As some of you may already know, the Drive 4 Paul Malaysia ‘Tribute to Paul’ car show was held at Bandar Malaysia earlier today where hundreds of cars gathered to pay tribute to one of Hollywood’s finest stars, the late Paul Walker aka “Brian O’Conner” from the Fast & Furious movie franchise. (more…)
RM50 million will be allocated for the repair and maintenance of roads leading to Port Klang so as to make it a regional maritime centre and a cargo logistic hub. The Transport Ministry is also conducting a feasibility study for a Klang Logistic Corridor which will be a new logistic highway to connect Northport, Westport and existing highways. Together with another proposal for a Serendah-Port Klang rail bypass, the two projects are expected to cost RM8.3 billion.RM25 million will be allocated to set up contestable matching grant fund to support more pilot projects on digital applications such as autonomous vehicles, drone delivery, and blockchain technology.Average toll charges will be reduced by 18% on all PLUS highways, saving users up to RM1.13 billion in 2020, and a total of RM43 billion until 2038 when the concession expires. PLUS-managed highways include the North-South Expressway (NSE), New Klang Valley Expressway (NKVE), Seremban-Port Dickson Expressway (SPDH), North-South Expressway Central Link (ELITE), Malaysia-Singapore Second Link Highway (Linkedua), the Butterworth-Kulim Expressway (BKE), East-Coast Expressway 2 (LPT2), and the Penang Bridge.Additionally, 4 Klang Valley highways acquired by the government will see a 30% drop in toll fares during non-peak hours (but likely to be higher during peak hours). The highways are Shah Alam Highway (KESAS), Damansara-Puchong Expressway (LDP), Sprint Expressway (SPRINT), and SMART Tunnel (SMART). These four highways will not have toll charges from midnight until dawn.The toll rate for the Sultan Abdul Halim Muadzam Shah Bridge or Second Penang bridge will be reduced to RM7 from RM8.50 (for Class 1 vehicles) from January 1, 2020. This will make the rate similar to the first Penang Bridge. Down south, RM85 million will be allocated to address the congestion problem at the Johor Bahru Causeway and Second Link.The government is firm on moving to B20 biodiesel for the transportation sector at the end of 2020. This will have a positive impact on the oil palm industry as the expected volume is 500,000 tonnes a year.The petrol subsidy programme (PSP) was announced recently and will be implemented from January 2020. Eligible recipients are those registered for BSH and they will get RM30 per month for car owners and RM12 per month for motorcycle owners. The Finance Minister also mentioned a second group which will get a ‘Kad95’ that entitled them to a subsidy on RON95 petrol at 30 sen less per litre (maximum 100 litres/month for cars, 40 litres/month for motorcycles). Details of ‘Kad95’ and criteria for qualification are not known. The fuel subsidy will only be made available when the market price (based on the APM) for RON95 petrol rises above RM2.08/litre.Up to RM1 billion will be spent to improve roads around the country; of this, RM326 million will be used in Sabah and RM224 million for Sarawak. The Pan Borneo Highway project is still continuing but the project costs RM1.2 billion less due to cost-savings.The government will spend RM450 million on the purchase of 500 electric buses for public transport use in cities. There are already 10 electric buses, each costing RM2 million, which have been going around Putrajaya for the past few years.RM20 million will be allocated for the development of eSports, a growing international activity. UMW Toyota Motor was the first local car company to become involved in eSports with its GR Velocity eSports Championship in 2018 and a second season in 2019.
Smartphone maker OnePlus has collaborated with McLaren to produce the very beautiful OnePlus 7T McLaren Edition smartphone. For those looking for a device that’s both beautiful and high performance, you can try to get your hands on one of the McLaren inspired bad boys. (more…)
‘In a state of flux…’ is a term that relates to constant change though not necessarily indecisiveness. Appropriately, a new company in Malaysia has chosen to call itself ‘Flux’ as a way of describing the concept of its business which allows customers to constantly change their vehicles. Flux offers an all-inclusive monthly car subscription service, covering all the benefits of having a dream car without the drawbacks.
To start with, members pay a monthly fee to use a car of their choice without commitment. This means that they don’t have to provide a downpayment nor take a loan that has to be repaid in instalments every month for many years ahead.
Like owning the car yourself
Unlike some other schemes, cars supplied by Flux are like your own, meaning they are parked at your home for as long as your subscription is active. It’s like owning the car, except the financial hassles are omitted. And what’s more interesting is that with the same subscription, customers have access to a range of models which can be requested for use.
The inventory is sourced from reputable automotive groups and retailers in Malaysia. At this time, the Flux collection includes models such as the Honda CR-V, BMW 6-Series, Toyota Yaris, Volvo XC40, Mercedes-AMG CLA 45 and the latest Toyota Camry.
Monthly or mileage subscription plans
Once a person has registered to be a member (starting an account costs nothing), he or she can then select a vehicle and a subscription plan which starts at month-to-month for total flexibility or up to 3 years for best value. The subscription plans indicate how long members intend to use the Flux service, not a specific car as they have the privilege to switch throughout their subscription which starts from RM814/month for a Kia Picanto.
Two of the models offered by Flux to members. There are new as well as pre-owned units in the inventory.
Members also choose a mileage package between Lite, Standard and Unlimited with monthly maximum mileages of 1,250 kms, 2,000 kms and cap-less mileage, respectively. The Lite package is offered at no additional charge.
A key benefit of Flux is the freedom to switch cars after a minimum of 1 month of use with just a standard switching fee. Following a switch, members pay the monthly rate for the newly chosen car. Flux says it is the only service able to offer such flexibility at the prices charged.
Members can switch to another model while their subscription is active.
Maintenance handled by Flux
Flux’s concierge service will help manage all car-related administrative and maintenance matters. This includes yearly document renewals alongside planning and execution of periodic service and repairs. In other words, maintenance of the vehicles is handled by the company throughout the subscription period.
Flux gives assurance that the vehicles, new and pre-owned alike, are independently inspected to determine that each and every one is maintained to the highest standards and free of major accidents and flood damage. The vehicles are, of course, fully insured and for safety and security, should the vehicle be involved in an accident, the installed telematics system will alert emergency services so assistance can be sent to the location.
Flux also takes care of all the maintenance needs, ensuring that the vehicles are serviced at the scheduled intervals.In the event of an accident, the installed telematics system in the Flux vehicle will alert emergency services to send assistance.
Flux allows both Malaysians and non-Malaysians to become members. They must have a credit card from a Malaysian financial institution for charges to be made to, a mobile contact number and be above 25 years of age. They would, of course, need to possess a full driving licence and international driving licences are also accepted.
“I founded Flux to challenge the status quo and offer a better alternative to the conventional car loan, here at home in Malaysia. At Flux, we are excited to pioneer a new means to access all the benefits of having a car in your driveway, without the costs. We are proud to challenge the conventions of car ownership, working collaboratively with the leading local automotive groups. Together, we offer you freedom of choice, at unparalleled convenience. In short, Flux is the simpler way to ‘own’ your perfect car,” said Aziz Ayman, Founder & CEO of Flux, which also has former Bank Negara governor, Tan Sri Dr. Zeti Akhtar Aziz, as co-founder.
The finale of the Proton 1 Tank Adventure concluded with one epic conclusion as they travelled from Kelantan all the way to Johor without having to refuel even a single drop. That’s 710km from Kota Bharu to Johor Bahru and each Proton model that entered the drive managed to complete without any major hiccups. (more…)