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First Locally-Assembled Mercedes-Benz EV Rolls Out From Pekan Plant

Following the launch of the battery-electric Mercedes-Benz EQS in Malaysia last year, Mercedes-Benz Malaysia today rolled out an EQS 500 4MATIC as its first locally assembled battery electric model at the assembly facility in Pekan, Pahang.

Mercedes-Benz Malaysia has been assembling its vehicles there since 2004 and the EQS marks a significant milestone. It is not just for Mercedes-Benz but also the Malaysian auto industry since it is among the first fully electric models to be assembled locally.

The program to assemble has been quite fast and would have been encouraged by the Malaysian government’s decision to provide duty-free incentives for BEVs from 2022, with those assembled locally enjoying the incentives for an extra 2 years (till the end of 2025). Without the imposition of import taxes and sales tax, the price of the EQS 500 4MATIC is RM648,888 (excluding insurance), RM50,000 less than the CBU EQS 450+ AMG Line.

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Jean-Eric Vergne Wins First-Ever Formula E Race in India

DS PENSKE’s Jean-Eric Vergne held on to his lead to win the first-ever ABB FIA Formula E World Championship race in India. His victory was cheered by a sell-out crowd of over 25,000 people which included a host of dignitaries, Bollywood celebrities and sports stars. The last time Verge was on top of the Formula E podium was in April 2021 at the Rome E-Prix.

The 32-year old French driver, who has been in the all-electric single-seater championship Formula E since 2014, Vergne fought hard in the final third of the race to stay ahead of Envision Racing pair Nick Cassidy and Sebastien Buemi. Although Buemi finished third, a post-race penalty dropped him further so it was Antonio Felix da Costa (TAG Heuer Porsche Formula E Team) who inherited his position.

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Audi Malaysia To Sell e-Tron EV Models From Mid-2023

Audi is the latest brand in Malaysia to electrify, with 2 fully electric models (in multiple variants) to go on sale from mid-2023. The range will consist of the Q8 e-tron in SUV and Sportback versions, and e-tron GT quattro/RS e-tron GT. Malaysia will be among the first markets in the region to introduce the Q8 e-tron.

As the shipments have not arrived yet, PHSAM (PHS Automotive Malaysia), the Audi distributor, can only offer estimated prices for the models. Pricing for the Q8 e-tron is estimated to range from RM369,000 – RM476,000, while the e-tron GT quattro will have a price range estimated to be RM550,000 – RM643,000 for the two versions to be offered. The RS e-tron GT is estimated to have a price range from RM749,000 – RM769,000.

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Nissan Max-Out Convertible EV Concept Becomes A Reality

With digital renderings these days, it is possible to present a new vehicle design so realistically that it seems like an actual model. However, it is still 2-dimensional and while there can be many angles (and the image can even be rotated and zoomed in and out), there’s nothing like a physical model in 3-dimensional form.

In 2021, at the Nissan Ambition 2030 presentation, Nissan showed three concept cars – only in virtual form – as a preview of its future range of fully electric models. Among them was a concept called the Max-Out which was a topless low-slung 2-seater. As a convertible, it suggested a sporty and fun experience, perhaps assuring people that even with electric power, cars will still be fun to drive.

Of the three concept models, Nissan decided to turn the Max-Out into reality and has built one unit. The model is part of the Nissan Futures event in Tokyo which showcases how Nissan is shaping the future of sustainable mobility and innovative design.

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Is Tesla Preparing To Officially Sell Cars In Malaysia?

Although Tesla does not have a global presence like Toyota (the world’s top-selling carmaker in 2022), it is still a world leader in as far as battery-electric vehicles (BEVs) are concerned. While BYD Auto’s total sales of almost 1.9 million electrified vehicles in 2022 were higher than Tesla’s 1.3 million+ units, around 50% of the Chinese carmaker’s numbers were hybrids whereas Tesla sells only BEVs.

Nevertheless, Tesla has been steadily expanding its global footprint since first marketing BEVs four years ago. Apart from North America, it has covered much of Europe and has been looking at the Asia-Pacific region in the past couple of years. It began official sales in Singapore in mid-2021 and started up in Thailand this year.

Meanwhile, Malaysian EV enthusiasts have been eagerly awaiting the arrival of the brand officially. While limited numbers have been sold by private importers, the absence of an official presence has meant that aftersales support – a vital part of ownership – is not readily available. This can be a risk to owners, especially for a high-tech product like a BEV. When there is official presence, such as an authorized distributor if not a subsidiary of the manufacturer itself (eg BMW Malaysia and Mercedes-Benz Malaysia), there is not only assured service and spare parts support but also direct access to the technical people to get assistance.

Now it seems that Tesla could soon be starting to official sell its cars in Malaysia. Although it has had a subsidiary in Penang handling back office operations (finance, accounting etc) since 2017, it has not done any retail sales. The buzz on social media, especially in EV-related groups, is that there has been a move to change the name of the Penang unit, originally known as Tesla Services Sdn Bhd, to just Tesla Sdn Bhd. A screenshot shared on many social media groups shows that the SSM (Malaysian Registrar of Companies) had confirmed the name-change last October.

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Porsche’s Pascal Wehrlein Moves Into Formula E Lead With Two Wins In A Row

Pascal Wehrlein of the TAG Heuer Porsche Formula E Team steered his 99X Electric GEN3 car to two wins over two days at the 2023 CORE Diriyah E-Prix, once again pipping Avalanche Andretti Formula E Team driver Jake Dennis to the line, while Rene Rast secured a first podium for NEOM McLaren in Formula E.

Qualifying in fifth rather than ninth in the first day’s race (Round 2), Wehrlein made things easier on himself ahead of Round 3 under the bright lights of Diriyah, venue of the street circuit in Saudi Arabia for the all-electric Formula E series. This year, the more than 35,000 fans who attended the race weekend saw the Middle-Eastern debut for the all-new GEN3 car – the world’s fastest, lightest, most powerful and efficient electric racing car.

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Polestar 2 Gets Major Updates With Substantial Performance Increases

Polestar is updating its 5-door electric performance fastback, the Polestar 2, with major changes for the 2024 model year. Orders for the car, priced from 50,190 euros (about RM234,000) in Germany, are now being accepted online in certain with first deliveries to start during the fourth quarter.

The major update for the compact EV is not only confined to cosmetic changes but there are also substantial performance increases with all-new electric motors, even more powerful batteries, sustainability improvements and, for the first time in a Polestar, rear-wheel drive.

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Ram’s Concept EV Truck Proposes A 3-Row Cabin!

Ram is unlikely to be known to Malaysians as it is a brand presently mainly in North America. It used to be the name of a truck range in Dodge but got spun off in 2010 to become a brand on its own within the Fiat Chrysler Group. With the merger of Fiat Chrysler and the PSA Group in 2021, Ram became part of the enlarged Stellantis group.

Ram has always been a truck specialist and when it was a division in Chrysler, it focussed on delivering ‘real trucks’ and not the ‘lifestyle’ machines that have become common in recent times. It therefore has a solid niche in the market where capable trucks are sought for serious work.

At CES 2023 recently, Ram gave a preview of what it’s looking at further down the road in the age of electrification. It presented its vision in 3-dimensional form as the Ram 1500 Revolution Battery-electric Vehicle (BEV) Concept which also gives an idea of its design direction.

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Review: Kia EV6 – For The Tech Geeks

The Kia EV6 is one of those rare cars that seem to have it all, and by have it all we mean great looks, a spacious interior and technology that would make a Tesla seem outdated. So why don’t we see more of them on the road?

These days, you cannot take a short trip to the store without being bombarded with something or other about electric vehicles. Either your neighbour would have bought a new EV or someone on the radio will be talking about it.

But whether you believe in them or not, EV’s are all the rage these days, and it is going to be that way for some time.

So which EV is the best? Since EV’s are not exactly cheap, which should you be spending your money on in case you are interested in getting one.

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Jeep Takes European Car Of The Year Title For The First Time With Avenger EV

Since the European Car of the Year (COTY) awards began in 1964, the winners have come from European brands with the first one from Japan in 1993. That of course discounts Ford as being as American brand as the Ford models that won were essentially European models. So there has never been an American brand winning the European COTY – until 2023.

At the Brussels Motor Show today, the Jeep Avenger was announced as this year’s winner, probably a surprise to many as there were strong contenders among the other six finalists. It’s the first time that Jeep – a thoroughly American brand – has won the award though other brands in the Stellantis Group (which it is part of) have won awards over the years.

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