January 24, 2025
At the Brussels Motor Show, we spoke with a couple of top managers at Stellantis. The group caused a small earthquake at the end of last year when CEO Tavares was suddenly ousted. It was the last devastating event in a very incidental 2024, resulting in fewer sales, loss of market share, and dwindling profits. […]
January 23, 2025
Citroën allegedly wants to give the classic 2CV model a second life. Initial design work for a new electric edition of the 2CV is probably already underway, but the project is still at an early stage. Read: It has not yet been fully decided. Citroën also seems to be reacting to its competitor Renault, who […]
January 22, 2025
Renault could introduce two electric cars in India in the next two years. After evaluating an EV akin to Dacia’s Spring for several years, the company is considering larger models. According to a report from the Indian website Autocar Professional, Renault will resume launching new cars in India in 2026 after a five-year hiatus. In […]
January 21, 2025
Brussels Airport is launching a pilot project to sell the power generated by its solar panels to 100 households in four neighboring municipalities. The airport operator promises a discount of about 124 euros off an average household’s annual electric energy bill. Collaboration with energy platform Bolt The pilot project is being run in collaboration with […]
January 21, 2025
Austrian transport company Hödlmayer has put its first electric truck for car transport into operation, transporting vehicles for Magna Steyr in Graz. This Mercedes eActros 300 is also Austria’s first electric car transporter, a type of transport where electrification is still rare. On January 9, 202, Hödlmayer first started using its Mercedes eActros 300 with […]
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 21, 2025
Upon returning to office Monday, President Donald Trump wasted no time moving against one of his most frequent targets on the campaign trail: electric vehicles and the Biden administration policies that contributed to their rise. On the first day, he had already signed many executive orders to reverse course from his predecessor. The future will […]
January 20, 2025
D’Ieteren Energy, the new energy arm of Belgian auto importer D’Ieteren, is steping into hypercharging with the unveiling of its innovative FusionCharger. This cutting-edge DC charging station, developed by Huawei, leverages liquid-cooled technology to deliver ultrafast charging capabilities and keep peak power available regardless the number of charging cars. The FusionCharger was under demonstration at […]
January 20, 2025
Both Renault and its low-cost daughter, Dacia, have increased their sales in 2024. The Renault Group sold 2,264 million cars worldwide (+1.3%), and two-thirds of these 1,59 million) were sold in Europe. Dacia sold 676,340 cars, 2.7% more than last year. Meanwhile, the brand has announced its first EV for 2027. Those growth percentages may […]
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 17, 2025
Dutch fast-charging provider Fastned temporarily slows down in its expansion push as EV acceptance sputters in some parts of Europe. It forecasts “that development time lags will be longer than previously anticipated.” In its updated 2025 guidance, Fastned aims to have 400 to 425 stations operational by year-end, more than €325,000 in revenues per station, […]
January 15, 2025
Toyota, the world’s number one car manufacturer, has been revealed as the most prominent auto industry funder of climate deniers in the US Congress, according to a report released last week by Public Citizen. Meanwhile, it is spending a lot of money and influence lobbying against EV regulations. Public Citizen’s report, “Driving Denial: How Toyota’s […]
January 14, 2025
Despite all negative coverage in recent times, worldwide sales of electric vehicles grew by 25% in 2024. According to data from the British company Rho Motion, an electric vehicle research consultancy, 17.1 million battery-electric vehicles were sold last year. There’s a noticeable difference between regions. The progress in China was evident (11 million electric vehicles, […]
January 10, 2025
At the Brussels Motor Show, Japanese independent car manufacturer Mazda reintroduces its 6 Sedan on the European market with electric drive only. The car has a sedan look but offers a large tailgate. It is rear-wheel-driven and will initially be provided in a standard and a longer-range version. The car has been co-developed with Chinese […]
January 07, 2025
In 2024, 127,922 new EVs were registered in Belgium and Luxembourg, which is 37.3% more than the year before and a new record. Individual buyers more than doubled their EV purchase: +104.7%. On the second-hand market, however, an oversupply of EVs results in residual values that are too low. Filip Rylant, spokesperson of sector federation […]
January 06, 2025
D’Ieteren Automotive, Belgium’s largest car importer of all Volkswagen brands, with branches in energy services, is merging its charging business (EDI) and solar production and battery storage solutions (Go Solar) into one single unit, “D’Ieteren Energy.” The group is also active in other mobility sectors related to cycling (Lucien, Joule), shared mobility (Poppy, TaxisVerts), and […]
January 06, 2025
In the Brussels Capital Region, network operator Sibelga is converting streetlights into charging stations for EVs. BRUZZ and L’Echo/De Tijd, among others, report this. Such solutions should reduce the impact of charging points on public spaces. Some 40 such charging points are already operational, located in Woluwe-Saint-Pierre, the City of Brussels, and Uccle. Another ten […]
December 31, 2024
The Dodge Charger Daytona EV will try to live up to its name as the ‘World’s first and only electric muscle car’ as it hits new markets outside North America. Dodge’s new electric Charger is officially headed overseas, aiming for a more significant global market share. In March, Dodge finally took the sheets off the […]
December 26, 2024
The Government has invited the UK automotive and charging industries to shape the UK’s transition to zero-emission vehicles. On Tuesday, 24 December, Transport Secretary Heidi Alexander launched a consultation to ask industry views on the 2030 phase-out date for new purely gasoline and diesel cars and make the transition to zero-emission vehicles a success. The […]
December 17, 2024
From the beginning of next year, BMW will fill all newly built diesel cars leaving the factory in Germany with HVO100, a hydrotreated vegetable oil made from rapeseed oil or waste-based feedstock such as used cooking oil, residues, and other renewable raw materials. HVO100 has a higher cetane number (c80) than standard diesel and has […]
December 16, 2024
Almost a year after launching its retro-looking electric compact car R5, Renault has announced that it will also revive the R5 Turbo sports car as an electric car next year. Its drive system is expected to produce 368 kW or just over 500 hp. Renault continues on its retro-car course. The regular R5 E-Tech Electric […]
December 13, 2024
Stellantis brand DS Automobiles has finally unveiled its new flagship DS N°8. The SUV/crossover coupé will be the carmaker’s latest flagship and the first DS model to launch exclusively with an electric drive. The Stellantis daughter had already teased with partial press releases and pictures of the car, with big numbers on the side panels […]
December 12, 2024
At ArcelorMittal in Ghent, the first barge has been left with bioethanol derived from captured CO2. It is the first time that the steel plant’s so-called ‘Steelanol’ plant has provided enough sustainable fuel for inland barges to start using. The plant, a first for the European steel industry announced in 2019, could eventually reach an […]
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 10, 2024
The Doel 4 nuclear reactor is producing power again for the first time in months. Within two days, the reactor will be running at full power. Meanwhile, the Council of State warns of possible damage claims due to tampering with the nuclear shutdown. Doel 4 had been shut down since late August. As part of […]
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 10, 2024
BMW CEO Oliver Zipse has spoken out against delaying the EU’s CO2 targets for 2025. At the same time, he continues to argue in favor of remaining open to different technologies but sees electric cars as having the most significant growth potential. In an interview with the German specialized magazine Automobilwoche, Zipse advocates remaining open […]
December 09, 2024
In Belgium, employers must reimburse their employees with an electric company car for the actual cost of EV charging at home. So far, determining this ‘real cost’ has proved daunting, as electricity prices are ‘blurry’ and vary between employees and among regions, and digital meters aren’t widespread yet. To prevent confusion, the resigning Belgian Minister […]
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
Brussels energy regulator Brugel has approved Sibelga’s new network tariffs for electricity and natural gas in 2025 and 2029. This will initially result in a higher bill for Brussels households of around 67 euros. At the same time, Brugel is also introducing a specific tariff for reinforcing electricity connection points. The aim is, among other […]
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 05, 2024
The Stellantis brand DS plans to unveil its first all-electric sedan soon and is gradually releasing the first details. The new electric car will not be called the DS 8 E-Tense but the DS N°8, a sort of crossover coupé style sedan positioned in the luxury segment. A few weeks ago, DS published a teaser […]
December 03, 2024
According to a new ranking by Transport & Environment (T&E), only 10 out of 77 airlines are making noteworthy efforts to switch to sustainable alternatives to fossil kerosene. The remaining 67 are either buying too few sustainable aviation fuels (SAFs), the wrong kind of SAFs, or are not considering SAFs at all in their decarbonization […]
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 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
High-voltage grid operator Elia is postponing the decision on the energy island in the North Sea. On Tuesday, NMN announced that after earlier postponements, Belgium had finally issued a tender for the first of three new giga wind farms in the Princess Elisabeth zone in the North Sea. However, the decision has been postponed now […]
November 26, 2024
After earlier postponements, Belgium has issued a tender for the first of three new giga wind farms in the Princess Elisabeth zone in the North Sea. The first new wind farm would be put into operation by the end of 2028 and produce at least 2.6 terawatt hours of electricity annually. A tender for two […]
November 26, 2024
German carmaker Mercedes is ‘reinventing’ braking on electric cars by ditching the classic wheel brake disks and moving the braking system into the electric drive unit at the front or rear axle. This system is more efficient, quiet, and virtually maintenance-free for the car’s lifespan, and brake dust is kept inside without the need for […]
November 22, 2024
Flanders has the potential to realize 1,096 ‘smart charging hubs’ or ‘charging plazas’ by 2030–around 6,600 individual charging points. These central locations offer multiple charging stations via one grid connection. This was evident from a study launched on Thursday by grid operator Fluvius, environmental organization Bond Beter Leefmilieu (BBL), and consultancy firm The New Drive. […]
November 21, 2024
The first (pre-series) cars of the Neue Klasse have rolled off the production line at the new BMW plant in Debrecen, Hungary. These are not production models but test vehicles of the all-electric X SUV model of the Neue Klasse. As the validation of production processes is “progressing according to plan” with the assembly of […]
November 21, 2024
Once again, Ford has announced plans to reduce its European workforce by around 4,000 employees in 2027. There are 2,900 of them in Germany, 800 in the UK, and some 300 elsewhere in Europe. The car manufacturer hopes to increase its competitiveness in this way. At the beginning of 2023, Ford announced a job cut […]
November 19, 2024
The Dutch province of Zeeland wants to replace the Westerschelde Ferries, which currently sail across the Western Scheldt, with zero-emission ferries. Hybrid ships (diesel/electric) are also being considered. The States of Zeeland unanimously agreed to that proposal on Friday. The two ships currently transporting cyclists and pedestrians between Vlissingen and Breskens are approaching the end […]
November 19, 2024
Chinese CATL, the world’s biggest battery maker, claims a breakthrough in developing its second-generation sodium-ion (Na-ion) batteries. These batteries still perform well at minus 40° Celcius, which could make them an even more exciting alternative to current lithium-ion batteries, LFP or NMC. CATL envisions these batteries becoming the cheapest alternative, costing less than lithium iron […]
November 14, 2024
Engie and lime producer Carmeuse are terminating the Columbus project, an industrial carbon capture and use (CCU) plant at Amercoeur near Charleroi, for “economic and regulatory reasons.” The project had a total investment cost of more than 300 million euros. 187,000 tons of CO2 With the Columbus project, French energy company Engie and Carmeuse, in […]
November 14, 2024
Renault opened the order books for the first two Renault 5 E-Tech electric versions in May. The Techno version costs €32,900, while the Iconic Cinq version costs €2,000 more. Both versions have the 52 kWh battery in the ‘Comfort Range’. Some additional versions have now been added. However, you will still have to wait until […]
November 13, 2024
The Office of Gas and Electricity Markets (Ofgem) has approved three energy cables linking Britain to Germany’s, Ireland’s, and Northern Ireland’s power grids and lines connecting Britain’s grid with Dutch and Belgian offshore wind farms. The projects are due to be completed by 2032. The power lines, called ‘interconnectors,’ enable Britain to be more flexible […]
November 13, 2024
The Court of Appeal in The Hague has rejected the 2021 ruling in the case brought by the Netherlands arm of Friends of the Earth (Milieudefensie) and other campaigners against Shell. According to the court, Shell cannot be forced to specify specific percentages by which it must reduce CO2 emissions. Therefore, the court’s ruling at […]
November 13, 2024
After extensive upgrades at the beginning of the year, the Taycan lineup is growing to offer buyers even more ways to get one in 2025. Three additional versions complete the family, now counting 16 different variants. Porsche announced on Tuesday that three new members of the updated Taycan family will be in the showrooms in […]
November 12, 2024
Nissan is adopting a harsh cost-cutting course. Global production capacities will be reduced by 20%, and 9,000 jobs will disappear. Nissan also plans to sell about one-third of its Mitsubishi shares, representing approximately 10% of the total MMC shares. The changes are motivated by the company’s consolidated net value decreasing by 79.1 billion yen (approx. […]
November 12, 2024
Dutch fast-charging chain Fastned will deploy eleven fast-charging stations in the Belgian province of Luxembourg in the next twelve to eighteen months. Fastned won a tender from the inter-municipal group Idelux, which – under tourism pressure – wants to address the ‘EV-charging desert landscape’ in Wallonia. The Belgian province of Luxembourg, bordering the Grand Duchy […]
November 12, 2024
In November 2020, Bentley announced as part of its ‘Beyond100’ strategy that the entire model range would be converted to fully electric vehicles by 2030. The VW luxury brand has now postponed this target to 2035. The schedule change is part of the revised corporate strategy ‘Beyond100+’, which the new Bentley CEO Frank-Steffen Walliser, who […]
November 11, 2024
Mercedes-Benz’s sporty subdivision Mercedes-AMG wants to develop a full-size electric SUV from the ground up. The model will be the second vehicle based on the all-electric AMG.EA platform. Development vehicles are due to start their first test drives this winter. The AMG.EA platform, short for AMG Electric Architecture, is designed for Mercedes-AMG’s future performance models. […]
November 08, 2024
German premium car manufacturer Mercedes-Benz says its upcoming entry-level CLA will set the bar for EV range, charging speed, and efficiency with advanced new tech. Ahead of its arrival in 2025, Mercedes is giving us a slightly closer look at its new generation of electric cars. “With the CLA, we are ushering in a new […]
November 07, 2024
The new Flemish Mobility Minister Annick De Ridder warned that the number of EV premium requests has already surpassed 11,700, doubling the budget initially foreseen by predecessor Lydia Peeters (Open Vld). De Ridder (N-VA) wanted to take a decretional decision to abolish the premium as soon as possible. This decision was voted positively on Wednesday […]
November 06, 2024
Oil giant British Petroleum (BP) is putting up for sale all its 310 fuel stations and 25 EV-charging stations in the Netherlands. The British are reluctant to spend millions to continue their expensive highway concessions, for instance, and expand their business in a market considered ‘too small, ‘ according to the Dutch newspaper AD. The […]
November 06, 2024
Kia has already delisted the Niro EV from its German-language website. This is likely due to the new Kia EV3, which is hitting the market with remarkably similar specifications but stands better in every category, from charging to pricing. Meanwhile, Kia is testing rigorously its even smaller EV, the Kia EV2. There are even talks […]
November 06, 2024
On Sunday, the new French Economy Minister Antoine Armand pleaded to postpone the fines for car manufacturers exceeding the EU CO2 targets. A spokesman for the European Commission responded on Monday that such initiatives are premature. “Talking already about a change in the Commission’s position on these matters is really premature,” he said in Brussels. […]
November 05, 2024
Suzuki has officially unveiled its first battery electric vehicle, the e Vitara, in Milan, Italy. Building on the concept model ‘eVX’, the model will also appear as a rebadged Toyota in global markets. The newcomer is expected to hit European markets by the summer of 2025. As the Vitara has been a long-time bestseller for […]
