15/06/2025

theSunday Special XVI ON SUNDAY JUNE 15, 2025

Understanding phantom braking

BESIDES the tragic accident that took place on the Gerik-Jeli highway that claimed 15 young lives, one of the hottest topics on social media for the past few weeks has been about an electric car that automatically

interesting stories, and the recurrent use of the term “phantom braking”. This is also caused by sensor malfunctions, soft ware issues, system design or calibra tion, electric prob lem and even envi ronmental factors

WRITTEN BY KESHY DHILLON

Simply electrifying Proton e.Mas 7 crowned Malaysia’s fastest-selling EV

slammed on the brakes on the fast lane of a highway. This happened on the Cheras – Kajang express way. The car was a 10-month old BYD Atto 3 and the driver and his family were en route to Penang but were heading to Kajang to attend a function first. Based on the footage and data obtained from the dashcam of the car, the car was supposedly travelling at 106kp/h at 12:20.21am and came to a complete stop by 12:20.27am. Which means the car automatically slammed on the brakes and came to a standstill in just seven sec onds. According to the owner’s Facebook post and subse quent articles by the media, there was no warning prior to the vehicle slamming on the brakes. Initially, the cause of the problem seemed to be pointing at a depleted 12V battery. The owner said that the service centre where his car was sent to had said that the battery status showed “low voltage” and this was not covered under warranty because the car had exceeded 20,000km. After replacing the bat tery and carrying out further diagnostics checks, the cause was identified. The owner posted a fol low up on his Facebook page and explained that a faulty sensor located at the driver’s door triggered the vehicle’s shutdown sequence, and this led the vehicle to initiate rapid emer gency braking which also activated the hazard lights. Despite the social media storm that followed, one can’t help but wonder if this is a normal occurrence? While scouring the inter net for identical stories, using Google translate to read for eign websites, I found no such similar incident. But diving deeper and expanding my search beyond Asia, I found some

like shadows, overpasses and strong sunlight that can confuse systems. The scariest thing is that it has been happening in a number of car models. It has also forced a formal investi gation by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) in America. In fact, back in 2022, the NHTSA investigated 758 reports of phantom braking issues involving Tesla. But before you start reaching for the pitchfork and blame electric vehicle for being unsafe, phantom braking also happens in regular petrol and diesel powered cars as well. Modern cars use dozens of sensors in the name of safety. And this can some times backfire. And when they do, the world takes notice and rightfully so. We are in an era where cars are becoming increas ingly clever, and this also means that car makers are in a data collection era. Back when the automo bile was first introduced, cases of cars catching fire, people being flung out of cars in an accident and high mortality rates were the norm. Technologies like the humble seat belt saved a lot of lives. So, while cars are becom ing better and more sophisti cated than ever, incidents like what happened to the BYD Atto 3 are unfortu nately bound to happen. We just do not know when, where and to who it will hap pen. You might be wondering now, what happened to the BYD Atto 3? Well, BYD Malaysia offered to buy it back to which the owner agreed. Full credit to them. And the Tesla? An over the air update was issued and seemingly resolved it while other car makers issued safety recalls. But what do I think of the entire thing? I think cars are way too complicated for their own good these days.

JUST FIVE months after beginning deliveries in January, the Proton e.Mas 7 has become Malaysia’s fastest-selling electric vehicle, register ing 3,632 units sold as of 31 May 2025. Of this figure, 3,399 units were delivered locally, while 233 units were exported, cementing the e.Mas 7’s position as the country’s top-selling EV model this year. This milestone arrives as Proton’s EV division, Pro-Net, marks the first anniversary of the e.Mas brand. Officially unveiled on June 12 2024, Proton e.Mas made its market debut with the e.Mas 7 on Dec 16 of the same year. Since then, the model has rapidly risen to prominence, outpacing competitors and redefining consumer expectations in Malaysia’s burgeoning electric vehicle sector. Despite the wider market grappling with pricing volatility and cost pressures, the e.Mas 7’s consis tent sales performance stands as a testament to Proton’s trusted brand legacy and commitment to quality. The journey to this point began even before the vehicle’s launch, with a nationwide naming contest attracting over 25,000 entries. The overwhelming participation revealed a groundswell of public enthusiasm for a home-developed EV solution – one that symbolises national pride and future focused mobility. The development of the e.Mas brand was born out of Pro-Net’s previous efforts with the smart #1. Building on that foundation, Pro-Net was entrusted with developing a Malaysian-centric EV brand from the ground up, aimed at delivering technologically advanced, environmentally sus tainable vehicles that are also accessible to the eve ryday Malaysian. Beyond the vehicle itself, Pro-Net has worked systematically to establish a robust EV ownership ecosystem across the country. Central to this has been the integration of over 2,500 public charging points into the e.Mas 7’s onboard Live Charging Map and the official e.Mas app – cov ering more than 90% of the nation’s

matched by progress on the infrastructure front. Construction is well underway on Proton’s dedi cated e.Mas production plant in Tanjung Malim, which will become the hub of localised EV manu facturing. Pro-Net is in the process of appointing Malaysian vendors to support component produc tion, in line with Proton’s longstanding commit ment to industrial development and local supply chain integration. As Malaysia presses forward on its National Energy Transition Roadmap, aiming to achieve net-zero emissions by 2050, Pro-Net has declared its full alignment with national sustainability goals. The brand enters its second year with an inten sified focus on innovation, charging accessibility, and customer support. The upcoming introduction of the Proton e.Mas 5 will build upon the lessons learned from the e.Mas 7 and aims to make EV ownership even more affordable and appealing to a broader base of Malaysian drivers. In conjunction with the brand’s first anniver sary, Pro-Net has also launched the “Peace of Mind” campaign, offering existing e.Mas owners a complimentary 32-point inspection covering criti cal systems such as brakes, batteries, lighting, elec tronics, tyres, wipers, and air conditioning. A free software diagnostic is also included. The initiative runs from June 1 to July 1 2025, with customers encouraged to contact their nearest Proton e.Mas service centre to arrange an appoint ment. As the company looks ahead, the continued growth of Proton e.Mas signals not only the rising demand for EVs in Malaysia but also a shift in national automotive identity – towards a future that is electric, intelligent, and unmistakably Malaysian.

road network. Simultaneously, the company has expanded its physical presence, with 44 authorised e.Mas dealerships announced to date, 32 of which are already operational. An additional six 3S (sales, service, and spare parts) cen tres are set to launch soon, sup plementing the 24 currently serving customers nationwide. The rapid expansion has been