July 09, 2026
BYD has reached another symbolic milestone in its rapid rise as the world’s largest new energy vehicle manufacturer. On July 8, the Chinese carmaker announced that its 17 millionth NEV had rolled off the production line. The milestone car was the new Seal 08, the flagship sedan of BYD’s Ocean range, launched only days earlier […]
July 08, 2026
Renault CEO François Provost has put one of the European car industry’s most sensitive questions on the table: can small electric cars be profitable, or will Europe’s volume manufacturers be pushed out of their home market by Chinese competition? In an interview with Les Echos, the LVMH-owned French business daily widely read in political and […]
July 08, 2026
At Château-Ferme de Moriensart in Céroux-Mousty, Subaru Benelux made its point quite clearly. The brand’s new electric models may share their core engineering with Toyota, but they are intended to be more than badge-engineered cousins; a ‘go-anywhere family car’. On the short off-road course prepared for the press drive, the Solterra, Uncharted, and E-Outback showed […]
July 07, 2026
Leapmotor has opened the European order books for the B03X, the compact electric crossover it hopes will turn the Chinese brand from a niche newcomer into a serious contender in Europe’s volume EV market. At €24,900, the B03X will compete for the same buyers as Stellantis’ own Fiat Grande Panda Electric, Citroën ë-C3 Aircross, and […]
July 06, 2026
BloombergNEF expects global electric-car sales to set another record in 2026, even as the United States moves sharply in the opposite direction. Its new Electric Vehicle Outlook forecasts 23.3 million passenger EV sales worldwide this year, 11% more than in 2025, giving plug-in cars a 27% share of the global new-car market. The headline is […]
July 02, 2026
Ford is presenting its Ranger Plug-in Hybrid equipped with ‘Power Onboard’ as a cleaner, cheaper, and more convenient alternative to a genuine portable petrol generator for contractors working on site. The claim has a solid practical basis, but the striking emissions ratios in Ford’s new study need careful reading. More importantly, the comparison becomes less […]
July 02, 2026
Belgian motorists overwhelmingly regard the car as essential to everyday life, yet increasingly see it as a luxury they can barely afford. That is the central finding of a European survey commissioned by Cardoen’s French parent group, AramisAuto, which places Belgium among the more cautious markets for electrification and low-emission zone policy. The OpinionWay study surveyed […]
July 01, 2026
Renault Group has created a new General Secretary position and appointed its long-serving Chief Legal Officer, Quitterie de Pelleport, to lead it from 1 July 2026. The move is part of a wider management reshuffle by CEO François Provost, who says Renault needs simpler governance and faster execution as it pursues its new futuREady strategic […]
July 01, 2026
A Mercedes-Benz SLK 230 Kompressor imported from Germany has become the center of a dispute that raises broader questions about how Flanders taxes older vehicles. Despite VIN-specific manufacturer data confirming a CO₂ emission of 220 g/km, the Flemish tax authority insists on using a fictional default value of 279 g/km, resulting in more than €2,100 […]
June 30, 2026
Renault is preparing a technical upgrade for the electric Renault 4 and Renault 5, promising more power and improved efficiency for its two retro-inspired small EVs from late 2026 or early 2027. The information comes from Marianne Bataillon, Renault’s director of electric motor and battery development, who told Autocar that work is continuing on the […]
June 30, 2026
XPeng will unveil its new Mona L03 in Beijing on 2 July, but China is only the first stop. Chairman and CEO He Xiaopeng has said the fastback SUV will travel to Europe shortly afterward for its global launch and the start of an official sales rollout. This makes the L03 far more than a […]
June 29, 2026
BMW Group has appointed Nathanaëlle Heinrich as the new President and CEO of BMW Group Belux, effective from 1 September 2026. She succeeds Alexander Wehr, who moves on to lead BMW Group Central and South-Eastern Europe from Salzburg. The move brings a sales and dealer-network specialist to one of BMW’s most commercially significant European national […]
June 26, 2026
China wants its vast electric-car fleet to become more than a transport revolution. Under its newly unveiled 15th five-year energy plan, Beijing aims to have EVs play a role in balancing a power system increasingly dominated by wind and solar. The plan, covering 2026 to 2030, targets a 50% share for non-fossil sources in electricity […]
June 25, 2026
Daimler Truck is adding hydrogen combustion to its zero-emission truck portfolio through a partnership with German specialist KEYOU. A move that gives the technology a high-profile industrial endorsement while underlining its likely role as a niche solution rather than the future default for heavy-duty transport. Under the agreement announced this week, Daimler Truck will supply […]
June 25, 2026
Jeep has opened Belgian orders for the new Compass 4xe, presenting its electric flagship not simply as another high-powered SUV but as a credible off-road option. The brand’s accompanying “Capability Stories” videos show it tackling Sardinian sand dunes, while Jeep points to its dual-motor four-wheel drive, raised suspension, and dedicated terrain modes as proof that […]
June 24, 2026
Fastned has raised €36.5 million in its latest retail bond issue, providing fresh capital for its European expansion as the Dutch fast-charging specialist continues to build stations faster than it turns a net profit. The company said €35.1 million of the June issue came from new investments, with the balance rolled over by existing bondholders. […]
June 24, 2026
Geely will introduce the E2 in Belgium after the summer, bringing one of China’s biggest recent EV successes to the crowded European small-car market. The compact five-door is intended to make Geely a player at the accessible end of the electric market, starting around €20,000, but final Belgian prices and several core technical details remain […]
June 23, 2026
European and British carmakers are again seeking a reprieve from a post-Brexit trade rule that could impose a 10% tariff on electric vehicles crossing the Channel from 1 January 2027. The risk does not arise simply because a car is assembled in Britain. To remain tariff-free under the EU-UK Trade and Cooperation Agreement, an electric […]
June 23, 2026
At Silo’s Brussels, the former brewery complex beside the Willebroek Canal, Mazda Motor Belux last week gathered journalists, dealers, fleet managers, and other stakeholders for its Mazda Experience Days, putting the spotlight on the CX-6e that made its world debut at the Brussels Motor Show in January. The occasion was as much about strategy as […]
June 23, 2026
New car registrations in the European Union rose 4.0% in the first five months of 2026, reaching 4.75 million units. The headline masks a much more profound market shift: battery-electric cars now account for 1 in 5 registrations, while gasoline and diesel are rapidly losing ground. According to the latest figures from ACEA, 950,521 battery-electric […]
June 22, 2026
At a European press preview in Barcelona, Renault showed us an assertive yet familiar Mégane E-Tech Electric, featuring a new, larger LFP battery, more range, and a sharper look. Yet beyond the styling and improved electrical hardware, Renault’s deeper bet is digital. The Mégane’s everyday experience is increasingly built around Google’s in-car ecosystem, bringing real […]
June 19, 2026
For all the attention around the MG 07, the more immediate Belgian story is happening behind the scenes. On 1 July, MG Motor Europe takes direct control of MG in Belgium and Luxembourg. A press release from the UK confirms the establishment of a Belgian subsidiary and the end of the distribution arrangement under which […]
June 19, 2026
Dacia has given the first official glimpse of the next Spring, confirming that its smallest electric car will keep the Spring name for a second generation. The teaser does not yet reveal prices, technical specifications, or timing for Belgium, but it does confirm two important points: the new model will remain a fully electric city […]
June 18, 2026
European charge point operator Powerdot is taking its first visible steps into Flanders with the opening of a new fast-charging station at the Carrefour supermarket in Zulte, East Flanders. The site has two charging points with a combined capacity of 140 kW, allowing customers to charge their electric vehicles while doing their shopping. The launch […]
June 17, 2026
Continental has developed a high-efficiency tire with Renault Group that is claimed to cut rolling resistance far beyond today’s best European label standard. According to Continental, it achieves up to 35% lower rolling resistance than required for the EU tire label’s top A rating, which could add up to 30 kilometers to an electric car’s […]
June 17, 2026
Global electric vehicle registrations reached around 1.8 million in May, according to Benchmark Mineral Intelligence data reported by Reuters. That was only 3% more than in May last year, bringing the first five months of 2026 to a modest 0.9% increase. On paper, that looks like a clear slowdown after years of double-digit growth. In […]
June 17, 2026
Renault Group will not turn itself into a defense company, CEO François Provost insisted in Brussels last week. But barely days later, the French carmaker announced a new Thales deal that makes that red line harder to read. In an interview with De Tijd’s Bas Kurstjens and other media during the Automotive News Europe Congress, […]
June 16, 2026
Renault’s new electric Twingo has already been pitched as a cheerful answer to the affordable urban EV. Now the French carmaker is giving it a second role: a mobile data collector for cities. Together with Software République, Renault has unveiled cleveR insights, a Twingo E-Tech electric equipped with cameras and sensors to collect and analyze […]
June 16, 2026
MG has unveiled the new MG 07 in China, a sleek, electrified fastback that gives a first indication of how the brand may further expand beyond SUVs and hatchbacks. The model has not been confirmed for Europe, but its timing is interesting. In Belgium and Luxembourg, MG is preparing to take over its own distribution […]
June 15, 2026
Solid-state batteries are often presented as the next great leap for electric cars, promising more range, faster charging, better safety, and perhaps lower costs. But Robin Zeng Yuqun, founder and chairman of CATL, the world’s largest EV battery maker, has given that optimism a reality check. And when such an authority speaks, it’s worth listening. […]
June 15, 2026
BMW says customers have driven more than 200 million kilometers hands-free with its Highway Assistant, underlining how quickly advanced driver assistance is moving from technology showcase to daily use on European motorways. The German premium brand uses the milestone to position itself among the front-runners in an increasingly crowded field. Ford, Mercedes-Benz, and Tesla are […]
June 12, 2026
Renault Group will not turn itself into a defense company, as Europe’s car industry faces Chinese electric carmakers and the continent’s rush to rebuild military capacity. That was the message from François Provost, CEO of Renault Group, in an interview with Bas Kurstjens of De Tijd and other media during last week’s Automotive News Europe […]
June 11, 2026
Dodge is back in Europe, and it is not arriving quietly. Stellantis has officially announced the European debut of the new Dodge Charger, bringing both the all-electric Daytona and the gasoline-powered SIXPACK across the Atlantic. In other words, the muscle car that America did not quite know what to do with is now being handed […]
June 11, 2026
Renault has found a new trick for the electric age: making a sensible small SUV look as if it has just escaped to the Riviera. The Renault 4 E-Tech Electric Plein Sud is not a full convertible, and it is certainly not as bare-legged as the Renault 4 Plein Air of the sixties. But with […]
June 10, 2026
Alpine is using the opening of orders for the A390 GTS to do something unusual for a carmaker: instead of only explaining a complex chassis technology in a press release, it is putting it into Assetto Corsa. The new electric fastback has been modeled for the simulator, with Alpine describing the powertrain settings and dynamic […]
June 09, 2026
Fastned has opened a new fast-charging station on the carpool parking in Sint-Job-in-‘t-Goor, near exit 4 of the E19 towards Antwerp. The Dutch fast-charging company says the site, located on one of the main traffic axes in the Noorderkempen, responds to growing demand for high-power charging infrastructure in the region. The new station offers eight […]
June 09, 2026
The Pentagon has put some of China’s best-known technology and mobility companies on its Section 1260H list of “Chinese military companies”, adding a new geopolitical layer to the global expansion of Chinese car brands. The updated list includes Alibaba, Baidu, BYD, Nio, and battery maker CALB, alongside firms active in lidar, robotics, solar energy, semiconductors, […]
June 09, 2026
Peugeot is bringing the GTi badge back to the road with the production version of the E-208 GTi, the first fully electric model to carry one of the French brand’s most famous performance names. In a short press release, Peugeot confirms that the car will return to the 24 Hours of Le Mans one year […]
June 08, 2026
China wants its electric cars to become slimmer and more efficient after years in which bigger batteries, longer range claims, and SUV-style comfort features have made passenger cars larger and heavier. According to Chinese state broadcaster CCTV, the average passenger car in China weighed 1,704 kg in 2024, roughly one-third more than in 2012. Some […]
June 08, 2026
BMW Group Belux has signed what it calls “the largest electric corporate fleet deal ever concluded in Belgium with one car manufacturer”. Logistics group Katoen Natie will replace more than 1,000 combustion-engined company cars with electric BMW and Mini models by the end of 2027. The deal, announced at Katoen Natie’s headquarters in Antwerp, covers […]
May 30, 2026
BMW’s presence at Auto China 2026 combines a production milestone with a product reset. As the company celebrates its seven-millionth vehicle, it is also using Beijing for the world premiere of the long-wheelbase BMW iX3 and BMW i3. It’s the first Neue Klasse models developed specifically “in China, for China and with China”. The broader […]
May 27, 2026
Renault has put one of the most evocative names in its back catalog back into the air. Almost 90 years after entering French aviation history, the Renault Caudron Rafale C.460 flew again on 23 and 24 May at the ‘Le Temps des Hélices’ air show at La Ferté-Alais, near Paris. The flight is more than […]
May 26, 2026
BMW Group Plant Landshut has started pre-series production of a hydrogen-specific version of its “Energy Master”, a key control unit for the future BMW iX5 Hydrogen. At the same time, the German site is commissioning a second production line for the battery-electric version of the same component, used in Neue Klasse models such as the […]
May 15, 2026
BMW has formally changed CEOs at its 106th Annual General Meeting in Munich, with Oliver Zipse handing over the chairmanship of the Board of Management to Milan Nedeljković on 14 May. The move, announced earlier, ends Zipse’s term on the board and closes a 35-year career at the Bavarian carmaker, seven of them as CEO. […]
May 13, 2026
If Vingroup’s artificial cities outside Hanoi symbolize Vietnam’s new urban ambitions, the giant VinFast manufacturing complex near Hải Phòng represents something even more audacious: Vietnam’s attempt to build an entire automotive industry almost from scratch — and export it to the world. Driving through the endless industrial campus on Cát Hải Island, one quickly realizes […]
May 13, 2026
Belgium will raise the maximum tax-free reimbursement that employers can pay workers for charging their electric company cars at home for the third consecutive quarter, highlighting how the country’s deeply entrenched company car system is rapidly adapting to electrification. From July 1, employers using Belgium’s official flat-rate system may reimburse employees up to €0.3222 per […]
May 12, 2026
After building artificial lagoons, universities, hospitals, shopping malls, and entire private cities across Vietnam, Vingroup is now attempting something even more ambitious: exporting Vietnamese-built electric buses to Europe. Just a short drive from the monumental Vinhomes developments outside Hanoi, VinFast’s sprawling industrial complex in Hải Phòng reveals another side of the conglomerate’s ambitions. Next to […]
May 11, 2026
Vietnam does not usually come to mind when discussing global industrial powerhouses. Yet on the eastern outskirts of Hanoi, an empire has emerged that increasingly shapes how modern Vietnam lives, moves, studies, shops, and dreams. VinFast, the new EV brand with a whole lineup of cars and its own electric buses, is now trying to […]
May 05, 2026
The sudden surge in oil prices following the Iran conflict is beginning to reshape Europe’s car market in real time, with Renault Group among the first to report a tangible shift in consumer behavior. In the UK, Renault company’s managing director, Adam Wood, described a “seismic shift upwards” in interest in electric vehicles, as drivers […]
April 30, 2026
With the announcement of the winners of the 12th edition of the VAB Bike of the Year (BOTY), Belgium’s evolving mobility landscape comes sharply into focus. What began as a consumer-oriented comparison test has grown into a barometer of a market in transition—one where the bicycle, and especially the e-bike, is rapidly becoming a fully-fledged […]
April 29, 2026
BYD, the Shenzhen-based carmaker, reported a 55% year-on-year fall in net profit for the first quarter, confirming analyst expectations and underscoring the pressure created by an ongoing price war in China’s hypercompetitive electric vehicle market. Revenues also declined, even as sales volumes remain robust, highlighting a widening gap between growth and profitability. The sharp drop […]
April 29, 2026
The United Arab Emirates’ decision to leave OPEC, effective 1 May, comes at a moment when the global oil market is already under severe strain—and when oil majors are reporting a new wave of exceptional profits. Taken together, experts highlight the two developments as a deeper shift underway: a market increasingly shaped by geopolitical shocks […]
April 28, 2026
For the first time, fully electric cars have become the largest group within Belgium’s company car fleet—and the shift is happening significantly faster than in neighboring countries such as the Netherlands, Germany, and France. New data from the National Social Security Office (RSZ) show that electric vehicles accounted for 37.2% of all salary cars in […]
April 16, 2026
Fastned is capitalizing on record demand for electric vehicle charging, as surging usage across its network highlights both the rapid growth of e-mobility and intensifying competition across the Benelux region. The Dutch fast-charging operator saw utilization rates climb sharply in 2025, pushing annual charging revenue beyond €120 million for the first time. The milestone reflects […]
April 16, 2026
Little known to most European — and certainly Belgian — car buyers, Chinese carmaker GAC Group has officially launched its AION UT electric hatchback in Europe, marking a significant step in its long-planned entry into what it calls the “world’s most demanding automotive market.” Designed in Milan and assembled at Magna Steyr’s plant in Graz, […]
April 16, 2026
Private lease is gaining traction in Belgium, but from a very low base. According to figures published by Renta, the Belgian federation of vehicle rental and leasing companies, the number of private lease contracts reached 16,074 vehicles by the end of March 2026, up 22% year-on-year from 13,201 a year earlier. While the growth is […]
April 15, 2026
It’s not the first time Renault has turned to contemporary art to frame its future. In these electric mobility times, Renault hands over the keys to its upcoming Twingo E-Tech Electric to Los Angeles-based artist Joshua Vides. The result is a striking, black-and-white reinterpretation of the compact city car that looks as if it has […]
April 15, 2026
Rising fuel prices linked to tensions around Iran are beginning to ripple through Europe’s car market, and Belgium offers one of the clearest early signals. New data show that second-hand electric vehicles are gaining traction at an accelerating pace, even as the broader used-car market remains under pressure. In March, registrations of fully electric used […]
April 15, 2026
Renault plans to reduce its global engineering workforce by up to 20% over the next two years, without forced layoffs. It’s a move that underscores the profound transformation underway in the automotive industry, as European carmakers scramble to keep pace with faster, cheaper Chinese car development. The French group is targeting a reduction of around […]
April 14, 2026
Nissan has officially unveiled the third generation of its compact crossover, the Nissan Juke, and, for the first time in its 15-year history, the model goes fully electric. The announcement marks a decisive step in the Japanese manufacturer’s European electrification strategy, with the Juke EV positioned as a cornerstone of its future line-up. While the […]
