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Thứ Tư, 29 tháng 2, 2012

Proton Green Mobility Challenge 2012 – local university students to create their own ‘Saga EV’, finals in October

Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Abdul Razak yesterday launched the Proton Green Mobility Challenge 2012 (PGMC), a challenge jointly organised by Proton and Agensi Inovasi Malaysia (AIM) that will see local uni students develop an electric vehicle from a standard internal combustion engine powered Proton Saga.

The participating universities are UTP, UNITEN, UTeM, UNIKL MSI, UMP, UNISEL, IIUM, UTM, UNIMAP and UKM. Each team will modify the Saga according and compete in the finals, which will be held from 4-7 October this year. Each car’s performance will be put to the test and four factors will be taken into account – distance achieved, quarter mile acceleration, fastest time for two laps, and top speed.

The organisers say that PGMC 2012 is in line with AIM’s objectives of facilitating wealth creation via innovation. The statutory body serves to formulate and implement the strategies towards enhancing the national innovation eco-system and creating new-wave wealth from innovation in the country.

“Sustainable mobility is dependent on three equally critical components coming together; firstly the ability of car manufacturers to commercially make available a new generation of vehicles in the most cost-efficient manner.

“Secondly, the willingness and support of Governments and policy makers in formulating long-term legislations which would not only enable car manufacturers to map out future investment plans but pave the way for what is thirdly, greater consumer awareness for green technology and their acceptance of alternative fuel propulsion systems such as hybrids and electric vehicles,” said Proton Group MD Datuk Seri Syed Zainal Abidin.

Like the Perodua Eco Challenge, this challenge allows undergrads to practice what they learn – nothing like competition to bring the best out of us, right? Anyway, while there could possibly be a trick or two that can be learned from PGMC entries, Proton already has competition winning EV technology under development.

Read our live report on the RAC Future Car Challenge Brighton to London here, where Proton won two awards competing against the world’s best EVs. Also click here for our exclusive drive report of the actual Saga EV.

This story originally appeared on Paul Tan's Automotive News on Thu, 01 Mar 12 05:00:55 +0000.

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Mitsubishi i-MiEV Prototype racer to take on Pikes Peak!

The sketch above is a preview of an upcoming all-electric racer that Mitsubishi Motors Corporation will be entering in the legendary Pikes Peak International Hill Climb, an annual event set to happen in Colorado on the 8th of July 2012. The Pikes Peak International Hill Climb is an annual automobile and motorcycle hill climb to the 4,300 meter summit of Pikes Peak in Colorado with entrants covering an elevation difference of almost 1,500 meters.

The EV racer is called the Mitsubishi i-MiEV Prototype, and it is based on the Mitsubishi i-MiEV. You can actually still see the i-MiEV in the middle, but it’s surrounded by what appears to be one mega huge widebody that extends both the length and width of the i-MiEV, presumably to make the egg-shaped car more corner-friendly. MMC will use the data obtained through its participation in the event to enhance the durability and reliability of pure EVs and plug-in hybrid EVs which it will be bringing to market in the near future.

The i-MiEV Prototype will be driven by Hiroshi Masuoka, a legendary race driver whom during the course of decades of racing success took on the brutal Dakar Rally 21 times, winning it consecutively in 2002 and 2003, driving Mitsubishi Pajero and Pajero Evolution models respectively.

This story originally appeared on Paul Tan's Automotive News on Thu, 01 Mar 12 05:00:55 +0000.

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PSA Peugeot Citroën forms alliance with GM – platform sharing, joint purchasing and development on the cards

PSA Peugeot Citroën and General Motors have formed an alliance. The move will see the US carmaker buy a 7% stake in PSA as part of a share issue by the French automaker. GM says it expects to spend from $400 million to $470 million on that.

“This partnership brings tremendous opportunity for our two companies. The alliance synergies, in addition to our independent plans, position GM for long-term sustainable profitability in Europe,” said GM CEO Dan Akerson. But “each company will continue to market and sell its vehicles independently and on a competitive basis,” the statement added.

The scope of the alliance includes the sharing of vehicle platforms, components and modules, and the creation of a global purchasing joint venture for the sourcing of commodities, components and other goods and services from suppliers with combined annual volumes of approximately $125 billion. Bigger buyer gets better deals, as always.

There is also talk on joint development. GM and PSA said the alliance will at first focus on small and midsize vehicles, MPVs and crossovers. The carmakers may also develop a new common platform for low emission vehicles, with the first model expected to debut in 2016.

Cost savings from the deal will be limited in the first two years, but will eventually amount to $2 billion annually, split equally, the companies said. The deal is expected to close and take effect by the second half of this year.

GM is certainly not new in linking up with other companies. The US carmaker had shares in Suzuki Motor Corp, Isuzu Motors and Subaru maker Fuji Heavy Industries before disposing off the stakes few years ago. In the same period, but in Europe, GM had to pay Fiat to end an unsuccessful alliance. They also flirted with Renault-Nissan before. GM’s Opel brand is not doing well at all in Europe, and this move has it in mind.

On the other hand, Peugeot has a better track record with other carmakers, including JVs to build commercial vans with Fiat and an engine partnership with BMW. PSA also makes diesel powertrains with Ford and sells Mitsubishi models in Europe with its own face and badge.

This story originally appeared on Paul Tan's Automotive News on Thu, 01 Mar 12 03:04:54 +0000.

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MWC Day 5: Android Wonderland & Awesome Lobster!

So on the 5th day,,.. which was today.. we had a Q&A session during breakfast and head off to MWC at noon.

I spent most of my time at the Android area as they had games, and were giving out Ice Cream Sandwiches all the time. Yummy!

The guys at Nokia were giving out stuff and I won myself the new NFC Bluetooth Headset with OLED screen and radio!

So basically the whole day I was walking around looking at new gadgets.

At night we went for dinner and lookkkkk at my lobster… awesome

Some of us at the dinner table..

GNITE!

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Barcelona Filler: Monte Carlo Jump

I am currently in Barcelona.
If you are seeing this post, it only means 2 things.

I am either too busy to update the blog or I am still trying hard to find Internet.

So here’s a filler post.

iCity Jump. For more jumps like this, check out the smashpOp Jumpilation!

Follow me on Twitter for live updates from Mobile World Congress, Barcelona!

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VIDEO: Schumacher’s surprise visit to UTP interns at MERCEDES AMG PETRONAS

Check out this episode of motorsports@PETRONAS, Michael Schumacher and Jazeman Jaafar paid a surprise visit to Universiti Technology PETRONAS students who are currently undergoing internship with the MERCEDES AMG PETRONAS. Damn, experiences like these make me long for college days again!

This story originally appeared on Paul Tan's Automotive News on Wed, 29 Feb 12 15:02:43 +0000.

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Volkswagen Golf GTI Cabriolet – the Mk6 goes topless

Ah, nothing like taking the top off things to give a new spin to a venerable fave, and it was bound to happen with this one at some point. Looks like the folks at Volkswagen have decided to rip the lid off the Mk6 Golf GTI and come up with a convertible version of the hot hatch.

Yes, the Golf GTI Cabriolet, which is making its debut in Geneva, packs in all the performance and practicality of the GTI hatchback, but adds the pleasures of open-air motoring for four, thanks to an electrically-powered fabric roof which can be folded away in just 9.5 seconds and is operable at speeds of up to 30 km/h.

Visually, the Golf GTI Cabriolet bears all the classic GTI design cues – the radiator grille has a honeycomb structure with red edging and the GTI badge, while the front bumper incorporates a deep honeycomb air dam and distinctive vertical fog lights. A bespoke rear diffuser is framed by a chrome tailpipe on either side, and smoked LED tail lights complete the look.

The car comes with the standard 17-inch Denver type alloys with their five prominent openings, fitted with 225/45 tyres, though an optional 18-inch Detroit wheel, with machine-polished surface and contrasting black inner surfaces, is available.

Under the bonnet is the same 2.0 litre turbocharged four-cylinder engine as found in the hatchback, offering 210 PS and 280 Nm, mated to either a standard six-speed manual gearbox or optional six-speed DSG transmission. It’s a shade slower to the 100 km/h mark than the hatch, doing so in 7.3 seconds with either transmission (vs 6.9 seconds for the hatch), while top speed is 237 km/h.

Under the insulated, fully automatic roof, you’ll find four individual seats covered in the classic tartan Jacky cloth upholstery, with an option to go the Vienna leather path. Elsewhere, the hood lining and roof pillar trims are finished in black.

Safety-wise, as like all Golf Cabriolet models, the GTI Cabriolet comes with automatically deploying rollover protection, front and side head/thorax airbags and a driver’s knee airbag as standard.

This story originally appeared on Paul Tan's Automotive News on Wed, 29 Feb 12 14:39:44 +0000.

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