June 09, 2022
Dr. Alexander W. Wehr is moving to Belgium to become President and CEO of BMW Group Belux. He will succeed Eddy Haesendonck, who decided to leave the BMW Group. Stefan Reiff succeeds Wehr as Vice President of Customer, Brand, and Sales at BMW Motorrad. “Due to his extensive international sales expertise, Alexander Wehr is ideally […]
March 28, 2022
South Korean carmaker SsangYong Motor, still in survival mode, is ditching fellow-countryman Edison, that was prepared to take over the company but didn’t manage to find the money needed by March 25th. SsangYong believes it’s now in a far stronger position than when the take-over by Edison was decided and is looking for a new […]
March 22, 2022
On Tuesday, Tesla’s brand-new German gigafactory officially opened in Grünheide in the rural state of Brandenburg, near Berlin. Something Elon Musk didn’t want to miss, as he was welcoming Chancellor Olaf Scholz at the site, along with Economy Minister Robert Habeck and Brandenburg state Premier Dietmar Woidke. Musk himself handed over the first thirty Germany-produced […]
January 06, 2022
Two of Europe’s biggest leasing companies have signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) for ALD to acquire Dutch Leaseplan for €4,2 billion by the end of 2022. Both parties have been talking with each other since October. Combining both fleets, the companies that will operate under the name of ‘NewALD’ will manage 3,42 million leased […]
December 24, 2021
On Thursday morning, it showed out the Belgian federal government bit the bullet: all seven nuclear reactors are closing down in 2025, including the two youngest, Doel 4 and Tihange 3. But depending on how you read the ‘agreement’, there is still a tiny chance the latter will be needed nevertheless. A new study by […]
December 09, 2021
In an interview with media Automotive News, Peugeot CEO Linda Jackson confirmed that the brand will be fully electric by 2030. However, the boss draws the line to Europe, as Peugeot’s line-up for international customers will still feature internal-combustion engines (ICE). The French brand will follow its Stellantis stablemates DS, Lancia, Alfa Romeo, and Opel […]
December 06, 2021
The new Mazda 2 Hybrid, on sale in Europe from spring 2022, brings self-charging, full hybrid powertrain technology to the Mazda model range for the first time. The manufacturer got a serious helping hand from big brother Toyota for this introduction. In fact, the drivetrain is the same as the one in the Toyota Yaris […]
November 25, 2021
Nissan Belgium is withdrawing from the Brussels Motor Show (BMS), scheduled from 14 till 23 January 2022. In a short statement on Wednesday, Nissan said it acknowledges the organizer Febiac’s efforts to limit the risks of Covid-19 during the show but decided nevertheless to cancel its participation to minimize the risk for its employees, suppliers, […]
November 02, 2021
In its frantic search to have something to show at the COP26 climate gathering in Glasgow, the Flemish government is thinking of an obligation to buy electric cars by 2027. Second-hand ICE cars would then be forbidden to be sold by 2030. Inside the Flemish government, there is an ongoing search to see what trophies […]
October 08, 2021
On Thursday, organizers of the Geneva International Motor Show (GIMS) have announced the ultimate cancelation of the 2022 edition after first trying to set up a limited edition. Difficulties in the European automotive sector, primarily the microchip shortage and the restrictions due to the pandemic, are quoted as the main reasons. After the pandemic and […]
September 17, 2021
The Brussels Motor Show (BMS) in January 2022 will take place. VW Group importer D’Ieteren is still dropping out, but the Stellantis group has decided to participate. Organizer Febiac hast just announced that there will be a 2022 edition. For a while now, motor shows have been having problems seeing everyone on their exhibit platforms. […]
August 31, 2021
The world is out of leaded gasoline at long last as Algeria emptied the last barrels a month ago. This is what reports the United Nations Environment Program (UNEP), which has been campaigning for the end of the deadly additive for nearly two decades. According to the agency, this major step will prevent more than […]
August 27, 2021
Joost Kaesemans, former Pubic Relations Director at automobile federation FEBIAC, is joining mobility organization Touring in the same role, starting on September 1st. According to the Touring press release, Kaesemans will take responsibility as Public Relations and Public Policy Director. Kaesemans will head the communication department of Touring, taking over the public policy tasks of […]
July 14, 2021
On Wednesday afternoon, the EU Commission presented the much anticipated – and feared – ‘Fit for 55’ package of 12 climate laws to make the target of 55% CO2 reduction by 2030 agreed by the member states a reality. So far, the world’s most ambitious plan will ultimately lead to carbon neutrality by 2050 if […]
June 23, 2021
The electric fever keeps rising at a steep curve. CEO of Daimler, Ola Källenius, is pressing his board room. According to several sources, he wants to make a stronger mark on the transition toward an electric fleet. Previous plans for turning the company all-electric by 2039 need to be outpaced, presumably by five to six […]
April 19, 2021
In Shanghai, Toyota has presented its bZ4X Concept, an unpronounceable name for the next generation of battery-electric cars, it wants to roll out up to 2025 with the ‘beyond zero’ (bZ) label. By then, Toyota plans to launch 15 battery-electric vehicles, of which seven of the ‘bZ family’. The bZ4X will be built on the […]
April 12, 2021
Today, French carmaker Citroën, a member of the Stellantis Group, presents its new flagship, the C5 X. It’s a crossover concept, combining elements of a sedan, a break, and an SUV. “With his innovative styling combining the elegance of a sedan, the dynamics of a break, and the robust look of an SUV, the C5 […]
April 09, 2021
Early this year, Belgian energy regulator VREG announced that energy suppliers would start offering dynamic electricity contracts. The first to jump on the bandwagon was Yosu, which offers the formula for small businesses. Engie is now following suit. Their Dynamic contract is also available for private individuals, but only in Flanders. Engie says the new […]
April 01, 2021
The marketing stunt of the German VW Group is turning against her. On Tuesday, Volkswagen of America leaked a marketing message: the company will rename itself into Voltswagen of America. It was fake news. Afterward, the message has been denied, qualified as an April Fool’s joke, and reconfirmed as a deliberate strategy. After Dieselgate, VW […]
March 31, 2021
Lexus shifts one gear higher in its strategy for electric cars. With the UX300e, the Japanese luxury brand already has one electric model up its sleeves, but the concept LFZ is a whole different animal. It’s a 4,88-meter-long cross-over, with a far-reaching styling that discerns itself from the UX since it has been built around […]
March 17, 2021
At the BMW Group’s annual conference, CEO Oliver Zipse started his keynote speech with his view from a long-term perspective, assembled in five beliefs. At the same time, the production version of the i4 has been revealed. “At BMW, our decisions are based on a long-term perspective,” said Zipse. “That makes anticipating how the world […]
March 15, 2021
On Monday, Kia disclosed its first fully electric car EV6’s design details, designed as such on the new E-GMP platform. It’s a milestone for the South Korean carmaker’s future models, featuring a new sleek design for the brand’s future. And one has to admit it’s quite appealing. Although technical details are yet to be unveiled […]
March 09, 2021
Korean car manufacturer Kia has released a teaser video, announcing the EV6, the first of the next generation of electric cars from the company. The EV6 will be built on the new dedicated Electric-Global Modular Platform (E-GMP) it shares with Hyundai’s Ioniq 5. The teaser images show a sleek 4-door crossover, incorporating the Imagin Concept’s […]
December 11, 2020
Roland D’Ieteren, the enigmatic car lover and former CEO and President of the family company D’Ieteren, has died on Thursday from the coronavirus’s effects. For 30 years, he was the CEO of his family business, founded by Jean-Joseph D’Ieteren in Brussels in 1805. Roland D’Ieteren was the sixth generation in the company and stayed on […]
October 12, 2020
There will be no Brussels Motor Show (BMS) in January 2021. Organizer Febiac has just pulled the plug and announced the cancellation of the 2021 edition. It invites all car enthusiasts to be ready for January 2022. We already informed about the dilemma the Brussels Motor Show organizers were facing and the possible scenarios they […]
July 31, 2020
“Fisker Inc. is planning a portfolio expansion to a four-vehicle range by mid-decade, supporting the company’s long-term goal for Electric Mobility as a service.” That’s the release we got on Thursday from the recently founded electric car manufacturer with the emblematic Henrik Fisker at the helm. The four-vehicle line-up will feature the Ocean SUV, a […]
July 28, 2020
On Monday the 27th of July, Japanese car manufacturer Mitsubishi unveiled its new mid-term business plan under the name ‘Small but Beautiful’. The relatively small manufacturer now concentrates all efforts on its core business and markets and freezes investments in regions where it loses money, like in Europe. The plan focuses on “cost rationalization and […]
July 15, 2020
On Wednesday, 15 July, Nissan presented its new electric SUV crossover, the Ariya, in a new pavilion in its home turf Yokohama. In Europe, the newcomer will be available in five versions, two front-wheel driven, and three four-wheel driven. The new car sits high on its wheels but has a sleek coupe-style design, which makes […]
June 08, 2020
Baggage handler Swissport is going to file for bankruptcy for its Belgian branches – handling and cleaning – working at Brussels Airport. The latter was announced to the staff on Monday morning on an extraordinary special employee assembly. In this case, 1 469 people are threatened to lose their job. Swissport, which is struggling with […]
June 04, 2020
On Wednesday morning, D’Ieteren Auto, Belgium’s largest car importer of all Volkswagen Group brands, has informed its employees of its after-corona restructuring plans that could mean cutting 211 jobs. D’Ieteren is also putting the import of Yamaha Motor products on hold, and puts up for sale is ‘Sport’ division, Belga News Agency reports. According to […]
May 27, 2020
Groupe Renault, Nissan Motor Co. Ltd., and Mitsubishi Motors Corporation, members of the Alliance, announced on Wednesday several initiatives as part of a new cooperation business model to try to enhance the competitiveness and profitability of the three partner companies. “The Alliance is a unique strategic and operational partnership and gives us a strong edge […]
April 22, 2020
At the end of this year, Opel will start the production of the new Mokka crossover. The fully electric version will be the first to be delivered to clients in the early months of 2021. At the moment, the period of intensive prototype testing isn’t over yet; electric prototypes are driving in a bright green […]
April 22, 2020
The Belgian car distribution company Alcomotive becomes a joint venture between the mother company Alcopa and the automotive distribution group Bergé Auto. Bergé Auto will be the majority partner with a 60% share, while Alcopa will hold the remaining 40%. Alcomotive distributes near to 30 000 vehicles per year in 6 European countries and will […]
March 16, 2020
Volkswagen Group brand importer, D’Ieteren Auto, is suspending all non-urgent sales and aftersales activities from Wednesday 18 March until April 3rd in its own car centers and the dealerships managed by Sopadis. Belgium’s biggest car importer wants to limit all displacements and contacts that can spread the COVID-19 virus. The latter means that all appointments […]
March 16, 2020
Production of the e-tron at the Brussels Audi plant has come to a standstill on Monday morning as employees decided to knock off work in fear of the coronavirus. According to the socialist union, work circumstances don’t allow to keep safe distances, and there are no preventive measures. “Employees are often working shoulder to shoulder, […]
March 16, 2020
French carmaker, PSA, announced on Monday it is closing down all its European factories in the following days due to the Covid-19 crisis. The closure will be effective to March 27th at least. According to the Executive Board of the car manufacturer, the virus infection is closing into specific production sites, and supply disruptions are […]
February 04, 2020
South Korean carmaker, Hyundai, and its sister company, Kia, announced on Tuesday they will temporarily stop all production in its Korean factories due to supply issues with parts made in China, affected by the coronavirus crisis over there. Hyundai has 20 factories worldwide, seven of them in Korea itself are affected. Not all factories will […]
January 08, 2020
On Tuesday, a dry press message from car manufacturer Seat announced that CEO Luca de Meo was no longer in function. Most analysts see in this the sign that the deal with Renault is almost concluded. “Seat informs that, on his request and in common agreement with the Volkswagen Group, Luca de Meo is stepping […]
January 07, 2020
Touring Superleggera, one of the legendary Italian ‘Carrozzeria’, born in 1926, has appointed the Ginion group as its importer for Belgium and Luxembourg. The Touring Sciàdipersia Cabriolet (world premiere in Geneva last year) will be exhibited in the Dream Car hall of the Brussels Motor Show (10th to 19th of January) to celebrate this new […]
December 21, 2017
Eberhard Kern, CEO of the Mercedes-Benz Benelux organization headquartered in Brussels, is leaving for the German head office by April 1st 2018. Who is going to succeed him in Belgium and what Kern’s new function in Stuttgart will be, is not clear yet. The 53 year old CEO started his career at Daimler AG in […]
November 29, 2017
Chinese car maker Geely, owner of Volvo, considers building its new branded Lynk 01 car in the Belgian Volvo factory in Ghent. This was confined to the Reuters news agency in an interview by Alain Visser, commercial director at Lynk & Co and a Belgian himself. Same platform as XC40 The new brand is a […]
November 28, 2017
The Dutch government Authority for Consumer and Market (ACM) has fined Volkswagen with the maximum fine possible, 450.000 euro, for using cheating software and misleading Dutch consumers. Cheating software Volkswagen claimed that its diesels complied with the European standards, but in 2015 the dieselgate scandal broke in the US, showing that the German car maker […]
November 09, 2017
On Thursday, Opel’s CEO Michael Lohscheller has unfolded his plans – called PACE! – to regain profitability by 2020 as demanded by PSA. Without ‘forced redundancies and while keeping all plants open’ Opel will reduce costs by 700 euro per car among others and go all the way in synchronizing with PSA for efficiency. All […]
