The RFID (Radio-Frequency IDentification) initiative for electronic toll payment started off as a pilot programme 18 months ago. During the period, to encourage motorists to adopt the RFID tag, Touch ‘n Go (the company managing the system), offered it for free.
One million motorists have taken up the offer, having the tiny tag with an embedded chip installed on their vehicle’s windscreen or headlamp. According to the company, the tags have been used for 55 million toll payment transactions and the failure rate (for a transaction) has been just 1%.
Concessionaires managing 22 highways allocated lanes for Class 1 vehicles at their toll plazas which allow the RFID system to be used, providing quick passage through without having to stop. These include 10 toll plazas on PLUS-managed highways (since January 1, 2020) with toll payments using the RFID tag at the remaining 83 PLUS toll plazas being accepted from April 1, 2020.
Price inclusive of one replacement
The pilot programme will end on February 14, 2020 and thereafter, those who want to install the RFID tags will have to pay RM35 for each tag. This payment covers a free replacement on the same vehicle when users need to get a new RFID tag (on a one-time basis).
The company has also announced plans to expand the usage of the RFID tag to pay for other services (eg parking and refueling), as well as enable linking with bank accounts and credit/debit cards so that users can reload and pay more easily. The system currently works with the TnG eWallet which is a requirement to use the RFID tag.
The Toyota GAZOO Racing Festival (TGR Festival) heads to Penang next weekend (February 15/16) for the third round, again using the venue at Stadium Batu Kawan on the mainland side. Currently in its third season, the highlight of the event is the Toyota Vios Challenge one-make race series. Drivers in all three classes – Super Sporting, Sporting and Promotional class – aim to pick up as many points as possible before the final round at the Sepang International Circuit in April.
“Penang can essentially make or break a driver’s championship campaign this season. For some, it will be the last chance to capitalize on their experience competing on a street circuit and hopefully build an almost unassailable lead in the championship. For others, it will be about fighting to narrow the gap in order to keep their championship hopes alive, enough to cause an upset when the racing moves to a permanent circuit,” said Toyota GAZOO Racing Malaysia’s Chief Motorsports Officer, Akio Takeyama, who is also a participant.
Close racing during the first round of the first season. The 1.56-km long street circuit is created specially for the event.
In the Super Sporting class for professionals, Tengku Djan Ley – currently has the lead with 36 points, just 8 points ahead of Laser Motor’s Mark Darwin. Kenny Lee is just one point behind.
“It’s great to be leading the championship but with 4 more races in the season, I have to make sure I stay focused. We still have a long way to go, and the experience of competing in Season 1 and managing a team in Season 2 has taught me that the overall championship almost always comes down to the last two races of the season and I don’t foresee it being any different this time,” said Tengku Djan, also known as Malaysia’s ‘Prince of Drift’.
FIA-approved barriers and fencing allow spectators to be close to the action without being in danger.
Meanwhile, with 17 drivers on the grid, every single Sporting class race has been nothing short of a dogfight. Automotive journalist Tom Goh, driving for S&D Tama Motorsports, is at the top of the points standings with 28 points, just two points ahead of TGR debutante Haji Sutan Mustaffa Salihin. One point behind him is Crestmax Motorsport’s Adam Khalid followed by another TGR newcomer and young driver Bradley Benedict Anthony with 22 points.
Leading the Promotional class for celebrities is television presenter and comedian Nabil Ahmad who has a 4-point advantage over Season 1 overall champion Shawn Lee at 28 points, with singer Khai Bahar in third position. Diana Danielle; Janna Nick; Shukri Yahaya; Nabila Razali; Wany Hasrita; Ain Edruce; and Syafiq Kyle are the other celebrities who will take part in the rave which draws many of their fans from all over the country.
The TGR Festival gives fans a chance to get close to their favourite celebrities who also take part in the Vios Challenge.
Commenting on the TGR Festival, UMW Toyota Motor President, Ravindran K., said: “The excitement of the TGR Festival is not confined to thrills and spills on the track but includes so many activities for the family. It will feature Toyota’s fleet of new vehicles which the public can view and test-drive.”
“There will also be a drift performance, racing simulator challenge, stage games, celebrity performances, promotional activities, lucky draws, the sale of merchandises, and a Super Fans Signing Session for a chance to mingle with the celebrities racing in the Promotional class. Also on display will be the flagship GR Supra!” he added.
For fitness fans, the TGR Festival will also feature a fun run on the 1.56-km track as well as a zumba fitness session on Sunday. Registration is free with goodies limited to the first 500 participants. Also on display will be a Super GT racing car in conjunction with the upcoming Malaysian round of the Super GT Championship at the Sepang International Circuit in July.
Drift professionals from Japan thrill the crowds with their precise manoeuvres in Toyota GT86 sportscars.This historically-significant Toyota Corolla KE-10 will be on display at the event.
Other attractions include the display of a fully restored 1968 Toyota Corolla KE-10 model (one of the very first Toyota vehicles assembled in Malaysia), a retro display by the Art of Speed, and a showcase of motorcycles and merchandise by Harley Davidson, Aprilia, Vespa and Moto Guzzi. Children’s activities include a bey blade competition, the sale of Hot Wheels die-cast models, and a nerf gun competition.
Entrance is free and for those who want to be ‘chauffeur-driven’ to the venue, the organisers are offering subsidized rides with Grab. Use the promo code GRAB2TGR and you will save RM20 on the charge to and from Stadium Batu Kawan.
Owners of classic cars will know that when it comes to getting replacement tyres, finding the right size can be difficult. Understandably, over time, tyremakers have stopped production of older tyre products as demand has fallen and technology has also advanced.
Now Yokohama is reviving some of the company’s iconic heritage brands, incorporating modern technology and performance but with the classic style and design from the 1960s and beyond. Referred to as ‘hobby tyres’, they are are specially designed for classic cars.
With this hobby tyre range for classic cars, owners will be able to fit tyres that offer modern levels of performance, giving great comfort, grip and longevity. However, with classic styling, the tyres will help owners retain that all-important period correct look.”
The first tyre in the range, the G.T Special Y350, goes back to 1967 when the original brand was launched and was the first within Yokohama’s range to feature radial tyre technology. Ideally suited for use on historic Japanese and European cars from the 1960s and 1970s, the tyre is available in 14-inch and 15-inch sizes.
Originally fitted by the factory on the 911 Carrera Turbo (930), the Yokohama ADVAN A008P is also available. The revived classic tyre is now available in classic sizes of 245/45ZR16 and 205/55ZR16 for rear and front fitments. Available in sizes from 10 inches to 15 inches, the legendary ADVAN HF Type-D 008 is the third classic tyre available in the Yokohama range. This is for more modern classics from the 1980s and 1990s.
Additionally, there’s also the classic A539 pattern which is available in sizes from 12 inches to 15 inches with popular fitments available to suit a wide range of classics.
Availability in Malaysia may require ordering through the Malaysian agent.
The Indian market has long received the attention of Korean carmakers who have seen its potential in the longer term. As such, they have been willing to make investments in production facilities as well as develop models just for the market since there is sufficient volume.
At India’s Auto Expo 2020 this week, Kia Motors India is not only showing off new products but also unveiled, for the first time ever, a concept model of a future global compact SUV. The concept will be developed further ahead of a launch in the Indian market in the second half of 2020.
The concept model is called the Sonet and is a preview of the third product offering from Kia Motors in India. Targeted at a demographic that is ‘always connected to the world in more ways than one, the Sonet is designed to exceed customers’ lifestyle and technology expectations’.
The Sonet has several first-in-class features, most of which are likely to be available in the production model. The dynamic and bold design incorporates Kia’s signature ‘tiger-nose’ grille, stepwell geometry within the grille mesh, ‘tiger-eyeline’ daytime running lights, and wide rear signature lighting.
The interior is designed to appeal to the young, social, connected, tech-savvy Indian customer. The cabin is fitted with a 10.25-inch infotainment and navigation system with UVO Connect and a Bose premium audio system Kia says the Sonet concept indicates best-in-class interior space.
From the pictures, the Sonet has compact dimensions so it would be taking on models like the Ford Ecosport. The engines would therefore be small, possible in the 1.0-litre to 1.5-litre range with both petrol and diesel options as well as turbocharging. An intelligent manual transmission will also be offered.
Since July 2018, Setel – the PETRONAS payment application – has been available to motorists in the Klang Valley, providing a level of convenience that is unprecedented in Malaysia. Not surprisingly, it has been well received and used, with over 3 million transactions up till the end of January 2020. During the year and a half it’s been available, PETRONAS would have been fine-tuning the system and paying attention to feedback from customers with the aim of making it better.
Now Setel is ready to be enjoyed by more motorists and PETRONAS is making it available nationwide (including in East Malaysia) from today. The e-payment app can be installed on smartphones running on the iOS or Android systems, with the app distributed for free through the Apple Store and Google Play Store.
Not ‘another e-wallet’
PETRONAS officials stress that it is not ‘another e-wallet’ although it does store monetary value that is used for payment of purchases of fuel. It is first and foremost a payment solution which enables a motorist to use the smartphone to make payment directly while parked next to the pump. However, until PETRONAS develops a system which can also automatically connect the fuel nozzle to the car, the driver will still have to get out and insert the nozzle.
The advantages of this approach of using the smartphone and app to make payment is that there is no need to go to the station counter to make payment (if paying by cash), nor is there a need to go through a few steps using a credit/debit card. It’s pretty much a seamless process which will please those with kids on board as they don’t have to leave the kids in the car while they go and make payment.
MESRA card can be integrated
Besides this convenience, Setel also integrates the MESRA loyalty card program so points for purchases are electronically stored right away. Redemption using Setel is also possible as part of the integration. Reloading of the stored balance is done like e-wallets with either an authorized link to a credit card/debit card or bank account.
There’s also a ‘family feature’ whereby a parent can allow his or her Setel account to be used by the children. This not only tracks expenditures but Setel will also provide a monthly statement and for those who require receipts to make claims, these will also be available.
“The current features of Setel are just the beginning,” said Azrul Osman Rani, Managing Director & CEO of PETRONAS Dagangan Berhad. “Anchored on seamless and frictionless experience, we will be providing the right solutions and partnerships to enrich the customer journey beyond refueling.”
Special ‘Pit Stop’ offers at stations
One new feature being introduced is the Setel Pit Stop which will have special offers for snacks and drinks that will be broadcast through the app. Motorists who are pumping petrol can be made aware of these offers at the station and make purchases using Setel. They can then collect the items from Pit Stop areas on the way out. According to a PETRONAS executive, this will not be available at every station for now as they want to see response and get feedback.
To welcome those who install Setel for the first time, PETRONAS is offering a 10% cashback on fuel purchases (Klang Valley only). The user must purchase PRIMAX fuel using Setel 3 times within 30 days of account registration and the first 3 fuel transactions have to total to a minimum of RM90. The maximum 1-time cashback and cashback value of RM15 per user.
Goodyear continues to gain increasing preference in the motorsports world as it is chosen as Official Tyre Supplier. Following its appointment by the FIA as tyre-supplier for the World Touring Car Cup (WTCR) and British Touring Car Championship (BTCC), the international governing body has now also made Goodyear the official tyre supplier to the Le Mans Prototype 2 (LMP2) category of the FIA World Endurance Championship (WEC) and European Le Mans Series (ELMS).
A multi-season contract between the Automobile Club de l’Ouest (ACO), the FIA World Endurance Championship and Goodyear was agreed following ACO’s decision to appoint a single tyre supplier for this highly competitive Le Mans Prototype class.
The contract, to supply all the WEC teams in the LMP2 class, begins with the 8-round 2020/2021 season which starts at Silverstone in September, before continuing across four continents around the world. its climax will be the 24 hours of Le Mans in June 2021, a race which Goodyear-equipped cars have won outright on 14 occasions.
“Goodyear has a long and remarkable history in motorsport. In addition to our unbeaten record in Formula One with 368 Grand Prix wins, we have 14 overall wins in the 24 Hours of Le Mans. This partnership allows us to showcase our technology, durability and performance in the most famous endurance race in the world. We are proud to have been chosen for this challenge,” said Mike Rytokoski, Vice-President and Chief Marketing Officer, Consumer EMEA at Goodyear.
The LMP2 official tyre partnership with ELMS, the world’s leading continental endurance racing series, will begin in April 2021. In ELMS, the LMP2 category is the top tier of a multi-class championship that races at six of Europe’s top circuits.
The partnership means that all LMP2 entrants in the 2021 24 Hours of Le Mans, including cars from outside of WEC and ELMS, will benefit from the latest developments in Goodyear Racing tyres. In addition, Goodyear will also increase its brand visibility on and off the track to support its launch of the latest range of Eagle F1 SuperSport tyres, featuring motorsport-derived technology.
