The Nation Newspaper

Tag: CAR

  • Car servicing: A necessity for safe ride

    Car servicing: A necessity for safe ride

    Having the engine of your car checked regularly is as important as going to the clinic for medical checkup. It is often extremely dangerous to skip servicing your car, as it could result into bigger problems that could prevent the car from functioning effectively to the best of its ability.

     

    Despite driving a car daily, many people do not have their car serviced regularly. Ultimately this can lead to significant damages of several parts of the car’s engine, costly car repairs and worn or turn part replacement. Remember the engine is the heart of the car, having your car checked regularly will ensure that all components of the car are in good condition and working effectively.

     

    Here are reasons why you should service your car regularly;                                         

     

    1.      Prevent engine failure or breakdown: Servicing your car regularly will help to preventing it from breaking down especially while in use. This can also prevent you from falling victim to arm robbers who hide around on high ways.

     

     2.      Enable fuel sufficiency: One of the greatest significance of servicing your car is that it enables it to be more fuel sufficient over a long period of time. Fuel sufficiency is when your car is able to operate efficiently while consuming small amount of fuel which also help in saving money.

     

     3.      Avoid costly repair: Servicing your car when due will help to avoid spending excessively when it finally break down. Skipping regular servicing could result into mechanical problems which could also damage a lot of things from the engine of the car.

     

    4.      Prolong the durability of the engine: Regular servicing will help prolong the durability of the car engine and make it reliable. Remember that the engine is the heart of the car, when the engine is not in good condition it could make the car useless.

     

     

    5.      Keep the engine in excellent condition: Changing of oil filter, radiator coolant, engine oil, brake oil, power steering oil, engine coolant and other fluids in the engine during servicing will help in keeping the engine in excellent condition.

     

     

    6.      To ensure everything is working well: Another way to ensure all component of the car is working to the best of their ability is by service it. This will help in correcting fluid levels and replacement of turn or worn parts of the car.

     

    7.      To ensure safety: When your car is serviced regularly it ensures safety of both the driver and the passengers in the car. It helps to prevent and ultimately reduce the risk of accident and ensure safe ride.

     

    8.      Avoid brake malfunction: One of the main reason for brake malfunction or breakdown is skipping car servicing, by servicing the car, all turn and worn part would be replace including the brake pad as well as making sure the tires attached to the wheels are properly inflated and in excellent condition.

     

    9.      Prevent engine blockage: Having the oil filters changed at regular intervals prevents any dirt or dust from getting into the engine and potentially causing major issues or damages. It will also prolong the engine’s longevity and ultimately the car’s overall life span.

     

    10.  Keep up with the speed: Another beneficial aspect of having your car serviced is that it keeps up with the speed of your car. This aspect is usually referred to as wheel alignment, were the shock absorbers attached to the wheels of the car are checked to make the car balance when the tires make contact with the road.

     

    Having your car serviced regularly is as important as having the car itself, as it does not only put the car in good condition but also make the owner happy and in a reassured state of mind.

  • Conductor pushes Insurance firm worker to death after hitting his car

    Conductor pushes Insurance firm worker to death after hitting his car

    An insurance firm worker lost his life at the weekend while trying to stop a commercial bus driver(popularly known as Danfo) driver collided with his car.

    The Nation learnt that the Danfo driver hit the man’s car around Obanikoro Bus Stop and refused to stop.

    The man, who drove a grey colour Camry car marked LSR 612 DX, chased him and caught with him around Onigbongbo Bus Stop near Maryland.

    After sighting him, the Danfo driver, who had stopped to drop passengers, engaged the reverse gear and was about fleeing when the man ran after the car.

    It was gathered that as he tried to get hold of the bus, the bus conductor pushed him and he fell off before another oncoming commercial hit him.

    He was said to have died on the spot.

    An official of the Lagos State Traffic Management Authority (LASTMA) said the remains of the man were taken away by his colleagues, who were called after the incident.

    “They (the deceased’s colleagues) came with a Toyota Hilux marked FGN/NSITF and assisted by two policemen to take the body away around 8:20 in the morning,” he said.

    According to Ola Taiwo, who posted the picture on the social media, “the victim was chasing a commercial bus popularly known as Danfo that bashed his car when he was hit and killed by another oncoming Danfo.

    “This man died this (Friday) morning at Onigbongbo bus stop Maryland, a Danfo brushed his car, and this man left his car, removes his shoes and ran after the Danfo.

    “He tries to hold the bus but the conductor push him away and another Danfo coming hit him and that was the end. Look at the man lying down and his car beside him.  He works in a nearby office.”

  • Hyundai’s first electric car on sale

    Hyundai’s first electric car on sale

    Hyundai’s first electric vehicle, the Ioniq, will hit showrooms soon. The car can travel 206 km in the city on a single charge and up to 173 km on highways.

    Hyundai delivered the first Ionic EV to a local customer on July 5 and held a test-drive event last week.

    The Ioniq costs W40-43 million, but the price tag drops to between W20 million to W25 million thanks to government subsidies for green cars (US$1=W1,134).

    A full charge costs W8,700 and takes four hours and 25 minutes, while a rapid charge takes only 23 minutes.

    Hyundai said it will introduce mobile recharging stations across the country in the second half of this year. EV mechanics will be stationed at Hyundai’s 23 directly run after-service centers and 80 affiliated garages.

  • 11 Cameroonian hostages freed in CAR

    At least 11 hostages from Cameroon were freed on Sunday following 16 months captivity in the hands of a militia group from the Central African Republic.

    hostages included a local mayor, Mama Abakai, and 12 others, but two died in captivity, President Paul Biya said in a statement, adding that the crime would not go unpunished.

    It was not clear which militia group abducted them or how they were freed.

    They were kidnapped in March 2015 by heavily armed men while returning from a funeral in Cameroon’s northern Gbabio district, and taken over the nearby border to the Central African Republic.

    “The Cameroonian hostages were freed today (Sunday) and they are en route to Yaounde,” Governor Grégoire Mvono told Reuters.

    An upsurge of violence in the Central African Republic that began in 2013 has caused thousands to flee across the border and increased insecurity in parts of Cameroon.

    The Boko Haram sect has also staged numerous cross-border attacks from Nigeria into Cameroon’s Far North Region.

  • Kia cuts environmental impact of car manufacturing

    Kia cuts environmental impact of car manufacturing

    Kia Motors Corporation has made significant progress in reducing the environmental impact of its production facilities, according to the company’s annual ‘MOVE’ sustainability report.

    The Korean car manufacturer’s ongoing efforts to introduce more environmentally sustainable production methods have, over the past one year, resulted in lower greenhouse gas emissions levels, less waste and reduced water use across its domestic production sites. These have been achieved with a strong focus on recycling, employee sustainability initiatives, reducing unit waste and cleaner, more modern production methods.

    Kia’s domestic plants, located in Sohari, Gwangju and Hwasung, Korea, accounted for 56.5 per cent of all Kia global production in 2015 – 1.72 million units. While the company’s year-on-year global sales grew by 0.3 per cent in 2015, to 3.05 million units, the ongoing focus on sustainability across the brand’s manufacturing facilities has minimised the environmental impact of this growth.

    Kia’s focus on improving production methods has resulted in a 12.4 per cent per-unit reduction in the volume of raw materials required since 2014 and a 21.5 per cent reduction since 2003. This includes a 22.1 per cent drop in the amount of steel needed to produce each individual car, as well as an 11.7 per cent drop in the consumption of paint throughout the same period since 2003.

    As a result of this push for greater efficiency, Kia has recorded a 1.2 per cent reduction in per-unit waste output since 2014 – and a 30 per cent decrease since 2003. In 2015, the three domestic production sites generated a total of 233,442 tons of waste, down 0.2 per cent from the previous year despite the growth in production. Meanwhile, recycling rates have risen, with the company finding alternative uses for 93.7 per cent (219,000 tons) of all waste materials. For instance, unused zinc-coated steel is sent to steelmakers in Korea, while uncoated steel can be recycled for use at the foundry in Kia’s Gwangju facility. Kia has also introduced programs to recycle and re-use paint and thinners, while other waste is being used to make cement for construction, as well as other materials.

    Waste materials that can’t be reused or recycled are incinerated or buried, with landfill waste totalling near 1 per cent of all factory waste. The Sohari manufacturing facility, with a production capacity of 340,000 cars per year, has generated 0 per cent landfill waste since 2008.

  • Blind cleric showers car, cash gifts on blind students

    Blind cleric showers car, cash gifts on blind students

    Blind cleric and the General Overseer of the Hour of Mercy Prayer Ministries Worldwide, (Orioke Alaseyori) Moniya Ibadan., Prophet Moses Muyideen Kasali, has showered car and cash gifts on the students of Bethseida Home/School for the Blind, Mosalasi, Lagos.

    It was a moment of unspeakable joy for the excited blind students as they all rushed to enter into the car, asking those who could see to lead them in so they could feel its comfort.

    Kasali said the gesture was to appreciate the blind students for making efforts to be relevant in life by engaging in profitable handiworks instead of begging for alms.,

    The cleric spoke at Orioke Alaseyori, hour of mercy prayer Ministries, Ibadan while presenting a Toyota Camry car and cash gifts to the visiting blind students.

    The students presented an award and a flower vase to Prophet Kasali.

    Kasali said: “On behalf of the Hour of Mercy Prayer Ministries, I express my gratitude to you my people. We are in the same condition having the same feeling. I want to believe that by the grace of He that dwells in his infinite mercy, our lives will affect the lives of the non-blind positively. I appreciate you and your gift to me.

    “I am particularly happy for you because you are not begging on the streets, but you are making use of your talents to create things that would bring you means of livelihood. Please continue to do this and the good Lord will continue to bless the works of your hands”.

    The founder of Bethseida Home/ School for the Blind, Mrs Chioma Ohakwe, said: “Prophet Kasali is a great inspiration to the blind in my school and elsewhere in the world. From following his activities as a Man of God, I am convinced that he is a true prophet of God.

    “We presented a flower vase made by some of the blind students as a mark of love to him as a father, spiritual mentor and friend. We also presented an award entitled ‘The Grace to See the Future’ to Prophet Kasali with a view to tell the world that there is indeed ability in disability as profoundly shown by the prophet.

    “We want to urge everyone and particularly the government and well-meaning philanthropists to support the indigent blind ones because as we can see in the life of the Prophet, there is ability in disability and many of those with challenge in sight can become great and very useful for our society if they are so empowered. Blind students can now operate computers, browse on the internet, play keyboards, and even designing a flower vase is just one of the small things they can do. Some of them are studying Law, Banking and Mass Communication among others in the university. This year, some of them who sat for the Joint Admission and Matriculation Exams and West African Examination Council scored the highest marks among others in the country.”

     

  • Renault to invest $684m to build new car in Spain

    Renault said it will invest more than 600 million euros ($684 million) in a project in Spain that includes building a new car and a new engine in its Valladolid plant.

    The 2017-2020 project would exceed Renault’s previous two investment plans in Spain, a company spokesman said, without giving any more details.

    Renault’s largest previous investment in the country had been 600 million euros.

    Renault builds the Clio subcompact hatchback, Captur subcompact SUV and Twizy four-wheel electric scooter in Valladolid, according to Automotive News Europe’s Guide to European Assembly Plants.

  • Student wins car at Etisalat Cliqfest

    Student wins car at Etisalat Cliqfest

    An HND1 Accounting student of the Moshood Abiola Polytechnic, Ojere, Ogun State, Mr. Ogundeyi  Ayobami,  has won the star prize, an Hyundai i10 Car, at  Etisalat Cliqfest raffle draw.

    An elated Ayobami who praised the telco said it was a wonderful opportunity to experience Cliqfest.  “I never believed that I would win the car today and I am still pinching myself to make sure it’s not a dream,” he said.

    The brand managers said the Etisalat Cliqfest is a strategic engagement with Nigerian youths by leading innovative and youth centric brand with a focus on education, sports and entertainment in a fun and relaxed atmosphere.

    The Manager, Consumer Segment, Etisalat Nigeria, Debo Agun, described the engagement level with the students of MAPOLY as a great experience for the brand, and pointed out that this is the second time the Cliqfest train will be visiting the school, having debuted at the school last year.

    He explained that through Cliqfest, Etisalat has been to cover 70 institutions of higher learning across the country.

  • Congo begins trial of soldiers accused of sexual abuse

    The Congolese Government said on Thursday that it had begun trial of 20 of its soldiers over alleged rape and other crimes committed while serving as UN peacekeepers in Central African Republic.

    Jeanine Mabunda, President Joseph Kabila’s Adviser on Sexual Violence, said in Kinshasa that the soldiers had been in jail since returning to Congo in December, 2015 and January, 2016, following investigations conducted in CAR by military investigators.

    She said that the soldiers were being tried by a military court in Kinshasa.

    An official said on condition of anonymity that the UN mission in CAR had been beset by accusations of sexual abuse since taking over control from an African Union mission in September, 2014.

    He noted that Congo’s 800 peacekeepers serving in the mission were repatriated last month, following a series of accusations of sexual abuse of women and children.

    The official said that Congolese authorities had vowed to investigate the allegations.
    He, however, pointed out that a government spokesman had dismissed many of the allegations as fabricated and accused the UN of singling out Congolese soldiers.

    Meanwhile, the problem has surfaced elsewhere as the UN said this week that it had received new sexual abuse allegations against peacekeepers from Morocco and Burundi, including one that involved a 14-year-old girl.

     

  • Mazda MX-5 wins Car of the Year award

    In a close battle, Mazda’s MX-5 held onto its narrow lead to beat the fast-finishing Honda S660 mini-sports car to win the Car of the Year Japan award.

    Mazda MX-5 chief engineer Nobuhiro Yamamoto leads his designers, engineers and media team in celebrating the roadster’s victory.

    At an award ceremony held at the Tokyo International Exchange Centre in Tokyo Bay, the MX-5 sports car tallied 442 votes, beating the Honda S660 mini-coupe by 41 votes when the last of the 60 jurors’ votes were read out. The BMW 2-Series, which came third, totalled 177 votes to pick up the Import Car of the Year gong.

    This win gives the Hiroshima based carmaker back-to-back car of the year trophies after it captured the major prize last year for the Mazda 2.

    In accepting the award, Mazda’s Vice President in charge of Product Planning and Head of the company’s SkyActiv technology R&D, Kiyoshi Fujiwara, said: “We went through some tough times during the financial crisis and 2011 earthquake, but we stuck to our founding principles and created a winning formula. We think the jurors’ response to our MX-5 shows that sports cars are making a strong comeback in Japan. This award means a lot to our development team.”

    A quick examination of the results shows just how close the voting progressed until the winner was finally announced. The Mazda MX-5 polled the maximum 10 votes from 25 of the 60 jurors while the Honda S660 picked up 10 votes each from 22 jurors. Each juror is allocated 25 votes, must give 10 votes to their most highly evaluated model and spread their remaining 15 votes among their next best four cars.

    The  Suzuki Alto picked up the Small Mobility award, while the Tesla Model S, entering the award process for the first time in Japan, won the Innovation award. A split in the voting between several sporty models including the MX-5, S660 and Model S saw no model gain the necessary 200 votes to win the Emotional award, so that trophy was not awarded this year.