What do we know about NAP 2019?

The National Automotive Policy (NAP) 2019 was submitted to the Malaysian Cabinet on Nov 8, and Nov 21 is the tentative date for the launch of the policy, which replaces the current one that has been in place since 2014.

Those in charge of its formulation have hinted at what is to come but, until it is unveiled, we can only speculate about its contents.

The most important update would probably be the focus on technological applications and development in the automotive industry, which would involve adopting Level 3 autonomous vehicle technology for future car models.

Level 3 autonomous vehicles are those that have the technology to sense their surroundings and to provide alerts, warnings and feedback to drivers. They are designed to enhance human responses or act as a guide to drivers to make better driving decisions.

Technology that is already on the market that is deemed Level 3 autonomous includes Honda Sensing, which is in the Honda CRV, and Volvo City Safety, which has been built into the Volvo XC60.

This technology is one of the main features of the Next-Generation Vehicle (NxGV) that the government seeks to engineer through

NAP 2019. The NxGV will essentially be an energy-efficient vehicle with a Level 3 autonomous system, which the government would like the so-called third national car company to develop and produce in the near future.

A complete definition of what the NxGV is will be revealed later, in 2022.

NAP 2019 might also provide the policy platform for the government to develop a more comprehensive framework on “Mobilityas-a-Service”. This is about utilising vehicles to provide a service, such as in passenger mobility or food and parcel delivery, given the proliferation of ride-hailing companies such as Grab in Malaysia and Gojek in Indonesia. Thus the push for Malaysia to develop its first flying car could also fall under MaaS because it could be used for medium-haul parcel delivery or for executive transport between cities. Drones as a delivery tool could also appear under MaaS.

The policy objectives would likely be cognisant of the global and domestic economic climate, the US-China trade war and the rapid changes in technology and automation in the automotive industry.

Of course, one can also expect the policy to address entrepreneur development, especially among bumiputeras, as well as talent development.