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20 years of crashes to make cars safer

“Cars are driven by people. The guiding principle behind everything we make at Volvo, therefore, is and must remain, safety.” This was laid down by Assar Gabrielsson and Gustav Larson, the founders of the Swedish company, in 1927 and the principle has been upheld to this day. Whenever Volvo is mentioned, most people will think of ‘safety’ and indeed, its vehicles are among the safest in the world.

The company has pioneered many safety features and on average, it crashes at least one brand new Volvo a day. In earlier years, the facilities were outdoors and fairly basic – vehicles were basically driven against each other or into solid barriers to study the effects of such impacts.

*The two founders of Volvo made safety the guiding principle of the company and that principle is upheld up to today.*

Advanced crash laboratory
Eventually, crash test laboratories were built and allowed more detailed assessments with sophisticated instruments for recording and measuring. Virtually every carmaker had one and in 2000, Volvo opened its brand new Safety Centre which was one of the most advanced crash labs in the world and in many ways it still is today.

This facility helps engineers at Volvo Cars push the envelope in safety and to learn from real-life traffic accidents, as the company aims for a future in which no one is killed or seriously injured in a new Volvo.

“Being committed to safety is not about passing a test or getting a safety rating,” said Thomas Broberg, one of Volvo Cars’ leading safety engineers and a two-decade company veteran. “Our commitment to safety is about finding out how and why accidents and injuries occur and then developing the technology to help prevent them. We hope our pioneering work will inspire others to follow, our ambition to reduce road traffic casualties worldwide.”

Testing beyond regulatory requirements
The Volvo Cars Safety Centre crash lab is a multifunctional facility that allows Volvo Cars safety engineers to recreate countless traffic situations and accidents, and perform tests that go beyond regulatory requirements.

The lab contains two test tracks of 108 and 154 metres long. The shorter of the two is moveable and can be positioned at an angle between 0 and 90 degrees, allowing for crash test at different angles and speeds, or to simulate a crash between two moving cars. Cars can be crashed at speeds up to 120 km/h.

Outside, there is room for performing tests like roll-over crashes and run-off road scenarios, whereby cars are launched into a ditch at high speeds. Here, Volvo Cars also offers rescue services opportunities to practice and develop their life-saving skills, as it did earlier this year when it dropped new Volvos from a height of 30 metres to simulate the heavy damage found in extreme crash scenarios.

Inside the main hall, an enormous crash barrier is used for testing various frontal, rear and side impacts. Weighing an astonishing 850 tonnes, it can be moved around if needed with the help of air cushions.

Additionally, there are around two dozen other fixed and movable barriers that are used in crash testing, including a moose-like structure to simulate crashes involving these animals.

Recording what happens in an accident
During crashes, the car, the crash test dummies and the barriers are fitted with sensors that allow engineers to register the entire chain of events in detail. Dozens of ultra-high definition and ultra high-speed cameras also film the crash test from every angle.

Before a physical crash test, the new model under development has already gone through thousands of crash tests – in computer simulations. All the data generated by these simulations, along with the physical crash tests, is then used by Volvo’s engineers as they design the cars to the highest levels of safety and protection for the occupants.

“No matter what the scenario, we can recreate it here at the Volvo Cars Safety Centre and analyse it in detail,” said Broberg. “For me, it is very inspiring to realise that for every hour of testing and analysis we put in, we get closer and closer to our ambition that no one should be killed or seriously injured in a new Volvo.”

Click here for other news and articles about Volvo.

Management team of new Peugeot distributor announced

Following the announcement of the appointment of Berjaya Auto Alliance Sdn Bhd (BAASB) as the sole distributor of new Peugeot vehicles, including aftersales services and parts distribution. the company has announced its management team. The brand portfolio includes Citroen and DS Automobiles, which are also in Groupe PSA along with Peugeot.

The new team at BAASB is headed by Dato’ Wong Kin Foo, presently a director in Bermaz Motor Sdn Bhd. Dato’ Wong, as Managing Director of BAASB, will report to the board of BAASB, which consists of representatives from Berjaya Corporation Berhad (BerjayaCorp) and Bermaz Auto Berhad (BAuto).

The board is chaired by Dato’ Sri Robin Tan Yeong Ching, CEO of BerjayaCorp and Dato’ Sri Ben Yeoh, Executive Chairman of BAuto, as well as Dato Francis Lee, CEO BAuto, amongst others.

Some of the management team members of BAASB: (Top) Board members Dato’ Sri Ben Yeoh (left) and Dato’ Francis Lee. (Above) Michael Moh, Head of After Sales;, Dato’ K.F. Wong, Managing Director; and Ian Khong, Head of Marketing.

All the members of the team have long experience in the auto industry and some, like Dato Sri Ben Yeoh, have worked in many different companies, including the distributors of Mazda, Toyota, Proton and Mercedes-Benz. Dato’ Wong was CEO at Cycle & Carriage Bintang Berhad, the company long associated with the Mercedes-Benz business in Malaysia.

Other key members of BAASB include Michael Moh, who is Head of After Sales and, Berjaya Auto Alliance Sdn Bhd and Michael Chen who is Head of Sales.

Mr. Moh has had a 40-year career in the auto industry on the service side, his last position being Vice-President, After-Sales at Mercedes-Benz Malaysia. Mr. Chen is a seasoned veteran, also with 40 years of automotive experience, having worked with brands such as Datsun/Nissan, Hyundai, Suzuki and Foton. He was also among the pioneers in the national car project with EON Bhd.

Also on the team is Ian Khong as Head of Marketing and though younger, he has had experience working with brands such as Mitsubishi, Toyota, Mazda, Ford and Proton. Over his 26-year career, he has gained experience in various aspects of the auto industry… besides having been a rally driver.

BAASB will operate from the group headquarters in Glenmarie, Shah Alam, Selangor, with plans for expansion in the near future.

We’re certainly looking forward to reporting on the activities of BAASB which, with the experienced team, will certainly take the Peugeot brand to a new level. They already have a proven record with Mazda and can now draw on that experience for the French brand.

Click here for other news about Peugeot.

F1 (Final Round): Highlights & Provisional Results of the 2020 Abu Dhabi Grand Prix

♦ The race started and ran without drama for the first 30 minutes, with positions not changing significantly. Then Sergio Perez suddenly had engine failure – even after having an engine change – and had to retire on lap 10. As he pulled over to the side at Turn 19, the Virtual Safety Car was activated, followed by the Mercedes-AMG Safety Car as well.

♦ The Safety Car period saw many cars heading into the pits for tyre changes, and Pirelli was predicting that it would be a one-stop race.

♦ The Safety Car left the track after 4 laps and racing resumed on lap 14 with Max Verstappen zooming ahead, chased by Valtteri Bottas, Lewis Hamilton and Alexander Albon within 10 seconds behind him.

♦ For some reason, Carlos Sainz had been driving cautiously in the pitlane and perhaps too cautiously as he was notified that the Stewards were reviewing the matter of his driving too slowly.

♦ At almost the halfway point of the 55-lap race, Bottas started to drop back, allowing the Red Bull driver to extend the gap beyond 5 seconds, and Hamilton started to close the gap of 2 seconds with his team mate. But the World Champion was also uncertain of his tyres holding on for the rest of the race. Verstappen was equally concerned about the same issue.

♦ 20 laps from the end, Hamilton was his uncharacteristic self – not going after Bottas even though the gaps was 3 seconds and he was safe from having to defend against Albon who was 7 seconds behind. Was the British driver trying to preserve his tyres or was he not as well as he said he was after the COVID-19 episode (which he would admit to after the race ended)?

♦ Although comfortably in the lead and no apparent threat from Bottas, Verstappen was getting tense as the 10 laps remained, worried that something might go wrong with the car.

♦ In the end, it was Verstappen’s day. 55 laps from start to finish in the lead, and virtually no challenge from either of the Mercedes-AMG drivers.

*The 2020 Formula 1 season will be remembered for its facemasks and absence of spectators,*

*Lewis Hamilton and the Mercedes-AMG PETRONAS Team are champions again, both for the seventh time.*

After more than 40 years in Formula 1, the 2020 Abu Dhabi Grand Prix was the final race for the Renault team name before it changes to Alpine in 2021. The new team will also have Fernando Alonso, with team mate Esteban Ocon.

EvoClub Insurance Powered by PrOmilej offers motorists lower premium rates

Since the Movement Control Order (MCO) was introduced in March 2020, motoring has reduced for many people. Apart from the periods when interstate travel was forbidden, commutes to work are also less with work-from-home (WFH) still in effect and schools have been closed. Furthermore, to reduce spread of COVID-19, the authorities urge people to remain at home more and only travel out for essential purposes.

This means that motor vehicles are being used less and as the mileage is lower, the question which the good people at Aurizn Malaysia wondered is whether insurance premiums could be reduced in this situation.

First mileage-based car insurance plan
As the insurance industry has been progressively deregulated, it is now possible for insurance companies to vary premiums and Pacific & Orient Insurance Co. Bhd (POI) is willing to do so with what is the first mileage-based car insurance plan in Malaysia. Conceived in partnership with Aurizn Malaysia, it is known as the EvoClub Insurance Powered by PrOmilej and offers motorists unprecedented savings and flexibility

The benefits, which would be especially welcome in this challenging period, are as much as 40% savings on car insurance premiums as well as flexibility to make payments in up to 3 parts without incurring additional charges.

Three plans
The pioneering ‘pay as you drive’ concept allows motorists to start off with Plan 1 that offers 40% up-front savings for an allocated mileage of 5,000 kms. Plans 2 and 3 offer 20% and 10% savings for 10,000 kms and 15,000 kms mileage limits, respectively. For maximum flexibility, consumers can easily upgrade plans by simply topping up the difference between them. Each policy is allowed a maximum of two top-ups.

“We are very proud to have this opportunity to partner with POI to bring this innovative insurance product to Malaysian motorists and car enthusiasts. Firstly, low-mileage cars can enjoy significant savings on insurance costs, and you get to multiply these savings if you own multiple cars,” said Bobby Ang, Editor-in-Chief of Aurizn Malaysia.

“And because this plan offers the flexibility of upgrading between plans twice a year without incurring extra charge, consumers can use this to stagger their car insurance to a maximum of 3 payments by just paying the difference between plans. We feel these options come in very handy as we navigate the challenges of this pandemic with many of us now travelling less and some even earning less as well,” he added.

For motorists that exceed the allocated mileage without topping up, the policy will continue to cover for third-party bodily injury or death and third-party damage only. This ensures that the vehicle continues to receive the minimum required coverage for the vehicle that is required by Malaysian law to remain road legal by the Road Transport Department (JPJ).

Online applcations accepted
Interested in this money-saving approach to insure your vehicle? You can do so easily online (www.evoclubinsurance.com) or via POI’s toll-free line 1-800-88-2121. The only additional step required in the buying process compared to other insurance plans in the market is to upload a picture of the car’s odometer to the website. A vehicle inspection is not required.

EvoClub Insurance Powered by PrOmilej is another initiative of EvoClub created to give motorists a whole car buying and ownership experience. Complemented by the meticulous car reviews of the EvoLTN editorial team to serve as buying advice, other services offered through EvoClub include used car pre-purchase inspection service, Extended Warranty, and trusted workshops.

“Our ultimate aim is to create an ecosystem where we help car buyers and owners every step of the way by starting from car buying advice and then providing a support system that takes care of all their car ownership needs,” Bobby said.

F1 (Round 17): Preview & Starting Grid For 2020 Abu Dhabi Grand Prix

Race starts at 5:10 pm in Abu Dhabi/9:10 pm in Malaysia

It has been a challenging year for the Formula 1 World Championship with the first half the year seeing suspension of activities due to the COVID-19 pandemic. And once things improved and countries were willing to allow some events to run – with strict conditions – a revised calendar events was quickly drawn up. Some new tracks found to make up the venue numbers and, in some cases, two races were run at the same circuit over 2 consecutive weekends. This enabled the championship to have 17 rounds, starting in July and ending this weekend in Abu Dhabi.

The championship has not been without memorable moments, with Romain Grojean’s accident at the Sakhir Circuit in Bahrain being the most shocking. But fortunately, the many safety measures that had been devised over the years worked and helped prevent loss of life.

Lewis Hamilton will race
And then there was the episode of Lewis Hamilton, already confirmed as the 2020 World Champion, testing positive for COVID-19 and having to go into self-isolation. This resulted in him missing the second race in Bahrain, with his place taken by George Russell who was released from the Williams Racing team to drive for the Mercedes-AMG PETRONAS team in Hamilton’s car.

*George Russell is back to driving his FW43 with Williams Racing, while Lewis Hamilton recovers in time for the final round tomorrow.*

Russell put in a fine performance, even getting ahead of team mate Valtteri Bottas. But a big mix-up of tyre-changing and then a puncture prevented Russell from what might have been victory or at least a podium finish. It was a huge disappointment to everyone, with the team being fined as well for the wrong fitment of tyres.

Hamilton was tested again this week and returned negative results and was permitted to leave Bahrain and enter Abu Dhabi, just an hour-plus away by air. He was pronounced fit enough to drive and so Russell returned to his team to race this weekend at the final round.

4,700 lights for evening race
This is the twelfth time since 2009 that the Yas Marina Circuit has been used for a F1 round, usually the season finale. It starts at 5:10 pm and the 55-lap race continues into twilight when 4,700 lights come on to provide illumination around the 5.554-km track.

The teams are obviously familiar with the circuit and how to set up for it. They have also come to understand how to make compensations for the differences in track temperatures that are higher during the early practices but cooler for qualifying and the race which occurs in the evening.

Low abrasion on circuit
Traction demands are high and abrasion is not, especially as there are no support races this year. Overtaking becomes more difficult as the race progresses, because the softer tyres – Pirelli will bring the three softest compounds to Abu Dhabi – produce a lot of marbles. This means there is a big loss of grip when running off the racing line.

There are 7 braking events at the Yas Marina Circuit and 2 of those are classified as ‘heavy’ (meaning the driver is braking for 0.4 seconds or longer, with 4g or more). It punishes the brakes, but the long straights allow them to cool, keeping temperatures at bay – unlike tracks such as Budapest where a relentless run of corners and lack of long straights make it difficult to cool the brakes.

The pit lane is the only one in F1 to feature a tunnel, with drivers passing under the circuit at the pit exit, in order for cars to rejoin on the left-hand side of Turn 2. Because the drivers are fed back onto the track during a corner, it can prove tricky to see other cars.

The championship battle
With 5 victories at this circuit since 2011, Lewis Hamilton has won the most times. Sebastian Vettel is second with 3 wins to his name. Mercedes-engined cars have won 7 times in 12 years, while Renault-engined cars have won 3 times.

While the crowns for the Drivers and Constructors titles have already been confirmed, there is still a great deal at stake in this final race of 2020. Max Verstappen is 16 points behind Bottas and could still finish off second in the championship.

While Red Bull Racing (to become Aston Martin Red Bull Racing in 2021) is secure in runner-up position, the order for third, fourth and fifth places remains undecided and will be fought between BWT Racing Point, McLaren and Renault.

Proton to have 5 overseas market events before year ends

While Proton has continued to buck the local industry trend with steady growth in 2020, its export activities have also seen some momentum upwards. This is in spite of the extremely challenging conditions brought on by the COVID-19 pandemic that have impacted the auto industry. The carmaker’s exports have grown 10.6% so far this year and it is looking forward to selling even more vehicles outside Malaysia in 2021.

An unprecedented launch schedule has been planned with as many as 5 market introductions to take place in the coming weeks. One of these events will be the export market debut of the Proton X50 in Brunei, and another two will see the start of local assembly and sales of Proton vehicles in Kenya.

Proton CKD Saga exports to Kenya — Proton began exports of CKD packs to Kenya in August this year and the first cars will roll out of the assembly plant this month. Brunei will be the first overseas market to start selling the X50 SUV (below).

“While local market leadership is one of our targets, it is equally vital for the Proton brand to build up its presence internationally, representing both the company and Malaysia. This was part of the 10-year plan that was devised at the beginning of our strategic partnership with Geely,” said Dato’ Sri Syed Faisal Albar, Chairman of Proton Holdings Berhad.

“However, parts of the export plans were affected by the COVID-19 pandemic as each country had different responses and restrictions. Still, thanks to our diligent work and the strong support of various government agencies, we are finally getting back on track,” he added.

*Introduction of Exora and Saga in Egypt at the end of 2018.*

Additionally, Proton importers in Bangladesh and Egypt will also be hosting virtual product launches for the latest Saga before 2020 ends. This will be followed by a similar launch in Nepal just as the year draws to a close.

History of Proton exports
In the early years of Proton’s existence, its focus was on the domestic market which took virtually every car it made. Export markets, though established, were not given great attention and even Mitsubishi Motors, its partner, suggested that it concentrate on developing its skills in making cars and about the business before embarking on overseas sales.

Nevertheless, Proton began exporting just one year after the first Saga went on sale in Malaysia. Its early targets were those which were ex-British colonies, like Malaysia, and where traffic went on the left side of the road like us. This would make it unnecessary to develop a lefthand drive variant so soon.

*Proton Wiras have also been spotted in North Korea though there is no official mention of exports to North or South Korea, so they may have been brought in by a private importer.*

*A Proton advertisement for the UK market in 1994 (left) and a display at the Sydney Motorshow in Australia in 2012.*

The UK market was considered a market with great potential then, and it was hoped that the Malaysian origins of the Saga would appeal to the British who had lived in Malaysia in the pre-Merdeka period. The first model was introduced at the Birmingham Motorshow in 1988 and initially, Proton received some preferential taxation as it was a small volume brand entering the market. This allowed it to sell at attractive prices and it was well received. The growth in sales in the UK led to a subsidiary being established to handle import and marketing activities, and that market was at one stage, Proton’s biggest export market.

As the only Muslim country in the world to develop its own car and have an automotive brand, Protons from Malaysia were expected to be popular in other Muslim countries. In fact, the first export market was Bangladesh where the Saga first went on sale in 1986. Egypt has also been a strong market for Proton since it entered in 2004.

*Chile was one of the early markets that Proton entered but stopped for 20 years before returning in 2016.*

By 2001, Proton had appeared in over 50 countries around the world, some in significant numbers and some just a handful. It had tried to enter the US market in the late 1980s, appointing a business partner called Global Motors which created a unit known as ‘Proton America’ to get the necessary approvals. Two units of the Saga modified to lefthand drive and with 1.8-litre engines were sent to a motorshow in Las Vegas in 1988 in what was meant to be a prelude to exporting the first batch of 30,000 cars to the USA for sale. However, things didn’t work out as expected and no further attempts were made to enter the biggest car market in the world at that time.

Like many manufacturers, Proton also considered local assembly in some markets and it did so for a while in the Philippines and had a project going for Iran. It also had a joint venture company with Mitsubishi Motors in Vietnam and the deal was that for models above 1600 cc, Mitsubishi’s models would be used, and Proton would provide models below 1600 cc. But things didn’t proceed as planned and Proton never got to assemble any model.

*Proton’s distributor in Turkey, Ulu Motor, has been selling the Exora, Preve, Saga FLX and Persona.*

From 2001 onwards, Proton had a new range of models and hoped to grow its exports, especially as the domestic market was supposed to be ‘opening up’ and competition would become more challenging. It even built a new factory in Tanjung Malim, Perak, with a capacity of up to 500,000 units in anticipation of an export offensive regionally.

However, for various reasons, export activities diminished and in Europe, as the emission and safety regulations got tougher, Proton’s aging platforms and engines became unacceptable. By 2010, even the ‘father of Proton’, Tun Mahathir Mohamed, acknowledged that perhaps Proton had not given sufficient thought to the need to make its cars suitable for global markets and only focussed on the domestic market because it was big enough. Dealerships in many of the 50 markets slowly stopped selling Proton which was not so helpful at a time when the company was also facing a decline in domestic sales.

The low export volumes since 1986 – around 406,000 units in total – are obviously not acceptable and exports are vital if the carmaker is to grow further. While being a significant global player would be too ambitious and unrealistic, the aim is to become No. 3 in ASEAN besides becoming No. 1 in Malaysia in due course.

“We are exploring all opportunities to grow export volumes for Proton,” said Dr Li Chunrong, CEO of Proton. “We are also leveraging on Geely’s extensive overseas network operations to increase the cost-effectiveness of Proton’s operations. Geely can support us in these initiatives and there is a lot of experience within the Group so we hope to leverage on it to enable us to sell more cars outside of Malaysia.”

Click here for other news and articles about Proton.