The vast majority of road accidents in Malaysia are the result of human behaviour rather than faulty infrastructure, according to Works Minister Datuk Seri Alexander Nanta Linggi, who cited recent data from the Malaysian Institute of Road Safety Research (MIROS).
According to Malay Mail, Nanta revealed that over 80 per cent of traffic incidents stem from driver-related factors, such as recklessness and distraction, while only 12 to 13 per cent are attributed to road conditions, including surface damage or inclement weather. Out of more than 500,000 recorded accident cases, 12,000 resulted in serious injuries, while 6,000 ended in fatalities, with motorcyclists accounting for approximately 4,000 of those deaths.
Nanta raised concerns over a prevailing public narrative that often attributes accidents to infrastructure shortcomings. He emphasised that although damaged roads exist throughout the country’s extensive federal road network, spanning over 20,000 kilometres, such issues are seldom the root cause of major crashes.
The Road Transport Department (JPJ) has issued a total of 1,489 summonses to Singapore-registered vehicles for failing to install and activate their Vehicle Entry Permit (VEP) RFID tags, following intensified enforcement efforts at the Malaysia-Singapore border.
The summonses, which amounted to RM445,800 in total fines, were issued between 1 July and the end of the recent enforcement operation. Checks were conducted at strategic locations outside the two main land entry points—Sultan Iskandar Building (BSI) and Sultan Abu Bakar Complex (KSAB)—as well as surrounding areas within the Johor Bahru district. A total of 14,379 Singaporean vehicles were inspected.
According to JPJ Enforcement Senior Director Muhammad Kifli Ma Hassan, the operation is no longer in its awareness-raising phase and full enforcement is now underway. He stated that on the night of the operation alone, 15 summonses were issued to vehicles that had entered Malaysia without having the mandatory VEP RFID tags installed and activated.
Porsche is preparing to expand its 992.2-generation 911 lineup with the introduction of the new Turbo S variant, which is expected to debut later this year. The announcement was made by Porsche CEO Oliver Blume during the company’s half-year earnings briefing, marking a significant step in the brand’s transition towards electrified performance models.
The forthcoming Turbo S will adopt a hybrid powertrain, a move that aligns with earlier confirmations by former Chief Financial Officer Lutz Meschke in late 2024. The electrified setup signals Porsche’s intent to blend traditional performance with next-generation technology across its iconic 911 range. A standard Turbo model without the “S” badge is also anticipated to follow.
The hybrid system in the new 911 Turbo S will be powered by battery cells developed by V4Drive GmbH, a company Porsche acquired from the Varta AG Group earlier this year. V4Drive, which has since been rebranded as V4Smart, also supplies the cylindrical batteries used in the 911 GTS’s T-Hybrid system. These 1.9-kilowatt-hour battery packs are currently manufactured at facilities in Ellwangen and Nördlingen, with Porsche planning to expand the workforce to 375 employees across both locations to support growing production demands for hybrid 911 models.
Toyota Motor is reshaping its supply strategy in Southeast Asia, turning to Chinese component manufacturers in Thailand as part of a broader cost-reduction initiative for its upcoming electrified vehicle set for launch in 2028. This strategic realignment, which involves substantial procurement from Chinese firms, marks a notable shift in Toyota’s traditional sourcing model and signals a broader transformation of the automotive landscape in the region.
Thailand, Toyota’s largest production hub in Southeast Asia, is at the centre of this shift. The Japanese automaker has begun to diversify its supplier base by incorporating parts from Chinese companies, a move that includes a partnership between Summit Group and China’s Wuhu Yuefei to establish a new components factory. This collaboration marks the first formal entry of a Chinese parts manufacturer into the Southeast Asian supply chain of a Japanese automotive firm.
The decision reflects growing pressure on Japanese carmakers in the Thai market, where their dominance is waning. Japanese brands now account for 71% of the market share, a drop that coincides with the steady rise of Chinese automakers, whose share has climbed to 16%. The increasing presence of Chinese manufacturers has not only altered market dynamics but also brought more competitive pricing and production advantages.
Hybrids are becoming more popular. Would you believe that? It is not that hard to believe with petrol becoming more expensive and the cost of replacing batteries dropping significantly.
It was just about a decade ago when car buyers were spooked by the monumental cost of replacing hybrid batteries. Technology has caught up, hybrid batteries are cheaper than ever (in the rare event they need to be replaced), and hybrid cars themselves are more accessible.
But did you know that there are different hybrid technologies available in the market? There are basic capacitor-based technologies. These store energy so that your car can continue to run when the engine automatically shuts off at the traffic light to save precious fuel.
And then there are more sophisticated ones whose sole purpose is to use as little fuel as possible.
Take Honda’s hybrid tech for example, based on the Atkinson Cycle internal combustion engine, it is one of the most efficient systems in the market right now with official fuel consumption ratings of just 20km per litre of fuel (we managed 19.8km per litre during an independent test).
What is Atkinson Cycle?
There are two main but different combustion technologies available in the market. One is the more conventional Otto Cycle which is found in most cars, and the other is Atkinson Cycle.
We are about to get more technical but the fundamental difference between the two is in the stroke ratio. A stroke is described as a “single complete movement of a piston in one direction, either upwards or downwards, within the cylinder”.
There are three important strokes, an intake stroke which draws a mixture of air and fuel into the cylinder. Then there is the compression stroke which compresses the air-fuel mixture when the cylinder moves upwards. And then there is the power stroke, where the compressed mixture is ignited by a spark plug, causing a powerful explosion thus generation power to move the wheels.
To describe the difference between Otto and Atkinson Cycles, we will focus on the compression and the power stroke.
In an Otto Cycle engine, the compression stroke and the power stroke are of equal length. With an Atkinson Cycle, the power stroke is longer than the compression stroke.
The benefits of a longer compression stroke is that all the gases can expand more fully, thus extracting more energy from the fuel before it is sent out as exhaust fumes.
This leads to significantly higher thermal efficiency but there is a trade-off. Atkinson Cycle engines have a lower power density and less torque, especially at lower RPM’s.
Honda’s engineers though, have found a solution to that and that is to mate the more efficient Atkinson Cycle engine to an electric motor.
The motor solve the core issue of the Atkinson Cycle engine because they create almost all their torque from just zero rpm. Providing acceleration akin to an electric vehicle.
So, how does it benefit you?
Simply put, it lets you travel further with lesser fuel.
Honda’s e:HEV system has three modes:
1. EV drive mode: During acceleration and at low speeds, the car is driven purely by the electric motor. The engine is completely shut at this point.
2. Hybrid drive mode: At moderate speed such as in the city, the Atkinson Cycle works as a generator. It works at a constant, highly efficient rpm rate to generate electricity which drives the wheels. The engine does not drive the wheels directly in this mode.
3. Engine drive mode: At high speeds such as on the highway, the engine drives the wheels directly through a lock-up clutch. In this mode, the engine runs at a constant rate where it is most efficient. As such, it can directly power the car without any compensation from the electric motor.
All of this happens with you barely noticing anything. If you really tune in and put your ear down, you can make out a slight hum indicating the engine is working.
Which Honda models offer this tech?
All of Honda’s models have a hybrid variant, and all Honda hybrid models come with technology mentioned above.
But we recently took a Honda Civic and Honda CR-V on a drive to Penang to understand how they work, and there is one thing that surprised us.
As similar as the systems are, the hybrid technologies in the Civic and the CR-V are quite different.
With Honda’s hybrid technology, there is no gearbox in the traditional sense. Instead, the wheels are powered via the electric motors and by the engine at high speed, through a lock-up clutch.
So even though Honda’s specification sheets say there is an e-CVT transmission, the reality is that there are no gearshifts happening underneath the car.
That sound of gears shifting when you drive the car? Well, that is purposefully engineered and piped into the cabin through the speakers. In essence, the sound is artificially augmented for your driving pleasure, and it sounds real good too.
But that is not to say there are no gears whatsoever, and therein lays the key difference between the Civic and the CR-V.
The Civic only has one high gear that drives the wheels at all times. The CR-V on the other hand has a high gear and a low gear.
The reason why the CR- V has a low gear is that in some markets, towing capability is essential. And that is what the low gear is for – towing.
Whether it is towing a jet ski or a motorcycle, the fact of the matter is, the CR-V is built to handle it.
As for towing capacity, the CR-V can manage up to 750kg’s of braked towing, that means a trailer with a braking system. Or up to 600kg’s without a braking system.
What about the cars themselves?
Since we only drove the Civic and the CR-V, we will focus on that. The CR-V e:HEV RS is the flagship Honda for the Malaysian market, and it feels like it too.
It offers a spacious cabin with the 12-speaker BOSE sound system being the jewel of the interior. It is rare for a car of this price range to come with a BOSE sound system so credit to Honda Malaysia for managing that.
Besides being spacious, the interior of the CR-V hybrid is one that is incredibly refined. Achieved through a combination of technologies such as double-glazed windows, noise cancelling technology and even sound resonator wheels. All this works in unison to keep the interior incredibly quiet and refined even at highways speed.
The CR-V is powered by a 2.0-litre, naturally-aspirated, Atkinson Cycle engine with electric motors. It produces a combined system output of 244PS and 335Nm of torque. As for performance, it has a top speed of 187km/h and accelerates to 100km/h in just nine seconds.
The Civic on the other hand feels a lot sportier. Perhaps it is because you sit closer to the ground, and this makes the entire experience feel a lot more purposeful.
The new Civic has grown substantially and this translates to a roomier interior.
The two cars share similar dashboards but the seats on the Civic e:HEV RS are wrapped in a combination of half leather and suede like material.
This writer personally prefers the leather seat on the Civic V-Spec because it offers more padding and as such feels more comfortable. The seats on the RS feel sportier in comparison. Perhaps age may be a factor.
The Civic does not have as much sound deadening tech as the CR-V, as such you hear more of the world outside.
As for the powertrain, the Civic is also powered by a 2.0-litre, naturally-aspirated, Atkinson Cycle engine mated to an electric motor.
With 235PS and 315Nm of torque, the Civic sees off the charge to 100km/h in 7.9 seconds and tops out at 180km/h.
But where the Civic lacks power, it makes up for in efficiency. The Civic needs just four-litres of fuel to travel 100km while the CR-V needs five-litres.
Final words.
In a world where new car brands are emerging faster than ever, legacy car makers like Honda are important because of their engineering prowess.
Honda Malaysia’s entire management team was on hand to talk about hybrid powertrains.
The hybrid technologies of both the Honda CR-V and the Civic are undeniably impressive. Not only efficient, but power for both models are also available from near standstill.
It is this ability to provide technology to suit everyday life that sets Honda apart from the rest.
There is no doubt that some company will soon reverse engineer Honda’s tech and call it their own with clever acronyms and such.
Honda Malaysia flew in engineers from Japan and locally to teach us about hybrid powertrains.
But Honda has been building and rebuilding since 1999 with the Honda Insight and its hybrid powertrain called the Integrated Motor Assist. It is no wonder that Honda Malaysia has shifted over 60,000 hybrid cars in Malaysia alone.
So, if it’s a reliable, powerful yet efficient powertrain that you want, then the Honda Civic and the CR-V are worth a good hard look. This is a company that innovates and not just reverse engineers.
A federal jury in Miami has ruled that Tesla shares responsibility for a fatal 2019 crash involving its Autopilot system, ordering the electric vehicle manufacturer to pay $243 million (around RM1.1 billion) in punitive and compensatory damages. The verdict follows a two-week trial examining the role of Tesla’s self-driving technology in the death of 22-year-old Naibel Benavides Leon.
The case revolved around a collision in which a Tesla Model S, driven by George McGee and equipped with Autopilot, ran through a T-shaped intersection, striking Leon and her boyfriend, Dillon Angulo. Leon died at the scene, while Angulo suffered severe, life-altering injuries. At the time of the crash, McGee had reportedly dropped his phone and lost control of the vehicle. Although the driver admitted fault, the jury concluded that Tesla’s software also played a significant role in the incident.
The plaintiffs were awarded $200 million in punitive damages and approximately $43 million in compensatory damages. The jury’s decision indicates that Tesla’s technology did not perform as it should have, failing to prevent the crash despite data suggesting it recognised the impending danger.
