Month: December 2022

Agreement between all car manufacturers on a minimum safety standard in all new vehicles sold would be a significant milestone in automotive safety, said Jean Todt, United Nations secretary general’s special envoy for road safety. Automotive manufacturers are pushing safety technology at the forefront of their marketing strategy, but they are not doing so quickly enough, Todt said.

The UN special envoy for road safety also calls on consumers to examine safety information before buying a car, whether it is a new car of a used unit. This is in reference to information on the car’s performance in crash testing, which should help the public make informed decisions before owning a vehicle, he added.

“I am very proud to acknowledge the good effort of MIROS (Malaysian Institute of Road Safety Research) in leading the ASEAN New Car Assessment Programme (ASEAN NCAP). Having done crash testing for more than 100 car

Here are some updates on the current conditions at the Lebuhraya Pantai Timur 2 (LPT2), following the landslide that occurred on Monday (December 19). The updates were released by the highway concessionaire this morning.

According to LPT2, the highway is fully opened from Kuala Terengganu to Kuantan, southbound. Note that repair and observation works are still ongoing at KM393.0 following flooding in the area, so slow down and drive safe. The graphic above shows that the emergency lane in the area, located between Ajil and Bukit Besi, is closed for the purpose.

If you’re heading north on the east coast from Kuantan up, the stretch between Dungun and Ajil is still closed for repairs. It has been closed since 3am on December 19, and those heading north are required to exit the LPT2 at Dungun and use the old road (FT03 Marang) towards KT. You can get

Chinese carmaker Chery is making its return to the Malaysian market, and along with its push to make Malaysia its right-hand-drive and ASEAN regional base, it plans to locally assemble fully electric and plug-in hybrid models in the country by 2024, the carmaker has revealed.

A host of SUVs from Chery has been earmarked for launch in Malaysia, consisting of the Omoda 5, along with the Tiggo 4 Pro, Tiggo 7 Pro and Tiggo 8 Pro SUVs. These will be locally assembled, and be developed in RHD guise from the outset.

With plans for Chery to make Malaysia its regional base, the fully electric and plug-in hybrid models set for local assembly could likely be the Omoda 5 EV, which has been tipped to offer a WLTP-rated range of 450 km from its 64 kWh battery, powering a 204 PS/400 Nm electric motor. Fast charging from 0-80% state of charge

AWAS !!!
BERHATI-HATI SEMUA PENGGUNA LPT 2
LPT 2 area Ajil.
Kepala air dr atas bukit berdekatan Hiway. pic.twitter.com/wS7MvLzECP

— Blembang (@AnglerWorld) December 18, 2022

There are reports on social media that LPT 2 is currently experiencing flooding near Ajil in Terengganu, around KM 393 of the highway. If you plan to drive through that area you should take precautions. Perhaps delaying your journey might be a good idea.

Jabatan Meteoreologi Malaysia released this warning at 1230pm warning of continuous rainfall at a red/dangerous level for Kelantan and Terengganu. In addition, there are orange zones in Perlis, Kedah, Perak and Pahang, and yellow zones in Kedah, Penang, Perak and Johor.

As always, do check in advance if the route you planned to take brings you through an affected area before heading out. If possible, delay your journey and if you’re already out of your home, move your car to safer

The Xpress Rail Link (ERL) will resume its Kuala Lumpur International Airport (KLIA) Express and KLIA Transit services from Jan 3, 2023, to accommodate the increased number of passengers. Currently, the KLIA Express and KLIA Transit services are operating as a combined service due to the drop in passengers as a result of the Covid-19 pandemic.

The KLIA Express is the fastest way to get to the KLIA (28 minutes non-stop) and KLIA2 (33 minutes) airports from KL Sentral. With the dedicated services resuming, the KLIA Express will run with a 20 minute train frequency during morning and evening peak hours.

The KLIA Transit train frequency will also be revised to every 15 minutes during weekday peak hours while peak hours have been extended from 7 pm to 8 pm. Also, the KLIA Express train departure point would revert to the Departure Hall platform.

Nylex Malaysia has proposed to enter into discussions with CRRC Changchun Railway Vehicles from China for the construction of an LRT system in Johor Bahru, The Edge Markets reported.

Planned as an integrated property development that is categorised as transit-oriented development, the project is subject to an ongoing feasibility study and the grant of a concession award by the Johor state government, according to the report. Nylex has subsequently stated in a bourse filing yesterday that it has signed a letter of intent (LOI) with CRRC Changchun for its part in completing the feasibility study.

This LRT project is connected with the Rapid Transit System (RTS) Link currently being constructed between Johor Bahru and Singapore, the contract for which was won by Ekovest Construction. Through the letter of intent, CRRC Changchun agrees to take on the project as a turnkey contractor, and it recommends the use of the straddle monorail

We will soon have CKD EVs from Mercedes-Benz. At today’s launch of the Mercedes-Benz EQE 350+ at 1 Utama, Mercedes-Benz Malaysia president and CEO Sagree Sardien confirmed that locally-assembled EQ models are on the way.

As to when the CKD EQ EV will surface, the MBM chief wasn’t explicit, but asked us to look out for an exciting announcement in Q1 2023. As we’re now at the tail end of 2022, that’s just around the corner. Again, no model was mentioned, but the EQS could pave the way, as hinted at before.

The EQS, Mercedes-Benz’s flagship EV, was launched here in July. The CBU Germany import is available here in EQS 450+ AMG Line form, for RM698,888 on-the-road without insurance. That price includes sales tax and the current EV incentives factored in, namely a full waiver of import and excise duties.

The EQS 450+ has an WLTP-rated range of 782

As of January 14, 2023, Fast Bikes will cease to be the official Malaysian distributor for Triumph motorcycles, subsequently taking on a Honda Big Wing dealership. Accordingly, Motoradic, as exclusive official importer for Triumph, will also relinquish its role.

Fast Bike’s Triumph outlets in Penang, Johor Bahru and Kota Kinabalu will also end operations on that date. A new Triumph motorcycles representative for Malaysia has been appointed but the name has not been officially announced.

For Triumph motorcycles no longer under warranty, Fast Bikes remains available for consultation and advice on service and technical matters. For motorcycles still under warranty, Triumph Motorcycles UK and its official representative in Malaysia will be solely responsible for all terms and conditions.

We usually see news of internal combustion engine (ICE) vehicles being banned in favour of EVs, but this is a little bit different as Switzerland is reportedly considering limiting the use of electric vehicles in the event of electricity shortages.

While new regulations are still being drafted, it was specified that ‘the private use of electric cars is only permitted for absolutely necessary journeys’, according to Spiegel.de.

There isn’t a timeline yet on when it would be implemented and is only considered necessary when the most extreme power-saving measures are needed. In a bid to further reduce electricity consumption, the country may also look into lowering the speed limit on its roads.

For now, electricity conservation efforts will be focussed on private households with specific measures being proposed. For example, washing machines should not operate beyond 40 degrees Celcius while leaf blowers and patio heaters may not be operated.