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THE WITNESS
OCTOBER 31, 2019
WHEELS
www.witness.co.za
Last tango in Parys
New models
Lance Woolridge and Ward Huxtable aim to close impressive cross country season on a high COLIN MILEMAN
Europe’s tallest tribe seem to harbour a lot of mad-haired engineers who think nothing of digging up bits of the icy North Sea to create below-sea level fields in which they are likely to plant tulips as they are to hold jetengined tractor races. Hence any hypercar from the Netherlands deserves special attention. The latest such car is the Donkervoort D8 GTO JD70, of which only 70 will be made, each selling for over R2,7 million in the Netherlands. The D8 is special edition to celebrate founder Joop Donkervoort’s 70th birthday. Donkervoort stated the Lotus-Seven-inspired body weighs under 700 kg, with a 2.5-litre, turbocharged Audi in-line five making 309 kW and 520 Nm.
Michigan-based electric bakkie builder Bollinger has announced prices for its all-electric remake of the original farmer’s bakkie, the Land Rover Defender. Available in a luxury “Sport Utility Truck” B1 and a more basic “Pickup Truck” B2, both models sell for a steep $125 000 (over R1,8 million). For comparison, America’s best selling vehicle overall, the Ford F-250, starts at a $34 645 for the Regular Cab, while Bollinger’s biggest competitor, Rivian, sell their all-electric R1T pickup truck from $69 000 and the Rivian R1S SUV from $72,500. Bollinger said both its bakkies feature ‘hand-assembled craftsmanship’, a 120 kWh battery pack, patent-pending storage options, dual motors, in-wheel portal gear hubs, a 2,2 ton payload, and 38 cm ground clearance.
Hyundai Motor Company revealed more details to its Fuel Cell Electric Vehicle 2030 Vision at this week’s North American Commercial Vehicle Show in the shape of the HDC-6 Neptune Concept Class 8 heavy duty truck, while trailer manufacturer Hyundai Translead and Air Liquide launched the HT Nitro ThermoTech, a refrigerated trailer that uses cryogenic nitrogen technology with the companies stated has a carbon footprint that is up to 90% smaller than that of traditional refrigirated trailers. Hyundai, the world’s third largest vehicle maker, said it will start ‘exploring opportunities’ in the United States commercial vehicle market, adding it is open to working with other partners to pave the way to establish a hydrogen ecosystem for trucks, perhaps with the Nikola and Tesla companies. Both are taking deposits on their trucks for delivery next year, Nikola on a hydrogen fuel cell truck and Tesla on an all-electric truck. — WR.
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THE Castrol Ford Cross Country Team of Lance Woolridge and Ward Huxtable are committed to end the 2019 South African Cross Country Series (SACCS) on a high at the final round of the season, the Parys 400 which takes place tomorrow and Saturday. Having claimed five wins on the trot, Woolridge and Huxtable have been virtually untouchable this year. A secondplace finish in Lichtenburg was the only time the talented duo haven’t stood on the top step of the podium, although the result was more than sufficient to secure their second Class T title in a row in the Neil Woolridge Motorsport (NWM) designed and built Ford Ranger V8. “We’ve had a superb season, and there will be no better way to finish off the year than by taking victory at the Parys 400,” said Neil Woolridge, team principal of NWM. “It’s a new event on the calendar, so it presents an exciting challenge for all of the teams.” While notching up another class victory will be the main objective, there’s also a podium position at stake in the overall Production Vehicle championship. Going into the last round, Woolridge and Huxtable are placed second,
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just 31 points behind newly crowned overall Production Vehicle champions Henk Lategan and Brett Cummings in their FIA Dakar Rally-specification Toyota. Despite competing in the lower-spec Class T category, the Ford pair are placed ahead of a trio of faster Class
FIA Toyotas by virtue of their faultless performance throughout the season. They hold a five-point advantage over former Dakar champion Giniel de Villiers and co-driver Dennis Murphy in the second factory Toyota entry, and are 26 points ahead of Shameer Variawa/Juan Mohr.
Chris Visser is 29 points adrift in the driver rankings in his privately run FIA Toyota. “Besides their unbroken run of podium finishes throughout the year in Class T, Lance and Ward defied the odds in the second race in Botswana by winning the event overall and beat-
‘Collaborate to make roads safe’, says Road Federation PRESIDENT of the South African Road Federation (SARF), Saied Solomons, has called for a nation-building programme that will deal with road behaviour and is co-ordinated to reach every enforcement area across South Africa. Speaking at the federation’s Transport Month event held in Pretoria last week, Solomons said: “All road stakeholders need to collaborate and accountability needs to be upheld at every level, from road users to officials, right through the reporting lines in road and traffic authorities. “Statistics are not lacking when it comes to the carnage on our roads. “The figures translate to over 30 jumbo jet crashes across our country every year. We have initiatives that run at national, regional and local government level to address the scourge of road crashes. “However, they are not sufficiently integrated, and we are not moving closer to reaching any of our roadsafety targets, many of which are aligned to international targets as set out in the Sustainable Development Goals. “Nearly four years into this plan,
for drivers as opposed to only penalties, while officials need to be properly rewarded for their hard work in enforcing the law on our roads.” In SA, the cost of crashes amounts to 3,5% of GDP, whereas in the UK, road crashes make up 1,7% of GDP and in the U.S., 1,8%. The SA Road Federation is part of the Global Road Safety Partnership which has highlighted four key roadsafety initiatives that developing countries should concentrate on, namely, drink driving, speed, seat belts and child restraints. MEC for Roads and Transport in Gauteng, Jacob Mamabolo, delivered the keynote address at the SA Road Federation event and called on SA Road Federation to be the voice of roads in the country, a challenge Solomons welcomed. “SA Road Federation will rise to the challenge that the premier has charged us with. This has, however, been a sombre end to 2019’s Transport Month,” said Solomons.
The SA Road Federation wants to eliminate crash scenes like this by linking efforts to change driver behaviour. PHOTO: ALWYN VILJOEN lawlessness still rules our roads and not the law,” said Solomons. He believes that pockets of excellent work are taking place around road safety, but he says organisations and authorities are working in silos which diminishes the impact of their programmes. “In 21st century SA, technology can be far better used to help plan, implement, manage and monitor
road safety efforts at local, regional and national levels. “The Road Accident Fund remains largely a reactive mechanism funded by road users at the fuel tanks and then handed out after the carnage. This levy should be proactively promoting and deepening enforcement to influence driver behaviour. “Driver behaviour must be addressed through positive incentives
• The SA Road Federation is a notfor-profit organisation and focuses on road funding and road safety, as well as training and development.
Haval rewards top technicians in tough competition HARDUS Vermaak from Haval in Pinetown was named one of the three top maintenance technicians in the company’s recent Top Technician Competition. Eldrich Laubscher and Bradley Wright from Haval East London shared the podium. The competition was divided into three rounds adopting an elimination system. The first round of mass selection adopted pure theoretical testing to confirm the training effect on technicians. The group was then whittled down to the top 15 technicians selected for the semi-finals. In the semi-final, a theoretical knowledge assessment was adopted as well as a time-limited practical assessment
in the form of solving of a simulated real vehicle fault created by the adjudicators. From this exercise, the top three technicians were required to explain through troubleshooting methods how to confirm the compliance of their automobile in a theoretical basis, maintenance skills and operating steps. Charles Zhao, general manager of Haval Motors South Africa, presented the awards to the winners. He said after-sales service plays an important role in the operation of Haval dealers. Zhao said Haval never forgot the premium Chinese brand’s original intention, namely to ensure customer satisfaction and create greater value for South African motorists with added piece of mind. — WR.
VOLKSWAGEN and Siemens are testing the feasibility of electric mobility in Rwanda. The pilot project was officially announced on Tuesday by Thomas Schäfer, CEO of Volkswagen Group South Africa and responsible for the Sub-Sahara Africa Region; Sabine Dall’Omo, CEO for Siemens Southern and Eastern Africa; and Rwanda’s Prime Minister, Dr Edouard Ngirente. During the pilot phase, four e-Golfs and one charging station will be introduced in the capital of Rwanda, Kigali. Volkswagen has signed a joint development agreement with Siemens
to provide the charging infrastructure for the electric cars. Schäfer said: “The success of our innovative and pioneering mobility solutions business has shown us that Rwanda has the potential to leapfrog the internal combustion engines into electric cars. “Rwanda has a young and progressive population that appreciates individual and modern mobility. “Together with our development partner Siemens and with the support from the government of Rwanda, Volkswagen wants to make the e-Golf pilot project in Rwanda a blueprint for electric mobility in Africa.” The project is part of the Moving
Hardus Vermaak from Haval Pinetown receives a cheque for R20 000 from Charles Zhao, general manager of Haval Motors South Africa. PHOTO: QUICKPIC
Rwanda Initiative, which was established as a result of Volkswagen’s initial investment in Rwanda, which saw the launch of Africa’s first Integrated Mobility Solutions business in June 2018. The solutions are offered on the Move App, an innovative IT mobility solution which was developed by a local IT start-up company, Awesomity Lab. The company said in a statement the app has 27 000 registered users and over 59 500 rides have been completed in the ride-hailing service since the beginning of 2019. Schäfer described the Rwanda test as VW’s “lighthouse project” and said VW has learned valuable lessons in Ki-
gali that they plan to use in growing into other African markets, like Ghana and Ethiopia. The project makes Rwanda the first African country to get a Volkswagen electric car. South Africa has three allelectric cars — the Nissan Leaf, the BMW i3 and the Jaguar I-Pace — with the Mercedes-Benz EQC confirmed for next year. In Africa, long distances, steep hills and heavy loads present current battery technology with many challenges, leaving bio-fuel, electric-fuel hybrid drivetrains, and hydrogen fuel cell vehicles as viable options to replace fossil fuel burning engines. • alwyn.viljoen@witness.co.za
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REPORTS from Hakskeenpan in the Northern Cape, where the British Bloodhound team aim to set a new land speed record, are that the third test on Monday saw the British-built supersonic car reach 537 km/h — its highest speed yet. The first run was limited to 160 km/ h, to check steering and brakes.
TOYOTA IS BUSY TRANSFORMING THE world’s biggest passenger vehicle maker, Toyota Motor Corporation, on Monday launched a car-sharing service provided by Toyota dealers and Toyota rental and leasing branches across Japan. In a sign of things to come, Toyota also launched what it calls “Chokunori” — an unmanned rent-a-car service. Toyota said it is working to provide new mobility services with the aim of becoming a mobility company in what it calls “a once-in-a-century transformational period”. The company produced over 20 million vehicles in 2017, making it the largest car company in the world, followed by Volkswagen (10 382 334) and Hyundai (7 218 391). Toyota, however, predicts big changes and said it will provide a range of mobility services to fulfil the diversifying automobile needs of customers as a shift is made from car ownership to car use. Toyota has been conducting verification tests, mainly in the Tokyo region, of Toyota Share since January, and of Chokunori since May. Going forward, services will be expanded in stages with a focus on Toyota dealers and Toyota rental and leasing branches as preparations are completed. The company assured enthusiastic drivers that Toyota Share and Chokunori will not make for boring commutes. “Toyota seeks to create opportunities for customers to use various vehicles effortlessly, enriching the carbased lifestyles of customers and increasing the number of car enthusiasts,” a statement read. — WR.
FIAT CHRYSLER AND PSA IN TALKS
VW and Siemens test electric mobility in Rwanda ALWYN VILJOEN
ENGINES, GEARBOXES, HEADS, TURBOS, DIFFS, LEXUS SPARES
Lance Woolridge and Ward Huxtable have claimed five wins in a row. PHOTO: QUICKPIC
ing the FIA entries in the process,” Woolridge senior added. “A top-three finish in the overall Production Vehicle championship will be the perfect reward for their remarkable pace and consistency, as well as the exceptional work of the team as a whole this year.” Joining them once again in the starting line-up will be reigning Brazilian cross country champions Marcos Baumgart and Kleber Cincea in the second Castrol NWM Ford Ranger. The visitors have been strong contenders during each of their outings in the fiercely competitive SACCS this year, most recently earning a fourth place in Lichtenburg. The Parys airfield will serve as the designated service park, as well as the start and finish points for the Parys 400. The route is expected to present competitors with a good combination of grazing and cultivated farmlands, along with some technical sections, a few rocky ridges and some stream crossings, all of which will add to the challenge. Fans can follow the action and track the position of the crews throughout the race using the RallySafe app which can be downloaded free of charge for iOS and Android devices.
The second outing doubled that speed without carrying extra fuel for reheat, followed by a coast down to measure rolling resistance. The third run saw the team load up to test stability under full reheat, before and after the peak speed was reached. The Bloodhound team aim to break
the current record of 1 228 km/h, set by the Thrust SSC 22 years ago, by moving across the pan at 1 600 km/h. To compare, the speed of sound, (Mach 1) is 1 234,8 km/h and the fastest plane to date, NASA’s X-43A scramjet, set a new world speed record for a jet-powered aircraft at Mach 9.6, or over 3 129 km/h in 2016. — WR.
PARIS — Fiat Chrysler and Peugeot owner PSA are in talks to merge, in a deal that could create a $50 billion (R731 billion) car company, a source familiar with the matter said on Tuesday. The Wall Street Journal first reported the discussions, but the companies and the French government have thus far declined to comment. PSA’s supervisory board was due to meet yesterday to discuss the potential merger, another source close to the matter said. If a combination of Peugeot and Fiat Chrysler succeeded in overcoming political, financial and governance hurdles, the new enterprise would still face substantial challenges. Peugeot chief executive Carlos Tavares has predicted “10 years of chaos” for global carmakers as regulators demand a switch to electric vehicles to reduce emissions linked to climate change. Meanwhile, Fiat Chrysler has one of the global motor industry’s most profitable franchises in the Jeep SUV brand, as well as a money-spinning North American pickup and commercial van operation in Ram. Both would boost Peugeot, which does not sell vehicles in the U.S. market. Fiat Chrysler had earlier proposed a $35 billion merger with Renault, saying at that time a deal with Renault offered more advantages than a combination with Peugeot. Following the collapse of the Renault merger plan, Fiat Chrysler CEO Mike Manley left the door open for talks with would-be partners. But at the Frankfurt Motor Show last month Tavares said of a deal with Fiat Chrysler, “We don’t need it.” — Reuters.