May 19, 2025
In contrast with earlier speculations, Volkswagen CEO Thomas Schäfer has confirmed plans to further develop the MEB platform with the MEB+, following longstanding rumors of a refresh. The platform refresh will begin with the launch of the new ID.2 next year. Following the launch of the ID.2, Volkswagen will begin moving all of its electric […]
May 15, 2025
Energy provider Engie started working on a second battery park in Kallo (East Flanders) this week after building one in Vilvoorde. Federal Energy Minister Mathieu Bihet (MR), Mayor of Beveren, Marc Van de Vijver (CD&V), and Engie Belgium CEO, Vincent Verbeke, gave a symbolic groundbreaking ceremony in Kallo on Wednesday. Engie wants to respond to […]
May 15, 2025
Smart energy tariffs are becoming increasingly popular for their flexibility and potential to save costs. Smappee, an award-winning tech company from Kortrijk, is also capitalizing on that market trend by launching a virtual battery. In this service, solar panel owners can stockpile their unused power as a credit that allows them to charge their EV […]
May 08, 2025
Polestar is introducing official battery health certificates for used versions of its Polestar 2 electric car. The new offer must calm nerves across Europe’s struggling second-hand EV market. The Electric car maker says the new certificate will help ease fears over battery life and falling used EV prices. The certificate will become mandatory in the […]
May 07, 2025
Retail prices for electric vehicles in Belgium dropped nearly 12 percent year-over-year in Q1 2025. The numbers affirm the ongoing trend of low interest in zero-emission cars on the secondhand market. As the mismatch between supply and demand grows, leasing companies seek to reassess their residual value strategies. Will corporate vehicles become increasingly more expensive? […]
May 06, 2025
According to a newly published patent, Mazda seems to be laying the groundwork for an electric future for its beloved MX-5 roadster. The details uncover an unconventional battery layout designed to preserve the iconic roadster’s nimble character. The patent, filed at the US Patent and Trademark Office in late 2024, surfaced only recently under the […]
May 05, 2025
Mercedes has officially opened the online configurator for its groundbreaking all-new CLA. As for now, only the 250+ and 350 4Matic can be ordered in Belgium, with a starting price of 56.870 euros. Entry-level versions – set to lower the price considerably thanks to the integration of a cheaper LFP battery -, will be added by […]
April 29, 2025
Stellantis claims it has taken a significant step forward in electric vehicle battery technology. It has cleared internal validation tests for its next-generation solid-state cells and is now paving the way for a demonstration fleet by 2026. But the revolution might be a bit less victorious than the press clippings suggest. The 77 Ah cells, […]
April 22, 2025
The world leader in EV batteries, Chinese CATL, which provides more than a third of the global needs, announced three innovations for the following months, with one that could change the industry drastically: it will be the first to start mass production of sodium-ion (Na+) batteries by the end of this year. Sodium is abundant […]
April 15, 2025
MAN launched battery production at its Nuremberg (Germany) site on Friday, April 11th. The company also announced an extra investment in battery and diesel engine production to secure the factory’s long-term future and prepare for the launch of the series production of its trucks in June. After investing around €100 million in the Nuremberg production […]
April 14, 2025
Swedish truck manufacturer Scania has acquired Northvolt’s Systems Industrial Division, the bankrupt battery manufacturer’s heavy industry and off-road battery systems division. The 260 employees based in Sweden will transfer to Scania’s Power Solutions division, which develops powertrains for industrial, marine, and power generation purposes. Northvolt, the Swedish battery manufacturer once hailed as Europe’s answer to […]
April 14, 2025
In a radiation protection study commissioned by the German Federal Office for Radiation Protection (BfS) and the German Federal Ministry for the Environment (BMUV), all electric cars analyzed complied with the recommendations for protection against the health effects of magnetic fields. According to the researchers, people are not generally exposed to stronger magnetic fields in […]
April 13, 2025
A European research project has unveiled a new battery design that could help electric vehicles become more sustainable, easier to recycle, and cheaper to repair. The battery, developed under the EU-funded Marbel project and backed by Stellantis, has been created with circular economy principles in mind. As such, it also aims at finding a second […]
April 11, 2025
Renault is on a winning streak, with good results and increasing brand recognition. The French carmaker is setting a high tempo to keep up the good work. A first update to the Scenic E-Tech Electric, which debuted only one year ago, serves as proof. The electric family SUV receives a raft of minor upgrades, from […]
April 10, 2025
BYD’s newest flagship models, the Han L and Tang L, have gone on sale in China for significantly cheaper than initially presumed. Both models are built on the Chinese manufacturer’s latest ‘Super e’ platform, which promises megawatt charging (1,000 kW) to recover up to 400 km of range in just 5 minutes. Even the fastest-charging […]
April 10, 2025
CATL, the world’s biggest battery maker for the last decade, is looking to take a controlling stake in NIO Power, the battery swapping and fast-charging business of Chinese premium EV maker NIO. CATL will not comment, but Reuters quotes four anonymous sources to back up the story. Last month, news broke that NIO, known for […]
April 09, 2025
Sortbat, a subsidiary of Bebat, a Belgian non-profit association that processes used batteries, is acquiring the Norwegian Høyenergi. Together, they want to strengthen Belgium and Norway’s position in managing large batteries, including those of electric vehicles, maritime applications, and energy storage systems. This acquisition anticipates the increasing amount of end-of-life batteries in Europe. The global […]
April 08, 2025
Volvo Construction Equipment, a sister brand of Volvo Trucks, has started selling the improved PU500, a 500 kWh mobile charging unit for electric construction sites without grid access. The giant battery bank can also be used for festivals, disaster sites, or as a buffer battery to profit from off-peak energy prices. While battery banks with […]
April 03, 2025
As a symbol for Europe’s rapidly evolving EV infrastructure, four of the continent’s leading charging operators—Fastned, Electra, Atlante, and IONITY—have joined forces to create Spark Alliance. This strategic partnership must leverage the seamlessness, reliability, and user-friendliness of charging experiences across 25 European countries. However, it also tightens the space for smaller or new competitors. Spark […]
April 02, 2025
After Bstor launched a new battery park in La Louvière at the beginning of this year, the battery project developer has started constructing its third and largest battery park, ‘Estor-Lux II,’ in Aubange, in the Belgian province of Luxembourg. Bstor is 40 percent owned by the listed Antwerp holding company Ackermans & van Haaren. In […]
April 02, 2025
The French Conseil d’analyse économique (CAE) and the Franco-German Council of Economic Experts (GCEE) have published a joint statement calling on the EU to focus on decarbonizing road freight transport by abandoning support for hydrogen trucks. They urge to prioritize battery-electric trucks, which are considered the most viable solution. Nine experts from the CAE and […]
April 02, 2025
More or less a week after BYD lashed out with the news of its ts new electric car platform, called ‘Super e,’ which promises charging at one megawatt, Chinese-Swedish Geely daughter Zeekr parries with the announcement of a 1.2-megawatt charger. Just to be overtaken by Huawei bragging about a 1.5-megawatt charger. This battle of the […]
April 01, 2025
Under its bankruptcy filing, Swedish battery manufacturer Northvolt announced that it will lay off over half its 5,000 employees. The company, founded in 2016, has succumbed to mounting debt and what insiders now admit were strategic miscalculations. Once hailed as Europe’s answer to Asian dominance in EV battery production, Northvolt officially filed for bankruptcy on […]
March 19, 2025
Scientists in China claim to have found a way to breathe new life into worn-out lithium-ion batteries. Researchers at Fudan University have developed a revolutionary lithium injection method that could restore degraded batteries to near-factory conditions. They say this breakthrough could dramatically extend battery lifespan and stabilize EV resale values. The findings, published in the […]
March 18, 2025
Chinese EV maker NIO, known for its pioneering role in battery swapping, is joining forces with CATL, its major supplier, to set up a worldwide car-swapping network. CATL, the world’s biggest battery maker, puts its money where its mouth is by investing 2.5 billion yuan (€316 million) in Nio Power. Both parties signed an agreement […]
March 13, 2025
Europe’s pride in battery manufacturing, Northvolt, has filed for bankruptcy in Sweden, marking a major setback for the EU’s efforts to compete with Chinese dominance in the electric vehicle battery market. Despite years of substantial investment from automakers, financial institutions, and government subsidies, the company failed to secure the $1 billion needed to sustain operations […]
March 12, 2025
Thanks to some information shared by Volkswagen Group boss Oliver Blume, we have a better idea of the performance level that Lamborghini’s first electric car will achieve. This all-new model is set to arrive by 2029 and promises power levels of well over one megawatt (1,360 hp), possibly up to 2,000 hp. Initially, Lamborghini promised […]
March 06, 2025
European fast-charging specialist Electra has opened its first operational station in Capellen, Luxembourg, a well-known ‘tank’ stop for Belgian and Dutch drivers heading south on holiday. The company is active in nine European countries—Belgium, the Netherlands, Luxembourg, France, Germany, Spain, Italy, Switzerland, and Austria—and has 426 stations and 2,520 charging points. The new charging station […]
February 25, 2025
CALB, after CATL and BYD, is China’s third-biggest battery maker. It has broken ground for a brand new factory in the Portuguese deepwater port of Sines, halfway on the Atlantic coast between Lisbon and Lagos. All three invest heavily in European battery factories, while the old continent is lagging with its own trumpeted ‘Airbus of […]
February 25, 2025
Mercedes-Benz has started testing a solid-state battery from partner Factorial Energy in a modified EQS this month. In the coming weeks, the Stuttgart-based company wants to collect data on the battery’s efficiency, durability, and performance. Road tests with the new solid-state battery in a ‘1,000 km’ EQS test car started in February 2025. According to […]
February 25, 2025
While one would expect a luxury carmaker like Lamborghini to bet on solid-state technology for its debut in the electric supercar market, the Italian carmaker ordered a study at Princeton University to investigate sodium-ion chemistries. The results are promising. As sodium-ion chemistries don’t rely on lithium, they are a cost-effective alternative to current lithium-ion battery […]
February 24, 2025
The Flemish public transport company De Lijn has placed a new order for charging poles for electric buses. This time, it involves 600 to 900 charging poles from SPIE-Ekoenergetyka with a capacity of 50 to 180 kW, representing an investment of 24.2 million euros. The order is important in preparing De Lijn’s 50 depots to […]
February 24, 2025
The BMW Group is presenting its next step in electric drive technology. At its Tech Days event in Landshut, the company provided some initial insights into developing and producing high-voltage batteries and electric drive systems using the sixth generation of BMW eDrive technology. This technology will benefit every fully electric Neue Klasse vehicle. The first […]
February 21, 2025
Fastned, the European fast-charging company, has completed its most successful bond issue. With over €36.5 million raised in the company’s first tranche of 2025, Fastned raised the most significant amount ever in a single bond issue. More than €20 million of this latest issue resulted from new investments, and over €16 million came from existing […]
February 18, 2025
Last week, the Mercedes EQB for the 2021 to 2024 model years was recalled in the US after several vehicle fires. Now, the German Federal Motor Transport Authority’s recall database shows that the sister model EQA is also affected. Mercedes, authorities, and suppliers’ investigations revealed that the cause was probably a problem with the high-voltage […]
February 18, 2025
French carmaker Renault has decided to make its ‘Fireman Access’ patents, developed with professional rescue services to extinguish an EV’s battery on fire in a few minutes, freely available to the entire automotive industry. A process that otherwise can take hours by immersion of the whole vehicle in a container with water. Renault says car […]
February 17, 2025
BYD is joining the group of Chinese car makers unveiling their road map towards the commercialization of solid-state batteries. The company will start the demonstration phase of the technology around 2027, in line with the objectives of Toyota and MG, for instance. As for large-scale commercialization, we won’t see BYD models with revolutionary packs until […]
February 13, 2025
As automakers continue to push the boundaries of the electric vehicle range, two industry namesakes – Lucid Motors and BMW – are advocating for a different approach. Both companies argue that more miniature battery packs, increased efficiency, and improved charging infrastructure are the future of sustainable EV adoption. Can less really be more? Lucid Motors, […]
February 12, 2025
Tesla has officially commenced production at its newly constructed Megafactory in Shanghai, a new milestone in its rapidly expanding energy storage division. This facility is Tesla’s second dedicated energy storage production plant and has already rolled out its first Megapack unit, with initial orders ready for shipment. While Tesla’s core automotive business has recently encountered […]
February 11, 2025
According to Korean media ET News, Hyundai plans to introduce a pilot production line for solid-state batteries inside the brand-new Uiwang Battery Research Center in the Gyeonggi Province in South Korea. The opening ceremony should be held in March, with a prototype expected by the end of the year. To be clear, Hyundai has not […]
February 10, 2025
Porsche is shifting gears on its electrification strategy, scaling back its ambitious EV plans to bolster combustion and hybrid powertrains. However, this strategic pivot comes with substantial costs and mounting challenges, as the automaker faces declining earnings, market uncertainty, and potential trade tariffs that could further disrupt its global operations. More details have surfaced about […]
January 21, 2025
Fastned, the Dutch operator of EV charging stations, has signed a deal with One Hundred, an Amsterdam-based holding company, to provide high-quality toilet service at its charging stations in Belgium and the Netherlands. For that matter, everyone may or can help pay as Fastned will also issue new bonds. The proceeds will be used to […]
January 17, 2025
The Polestar 3 surfaced victoriously in Norway’s latest El Prix winter range test. The Chinese-Swedish flagship SUV scored the second-best result in the test history. Despite Tesla’s reputation for range consistency, the Model 3 fell short of expectations. The world’s leading country for EV adoption isn’t the most benign region. Norway’s freezing winter temperatures and […]
January 14, 2025
The BMW Group maintained its position in 2024 with 426,594 all-electric vehicles delivered and BEV sales growth of 13.5%. The BMW brand also achieved serious BEV growth with 368,523 electric cars (+11.6%). Meanwhile, the Group is launching a closed-loop battery recycling ecosystem with SK tes, a leading innovative technology lifecycle solutions provider. Even though the […]
January 10, 2025
Beleaguered Swedish battery manufacturer Northvolt has received a critical endorsement from its shareholders to continue operations in its home country. A vote in favor underscores shareholder confidence from important partners like Volkswagen as the battery supplier tries to restructure and seeks additional funding to keep its business afloat. Northvolt, once a beacon of Europe’s aspirations […]
December 17, 2024
MG Motor, a Chinese state-owned SAIC Motor subsidiary, has announced plans to launch an electric vehicle in 2025 powered by a semi-solid state battery. This move comes after earlier statements suggested MG would be the first to deploy a fully solid-state battery. The hybrid solution implies the car brand is backtracking on its earlier full […]
December 12, 2024
Chinese premium EV brand NIO has opened its first battery-swapping station in Belgium, at the Hotel & Congress Ter Elst center, at the Kattenberg 1 in Edegem, parallel to the E19 highway. That might sound bizarre, as the brand hasn’t officially been sold in Belgium yet, and no launch date has been communicated so far. […]
December 11, 2024
French-Italian-American car group Stellantis is joining forces with the world’s biggest battery maker, Chinese CATL, to build a new factory at the Stellantis’ Zaragoza site in Spain to produce low-cost lithium iron phosphate (LFP) batteries. For CATL, it will be its third battery factory in Europe. “Targeted to start production by the end of 2026, […]
December 10, 2024
Toyota’s GAC joint venture has officially opened orders in China for its highly anticipated “new force pure electric SUV,” the bZ3X. While Toyota is slowing down on its global EV plans, the bZ3X plays a pivotal role in the company’s success in the Chinese marketplace—and it might end up in Europe. Toyota has unveiled the […]
December 10, 2024
BYD aims to stay ahead in the fierce EV battery price war with a new generation of its Blade battery that promises higher energy density, faster charging, and reduced costs. As the world’s second-largest EV battery manufacturer, BYD is gearing up to launch its second-generation Blade battery in the first half of 2025. The new […]
December 06, 2024
Paraclete Energy, a U.S.-based innovator in battery materials, has unveiled a breakthrough in silicon-based anode technology. This technology offers unprecedented cost and performance advantages for electric vehicle batteries. The company’s proprietary silicon anode material reduces costs by almost 35% compared to traditional graphite anodes used in lithium iron phosphate batteries. Paraclete’s solution is called SILO […]
December 05, 2024
Dutch fast-charging chain Fastned is partnering with Transport for London (TfL), the local government body responsible for most of the London transport network, to establish 25 fast-charging plazas in and around the British capital by 2030. Fastned is setting up a joint venture with Places for London, TfL’s real estate daughter, to invest £16 million […]
December 02, 2024
Antwerp will launch the option to charge your electric car on location in the summer of 2025. The City of Antwerp granted the Belgian start-up Uze Energy permission to operate mobile charging installations—a large battery in a pink cargo bike. This means that from the summer of 2025, electric car drivers will be able to […]
December 02, 2024
Nissan has announced plans to launch affordable vehicle-to-grid (V2G) technology on select electric vehicles in Europe starting in 2026. Developed in collaboration with Belgian technology firm Enovates, the carmaker promises a price not higher than current charging systems. The rollout will commence in the United Kingdom, followed by other European markets at a later stage. […]
November 29, 2024
Toyota’s production plans for next-generation electric cars appear to be further delayed in the EU and the US. The new Lexus brand battery-electric model, for example, scheduled for 2026, will not go into production until mid-2027. As the Japanese broadcaster NHK writes, Toyota seeks a longer development period to “incorporate the latest technologies” in the […]
November 28, 2024
The BMW Group is building a competence center for battery cell recycling (CRCC) in Kirchroth, Lower Bavaria. There, the company will implement the so-called direct recycling process. The German automobile manufacturer has announced plans to open a new battery cell recycling center in Kirchroth, a town in the Straubing-Bogen district of Lower Bavaria. There, the […]
November 28, 2024
The all-electric Renault 5 E-tech is one of the first Renault vehicles equipped with a bidirectional charger capable of Vehicle-to-Grid (V2G). From March 2025, the Dutch city of Utrecht will implement that with a fleet of 500 shared Renault EVs that will help stabilize the grid and deliver extra electricity when demand is high. It […]
November 27, 2024
Northvolt’s number one and two shareholders, the Volkswagen Group and Goldman Sachs bank will write down their stake in the battery maker. This is another blow for the cash-strapped company. Northvolt filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection in the US last week. The Swedish factory has a new CEO, and Peter Carlsson has stepped down. […]
November 26, 2024
By 2030, replacing an electric car’s battery might be cheaper and easier than replacing a dying classic combustion engine (ICE). At least, that’s what a new study of evolving battery prices by American startup Recurrent Motors Inc. shows. Using data from global investment banking and asset management firm Goldman Sachs and climate research firm RMI, […]
November 26, 2024
CATL, the world’s largest electric vehicle battery supplier, has expanded its Tectrans commercial vehicle battery system. The battery range now offers the choice between superfast charging, an ultra-long lifespan, or a long-range battery pack with up to 800 km range for commercial vehicles. CATL wants to attack the commercial vehicle market with battery options for […]
