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Hello bro/sis, cars at expo is coming up on 13 and 14 Apr! What cars are you looking for? And please get a free car valuation first before heading down know your car's worth: https://www.quotz.com.sg/free-valuation. Don't say bojio 😄 - Bro Quotz

Singapore ‘open to’ idea of one-off rise in vehicle population, with higher usage-based charges: Chee SINGAPORE is open to reviewing the idea of a one-off increase in its vehicle population, spread over a few years and accompanied by higher vehicle-usage charges to prevent congestion, said Transport Minister Chee Hong Tat on Tuesday (Mar 5). But the trade-offs “are not straightforward, and need to be studied carefully before a decision is made”, he added during the debate in Parliament on his ministry’s budget. Member of Parliament Saktiandi Supaat had asked if distance-based charging could allow Singapore to increase the total vehicle population while still achieving its car-lite vision. Chee said his ministry was “open to reviewing the idea” of a one-off increase with higher charges. These usage-based charges could include location and time-based fees – as with the existing Electronic Road Pricing (ERP) system – or distance-based charging, where road users pay depending on how far they travel. “However, it is not feasible to (rely only) on usage-based charges to prevent traffic congestion, as these would have to be set at very high rates, which might not be acceptable to many car owners,” he said. Singapore would still need other ownership controls and measures such as parking charges, he added. He also noted that taxi, private-hire car and delivery drivers would face higher usage-based fees as they travel longer distances. “We will need to examine the impact on these groups, though usage-based charging is, in principle, a fair approach,” he said. The Land Transport Authority began the roll-out of the new ERP 2.0 system’s On-Board units last November. These units are equipped with satellite-based technology that can support distance-based charging, though the statutory board said at the time that there were “no immediate plans” to transition away from the current system. https://www.businesstimes.com.sg/companies-markets/transport-logistics/singapore-open-to-idea-of-one-off-rise-in-vehicle-population-with-higher-usage-based-charges-chee hmmm ...

Good Luck 3 useful links for MCFers Real Time COE Bidding Results Check Your COE Bidding Status Latest COE Prices and Trending Highest Record Cat A => $106,000 [Oct 2023] Cat B => $150,001 [Oct 2023] Cat C => $91,101 [Mar 2023] Cat D => $13,189 [Nov 2022] Cat E => $158,004 [Oct 2023] Lowest Record Cat A => $2 [Nov 2008] Cat B => $200 [Jan 2009] Cat C => $1 [Mar 2007] Cat D => $1 [Mar 2003] Cat E => $3,000 [Feb 2009] Upcoming Bidding Exercise The details of the March 1st open bidding exercise for Certificates of Entitlement (COEs) are as follows: Tender opens: Monday, 4 March 2024, 12 noon Tender closes: Wednesday, 6 March 2024, 4.00 pm Tender results: Wednesday, 6 March 2024 (Available on www.onemotoring.lta.gov.sg) The total quota available for this tender is 2,550 for the following vehicle categories: NON-TRANSFERABLE CATEGORIES Category A : Cars (up to 1,600cc and maximum power up to 97kW (130bhp); and fully electric car with maximum power up to 110kW (147bhp)) => 963 Category B : Cars (above 1,600cc or maximum power above 97kW (130bhp); and fully electric car with maximum power above 110kW (147bhp)) => 708 Category D : Motorcycles => 520 TRANSFERABLE CATEGORIES Category C : Goods Vehicles and Buses => 200 Category E : Open Category => 159

https://www.channelnewsasia.com/singapore/import-cars-jail-tax-gst-duty-evasion-fined-4064701 Low Han Siang, the sole proprietor of car importer M’ Exclusive, will serve 69 months' jail in total. SINGAPORE: A man was fined S$6 million (US$4.4 million) last Friday (Jan 19) for evading duty and Goods and Services Tax (GST) on 1,828 motor cars imported into Singapore. As he failed to pay the fine, Low Han Siang, the sole proprietor of car importer M’ Exclusive, will serve a jail term of 60 months in default. He was also sentenced to an additional nine months' jail for underpaying the Additional Registration Fee (ARF) during the registration of the vehicles. The ARF is a tax imposed when a vehicle is registered, calculated based on a percentage of the Open Market Value of the vehicle. Low, 46, had pleaded guilty to two charges under the Customs Act for evading over S$1.8 million in taxes and duties incurred from importing 1,141 motor vehicles, including brands like Mercedes, Porsche and Tesla, into Singapore between 2017 and 2021. The Singaporean also pleaded guilty to two amalgamated charges of giving incorrect information under the Road Traffic Act. Another two charges of fradulent evasion of GST, six charges of fradulent evasion of duty and GST, five charges of causing an incorrect declaration to be made and four amalgamated charges for giving incorrect information were taken into considering during sentencing. HOW LOW WAS CAUGHT An investigation into M’Exclusive was launched after the car importer was suspected of under-declaring the values of motor vehicles for assessment of duty and GST payable, Singapore Customs said in a press release on Monday. Investigations found that from April 2017 to June 2021, Low created false invoices or asked his suppliers to issue multiple invoices with partial values to conceal the actual values of the imported cars. These invoices were then submitted to Singapore Customs for assessment of duty and GST payable. The suppression of the values of the 1,828 motor cars imported into Singapore between April 2017 and June 2021 resulted in the short payment of duty and GST amounting to about S$3,263,280. It was also discovered that Low had instructed his employee, Lee Pak How, to falsify invoices with suppressed values determined by Low. Lee, a 33-year-old Singapore permanent resident, was fined S$10,000 on Jan 13 after pleading guilty to one charge of falsification of documents. DECLARED VALUES OF IMPORTED MOTOR CARS Singapore Customs said it “closely monitors" the declared values of motor cars imported into Singapore and "will not hesitate to take enforcement actions on errant traders”. The agency added it maintains a "robust commitment" to combat fraudulent evasion of duty and GST, and will take the necessary actions against individuals and entities engaging in such illicit activities. Singapore Customs noted that in January, five individuals involving three separate cases were charged for fraudulent evasion of duty and GST by suppressing the declared values of imported motor cars, making incorrect declaration or causing incorrect declaration to be made on the values of motor vehicles, and falsification of documents. Court proceedings are ongoing for these cases. “Any person who is concerned in fraudulent evasion of any duty or GST on imported goods shall be liable on conviction to a fine of up to 20 times the amount of duty and GST evaded and/or jailed for up to two years,” Singapore Customs said. Any person who is concerned in fraudulent evasion of any duty or GST on imported goods can face a maximum fine of up to 20 times the amount of duty and GST evaded and jailed for up to two years. Any person who gives incorrect information in relation to any matter affecting the amount of tax chargeable shall be liable on conviction to a fine not exceeding S$10,000 or to imprisonment for a term not exceeding six months. "The court shall also order the offender to pay up the ARF which has been undercharged to the LTA," Singapore Customs said.

It's about time innit? https://www.businesstimes.com.sg/singapore/government-consider-separate-coe-category-private-hire-cars-chee-hong-tat

Who going? https://www.straitstimes.com/life/motoring/what-to-look-out-for-in-2024-more-coes-more-evs-more-chinese-car-brands

A recent meet up with some friends and auto buddies led me to think if I should jump onto the latest trend, and the biggest thing in the automobile industry now is the tide of change, from internal combustion engines (ICE)s to electric vehicles or EVs. With the COE of my car running out in just a little more than three years, I am keen watching this page. But if I go by current trends, costs and also a deeper dive, I am likely to stay with the traditional gas guzzler. For context, I have to mention my current car usage. My trip to work is rather short, with minimal traffic jams. I do commute between two to three worksites, which is made much easier by hopping into the car and then driving between these destinations. They are also not too far apart, but if I factor in time for taxis or private hire vehicles (PHV)s, I will spend a significant amount of time waiting. There are no direct buses between the sites. I also take longer journeys on the weekend to fetch my little one to enrichment classes, visit the in laws, church and such. With the family in tow, all four seats as well as the baby seat are filled up on such runs. I also do errands. However, the operating radius is not large apart from the occasional runs or meet up with friends and business related meet ups. So my annual mileage works out to be just a tad over 10 000km, which is not a lot by anyone's standards. Now let's look at the three basic kinds of engines you can choose from now. ICEs, hybrids and EVs. I have the ability to charge near or at my home or access them easily at work. Currently there are certain 'perks' that the government is offering for cars with better emissions. Why the inverted commas? Well these so called rebates are handed to the seller / car makers to package into their pricing, BUT and this is the big but, you have to return half of these rebates when you scrape the car! Secondly, let's talk about the battery cost. Whilst it may seem that you save on petrol costs, especially if one gets a EV, don't forget to check the cost of the battery. There are now more and more reports of sticker price tag shocks for EV owners when they need to fix or replace these batteries. We are not talking hundreds or even thousands of dollars. We are talking tens of thousands, yep, costs that amount to the that which may match the OMV or basic cost of the car. You might feel it will not happen to you, but some of these 'accidents' are basically nothing more than going over the kerb or bumps and scratching the bottom of the cars. The stuff even the most careful drivers may end up doing once in a while. Now imagine facing such a bill and finding out that the EV has little residual value if the battery is kaput. Or a monumental repair bill to fix or replace that battery. How about hybrid cars? Again, if you drive like a cabbie, and accumulate 30 to 40k a year, it might make more sense, since you get significantly higher mileage with the true hybrids than a ICE car. The car hybrid battery tends to require replacement around the eighth or ninth year, just when many car makers end their battery related warranty. So you may be a few thousand dollars out of pocket when you wish to replace that battery, and then unless you renew the COE, that car will only be driven for a couple more years. So you really have to sit down and fish out that calculator and determine if the annual mileage, the total amount of petrol saved justifies the outlay for the battery. Some hybrid cars are only hybrid in name with a token battery just to get that rebate, so you need to check the details and do the maths. You will also need to add in maintenance, and whilst EVs tend to require less visits to the workshop for the engine, you need to make sure there are trained mechanics which can back up the car, and the numbers are thin on the ground currently, even if you return to the original sellers. Many do not, baulking at their charges, but with the kind of electronics inside, things could get dicey if you go beyond just tires and wiper replacement. As for tires, you also need to know EVs use larger wheels and also different tires. Many budget cars currently run on 15 or 16" wheels and you spend about $100-$150 per tire. Expect to double or triple that for EVs, due to their heavier weight. Speaking of maintenance, the EVs are not entirely similar to their ICE cousins. Ever sat in a Tesla or even a BYD? It feels more like a PC on wheels than your traditional car. Some Tesla owners have been caught out when their cars are doing software updates, and you could have a dead car just when you need to rush out. There are changes afoot, but touchscreens are harder to use when you're driving and having to dive four or five layers into their menu just to turn down the volume or air con temperature is not only a hassle but dangerous whilst driving. Now that we are talking about the interior and ergonomics, I also dislike the Tesla car handles. You need to pry them out, and I much prefer the traditional ones with a generous hand grip. Try handling groceries or a struggling baby whilst opening your car door and you'll understand. The other issue is safety. We already mentioned that you can crash the OS, so you're effectively locked out of the car. How about potential fires? Already, with the advent of personal mobility devices, we are witnessing huge increases in household fires related to charging issues. Overseas we have witness huge balls of fires when the EVs burst into flames. Firemen often standby and wait for the fires to burn out, because it is really hard to put out the fires related to the batteries. Woe betide any cars parked next to them. Is my decision process too conservative, too dated? There is still some time before I need to commit so I shall be watching this EV / hybrid space very intently.

Imagine minding your own business on the road when suddenly some goondu driver knocks into you TWICE. What happened? A PHV (private hire vehicle) Honda Vezel was heading back to Singapore on the Causeway when they were knocked into by a Malaysian car. GG lah, knock one time and then they step on the gas pedal for another round. Driver went for the double tap. To make matters worse, the driver at fault apparently made the claim towards police that the camcar had suddenly braked, and so she could not stop on time. Upon watching the video, I say… Camcar was travelling at such a slow and steady pace still cannot press the brake pedal??? If anything it even looks like they accelerated a little bit! The camcar’s rental company also can't claim against the Malaysian car because it's a foreign vehicle. After the camcar driver requested a private settlement, she also went MIA,. forcing them to bear the cost of the damage. The camcar driver went on to say in the original Facebook post :“Buy insurance for what? Malaysia car hit us we cannot claim.” They hoped to “get some advice from the comments on how to settle without bearing the cost” , otherwise needing to pay $2000 in excess to their insurance company. Online chatter Unfortunately, it seems people in similar plights have found no solution to this either. Hope the camcar manages to get the situation resolved… ========= Be the first to get the latest road/ COE news and get first dibs on exclusive promos and giveaways in our Telegram SGCM Community. Join us today!

POV: me patiently waiting for Dec's COE thread 😆 i got vested interest lol

As the title suggests, I have never charged my phone in the car. However it looks to be a more plausible option . Loads of info and most suggest it’s ok using the ciggy plug adaptors, wireless pads OR the usb/usb-C sockets provided . Any long term effects on the car battery ? Discuss

Man, 52, arrested for allegedly smearing faeces on car in Aljunied, but apparently got the wrong car - Mothership.SG - News from Singapore, Asia and around the world A 52-year-old man has been arrested after a car was found smeared with faeces at Blk 49 Sims Place in Aljunied on Nov. 19. According to Shin Min Daily News, the man left "prayer offerings" on the car's bonnet, with a note in Mandarin that said, "The only way to prevent people from knowing what you did is not to do it at all. (若要人不知，除非己莫为)," was found on the windshield. The note appeared to be addressed to a person with the surname of Tan. However, the car belonged to a nearby 60-year-old hawker by the surname of Wang (transliteration from Mandarin). "Nauseating" faecal stains on windows and door handles When Shin Min reporters reached the scene, they found the car had faecal stains on its front and rear windshields, windows, and door handles. The stench from the stains was reported to be "nauseating". The items left on the bonnet consisted of a huat kueh (steamed cake usually used for offerings) with a flower stuck on top, and an orange with a ribbon and incense sticks tied around it. Two police cars were also spotted at the scene, with several officers seen taking photos and carrying out their investigation at the nearby market. Car owner is a chicken stall owner at the market Wang told the Shin Min reporters she sells chicken at the nearby market and knew about what happened only when a neighbouring stall's staff informed her. Shocked and angry, she immediately called the police but returned to her stall to continue serving her customers. She only cleaned her car after the market closed in the afternoon. Wang said she never had disputes with her customers. In addition, she does not know the person to whom the notes were addressed. She added that after she cleaned the car herself, she still had to bring it to the car wash to clean it thoroughly. She said: "We have never offended anyone and have just been making an honest living. This is really too much." Man could have targeted the wrong car Besides vandalising the car, the same perpetrator is also believed to have stuck notes with abusive language on nearby pillars. Other hawkers speculated that it could have been another vendor who offended the man and that the suspect might have chosen the wrong target. Shin Min observed that there was another car in the carpark of the same model, with a similar colour and even a similar car plate number to Wang's car. In response to Shin Min's queries, the police said a 52-year-old has been arrested for public nuisance and that the case is under investigation. Top photo via Shin Min Daily News I https://mothership.sg/2023/11/aljunied-car-poop-smear/?fbclid=IwAR2O5GuQP9yLdb1HL2UlZ2c2KH2CCnSVuSMjzNfn_OPjs1UVX9kiadITXXw

Hi All, is there anyway to check for Mileage Tampering? Bringing to a workshop and plugging in to check work? As I had been looking around for a used vehicle and seems like all Singaporeans don't really drive. Alot or most of the postings drives are about 10k lesser per year. Not sure how true it is

Just in time before I fly. Good luck and bye... 3 useful links for MCFers Real Time COE Bidding Results Check Your COE Bidding Status Latest COE Prices and Trending Highest Record Cat A => $106,000 [Oct 2023] Cat B => $150,001 [Oct 2023] Cat C => $91,101 [Mar 2023] Cat D => $13,189 [Nov 2022] Cat E => $158,004 [Oct 2023] Lowest Record Cat A => $2 [Nov 2008] Cat B => $200 [Jan 2009] Cat C => $1 [Mar 2007] Cat D => $1 [Mar 2003] Cat E => $3,000 [Feb 2009] Upcoming Bidding Exercise The details of the November 1st open bidding exercise for Certificates of Entitlement (COEs) are as follows: Tender opens: Monday, 6 November 2023, 12 noon Tender closes: Wednesday, 8 November 2023, 4.00 pm Tender results: Wednesday, 8 November 2023 (Available on www.onemotoring.lta.gov.sg) The total quota available for this tender is 2,411 for the following vehicle categories: NON-TRANSFERABLE CATEGORIES Category A : Cars (up to 1,600cc and maximum power up to 97kW (130bhp); and fully electric car with maximum power up to 110kW (147bhp)) => 924 Category B : Cars (above 1,600cc or maximum power above 97kW (130bhp); and fully electric car with maximum power above 110kW (147bhp)) => 636 Category D : Motorcycles => 520 TRANSFERABLE CATEGORIES Category C : Goods Vehicles and Buses => 190 Category E : Open Category => 141

There’s a time and place to go fast guys, and the carpark is not one of them. What happened? An overzealous Volkswagen Beetle was going fast enough in a multi-storey carpark (MSCP) at Bukit Merah Central to break through the metal and concrete barriers. Someone managed to record footage of the incident from their car, likely through dashcam. Can’t imagine how loud that would have been on the outside. Hope there wasn’t anyone under the car with those bricks sent flying. Online chatter People speculated on why he ended up here, and noted his choice of car for this stunt. Others also made jokes on his skill (or lack thereof). ========= Be the first to get the latest road/ COE news and get first dibs on exclusive promos and giveaways in our Telegram SGCM Community. Join us today!

Comparing the highest and lowest record, really no eye see... Wanted to add in the usual "Good Luck to All Vested", but am wondering if any MCFer is still buying new car at the current climate (except @RadX who spend real $$$ like hell notes ) 3 useful links for MCFers Real Time COE Bidding Results Check Your COE Bidding Status Latest COE Prices and Trending Highest Record Cat A => $105,000 [Sep 2023] Cat B => $140,889 [Sep 2023] Cat C => $91,101 [Mar 2023] Cat D => $13,189 [Nov 2022] Cat E => $144,640 [Sep 2023] Lowest Record Cat A => $2 [Nov 2008] Cat B => $200 [Jan 2009] Cat C => $1 [Mar 2007] Cat D => $1 [Mar 2003] Cat E => $3,000 [Feb 2009] Upcoming Bidding Exercise The details of the October 1st open bidding exercise for Certificates of Entitlement (COEs) are as follows: Tender opens: Monday, 2 October 2023, 12 noon Tender closes: Wednesday, 4 October 2023, 4.00 pm Tender results: Wednesday, 4 October 2023 (Available on www.onemotoring.lta.gov.sg) The total quota available for this tender is 2,010 for the following vehicle categories: NON-TRANSFERABLE CATEGORIES Category A : Cars (up to 1,600cc and maximum power up to 97kW (130bhp); and fully electric car with maximum power up to 110kW (147bhp)) => 785 Category B : Cars (above 1,600cc or maximum power above 97kW (130bhp); and fully electric car with maximum power above 110kW (147bhp)) => 474 Category D : Motorcycles => 497 TRANSFERABLE CATEGORIES Category C : Goods Vehicles and Buses => 114 Category E : Open Category => 140

3 useful links for MCFers Real Time COE Bidding Results Check Your COE Bidding Status Latest COE Prices and Trending Highest Record Cat A => $103,721 [Apr 2023] Cat B => $129,890 [Aug 2023] Cat C => $91,101 [Mar 2023] Cat D => $13,189 [Nov 2022] Cat E => $131,000 [Aug 2023] Upcoming Bidding Exercise The details of the September 1st open bidding exercise for Certificates of Entitlement (COEs) are as follows: Tender opens: Monday, 4 September 2023, 12 noon Tender closes: Wednesday, 6 September 2023, 4.00 pm Tender results: Wednesday, 6 September 2023 (Available on www.onemotoring.lta.gov.sg) The total quota available for this tender is 1,933 for the following vehicle categories: NON-TRANSFERABLE CATEGORIES Category A : Cars (up to 1,600cc and maximum power up to 97kW (130bhp); and fully electric car with maximum power up to 110kW (147bhp)) => 645 Category B : Cars (above 1,600cc or maximum power above 97kW (130bhp); and fully electric car with maximum power above 110kW (147bhp)) => 470 Category D : Motorcycles => 573 TRANSFERABLE CATEGORIES Category C : Goods Vehicles and Buses => 115 Category E : Open Category => 130

I've always wanted to own an SUV, with the commanding position, high hip point for entry and good boot size. So I recently decided to take a walk around the showrooms, with a basic search and some requirements: - five seats minimum, seven is a bonus, but basically a good size rather than a tiny one - high hip point - good boot size - not too slow 0-100 (under 11) - I'll need storage, good safety and things that a family with a young baby will appreciate I don't speed, but sometimes you need a bit of zoom to join traffic and drive up Genting or overtake and I do go to M'sia often. That also means EVs are a bit more tricky My mileage is low, 10-12k a year on average. Now, my car isn't due for another 3 plus years, but I wanted to see what's out there and I'm just sharing my findings here and my choices are purely personal, as YMMV.. I didn't have a specific budget, but I soon realised that most of the choices hover around the 200k mark, and this is almost twice what they used to cost due to the COE. Hybrids aren't my first choice due to my low mileage, and the cost of a battery replacement is a big deal, so even EVs are a bit tricky, but the number of petrol only cars are limited. The EV motors are also not great for the Malaysia jaunts, and CVTs are less desirable than autos, but you have to be careful which DCT you choose.. Cheers

3 useful links for MCFers Real Time COE Bidding Results Check Your COE Bidding Status Latest COE Prices and Trending Highest Record Cat A => $103,721 [Apr 2023] Cat B => $121,000 [Jun 2023] Cat C => $91,101 [Mar 2023] Cat D => $13,189 [Nov 2022] Cat E => $125,000 [May 2023] Upcoming Bidding Exercise The details of the August 1st open bidding exercise for Certificates of Entitlement (COEs) are as follows: Tender opens: Monday, 7 August 2023, 12 noon Tender closes: Thursday, 10 August 2023, 4.00 pm Tender results: Thursday, 10 August 2023 (Available on www.onemotoring.lta.gov.sg) The total quota available for this tender is 1,886 for the following vehicle categories: NON-TRANSFERABLE CATEGORIES Category A : Cars (up to 1,600cc and maximum power up to 97kW (130bhp); and fully electric car with maximum power up to 110kW (147bhp)) => 632 Category B : Cars (above 1,600cc or maximum power above 97kW (130bhp); and fully electric car with maximum power above 110kW (147bhp)) => 470 Category D : Motorcycles => 522 TRANSFERABLE CATEGORIES Category C : Goods Vehicles and Buses => 122 Category E : Open Category => 140

3 useful links for MCFers Real Time COE Bidding Results Check Your COE Bidding Status Latest COE Prices and Trending Highest Record Cat A => $103,721 [Apr 2023] Cat B => $121,000 [Jun 2023] Cat C => $91,101 [Mar 2023] Cat D => $13,189 [Nov 2022] Cat E => $125,000 [May 2023] Upcoming Bidding Exercise The details of the July 1st open bidding exercise for Certificates of Entitlement (COEs) are as follows: Tender opens: Monday, 3 July 2023, 12 noon Tender closes: Wednesday, 5 July 2023, 4.00 pm Tender results: Wednesday, 5 July 2023 (Available on www.onemotoring.lta.gov.sg) The total quota available for this tender is 1,845 for the following vehicle categories: NON-TRANSFERABLE CATEGORIES Category A : Cars (up to 1,600cc and maximum power up to 97kW (130bhp); and fully electric car with maximum power up to 110kW (147bhp)) => 588 Category B : Cars (above 1,600cc or maximum power above 97kW (130bhp); and fully electric car with maximum power above 110kW (147bhp)) => 471 Category D : Motorcycles => 579 TRANSFERABLE CATEGORIES Category C : Goods Vehicles and Buses => 77 Category E : Open Category => 130

@Carbon82where is the May COE Thread.?

Sweden FTW! A true demonstration of going all out to go green. Using 1 container to ship 20 cars instead of 4, the reducing in carbon footprint is evident, not to mention the lower shipping cost. Ingenious Luvly — a manufacturer from Sweden — has created a method to reduce the shipping costs of its tiny electric car, which has a starting price of €10,000 and is less than nine feet long Source: https://english.elpais.com/economy-and-business/2023-04-23/the-ikea-swedish-car-that-comes-to-your-home-in-parts.html The arrival of electric vehicles (EVs) has allowed for a huge number of new players in the automotive world to emerge. These companies are staking out new territory, competing against established brands in the EV sector. Luvly — a Swedish firm — is one of them. The car manufacturer wants to stand out for its emission-free tiny cars… and for its peculiar delivery system, which has already caused a commotion. With the aim of reducing costs, Luvly has created a system very similar to that of its compatriot, Ikea: the cars are manufactured in pieces before being sent to their destination. This means that shipments can be used much more economically, to the point that, in a container with a capacity for four cars, it’s possible to fit the parts needed for 20 Luvly vehicles. Of course, contrary to what happens with furniture, it won’t be the buyer who is in charge of assembling it. The company will have different regional factories that will be in charge of the assembly. This methodology will apply to all of Luvly’s models, of which several are already planned, such as a three-wheeled sports car, or a small van. But, for the moment, only the first model — Luvly 0 — has seen the light of day. This vehicle is specifically meant for urban use. It’s a very small car that has been designed to move around agilely in the city, occupy a minimal amount of space, consume little energy and, at the same time, maximize the interior. The result is a model with a minimalist design, with a broad windshield and a straight-cut at the rear. The optical groups are very discreet, while the wheels — each one with its own fender — are placed at the four ends of the body. The Luvly 0 car only measures nine feet in length, five feet in width and 4.7 feet in height. These dimensions allow it to be a really light vehicle that only weighs 840 pounds. And, while it’s a two-seater model, it also has a good-sized trunk. Given its urban character, the car’s mechanical section does the job, taking into account its objectives. The brand doesn’t highlight its power, but it can reach speeds of up to 55 miles per hour. One of the strengths of the Luvly is that it has a 6.4 kilowatt battery. It’s divided into two removable modules — each weighing 33 pounds — so it’s possible to charge it at home. In addition, since its energy consumption is very low, a single charge can take it as far as 60 miles. The brand already allows you to sign up on its website to place orders, with a starting price of €10,000 ($11,000).

Ok who’s going?! think the big names are der @Freeder go disturb ur pml bf lo😂

SAN FRANCISCO - Tesla has assured its millions of electric car owners that their privacy “is and will always be enormously important to us”. The cameras it builds into vehicles to assist driving, it notes on its website, are “designed from the ground up to protect your privacy”. But between 2019 and 2022, groups of Tesla employees privately shared, via an internal messaging system, sometimes highly invasive videos and images recorded by customers’ car cameras, according to interviews by Reuters with nine former employees. Some of the recordings caught Tesla customers in embarrassing situations. One former employee described a video of a man approaching a vehicle completely naked. Also shared were crashes and road-rage incidents. One crash video in 2021 showed a Tesla being driven at high speed in a residential area and hitting a child riding a bike, according to another former employee. Other images were more mundane, such as pictures of dogs and funny road signs that employees made into memes by embellishing them with amusing captions or commentary, before posting them in private group chats. While some postings were shared between only two employees, others could be seen by scores of them, according to several former employees. Tesla states in its online “Customer Privacy Notice” that its “camera recordings remain anonymous and are not linked to you or your vehicle”. But seven former employees told Reuters the computer programme they used at work could show the location of recordings – which potentially could reveal where a Tesla owner lived. One former employee also said that some recordings appeared to have been made when cars were parked and turned off. Several years ago, Tesla would receive video recordings from its vehicles even when they were turned off, if owners gave consent. It has since stopped doing so. “We could see inside people’s garages and their private properties,” said another former employee. “Let’s say that a Tesla customer had something in their garage that was distinctive, you know, people would post those kinds of things.” Tesla did not respond to detailed questions sent to the company for this report. To report this story, Reuters contacted more than 300 former Tesla employees who had worked at the company over the past nine years and were involved in developing its self-driving system. More than a dozen agreed to answer questions, all speaking on condition of anonymity. Reuters was not able to obtain any of the shared videos or images, which former employees said they had not kept. The news agency also was not able to determine if the practice of sharing recordings, which occurred within some parts of Tesla as recently as 2022, continues today or how widespread it was. Some former employees contacted said the only sharing they observed was for legitimate work purposes, such as seeking assistance from colleagues or supervisors. The sharing of sensitive videos illustrates one of the less-noted features of artificial intelligence systems: They often require armies of human beings to help train machines to learn automated tasks such as driving. Since about 2016, Tesla has employed hundreds of people in Africa and later the United States to label images to help its cars learn how to recognise pedestrians, street signs, construction vehicles, garage doors and other objects encountered on the road or at customers’ houses. To accomplish that, data labellers were given access to thousands of videos or images recorded by car cameras that they would view to identify objects. Two former employees said they were not bothered by the sharing of images, saying that customers had given their consent or that people long ago had given up any reasonable expectation of keeping personal data private. Three others, however, said they were troubled by it. One said: “I’m bothered by it because the people who buy the car, I don’t think they know that their privacy is, like, not respected... We could see them doing laundry and really intimate things. We could see their kids.” One former employee saw nothing wrong with sharing images, but described a function that allowed data labellers to view the location of recordings on Google Maps as a “massive invasion of privacy”. Associate Professor David Choffnes, executive director of the Cybersecurity and Privacy Institute at Northeastern University in Boston, called the sharing of sensitive videos and images by Tesla employees “morally reprehensible”. He noted that circulating sensitive and personal content could be construed as a violation of Tesla’s own privacy policy – potentially resulting in intervention by the US Federal Trade Commission (FTC), which enforces federal laws relating to consumers’ privacy. An FTC spokesman said it does not comment on individual companies or their conduct. To develop self-driving car technology, Tesla collects a vast trove of data from its global fleet of several million vehicles. The company requires car owners to grant permission on the cars’ touchscreens before Tesla collects their vehicles’ data. “Your data belongs to you,” states Tesla’s website. In its customer privacy notice, Tesla explains that if a customer agrees to share data, “your vehicle may collect the data and make it available to Tesla for analysis. This analysis helps Tesla improve its products, features, and diagnose problems quicker.” It also states that the data may include “short video clips or images”, but is not linked to a customer’s account or vehicle identification number, “and does not identify you personally. https://www.straitstimes.com/world/tesla-workers-shared-sensitive-images-recorded-by-customer-cars?utm_campaign=stfb&utm_medium=social&utm_source=facebook

We love cars! Or at least, I do. I assume you do too, since you’re on this platform. But as an aspiring car owner, I also grapple with the realities of living in Singapore. We have again been acclaimed as the “World’s Most Expensive City” together with New York City, our inflation is the highest it’s been in 15 years, and our homes start at hundred of thousands of dollars. In the face of such problems, a car seems like the least important of my worries. But let’s say in about 10 years time (can you tell I’m a young person yet?) I have enough money to get a car. Nothing special, a Toyota Corolla from Sgcarmart perhaps? How would I get there? And what are the costs that I’ll face afterwards? Join me and let’s see if buying a car is still worth it in Singapore. The many hidden costs of owning a car in SG To understand what it takes to buy a car I think a good place to start is to see the costs involved. As I’m sure you all know, we need to deal with COE (Certificate of Entitlement). It’s a metaphorical piece of paper that you buy in order to give you the right to own and use a car in the streets of Singapore. The COE lasts for 10 years. After 10 years, you have the option to refresh the COE and continue to use your car, or let it expire and be forced to de-register your car. Let’s say I’m a first time buyer, and that I’m getting a brand new Toyota Corolla Altis. The standard variant. This is what you’ll see in the official Toyota website. Now don’t worry, this is already taking into account COE for this year, as of April 2023. This specific model makes 96 brake horsepower with a 1,598cc engine. Therefore, this model would qualify for a Cat A COE. This category is for cars that have an engine less than or equal to 1600cc & make 130bhp or less. However, let’s take a look at how much this COE costs as of March 2023. You have spent almost 2 thirds of the entire car’s cost on the right to have gotten the car in the first place. Now let’s fast forward 10 years. The maths is going to get real complicated real quick. 10 years later.... I’ve had a wonderful time with my Corolla. It has served me well. It has seen me through so many things. My marriage. My first kids, my divorce, my wallowing loneliness. Ok, that got dark but you see what I mean. Some time has passed. I now need to make a decision to renew my COE or let it expire. To renew it, I will need to pay the PQP (Prevailing Quota Premium) of the COE. PQP is the moving average of the COE prices in the past 3 months. To calculate PQP, simply take the existing COE prices of the most recent three months and find its average. We can take the PQP from the above image and see that it is $85,845. I’ll let you decide whether it’s worth renewing the COE. In another scenario, let’s say I let it expire. And there’s actually a proper reason to do this called rebate. For any fellow Gen Z, this is our “cashback”. Upon de-registering a vehicle, we get a certain value by adding up our COE rebate and PARF (Preferential Additional Registration Fee ) rebate. Our COE rebate is based on the Quota Premium paid and the remaining COE left. Here’s a formula: Your COE rebate = [(Quota Premium Paid x Number of months left)/120 months]. Here’s an example: It is 2021. Adam has 12 months of COE left on his car. Assuming that his Quota Premium (QP) paid back in 2012 was $40,000, the COE rebate he will receive is ($40,000 x 12) / 120 = $4,000 PARF rebate is based on the Additional Registration Fee (ARF) value. Your PARF rebate = [ARF x % based on the age of your car] ARF is a tax imposed upon the registration of your vehicle, which depends on your car's Open Market Value (OMV). A car's OMV is the original cost of production of the vehicle before surcharges, taxes and the dealer's profit. Here’s a table to help you visualise the PARF rebate. According to Budget Direct Insurance, the Toyota’s OMV is $19,436. So the ARF for this car, as it is less than $20,000, will be 100% of its value at $19,436. However, as in this scenario I have spent over 10 years with my car, there will be no PARF rebate. I will also have no COE rebate because I have no months left on that either. I will get a tidy sum of... So if I'd like to continue using my vehicle after likely having paid for it in full, I'd need to once again pay for a permit worth several times over the actual cost of my car, even after taxes. Some people have clearly gotten sick of this, like this biker, who started a discussion on Facebook after showing why he doesn't use his motorycle anymore, calling it a ransom. It's clear that many people felt the same as him, calling the COE system a con or daylight robbery, that once their COE expires, they will likely stop using their vehicle. And yet, COE is at a record high this year. So I'd like to ask you all, what does owning a car mean to you? For more information about renewing COE, do head over to this guide on COE renewal. ========= Be the first to get the latest road/ COE news and get first dibs on exclusive promos and giveaways in our Telegram SGCM Community. Join us today!

Community Service by MCF Good Luck to all vested! 3 useful links for MCFers Real Time COE Bidding Results Check Your COE Bidding Status Latest COE Prices and Trending Highest Record Cat A => $93,503 [Mar 2023] Cat B => $116,201 [Mar 2023] Cat C => $91,101 [Mar 2023] Cat D => $13,189 [Nov 2022] Cat E => $118,001 [Feb 2023] The details of the April 1st open bidding exercise for Certificates of Entitlement (COEs) are as follows: Tender opens: Monday, 3 April 2023, 12 noon Tender closes: Wednesday, 5 April 2023, 4.00 pm Tender results: Wednesday, 5 April 2023 (Available on the www.onemotoring.lta.gov.sg) The total quota available for this tender is 1,592 for the following vehicle categories: NON-TRANSFERABLE CATEGORIES Category A : Cars (up to 1,600cc and maximum power up to 97kW (130bhp); and fully electric car with maximum power up to 110kW (147bhp)) => 515 Category B : Cars (above 1,600cc or maximum power above 97kW (130bhp); and fully electric car with maximum power above 110kW (147bhp)) => 430 Category D : Motorcycles => 466 TRANSFERABLE CATEGORIES Category C : Goods Vehicles and Buses => 47 Category E : Open Category => 134