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McLaren Eyes Expansion Under New Ownership – And Hints At More Than Supercars

McLaren may have recently unveiled the Artura sports car and the track-focused W1 hypercar, but questions still linger about what the future holds for the legendary British brand. The company has just undergone a major shift in ownership, having been taken over by CYVN Holdings, an investment arm of Saudi Arabia’s sovereign wealth fund, and merged with UK-based EV startup Forseven.

What this means for McLaren long-term is still uncertain, but some clues have started to emerge. Speaking to Car Magazine in the UK, new CEO Nick Collins outlined parts of the plan, and it looks as though McLaren is preparing to stretch beyond its traditional playground of lightweight, two-seat supercars.

Collins stopped short of confirming whether an SUV is on the way, something McLaren has teased before, but he did reveal that the brand will move into what he called “adjacent segments.” Crucially, he confirmed a future model will arrive with more than two seats, which would mark a significant departure from McLaren’s history of strictly sticking to the supercar formula.

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XPENG Expands Charging Network in Southeast Asia with Charge Plus Partnership

XPENG has announced a major step forward in its charging infrastructure across the Asia-Pacific region. The company’s partnership with Charge Plus will give XPENG drivers access to over 3,800 charging piles in Singapore, Malaysia, and Thailand, as well as stations spanning 5,000km of highways that connect five countries: Singapore, Malaysia, Thailand, Vietnam, and Cambodia.

This marks the first time a Chinese emerging EV brand has collaborated with Charge Plus in Southeast Asia.

Through this cooperation, XPENG vehicles such as the G6, G9, and X9—all of which use an 800V fast-charging platform—will have expanded coverage along key routes, including the entire north-south expressway network in Singapore, Malaysia, and Thailand. In Singapore, the network includes the country’s largest public charging system, which holds more than 30% of the market.

The first XPENG and Charge Plus co-branded charging stations are already operational in major cities across Singapore, Malaysia, and Thailand. XPENG owners using these stations will receive exclusive benefits, including charging discounts by the end of 2025. Real-time station information will also be integrated into XPENG’s in-car displays, allowing drivers to check availability and navigate to stations directly.

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Toyota Australia May Look to China for More EVs

Toyota Australia is thinking about bringing in more electric cars from China as it looks to grow its EV line-up.

Sean Hanley, Toyota Australia’s Sales and Marketing boss, said the company is watching what its partners in China are making. He explained that Toyota already has strong ties with factories there and sees no issue with selling Chinese-built cars in Australia, as long as they meet Toyota’s standards.

Right now, Toyota only has one electric car worldwide – the bZ4X SUV. An updated version will arrive later this year, and a Touring version with more space is coming in 2025.

In China, Toyota already sells more EVs, such as the bZ3 sedan, bZ5 SUV coupe, and bigger models like the bZ7 and bZ3X SUV. These are built with local partners FAW and GAC.

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Australia Kicks Off Vehicle-to-Grid Trials with Hyundai, Kia, BYD and Zeekr EVs

Australia’s two biggest electricity providers, Origin Energy and AGL, have both announced fresh trials of vehicle-to-grid (V2G) technology – a system that lets certain electric vehicles feed power back into the grid.

AGL’s programme is the bigger of the two, opening this week for expressions of interest from owners of select Hyundai, Kia, BYD and Zeekr models. The trial will run for 12 months and, unlike earlier small-scale tests, covers customers under all major National Electricity Market (NEM) distribution networks in Victoria, New South Wales, Queensland and South Australia.

Importantly, AGL has confirmed it is working directly with the carmakers to ensure that participation won’t affect the vehicle’s battery warranty.

Origin’s approach is a little different. According to Drive, instead of asking existing EV owners to join, the company is offering a subscription package tied to the BYD Atto 3. For under AUD800 (RM2,222) a month after tax savings, customers will get the car on a novated lease along with a StarCharge V2G Halo bi-directional wallbox.

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How To Check On Budi95 If You Qualify For Subsidised Petrol

The government has launched the Budi Madani RON 95 (Budi95) website where Malaysians can now check if they are eligible for subsidised petrol. The new scheme sets the price of RON 95 petrol at RM1.99 per litre for those who qualify, compared with the unsubsidised rate of RM2.60 per litre that takes effect from September 30.

The announcement was made by Finance Minister II, Datuk Seri Amir Hamzah Azizan, who explained that motorists need only complete a quick verification process to begin enjoying the subsidised rate.

How to Check Eligibility

Visit the official website at www.budi95.gov.my

Click on “Semak Kelayakan Individu”.

Enter your MyKad number (numbers only, without dashes or spaces).

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Luxury Car Owners Owe RM35.7 Million in Unpaid Road Tax

Transport Minister Anthony Loke has revealed that owners of some of the world’s most exclusive car brands are sitting on road tax arrears amounting to nearly RM35.7 million.

According to figures from the Road Transport Department (JPJ), Porsche owners top the list with 4,308 vehicles racking up a combined RM13.7 million in unpaid road tax. Rolls-Royce follows with 345 cars owing RM6.4 million, while Bentley owners account for RM7 million from 660 vehicles. Ferrari owners are behind on RM4.7 million for 675 cars, and Lamborghini adds another RM3.7 million with 372 vehicles.

According to Bernama, Loke pointed out that many of these vehicles belong to high-profile individuals, including titled figures, politicians and prominent businessmen, yet the basic responsibility of renewing the Motor Vehicle Licence (LKM) is being ignored.

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Bentley’s Flying Spur Gets First-Ever Ombré by Mulliner Paint Finish

Bentley has revealed something rather special for its Flying Spur — a brand-new Ombré by Mulliner paint finish. This striking look, which blends two colours across the length of the car, has until now only been seen on the Continental GT. It’s now made its way onto Bentley’s four-door grand tourer for the very first time.

The process is as meticulous as you’d expect from Crewe’s Dream Factory. Two highly skilled paint technicians spend almost 60 hours hand-painting each car, carefully layering and blending the shades so that the fade remains perfectly balanced on both sides.

For the Flying Spur debut, the front of the car wears a bright Topaz Blue that gradually transitions to a deeper Windsor Blue at the rear. The fade sweeps seamlessly across the doors, sills, and roofline, showing off the artistry of Bentley’s Paint Shop team.

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Geely Reveals 5th-Gen Emgrand with Bigger Body, More Power and Fresh Design

Geely has pulled the covers off its 5th-generation Emgrand, showing off official images of the brand’s latest petrol-powered sedan. The new model grows in size, gains a more powerful engine, and adopts a sharper design language compared to the current version.

Dimension-wise, the Emgrand now measures 4,815mm long, 1,885mm wide, and 1,480mm tall, riding on a 2,755mm wheelbase. That makes it significantly larger than the 4th-gen model, which stood at 4,638/1,820/1,460mm with a 2,650mm wheelbase. This increase in footprint not only makes the sedan more imposing on the road, but also promises better cabin space for passengers.

At the front, the new Emgrand carries a polygonal waterfall grille featuring 12 vertical trim strips, now arranged in a less dense layout for a more refined appearance. The headlamps have also been redesigned, with a wider illumination range of more than 170 metres, improving night-time visibility.

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YANGWANG U9X Becomes the World’s Fastest Production Car at 496km/h

BYD’s luxury sub-brand, YANGWANG, has officially rewritten the record books after its latest hypercar, the U9 Xtreme, clocked a staggering 496.22km/h at the ATP Automotive Testing Papenburg circuit in Germany. The run, which took place on 14 September 2025, not only smashed the previous EV record but also overtook the fastest petrol-powered car on record, making it the quickest production vehicle in the world.

The U9 Xtreme, or U9X as it is now officially called, began life as the U9 Track/Special Edition before being refined into a road-going production model. It builds on the foundations of the regular U9 already sold in China, but with significant upgrades that push the limits of what an electric hypercar can do.

Among the highlights is a new 1200V ultra-high-voltage system (up from the U9’s 800V setup), a lithium iron phosphate Blade Battery capable of delivering an extraordinary 30C discharge rate, and four ultra-high-speed motors that spin up to 30,000rpm, generating more than 3,000PS in total. The package is completed with track-focused semi-slick tyres and a recalibrated DiSus-X suspension system, tuned specifically for the brutal forces of high-speed circuit driving.

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Toyota Research Institute Finds Behavioural Science Can Boost EV Charging Habits

The Toyota Research Institute (TRI) has revealed new research showing how behavioural science can play a major role in improving electric vehicle (EV) charging habits, ultimately cutting carbon emissions more effectively. The studies, carried out in both the United States and Japan, tested a prototype app called ChargeMinder, designed by TRI’s Human-Centred Artificial Intelligence division.

Instead of relying purely on technology, the research highlighted how subtle behavioural nudges can change the way people interact with their vehicles. In the U.S., plug-in hybrid (PHEV) drivers increased their charging frequency by around 10% thanks to targeted interventions.

Meanwhile, in Japan, both PHEV and battery electric vehicle (BEV) users shifted a significant portion of their charging to hours with the highest renewable energy supply — nearly 59% more than before — which translated to about 30 minutes of extra daytime charging per vehicle each day.

Beyond the environmental benefits, the experiments also improved driver satisfaction. In the U.S., PHEV owners reported a 16-point increase in satisfaction levels, with every participant ending up fully satisfied with their vehicles.

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