Month: January 2023

This man has to be the luckiest man on earth as he survived an accident where two semi-trucks squashed his truck beyond recognition.

When it’s not your time to leave earth, it’s just not your time, and even a couple of lorries smashing your car to a pulp can’t stop that.

This is of course in relation to the accident which took place in Oregon recently, where Kaleb Whitby was lucky enough to survive “semi-trucks flattening his Chevy Silverado like a panini press.”

Picture credit: Oregonlive

While motorway accidents are not few and far between, the picture of Kaleb stuck in his car after the accident really says it all about how sometimes, your time is just not up yet.

According to oregonlive.com, more than 100 people were involved in a pileup on Interstate 84, about 16 kilometres east of Baker City. The daily reported that black ice, heavy winds, fog and cold weather combined caused the pileup.

Oregon State Police Sgt. Kyle Hove said “I think we’re fortunate that there weren’t any fatalities here,” and his comments are especially true when you see how Kaleb survived the tragedy.

According to the report, Kaleb and his Silverado headed up a slight hill into a curve where he initially decided to pass a semi-truck in front of him, but then thought better of it. The fog was too thick he said, so he backed off.

Picture credit: Oregonlive

When he rounded the curve and started descending, Kaleb saw the semi-truck again — but this time, it was jackknifed across the interstate. He swerved to the right, but ended up hitting the back end of the trailer. It flipped him around, leaving him disorientated with his passenger side facing oncoming traffic.

Next thing you know, the headlights of an oncoming semi-truck started to fill up his window frame, Kaleb said “I just braced and hoped that everything would be all right.”

He prayed, and wondered if it was his time.

It wasn’t; fortunately, somehow, Kaleb had survived the collision. Kaleb opened his eyes to the sight of shattered glass and that the steering column was lodged in his right hip. He was upright again and still in the driver’s seat. 

Picture credit: oregonlive

While this sounds like something minor, the picture of Kaleb stuck in his squashed Silverado proved to be something short of a miracle because somehow, the squashed metal was in perfect shape to keep Kaleb alive.

Not only was Kaleb alive, but after being sent to the hospital for a checkup, Kaleb only needed two band-aids on his right ring finger, proving that even when a couple of trucks tries to squash you, if your time is not up, it’s just not your time to leave earth.

A right-hand-drive version of the 2023 BYD Seal EV has been spotted in Australia, as posted by Autospinn.

Expected to be launched sometime in the second half of 2023, the sedan-style Chinese EV has been making some waves regarding its specs, particularly its ability to be driven up to 700km. What about Malaysia?

BYD Seal coming to Malaysia in 2023 as well?

*Image credit: Autospinn

As most of you may already know, the BYD Seal (left-hand-drive model) was previewed together with the BYD Seal at the launch of the BYD Atto 3 here in Malaysia last year. BYD made its presence known with a huge customer event at Bandar Malaysia to showcase the BYD Atto 3 priced from RM149,800.

As for the more premium BYD Seal that’s closely compared to the Tesla Model 3, it is said that it’ll officially enter the market within the final quarter of 2023. We’re not quite sure what the price range would be, but somewhere around the RM300k mark should be the most logical.

Four variants available, but which one is coming?

There are four different variants for the BYD Seal EV in the Chinese market – Elite, Premium, Long Range RWD, and Performance. The Elite and Premium are fitted with a 201hp single electric motor paired with a 61.4kWh battery pack that offers a WLTP range of 550km.

The Long Range RWD bumps it up with a single 308hp electric motor and a bigger 82.5kWh battery pack that pushes its EV range limit to 700km. The range-topping Long Range AWD Performance is the only variant that comes with dual electric motors that produce 523hp but that extra boost of power cuts down its range to 650km. Still very decent, though.

At least two variants are expected to enter the Malaysian market at the end of 2023, and like everything else, the final pricing would determine its popularity in the future. For now, we’re quite sold on its looks, performance, as well as driving range.

Honda is reorganising and changing its operations to adapt to the electrified era.

Remember when Honda’s CEO Takahiro Hachigo said “EVs are not a priority” back in 2019? Well, it seems he has changed his mind as Honda has announced that starting from April 1st this year, the company will make organisational and operational changes to “further accelerate electrification business and realise new value creation.”

This new vision by Honda actually started back in April last year when they announced their electrification plans – which will see them roll out 30 EVs by 2030.

Many thought this vision was just a pipe dream, but these organisational and operational changes further solidifies their attempt to make that many EVs in the next seven years.

This is probably Takahiro’s aggressive plan to get them up to speed with the rest of the EV world, as their only electrified offering is the Honda e, a cute little EV which is sheek, but lacks the range to be a mass seller. 

Yes, Honda is working on the ZDX Acura and Prologue, but that’s not entirely theirs, as the battery tech comes from GM. 

Some say the recently unveiled Afeela EV concept car, a cooperation between Honda and Sony is an EV that will be built to compete with the big boys such as Mercedes-Benz and BMW, but we’re pretty sure Honda wants to take things to a more familiar territory, the affordable segment.

According to Honda, by further accelerating the series of initiatives Honda has been taking to transform itself through electrification and new value creation, Honda strives to remain and become even more recognised as “a company society wants to exist” in the electrified era.

Ops Selamat 19 has reported thousands of accidents every single day for CNY 2023.

The Kuala Lumpur Traffic Investigation and Enforcement Department (JSPT) has released daily traffic information in relation to this year’s Op Selamat 19 and the statistics have seen a slight reduction on the fifth day.

Over 1,300 accidents on the fifth day

Op Selamat 19 started its operations by PDRM on 18 January 2023 and on the third day itself, over 1,900 road accidents were reported that involved 2,852 vehicles. 22 deaths were also reported on that day.

The fourth and fifth days of Ops Selamat 19 saw a slight reduction in accident numbers with 1,546 and 1,445 reported cases for both of these days. Day 6 (23 January 2023) recorded 1,312 accidents involving a total of 1,603 vehicles.

For all of the reported days, the stats for passenger cars remain the same – between 70%-80% of all reported incidents. The 2023 Op Selamat 19 will conclude on 28 January 2023, and hopefully, the numbers would see a further reduction.

PDRM drones are watching

For those who think that they can get away by driving on the emergency lane when there’s no emergency, just know that the authorities are watching and they have the tech to prove it if or when you’re caught.

PDRM is using drones to record traffic offenders and present them as evidence should they attempt to dispute their actions. Just like the saying goes, “If you can’t do the time, don’t do the crime”.

If someone brake checks you and you hit them, will it automatically be their fault?

Just before the Chinese New Year festival began, Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim’s daughter Nurul Ilham was at the receiving end of a road bullying incident where a woman driving a Proton Iriz was constantly braking in front of her in an attempt to annoy her.

This road misdemeanour is commonly known as ‘brake check’, where the driver behind is forced to brake suddenly, causing distress or even worse, forcing them to swerve, causing an accident.

This act is so hazardous it’s illegal in most countries with decent road laws and considered an assault in some parts of the United States, with severe penalties, including jail time.

This got us thinking, will you instantly be at fault if you hit the car in front, even if they slam their brakes suddenly?

While it may instantly seem like the fault lies with the brake-checking driver, in nearly all cases, the rear driver is determined to be the guilty party. 

Technically, this is because every driver on the road is responsible for maintaining a safe distance between themselves and the car in front of them.

This is especially true if you have no proof or witnesses of the accident and the driver in front doesn’t fess up to their actions.

This is why many car owners install dashcams these days, as it can save you many heartaches caused by road bullies and careless drivers. In fact, dashcams are not only there for yourself, as they can also help your fellow road users.

There was even an incident where the police urged owners of dashcams to help with an investigation of an accident and apparent road bullying, which proves it can come in handy.

So if you plan to brake check anyone, please don’t, even if the person behind is doing the aggressive driving. You never know who is recording your actions. 

Worse yet, just like the incident with the Prime Minister’s daughter, you never know who you might be brake checking, which might just land you in scalding hot water, like the driver of the green Iriz.

It’s 2023 and there are still some folks out there who love to drive on the emergency lane despite not having any emergency.

The folks over at PDRM have been catching a bunch of these drivers zooming on the emergency lane to bypass all the traffic congestion due to the long four-day weekend due to this year’s Chinese New Year festivities, Sinar Harian reported.

Driving on the emergency lane = straight to court!

Officers involved in the latest Op Selamat 19 have probably heard all the stories and excuses from drivers who simply don’t have the patience to not drive on the emergency lane and cut queues.

Perhaps the most common ones the authorities have picked up are ‘toilet emergencies’ because someone in the car can’t hold in or their way was blocked by a heavy vehicle.

It was reported just a few days back that seven traffic offences will be temporarily marked as non-compoundable. These include cutting queues and driving on emergency lanes. Those who are caught red-handed will have no other choice but to settle it in court.

PDRM drones with video footage as evidence

*Image credit: Sinar Harian

The authorities have also employed the use of drones to capture the traffic perpetrators in action, and they’ve been used to dispute against those who claimed that they didn’t do anything wrong despite being caught on cam.

Whatever the case may be, always be patient on the road and adhere to all the traffic laws to ensure that your travels are as safe as they can be, including the money in your wallets or accounts. Those fines don’t come cheap.

Electricity tariff hike affected car prices – manufacturers had to pass some of the cost to consumers.

The recent automotive annual review by the Malaysian Automotive Association (MAA) brought to light some interesting facts. In summary, 2022 was the best year ever for car sales, and they predict that 2022 will see a slowdown in car purchases due to fears of recession. 

One of the other factors that might slow down car sales in 2023 is the hike in electricity tariff, because indirectly, it affected car prices. Remember when some auto manufactures announced an increase in prices for their cars earlier this year? well, this is one of the reasons why they had to do so.

According to UMW Toyota Motor’s Mr. Ravindran K., who is currently the MAA Council’s Vice-President for Trade, “when electricity prices go up, we will take half of the cost, and the other half will be passed to the consumers.”

“We (auto manufacturers) will try as best as we can to hold as much as possible, but some will have to be passed to consumers,” said Ravindran.

It seems the revision of the electricity tariff for industrial users (medium- and high-voltage users) at the end of last year is the main culprit for the increased prices of cars. 

The Chevrolet Corvette E-Ray V8 hybrid will be heading to Australia and that has been confirmed by the country’s GM Specialty Vehicles spokesperson.

It’s definitely big news for the folks living in Down Under as this Chevy will be the first right-hand-drive model to be made available in Australia since forever.

Chevrolet’s fastest Corvette yet

Regarded as the fastest-ever Corvette (yet), the E-Ray V8 hybrid is destined to arrive in countries that drive on the left side of the road, but for Australia, the timing of its timing is still in the dark. But, it is coming.

It seems that they’re also waiting for the arrival of the Z06, but the E-Ray is obviously the more interesting choice as it’s the first Corvette ever to come with not only an all-wheel-drive system but also a hybrid powertrain.

6.2L V8 hybrid with 655hp & 793Nm

Fitted with a 6.2-litre small-block V8 engine, the Chevrolet Corvette E-Ray produces 495hp and 637Nm of torque. The front-axle electric motor adds an additional 160hp and 165Nm, making the total output for the E-Ray a whopping 655hp and 793Nm of gut-wrenching torque.

Mated to an eight-speed dual-clutch transmission, the E-Ray is able to hit 0-100km/h in just 2.5 seconds. Love quarter-mile drag races? The E-Ray is claimed to complete the 400m sprint in 10.5 seconds. Yup, it’s a 10-second car.

All-electric driving up to 72km/h

When driven in Stealth Mode, the E-Ray can propel itself using nothing but electricity at speeds of up to 72km/h. However, you won’t get very far considering the 160hp electric motor is paired to a tiny 1.9kWh battery pack located within the structural tunnel between the seats.

There are six other driving modes to choose from – Tour, Sport, Track, Weather, My Mode, and Z-Mode. Just like most high-performance hybrid sports cars, the electric motor does most of its job to add a little zest during hard accelerations as well as add to the vehicle’s overall stability. 

Price-wise, folks in the US can get one USD104,295-USD111,295 (around RM447k-RM477k). The E-Ray, however, will go on sale at the end of the year. For the rest of the world, expect its possible arrival sometime in 2024.

Petaling Jaya district police are trying to track down the driver of a red Proton X70 who allowed a child to stick his head out through the sunroof.

 While it might seem like a fun idea to let your kid stick his head and body out of the sunroof, it’s just plain ol’ not safe, which is why the cops are clamping down on this type of joyride.

The Petaling Jaya police are trying to track down a driver of a Proton X70 who allowed a child to stick his head out through the sunroof. This act got the attention of the police after it went viral on social media recently.

Petaling Jaya District Police Assistant Commissioner Mohamad Fakhrudin Abdul Hamid said they detected the nine-second video recording that was uploaded by the owner of the Twitter account, @nabilahroslan, at 12.15 midnight last night.

“In the video recording, a red Proton X70 SUV was seen being negligent towards the safety of a child by allowing him to stick his head out through the vehicle’s sunroof.”

“Based on the recording, the incident happened on the New Klang Valley Expressway (NKVE) from Subang Jaya towards Bukit Lanjan,” he said in a statement.

Mohamad Fakhrudin said that the case is being investigated according to Section 336, which is for negligent acts that endanger the life or safety of others.

“If convicted, the individual involved can be sentenced to imprisonment not exceeding three months or a fine not exceeding RM500 or both.

“The police advise road users to not carry out these types of actions that endanger the lives or safety of others,” he said.

He also called on the owner or driver and witnesses who saw the incident to come forward and make a police report for further investigation.

“People who have information regarding the incident can contact Sergeant Major Mohd Yusof Hamzah on 011-23065984 to assist with the investigation.”

Surprise, surprise. The Proton Wira has retained its status as the most stolen vehicle in Malaysia.

It’s actually an unsurprising surprise as the Proton Wira has maintained this infamous title for the past 11 years now, according to the Vehicle Theft Reduction Council of Malaysia (VTREC).

131 Proton Wiras reported stolen in 2021

*Image credit: Berita Harian

The figures were published by the Vehicle Theft Reduction Council of Malaysia and according to its coordinator, Mas Tina Abdul Hamid, these were the numbers based on claims received by insurance companies in the country.

On top of that list of the most stolen vehicle in Malaysia for 2021 is the Proton Wira with 131 reports followed by the Proton Iswara with 75 reports. The third place belongs to the Perodua Kancil. Why is this? Easy cars to steal? Easier to sell? High demands for parts?

All of the above, actually. Unsurprisingly, the Toyota Hilux gets the title of the most stolen foreign-made vehicle in 2021 with 65 cases reported. As for the king itself, the Perodua Myvi sits in sixth position.

Supply & demand for parts are still high

Even though the production of the Proton Wira stopped close to 15 years now, there are still a number of them roaming around. The demand for parts is still high for this particular model, which is why car thieves are still targetting the Proton Wira.

This trend will most likely continue with other models on the list once that particular gen, make, or model finally ends its production by the manufacturer. According to VTREC, the older-gen Perodua Myvi might see an increase in theft activities in the years to come.

For the rest of the cars that don’t end up as scrap after they’ve been stripped for parts, they’re usually sold online with labels such as ‘piang’, ‘lari bank’, Jalan Terus’, and more. Don’t believe us? Go to any online marketplace and search for ‘piang‘. You would be amazed by the results, and even the prices they’re offering for some high-end models.

Over 50% reduction in thefts compared to 2020

VTREC also reported that there was an upside as they’ve seen a reduction in all vehicle-type theft cases. A 51% drop for private cars and motorcycles in 2021 showed a significant improvement, followed by a massive 81% for commercial vehicles (Q1-Q3 comparison between 2020 and 2021).