The Motor Expo 2021, which wrapped up on Sunday (December 12), proved to be a success despite strict Covid-19 control measures.
As many as 31,583 cars and 3,253 motorbikes were reserved at the expo, which attracted more than 1.15 million visitors, including 139,110 who visited via the online platform.
Revenue from this year’s Motor Expo has been estimated at 44 billion baht.
Cars sold at the fair cost an average of 1.3 million baht per piece and motorbikes came in at 398,831 baht on average.
Kwanchai Paphatphon, chair of the 38th Motor Expo, said this year’s event was successful because everybody complied with Covid-prevention measures.
The fair was held at Challenger Hall in Impact Muang Thong Thani from December 1 to 12.
The Finance Ministry is launching new measures to support Thailand’s bid to become a regional electric vehicle (EV) manufacturing hub.
The National Electric Vehicle Policy Committee aims to boost Thailand’s EV production to 30 per cent by 2025 and 100 per cent by 2035.
The aim is to manufacture 1.05 million electric vehicles or 30 per cent of total cars produced locally by 2025 and push that up to 50 per cent in five years.
The Finance Ministry said measures to support the EV industry will be launched on January 1, and should significantly bring down the price of electric cars so more people are tempted to switch. The measures will also attract investment in infrastructure, especially charging stations.
The measures are expected to include both tax and non-tax benefits such as a reduction in annual car tax, drop in toll fees and parking fees for EVs.
The current vehicle tax structure is based on engine power and carbon dioxide emission rate and is divided into two types – hybrid engine vehicles (HEVs) and battery electric vehicles (BEVs).
An HEV passenger car with an engine below 3,000cc is subject to 4 per cent until 2025, after which it will rise to 8 per cent. HEV cars with engines higher than 3,000cc are subject to 16-26 per cent tax, which has been halved until 2025.
Meanwhile, no tax is being paid for BEVs from 2018 to 2022, after which it will rise to 2 per cent from 2023 to 2025.
Imported EVs are subject to 80 per cent tax from the appraisal price except for cars imported under the Asean-China free-trade agreement. Thailand has been importing EVs under the MG and Great Wall Motors marque from China, though no deals have been made with Japanese automakers so far.
This year 2,133 EVs have been imported, slightly less than 2,177 units imported last year. Of the imports, 54 per cent came from China, far less than the 91 per cent imported in 2020.
Each of the 12 individuals worldwide who purchased the $2 million open-top two-seater has already spent many months developing personalized exterior paint schemes, unique tones for the Beluga leather seats, and detailed stitching patterns. The car, which was first announced in 2020, is built on the underpinnings of the Continental GT Speed Convertible but has a totally unique body-and is the first two-seat Bentley in nine decades.
It was built by the 40 artisans who at the brand’s Mulliner program at its Crewe, England headquarters. As the first of its kind in Bentley’s modern Mulliner operation, it is the crowning example of the kind of small-batch, highly specialized cars Mulliner aims to produce. Mulliner collections include classic models built anew, like the Bentley Blower continuation cars; extreme-luxury focused versions of existing cars from the Bentley model range; and 100% Coachbuilt cars like the Bacalar.
Bentley could have easily sold more than twice the amount it produced, Mike Rocco, Bentley’s vice president for sales and operations, told me in Carmel, Calif.
Since the Bacalar and Bentley in general are in such high demand, won’t Bentley increase the supply? Neither Rocco nor Timothy Hannig, the spokesman for the Mulliner department, would commit on the record to a definitive yes, but they didn’t exactly say no, either.
It all made me eager to drive the thing. If more Bacalar-like Bentleys are coming down the pike, we will indeed need to know how they drive. Prospective clients and Anglophiles alike will want a taste.
Here’s a quick answer: Divinely.
I recently drove a “Scarab Green” Bacalar test car in along 17-Mile Drive, just a nine-iron shot away from the Pebble Beach Golf Links. (While 12 Bacalars were sold, 13 were made-I drove lucky number 13.) While it wasn’t enough of a jaunt to do a proper review-the speed limit along that road is 25mph, and I cannot comment on any speeds that may or may not have been higher than that-it was enough to convince me this handsome Brit will more than fulfill its raison d’être as the perfect holiday coach built for two.
Please note: It doesn’t come with a top-at all-and the compromised trunk will fit two small duffels, nothing more, so this is not daily driver material.
Bacalar comes with a 6-liter W12 engine that feels as powerful as a tank (650 bhp) and an active all-wheel-drive system that works with scalpel precision as it varies the torque split between front and rear wheels. The car uses rear-wheel drive as much as possible during normal driving for optimum efficiency and dynamic performance, but I never felt the switch.
Its carbon ceramic brakes and balanced contact with the road installed great confidence as I rolled through the deep fog of the peninsula, past hills of sea grass and oatmeal-colored sand.
Yes, it is based on the Continental GT Speed Convertible, but it has 100% unique body panels, sharing only the door handles with the GT, since those contain the hardware for keyless entry. The rear “Barchetta”-style clamshell and top deck of the Bacalar are crafted from lightweight aluminum; the doors and everything else on the body are made from carbon fiber.
Shared mechanics aside, the Bacalar felt far slinkier and more ethereal to drive than its Continental GT siblings. It felt quicker to jump to high speeds, more focused around corners, and more nuanced between gears-and the Continental GT is among the top three best all-around cars I have ever driven.
It also looks far more striking in person than it does in pictures. Some who saw it in person in Carmel or later on social media expressed surprise and curiosity about it, as if its announcement in March 2020 had completely passed them over, coronavirus notwithstanding. Some referred to the Bacalar-so named after a pristine lake in Mexico-as the “Bentley Balaclava” or “Bentley Baclava.” Others had no idea about its origins at all.
Which is fine. Amid the endless procession of special-edition and limited versions of these hyperprofitable, upper-echelon conveyances, they tend to blend together. I also blame a certain quality about Bentley bodies that, especially in darker tones of paint, tends to present them more like bricks than they actually are.
Up close, where the eye can bend around its subtle corners, the Bacalar is a delight. Its double-bubble back and air vents along the hood and sides do just enough to rough up its otherwise stately and smooth Bentley body. The complex geometric stitching on the seats, the intense azure of the dashboard clock dial (colored to match the famous blue water of the white limestone-lined lake), the woolen bags placed so thoughtfully in their compartments behind the seats-they don’t translate well in the highly modified glamour shots and renderings that seem to define automotive press photos these days.
Frankly, they don’t need to. Social media’s self-appointed critics and TikTok stars aren’t the audience here.
No, the Bacalar reveals itself most fully in real life, not on virtual land. That’s how it should be. If I could afford it, I’d buy it without hesitation. If you missed the first dozen, you’re probably not completely out of luck. You may simply be early for the next round.
Its hard out there if you love cars and youre tall.
Ionce owned a 1988 Mercedes-Benz 560 SL, like the kind Richard Gere would have driven in a moody Seattle fog during his Intersection days. It was a very cool car, but not a good fit for me. Literally. Well over six feet tall in my customary boots and some sort of hat, I would have to tilt my head and slouch any time I needed to see the stoplight turn green. Which, as you might imagine in a city like Los Angeles, is rather often.
I never got comfortable in the little black coupe. Its small cabin, made even smaller by freshly overstuffed leather seats, wreaked havoc on my hamstrings and neck.
I no longer own it. But the Merc got me thinking. My brother is 6 foot 7 inches tall. My dad is 6 foot 4 inches. My aunts hover around 6 feet. Many of my uncles and male cousins are varying ranges of 6’5” and 6’6”. They would have cried trying to wedge themselves inside it, let alone many other cars that are even smaller.
At least in modern luxury cars, the seats and steering wheels can be raised and lowered, and seat belts can be adjusted for height. And there will always be slightly more foot and knee room (though less street cred) in paddle-shifting cars that lack the third pedal and clutch of a manual transmission.
If they really need it, NBA players and supermodels can also pay for customizers to lengthen and rebuild cars to fit their knees, shoulders, and elbows. (Cramming knees under some steering wheels is a particular challenge for many.) Simply removing the seat rails can help gain an inch or two of headroom in some cases. But shouldn’t the more regular of us tall people be able to have our fun, too, in a proper car-without having to always opt for an SUV?
Even convertibles present problems of their own: First, tall people in convertibles often end up finding that their eye-level is even with the top of the windshield, which totally blocks our view of the road and stoplights. It’s very distracting and annoying.
And second, for those of us who are extra tall, or have disproportionately long torsos, it can look a bit “bear at the circus” driving around town in a tiny roadster. Imagine Shaquille O’Neal in a Miata.
Here’s the thing: There are some great modern and vintage luxury cars, and sporty coupes, that offer plenty of room for those of us who were always told to stand in the back row during photo day in grade school. I now own a 1975 Rolls-Royce Silver Shadow. Long-wheelbase version-that’s 17 feet long. The thing lets me stretch out like Gumby. I’m certain Naomi Campbell herself would be comfortable in the back-even with heels and hat.
Here are 10 similar winners both modern and vintage.
– BMW M8 Gran Coupe.
Headroom: 38.9 inches
Legroom: 42.1 inches
Price: $130,000.
In general, anything approaching 40 inches of headroom in a coupe is considered big. The headroom in this 617-horsepower executive hooligan beats that of the Porsche 911 by nearly 2 inches. Both the two- and four-door variants in the M8 line offer ample breathing room; the extra doors and extended wheelbase of the four-door version, which boasts shoulder room of 57.2 inches, give it the edge for more statuesque passengers and drivers.
– Bentley Continental GT
Headroom: 40.1 inches
Legroom: 41.9 inches
Price: $207,825
The ultimate in British sporting luxury, the 626-horsepower W-12 Continental GT looks and feels big and brawny from every angle including from behind the wheel-and its interior will fit the big and brawny, too. I’ve taken a drive in many versions of this sleek coupe, but the most memorable would be a 350-mile road trip to Carmel, Calif., ahead of the Pebble Beach Concours d’Elegance. Six hours straight behind the wheel did nothing to cramp my muscles; the car is deceptively large inside, like a big padded cocoon.
– Rolls-Royce Wraith
Headroom: 39.4 inches
Legroom: 41.5 inches
Price: $343,000
Edged out just a hair by Bentley, the 624-horsepower V-12 Wraith is still among the roomiest and most powerful two-seaters available on the market today. The carriage-style doors help ingress and egress for the big and tall driver.
– Mercedes-AMG GT R
Headroom: 39.5 inches
Legroom: Not released
Price: $167,650
Mercedes says shoulder room in the 720-horsepower GT R is a healthy 58.3 inches, even if it won’t share the official length available for legs. I have driven this car extensively over the course of several different press loans; it has long been a favorite. In 2018, it was even my top car of the year. I called it a winner with an exhilarating personality and a screams-for-attention look that would make even the most calloused Manhattan garage attendant grin like a 12-year-old. (Trust me, it did.) The AMG GT has a pleasantly ergonomic (though low) cabin with healthy visibility and plenty of room for heads and feet once you get inside, I wrote at the time.
– Mercedes-AMG S63
Headroom: 40 inches
Legroom: 41.7 inches
Price: $174,150
Yes, there are two modern Mercedes-Benzes on this list-but the storied Stuttgart, Germany-based brand just makes some of the biggest, baddest (in the best way) cars out there. This 603-horsepower coupe is practical as a daily driver, but the internal space and the most futuristic, well-thought-out dashboard and progressive, convenient technology available on the market today make it as fun to drive as many cars that seem more plush or look far sportier.
– Jaguar E-Type 2+2
Headroom: Two inches more than the standard E-Type.
Legroom: Enough to fit a nearly 6 foot tall woman like myself both behind the wheel and, if in the passenger seat, still have room for a German shepherd in the footwell. The seats can feel low and slightly reclined, but this is one of my all-time favorite old cars to drive, and the roomy cabin is one of the reasons.
Price: $40,000 or so, according to Hagerty.
At the time of its construction, the E-Type was the epitome of British style: curved but sleek, fast and powerful, and-in this elongated 2+2 four-seat format-long enough for the lankiest of England’s rock ‘n’ roll royalty. It may look low but this car is more than 15 feet long, with a top that is gently rounded like a bubble to allow for max headroom.
– Mercedes-Benz 300 SL
Headroom: With the famous racing-derived tubular frame that necessitated gullwing doors, there’s room enough for your cowboy hat and then some. You’ll actually be reaching high above to close those fabulous doors.
Legroom: Enough so that 12 hours a day in the thing doesn’t drive you mad.
Price: $896,000 on average, according to the Hagerty Price Guide, but well over $1 million for the best examples from the best years. (Between 1954 and 1957, the Mercedes-Benz 300 SL was offered as a gullwing coupé; between 1957 and 1963 it came as a roadster.)
Largely credited as the first modern supercar, the 300 SL feels practically cavernous compared with most other two-seaters of the era. When I drove one in the Silvretta Classic and later in the Mille Miglia rallies, I was shocked to discover that at the end of each of the multiple days of driving, I was not crumpled and compressed into a ball of aching muscles. The foot wells were long enough to straighten my legs fully; the steering wheel helpfully unhooks and hinges upward for simple access to the drivers’ seat. I loved every minute inside this car, and at rally’s end, I didn’t want to leave it behind.
– Rolls-Royce Silver Shadow
Headroom: Fit for a Queen – including her crown.
Legroom: An extensive wedding dress train is no problem here-all aboard.
Price: $20,000 for a drivable example.The Silver Shadow is a perfect example of a car that doesn’t cost a lot-but makes you feel like a million bucks. With the added benefits of deep-pile lambswool carpeting, lighted mirrors set in the c-pillar, and even footrests for rear passengers, the interior trimmings do much to make the car feel opulent.
– Lincoln Continental.
Headroom: 39 inches
Legroom: 41.1 inches
Price: $21,000 American-made cars of the 1950s and 1960s are a great segment to consider for those who are tall. The generously proportioned Lincoln Continental upstaged its rivals from Cadillac with unusually graceful styling and smooth driving.
– Ferrari F355
Headroom: Let’s just call it better than most other vintage Ferraris, which seem to have been made for the typical (and typically short and light) race car drivers of the day.
Legroom: 46.1 inches (rumored)
Price: $66,700
It’s easy to love the 308 Dinos, Mondials, and Testarossas of the Ferrari world in the late 1970s and 1980s, but for tall people those cars can feel restrictive, with lots of blind spots. (My 560 SL would feel like that Silver Shadow in comparison.) Instead, look to the ’90s for something a little more livable. The F355 was one of the first Ferraris created to excel as a daily driver, not just a track car or weekend toy, so it featured a roomier cabin, better sightlines, and comfier seats than its predecessors, while retaining the historic and unmistakable Ferrari design that looks closer to the Miami Vice-era Ferraris than those that came after it. Plus: Shaq himself had one!
Published : July 18, 2021
By : Syndication Washington Post, Bloomberg · Hannah Elliott
Her Royal Highness Princess Maha Chakri Sirindhorn is a goodwill ambassador. She has made outstanding contributions to the Thai – Chinese relations in terms of diplomacy and bilateral cooperation in various aspects.
Her Royal Highness Princess Maha Chakri Sirindhorn granted the royal audience for Great Wall Motor (GWM), represented by Elliot Zhang, President of Great Wall Motor ASEAN and Thailand and other high-level executives, along with Wang Liping, Minister Counselor for Economic and Commercial Affairs of the Chinese Embassy in Thailand, to present the first All New HAVAL H6 Hybrid SUV from GWM’s Thailand-based production line with the 1.5-liter turbo engine (HEV), as a part of her Charity Affairs Division for her royal command.
GWM previously opened its “Smart Factory”, which is also its second full-production manufacturing facility outside China and unveiled the first All New HAVAL H6 Hybrid SUV from its production line here. In the latest move, GWM was granted a royal audience from Her Royal Highness Princess Maha Chakri Sirindhorn at the Chaipattana Building, Suan Chitralada, for presenting the vehicle on June 23, 2021. The presentation aims at promoting Thai – Chinese ties as well as the supports on the usage of new energy vehicles to ease pollution for the better environment.
Elliot Zhang, President, Great Wall Motor ASEAN and Thailand, said during the royal audience that, “The Thai – Chinese relations have long been close, with regular exchanges of visits at all levels. Thai royals’ trips to China are key to the forging of closer ties and cooperation between the two nations. They also lead to friendship and mutual understanding among Chinese and Thai peoples on a sustainable basis. GWM executives in China and Thailand feel very grateful to Her Royal Highness Princess Maha Chakri Sirindhorn for her royal works that benefit the two countries as well as their peoples. High-level executives in China have been granted royal benevolence on several occasions during the Princess’ trips to China. Today, we are especially delighted that the Princess has granted us this royal audience as well.”
China has been Thailand’s No. 1 trade partner and the second biggest market for Thai exports. Thailand, meanwhile, has been China’s third-biggest trade partner in the ASEAN region. At the heart of Thai – Chinese ties is economic cooperation. The trade ties between the two nations have become especially close after the ASEAN–China Free Trade Agreement got an upgrade in 2019.
Wang Liping, Minister Counselor for Economic and Commercial Affairs of the Chinese Embassy in Thailand, said, “Her Royal Highness Princess Maha Chakri Sirindhorn is a goodwill ambassador. She has made outstanding contributions to the Thai – Chinese relations in terms of diplomacy and bilateral cooperation in various aspects. China is pleased to foster its cooperation with Thailand further for friendship and harmony under ‘China and Thailand are One Family’ concept.”
GWM, as the “Global Mobility Technology Company”, has recognized the importance of Thailand and has full confidence in the country’s potential. Thailand is well ready in all dimensions for the future of automotive industry especially in regard to electric vehicles (xEV). GWM has invested in Thailand’s next-generation automotive industry and making moves to acquire and operate its own production facility in Rayong province. Earlier in August 2000, this Rayong plant also got the honor to be inaugurated by Her Royal Highness Princess Maha Chakri Sirindhorn. Therefore, GWM is honored to have acquired and used this facility and plan to upgrade into a smart factory to serve as a major manufacturing base of the right-hand-drive vehicles especially electric vehicles in ASEAN region. It will operate based on “New Energy”, “New Intelligence”, and “New Experience” concept to help upgrade Thailand’s automotive industry into the next-generation automotive industry. Boasting modern technologies, smart work processes, and environmentally friendly innovations that reflect a strong focus on social responsibility, this plant will also create jobs and empower Thais through knowledge and skill development. New business models and new experiences, at the same time, will roll out for Thai consumers as GWM seeks to bring Thailand’s customer experiences to the new height and bolster Thai economy.
Marking the official start of its production in Thailand, GWM has found it an auspicious honor to present the first vehicle from the Thai’s production line to Her Royal Highness Princess Maha Chakri Sirindhorn for her royal command.
After the car’s presenting, Her Royal Highness Princess Maha Chakri Sirindhorn took a look around the vehicle and officially accepted the All New HAVAL H6 Hybrid SUV and listed it on her Charity Affairs Division’s fleet for her royal command later.
All New HAVAL H6 Hybrid SUV combines a 1.5-liter turbo engine with a 130-kW electric motor, resulting in integrated power output of 179 kW (243 hp) and integrated torque of 530 Nm. Featuring the LIFE+ intelligent system, this car model complements driving experiences – making journeys fun and safe. The official launch of All New HAVAL H6 Hybrid SUV and its price announcement took place recently on June 28, 2021.
At first glance, the forays Apple, Google and other technology giants are making into the world of cars dont appear to be particularly lucrative.
Building automobiles requires factories, equipment and an army of people to design and assemble large hunks of steel, plastic and glass. That all but guarantees slimmer profits. The world’s top 10 carmakers had an operating margin of just 5.2% in 2020, a fraction of the 34% enjoyed by the tech industry’s leaders, data compiled by Bloomberg show.
But for Apple and other behemoths that are diving into self-driving tech or have grand plans for their own cars, that push isn’t just about breaking into a new market – it’s about defending valuable turf.
“Why are tech companies pushing into autonomous driving? Because they can, and because they have to,” said Chris Gerdes, co-director of the Center for Automotive Research at Stanford University. “There are business models that people aren’t aware of.”
A market projected to top $2 trillion by 2030 is hard to ignore. By then, more than 58 million vehicles globally are expected to be driving themselves. And Big Tech has the means – from artificial intelligence and massive data, to chipmaking and engineering – to disrupt this century-old industry.
What’s at stake, essentially, is something even more valuable than profitability: the last unclaimed corner of consumers’ attention during their waking hours.
The amount of time people spend in cars, especially in the U.S., is significant. Americans were behind the wheel for 307.8 hours in 2016, or around six hours a week, according to the latest available data by the American Automobile Association.
That’s a fair chunk of someone’s life not spent using apps on an iPhone, searching on Google or scrolling mindlessly through Instagram. Any company that’s able to free up that time in a meaningful way will also have a good chance of capturing it.
The world’s inexorable shift toward intelligent cars that are better for the environment is impossible to miss. If governments haven’t already declared plans to be carbon neutral by, in some cases, the end of this decade, there’s plenty of research that shows combustion-engine cars are going the way of the dinosaurs.
BloombergNEF’s annual Electric Vehicle Outlook, published earlier this month, sees global oil demand from all road transport peaking in just six years, assuming no new policy measures are introduced. By 2025, EVs hit 10% of global passenger vehicle sales, rising to 28% in 2030 and 58% in 2040. Eventually, autonomous vehicles will reshape automotive and freight markets entirely.
Against that backdrop, it’s unsurprising that after years of chipping away at self-driving cars, tech companies have been stepping up their activities and investments in earnest.
Autonomous cars are only as good as the human drivers they learn from – so the people who teach these systems need to be excellent drivers themselves.
Over the past several months, Apple has prioritized plans for the “Apple Car” after previously focusing on making an autonomous driving system, Bloomberg has reported. That’s fueled intense speculation over which automakers and suppliers the company behind the iPhone may partner with to realize its vision. While Apple has recently lost multiple top managers on the project, it still has hundreds of engineers in its larger car group.
A Zoox self-driving car is operated outside the company
There’s also Waymo, which is in talks to raise as much as $4 billion to accelerate its efforts. Founded in 2009, the business that was formerly Google’s self-driving car project was the first to have a fully autonomous ride on public roads. It became an independent company in 2017 under Google parent Alphabet Inc., launched an autonomous ride-hailing service in Phoenix in 2018 and last year began testing self-driving trucks in New Mexico and Texas.
Microsoft, too, is backing several autonomous initiatives, partnering with Volkswagen on self-driving car software, possibly with a view to creating offices-on-the-go.
Amazon.com, meanwhile, has thrown its weight behind Rivian Automotive Inc., which is making electric trucks, and last year bought driverless startup Zoox Inc. It may look to include autonomous rides as part of its Prime membership program.
“Each of these companies, including Facebook, want to be a part of or even control and dominate, every part of citizens’ lives,” said Professor Raj Rajkumar, who leads the robotics institute at Carnegie Mellon University. “From their business point of view, if you don’t, somebody else can and probably will, and eventually your current domain of influence fades away.”
Although Apple has dominated phones, tablets and smartwatches and put up a decent fight over computers for the past few decades, it’s been a laggard in the artificial intelligence, voice and smart-speaker spaces, areas now led by Google and Amazon.
The company would benefit from the release of a breakthrough new product. While it’s had successes with the watch, released in 2015, and services, such as Apple TV, Apple Arcade and Apple Music, which are now a major new source of revenue, nothing has come close to the success of the iPhone, which has redefined entire industries and become Apple’s most lucrative product since its 2007 release.
At Google, executives have long framed investments in autonomous cars, along with moonshots in biotech and drones, as risks that venture capital and less deep-pocketed firms don’t, or won’t, take. Waymo has discussed potential business models around taxi services and long-haul logistics.
The onslaught has automotive incumbents girding for battle. Industry titans such as Ford, General Motors and Toyota have stepped up their own rival efforts in self-driving. The Japanese automaker is building an entire city around autonomous driving at the base of Mount Fuji while South Korea’s Hyundai Motor Co. is committing $7.4 billion to make EVs in the U.S. and develop unmanned flying taxis.
In China, it’s the biggest tech companies throwing their hats in the ring. Giants from Huawei Technologies Co. to Baidu Inc. have pledged to plow almost $19 billion into electric and self-driving vehicle ventures this year alone. Smartphone giant Xiaomi Corp. and even Apple’s Taiwanese manufacturing partner Foxconn have joined the fray, forging tie-ups and unveiling their own carmaking plans.
Automakers defending their turf is understandable but Takehito Sumikawa, a partner at McKinsey & Co.’s Tokyo office who advises on future mobility, says it’s a “natural extension” for tech providers to enter the autonomous driving space. “They’re betting they can do a better job at disrupting the industry.”
The existing businesses of Amazon, Apple and Google already require them to become proficient at AI, handling massive amounts of data and designing complex systems. Essentially, they’ve made the upfront investment in core technologies needed to design and build driverless cars, and they now have legions of engineers eager to solve more complex problems, not to mention an appetite for disruption.
But perhaps one of the clearest examples of a tech company with the ability to change up its own stomping ground is Amazon. The web retailer would benefit hugely from the lower costs of delivering packages to homes using cars that drive themselves.
Amazon also has a habit of transforming its own tools into businesses that can be sold to a wider swath of customers, much like it did with cloud computing, which was originally created to support the company’s online retail operations. Having morphed it into a computing and data-storage platform used by Netflix Inc., the U.S. government and others, Amazon Web Services is now a $45.4 billion enterprise.
While the coronavirus pandemic put a temporary damper on consumers’ appetite for new cars, demand has roared back. A semiconductor shortage means many traditional players can’t keep production lines moving fast enough. This year alone, the global automotive market is projected to rebound by 9.7% to $2.7 trillion, according to IBIS World.
“Even for companies like Apple and Google, this is a massive market,” Rajkumar said. “CFOs and CEOs literally drool, since first movers are likely to have a major edge. Each of these companies wants to be the predator, and not become the prey.”
Published : June 28, 2021
By : Syndication Washington Post, Bloomberg · Reed Stevenson, Mark Gurman
Linda Zhang, chief engineer of Fords new electric F-150 pickup, steers a 3-ton rig onto a test track at the automakers suburban Detroit proving grounds and mashes the accelerator. In about four seconds, she says, “Were at 60” miles per hour. Then, a heartbeat later as the G-forces bear down, “Were at 100.”
No wonder Ford calls its newest model the Lightning. Two electric motors give the pickup 563 horsepower capable of propeling its 6,500 pounds at sports-car speed. That’s what President Joe Biden discovered Tuesday as he took it for a spin during a visit to Ford’s Dearborn, Michigan, test track and declared: “This sucker’s quick!”
Yet it can still tow up to 10,000 pounds and jounce through the mud and ruts of an off-road course just like its conventional gas-powered counterpart.
Those speedy and sturdy attributes are the formula Ford is hoping will stand out in a soon-to-be crowded field of electric pickups. By the time the truck goes on sale in the middle of next year, it may already trail the arrival of Tesla’s Cybertruck, General Motor’s GMC Hummer pickup and Rivian Automotive Inc.’s R1T.
Electrifying the F-150, Ford’s golden goose, is critical to the company, which introduced the vehicle during a splashy ceremony at its headquarters on Wednesday, a day after Biden toured the plant that will build it. The gasoline-powered F-Series truck line generates $42 billion in revenue a year — more than McDonald’s, Nike and Starbucks — and hauls in most of Ford’s profit.
“It is incredibly important that this vehicle be a success for us,” Kumar Galhotra, Ford’s president of the Americas and international markets, said in an interview.
Ford Chief Executive Officer Jim Farley said the electric F-150 could serve as a proxy for how mainstream buyers will accept battery power.
“I am looking at this vehicle as a test for adoption for electric vehicles,” Farley told reporters at the flashy introduction. “We should all watch very carefully how this does in the market.”
The F-Series has been the best-selling vehicle line in America for four decades, but Ford isn’t taking that brand loyalty for granted. It remains to be seen if electric pickups from an automotive incumbent will be as attractive to traditional truckers as early EVs have been to tech bros.
“Will they buy from Ford — that’s been a truck-making expert for decades — or will they buy from an upstart because they’re attracted to a new brand?” asks Michelle Krebs, executive analyst for AutoTrader, a unit of researcher Cox Automotive. “We just don’t know.”
Ford is looking to improve the odds of making the Lightning a hit. It has set the starting price at just under $40,000 — about the same as a gas-powered F-150 — and created a cavernous “frunk,” or front truck. At the touch of a button on the key fob, the hood and grille lift to reveal more than 14 cubic feet of space that can handle 400 pounds of cargo. It features a deep well with a drain for iced beverages.
“I was surprised that it’s going to start at $40,000, which is actually $2,500 cheaper than a base XL crew cab with four-wheel drive,” said Sam Abuelsamid, principal analyst with researcher Guidehouse Insights, who was briefed on the truck. “And what they’re calling the mega-power frunk seems to have been very well-executed.”
Ford also will bill the Lightning as having competitive driving range of 230 miles on the base model and 300 miles for buyers who pay extra for an extended-range battery. That’s more than Ford is offering in its electric Transit commercial van but less than the 400 miles of range GM is promising in its electric Silverado pickup, which is expected to debut in early 2024.
Ford’s truck uses a lithium-ion battery supplied by South Korea’s SK Innovation Co. The two companies have signed a memorandum of understanding to jointly manufacture batteries in the U.S., according to people familiar with the deal who asked not to be identified.
Scoring a win with an electric F-150 would go a long way toward helping Ford overcome its image as an EV laggard playing catchup to Tesla and GM, which has set a goal of going all-electric by 2035. Farley recently doubled the company’s spending on EVs to $22 billion, but he has yet to detail how many models Ford will roll out or when it will ditch internal combustion engines.
He’s expected to provide some of those answers at an investor meeting on May 26.
“At this stage, GM is still ahead because they’ve committed to 20 EVs for the North American market and 30 globally,” Abuelsamid said. “So far, Ford has shown us three vehicles and they’ve said there’s more coming.”
Ford is taking a different path by converting its best-selling model to an electric vehicle, rather than designing something new from the ground up, as Tesla and GM have done. Ford engineers overhauled the F-150’s frame to accommodate a 1,300-pound battery and two electric motors between the front and rear wheels. But they left intact much of the truck’s design, including its aluminum body and the cab, with the exception of the 15.5-inch touchscreen borrowed from the dashboard of the electric Mustang Mach-E.
By re-purposing so much of the F-150, Ford says it will make money on every Lightning it sells. That also is the secret to its low starting price.
The gas and electric versions of the truck are sharing “a lot of expensive, important parts,” Ted Cannis, general manager of Ford’s North American commercial business, said in an interview. “We could reuse the whole cab. Why do I need to invent all-new seats and door handles?”
That has enabled Cannis to make a price pitch to his commercial customers who manage vast business and government fleets. Those cost-conscious customers — who visited Ford’s proving grounds last week for a private preview of the Lightning — are expected to be big buyers of the vehicle, especially if gasoline prices rise and battery power gains an edge.
“Ford’s strategy is very focused on fleets,” Krebs said. “That’s a smart approach because Biden’s plan is to have government fleets more electrified.”
For individual consumers, Ford has added optional features such as a hands-free driving technology and electronic scales to weigh the cargo in the truck bed. There’s even a power-backup option that can divert electricity from the truck to keep juice flowing to a home for as long as three days in a blackout.
Ford didn’t provide prices for those options, but they will drive sticker prices up to $90,000 for the top-end Platinum Lightning.
“That $40,000 price is just the starting point,” Abuelsamid said. “Average transaction prices are going to be a lot higher.”
Published : May 21, 2021
By : Syndication Washington Post, Bloomberg · Keith Naughton
DBS explained that parents need to start looking for a good school for their children from the very beginning because good education is a legacy they can give to their offspring.
Denla British School (DBS), an international school in Nonthaburi’s Pak Kret district, reveals the 10 reasons why parents have confidence in it and why it was named Thailand’s top international school in 2019.
DBS explained that parents need to start looking for a good school for their children from the very beginning because good education is a legacy they can give to their offspring.
“DBS is a leading international school with expertise in providing an enhanced curriculum similar to private schools in Britain,” DBS said. “Citing statistics, 51 per cent of students from private schools in Britain have won A or A+ in their A-level exams.”
Here are then 10 reasons why DBS is a preferred school:
• Enhanced UK curriculum: This system gives students a chance to reach their highest potential through rapid development. Teachers are native English speakers who meet British curriculum standards, hold a degree in specific fields and have at least two years experience.
• Personalised learning: The curriculum gives each student a chance to find and develop their unique talents. Students are taught based on their skills and interest to encourage them to achieve their goals.
• Extended school day: DBS keeps students on campus for an extra hour so they can focus on extracurricular activities such as robotics, literature, art, music and sports. This gives them a chance to develop soft skills and bond with teachers and classmates.
• More than just English: Apart from covering basic subjects like the English language, mathematics, science, geography, history and physical education, additional courses like computer, music, art and Chinese are also provided.
• GL assessment: Apart from daily, semester and annual exams, DBS also conducts GL (Granada learning) assessments to check students’ potential and if they need any special assistance. With rigorous lessons and a balance between academic and skill-building activities, this curriculum can be used as a passport to study in universities worldwide, including the US, UK, Australia, Europe and Canada.
• World-class facilities: Classrooms at DBS are 50-per-cent larger than in other international schools and more than 40 facilities are provided, such as football fields, running tracks, indoor swimming pool, gymnastic room, tennis court, playgrounds, music rooms, workshops and library. The school’s third sports complex was completed recently.
• House system: Students are divided into four houses to build leadership and cooperation between freshmen and seniors through activities and competitions. The houses are named after palaces owned by the British monarchy, namely Buckingham, Sandringham, Windsor and Balmoral.
• Pastoral care: To ensure students’ well-being, teachers take care of and provide advice to each student personally. They also keep parents updated about their child’s progress.
• Apple distinguished school: DBS uses Apple devices as teaching materials. Mac lab and Mac’s makerspace are also provided to encourage students to use technology for innovation, such as 3D printing, programming and coding.
• Approved international standards: DBS has been approved by the International Schools Association of Thailand and the Council of International Schools in educational standards. The school was also named the best international school in Bangkok and Thailand by World Schools in 2019 and the top international school in the country by The Excelligent in the same year.
“DBS students are developed from every aspect and many have won awards in academic and non-academic fields,” the school said.
“The school aims to create high-quality leaders and entrepreneurs who can compete at an international level in line with the school’s motto – ‘Always to Greater Things’.”
First time in Thailand! Chula’s “Roadmap and Life Tools for the New Generation”, a world-class program accredited by Stanford University, is ready to be offered to teach students the needed skills to design their life and the mindset for working with others so that they can build the future and society.
The present and future times are fast-changing and are indeed turbulent. To live happily in this world and be a force of good for society, one needs appropriate life skills, mindsets, and tools. So, Chulalongkorn University, in collaboration with various world-class institutions, has developed a general education curriculum entitled “Roadmap and Life Tools for the New Generation” to prepare students to be better equipped for the future.
“This course is the key to helping us understand and see the world as it is. Students will be able to better navigate and design their life path based on assessments of needs and aptitude, and create a mindset that will allow them to work effectively with others,” said Assoc. Prof. Dr. Nuvee Prapasarakul, Director of the Chula General Education Center (Chula GenEd).
The new course to be offered in the second semester of the 2021 academic year (January 2022) has been researched, tested, and endorsed by Stanford University, and has also received support from the South East Asia Center (SEAC), an international organization that focuses on leadership development.
Three Roadmaps and crucial tools for life design
The “Roadmap and Life Tools for the New Generation” course consists of three main tools:
1. Design Your Life: Design the desired life that is meaningful, based on design thinking. For this tool, Chula worked with Standford professor, Bill Burnett, the author of Designing Your Life to help design the course to fit the Thai context. “Students will examine and try to find the meaning of a balanced life, and how to manage their energy, including experimenting with a prototype low-risk lifestyle,” Assoc. Prof. Dr. Nuvee explained.
2. Outward Mindset: Create a mindset that fosters relationships with people around you and improves the quality of life. Chula collaborated with the world-renowned consulting institute, the Arbinger Institute to focus on changing people’s mindset so that “mindset drives activities. Behavior drives results.”
3. Self-Leadership: Develop proactive leadership, the skills to set and achieve personal goals, overcome limiting beliefs, learn to know to set goals, and assess your competency to seek proactive support.
“We must be a self-leader, stay true to our goals of the desired lifestyle, and possess the right skills to make that vision possible. Otherwise, others will set the goals for us.”
A life design course that “you like and is right”
Assoc. Prof. Dr. Nuvee is confident that this course will help students to design a life that they “like and is right” for them. “We must first understand that the life we “like” is a life that brings happiness and satisfaction to us. The life that’s “right” is a life that benefits others and does not harm anybody. This course will help the new generation to get to know themselves to see what kind of life that is to their liking and what is right for them.”
Elliot Zhang, President, Great Wall Motor ASEAN and Thailand, said during the royal audience that, “The Thai – Chinese relations have long been close, with regular exchanges of visits at all levels. Thai royals’ trips to China are key to the forging of closer ties and cooperation between the two nations. They also lead to friendship and mutual understanding among Chinese and Thai peoples on a sustainable basis. GWM executives in China and Thailand feel very grateful to Her Royal Highness Princess Maha Chakri Sirindhorn for her royal works that benefit the two countries as well as their peoples. High-level executives in China have been granted royal benevolence on several occasions during the Princess’ trips to China. Today, we are especially delighted that the Princess has granted us this royal audience as well.”
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