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MIDA-Perodua Digital Transformation Ecosystem Programme to promote adoption of Industry 4.0

With the accelerated pace of development in industries, a revolution is taking place and where the automotive industry is concerned, this revolution will take companies to the next level with cutting-edge technologies, processes and machinery. This transformation of the automotive industry is referred to as Industry 4.0., a term inspired by Germany’s ‘Industrie 4.0’, a government initiative to promote connected manufacturing and a digital convergence between industry, businesses and other processes.

To promote the adoption of Industry 4.0, the Malaysian Investment Development Authority (MIDA) and Perodua are gearing up through a strategic partnership to introduce the MIDA-Perodua Digital Transformation Ecosystem Programme. The programme aims to upgrade local automotive suppliers and to digitalise their manufacturing processes through adoption of Industry 4.0.

Developing local players’ capabilities
“Local companies play a major role in building the nation’s industry ecosystem–geared to support large companies and MNCs. The initiation of the MIDA-Perodua collaboration in 2020 was crucial to ensure a steady development of our local player’s capabilities in the automotive industry,” said Datuk Arham Abdul Rahman, Chief Executive Officer of MIDA.

“Under MIDA’s initiative to facilitate these companies to adopt digitalisation and Industry 4.0, we have been successful to contributing immense growth in Perodua’s manufacturing volume, through the empowerment of its industry partners and service providers.” he said.

*Dato’ Sri Zainal Abidin Ahmad, President & CEO of Perodua.*

Local technology ecosystem development
According to Dato’ Sri Zainal Abidin Ahmad, Perodua’s President & CEO, the MIDA-Perodua Digital Transformation Ecosystem Programme is aligned with the government’s efforts to enhance local technology ecosystem development activities in terms of supply and value chains, research and development activities, and innovation and commercialisation. The programme has shown a promising sign as the first group of participants had implemented their proposed projects.

“The implementation of Industry 4.0 is not only for the automotive supplier’s benefit, but the impact of this programme will contribute greatly to the national’s digital transformation agenda. The programme also can fast-track Malaysia’s industries, from small to large, as it provides both funds and guidance,” Dato’ Sri Zainal Abidin said.

“Perodua’s role has always been to develop the automotive ecosystem and this programme is another example of our commitment towards this objective,” he added.

Eight participants in programme
The first phase of MIDA-Perodua strategic partnership has brought forth three potential Perodua-friendly partner – LSF Technology Sdn.Bhd., J.K. Wire Harness Sdn. Bhd. and Autoliv Hirotako Safety Sdn. Bhd. These companies have also been granted Domestic Investment Strategic Fund as part of the government’s initiative to assist the local companies to embark into the global supply chain.

Moving forward to Industry 4.0, MIDA and Perodua have identified five more vendors with much potential and growth opportunities. These are Armstrong Auto Parts Sdn. Bhd., Ingress Aoi Technologies Sdn. Bhd., Namicoh Suria Sdn. Bhd., P.D. Kawamura Kako Manufacturing Sdn. Bhd. and Kumpulan Jebco (M) Sdn. Bhd.

MIDA, being the pivotal principal promotional agency of Malaysia, will be extending their support services to help more companies obtain growth in terms of productivity, talent and bridging financial and technology gaps.

The agency is confident that through such facilities and empowerment measures, these automotive players will be able to increase their business offerings and expertise to innovate its products and services and climb the supply chain ecosystems.

Auto industry looking forward to introduction of 5G

Mercedes-EQ team wins Season 8 of Formula E championship – and says farewell to the series

The Mercedes-EQ Formula E Team successfully defended their title in the championship, ending their participation in a high note. However, the team will not be disbanded as it will be acquired by McLaren Racing for its entry into Formula E in the next season which will be the ninth in the series.

Stoffel Vandoorne, their driver, also ended his fourth season in the ABB FIA Formula E World Championship as World Champion of the all-electric single seater series. Although taking runner-up in the first Seoul E-Prix in Korea, he had a 33-point lead over Jaguar TCR Racing’s Mitch Evans and enough to secure the Drivers title.

The final race

Unlike the downpour of the day before, a dry track greeted the drivers in Seoul for Round 16, the final one for Season 8. As the race got started, the frontrunners held their positions up to Turn 2 when things tightened up and Dan Ticktum (NIO 333) moved into sixth. Vandoorne picked his way through to hold fourth spot, with Evans gaining a place to go 12th after an important move on Nyck de Vries (Mercedes-EQ).

On lap 3, Edoardo Mortara (ROKiT Venturi Racing) saw a chance to jump Antonio Felix da Costa (DS TECHEETAH) for the lead with a switchback at Turn 22. The feint was bought by the Portuguese and the Venturi driver took the lead, with Jake Dennis (Avalanche Andretti) following in second spot.

Ticktum had run with the leaders through the opening laps but was forced to pit with a technical problem at the end of Lap 3. A pity for the British driver who looked to be in with a chance of sealing NIO 333’s first points since Rome.

The first round of ATTACK MODE activations was kicked off by Pascal Wehrlein (Porsche), who had worked his way up five positions to 10th, before retiring at Turn 4. De Vries was fighting on Lap 7, too, with the Mercedes-EQ driver getting into Wehrlein – causing both race-ending damage; Venturi’s chances of overthrowing the German giants saw a significant boost.

With a third of the Formula E race gone and one of two mandatory 30-kW ATTACK MODE boosts down, Mortara headed Dennis and looked to be managing a cushion of just over a second. Both were 3 seconds up the road of Da Costa and Vandoorne, as Frijns, di Grassi, Askew, Vergne, Evans and Cassidy rounded out the top 10.

As it stood, Vandoorne had more than a hand on the Drivers’ World Championship trophy, with Evans needing to win. The Jaguar driver, meanwhile, was losing ground to the leader – some 10 seconds back.

There was big Teams’ World Championship drama on Lap 13 as di Grassi was forced into pitting to sort out a front-right puncture. That gave Mercedes-EQ a 16-point advantage – impossible to close without the Brazilian’s presence in the points.

With 22 minutes plus one lap to go, the Porsche Taycan Formula E Safety Car was deployed to recover Maximilian Guenther’s stricken Nissan e.dams. It seemed have something terminally broken on the front left corner. Was that to be a lifeline for Evans? The pack would be squeezed back up but Vandoorne, still fourth, held all the cards.

On the restart, leader Mortara and da Costa jumped for their second ATTACK MODE boost. At Turn 22, Dennis was on the defensive with da Costa hunting second with that extra 30 kW of power available. The Portuguese’ DS and Dennis’ Andretti came into contact and da Costa ended up nose-first in the wall and shuffled right to the back of the pack. The tense final laps saw Dennis penalised with 5 seconds added to his race time for that move – leaving him a net third at the final chequered flag of the Gen2 era and the completion of the 100^th Formula E race.

Mortara had a good margin as he headed for the finish line, winning by almost 4 seconds from Vandoorne, with Dennis third, Frijns fourth, Askew fifth and Vergne rounding out the top six. Evans’ seventh was valiant but ultimately not enough.

Formula E Gen3 racing car unveiled, to be used from Season 9 in 2023

Goodyear Malaysia’s Worry-Free Assurance Programme improved

Goodyear Malaysia’s Worry-Free Assurance (WFA) programme has been in the market almost ten years, having been introduced in 2013. It was initially offered with just one (the Assurance TripleMax) but within a short time, other tyres in the brand’s range were also included.

The original WFA programme had a straightforward benefit: if there were damages by road hazards, there would be free tyre replacement or partial credit for purchase of new Goodyear tyres, depending on the tread depth.

Goodyear Malaysia has now made improvements to the programme with extra benefits for motorists. “Since the Malaysian government announced the endemic phase in May, the number of cars on the road has seen an increase of two-fold compared to 2019. As such, we want to encourage our customers to be aware of their vehicle tyre’s health so they can drive with peace of mind. As an advocate of on-the-road safety, we believe the new Worry-Free Assurance programme will help our customers stay safe and have an enjoyable drive for the long run,” said Alex Ng, Managing Director of Goodyear Malaysia.

*Modern tyres are tough but can still be damaged by some road hazards. If that happens with Goodyear tyres, you could get a free replacement.*

Added benefits for customers
The new WFA programme is available at no extra cost for all customers who purchase any new Goodyear consumer tyres and now there is no minimum purchase as a condition. However, as before, motorists who have Goodyear tyres that come fitted as standard on their new vehicle will not have WFA coverage.

Customers who register for WFA will enjoy the security of a 1-year Road Hazard Warranty from the date of purchase. They will be eligible for a free 1-to-1 exchange if tyres are damaged beyond repair caused by road hazards such as potholes and/or sharp objects during normal driving. The tyres should have a tread depth of 5.0 mm and above to qualify for the exchange. This new feature is an extension of the previous WFA with 6-month coverage with a minimum tread depth of 6.0 mm.

Free tyre safety check
The new WFA programme ensures that the tyres are in optimal condition by providing 2 free tyre safety checks. Customers may return to the original Goodyear Autocare centre where they purchased their tyres from for these safety checks on the sixth and twelfth months after the date of purchase.

Warranty up to 5 years
Goodyear Malaysia has updated their terms and condition where the 5-year limited warranty will cover 5 years from the date of purchase stated in the original invoice, instead of from the manufacturing date on the tyres. This is fairer to the customer since the tyres might not be sold immediately after they leave the factory.

However, in the event that the original invoice is not available, the limited warranty will cover the tyres from the date of manufacturing instead. Under this warranty, Goodyear also covers manufacturing defects in workmanship or materials used.

In the event that the original invoice is not available, the limited warranty will cover the tyres from the date of manufacturing instead. Under this warranty, Goodyear also covers manufacturing defects in workmanship or materials used.

Easy registration online
The process of registering for WFA is easy as it can be done online with submission of scans of the receipt and WFA card number. Each tyre purchase should come with a WFA card but if it is not available should a claim be made (or for the safety check), customers can print out the WFA online registration instead.

Run-flat tyres – an example of technology transfer from motorsports

All the locally assembled models in 2022 and where they are produced

It’s now 55 years since the first new vehicle assembly plant began operations in Malaysia. Volvo, together with its local partner, Federal Auto, were the first to introduce a locally-assembled model in 1967 after the government had announced what could be considered as the first national automotive policy in the mid-1960s.

The policy was intended to attract foreign carmakers to assemble some of their models locally and if they did so, they would be given incentives in the form of lower tax rates. This would enable them to sell at lower, more attractive prices compared to the models that were imported in completely built-up (CBU) form.

Swedish Motor Assemblies in Shah Alam, Selangor, was the first assembly plant to start operations, rolling out the Volvo 144 in 1967 as the first locally-assembled model. The plant is still in operation today assembling the latest Volvo models *for the region.*

The locally-assembled vehicles were assembled from CKD (completely knocked-down) packs of parts sent from bigger factories in Europe, Japan and North America. To help develop a local automotive industry – an important catalyst for industrialization – the government also listed certain parts for mandatory deletion. Assemblers had to obtain them from local companies, many of which had also been set up in tandem with the new assembly plants.

The parts were items like windscreen glass, paint, tyres, wire harnesses, etc and if the assembler chose to still import them, then there would be a penalty for doing so. Over time, revisions in policies saw an emphasis on getting assemblers to source more parts locally and targets were set for local content.

From manual welding of parts by human workers in earlier years (above), many of the plants today have automated welding processes done by robots. Shown below is the X70 body welding line at the Proton factory in Tg. Malim.

The first batch of assembly plants were opened in two areas – Tampoi in Johor and Shah Alam in Selangor. By the 1980s, other locations were also chosen in Sarawak, Sabah and Pahang. Selangor saw the most activity in the early years and the Klang Valley remains a major automotive hub today. In the 1990s, new plants were opened in Kedah and Proton and Perodua also built plants outside the Klang Valley. Honda and Hino chose sites in Melaka and Negeri Sembilan, respectively.

*Source: Malaysian Automotive Association*

*Porsche Cayenne assembly at Inokom in Kulim, Kedah.*

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World Rallycross Championship goes electric as well

In tandem with the electrification trends in the auto industry, rallycross is also moving towards zero emissions. Even now, we have the Formula E single-seater series on street circuits, the Extreme E off-road series, with the World Rally Championship now running hybrid electric rallycars in the top category.

First ever electric rallycross championship
Next is the World Rallycross Championship (World RX) which was officially launched yesterday in Norway, which the highest percentage of electrified vehicle sales in the world (around 80%). The first-ever electric rallycross world championship is FIA-sanctioned as part of the organization’s ongoing commitment to sustainability.

The original intention was to introduce full-electric cars in the World Rallycross Championship in 2021. However, following a World Motor Sport Council decision, it was decided to delay the implementation until 2022 due to the challenges of the COVID-19 pandemic. “The COVID-19 pandemic has brought about a delay to introducing electrification to the FIA World Rallycross Championship,” said Gyarfas Olah, President of the FIA Off-Road Commission.

“Nonetheless, we are committed to a new, electric future which has, as guiding principles, cost control and demonstration of the huge power capabilities of full electric road car-based Supercars. Together with Kreisel, we are developing a performance package which is sustainable and enables teams to be part of a highly competitive electric racing series. The fans, who are used to very spectacular races in rallycross, will be thrilled by the acceleration power of the coming RX1e cars.”

However, the FIA RX2e Championship, the first-ever FIA electric rallycross championship, was part of the 2021 season. The RX2e car, jointly developed by Spanish electro-mobility specialist QEV Technologies and Swedish rallycross team Olsbergs MSE, was successfully run in events.

Powertrain can be retrofitted
The powertrain kits are provided by Austria’s Kreisel Electric, the official supplier of the electrification kit to the championship. The kit can be retrofitted to existing internal combustion-powered World RX Supercars or built into an all-new chassis.

The kits are priced at 300,000 euros (about RM1.37 million) with an additional 100,000 euros for 4 years of technical support. The cost is said to be lower than the current Supercar power units over the same period. Performance levels of RX1e will be higher than existing ICE Supercars, with a significant power and torque increase and with a contained weight gain.

Fastest, most powerful RX cars
As in the WRC, the top tiers will run the new RX1e rallycross cars with twin motors, pushing out 500 kW (equivalent to 680 bhp) and 880 Nm of instant torque. They will be able to accelerate from standstill to 100 km/h faster than a Formula 1 car and are fastest and most powerful competition cars ever seen in the World RX.

With the new era in rallycross, a new convention for categories has been introduced: Supercar will become RX1; Electric Supercar will be known as RX1e; the new Junior electric series will become RX2e; and Super1600 will be known as RX3.

Extreme E to add Extreme H in 2024 with hydrogen fuel-cell powered rallycars

Porsche and Pixar create the ‘911 Sally Special’ for charity

Porsche and Pixar Animation Studios have revealed a special Porsche inspired by one of the most beloved 911 models of all – Sally Carrera, from Disney and Pixar’s Cars. Named the ‘911 Sally Special’, the sportscar is like Sally Carrera herself – unique. Only one 911 Sally Special will ever be made – and its creation marks the first time Pixar has collaborated on such a project.

The project, which began in November 2021, reunited members of the original Cars team who created both the movie car and the life-size Sally Carrera based on a 2002 Porsche 911 Carrera two decades ago. They were joined by key members of Porsche Exclusive Manufaktur’s Sonderwunsch team and designers from Style Porsche in Germany, as well as from Porsche Cars North America. Over a span of 10 months, the team worked together to create just one unique car.

“The Sally Special is based on the fastest, most engaging and agile 911 Carrera there is – the 473 bhp 911 Carrera GTS – equipped with a manual gearbox to appeal to those who love driving, just like Sally Carrera. The changes to transform it into the ‘Sally Special’ proved to be extensive,” explained Boris Apenbrink, Director Porsche Exclusive Manufaktur Vehicles.

“This was one of the most intense, emotional and detailed Sonderwunsch projects our team has ever worked on. For example, the car is finished in a new and unique colour – Sally Blue Metallic – developed specifically for the 911 Sally Special. Taking our inspiration from Sally Carrera, we finished as much of the car as possible in the new colour, meaning dozens of tiny changes, many of which were carried out by hand, such were their intricacy. Of course, we didn’t forget about Sally’s pinstripe tattoo, which was an interesting challenge,” he said.

The ‘Turbo’ inspired wheels have been redesigned by Style Porsche designers in Weissach and created specifically for the 911 Sally Special. The 5-spoke design has been subtly modified to match the 20/21-inch diameter of current-generation 911 wheels, but remain true to the Type 996 Porsche.

Porsche designer Daniela Milosevic led the team working with Pixar to develop not only the unique paint colour but also almost every surface inside the car. All of which was either re-trimmed or changed in some way. “We had a completely blank canvas to work from, which was great! In the movie, Sally was a former-lawyer from California who appreciated style and elegance. But she was also down to earth and had a sense of fun,” said Milosevic. “We continued the Sally Blue Metallic theme inside the car, with the obvious highlights and much more subtle elements too –many little touches that will hopefully make the winning bidder smile.”

“Everything had to be usable and practical – we really want this car to be driven. We created special cloth trim for this car and wove subtle blue highlights into it. Then we matched this with Chalk leather and Speed Blue and Chalk stitching. The best part has definitely been working on the details – including many little nods to the movie Cars, and to Sally Carrera herself,” Milosevic added.

“Vehicles need a face and a story. And Pixar’s film Cars did just that, by bringing them to life on the big screen,” said Dr. Sebastian Rudolph, Vice President Communications, Sustainability and Politics at Porsche AG. “The story conveys values such as friendship, love and mutual support – and in the middle of it all is a Porsche: Sally Carrera. Together with Pixar, we have brought the spirit of Sally to life in a new way, not on the screen, but off the screen. With this one-off street legal 911, the Sally Special, which we are auctioning for charity, we want to help people who urgently need support, quite in keeping with the spirit of the film character.”

Two charities will be the beneficiaries of the sale of the 911 Sally Special, with the entirety of the sale price being donated. The project will also support USA for UNHCR, the UN Refugee Agency, which is working to provide urgent help to nearly 6.2 million refugees who have been displaced across Europe since the outbreak of war in Ukraine.

In addition to the car itself, the auction also includes a unique chronograph by Porsche Design, also created in collaboration with Pixar. Like the car itself, the coloured ring is painted in Sally Blue metallic. The chalk-coloured leather strap with Speed Blue stitching can be quickly and easily swapped out for a second strap in Speed Blue with chalk-coloured stitchings. Like the sportscar, the chronograph has a limited edition marking on the back of the case.

A Porsche stars again in new Top Gun movie, and it’s not a replica this time

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