DRB-HICOM has announced plans to introduce its own hybrid car by 2012. Group director of automotive, Datuk Nik Hamdan Nik Hassan said the conglomerate is currently in talks with three potential partners to manufacture the car and that they hope to finalise the deal next year.
“We want to have our own hybrid car that we can call it HICOM hybrid. It will take 18 to 24 months to have this car to come on stream,” he told a media briefing today. When pressed for details, he declined to name the parties but said that one of them was DRB-HICOM’s existing partner.
Who might that be? At present, DRB-HICOM has links with Audi, Mercedes-Benz, Honda, Suzuki, Mitsubishi, Isuzu, Mahindra as well as local brands Proton and Modenas. It has just cut off ties with GM and Chevrolet.
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my guess it is mahindra scorpio. haha.
hybrid? would have been cool during the 2.00+ petrol days… now at sub 2.00 prices…. who cares? who is buying prius and civic hybrids even at subsidsed taxes duties etc… now?
i suppose this is a good move when gomen run out of money and cut back fuel subsidies… then everybody can throw riot in front of twin towers, take the lrt, buy hybrid cars, ride motorbike… but until then hybrids will always be a second choice to most people here.
and as if most malaysians care abt the environment… look at the pathetic diesel buses we have on our roads…
so its gonna be tough for the hybrid market here… people graduate to jap brand no matter what brand after proton then move on to continental cars when they can afford it… they dont change or upgrade for economy or the environment.. lets face it… panties will be lost easier in mercs than in a prius :)
Good move … bring the techs in ..
At last…I hope it will be something good and affordable. If not, it shows that the G still not 'sincere' in this sector.
Audi ? noo..Mercedes ? noo…Honda….yesssss
Definitely not from malaysia.
"We want to have our own hybrid car" Let me re write that. "We would like to change the badge on the hybrid car, charge Malaysian people more (because they have no choice), provide crap service and run away with all their money."
Japanese marques perhaps? Prior to DPM visit to Japan the other day, i guess.
Another player …… hope you doing well.
Biar betul …?
amazing…. amazing stuff
Something is not right… they don't have their own car platform, no engine technology of their own, no hybrid drivetrain technology of their own. However, there is (and perhaps there will be more incentives to be exploited) from the government for OEMs to set up manufacturing plant for hybrid vehicles. So, my guess is most likely they'll become an assembler for either Toyota, Honda or some other big names with the right to market the hybrid vehicles in Malaysia using the HICOM brand name… similar to what Perodua is doing now with Daihatsu and Toyota models.
The hybrid technology will still be owned by the original company, be it Toyota, Honda or others. And Hicom is just an assembler, perhaps with minimal or zero gain technology transfer (think what Mitsubishi did with Proton or Frazier-Nash with POEM) unless the technology will become obsolete and replaced by more advanced vehicle propulsion technologies (fuel cell, advanced battery pack with 400 miles driving range, ultracapacitors, in-wheel motors, auto thermal hydrocarbon fuel reformer for on-board hydrogen generation, etc).
Are we looking at another company
being granted with "national car" status?
P4 perhaps after Proton,Perodua+Naza??
But which car manufacturer to rebadge?
Mitsu EV…? (as they already have a ready model out with assembly
plants overseas) Would be a winner as Malaysians love the Mitsu badge.
Exciting, only time will tell !!!!
singapore government is trying to go greener buy buying mroe chery green low emission buses as their public buses.
Hicom brand car? Lorry Hicom perkasa, so this car?
Honda Civic Hybrid to be rebadge?
SO, PERODUA WILL DIE… ABSOLUTELY DIE..
count me out….
Buses in Putrajaya and major towns like Seremban already use NGV. KLIA airport taxis as well as big towns uses NGV too. We have electric trains too. These help reduce toxic gas emissions.
shamsul said,
December 31, 2009 @ 1:00 am
Are we looking at another company
being granted with “national car” status?
P4 perhaps after Proton,Perodua+Naza??
But which car manufacturer to rebadge?
Mitsu EV…? (as they already have a ready model out with assembly
plants overseas) Would be a winner as Malaysians love the Mitsu badge.
Exciting, only time will tell !!!!
————————————————————
If the national car status is just a quick way of making money (for Hicom and the foreign partners) without actually contributing towards the development of our own technologies and local industries (just as an assembler, no R&D, no technology transfer) then this will be just another Perodua or Naza.
In the short term, 'we' could be the winner by getting the rebadged foreign cars cheaper. In the longer term, we could end up being a loser when these foreign manufacturers shift their operation to cheaper places (see what's happening with the electronics industry).
in my honest opinion, it would be a Chinese partner such as BYD Auto plug-in car and Changan Auto Jiexun Hybrid…
Words from the G are nothing but C&B story and to rip the rakyat dry.Can't even get the quality of current cars right and now talking about hybrid.Better upgrade the diesel to Euro 4 or higher,remove protection policies,compete on fair grounds,stop the spoon feeding mentality.By then talk about creating hybrid is not even late cos at that time it is already capable of standing on its own.Now is like a youngster still drinking milk bottle in school days.
Ptuiii … Hybrid car from a Malaysian company? Please don't make a joke la. Are you sure you know how to make a car? Go play LEGO better. Ptuiii
I still donno why a lot of manufacturer want to built hybrid? Already have facts proven that hybrid car cost a bomb to built & maintain… Check for the GM electric car facts in the 90's, why it fail.. I still believe what most Europeans do, go for Diesel cars.. We already have plenty of oil palm which can convert into Bio-diesel, why not use it?
You people aa don't know how to read …
'High Breed' la not 'hybrid' … its a chevy aveo pulled by cows from a 'high breed' like …. Belgian Blue, Brahman, British White … Cows eat green grass, shit also have shade of green color so can claim green technology …
Maybe its from Detroit Electric … cannot scam Proton, so find a 'greener' prey :)
Happy new year guys!
yep, its almost impossible for DRB to build (in the true sense), its own Hybrid Car. A rebadged Honda Civic Hybrid with National Car Status perhaps, enyoying 75% rebate and pricing it just below RM100K will be an interesting proposition.
they are seeing the success of NAZA and Perodua rebadging and making huge money without so call R&D investment…just follow la.
Proton is making a fool on itself for years, and looking at the momentum, I wont surprise if Proton going back to a rebadge business like Naza, and Perodua.
The result? all those so call R&D fund in billions for years by Government flush into the toilet. But at least stop the Gov bleeding now. I am not surprise if that happens.
Only if they (DRB) are dare enuf to drain their hefty cash now which is 4x more than Proton…
DRB_Hicom,
Are you going to pull the "change-the badge-on-the-car" trick again??
BTW, why announcing your plan, but nothing substantial has been done? Haven't finalise this, haven't finalise that, haven done this and that…..Adui…
Is this anouncement just to bikin panas saja? trying out water? testing market? Or syoik2 sendiri?
Hmm… no plaform, no nothing… but LINKs with the other Big Boys automakers… that is all you need to come out with hybrids in 24 months time? I think something is wrong with our education system…. ada masuk akal ke buat pernyataan cam tu?
A good joke maybe, . hahahaha…. best joke of 2009….. haram lawak
Paul Tan read carefully the news from BERNAMA
DRB-HICOM said it is one of existing partner, and they work with PETRONAS.. well Mercedes-Benz is existing partner of DRB-HICOM and now PETRONAS is official partner of Mercedes-Benz with Michael Schumacher hmm.gif
so Michael Schumacher will do special advertisement on this Hybrid Mercedes-Benz car in Malaysia??
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ilA8Xzr1WYQ
…
it is still very new, that's why it take many years.. Mercedes-Benz want to use Malaysia to penetrate Asian market for luxury car segment
source : http://www.bernama.com/bernama/v5/newsindex.php?i…
…
before this do you still remember Malaysia sent a very large group of official and automotive business people to France and Germany, especially to Mercedes-Benz HQ in Germany!
and then after that official Malaysia visit we see Mercedes bought Brawn GP and then later PETRONAS join the project and now it is called Mercedes GP PETRONAS with 7x World Champion, Michael Schumacher is the main F1 driver for the team.
"FRANKFURT, Oct 30 (Bernama) — A high-powered marketing mission of Malaysian suppliers of auto parts and components will be in Germany.. In Germany, the delegation will visit Stuttgart and Frankfurt. Stuttgart is home to leading car manufacturers, particularly the Mercedes-Benz Group, which has huge operations in and around that city, said Sabri in an interview with BERNAMA."
source : http://www.bernama.com/bernama/v5/newsbusiness.ph…
^
previous news, official Malaysia visit to Germany and France especially to Mercedes-Benz HQ that later we see the creation of Mercedes GP PETRONAS
.. the news give so many hints there
I really believe it is Mercedes-Benz car!
haram lawak…..terguling2 aku jadinya bila baca tu.
this is just another money-making scheme after DRB was dumped by GM.
TIARA is first DRB-HICOM product… rebadge under PROTON but who got critism from malayusian?
the fact was,,,most malaysia willing to spend 1/3 of their salary for a car….. err…willing or force?
Tan Sri Syed Mokhtar AlBukhari has invested large amounts
of money and after many2x years they are only a car assembler.
The fastest way to recoup his investments is to re-badge.
With large govt involvement via Khazanah & connections, DRB-Hicom already has the capacity and infrastructure to begin "manufacturing" its own cars.
If P2 and Naza can do. Why can't DRB ?
I also hope that Mitsubishi will be re-badged here. :)
Come on DRB Hicom…..
Don't make the same mistake in Salleh Sulong (x MD) era.
Please do feasibilility study thoroughly. Doesn't matter learn from Toyota, ASSB, Denso and Perodua.
They all are learned and implementing Toyota Production System (TPS) not GM Production System or Citroen Manufacturing System.
Rebadge like Naza and P2 are not the matter… But your have to change ur working culture at Pekan there…… so bad…..
ya laa drb, y announce now when all just a plan only. when press for details dont want to reveal, then better not announce since nothing yet. announce when at least you have developed the working prototype la. dont do cheap publicity to drive market price la. do real stuff first then only talk, be gentle-biz-man.
btw, my atuk now working on hybrid jet fighter engine, to be released in 2012 also. dont ask me details pls.
I have this gut feeling its Suzuki since VW going all out to capture
the Asean/Asian market.MB too expensive for an average M'sian.
But Mitsu has Miev to boast off and is practically ready for mass production worldwide. Whichever the brand at least we know its a reputable one
and offer us more affordable choices.
"Who might that be? At present, DRB-HICOM has links with Audi, Mercedes-Benz, Honda, Suzuki, Mitsubishi, Isuzu, Mahindra as well as local brands Proton and Modenas. It has just cut off ties with GM and Chevrolet. "
i thought Honda Civic Hybrid will be the famous model.. PLEASE, PLEASE, PLEASE REBADGE IT.. so we malaysian can buy with less tax price..
the current Civic Hybrid user will blame Govt..haha.. as usual loh..
Brave move. First step will always be criticized.
The same thing happened when Malaysia first venture into hi-tech aerospace manufacturing industry thru CTRM, a Finance Ministry Inc subsidiary.
But guys, look, now CTRM has bagged almost RM20b worth project that will last until end of next decade.
Good luck DRB-HICOM.
littlefire said,
December 31, 2009 @ 9:25 am
I still donno why a lot of manufacturer want to built hybrid? Already have facts proven that hybrid car cost a bomb to built & maintain… Check for the GM electric car facts in the 90’s, why it fail.. I still believe what most Europeans do, go for Diesel cars.. We already have plenty of oil palm which can convert into Bio-diesel, why not use it?
—————————————————————
Same reason why alot of manufacturers stop building cars with steam engines in the last century and start using internal combustion engines. Each type of technology has limited window of oportunity to go into the market until it become obsolete and replaced by better, more advanced technologies. If you're late, you will miss a big cut of the future market share.
GM EV is not a hybrid car. One of the reason it failed because the holy grail of electric car technology, the battery was not ready yet (it uses lead acid batteries, not li ion). The new hybrids and EVs are now using much better nickel metal hydride or lithium ion technologies and there are better energy storage options available soon.
Biodiesel is good, but currently it's too expensive compared to the normal diesel fuel and biodiesel (methyl ester) is corrosive, so you have to change all your gaskets and seals with better and costly materials. The potential is there and it's the role of the government to kick start the biodiesel industry in Malaysia before it's too late. Kinda similar to what Brazil did with their sugar canes.
Biodiesel costs has skyrocketted. with CPO prices @ $2500/ton
crude oil is still cheaper to produce. Looks like we may have to
review our biofuel policies and focus on EV's instead.
actually there is a lot of controversy on the gm electric car project of the 90's. many says that GM really decided from the start for the project to fail. for starters, nobody actually owned the car, they all leased it from GM. any attempt by private individuals to buy the car outright were rejected. secondly, they only sell it in california because the state legislature mandated that EV make up certain percentages of new cars on California roads by a certain date.(i can't remember the correct figures). once that law was repeled however, GM started taking back all the leased EV and guess what they did with it, they destroyed it. i mean all of it. GM decided that no workable EV will be on the road. that is weird way trying to introduce a new way in motoring, wouldn't you say?
p/s find the documentary WHO KILLED THE ELECTRIC CAR for an interesting take on the whole affair.
GM was a conpany with the know hows until the 90's
after that the Jap's & Europeans overtook this co
and there was no turning back eversince. GM thought
they were the motoring powerhouse but that is history now.
So the lost of GM distributorship by DRB is nothing.
Just concerntrate on the current brands and also offer
better svc to your customers.
Looking forward to further DRB Hybrid plans.
This statement by DRB Hicom is to just counter the fact that they have lost their Chevy distributorship.. word around is that they'll probably lose Suzuki, and also audi… What was once an automotive giant in malaysia is now a crappy group with stupidly arrogant, dumb and useless people at the helm.. all living in the past and still thinking that they are the supremo when it comes to car distributorships in malaysia…
Look at all the brands under DRB.. all of them are dying.. with minimal promos and zero effort to bring their name up..
It's really sad to see brands like suzuki and audi that have superb cars being brought down by such incompetency and ignorance from them… good cars, but terrible a&p, stocks and after sales…
Have you all seen EV cars doing drag race with ferrari modena and Porsche GT2 in you tube? That will make u change ur mindset on EV cars. Sadly it will make our plus highway a typical place to die.