it launched its automotive business and has since become one of China's most successful automakers. Outside of China, however, it has focused on selling buses rather than cars.

BYD plans to deploy 70 megawatt hours of projects in that market in the United States this year, and has another 130 MWh of projects in its US pipeline.

It has already deployed 40 MWh of projects in North America with customers including Chevron Corp and Duke Energy Corp (DUK.N).


Use e-scooters only on pavements, Penang Island City Council warns riders

                GEORGE TOWN: The public can use e-scooters on public pavements but are barred from using roads.

In ensuring that the roads are safe for all vehicles and road users, an integrated operation was conducted by Penang Island City Council (MBPP) and the police last night.

MBPP said, in a Facebook post today that the operation was conducted at the Unesco World Heritage site here to monitor e-scooter usage among members of the public.

"Currently, the usage of e-scooters is prohibited on roads and it is an offence under Section 54 of the Road Transport Act 1987.

"Normally, e-scooters are only allowed to be used on pavements or in an area separate from the main roads," the statement read.

The statement added that no licence has been given to any e-scooter operator in the state and the monitoring of the e-scooters was conducted for the sake of public safety.

MBPP enforcement director Azman Sirun said that in the operation that was conducted from 10pm to 3am, a total of 128 e-scooters riders were advised to stay off the road.

"Among the locations that we focused on during the operation were at Lebuh Cannon, Lebuh Pantai, Lebuh Armenian and around the city centre," he said.

He said besides advising the users, business operators offering e-scooter rental services were also told to remind their customers to follow the rules of the land.

"Riding e-scooters on main roads is dangerous and riders could cause accidents," said Penang police traffic and public order chief Supt Zafri Zolkapli, adding that no summonses were issued during the operation.

It was reported that a by-law will be drawn up that will specifically deal with micro-mobility vehicles, including for users and suppliers to be licenced.


US safety regulator reviews Tesla driver complaints over false braking

                SAN FRANCISCO: The US safety regulator said on Wednesday that it is reviewing consumer complaints that Tesla vehicles are activating the brakes unnecessarily, in the latest regulatory scrutiny of Tesla's vehicle safety.

In May, Tesla chief executive Elon Musk said dropping a radar sensor from its partially automated driving system would address the so-called “phantom braking” issue, which some Tesla drivers have long complained about.

The Washington Post reported on Wednesday that owner reports of phantom braking to National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) rose to 107 complaints in the past three months, compared with only 34 in the preceding 22 months.

"NHTSA is aware of complaints received about forward collision avoidance and is reviewing them through our risk-based evaluation process," a NHTSA spokesman said in a statement.

"If the data show that a risk may exist, NHTSA will act immediately."

In October, Tesla recalled nearly 12,000 vehicles over a version of its Full Self-Driving beta software that caused unnecessary braking or false collision warning. read more

Tesla said that false braking increases "the risk of a rear-end collision from a following vehicle," adding that it is not aware of crashes or injuries related to this condition.

The NHTSA has been also investigating Tesla's advanced driver assistant system following vehicle crashes involving emergency vehicles, while probing Tesla's decision to allow games to be played on a vehicle screen while a car is moving. Tesla later dropped the gaming feature.

Tesla recently recalled 53,822 US vehicles with the company's Full Self-Driving Beta software that may allow some models to roll through stop signs, posing a safety risk.

In a related development, US labour unions and a consumer safety advocate on Wednesday urged the Biden administration to add more safeguards to ensure autonomous vehicles are safe before being deployed in wide numbers on US roads.

Lawmakers at a US House Transportation and Infrastructure subcommittee hearing raised concerns about self-driving vehicles but also said the technology could help prevent tens of thousands of road deaths.

"We need to know what's happening on our roads, and the way to accomplish safety is through regulation," said Cathy Chase, president of Advocates for Highway and Auto Safety, in arguing for minimum performance standards.