Earlier this week, public listed Heitech Padu Bhd made an announcement to Bursa Malaysia, saying that it has secured a RM 190.01 million contract from the Road Transport Department Malaysia (JPJ) to maintain its IT systems. The contract courted controversy because Heitech Padu has indirect ties with Prime Minister Anwar’s former political secretary, Farhash Wafa Salvador Rizal Mubarak. Heitech Padu is 15.9 percent owned by Rosetta Partners, a wholly owned subsidiary of Mfivesouthsea Sdn Bhd., wh

Hans

Apr 18, 2024

Foreign investors are expected to establish a plant in Thailand to produce battery cells intended for electric vehicles (EVs) within the next two years, reports Bangkok Post. Narit Therdsteerasukdi, the secretary-general of Thailand’s Board of Investment (BoI), disclosed that the roadshow, held in Fujian and Guangdong from 7- to 10-April, showcased promotional incentives for Chinese EV battery manufacturers. Among the interested parties were prominent names such as Contemporary Amperex Technolog

Shaun

Apr 18, 2024

XPeng and Volkswagen Group have announced a collaborative effort to develop a new battery electric vehicle (BEV) platform called the Electrical/Electronic architecture (“E/E Architecture”). Under the agreement, XPeng and Volkswagen will work together to integrate XPeng’s E/E Architecture into Volkswagen’s China Main Platform (CMP) for Chinese-produced Volkswagen BEVs expected by 2026. XPeng’s internally developed E/E Architecture forms the foundation of its vertically integrated software and har

Shaun

Apr 18, 2024

Many electric vehicle chargers deployed in Malaysia don’t have SIRIM certification. It should be noted that a SIRIM certificate is not mandatory for EV chargers, specifically called Electric vehicle supply equipment (EVSE), but SIRIM is proposing to make this compulsory. There are already several agencies governing public charging facilities, including Suruhanjaya Tenaga (Energy Commission) and local councils, but neither physically inspects the EVSEs. Also, EVSEs installed by private home owner

Hans

Apr 18, 2024

Chery has signed a joint venture deal with Spain’s Ebro EV Motors to produce vehicles at its first factory in Europe. The Chinese carmaker will begin assembling the Omoda 5 in semi-knock-down (SKD) form at the former Nissan plant in Barcelona which shut down in 2021. Chery acts as the junior partner in the joint venture with its Spanish partner being the majority shareholder. The plant will produce both Chery and Ebro EV vehicles in the fourth quarter of the year. The Anhui-based carmaker was la

CY Foong

Apr 18, 2024