Emission testing to be 40pc cheaper
Published on: Thursday, March 22, 2018
RAWANG: The newly-launched National Emission Test Centre (NETC) will provide a strategic advantage to the local automotive industry as the costs associated with emission testing will now be 40 per cent lower and allow for faster testing times.Deputy Minister of International Trade and Industry, Datuk Seri Ahmad Maslan said the NETC would also further promote Energy Efficient Vehicle (EEV) usage in Malaysia, in line with the target of 80 per cent EEV penetration by 2022."This is a stepping stone to make Malaysia a regional hub for EEVs in the near future," he told a press conference after launching the NETC here on Wednesday.
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The penetration of EEVs in the local market had been very reassuring at 52 per cent in 2017 from 42.8 per cent of the Total Industry Volume in 2016.He said the NETC would also act as an element to attract foreign investors to expand their businesses in Malaysia by providing the necessary facilitation to ease the operation through the vehicle certification process."This facility can create spin-offs that enable the government to enjoy indirect and direct benefits via trade activities from increased economics of scale of the local industry, while ensuring consumers have more competitive choices in selecting the right EEV," he added.The RM50 million centre, the first full-fledged vehicle emissions testing facility in Malaysia, is testament of a successful technology transfer from Daihatsu Motor Corporation (DMC) of Japan to Perodua Auto Corporation Sdn Bhd with the Malaysia Automotive Institute (MAI) as the partner to operate the centre.
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MAI Chief Executive Officer, Datuk Madani Sahari said the centre would be expanded to include motorcycles and commercial vehicles emission testing in three years time, from currently only for passenger vehicles.He said previously, original equipment manufacturers (OEMs) would carry out their emission testings overseas, which cost roughly between RM30,000 and RM40,000 per test.
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"With the centre, we can guarantee it will be 40 per cent lower and only take up to three days to carry out testing per car."The government does not control car prices, but they facilitate the business environment to ensure cost-efficiency.So, with the establishment of this centre, hopefully OEMs can look at lowering prices or more competitive prices" Madani added.Meanwhile, MAI Wednesday launched the Voluntary EEV Labelling Scheme, which is a label to be placed on certified EEVs, for consumers to collect details of the particular model with only a scan of a QR code.MAI also announced its collaboration with the Department of Environment (DOE) and Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia (UKM) on Wednesday.Through the memorandum of understanding (MoU) with the DOE, both parties will develop a pool of experts in environmental conservation, cooperate in capacity building programmes for automotive industries and stakeholders, as well as the establishment of the NETC.Stay up-to-date by following Daily Express’s Telegram channel.
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