Piston.my

Latest News

With the introduction of more plug-in hybrid electric vehicles (PHEVs) in Malaysia in coming years, along with a few all-electric models, it’s clear that there will be a market for recharging facilities. For now, such units are being offered by the companies selling the PHEVs or EVs, usually as part of a package with the purchase of the car.

No company will be allowed to have a monopoly of the sale of such recharging facilities otherwise the powerful Competition Commission will take action. This means that there are opportunities for companies specialising in such products to start offering them in Malaysia.

Nissan LEAF
Nissan LEAF – one of the EVs available in Malaysia

One of them is Circontrol, a 22-year old Spanish company which has a range of chargers for private and commercial application. The company has deployed over 55,000 charging points across 60 countries since they’ve started and also work with brands like Nissan, Audi and Volkswagen on providing Original Equipment for their PHEVs and EVs.

For homes, Circontrol offers their Wallbox eHome and Wallbox eNext. Protected by an ABS plastic housing that’s UV-resistant for longevity. The unit re also IP54-protected, meaning they are partially protected from dust and sprays or splashes of water.

Circontrol
The range of Circontrol recharging facilities available for different applications from homes to R&R areas and companies with large PHEV/EV fleets.

Some of their charging stations like the eVolve Smart and eNext Elite can be connected via ethernet port or 3G/GPRS to make management much easier. They have 7.4kw power supply and are priced at RM5,300 (including installation with additional charges if the location is outside the Klang Valley).

Circontrol

For those who need quick charging solutions, there are DC Chargers like the Raption 50 which can ‘refill’ battery packs within half an hour, it is claimed. These Fast Charging stations feature modular power technology and power scalability to keep them cost-effective and relevant to future advances in EV battery technology.

Designed to be installed in both public access environments (urban spaces, shopping centres, hotels, airports, R&R areas, etc) or company properties where vehicles need to be ready to continue their journey, the Raption 50 is designed to meet the most important market demands. With its state-of-the-art modular power technology allows a bigger uptime, increases availability and flexibility. Another key attribute is its sophisticated, slim and robust design that makes Raption 50 and ideal EV charger for any type of location, from stylish urban areas to industrial sites.

(more…)

Based on statistics compiled by PLUS Malaysia Berhad, the average daily traffic volume on its highways in the northern region is 253,000 vehicles, while for the southern region, 189,000 vehicles travel daily. Of these vehicles, on average, 8% and 9% respectively either have insufficient balance in their Touch‘NGo cards or choose to reload them at the toll plaza exit lanes (rather than other places).

With such a high volume of traffic, pausing at a booth to reload the tollcard will affect traffic flow as it takes up to 3 minutes for the process of reloading. This is obviously inconsiderate to other highway users even though PLUS allocates one lane for reloading – but if there is no reload booth, that lane can also be used for vehicles to proceed through without being delayed.

At the beginning of August 2019, PLUS closed its reload booths at the exit toll plazas of highways in the Central Region (between Seremban and Ipoh South) in an effort to help highway users enjoy smoother passage when exiting the highway.

PLUS aims to make passage through toll plazas more efficient so that vehicles can continue on their way without unnecessary delay.

The move proved effective in speeding up traffic flow and from November 5, 2019, PLUS will close reload booths at all the exit toll plazas in the northern region (between Hutan Kampung and Ipoh Utara) and the southern region (between Seremban and Skudai). However, Customer Service Centres and Reload Lanes at entry lanes at selected toll plazas will still be provided and will be operating as usual.

Closing the reload booths also helps to ensure the safety of PLUS customer service agents as there have been several cases where heavy vehicles crashed into toll booths at the toll plazas. To date, there have been 81 cases of heavy vehicles crashing into toll booths between 2016 and 2018.

RELOAD FACILITIES
There are over 11,000 Touch’NGo reload points around the country. If you use the self-service kiosk (left), there is no reload fee charged.  (Click here for the latest list of reload points with no reload fees) You can also reload at the convenience stores of virtually all petrol stations stations, like the BHPetromart shown above.

The closure of the reload booths may seem like an inconvenience but the Touch’NGo operators have more than 11,000 reload points around the country. If you think parking is a problem, most if not all petrol stations can process reloads and you can also do so at many ATMS if you don’t have cash in hand.

Other highway concessionaires are likely to follow the PLUS move and in fact, PROLINTAS has already announced a similar action on its highways.

(more…)

For decades, the traditional way of buying a car has required a down-payment of a certain percentage and then repayment of the loan – with interest included – every month for an agreed number of years. However, many people no longer want to be tied down by such a commitment and for them, TC Euro Cars (TCEC),  the sole franchise holder of Renault vehicles in Malaysia, offers the Renault Subscription scheme.

Two plans are available for the Renault Subscription scheme which started with the Captur and Koleos models and is now also available for the latest high-performance Megane R.S. 280 Cup.

Renault Megane R.S.

The Fixed Plan is a more structured plan, available for short periods of 1,2 or 3 years, with a monthly usage rate that covers annual roadtax, insurance premium and regular servicing costs. This plan starts from RM3,999 a month for the Megane R.S. 280 Cup.

Then there’s also the Switch Plan, offering more freedom and flexibility as buyers are given access to other Renault models with no change to the previously announced rates. The Switch Plan offers the Captur with the option of utilising both the Koleos and Megane R.S. within the subscription period.

Furthermore, the Switch Plan comes with no mileage caps, no cancellation penalties and fees are inclusive of insurance, annual roadtax and regular servicing costs. Replacement of wear and tear items for the Captur are also included under this plan.

Renault Koleos and Captur
Latest Koleos (left) and Captur

“We believe that Subscription is the alternative that consumers are looking for in their vehicle ownership experience. With the updated Switch Plan, Renault Subscription is even more compelling as customers can now swap from the compact Captur to the luxurious new Koleos SUV, and over to the high-performance machine offered with the Megane R.S. The public interest in Renault Subscription has exceeded our expectations, so we believe we are on the right track,” said Wong Hoe Mun, CEO of TC Euro Cars, adding that only limited units of the Megane R.S. 280 Cup are available on Subscription.

For more information, visit www.renault.com.my.

(more…)

With competition in the market so intense these days. Car companies have a bigger challenge maintaining interest in their older model lines. There are new offerings virtually every month and car-buyers typically get drawn to the latest in the showrooms.

While the Nissan X-Trail line from Edaran Tan Chong Motor (ETCM) continues to be popular, the company has added special editions to freshen the SUV offering. These are the X-Tremer and X-Trail  Aero Editions, each with a distinctive character,

Nissan X-Trail X-Tremer

X-Trail X-Tremer
The X-Trail X-Tremer has an aggressive appearance and comes with new two-tone exterior colour options; new Imperial Red, Brilliant White or Tungsten Silver body colours, with new Black Silhouette Roof, Roof Rails and Rear Spoiler.

Nissan X-Trail special editions

Nissan X-Trail special editions

Nissan X-Trail special editions

It also has Gloss Black componentry which includes a new V-motion Grille Cladding, TOMEI Front and Rear Aero Bumpers, Side Under-Spoilers, Door Mirror Casings as well as Gloss Black 10-spoke 17-inch alloy wheels. Inside, there’s luxurious brown Nappa Leather Seats, a leatherette-covered dashboard, kneepad and armrest.

X-Trail Aero Edition
As for the X-Trail Aero Edition, this comes with silver TOMEI Front and Rear Aero Bumpers and Side Under-Spoilers, Gloss Black 10-spoke 17-inch Alloy Wheels as well as the same brown Nappa Leather interior of the X-Tremer. The Aero Edition is available in 3 exterior colour options – Diamond Black, Imperial Umber and Titanium Olive.

Nissan X-Trail Aero Edition

“The new Nissan X-Trail X-Tremer is specially tailored for customers who desire a bold and avant-garde design, while the Aero Edition is for those who prefer a sporty and elegant appearance in their SUV. We believe that these new enhancements in the Nissan X-Trail together with its Nissan Intelligent Mobility advanced safety technologies are able to cater to customers who seek both driving dynamics and distinctive styling appearance,” said Christopher Tan, Sales and Marketing Director of ETCM.

Nissan X-Trail special editions

Nissan X-Trail special editions

Nissan X-Trail special editions

The special editions are available for 4 variants of the current X-Trail range – the 2.0L Hybrid, 2.5L 4WD, 2.0L 2WD MID and 2.0L 2WD. All of the come with a standard 5-year unlimited mileage warranty while the package accessories (which are fitted at the factory) come with a 3-year or 100,000-km warranty (whichever comes first). The lithium-ion battery pack and hybrid powertrain-related components of the X-Trail Hybrid are also covered under the 5-year unlimited mileage warranty.

Nissan X-Trail special editions

Nissan X-Trail special editions

Try the special editions this weekend
The new X-Trail X-Tremer and Aero Edition can be viewed at Nissan showrooms nationwide from tomorrow (November 2), with test-drives available upon request. Those who are interested in experiencing the future of motoring can also attend the Nissan Electrifying Drive Carnival on November 9/10 at selected ETCM showrooms (click here for the list of showrooms). They can have a test-drive of the second-generation Nissan LEAF, the world best-selling electric vehicle, which is also available for purchase.

For information on Nissan products and services in Malaysia, visit www.nissan.com.my.

(more…)

With just 2 months left to 2019, MINI Malaysia is giving customers a chance to benefit from the brand’s 60th anniversary year celebrations. Commenting on the latest promotions, Harald Hoelzl, MD of BMW Group Malaysia said: “2019 marks yet another milestone for us at MINI as we celebrate our 60th year anniversary, and we want to extend that celebration to MINIacs across Malaysia who have helped grow our brand to where we are today. Taking the premium ownership experience to yet another level, we are introducing a limited-time offering for new owners of vehicles from the MINI portfolio.”

MINI Malaysia
The MINI range for the Malaysian market

With The Great British Deal offered at all MINI dealerships, customers who purchase a new MINI can enjoy significantly lower monthly instalments, starting from RM2,388 with MINI Balloon Financing, at a lowered interest rate starting from 0.77% for MINI vehicles purchased from now to December 31, 2019. New owners will also enjoy insurance rebate of RM2,000 off MINI vehicles with the MINI Financing plan.

All newly-registered MINI vehicles come with a 4-Year Unlimited Mileage Warranty with Free Scheduled Service; 24-Hour Roadside Assistance and MINI Black Card membership.

And every customer who purchases any MINI model during the campaign period, an automatic contest entry will be entered for one lucky owner to win an all-expense-paid trip to Great Britain for two.

(more…)

Archive

Follow us on Facebook

Follow us on YouTube