July 26, 2022
Belgian wind park company Storm has applied for a building and operating permit for a large-scale battery park in Genk (Limburg), on the former site of the power station in Langerlo, the last coal-fired power generating plant in Belgium that shut down in 2016. The latter was revealed by Het Belang van Limburg on Tuesday. […]
July 25, 2022
The Vivaldi government has finally come to ‘an agreement in principle’ with energy provider Engie to keep Belgium’s two youngest nuclear power plants – Doel 4 and Tihange 3 – open for ten more years. Both plants will restart their activities in November 2026. That is what Prime Minister Alexander De Croo (Open Vld), and […]
July 25, 2022
Renault’s sports car subsidiary Alpine gives a glimpse at its electric future with a concept car. The Alpine A110 E-ternité is based on the brand’s combustion sports car but has been rebuilt for the study as an all-electric open sports car with 178 kW of power. The cells of the 60 kWh battery for a […]
July 22, 2022
Last year, more than one-third (36,08%) of Flanders’s electricity came from renewable energy sources. That was slightly more than one year earlier (35,8%), the Flemish energy regulator VREG calculated. The VREG report shows that about 45% of all green electricity in Flanders is produced locally (in Belgium), and more than half (55%) abroad. In Norwegian […]
July 22, 2022
In Belgium and Europe, the sales of electrified cars represented almost one-third of total sales for the second quarter of 2022. The European association of car manufacturers has just published the Q2 results. The electrified models continue their growth path in a general car market that is still regressing compared to last year due to […]
July 20, 2022
The English sports car producer Lotus, now part of the Chinese Geely automotive group, has completed the construction of its vehicle plant in the Chinese city of Wuhan. It has just produced the first example of its all-electric Eletre SUV model, the first to be built there. The Wuhan factory is designed for an annual […]
July 20, 2022
In Camargue, in the delta of the Rhone, an osmotic power plant will be implanted in 2023. The National Company of the Rhone (CNR), the leading French producer of 100% renewable energy, announced this on Tuesday. Osmotic energy is generated naturally by the difference in salinity between the freshwater of rivers and the salt water […]
July 20, 2022
The GM subsidiary Chevrolet has unveiled the Blazer EV. Based on parent company General Motors’ Ultium platform, the all-electric SUV will be available with a choice of front, rear, or all-wheel drive. Meanwhile, GM CEO Mary Barra sees a great future for an electric GM in the future, also in Europe. Even though the Blazer […]
July 20, 2022
Porsche has postponed the market launch of the all-electric Macan until 2024. That has been confirmed by Porsche boss Oliver Blume himself. Also noticeable: in addition to the E-Macan, a new electric luxury SUV will roll off the production line in Leipzig in the future. “The market launch is in 2024,” Blume said in an […]
July 19, 2022
Bilmo and Octave, two Brussels start-ups, have launched two innovative projects. Both companies were winners of the competition project organized by Bebat and Leefmilieu Brussel. Octave’s first circular stationary battery was commissioned on Tuesday at Terranova Solar, one of the biggest solar parks in the Benelux. Bilmo provides cargo bikes with energy using recycled bicycle […]
July 19, 2022
There are rumors that BMW has decided that the next generation of models based on the ‘New Class’ platform (‘die Neue Klasse’) planned for 2025 will be built exclusively with purely electric drive systems. In addition, another rumor about the battery cells for the new architecture is confirmed. On the other hand, there’s a growing […]
July 18, 2022
Hyundai has unveiled the RN22e and the N Vision 74, two very different electric car studies from its N performance sub-brand. In addition, the Korean company has also confirmed that the Ioniq 5 N will debut in 2023. The compact electric car is the brand’s first fully electric high-performance model. Although the Ioniq 5 N […]
July 18, 2022
Belgian telecom operator Proximus is planning to roll out 15 000 new EV charging points in total, of which 8 000 at 4 000 existing cable distribution boxes in the public domain and the remaining 7 000 at semi-public parking lots with selected partners. EV charging-as-a-service will now become part of its business model. The […]
July 17, 2022
The Chinese car company Geely has created ‘Radar Auto’, a new brand of electric ‘lifestyle vehicles’ such as pickup trucks, SUVs, and all-terrain vehicles (ATVs). The first product is the Radar RD6 pickup truck, scheduled to go into production in the fourth quarter of 2022. Details are to follow at a later date. According to […]
July 15, 2022
Despite Flemish Minister of Energy Zuhal Demir’s call to postpone the closure until spring, the nuclear power plants of Doel 3 is closing end of September. Thihange 2 will follow a few months later. According to energy provider Engie, keeping both plants operational for a longer time is impossible for technical and safety reasons. The […]
July 15, 2022
After the F-150 Lightning, Ford’s first fully electric pickup, North America’s number two car manufacturer is also planning electric variants for its smaller pickup trucks, Maverick and Ranger, in Europe. Ford has registered the model names ‘Maverick Lightning’ and ‘Ranger Lightning’ with the European Trademark Office. When Ford launched the F-150 Lightning, an all-electric version […]
July 15, 2022
Canada’s Prime Minister Justin Trudeau announced on Wednesday that Belgian battery material giant Umicore will build a new battery materials plant in the capital Ottawa in the Ontario province. It will produce cathode materials to equip about one million electric vehicles with lithium-ion batteries a year and create hundreds of jobs. According to Ontario’s Economic […]
July 14, 2022
A bill currently under study in the North Carolina legislature would allocate $50 000 to get rid of free public EV chargers unless free gas pumps are built alongside. That’s what a Car&Driver magazine contributor has noticed in its state and neighborhood, District 52 of that same US state. “Politicians have to run on some […]
July 14, 2022
A new report, titled ‘Renewable Power Generation Costs 2021’, published by the International Renewable Energy Agency (IRENA), shows that almost two-thirds of newly installed renewable energy in 2021 had lower costs than the world’s cheapest coal-fired option in G20 countries. In 2021, costs for renewables continued to fall. For example, the cost of electricity from […]
July 14, 2022
Can an electric vehicle (EV) be powered solely by solar energy in the form of carried-on solar panels? The results of a Chinese team of 42 companies and three universities joining forces may show that it’s possible. A team from Tianjin has developed an EV – called the ‘Tianjin’– that is powered entirely by solar […]
July 13, 2022
In a few years, the largest green hydrogen plant in Europe may be built in the port area of Amsterdam. Together with the Port of Amsterdam, the young company HyCC wants to develop a plant with a capacity of 500 megawatts in operation by 2027. An initial feasibility study has been completed. The project, which […]
July 13, 2022
Belgian Energy Minister Tinne Van der Straeten (Groen) proposes to ask for a one-off crisis contribution from the energy sector amounting to 25% of excess profits. The details are now being worked out with Finance Minister Vincent Van Peteghem (CD&V) and will end up on the government table in the autumn as part of the […]
July 13, 2022
Fuel prices are skyrocketing and many Belgian drivers adapt their driving habits. One out of three drivers reduces his speed on the highway, and one out of five even postpones his next refueling stop. That is what Vias, the traffic safety institute, discovered. Vias conducted two surveys and interrogated about 2 000 drivers to analyze […]
July 12, 2022
Flemish public transport company De Lijn has decided to opt for the PSI eBus charging and depot management system from the German PSI Transcom. The PSI software package will control the charging processes of the electric buses and monitor all movements of the buses in De Lijn’s depots. The contract represents an amount of € […]
July 12, 2022
The Belgian materials technology and recycling group Umicore is investing in a Proton Exchange Membrane (PEM) fuel cell catalyst production facility in China. Located in Changshu, northwest of Shanghai, the plant is expected to be operational by the end of 2024. It will be scalable to adapt to the growth of the H2 commercial vehicle […]
July 12, 2022
Scania has delivered an all-electric truck specially designed for transporting timber to Swedish timber processor SCA, offering a gross vehicle weight of up to 64 tons on public roads and up to 80 tons on private roads. The vehicle will transport timber to SCA’s terminal in Gimonäs and the paper mill in Obbola near Umeå […]
July 11, 2022
By 2050, about one-quarter or about 150 megatons (Mt] of hydrogen per year of the total global hydrogen demand could be traded worldwide through retrofitted gas pipelines or converted to ammonia for shipping. This would drastically reduce the transport costs and the bulk; 75% would be produced and consumed locally. The latter is projected by […]
July 11, 2022
Car branch organizations RAI and Bovag have reported that one car out of five sold in the first six months in the Netherlands was a fully electric one. In this first semester of 2022, 29 531 BEVs were registered, an 82,9% increase compared to last year’s same period. According to both associations, this sharp increase […]
July 08, 2022
In the first six months of 2022, BMW Group sold 1 160 443 vehicles, 13,3% less than the same period in 2021 (when a record number was registered). Nevertheless, it increased its lead in the premium automotive segment and more than doubled its sales of fully electric vehicles. “Despite a very challenging environment, we were […]
July 08, 2022
Six years after Tesla completed its first Gigafactory, Volkswagen has begun building its own in Salzgitter, Lower Saxony. The construction start marks the roll-out of no less than six battery cell factories for Europe under Volkswagen’s PowerCo umbrella. “Today is a good day for the automotive industry and Europe.” Those were the words of German […]
July 08, 2022
The Itzehoe-based German manufacturer ElectricBrands presented a camper van based on its electric light vehicle XBUS. There is also news about the Microlino clone Karo, which ElectricBrands plans to launch later this year as the ‘Evetta’. ElectricBrands does not give many details about the new ‘Camper’ in the press release, except that it is “at […]
July 08, 2022
DATS 24, Colruyt Group’s energy and fuel supplier, is opening its third H2 filling station at the Researchpark in Haasrode (near Louvain). With this opening, “DATS 24 emphasizes its belief in hydrogen as a fuel for electric vehicles”, says a press release. “Besides industrial and logistics applications, hydrogen also has a role to play in […]
July 07, 2022
The Members of the European Parliament (MEP) no longer object to the controversial proposition of the European Commission to give some investments in nuclear energy and natural gas a green and sustainable label. From now on, they will get a green label in the classification system for investors. According to the European Commission, gas and […]
July 07, 2022
Chinese car manufacturer BYD is tackling the following countries after Norway with its aim to conquer Europe: the Benelux. In the Netherlands, the Chinese manufacturer has selected the car dealer group Louwman as its national sales partner. In Belgium and Luxembourg, it partners with Inchcape. Both are also Toyota importers in their respective countries. Louwman […]
July 06, 2022
Renault is preparing its Cléon engine plant (near Rouen, north-west of France) for the electric era. When one enters the plant, you’re welcomed by the slogan “Bievenue dans la megafactory”, an unequivocal wink at Tesla. Cléon has produced engines and gearboxes for 60 years and will soon be the electromotor specialist of the group, making […]
July 06, 2022
Dutch and French gas industry, represented by net manager Stedin, gas supplier GRDF, and risk management company DVN, are analyzing three sulfur-free odorants and their suitability for hydrogen in the gas grid. Hydrogen is odorless by nature, just like natural gas. Odorization is a standard procedure for natural gas distribution operation and has proven to […]
July 05, 2022
Jaguar seems to be planning three electric SUV crossover models in the course of transforming into an all-electric brand by 2025, local media reports. The new models will utilize Jaguar’s own BEV platform Panthera and are designed to break the £ 100 000 (± € 115 000) barrier in pricing. In its new ‘Reimagine’ scheme, […]
July 05, 2022
Peaking fuel prices in the Uk are triggering a wave of ‘go-slow protests’ on the nation’s highways. On Monday, the police warned about serious disruption throughout the day, and motorists were urged to stay at home where possible. Protesters created a rolling blockade along the M4, among others – the London-South Wales highway – at […]
July 04, 2022
The first production models of the new 7 Series have now rolled off the production lines at the BMW plant in Dingolfing, including the all-electric i7 offshoot. Meanwhile, BMW seems also to consider producing the future ‘New Class’ models in its plant in Mexico for the American market. The BMW Group has invested more than […]
July 01, 2022
Volvo Cars announced today it will establish a third manufacturing plant in Europe. The new state-of-the-art plant in Kosice, Slovakia, will be climate neutral and build only electric cars, underpinning the company’s ambition to become fully electric by 2030 and climate-neutral by 2040. By picking Slovakia as the location for its new plant, Volvo Cars […]
July 01, 2022
Not everyone is suffering from the supply shortage and the effects of the war in Ukraine. Big energy companies like TotalEnergies or maritime transport companies like CMA CGM register astronomic benefits. To avoid surtaxes, they propose ‘gifts’ to the average consumers. Total Energies will lower its gas prices along motorways by 12 euro cents per […]
July 01, 2022
The ‘i’conic BMW i3 ends its production with just over 250 000 units produced in the eight and a half years of its existence. It has never been as popular as now, but BMW has other plans with its Leipzig factory, and, more importantly, the model didn’t make money. The small i3, BMW’s first fully […]
June 30, 2022
Norwegian battery-maker Freyr has received approval from its board to expand its plans for a Gigafactory in the country’s north. Called Arctic Giga, the plant is projected to raise its annual capacity to 29 GWh. The clearance for the larger-than-planned scale was announced simultaneously with Norway’s first official battery strategy. Giga Arctic is Freyr’s – […]
June 30, 2022
Carlos Tavares, CEO of Stellantis, says being worried about the soaring energy tariffs. Add to that the steeply rising prices for raw materials, and you have a perfect storm that the car boss wants to counter with a 360° vision of mastering its total energy consumption and production. We have had the coronavirus, we still […]
June 29, 2022
This summer, the Belgian energy platform Bolt will provide three festivals – Rock Werchter, Sfinks Mixed (Boechout), and Boomtown (Ghent) – with green electricity. After a first experiment last summer with Werchter Parklife, the company decided to extend the idea to three other festivals. “The organizers of festivals put great efforts into making their projects […]
June 28, 2022
A new study on the cost of decarbonizing European shipping shows that running ships on green hydrogen-based fuels would hardly make consumer goods more expensive. On the contrary, green shipping would add just a few cents to most consumer goods. “Green shipping would add less than 10 cents to a pair of Nikes,” says Faig […]
June 27, 2022
Stellantis has invested €50 million in Vulcan Energy Resources. As such, it becomes the second-largest shareholder of the German-Australian lithium producer with an 8% stake. Vulcan and Stellantis have also extended their binding offtake agreement for lithium hydroxide by five to ten years, up to 2035. It has been known that Stellantis is betting on […]
June 27, 2022
Ford Pro, the commercial vehicle division of the American manufacturer, presented the Ford Pro Electric Supervan at the Festival of Speed in Goodwood, UK. Based on the E-Transit Custom, the boosted van can sprint from 0 to 100 km/hour in just two seconds. For Ford Performance, this particularly fast van is to showcase the potential […]
June 27, 2022
More than 5 000 units of Toyota’s first fully electric model, the bZ4X, and Subaru’s sister model Solterra are being recalled because of a serious safety problem. In sharp turns with sudden braking, the wheel hub bolts can loosen to the point where the wheel can detach from the vehicle. Some 2 700 Toyota bZ4X […]
June 24, 2022
Following a sneak preview in March, CATL presented the production version of its third-generation cell-to-pack battery (CTP), now called Qilin instead of Kirin. The pack should be capable of delivering a mileage of more than 1 000 kilometers and features a “disruptive” cooling technique. No modules. No additional wiring. More battery for the same space. […]
June 24, 2022
The Esso fuel station at the Antwerp Noorderlaan, run by Belgian family-owned G&V Energy Group, is the first in the country where the fuel pumps have been replaced by High Power Chargers (HPC) with 300kW capacity. A sign of the times coming, as G&V and Dutch Allego plan to do the same on 12 other […]
June 24, 2022
On a trip from Stuttgart to Silverstone, the ‘most efficient Mercedes-Benz ever’ breaks its own efficiency record and drives 1 202 km on a single battery charge. Thanks to its innovative thermal management system, the Vision EQXX prototype car achieved an amazing average electricity consumption of 8,3 kWh/100 km. Following its record-breaking maiden trip from […]
June 23, 2022
In a second vote on the climate ambitions of the European Commission, assembled under the ‘Fit for 55‘ umbrella, the European Parliament has agreed with the remaining issues and measures to reduce greenhouse gases by 55% in 2030. A central issue is the reform and the enlargement of the Emission Trade System. The European car […]
June 23, 2022
Ford Europe has chosen its Valencia plant in Spain as the preferred location for vehicle assembly, based on a next-generation electric vehicle architecture. Valencia has been preferred over the Saarlouis plant in Germany. “Pending product approval, the Valencia plant could produce breakthrough electric and connected vehicles beginning later this decade, says a Ford press release. […]
June 22, 2022
Sibelga, the manager of the Brussels gas and electricity distribution network, plans to use hydrogen by 2050 to heat old, poorly insulated buildings. According to the newspapers De Tijd, L’Echo, and La Libre Belgique, the company has had a study carried out for this purpose. As the availability of biogas is limited, green hydrogen could […]
June 22, 2022
D’Ieteren Automotive sees mobility from a broader perspective. In addition to the classic car distribution activities of the VW Group brands, it invests in sustainable mobility solutions such as sharing platforms (Poppy), bicycles (Lucien), charging infrastructure (EDI), and now energy supply with the acquisition of Go-Solar, a specialist in solar panels and home batteries. With […]
June 22, 2022
Some 50% of all charging points in the European Union are concentrated in only two countries: The Netherlands and Germany. These findings were published in a study by the European Automobile Manufacturer’s Association ACEA, unveiling a substantial disparity among the member states. At the same time, signals are appearing that the further rollout of the […]
June 22, 2022
An earlier EU phase-out date for cars and vans with internal combustion engines would net significant savings for European drivers and hugely reduce greenhouse gas emissions, according to new calculations by Greenpeace Germany. “An end to sales of new gasoline, diesel, and hybrid cars in 2028 would reduce oil use enough to save drivers €635 […]
June 21, 2022
The European Automobile Manufacturers’ Association (ACEA) commented on the latest EU plans, part of the ‘Fit for 55’ climate package. Regarding the regulations for private/non-public charging infrastructure, the Commission has to be more ambitious. Of course, ACEA welcomes the European Commission’s proposal to review the Energy Performance of Buildings Directive (EPBD) as part of the […]
June 21, 2022
BMW Group has announced that it will also develop and produce the next generation of electric drives at its main engine plant in Steyr, Upper Austria, from 2025. The plant will be converted to produce 600 000 of the new generation e-drives per year. In Steyr, BMW wants to manufacture the rotor, stator, gearbox, inverter, […]
