July 5, 2018
Witness
MOTOR INDUSTRY SHORTS
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Fight fuel tank rage ALWYN VILJOEN explores the only way left to send less money down the car’s exhaust THANKS to grandparents who grew up in the dry Northern Cape during the Depression, I was raised not to waste. They drilled into me that spending was OK if the return on investment showed a gain, but waste of any kind was never on. Which is why I’m cursed to this day with a compulsion to wash and re-use plastic bags, and get angry every time I have to fill a fuel tank. Most people feel this fuel tank rage, knowing the billions raised in taxing our fuel will just be wasted in the black holes of our state-owned “enterprises”. But here’s another reason to fume — all internal combustion engines waste almost 80% of all the energy you pay so much for. I’ve done everything one can — and more — to stop wasting money on fuel. In summer, I cycled the 20 km to work. In winter, I paid to ride the slow municipal bus. Later, I car pooled. When I came to KZN, I went electric, importing the first all-electric motorbike to Maritzburg and later converting a Hyundai Atos into the world’s fastest (and only) all-wheeldrive electric-petrol. Only one thing remains to do — to grow our own fuel. Brazil is the leader in this, fermenting sugar cane into methanol and refining this into biodiesel. KZN’s sugar cane farmers can also grow bioethanol but to compete with
VW starts mobility in Rwanda VOLKSWAGEN is expanding its engagement in Africa with the launch of its Integrated Mobility Solutions in Rwanda. The project includes local vehicle assembly, innovative mobility services and a sales and service retail outlet CFAO Volkswagen Rwanda. Thomas Schäfer, CEO of Volkswagen Group South Africa and responsible for the Sub-Sahara region, officially launched the project in the capital, Kigali. He said in a statement VW intends to play a leading role in the emerging automotive industry in Africa. “Rwanda has great potential. The country is young, modern and hungry for individual mobility. “With a package specifically tailored to the region comprising local vehicle production, new vehicle business and innovative mobility services, we intend to harness the opportunities for growth and create new opportunities. “Rwanda can become a blueprint for other African and emerging market countries.” Ride Hailing At the centre of the project are appbased car sharing and ride hailing offerings that take individual mobility to a broader share of the population. The project starts with community car sharing primarily aimed at companies in Kigali. A ride hailing service will follow later this year. Further mobility services are planned for 2019. Rwanda is the ideal market for new mobility solutions because the people there are very digitally-minded and tech-savvy. Demand for mobility is also growing and the present offerings can scarcely keep pace with these needs. Polo and Passat production On the production side, local assembly of the latest-generation Polo and Passat will now commence with other models planned for the future. Initially it is planned to build up to 1 000 vehicles per year depending on demand and the success of the mobility fleet, with an annual production capacity of up to 5 000 units. To put these numbers in perspective, South Africa sold 46 678 vehicles in June, according to National Association of Automobile Manufacturers of South Africa. The sales and service retail outlet CFAO Volkswagen Rwanda is part of the same complex and guarantees comprehensive customer service. Volkswagen will spend some U.S. $20 million (R274 million) in Rwanda for phase one. “Volkswagen is one of the pioneers in Africa. Over 60 years ago, Volkswagen established its first plant outside of Germany in South Africa and now we are the first in the Sub-Sahara region. Obviously there are some challenges, but there are great opportunities as well. “By starting out with several smaller operations we can learn and respond flexibly to developments. “At Volkswagen, we believe in Africa,” said Schäfer. — WR.
The electric T-Rex shows where personal transport is heading as new manufacturers make vehicles that do not bend the owners over a barrel of crude at the mercy of Trump’s tweets. PHOTO: CAMPAGNA MOTORS imported fuel under current laws, oil prices have to be higher than $82 per barrel and sugar prices below $290 per ton. This is according to a 2016 assessment by Marcel Kohler, senior lecturer at University of KwaZulu-Natal College of Law and Management Studies School of Accounting, Economics and Finance. Two years later crude oil was just inching closer to $70 per barrel of
crude and sugar over $335 per ton at the time of print. So scratch sugar mills refining biofuels locally. If the farmers, however, look at hemp instead of sugar cane, these figures go out of the window. As arid Australia is showing, hemp fibre can be harvested 70–90 days after planting when the stem is five to 10 mm thick, allowing at least two crops a year at conservative yields of
10 tons per hectare, especially in SA’s winter as the plant requires short days and long nights. Former “bean counter at a bank” and now voluntary chair of the KZN branch of Cannabis Development Council of SA Krithi Thaver said SA is literally bent over a barrel of crude and totally at the mercy of Trump’s tweets when it comes to paying for oil. He said the charts show the price
of crude oil is like a tide that sends SA’s inflation up or down. Divorcing ourselves from this dependency on the crude we import from mostly Saudi Arabia, Angola and Nigeria will empower the economy in all the ways that giving the Zuptas R10 million from each R50 million locomotive that Transnet ordered from China does not. Thaver warns that growing our own fuel does not mean it will cost less. “Growing oil for bio-fuel and biodegradable plastics may not be cheaper than to import it from bigger players, but the money will stay circulating in the local economy, not go to waste overseas,” he said. The irony is that SA’s various levels of governments are not blind to the fact that growing biofuel can provide real radical economic transformation in our poorest areas. A typical government statement reads:“Renewable fuels, such as biofuels, provide an opportunity to expand and diversify South Africa’s energy supply thereby reducing her foreign exchange expenditure and dependence on crude oil imports while at the same time reducing the size of the economy’s carbon footprint.” But with the same government looking to milk every rand we spent on fuel to the raise R118,7 billion in levies this year, progress will remain slow.
THE prediction by industry observers that electric drivetrains will overtake internal combustion engines by 2025 took another step closer to reality when Amazon Logistics ordered 100 electric Mercedes-Benz Vito vans for its fleets running in the German cities of Bochum and Düsseldorf. Amazon and Mercedes-Benz Vans are also working with other partners to set up charging points. Germany’s largest independent logistics firm, Hermes, has already ordered 1 500-all-electric vans from Merc. The electric drivetrains have over a hundred fewer moving parts, have none of the regular service charges associated with internal combustion drivetrains and a few Teslas are proving electric cars can clock twice the mileage a diesel can, which all add up to less running costs for fleet managers. PHOTO: SUPPLIED
Cheapest cars to buy when the taxi takes too long ALWYN VILJOEN LET’s get one thing out of the way first — small cars are not safe. Its simple physics — when it comes to impact, the heavier one always hits harder. But if you are catching public transport to get to and from a lowpaying job, a heavy car is out of reach. This is why there are so many Toyota Tazz and VW City Golf models still commuting all over South Africa. These cars are no longer made despite being in demand because they will fail all modern crash and collision tests. Yet even the death-box design of a Datsun 1400 is still for sale at over R70 000 in Maritzburg, because the bottom line is people will ride in what they can afford. And the good news is parents who budget R2 000 for the family’s taxi fares can afford to operate a small new car for a rand less. The second thing to get out of the way is that list prices can always go down. It is a buyer’s market and dealers are eager to assist — even if the banks do not always make this easy when financing is required. Here are the three cheapest cars that present a better alternative to queuing at the rank. Renault Kwid — R127 900 Demo models with a few thousand kilometres on the clock go for under R120 000. For those who insist on brand new, Renault offers a zero deposit deal and includes a year’s insurance for R1 999 a month for the entry-level Kwid. The monthly payment includes R1 207,50 for once-off initiation fee and excludes a monthly service fee of R69 per month as well as on-road costs. This is really a fantastic deal, considering that most people paying about R50 for a one-way fare to get to work will pay over R2 000 for the month’s taxi fares. As for safety, the Kwid’s crumple zone’s and Renault’s leading seat belt tech make it relatively safer than a Tazz, Golf or 1400, but don’t take on anything heavier; for the Kwid is the lightest of the three cars listed here at 1 105 kg. Yet it has the bigger boot at 300 litres with the seats up and 1 115 litres with the back row down, for those who need to load more.
Renault’s five-year or 100 000 warranty for the Kwid is best in class, and many are surprised how well the tiny 155/70 R13 tyres grip. PHOTO: RENAULT
The Datsun Go rides the highest here at 18 cm — useful on dirt — and weighs the least at 1 105, which helps save fuel over time. PHOTO: NISSAN
The heaviest car here at 1 250 kg, the Celerio gives a more solid ride for four, but its boot is the smallest at 235 litres. PHOTO: SUZUKI
Datsun Go — R137 200 A demo Datsun sells for less than R115 000 — making this the cheapest small hatch you can get almost new in SA. The Go also trumps the Kwid and Celerio when it comes to spare parts costs. Pinetown resident Malcolm Kinsey’s annual parts basket report the Datsun GO as South Africa’s most affordable car to fix when it comes to typical accident damage and wear and tear items. Kinsey put the Go first in his category of entry-level cars for first-time buyers, as the little Datsun scored best overall in the service, repair and crash parts sections respectively. The Go also comes with one-year free insurance and an optional service plan. While all three cars here have 50 kW engines, the Go has the most torque at 104 Newtons (the Kwid has 91 and the Celerio 90). Suzuki Celerio — R138 500 A demonstration model Celerio now sell from R123 900. Thanks to giving its 90 Newtons at a low 3 500 rpm and lots of space, the Celerio has won several industry award. This include the Gumtree, Cars.co.za Consumer Awards powered by WesBank and CAR Top 12 Awards, as well as similar awards in India and the UK. The new Celerio comes with a promotional five-year or 200 000 km mechanical warranty. Service plans are optional on the entry levels, but the GL comes with a two-year or 60 000 km service plan. The Celerio rides on 14-inch wheels compared to the cheaper 13inchers of the Kwid and Go, but it can wring well over 20 km from every litre of petrol, which will offset the few hundred rand the bigger tyres will eventually cost. • alwyn.viljoen@witness.co.za
include inCosyts to ou budget wrhemonthly operating a n car: • costs of s e rv ices • spare pa rts costs,, • insurance , • • wear andfuel, and ar item as wiperste , tires, ansd such brake pads.
HYUNDAI’S new-vehicle quality is among the best in the industry, as the company ranked as the second-highest non-premium brand in J.D. Power’s 2018 Initial Quality Study (IQS) in the United States of America. Hyundai was one of the most improved brands, moving from sixth to third overall and reducing problems per 100 vehicles (PP100) by 14. Genesis, Hyundai Motor Company’s premium brand, took the top spot in the study, followed by Kia (second) and Hyundai (third) — all three brands representing the Hyundai Motor Group. In the model segments, the Hyundai Tucson was the highest-ranked small SUV and the fourth-best model overall, while the Santa Fe ranked second in the midsize SUV segment. Hyundai’s Ulsan plant in South Korea, which produces the Tucson, was awarded the Bronze Plant Assembly Line Quality Award for the Asia Pacific region. J.D. Power measures initial quality by the number of problems owners experience per 100 vehicles (PP100) during the first 90 days of ownership, with a lower score reflecting higher quality. Hyundai had 74 PP100, outpacing the industry average of 93 PP100. The 2018 U.S. IQS is based on responses from 75 712 purchasers and lessees of new 2018 model-year vehicles who were surveyed after 90 days of ownership. GRAPHIC: JD POWER
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Daring bikers push the limits of ability WHILE Maritzburg’s double amputee rider Matthew “Bushy” McKelvey had to postpone his 24-hour world record distance attempt on a wet Hakskeenpan at the Northern Cape government’s behest, a blind rider plans to go as fast as possible around Red Star Raceway in Gauteng on Saturday. Jacob Kruger will pilot a Suzuki SV650 in a hot lap around the twisty, flat and fast track to raise funds for Action 4 the Blind and Disabled — an NGO focused on training blind
and deaf people — and the South African Guide Dogs Association for the Blind. Suzuki South Africa is sponsoring the bike and Kruger will be riding solo alongside Clint Lake, a dealer area manager at the company. Lake will guide Kruger through a wireless intercom system in their helmets. Kruger is planning to do at least two laps but may do more if time allows. The day, which is open to all for just R20, will include Suzuki motorcycle test rides on the track for
R50, rides with members of the Suzuki Swift club, live music, food and kids’ entertainment. All proceeds from the day will go towards the two charities that Kruger has selected. Kruger is an avid motorcycle enthusiast who lost his eyesight in an accident about 12 years ago. He damaged his optic nerves in the accident, when a distracted motorist drove in front of him at speed, leaving him blind and unable to ride a motorcycle. “I hope that the event on Saturday will not only raise significant
funds for my two chosen charities, but that it will also raise awareness of motorcyclists on the road and the need to be vigilant,” said Kruger. Meanwhile, McKelCV Joint vey’s speCialists ride may for CV joints, ball joints, continue tie rod ends, wheel bearings. at month end, if the 341 GReYlinG stReet pan is dry Pmb. 033 342 9174/75 enough.
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