SAS opened booking for first electric flights

June 06, 2023

Last Friday, Scandinavian Airlines (SAS) began accepting seat reservations for its groundbreaking commercial electric flights in Sweden, Norway, and Denmark… in 2028. After that, there are no seats available anymore. “This extraordinary event presents an opportunity for travelers to become part of aviation history. Each of the three inaugural flights, scheduled to take place in […]

Eurostar Amsterdam-London in danger

June 06, 2023

Last Friday, Dutch state secretary Heynen (Ministry of Infrastructure & Waterstate) decided that the Eurostar train between Amsterdam and London will not be proposed for eleven months, starting June 2024. The reason? Amsterdam Central Station has to be overhauled, and apparently, there’s no room during the works period to house the Dutch Marechaussee (police force), […]

Stellantis starts joint venture for recycling vehicles

June 06, 2023

On Monday, the car manufacturing group Stellantis and metals recycler Galloo announced they have signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) for negotiations to form a joint venture focused on End-of-Life Vehicle (ELV) recycling. The Stellantis-Galloo joint venture will work with selected Authorized Treatment Facilities to collect ELVs from the last owner, enabling the recovery of […]

Bosch builds S3 fuel cell stack for PowerCell

June 05, 2023

Automotive supplier Bosch is taking over the production of the S3 fuel cell stack for the Swedish fuel cell specialist PowerCell. Under the new agreement, Bosch will integrate the S3 into its own production facilities in Germany and deliver finished 100 kW stacks to PowerCell’s plant in Gothenburg. According to PowerCell, the outsourcing of production […]

High congestion rate is back in Flanders

June 05, 2023

While there still was 4% less traffic on Flemish motorways in 2022 compared to the pre-pandemic era, the congestion rate is back at the former level. However, the congestion’s exact time and place play a bigger role than before. According to the yearly report for 2022 of the Flemish traffic center (Vlaam Verkeerscentrum), traffic jams […]

Belux car market sees further growth

June 02, 2023

In May, 41 358 new cars were registered in Belgium and Luxemburg, a serious increase of 42,5% compared to the same month last year. Most of these registrations have been done by companies and independents, representing already two-thirds of the total Belux market last month. Looking at the first five months of the year, 212 […]

VDL Nedcar announces massive job cuts

June 02, 2023

As of the 1st of November, 1 800 jobs will disappear at the Dutch car manufacturing plant Nedcar in Born. One of the two work shifts will completely disappear, almost halving the number of employees. Mother company VDL sent the message to the works council on Thursday, discussing “an unavoidable dismantling of fellow workers”. VDL […]

Tesla and BYD lead ICCT’s e-mobility transition ranking

June 01, 2023

A new report by the International Council on Clean Transportation (ICCT) assesses how effectively the world’s 20 largest automakers are transitioning to electric vehicles. At the top of the ranking is Tesla, followed by Chinese manufacturer BYD, which is catching up fast. The manufacturer assessment on the electric drive system turnaround is the first of […]

ACC battery factory opened in France, Stellantis also looks at U.S.

June 01, 2023

Automotive Cells Company (ACC), a joint venture by Stellantis, Total, and Mercedes-Benz, inaugurated its first factory in France. However, the “Grand Opening” is not synonymous with commissioning, which will occur later this year. ACC says the facility in Billy-Berclau/Douvrin in the Hauts-de-France region has a production area of more than 60 000 square meters. The […]

New Topolino is Fiat’s quadricycle proposal for urban mobility

May 31, 2023

The Italian car manufacturer Fiat, part of the Stellantis Group, has unveiled the name and first image of its new ‘sustainable urban mobility solution’: the quadricycle is called Topolino. “The all-electric Fiat Topolino quadricycle is ready to contribute to expanding urban electric mobility and bring all the optimism of its namesake to an accessible, all-electric […]

Coldplay world tour thrives on BMW i3 batteries

May 31, 2023

More than 40 recycled BMW i3 batteries with a combined capacity of 1 680 kWh are currently powering the world tour of the British rock band Coldplay. Replacing diesel generators, the batteries provide power for sound and video systems, lighting, and special effects during concerts. Last week, four corresponding concerts already took place in Barcelona. […]

BMW Group Belux donates another 20 cars to technical schools

May 30, 2023

Last Friday, BMW Group Belux donated another 20 brand new BMW and Mini cars to several technical schools throughout Belgium and Luxembourg. The vehicles represent €1,3 million in net worth and are destined to train candidate technicians with the latest car technology. It’s not the first time BMW Group Belux is acting as such. In […]

No Brussels Motor Show in 2024

May 30, 2023

In a short press release, Febiac, the car and two-wheeler importers federation for Belgium and Luxembourg, and the Brussels Motor Show (BMS) organizer, states that its board has decided to cancel the January 2024 edition of the show. “The aim of Febiac is always to deliver a qualitative and representative experience to visitors,” says the […]

Sporty bikes are gaining ground again

May 25, 2023

According to sector federation Traxio, 198 095 sporty bikes were delivered in 2022, 28,5% of the total bikes delivered for 2022. That’s a rise of 23 623 units compared to 2021. There was also a sharp rise in electric bikes in some subsegments of these sporty bikes, while the so-called ‘last-mile’ segments are also growing […]

E-bike manufacturer Cowboy goes also offline

May 23, 2023

Cowboy, the Belgian manufacturer of city e-bikes, drops its online-only strategy. By the end of the year, the company wants a retail network of at least 300 independent bike shops in 60 Belgian and foreign cities. In Belgium, contracts will be closed with “some ten retail partners”. Names will follow later when their personnel has […]

ALD Automotive completes LeasePlan acquisition

May 23, 2023

Vehicle lease company ALD Automotive announced that it has successfully acquired 100% of LeasePlan, one of the world’s leading fleet management and mobility companies, from a consortium led by TDR Capital. This transformative acquisition represents a step-change that positions the combined group as the leading global sustainable mobility player with a total fleet of 3,3 […]

VW on saving course to secure future investments

May 23, 2023

The Volkswagen Group is planning a billion-euro savings program for its core brand VW to bolster profitability and generate money for investments in the energy transition. The group will present its overhaul plans to investors at a conference on 21 June. According to the German newspaper Handelsblatt, the program could increase annual results by at […]

Fisker not averse to collaboration with others

May 22, 2023

Last week, Fisker Inc. CEO Henrik Fisker declared he is exploring collaboration with other companies to scale up market share faster, speaking at the Reuters Automotive Conference in Munich. During interviews at the conference, senior executives of other EV makers, Polestar and Smart, said they are open to partnerships to address supply chain and technology […]

Stellantis threatens to leave UK and urges for more battery production sites

May 22, 2023

British car plants will close with the loss of thousands of jobs unless the Brexit deal is swiftly renegotiated, Stellantis warned. Ford also added its voice to the latest warning from the auto industry since Britain left the European Union. Stellantis told lawmakers that under the current deal, it would face increased tariffs when exporting […]

Subaru to sell 400 BEVs annually in 5 years

May 22, 2023

Subaru plans to sell 200 000 battery-electric cars per year by 2026 and to create production capacity for 400 000 BEVs annually by 2028. The increase in production is to be supported by an EV-only factory in the company’s home country. Atsushi Osaki, who will replace the current CEO Tomomi Nakamura at Subaru in June, […]

BMW to build ‘New Class’ in China and goes boating in Cannes

May 19, 2023

As already mentioned earlier, BMW will launch its dedicated electric ‘new class’ of cars in 2025, with initial production in Europe and also in the United States. Today, the Munich car manufacturer announced that the ‘Neue Klasse’ will also be built in China. Meanwhile, the Group showed off on another level in Cannes (where the […]

EU car registrations up again in April

May 19, 2023

In April 2023, the EU car market saw a significant increase in passenger car registrations, with 803 188 units sold, marking a 17,2% growth from the previous year. All the EU’s major markets grew solidly last month, with Italy (+29,2%) and France (+21,9%) leading the way. From January to April 2023, the EU car market […]

GM confirms return to Europe

May 17, 2023

The number one American car manufacturer General Motors is gearing up for its return to Europe with an EV line-up. The Cadillac Lyriq could be among the first to hit the road here, as the carmaker is preparing to kick off EV sales in Europe this autumn, but only in some countries. GM European President […]

Ford to introduce E-Tourneo Courier

May 17, 2023

A few weeks after the compact electric delivery van E-Transit Courier, Ford also presented its passenger car version, E-Tourneo Courier. The battery-electric five-seater with a length of just under 4,40 meters and an “SUV-inspired design” is intended to score with a generous amount of space for passengers and luggage. With an output of 100 kW, […]

Is Renault brooding on a €20 000 BEV?

May 16, 2023

French car manufacturer Renault is working on a €20 000 EV to make electric car ownership more mainstream and affordable in Europe. The carmaker is thus taking up the challenge with the Volkswagen Group (and probably a bunch of Chinese manufacturers to come) to serve the lowest segments of the car industry. The proposed EV, […]

Macron announces several battery projects in the north of France

May 15, 2023

French President Emmanuel Macron visited Dunkerque last week to illustrate his fight for re-industrializing the north of France. The Taiwanese group ProLogium just announced the northern French port as its choice to build a new battery factory. Total investment is estimated at €5,2 billion, of which between 1 and 1,5 billion would come in different […]

Northvolt Drei battery factory confirmed in northern Germany

May 15, 2023

“Northvolt has decided to proceed with the next steps concerning its expansion in Heide (northern Germany),” said CEO Peter Carlsson in a joint press release with the German government. Nevertheless, the Swedish battery manufacturer continues considering building an extra gigafactory in North America. In October last year, former Tesla manager Carlsson made all alarm bells […]

Silence opens first Urban Store in Belgium

May 12, 2023

Silence, a manufacturer of microcars and scooters, has opened its first ‘Urban Store’ in Belgium.  The exact location is ‘Gare Maritime’ in Brussels, one of the city’s increasingly popular and biggest shopping hubs. As a manufacturer of electric vehicles, Silence is a daughter of Acciona, worldwide active in offering regenerative solutions for a CO2-neutral economy. […]

Japanese car manufacturers fairly optimistic about year to come

May 12, 2023

The beginning of May is always an important moment for Japanese companies. Their fiscal year ends in March, so the results are publicized now. Yesterday, we already talked about number one Toyota’s performance; today, we look at some others, in casu Nissan, Honda, and Mazda. The mood tends to be rather optimistic, the Japanese putting […]

Wallonia: new car taxation scheme finally approved

May 11, 2023

After a large consulting round, the Walloon government has approved an upgraded and comprehensively altered version of the Walloon car taxation scheme. The most important change is that the scheme only applies to the registration tax, not the yearly road tax. The new system will be introduced in July 2025. “This tax reform aims to […]

Fisker Ocean production targets lowered and off-road version coming

May 11, 2023

After handing over the first Fisker Ocean to a Danish customer and reserving the first German specimen for himself, CEO Henrik Fisker has adjusted its production forecasts for the year 2023 and announced a new off-road version of the electric SUV called Force E. Fisker corrected its production forecast for the Ocean when announcing its […]

Sweden and Florida go for electrified roads to charge EVs

May 10, 2023

Sweden is set to convert a motorway into a permanent electrified road, allowing electric cars and e-trucks to charge while driving. According to reports from Euronews, the Swedish transport authority Trafikverket has selected the E20 motorway to undergo the conversion. In the U.S. state of Florida, ENRX is working on a similar project. The Europan […]

LEVC launches new BEV platform

May 09, 2023

Geely’s subsidiary LEVC (London Electric Vehicle Company) has presented its modular electric platform SOA (Space Oriented Architecture), which was developed together with the parent company. With this, the manufacturer wants to become “a leading global provider of purely electric mobility solutions”. The first LEVC model based on the SOA will be “a completely new offering, […]

First Fisker Ocean delivered in Europe (update)

May 09, 2023

The first electric car from the American manufacturer Fisker Inc. is allowed to roll on the roads in Europe. The Fisker Ocean has received sales approval for the European market. The first Fisker Ocean One Launch Edition was handed over to its owner at the recently opened Fisker Center in Copenhagen on Friday. “I’m super […]

Volkswagen is trying to tie up loose ends with Bosch and Cariad (Update)

May 09, 2023

The Volkswagen Group and car supplier giant Bosch will not realize their planned joint venture to equip battery cell factories. Volkswagen and its battery subsidiary PowerCo are now pursuing the plan without Bosch as a partner, but Bosch will remain on board as a supplier. At the same time, CEO Oliver Blume is getting fed […]

ElringKlinger scores major contract to outfit BMW EVs

May 08, 2023

German automotive supplier ElringKlinger has scored a big contract with a term of several years with BMW. The company will supply cell contact systems to BMW Group series electric models in the new class (‘Neue Klasse’). The high-volume series production for Europe is scheduled to start in 2025, with the plant in Neuffen, Baden-Württemberg, taking […]

VW and Shell to install battery-boosted DC chargers

May 08, 2023

Volkswagen and Shell Germany have put the first battery-boosted charging station into operation at a Shell gas station in Göttingen, Germany. If the trial deployment is successful, further examples of Elli’s pole could be created at pit stops by Shell in Europe. The Flexpole charging columns from Volkswagen’s energy brand Elli deliver up to 150 […]

Three out of five Belgians drive their car less often

May 05, 2023

A survey of AG Insurance amongst 1 500 Belgians shows that the increasing cost of living and a growing environmental awareness influences the use of their car(s). 62% of them declare to have consciously driven less last year, and almost 40% have saved on expenses for her/his car. The latter can pose a problem when […]

Mercedes-Benz more careful on interim goals electrification

May 05, 2023

Mercedes-Benz has pushed back an interim goal on its way to becoming an electric car manufacturer. Specifically, it is about the target set almost two years ago that electric cars and plug-in hybrids should account for half of the sales in 2025. The manufacturer wants to continue to reach this interim goal by the middle […]

New electric Mini Cooper will have a range of up to 400 km

May 04, 2023

Following the unofficial leak of data and images a few weeks ago, Mini has announced the first official key data for the upcoming Cooper Electric. The fifth generation of the 3-door Mini will be available for purchase by the year’s end and will be produced in Leipzig from November. The fifth generation of the 3-door […]

Dieselgate: former Audi CEO Rupert Stadler also pleads guilty (Update)

May 04, 2023

After Wolfgang Hatz, a former top manager at VW Group car manufacturing daughters Audi and Porsche, changed his attitude in Court, former Audi CEO Rupert Stadler has finally given in, and now follows the same strategy, both pleading guilty to installing emissions-cheating software in cars to mislead official emission measurements (commonly known as ‘dieselgate‘). Until […]

Arval: ‘Mobility offer is important factor in employment search’

May 02, 2023

In Belgium, a comprehensive mobility offer is a decisive factor for seven out of ten employees in choosing their employer. That’s the result of a European survey of the Arval Mobility Observatory interrogating employees in the private sector. The observatory questioned 2 905 European employees for this Employee Mobility Survey, living in Belgium, France, Germany, […]

BMW Group and E.ON create ‘connected home charging’

May 02, 2023

The BMW Group and E.ON have agreed on the first pan-European cooperation for intelligent charging at home. The strategic collaboration aims to create ‘Connected Home Charging’, “a holistic charging ecosystem that will allow customers to connect their electrified BMW or MINI vehicle with the energy system, as part of a climate-neutral, sustainable household.” “With this […]

Honda CEO: ‘Shanghai was an unpleasant surprise for us’

May 02, 2023

While delivering Honda’s annual business briefing last week, Honda CEO Toshihiro Mibe made a few interesting comments regarding Chinese competitors, according to Automotive News. He said Honda executives had an unpleasant surprise at the Shanghai auto show, where local brands flooded the exhibition hall with advanced EVs of all kinds. In Shanghai, the Japanese automaker […]

BMW invests in rare earth recycling

April 28, 2023

BMW Group’s investment arm BMW i Ventures announced an investment in Cyclic Materials, a Canadian company focused on recycling rare earth elements (REE). Regarding e-mobility, Cyclic Materials already cooperates with Polestar to recover magnets for electric motors. The $27 million Series A funding was led by BMW i Ventures (BiV) and Energy Impact Partners (EIP). […]

The end for the Chevrolet Bolt is near

April 28, 2023

American number one car manufacturer General Motors has announced plans to stop production of the Chevrolet Bolt electric model at the end of this year, CEO Mary Barra told investors. So far, the Chevy Bolt EV and its larger offshoot Bolt EUV accounted for most of the company’s EV sales. Initially, the Bolt had been […]

Stellantis wants to reduce (personnel) costs in the US

April 27, 2023

Car manufacturing group Stellantis, representing 14 different brands with several North American brands among them, wants to reduce costs and finance the energy transition. On Wednesday, it indicated that it would propose a plan for voluntary redundancy in its US and Canadian branches. Renowned cost-cutter Carlos Tavares has struck again. The Stellantis CEO wants to […]

Dutch €28 billion climate plan subsidizes new EVs less and second-hand more

April 27, 2023

On Wednesday, the Dutch government unveiled a €28 billion climate plan to reduce CO2 emissions by 55% (or even 60%) by 2030. The plan includes 120 different proposals. For example, in the car sector, new EVs will lose part of their subsidies; second-hand EVs, on the contrary, will get €600 million in subsidies, while €90 […]

New kilometer charge tariffs for trucks from 1 July

April 26, 2023

As of Saturday, 1 July 2023, new tariffs for the kilometer charge will apply in Flanders, Brussels, and Wallonia. In Flanders and Brussels, this is an index adjustment. The tariffs for the kilometer charge were indexed in Wallonia on 1 January, and Sofico (Société wallonne de financement complémentaire des infrastructures) will implement a tariff adjustment […]

Skoda to launch six new BEVs by 2026

April 26, 2023

Skoda Auto is further stepping up the pace of its electric mobility campaign and transformation. Launching four all-new e-vehicles and two updated Enyaq iV family models, the Czech carmaker plans to expand its BEV range to six models by 2026. Skoda Auto will have invested a total of 5,6 billion euros in e-mobility by 2027. […]

BMW iX2 to be built in increasingly electric Regensburg plant

April 26, 2023

German premium car manufacturer BMW will produce a second electric model at its German factory in Regensburg this year. The fully electric iX2 will follow the iX1 that has been coming off the lines in Regensburg since autumn 2022. Meanwhile, BMW is doing the final testing of its new 5 Series in the South of […]

CEO Koji Sato: ‘Toyota must do more, faster’

April 25, 2023

Last Friday, Toyota Motor Corporation’s CEO Koji Sato gave a stark assessment of the Japanese automaker’s work ahead in China, saying it must do more and move faster as its competition in the world’s biggest auto market surges. Toyota showed two new EV concept cars for the Chinese market at the motor show in  Shanghai. […]

Cupra Tavascan is most powerful MEB based EV yet

April 25, 2023

In Berlin, Seat’s sporty daughter Cupra has unveiled the Tavascan, its first all-electric SUV coupe, and its second BEV model. Based on the Volkswagen Group MEB platform, the Cupra Tavascan will launch in 2024 and will be available with either 210 or 250 kW, the latter being the highest power yet for the platform. Two […]

Renault is growing again and thinks about an IPO for Ampere

April 24, 2023

The Renault Group is steadily recovering. For Q1 of 2023, turnover has risen by 30% to € 11,5 billion. The loss due to the withdrawal from Russia is not integrated into the figures, but Renault stays optimistic for the future. By the end of the year, it wants to go IPO with its electric division […]

Nissan has doubts about Alliance

April 24, 2023

According to an agency report, the Japanese carmaker Nissan is pushing ahead with its growth plans in software and electric vehicles more independently of Alliance partner Renault. Somewhat strange when you know that the two companies recently agreed on retightening the links in a restructured Alliance. At the beginning of this year, the manufacturer Alliance […]

Magna to build EV for Ineos

April 19, 2023

Canadian company Magna will manufacture an electric SUV for Ineos Automotive. Production will kick off in Graz, Austria, in 2026. In addition to building it, Magna will also be responsible for developing the complete vehicle. Magna says Ineos Automotive is a new customer in engineering and complete vehicle manufacturing. The two companies already cooperated on […]

Bentley CEO: ‘70% of our customers want us to build an EV asap’

April 19, 2023

Bentley CEO Adrian Hallmark will deliver the first all-electric Bentley to its new owner in three years. By 2030, he wants every single of the company’s five production models (one more than at present) to be battery-powered. In an interview with the English car magazine Autocar Hallmark said: “Our surveys tell us that around 70% […]

EU car market sees substantial increase in Q1 2023

April 19, 2023

According to the newly published figures of the European car manufacturers association ACEA, the EU car market recorded a significant 28,8% increase in passenger car registrations in March, surpassing more than a million units (1 087 939). All the bloc’s most significant markets saw double-digit growth last month, with Spain (+66,1%) and Italy (+40,7%) in […]

VW Group invests €1 billion in Chinese R&D Center for EVs

April 19, 2023

Volkswagen will invest around one billion euros to establish a new R&D center for fully connected electric cars in Hefei, China, named ‘100%TechCo’. The Group announced the project at the Shanghai Auto Show on Tuesday and set ambitious targets for the unit charged with accelerating innovation locally. The project is to combine vehicle and component […]

Renault to adapt EV prices, face-lifted Clio presented

April 18, 2023

French carmaker Renault is reviewing its pricing policies for electric cars worldwide to ensure it stays competitive after a wave of price cuts by U.S. rival Tesla, a top executive said on Monday, according to Reuters. Meanwhile, Renault presents a face-lift of its (ICE) best-seller, the Clio. After slashing prices several times in the United […]