Wheels

A youngster with a drive for making cars

Ruwanthi ABEYAKOON

CAR FANATIC: His tactful hands convert old rusty cars into shiny bright new cars. He is neither a magician nor a professional automobile engineer. Looking at his amazing work anybody can imagine this boy as an automobile engineer in the near future.

Twenty four year old Rajeev Fernando, an old boy of Sri Sumangala Boy's School, Panadura is the wizard who transforms old cars into new ones.

He has been featured in several newspapers on many occasions. Still there is something new to talk about him as he continues to marvel people around him by his unique creations.

The story of this wonder boy unfolds at his home. "My father has a car repair place in our front yard. He goes for motor races. He is the beginning of all this. From my childhood I was exposed to the world of cars," he began his story.

Rajeev's house is decorated with car parts. He did not have any training but learnt everything on his own. He creates cars using parts from other vehicles and makes the entire bodies of these cars.

"I started constructing cars when I was 13. I learnt each and every thing about cars and how they function on my own. I was known in school as the boy who makes cars. I took part in several exhibitions. I was able to make a complete car when I was 18 years old. The car I made attracted crowds at the exhibition at Kalutara and I won the first place in motor mechanics," he said.

Starting with this Rajeev moved on transforming many old vehicles into modern ones. "My father and my brothers support me a lot. My elder brother is my financial supporter. He provides all expenses for me and my younger brother helps me with designing," he said.

Rajeev is following the NDT course at the Technical College. "I do my repairs and other work during my free time," Rajeev said.

Rajeev has plans to make a light car that can be used for motor races in the future. "I am planning to use fibreglass. I am hoping to install a solar system too," he revealed his future plans.

Rajeev has installed a sound set up in his car. "It is like a musical show. I watch VCDs and DVDs in my car. It is like my house. My friends love to travel in my car. We go on trips and have fun. My friends supported me a lot. When they come home I take them in my car," Rajeev added.

"I go for bike races also. I repair my bike and modify it. But I don't make new bikes," he said. "Most of the people know the theory of making things but they find it difficult to put it into practice. Sometimes I cannot explain how I do it but I know the method," Rajeev explained.

Rajeev's mother, a music teacher is like the shadow behind him although she scolds him for messing up the house.

"She wants me to go abroad and continue my studies but if I leave the country I will have to give up all the work I have done so far. My mother scolds me for putting pieces of metal everywhere but after sometime she calms down," he said.

Rajeev's mother is certainly proud of her son's achievements. So she drives Rajeev's car whenever she gets the chance.

Rajeev says that people come to him asking for help when their vehicles give trouble. He helps them eagerly without hesitation. "I don't charge money because this is my hobby. But in the future I will open up a shop where people can buy spares and body parts at a cheaper cost," he said with determination.

GM makes push for electric cars, more hybrids

US: General Motors announced a big shift in strategy last week, accelerating plans to bring electric-powered cars and a so-called plug-in hybrid to the US market.

The announcement at the Los Angeles Auto Show marks a radical change for the world's biggest automaker, which has moved slowly in the launch of hybrid cars, even as rivals like Toyota of Japan have been dominating the market.

"I'm announcing today that GM is significantly expanding and accelerating our commitment to the development of electrically driven vehicles, beyond what we have already committed to with our fuel cell and hybrid programmes," said Rick Wagoner, GM's chairman and chief executive.

"GM is committed to the development of electrically driven vehicles that will help improve energy diversity, and minimise the automobile's impact on the environment."

GM officials had previously maintained that hybrid cars, which use a combination of gasoline and electric motors, were likely to be a passing phenomenon as automakers develop new technologies such as hydrogen fuel cells.

The dream of an electric car, which has been around since the time of Thomas Edison, has failed to break into the mainstream because of limited battery life that makes such vehicles impractical for most purposes.

GM offered no timetable for the introduction of such a car but said it was now beginning work on a "plug-in" hybrid car that would boost battery power by recharging through standard electrical outlets.

"Given what we know today, it's pretty clear that it will take several years to bring to market a plug-in hybrid that will meet the expectations and real world performance standards that our customers expect," Wagoner said.

GM said it was introducing a two-mode hybrid for the Saturn Vue, a compact SUV, saying it would improve fuel economy by 45 percent over a traditional gasoline engine, and would use the system for other vehicles in the future.

By using two electric modes and four fixed gear ratios, the two-mode hybrid system's electric motors are smaller, compared with traditional "one-mode" hybrid systems, and impose no significant limitation on the size of the engine, GM said.

GM said that in 2007, hybrid versions of the Saturn Aura and Chevrolet Malibu sedans would be made available, and the two-mode hybrid system would debut in the Chevrolet Tahoe and GMC Yukon full-size SUVs.

The two-mode hybrid system will expand to other vehicles in 2008.

- AFP

Mazda to build new plant in Thailand

JAPAN: Japan's Mazda Motor Corp. plans to build a small-car plant in Thailand in a joint effort with top shareholder Ford, a Japanese business daily said Friday.

Mazda also plans to bring a factory of its own onstream in North America, the Nihon Keizai Shimbun reported without citing sources.

Demand for fuel-efficient Mazdas has been growing in the United States and Europe because of high gasoline prices. By boosting output capacity, the Japanese automaker is set to play a key role in the Ford group's small-car operations, the report said.

The Japanese fifth-largest automaker and Ford Motor Co. plan to spend more than 50 billion yen (424 million dollars) combined to build the Thai plant, which they hope will begin operations in 2009, the newspaper said.

The factory is to roll out some 200,000 vehicles per year, including the 1.3-litre Demio, which is slated to be fully redesigned next spring, it said.

Because the partners are considering manufacturing transmissions there as well, overall investment may balloon to about 100 billion yen, it said.

The platform for Mazda's remodelled Demio is slated to be used in Ford small cars, so the new Thai plant will become a key facility for the Ford group's small-car business, the newspaper said.

Free unlimited fuel for new Jeeps

ALL TOPPED UP: While each Jeep is designed for ultimate driving pleasure, the exaggerated cost of fuel can sometimes see you reducing either the frequency or mileage of those memorable drives.

Sri Lanka's Authorized Distributor for Jeep 4x4's, DIMO has a unique offer: unlimited fuel for the first four months of ownership, regardless of mileage. All brand new Jeep Wrangler, Jeep Cherokee and Jeep Grand Cherokee 4x4's confirmed now until the December 31, 2006, come toped up and ready to go.

DIMO will keep the tank full for four entire months.

"Now you can drive with unbridled passion, knowing that for the first time in Sri Lanka you get four entire months of fuel free, whatever the mileage, wherever your Jeep takes you," said Deputy General Manager Jeep/Chrysler Tharanga Gunawardana.