Motorists who were travelling to Ayer Keroh along the North-South Highway yesterday would have experienced some delays in the afternoon due to the closure of exit lanes at the Ayer Keroh Toll Plaza. This was necessary because of an incident at 11:30 am involving a lorry carrying WRDA 96M (a chemical admixture used in construction work) which spilled the chemical as it turned a few metres before the toll plaza exit lane. Although no one was injured, the situation was considered hazardous and taking into account the safety of highway users and toll plaza staff, the Fire and Rescue Department ordered the exit lanes to be immediately closed to all vehicles. The closure was also to facilitate cleaning, evaluation and removal works to be done in a safe and controlled environment.
Throughout the closure period, information and messages on the incident were continuously disseminated through highway electronic message boards at strategic locations, the PLUSTrafik Twitter and other social media platforms. Highway users were advised to exit the PLUS highway through the Simpang Ampat (Alor Gajah) and Jasin toll plazas.
“The Fire and Rescue Department teams from Ayer Keroh, Alor Gajah and Tangga Batu as well as Hazmat and Propel were able to undertake immediate and smooth incident clearance works and it contributed to all exit lanes being re-opened to all at 3:50 pm,” said PLUS Chief Operating Officer, Zakaria Ahmad Zabidi. He applauded and thanked all agencies for their collaboration in controlling and containing the chemical spillage incident.
“PLUS would also like to thank all highway users for their cooperation and understanding throughout the whole event. They enabled us to carry out smooth and swift clearance works during the incident,” he added.
From today until the end of 2019, special hire-purchase (H-P) loan interest rates as low as 0.88% per annum are available for those who want to buy a new Mitsubishi Triton. Alternatively, instead of the low interest rates, customers can opt for cash rebates of up to RM10,000 (depending on the variant).
This promotion is in conjunction with the upcoming year-end festivities and is available only for H-P loans taken from Maybank or Public Bank (terms and conditions apply). The chart below shows the special offers for the different variants.
Besides the offers for the Triton, there are also special offers for the Outlander SUV which is available with 2.0-litre or 2.4-litre petrol engines. Cash rebates of up to RM4,000 are offered plus 2-Years of Free Scheduled Maintenance and RM2,000, and 2-Years of Free Scheduled Maintenance, respectively.
For those who want something smaller, there’s the ASX. Though in the market for some time now, it is still good value for money with prices starting from RM118,866. 4WD and 2WD versions are available and if you buy one during the promotion period, you can get a cash rebate of up to RM12,000.
After its pioneering role in mass producing hybrid vehicles in the late 1990s and then taking on a leadership position in the segment, it looks like Toyota plans to do the same for battery electric vehicles or BEVs. With hybrids, Toyota successfully brought the more environment-friendly powertrain into the mainstream, enabling volumes to become larger. This, in turn, allowed economies of scale to kick in and lower production and technology costs, making hybrids more affordable.
At the Tokyo Motor Show this month, the carmaker will display a new, production-ready ultra-compact BEV which it plans to start selling in Japan late next year. The ultra-compact 2-seater is specifically designed to meet the daily mobility needs of customers who make regular short-distance trips, such as the elderly, newly licenced drivers or businesspeople visiting local customers.
The next-generation mobility solution is designed to provide short-distance mobility while limiting impact on the environment. It has a range of approximately 100 kms on a single charge, can reache a maximum speed of 60 km/h and features an extremely tight turning radius.
Development chief Akihiro Yanaka said the BEV, which is less than 2.5 metres long and 1.3 metres wide, can be considered a mobility solution that can support Japan’s ageing society and provide freedom of movement to people at all stages of life.
There will also be a variant for business although it is currently in concept stage and plans for sale have not been announced.
New business model to popularise BEVs
Toyota is also pairing its planned launch next year with a new business model that aims to promote the wider adoption of BEVS in general. This includes examining every step of the battery pack’s life, from manufacture through sale, resale or re-use, and recycling to maximise its value.
In the near term, Toyota will focus on expanded leasing initiatives designed to recapture used batteries for evaluation and re-use as appropriate in pre-owned vehicles, as service parts, or even in non-automobile applications. Toyota is also developing peripheral services for BEVs such as recharging stations and insurance.
The first of BEV models from Toyota which will appear in Japanese cities from next year,
Mira Filzah (or Nur Amirah Filzah binti Badioezaman), the 26-year old Ipoh-born artiste, is now the owner of a brand new Nissan X-Trail 2.0L Hybrid worth RM 159,888. The vehicle was presented to her as the Grand Prize for Anugerah Bintang Popular Berita Harian 2019 (ABPBH), which Edaran Tan Chong Motor Sdn Bhd (ETCM) was the official vehicle sponsor of.
The talented Mira Filzah, who garnered 6,320,463 votes in ABPBH from September 19 – 22, has acted in few popular dramas and films such as Eksperimen Cinta, Cinta Si Wedding Planner, Meh Sandar Pada Aku, Pujaan Hati Kanda, Sweet Dreams, Rise: Ini Kalilah and Sangkar.
Established in 1987, ABPBH is an annual event organized by Berita Harian to bestow awards to the most popular Malaysian singers, actors and celebrities in the Malaysian entertainment industry based on popular votes by readers of Berita Harian and Berita Minggu. It is one of the most prestigious people’s choice awards in Malaysia’s entertainment industry.
“We are honoured to work along with Anugerah Bintang Popular 2019 Berita Harian as this contest recognizes Malaysian artistes’ hard work and dedication in growing the local entertainment industry. We are delighted to award the most popular artiste with Malaysia’s first locally-assembled Hybrid technology SUV, the new Nissan X-Trail 2.0L Hybrid,” said Christopher Tan, ETCM’s Sales and Marketing Director.
The hybrid technology enables the X-Trail to achieve best in class fuel economy of 16.1 kms/litre, It also comes with Nissan Intelligent Mobility advanced safety technologies to protect the occupants and has been rated the maximum of 5 stars by ASEAN NCAP.
Check out the X-Trail Hybrid and other Nissan models at any Nissan showroom nationwide. To locate an ETCM Branch or Nissan dealership near yet, visit www.nissan.com.my.
♦ The Total Industry Volume (TIV) for the month declined by 13% or 6,482 units month-on-month compared to the TIV for August.
♦ The decline in sales was attributed to many holidays and also the belief by some consumers that Budget 2020 would have something which would reduce new car prices. However, it should be apparent that for some time now, changes affecting the auto industry are not announced during the Budget presentation (as they were in the 1990s and before).
♦ The TIV in September 2019 was 43% higher than in the same month in 2018 because, a year ago, the GST-free period had ended and sales slowed down substantially. 40,266 passenger vehicles (excluding pick-up trucks) were registered in September 2019 compared to 27,018 vehicles in September 2018.
♦ However, for commercial vehicles, the difference was small – 4,400 vehicles in 2019 against 4,222 in 2018.
Source: Monthly reports of the Malaysian Automotive Association (MAA)
♦ Going into the fourth and final quarter of the year, October sales are expected to improve and sales promotions start kicking in to start clearing stock before the year ends.
♦ The cumulative sales volume after 9 months has reached 442,991 units, 3% lower than for the same period in 2018. The MAA has forecast 600,000 units for 2019 so the remaining volume is 157,009 units. With 3 months to go, that means 52,336 units must be delivered during each of the month.
♦ Cumulative production, however, was higher in 2018 for the first 9 months with 426,041 units leaving local plants. For the same period in 2018, the total number was 420,498 units. To see what vehicles each plant produced this here, click here.
It was not that too long ago when Bermaz Motor aka “Mazda Malaysia” invited us for the official launch of their all-new 2019 Mazda CX-8 seven-seater SUV. For the trip up north, they gave members of the media a chance at driving another new offering of theirs in the form of the 2019 Mazda CX-5 2.5 Turbo AWD, their latest range-topping five-seater SUV masterpiece. (more…)
Since 2016, Casio has had a presence in Formula 1 racing through association with the Scuderia Toro Rosso Formula 1 Team. Sharing the focus on precision and technology with the Formula 1 team, Casio has collaborated in the development of high-performance metal chronographs based on the brand concept of ‘Speed and Intelligence’.
Its latest additions to the EDIFICE line – the EQB-1000TR and EFR-S567TR slim-profile chronographs – are now available in Malaysia, with recommended retail prices of RM3,159 and RM1,269, respectively.
EFR-S567TR
Designs inspired by F1 racing cars
Both watches have designs inspired on the Scuderia Toro Rosso STR14 which is competing in the 2019 Formula 1 World Championship. Adopting the racing car’s colour scheme of blue, red and silver, the entire EQB-1000TR and the dial of the EFR-S567TR adopt an eye-catching red stripe motif on a blue background, representing the team colours.
In both models, the entire dial, excluding the bezel and inset dials, is made of carbonfibre. This material, first used in the aerospace industry, offers high strength but is lighter than steel so it is ideal for F1 machines that need to be light.
The dial and case back feature the team logo, and the inset dial in the 9 o’clock position has an image of a bull, the team symbol. The new models are also infused with the worldview of Scuderia Toro Rosso.
EQB-1000TR
Solar-powered with smartphone connectivity
The EQB-1000TR, a slim-profile chronograph equipped with a Tough Solar power system and smartphone connectivity. In addition to accurate time syncing that can be performed by connecting to a smartphone app, the new model has World Time. The user can see the time for two different places, in the main and inset dials, by selecting from approximately 300 cities. This feature is very useful for the Scuderia Toro Rosso drivers and team members who travel around the globe.
The new Last Lap Indicator displays the difference from the previous lap time on the inset dial within a range of minus 5 to plus 1 seconds. The stopwatch function has also been enhanced, and the recorded times can be uploaded to the smartphone app. Since 200 lap times can be saved, measured to 1/1000th of a second, the chronograph helps manage detailed times during a race.
The Scuderia Toro Rosso STR14 in action at the 2019 Japanese GP recently
Mercedes-Benz Malaysia has unveiled their latest-generation Mercedes-AMG GT R and GT C earlier today. The expansion of their top range offering come with some very awesome technical marvel that promise greater speeds, agility, and all-round driving nirvana on and off the tracks. (more…)
Development of the highway network in Malaysia began in the 1980s and with the announcement of each new highway project, there was the promise of ‘smooth, jam-free motoring’ between destinations. That was true for a while as the total vehicle population was still not very large. Furthermore, the number of townships and housing estates was also small, so there wasn’t a huge volume of traffic moving daily to the urban centres.
Today, a new highway seems to provide the ‘promise’ for a short while and then congestion starts. It gets worse and worse and sometimes, the highway concessionaire may try solutions like adding lanes. But it is often unsatisfactory, especially for those who pay toll.
The Smartlane initiative
PLUS Malaysia Berhad constantly looks for ways to reduce congestion on its highways and this October 23, it will try out a manual pilot SmartLane initiative to mitigate and evaluate the traffic congestion flow between the Setia Alam exit towards the Shah Alam Toll Plaza in Selangor.
After a period of observation and evaluation, PLUS plans to implement the Intelligent Transport System (ITS) and establish an electronic SmartLane, similar to the ones presently applied in the United Kingdom and Holland.
The aim is to optimize the use of the left-most lane to enhance the flow of traffic with the aim of reducing congestion for highway customers who travel between Setia Alam to Shah Alam on the NKVE (New Klang Valley Expressway) during the morning rush hours.
Pilot sector covers 6 kms
This pilot implementation covers the NKVE stretch between Km 3.2 and Km 9.2 on the northbound side towards Petaling Jaya/Subang. It will be activated between 6:30 am and 9:30 am every Monday to Friday. During these morning peak hours, the left-most lane will be opened and used as a temporary additional lane to increase lane capacity and promote smoother traffic flow.
“Our studies have shown that the convergence of traffic as well as climbing areas contributed greatly to the congestion on the NKVE. The SmartLane pilot project is a proactive step towards providing our customers a smoother travel solution,” said PLUS Chief Operating Officer, Zakaria Ahmad Zabidi. The ITS SmartLane initiative is fully supported and endorsed by the Malaysian Highway Authority (MHA), the Police (PDRM) and the Malaysian Institute of Road Safety Research (MIROS).
He added that various preparations will be in place before the SmartLane starts. These include deploying Police and PLUSRonda officers on-site, installation of directional signages, assigning additional tow trucks at strategic locations and providing an emergency bay at Km 5.6.
“Based on PLUS’ record, 302,000 vehicles ply the NKVE daily, where 22% of them enter the highway simultaneously during the morning rush hour. However, with the implementation of the SmartLane, we expect to reduce the Setia Alam-Shah Alam peak hour crawl by 30% to 40%, barring any incidents such as accidents and vehicle breakdowns. Nevertheless, we have tow trucks on standby to address these incident” he explained.
Part of the 6-km stretch of the NKVE from the Setia Alam exit (picture at top of page) to the Shah Alam exit will have the Smartlane. This picture of the highways was taken on a Sunday but on weekdays, the volume of traffic is quite heavy with vehicles from Klang and Setia Alam heading towards Petaling Jaya and Kuala Lumpur.
Implementation in two phases
The implementation of this SmartLane initiative will be carried out in two phases. Phase One will operate manually via road signs placed at the designated stretch. Phase Two, planned to start in the second quarter of 2020, will incorporate full-fledged ITS technology. The ITS system will enable PLUS to manage traffic enforcement and traffic distribution more efficiently. All systems will be managed and monitored through the PLUS Traffic Monitoring Centre at Persada PLUS.
“We do plan to expand the SmartLane initiative to other locations along PLUS highways in the future,” added Encik Zakaria. “In the meantime, we strongly advise highway users to always follow the traffic signages, adhere closely to the speed limit, give way to emergency vehicles and be extra careful when plying the highway.”
