Speciality automobiles running on any blend of petrol and ethanol were Brazil’s novel approach to reducing tailpipe emissions for two decades, helping the country boast just a quarter of the road pollution of other nations its size.
While other countries are pushing the EV agenda, Brazil is standing its ground while several of the other leading economies in the world set out specific plans to ultimately stop selling automobiles with combustion engines. The most widely used models in the nation are so-called flexible-fuel cars that can operate entirely on biofuel made from sugar cane, making them generally more environmentally friendly than pure petrol engines.
With the government aggressively supporting a favourable EV environment and the strong corporate commitment demonstrated by two globally famous automakers, Geely and Tesla, Malaysia is on the right track to become an Electric Vehicle (EV) powerhouse in Southeast Asia.
According to a report by Bernama which has been picked up by several news portals, the introduction of Tesla Inc. with its headquarters in the US and China’s Zhejiang Geely Holding Group Co, commonly referred to as Geely, into the Malaysian market is a glaring example of Malaysia’s importance in the region’s automotive sector.
According to Mazda, the 2026 MX-5 Miata will ditch internal combustion in favour of electric power. However, the carmaker chose not to specify whether electrification will be entirely electric, hybrid, or plug-in hybrid. The next-generation Miata must take this step in order for it to survive through 2030 when Mazda’s entire lineup is expected to be mostly electric.
The Mazda Miata has a long-standing, well-deserved reputation as a fun, inexpensive roadster with excellent driving dynamics, and an electric version would ensure its continued viability in the years to come. The Japanese automaker will probably release a hybrid or plug-in hybrid Miata before creating an all-electric model because Mazda is taking its time to develop EVs.
For more than six years, BMW has hinted at an electric 5 series, and now, the BMW i5‘s official production has begun. The BMW Group Plant Dingolfing, the largest European production facility for the manufacturer, is where the electric vehicle (EV) will be produced for now.
The BMW i5 is a mid-sized sedan that falls in the all-electric lineup between the i4 and i7 and will be offered alongside the petrol-powered 5-Series. The BMW 5 Series is now in its eighth generation and BMW anticipates a growth in EV manufacturing to over 40% in the upcoming year.
Netizens are expressing their frustration over the fact that luxury electric car brands like Tesla are exempt from taxes and duties, supposedly ‘making wealthy Malaysians even wealthier’, while fuel-powered, more affordable cars like the Perodua Axia are subject to high-er taxes, inadvertently burdening the less fortunate segments of the Malaysian population.
Questions about the environment are allegedly fairly important with electric cars (EVs). When their batteries reach the end of their useful lives, they will compound the already existing environmental concerns.
Toyota may be working on a brand-new three-row electric SUV under the Lexus name. According to the Lexus RX Owners forum, the Japanese automaker submitted four new trademark applications to the European Union Intellectual Property Office (EUIPA) for various Lexus TZ models on July 19, 2023.
Lexus RX 350
The TZ450e and TZ550e are two of the four names the company wants to trademark. The letter “Z” indicates BEVs. As an electric alternative to the RX, Lexus offers the RZ 450e while Toyota offers the bZ4X. The firm recently unveiled the 2024 Lexus TX, a three-row petrol SUV that sits between the RX and the GX and shares its GA-K chassis with the Toyota Grand Highlander. The new TZ is the TX’s all-electric alternative.
Featured in many ’00s rap music videos and was even seen in the latest Fast X movie as a chrome-plated eye-catcher, the Lamborghini Gallardo celebrates 20 years of being an iconic model.
The Gallardo was originally referred to as a “baby Lambo” at the 73rd Geneva International Motor Show, where it was presented as a production ready model. It was the Italian manufacturer’s attempt to solve the supercar conundrum by creating a model that was less expensive than the Murcielago but just as attractive.
Lamborghini had previously recognised demand for a “smaller” Lamborghini and, more importantly, one with reduced starting prices and operating expenses. Lamborghini began work on the L140 project in 1987 with the explicit goal of building a smaller Lamborghini. Over the years, a number of prototypes were created and many technological options were looked into, including a V8 engine initially and a V10 engine afterwards.
Pro-Net, a subsidiary of Proton, has just introduced the smart #1 into the electric vehicle (EV) market in Malaysia. The all-electric compact SUV, which is a touch bigger than the smart ForFour, is the result of a partnership between Mercedes-Benz and Geely.
The smart #1 actually made its global debut in April 2022 where during the second half of 2022, China, Europe, and the UK were some of the first places to receive it.
Prior to its launch here in Malaysia, we had the opportunity to actually test it out. The right-hand drive Premium, left-hand drive Premium (China spec) and the Brabus variant.
The design of the smart #1, which is a joint venture between Mercedes-Benz and Geely. It was designed by the Germans and is built on Geely’s modular Sustainable Electric Architecture (SEA), which also serves as the foundation for vehicles like the Lotus Eletre, Volvo EX30, and Zeekr 001.
The smart #1 will only be available as a rear-wheel-drive model, with a single motor generating 272PS and 343Nm of torque. It does 0-100km/h in 6.7 seconds and has a driving range of 440km WLTP cycle. There are three available drive modes: eco, comfort and sport. However, these are the Premium variant specs.
The Brabus variant, on the other hand, puts out 428PS and 584Nm of torque. It does 0-100km/h in just 3.9 seconds! It has dual motors providing a four-wheel drive configuration. However, due to it having this much power, the driving range is reduced to 400km. There are four available drive modes: eco, comfort, sport and Brabus. Both variants are limited to a top speed of 180km/h.
Another feature included in the Brabus trim is the engine imitation sound that plays through the speakers. A Brabus engine sound and a V8 engine sound.
In addition, the Brabus variant has three additional trims to choose from: Pure+, Pro+ and Premium+.
It features a lithium-ion battery with a capacity of 66kWh. The 10%-80% charge time is three hours with 22kW AC charging and less than 30 minutes with 150kW DC charging.
The exterior of the smart #1 Premium variant features an active grille shutter, flat-faced 19-inch wheels, and frameless doors and has a drag coefficient of just 0.29.
The Brabus trim, however, gets twin nostrils as a styling element, a sportier front bumper, an aggressive grille, a rear spoiler, 19-inch dynamo-styled alloy wheels and a two-tone paint scheme with red accents.
The central infotainment screen, which is 12.8 inches in size regardless of which variant you choose, controls almost everything. It features Qualcomm’s Snapdragon 8155 chipset, a CPU and chipset designed for the gaming industry, and its home screen is filled with graphics and information.
Unlike the variants available in China, we get Android Auto and Apple CarPlay. Many important features of the system are hidden in submenus; for example, turning off the system’s excessively loud fake engine noise will lead you deep into the system, while adjusting your mirrors requires tapping the screen and then repeatedly pressing the buttons on the steering wheel.
It also has a 9.2-inch digital instrument cluster, a ten-inch heads-up display, a panoramic glass roof and 13-speaker Beats sound system.
The majority of the materials are soft to the touch, especially the Alcantara swaths in the Brabus model. Also, note that Smart chose a combination of real and synthetic leather and not vegan alternatives here.
The Brabus gets a little extra on the interior as well with a black-themed interior, Alcantara/leather-wrapped steering wheel, microfiber suede seats, headrests with the Brabus logo in red stitching and alloy pedals. The booth space measures in at 323L but can be expanded to 986L while the frunk has a 15L available space.
Another neat little feature is that the front grille lights up and will follow the beat of the music that is playing in the car at the time.
The smart #1 has a five-star Euro NCAP safety rating. The safety features include:
Seven airbags
Full complement of driver assistance features
Autonomous emergency braking
Adaptive Cruise Control with stop and go
Lane centring assist
Lane change assist
Lane keep assist
Blind spot monitoring
Keshy’s Driving Notes: On top of the preview session that Timothy just touched on, we also got to drive the smart #1 around the Proton test track at the Centre of Excellence in Shah Alam.
Simply put, the #1 drives like any other EV, it is silent, power delivery is instantaneous and there’s pretty much nothing that truly makes it stand out from the rest.
Except for the fact that the #1 has a steering feel that I really like.
EV’s tend to feel dull and disconnect the driver from what happens at ground level with the tyres. But in the #1, there’s a good feel for what the tyres were doing, and the steering wheel feels chatty. And this gave me the confidence I needed to barge into the oval track (which goes up to a 20 degree banking, NASCAR like) at about 110-120km/h.
I have to say that this is one of the my favourite EV’s at the moment, but not only from a driving perspective.
But before I tell you about what else I like about the #1, I have to say that the Brabus model feels like a proper rocket. But that artificial sound it makes is a little too fake, and too loud. So loud, that it reaches a point where it started to hurt my ear drums. And I wasn’t the only one complaining about it. Good thing that it can be turned off.
So onto what I like about it. I like it’s size.
I believe EV’s should be small because EV’s are meant to be practical urban commuters. And the #1 is exactly that. It is perfectly sized. Slightly bigger than a MINI, perhaps about the size of a Countryman. Inside, there’s a lot of hints of Mercedes-Benz, such as the buttons, but we are not allowed to tell you much about the interior due to an ongoing embargo.
So if you are considering an EV, I would tell you to wait until smart Malaysia introduces the pricing because the #1 could just be the EV for you. It is for me at least.
Porsche has developed a contemporary take of the 356 No. 1 open-top Roadster to commemorate the 75th anniversary of the company’s first vehicle.
The new Vision 357 Speedster is a roofless evolution of the Vision 357 Concept shown at the start of the year.
The coupe was based on the 718 Cayman GT4 RS, while the speedster was inspired by the 718 GT4 e-Performance. It borrows the 718 GT4 Clubsport’s chassis and blends it with the Mission R concept’s electric motors and battery technology. The one-off boldly displays “75” badges as a homage to the original 356 and has a one-sided tonneau cover.
Hyundai-Sime Darby Motors (HSDM) has introduced the Ioniq 6 into the Malaysian market. It is the second model sold under the Ioniq sub-brand, which is geared towards selling electric cars, and the fourth model made using the Hyundai Electric Global Modular Platform (E-GMP).
The streamlined Ioniq 6 design was influenced by Hyundai’s Prophecy Concept EV, which made its debut in March 2020 and, according to Hyundai, it has the lowest drag coefficient of 0.21. A large wheelbase of 2,950mm results from the stretched-out front and rear points. The Ioniq 6 measures in at 4,855mm in length, 1,880mm in width, 1,495mm in height.
