LONDON: Valvoline Global, a worldwide leader in automotive and industrial solutions, has opened its first-ever London office, a regional hub. "Opening our London hub location marks a pivotal milestone in Valvoline Global's growth strategy," said Valvoline Global CEO Jamal Muashsher. "We're excited to strengthen our European footprint, as we aim to inspire and enable what [...]

TOKYO: RollsRoyce Motor Cars presents the Phantom Cherry Blossom, which was commissioned by a client in Japan. In a statement, the luxury automaker said "This magnificent one-of-one Phantom Extended commission is inspired by the fleeting beauty of the Sakura blooms and a Japanese clients formative memories of this stunning natural spectacle." As Sakura blooms are [...]

PARIS: Four of Europe's biggest electric vehicle charging firms said on Wednesday they were teaming up to create the largest public charging network on the continent. Italy's Atlante, Germany's Ionity, the Netherlands' Fastned and France's Electra will create a new alliance called Spark aimed at sharing their networks. It will comprise 11,000 charging points and [...]

PETALING JAYA: More vehicles could be deployed to temporarily help residents affected by the recent Putra Heights gas pipeline fire, says Transport Minister Anthony Loke. He said the ministry had contacted several companies to help victims, among them used car marketplace Carro that has agreed to provide 30 vehicles. Any victims who need these cars [...]

PETALING JAYA: To encourage travellers to plan their post-holiday journey, PLUS Malaysia Berhad (PLUS) is offering up to RM20,000 in prizes to those following its MyPLUS-TTA digital travel schedule. In a statement today, the highway concessionaire said this was to ensure smooth traffic flow, with more than two million vehicles expected daily during the peak [...]

KUALA LUMPUR: Carro, an online automotive marketplace, is loaning out at least 30 vehicles to the residents of Putra Heights who are affected by the pipeline fire on 1 April 2025. In a statement, the company said this move is part of larger aid efforts to help affected residents regain stability and mobility, as they [...]

BEIJING: China plans to launch pilot projects in nine cities that would use the country's growing fleet of electric vehicles as batteries to shore up power supply on the grid during spikes in demand, according to a government announcement on Wednesday. The move follows on rules issued last year by state planner the National Development [...]

WASHINGTON: US President Donald Trump's 25% auto tariffs will cover more than US$460 billion (RM2tril) worth of imports of vehicles and auto parts imports annually, according to a Reuters analysis of tariff codes included in a federal register notice on Wednesday. The update of Trump's auto tariff proclamation from last week included nearly 150 auto [...]

Cape Town, also affectionately known as the "Mother City" in South Africa, provides its roughly 4.8 million residents with a breathtaking view of Table Mountain as its backdrop right at the edge of the city limits. Coupled with the vast expanse of the Atlantic Ocean washing up against its shores and clear blue skies, this [...]

NEW YORK: Dongfeng Motor and Chongqing Changan Automobile are in advance discussions to combine their operations, the New York Times reported on Tuesday, citing people with knowledge of the matter. The two companies, both controlled by the central government, have conducted detailed discussions on how to merge their operations and informed their foreign partners of [...]

SEOUL: Hyundai Motor Group has introduced its new mobility software brand 'Pleos' at its 'Pleos 25' developer conference in Seoul, and also unveiled plans for collaboration with global partners to enhance in-vehicle app ecosystems. The inaugural event marked a significant step toward the group's evolution into a mobility tech company by sharing the development status [...]

GOTHENBURG: The Polestar 2 is getting a model year 2026 update that includes an upgraded Qualcomm Snapdragon processor chip, a new top-tier audio system option from Bowers & Wilkins, a new Dune exterior colour, and a battery update that provides longer range. All Polestar markets now offer a 70kWh battery from CATL, in contrast to [...]

BEIJING: BYD recently teased its Yangwang U7 sedan in a kung fu stunt featuring a Wing Chun master on its roof, demonstrating the stability of the cars Disus-Z suspension system, reported Carnewschina.com. Yangwang is a high- end brand under BYD. The U7 will be its third car after the off-roader water- floating U8 SUV and dancing supercar [...]

The 2024 edition of Auto China was held in Beijing. SHANGHAI: The government backers of China's largest auto show have clashed over who has the rights to organise it, sowing confusion among automakers and would-be attendees just weeks before the opening of the showpiece event in the world's biggest auto market. Auto China alternates between [...]

RIDING a motorcycle for the first time without using a clutch lever feels unnatural, almost likelearning to ride all over again. But thats exactly what Hondas new E-Clutch system on the CB650R offers an experience that merges traditional riding thrills with modern convenience. What is E-Clutch? The E-Clutch is unique to Honda and basically [...]

MUNICH: The MAN Polarexpress, a battery-powered eTGX semitrailer truck, has successfully completed the 3,400km journey from the Arctic Circle in northern Sweden to Munich. Despite the sometimes deep winter conditions with snow and ice, which required tyres with special grip and thus increased rolling resistance, the 32-tonne electric truck completed the entire route with an [...]

KUALA LUMPUR: Chery Corporate Malaysia is stepping in to provide relief to the victims of the devastating gas inferno incident, which has affected homes in Putra Heights, Selangor displacing families and disrupting the daily lives of those in the area. The automotive company has announced a vehicle loan programme, providing 50 vehicles to assist families [...]

KUALA LUMPUR: Porsche Malaysia, represented by Sime Darby Auto Performance (Auto Performance) and Motorsports Association of Malaysia (MAM) have joined forces to drive a nationwide effort, Students Today. Drivers Tomorrow., to educate the drivers of tomorrow about the critical importance of road safety. The campaign has reached over 1,600 participants between the ages of 7 [...]

LONDON: Kia has released a new over-the-air update that will add several features to the infotainment systems of many of its cars. One of the key new introductions is an artificial intelligence (AI) voice control system, which Kia says will enable "natural and conversational voice control", with drivers able to speak to the vehicle as [...]

LONDON: At regular intervals, vehicle transporters exited the front gates of the historic Vauxhall plant in the English town of Luton, loaded with white electric vans straight off the assembly line. From the outside, it appeared to be business as usual at the ageing factory that has churned out vehicles for 120 years, including for [...]

PARIS: Renault Group and Nissan have announced new strategic projects, including one where Renault will develop and produce a derivative of Twingo, designed by Nissan. Renault Group, through Ampere, the first European intelligent EV pure player, would develop and produce a derivative of Twingo, a A-segment vehicle, for Nissan from 2026. Also, Renault Group would [...]

LONDON: koda is offering Elroq and Enyaq owners the opportunity to send messages to each other via an optional new feature. Designed to help busy couples and families to communicate, the new kodAlert system utilises the Elroq and Enyaqs illuminated Tech-Deck face a fundamental design element of kodas bold Modern Solid design language. The [...]

BRUSSELS: Volkswagen, Stellantis, 13 other carmakers and their car association were fined a total of 458 million (RM2.2bil/US$495mil) by EU antitrust regulators on Tuesday for taking part in a vehicle recycling cartel. The European Commission, which raided the companies three years ago, said the cartel, which involved end-of-life vehicles, took place from May 2002 to [...]

LONDON: Aston Martin has released official on-road imagery of Valhalla on Monday, showing the new model undergoing final validation sign-off both on- road in the UK and on-track near Barcelona, before the start of production in Q2 2025. The Valhalla is currently undergoing dynamic calibration and validation across multiple test sites, focusing on key performance areas [...]

HONG KONG: The founder of Chinese electric vehicle maker Xiaomi said on Tuesday he was "heavy-hearted" after three people were killed in an accident involving one of the company's SU7s, and said it would fully cooperate with a police investigation. The incident on March 29 marks the first major accident involving the SU7 sedan, which [...]

BERLIN: Surely some mistake? The latest model from Brabus, the German tuning house known for its luxury cars on steroids, has powerhouse specs (12.8 litres of displacement, 530hp and 2,600Nm of torque), yet it can only reach a maximum of 90kph. Anyone studying the data sheet of the latest Brabus might be a little taken [...]

A drone view showing charred Tesla vehicles following a fire at a Tesla dealership in Rome. Reuters GDANSK/LONDON: Tesla's sales in key European markets fell again in March, data showed on Tuesday, adding to signs that drivers are shunning Elon Musk's electric car brand as competition from China stiffens and some protest against his [...]

STOCKHOLM/LONDON: Volvo Car's abrupt decision to tap Hakan Samuelsson as its CEO puts the car industry veteran back in charge of steering the automaker through US President Donald Trump's tariff turbulence and a wobbly transition to electric cars, analysts and investors said. Samuelsson, who led the Swedish automaker for a decade from 2012 to 2022, [...]

PETALING JAYA: Every year, about 100,000 new bikes are sold in Malaysia, with the second-hand motorbike market accounting for about 10% to 12%. The bulk of the second-hand transactions now are between buyers and dealers, although there are some transactions via platforms like Mudah.my and iMotorbike. Enter Rider Gate, an online marketplace for second-hand motorbikes [...]

PETALING JAYA: Come April 1, some automakers and related companies are prone to issue press releases that are hard to believe and are meant to be that way. Here are a few to raise a few chuckles. Omoda&Jaecoo; UKserves up chopstick holder Omoda&Jaecoo; UK has launched an unusual accessory for its Omoda 5, E5 and [...]

GOTHENBURG: Volvo Cars has re-appointed Hakan Samuelsson, who served as CEO of the company from 2012 to 2022, as chief executive, after the group warned last month that it could be in for a challenging 2025. Samuelsson, 74, will succeed Jim Rowan, who will step down on March 31. Samuelsson will serve a two-year term [...]

SUBANG JAYA: Proton e.MAS 7 and smart owners are in for a treat. Pro-Net is offering a 30% discount on EV charging fees from March 29 to April 7 to celebrate Hari Raya. The move by the Proton subsidiary is aimed at making the "balik kampung" drive more affordable for owners of the e.MAS 7 [...]

LONDON: A new study has discovered that birds in the Galpagos Islands are changing their behaviour due to traffic noise, with those frequently exposed to vehicles showing heightened levels of aggression. Published in the journal Animal Behaviour and led by experts from Anglia Ruskin University (ARU) and the Konrad Lorenz Research Centre at the University [...]

PARIS: Hundreds of Parisian streets are to be closed to cars after a clear majority voted in favour of pedestrian-friendly measures in a citizens' poll in the French capital earlier in March. The long-planned ban on private cars driving through the heart of Paris is the latest part of Mayor Anne Hidalgo's campaign to reduce [...]

LOS ANGELES: An award-winning documentary following a very special Porsche 911 named Edith is now available on Prime Video via Prime Video Direct in Germany, the United States and the United Kingdom. The film, Edith: Porsches Volcano Ascent a project four and a half years in the making debuted at Monterey Car Week [...]

MILAN: Lotus is set to showcase 'The Lotus Theory' - its design manifesto, at Milan Design Week this month, exploring the companys future direction through the core principles of - Digital, Natural and Analogue (DNA). The exhibition will bring together past, present and future, celebrating Lotus' heritage with a display of the much-loved Esprit, which [...]

TOKYO: Toyota Motor said today its global production rose for the second consecutive month in February, driven by higher output and stronger sales in Japan after recovering from a certification scandal in its home market last year. Global output for the world's biggest automaker increased 6% to 779,790 vehicles year-on-year, with domestic production up 16% [...]

LONDON: Data from Kwik Fit, which fits more tyres to cars in the UK than any other company, reveals which car models are disproportionately likely to need new tyres in every area of Britain. One car tops the list in significantly more locations than any other vehicle the Tesla Model 3. The companys analysts [...]

PRAGUE: koda Auto and regional partner and investor, the Thanh Cong Group, officially opened a new production plant in Vietnam on March 26 for the assembly of koda Slavia and Kushaq cars. In a statement, koda Auto said this marks a significant milestone in the brands internationalisation strategy, reinforcing its ambition to strengthen its presence [...]

STUTTGART: Porsche is improving the digital user experience for model year 2026 911, Taycan, Panamera and Cayenne model series starting in June. The revised Porsche Communication Management (PCM) system features more performance and offers access to the Porsche App Center. Other new features include Dolby Atmos for a truly immersive sound experience, the Amazon Alexa [...]