This is going to be a hard pill to swallow, especially for plug-in hybrid electric vehicle (PHEV) owners, but statistics do not lie. According to CR (Consumer Reports), hybrids have far superior reliability compared to PHEVs. Every year, CR compiles info and data from its members about problems that they have encountered with their vehicles in the past 12 months.
This year, CR accumulated data from over 330,000 vehicles dated from 2000 to 2023 model years with a few additions of early 2024 models. However, because this CR is a US-based report, certain models may not be relevant to the Malaysian market.
The main comparison here is towards traditional ICE (Internal Combustion Engine). Electrified models, particularly hybrids, have emerged as frontrunners, showcasing superior performance compared to traditional ICE vehicles. However, the report also sheds light on the mixed performance of PHEVs, with notable variations in reliability among different models.
The evaluation delves into 20 trouble areas across various vehicle types, providing a nuanced perspective on mainstream models. This thorough evaluation encompasses everything from minor nuisances like squeaky brakes to major concerns such as out-of-warranty engine, transmission, EV battery, and EV charging issues.
Consumer Reports employs a meticulous approach, weighing the severity of each problem to generate a predicted reliability score for each vehicle, ranging from 1 to 100. This score is instrumental in determining the overall reliability rating for every major mainstream model. The reliability rating is then merged with data from track testing, owner satisfaction survey results, and safety data to calculate each vehicle’s Overall Score.
Subaru said a year ago that there wouldn’t be a WRX STI for the next generation since the company was focusing on electric models in the future.
With the now-standalone WRX being the brand’s only current performance vehicle in North America, it would make the most sense for either a hybridized performance WRX variation to replace the original STI or a totally electrified vehicle.
After over 100 years, the automobile industry is undergoing a major change that will see a progressive diminishing of vehicles with only internal combustion engines, leading to hybrids and eventually only electric powertrains. The global players have already begun the process of making the transition, and Bentley Motors is one of those that has revealed plans which are outlined in its Beyond100 strategy.
Aiming to offer truly sustainable luxury, the carmaker will reinvent every aspect of its business to become an end-to-end carbon neutral organisation as it embarks on its second century. The target is driven by a transformation programme across Bentley’s entire operations and products. This includes switching its model range to offer exclusively plug-in hybrid (PHEVs) or battery electric vehicles (BEVs) by 2026, and full electric vehicles (EVs) only by 2030.
Bentley’s traditional powertrains with internal combustion engines will be phased out and replaced with hybrid and then all-electric powertrains by the end of this decade.
No more ICE by 2030
The announcement today highlights Bentley’s plans for another 100 years, evolving from the world’s largest producer of 12-cylinder petrol engines to having no internal combustion engines within a decade.
Bentley’s electrified future was actually previewed with the reveal of the all-electric EXP 100 GT concept car (pictured below) in its centenary year. That concept featured a multitude of sustainable materials. These included 5,000-year-old copper-infused Riverwood, traditionally produced wool carpets and a leather-like textile upholstery made from a by-product of wine-making. Bentley will continue to use only sustainably sourced materials throughout its current, and next generation of cars.
Carbon-neutral production
The Beyond100 strategic plan will see, among other things, the change to a carbon-neutral luxury car factory. Last year, Bentley’s production facility in England became the first luxury automotive factory in the UK to be certified carbon neutral by the Carbon Trust. This followed two decades of implementing innovative solutions, including a water recycling system in the paint shop, local tree planting, installation of a 10,000 solar panel carport, taking the total number of on-site solar panels to 30,000, and a switch to renewable-only electricity sources.
The factory will continue to improve its environmental operations. By the end of 2025, the company intends to reduce its factory environmental impact by focusing on energy consumption, carbon dioxide emissions, wastewater, use of solvents in the paint process and becoming plastic neutral. This will result in a climate positive factory by 2030, actively reducing levels of carbon in the atmosphere, while in parallel the business invests in renewable energy and forestation projects.
Sustainable luxury mobility
Bentley will also redefine its business model which is built around its accelerated journey towards electrification. Having already committed that every model line will be offered with the option of a hybrid variant by 2023, with Bentley’s first pure electric model to be launched in 2025, Bentley is making a clear move towards zero emission mobility.
Achieving sustainable luxury mobility relies heavily on a sustainable business model, and Bentley’s aim is to become the world’s benchmark luxury car business, financially resilient and recession-proof. The challenging economic situation caused by the COVID-19 pandemic resulted in Bentley undertaking its biggest change programme in a century.
This change programme was driving for consistent financial resilience through rapid productivity improvements across the business, and a fundamental restructure. The results from the comprehensive cost and investment structure has placed the business in a position to achieve a positive financial performance for the full year 2020, in spite of the extenuating external circumstances.
Bespoke continues with sustainability
As well as accelerating the product journey towards electrification, Beyond100 opens a new era for Bentley’s bespoke division, Mulliner, which now has a three-portfolio structure comprising Mulliner Classic, Mulliner Collections and Mulliner Coachbuilt. The recently revealed Bacalar signifies the start of this new age as the first member of the Mulliner Coachbuilt family and incorporates elements of the sustainable materials showcased in EXP 100 GT.
The company is committed to handcrafting cars in Crewe for the next 100 years, whilst also preparing for a digital future, and has confirmed it will be investing in two new Research and Development buildings, a vehicle test centre and a dedicated launch quality centre.
“Since 1919, Bentley has defined luxury grand touring. Being at the forefront of progress is part of our DNA – the original Bentley boys were pioneers and leaders. Now, as we look Beyond100, we will continue to lead by reinventing the company and becoming the world’s benchmark luxury car business,” said Adrian Hallmark, Chairman & CEO of Bentley Motors.
Explosions are normally associated with something negative or bad as they generate a lot of energy which can be damaging. However, there are also some explosions which can save lives – these are tiny explosions which reduce the risk of electric shocks after a vehicle has an accident.
With more and more electric cars on the road, many drivers are increasingly uncertain what they should do or not do in the event of a collision. Electric motors also present rescue crews with new challenges. In fact, like any other vehicle, electric vehicles are equipped with safety features for such events.
Deactivating electrical circuits right away
For example, Bosch semiconductors help prevent the risk of electric shock after an accident. Specially designed microchips deactivate the vehicle’s power circuits in a fraction of a second. This enables rescue crews to set to work immediately and ensures that first responders and the vehicle’s occupants remain safe.
“Our semiconductor technology plays a vital role in the safety of hybrid and electric vehicles,” said Jens Fabrowsky, Member of the executive management of Bosch’s Automotive Electronics division. Bosch supplies vehicle manufacturers with semiconductor chips for incorporation in special systems that safely disconnect the battery in the event of a collision.
“Faced with the growing number of electric vehicles that could potentially be involved in collisions, such systems are absolutely essential if we are to fulfil our mission of helping and rescuing victims of road accidents as rapidly and safely as possible,” added Karl-Heinz Knorr, Vice-President of the German firefighters association.
Higher voltage than home electrical outlets
For a lot of people, damaged cables as the result of an accident are a cause for concern: the current from the battery pack could leak into the metal bodywork of a hybrid or all-electric car. After all, these batteries are designed to deliver a voltage of 400 to 800 volts (the voltage from your home electrical outlet is 240 volts and that’s already dangerous). But they can rest assured because Bosch semiconductor chips ensure that the high-voltage battery is automatically disconnected, so that nobody at the scene of the accident – vehicle occupants, rescue crews, first responders – comes into contact with current-carrying components.
New models like the Mercedes-Benz A-Class Plug-In Hybrid variant have a lot of high-voltage cables and systems which must be shut down to avoid causing harm to rescuers.
The semiconductor devices are part of a pyrotechnical safety switch system, or pyrofuse. These systems ‘blow out’ whole sections of the cable connection to the high-voltage battery by means of miniature explosive charges, thus quickly and effectively shutting off the power circulation. Bosch semiconductors play a decisive role in these systems. If, for example, the airbag sensor detects an impact, the tiny devices – measuring no more than ten by ten millimetres and weighing just a few grams – trigger the pyrofuse. This sets off little explosions that drive a wedge into the high-voltage cable between the battery unit and the power electronics, disconnecting the two. By cutting off the flow of current this way, the risk of electric shock or fire is eliminated.
Reliability in millions of applications
The CG912 integrated airbag system IC used in the pyrofuse system is an application-specific integrated circuit or ASIC. The specific application in this case is automotive safety. “Our ASICs, which are no bigger than a fingernail and yet populated with millions of transistors, are custom-designed to activate safety functions reliably within a fraction of a second,” Fabrowsky said.
Originally developed by Bosch to trigger the release of airbags, the CG912 has performed reliably millions of times in this application. Modern vehicles contain dozens of ICs to control not only safety features such as airbags and belt tensioners but also cruise control, distance sensors, high-beam assist, lane-keeping support, rain sensors, and driver drowsiness detection. “Nowadays, there is hardly any area of automotive engineering that does not involve the use of microchips,” he noted.
Following the photo of a Mercedes-Benz Hybrid battery bill that was widely circulated on social-media, MBM has issued this statement and offer, reproduced here in its entirety with no editing…
“Providing the Best Customer Experience is always a top priority with Mercedes-Benz Malaysia (MBM). Our goal is to meet the customer’s needs at any point of their journey with the Mercedes-Benz brand in Malaysia, whether it is their first contact through consultation, the test drive or their purchasing experience and even their after-sales services.
In our pursuit towards providing the best ownership experience for our customers in 2018, we have introduced the Hybrid Battery Extended Warranty programme. At an extremely affordable price of MYR2,688, customers are able to extend the battery warranty for the Mercedes-Benz E 300 BlueTEC hybrid and S 400 h for an additional 4 years. The Hybrid Battery Extended Warranty provides 100% coverage for the repair or replacement of the hybrid battery for up to 8 years or 180,000 kilometers whichever comes first*.
At Mercedes-Benz Malaysia, we continuously seek to ensure that all our valued customers have the optimal cost of ownership through the provision of market adequate pricing for our older vehicles. We are pleased to announce that the new recommended retail price is MYR50,000 for the E 300 BlueTEC hybrid battery and MYR65,000 for the S 400 h hybrid battery.
Rest assured the satisfaction of our customers throughout the ownership experience is a priority at MBM and our Authorized Retailers. We have the best interest of our customers at all times and remain committed to delivering the absolute Best Customer Experience.” – Mercedes-Benz Malaysia.
Should customers have any queries, kindly contact our Customer Care Centre at Tel: 1-800-88-1133 (Operation Hours: Monday to Friday, 8am to 8pm) or email: customercare_my@daimler.com or visit the Mercedes-Benz Malaysia website at https://www.mercedes-benz.com.my
BMW Group Malaysia “charges” forward in the new year as the leading e-mobility provider in the country, unveiling six New BMW i Charging Facilities at Bangsar Shopping Centre.
Harald Hoelzl, Managing Director at BMW Group Malaysia (above) said, “2018 was a remarkable year for the BMW Group globally and we reflected this here with another year of record-breaking business performances for the eighth consecutive year with 14,338 vehicles delivered, a segment-leading growth of 13%. This reinforces Malaysia’s position as a key market in the region for the BMW Group and we are truly humbled with this achievement.”
Hoelzl added that BMW Malaysia’s portfolio of Visionary Mobility vehicles accounted for over 57% of deliveries last year with over 7,500 Plug-in Hybrid variants of BMW and MINI vehicles making their way to homes across Malaysia in 2018.
“As the country’s leading provider of premium electrified vehicles, we are constantly driving initiatives for innovation, local assembly capabilities, awareness on new and clean technology for the automotive industry as well as helping develop the infrastructure for electrified premium vehicles in the country. We began working on these initiatives with the Malaysian Green Technology Corporation (GreenTech Malaysia) as early as 2015 and we have also developed projects on our own with our network of dealerships across the country.” said Hoelzl.
BMW Malaysia unveiled six New BMW i Charging Facilities at Bangsar Shopping Centre (above), marking another important step in its industry-leading efforts in fostering the country’s shift to Electro-Mobility. This follows the introduction of new BMW i Charging Facilities at Ramada Plaza by Wyndham Melaka, The Banjaran Hotsprings Retreat in Ipoh, the Iconic Hotel in Penang as well as at WEIL Hotel in Ipoh last year.
BMW Group Malaysia’s portfolio of Visionary Mobility with the BMW iPerformance vehicles are also supported by the ChargEV platform through its partnership with GreenTech Malaysia. The BMW ChargeNow Service, which is offered as part of the BMW 360° ELECTRIC programme provides straightforward access to partner charging facilities like ChargEV, where customers can enjoy 24/7 support and access to all charging locations in ChargEV’s growing network nationwide.
