Piston.my

Latest News

Porsche Malaysia, represented by Sime Darby Auto Performance (Auto Performance), has joined forces with the Motorsports Association of Malaysia (MAM) to launch a nationwide road safety campaign aimed at educating young Malaysians on responsible driving habits.

The initiative, titled “Students Today. Drivers Tomorrow.”, has already reached more than 1,600 students aged 7 to 17 years old as part of a broader effort to instill critical road safety awareness from an early age. With road accidents in Malaysia exceeding 530,000 cases annually, the campaign seeks to address unsafe driving behaviors that put lives at risk.

Christopher Hunter, Chief Executive Officer of Auto Performance, stated that road safety remains a fundamental aspect of driving beyond the passion and performance of motorsports. He emphasised the importance of shaping responsible future drivers and fostering a safer driving culture by instilling safety values in students, who in turn can influence their families to adopt better driving habits.

(more…)

Hyundai Motor Company has unveiled its latest concept car, the INSTEROID, a radical reimagination of its successful INSTER electric sub-compact urban SUV. Revealed in Seoul, INSTEROID pushes the boundaries of automotive design by merging gaming aesthetics with extensive customisation, aimed at engaging a new generation of drivers.

Built as a bold “What if?” design project, INSTEROID takes inspiration from the INSTER, which has gained international acclaim, including being a top-three finalist for the 2025 World Car of the Year award. Unlike its production counterpart, INSTEROID embraces an aggressive, performance-driven design, marked by widened bodywork, aerodynamic enhancements, and motorsport-inspired elements such as track-optimised wheels and a prominent wing spoiler.

(more…)

Chery Corporate Malaysia has stepped forward to assist residents affected by the recent Putra Heights fire by providing 50 vehicles to those who lost their transportation in the disaster. Selangor Executive Councillor for Investment, Trade, and Mobility Ng Sze Han confirmed today that the initiative aims to support over a hundred families impacted by the blaze, which was caused by a burst gas pipe belonging to national oil company Petronas.

Ng emphasised the urgency of the situation, highlighting that many residents need transportation to get to work and send their children to school. In response, Chery’s vehicle loan program will begin accepting applications in the coming days, offering temporary mobility solutions for affected families.

(more…)

BYD has reported record-breaking electric vehicle (EV) sales for the first quarter of 2025, with nearly one million units sold globally. The Chinese automaker recorded a total of 990,711 passenger vehicle sales in Q1, marking a significant 58.7% increase from the 624,398 units sold in the same period last year.

In March alone, BYD delivered 377,420 vehicles globally, of which 371,419 were passenger cars. This represented a 15% increase compared to February and a 23.1% rise from the previous year. The company also produced 395,091 vehicles in March, a 33% increase from 296,253 units in March 2024. The difference between production and sales stood at 17,671 vehicles.

Export figures reached an all-time monthly high, with 72,723 units sold overseas in March. This marked an 8.5% increase from February and a staggering 90% jump compared to the same month last year. In total, BYD exported 206,084 vehicles in Q1 2025, a sharp 110.5% increase from the first quarter of 2024.

Breaking down the Q1 sales figures, the company sold 416,388 battery electric vehicles (BEVs), reflecting a 39% increase from the 300,114 units sold in Q1 2024. BEVs accounted for 42.2% of total sales, a slight decline from 48.1% in the previous year. Meanwhile, plug-in hybrid electric vehicles (PHEVs) saw an even greater surge, with 569,710 units sold, up 76% from 324,284 in Q1 2024. PHEVs accounted for 57.8% of total sales, up from 51.9% last year.

(more…)

Porsche has initiated a pilot project aimed at recovering valuable raw materials from high-voltage batteries at the end of their lifecycle. The initiative seeks to explore a closed-loop raw material cycle, emphasising the growing importance of recycled battery components and the responsible handling of high-voltage batteries. In the long term, the company plans to establish a dedicated recycling network in collaboration with external partners.

The pilot project is structured in three phases to test a process suitable for large-scale application. In the first phase, high-voltage batteries from development vehicles undergo mechanical shredding, producing a material known as “black mass.” This granulated mixture contains essential elements such as nickel, cobalt, manganese, and lithium. To date, Porsche has generated approximately 65 tons of black mass through this process.

The second phase involves refining the black mass to extract its valuable raw materials. Porsche places particular emphasis on ensuring the quality and purity of these recycled materials to produce high-performance batteries for its electric vehicles.

(more…)

Aston Martin has officially released on-road images of the Valhalla as it nears the final stages of validation ahead of its production launch in the second quarter of 2025. Currently undergoing rigorous testing both on-road in the UK and on-track near Barcelona, the mid-engined hybrid supercar is being fine-tuned to ensure exceptional performance in real-world conditions.

The Valhalla has been seen in two striking liveries—Podium Green with Lime Green accents and Verdant Jade with Valkyrie Gold—while being put through its paces at the IDIADA proving ground in Spain. Aston Martin engineers, alongside three-time Le Mans class winner Darren Turner, are conducting final calibrations on steering precision, active aerodynamics, and the thermal braking system’s performance. In addition to track testing, another Valhalla, finished in Satin Scintilla Silver with Lime Green highlights, is undergoing damper calibration on UK roads to refine its ride quality and handling characteristics.

Simon Newton, Aston Martin’s Director of Vehicle Performance and Attributes, emphasized the unprecedented dynamic capability of the Valhalla, made possible by its hybrid powertrain that produces an astonishing 1,079PS and 1,100Nm of torque. The car is powered by a 4.0-litre twin-turbo flat-plane crank V8, the most powerful V8 ever fitted to an Aston Martin, and is paired with three electric motors, allowing for plug-in hybrid capability and a dedicated EV driving mode. It also features Aston Martin’s all-new 8-speed Dual Clutch Transmission (DCT), which incorporates an integrated e-Motor and an electronic rear differential for enhanced control and efficiency. The front-axle twin motors contribute to an advanced all-wheel-drive system with torque vectoring, elevating the supercar’s handling dynamics.

(more…)

Archive

Follow us on Facebook

Follow us on YouTube