August 26, 2020
By 2035, the English sports car manufacturer, McLaren, will not sell cars wit internal combustion engines (ICE) anymore. The company is taking the turn toward electric and launches its first hybrid car next year, on a totally new carbon-fiber structure. “We will develop ICE engines for the next ten years and sell them for the […]
August 25, 2020
The Brussels region has finally installed its 100th charging station for electric cars yesterday. This station where two cars will be able to fill up with energy, concludes the first phase of the pilot project. “In the long term, 2035, we plan to install 11 000 charging points in public areas”, says Elke Van den […]
August 25, 2020
You have a few Rolls-Royces or Bentleys in your garage, and, of course, a series of other more plebeian motors. What can you do to stand out from the crowd? You can buy an (old) electric Rolls-Royce or Bentley. Too posh or old style? Try a fully electric Jaguar XK 120 instead. Lunaz is the […]
August 20, 2020
A few days ago, we posted an article on higher electricity distribution costs. We got a message from the Flemish energy regulator (VREG), rectifying some of the information we got. You can read the update on the information here. In the bespoke article, one of the key features was that the price of distribution costs […]
August 20, 2020
In Wallonia, a certain number of citizens are relocating clean sources of energies back to the communities, leading where giant industries won’t. Inside the REScoop Wallonie, 12 000 citizens, 16 cooperatives, and two associations have invested, among other things, 4,7 million euros in the hydroelectric plan of Grosse Battes. “We are citizens who don’t want […]
August 20, 2020
China’s Contemporary Amperex Technology Co. (CATL), the world’s biggest manufacturer of battery cells and batteries, is developing a new type of electric-vehicle battery that contains no nickel or cobalt, the company communicated a few days ago. The new battery type will be different from existing NCA (Lithium Nickel Manganese Cobalt Oxide), NMC (Nickel Manganese Cobalt […]
August 18, 2020
Hyundai just made a successful record attempt at the German Lausitzring. This time the circuit wasn’t used to set a speed record, the Korean manufacturer wanted to see how far the Kona Electric could drive with one battery charge. The 1 000 kilometer mark was broken easily. Kona Electric The participating cars were three Konas […]
August 18, 2020
People in Europen still consider climate change the biggest issue mankind is confronted with. Despite the worldwide pandemic crisis. That is the conclusion of a new survey conducted in seven European countries and commissioned by Vattenfall. Most serious problem Vattenfall is a Swedish multinational power company owned by the Government of Sweden. Beyond Sweden, the […]
August 18, 2020
The German government is going to give a $525 million (€441 million) state guarantee for the Northvolt battery giga-factory in Skellefteå on Sweden’s north-east coast. It can do this legally abroad, given the strategic involvement of German carmakers BMW and Volkswagen in the project. BMW has concluded a long-term agreement with the Swedish battery manufacturer […]
August 17, 2020
It looks from outer space, the Hyperion XP1 fuel-cel supercar with its 1 000-mile (1 609 km) range and a top speed of 221 mph (356 km/h), that was unveiled last week. But it is rather ‘a down-to-earth message through a product’ that hydrogen is the way to go, says Angelo Kafantaris, CEO of the […]
August 14, 2020
Coventry-based start-up Britishvolt is rallying partners for the built of its battery giga-factory on a former Royal Air Force site in Bro Tathan, near Cardiff Airport in South Wales. The first 10 GWh facility will produce in 2023 enough batteries for more than 100 000 electric cars, depending on the battery pack’s size. The ultimate […]
August 13, 2020
A Belgian company, Genker Oil, in the city of Genk has produced some 2 million liters of illegal diesel. It is alleged that 1,2 million euros in excise duty were evaded. The fine may amount to five to ten times the amount of excise duty evaded. Two types of diesel There are two types of […]
August 12, 2020
Swedish steel company SSAB cooperates with mining company LKAB and energy company Vattenfall to produce steel with hydrogen instead of coal. As a result, CO2 emissions would decrease dramatically. This could revolutionize one of the most polluting industries in Europe. Revolutionary process Next month, the Hybrit pilot plant should be ready for use. Hybrit stands […]
August 12, 2020
Belgian Ph.D. student at Gembloux Agro-Bio Tech, Quentin Schmetz, is working on the development of second-generation bioethanol. He has devised an innovative chemical process that makes it easier for bacteria to digest complex biomass from wood residues to produce ethanol. Bioethanol is used all around the world to power internal combustion engines. In Belgium, it […]
August 10, 2020
After ten customers actively testing the full-electric Mercedes eActros truck for over a year in Germany and Switzerland, its test-area is expanding to the Netherlands and Belgium. To start Dutch supplier of the Albert Heijn supermarkets, Simon Loos will use a 25-ton eActros daily for 200 km delivery trips out of the AH distribution center […]
August 06, 2020
Mercedes-Benz’s flagship will get in its electric version, EQS, which is to be launched next year, an estimated range of 700 km (WLTP) thanks to a newly developed battery pack using Chinese CATL battery cells. The German car manufacturer, Mercedes-Benz, and the Chinese battery producer, CATL (Contemporary Amperex Technology Co., Limited), on Wednesday announced an […]
August 05, 2020
Car-sharing service Share Now, active in the City of Amsterdam, has noted that car-sharing is becoming increasingly popular in these corona times. Compared to last year, the average renting time and the average mileage of a shared car have increased. Share Now is one of the pioneers of free-floating car sharing. In 16 European cities, […]
August 03, 2020
Renault offers all 27 inhabitants of the southern French village of Appy an electric car free of charge for three years. The aim is to gather user experiences. Each household gets a Renault Zoe of the latest generation, equipped with a 52 kWh battery that allows autonomy of up to 390 km. Renault wants the […]
July 30, 2020
Newly set up company Verkor wants to produce batteries ‘made in France’ for electric vehicles and stationary storage. The company announced on Wednesday its plan to open a ‘giga-factory’ by 2023. In the first phase, the plant will be capable of equipping some 300 000 EVs with batteries. The company is based in Grenoble and […]
July 29, 2020
Machine assembly has started at the ITER project, an experimental thermonuclear reactor to demonstrate the feasibility of nuclear fusion. Located in Provence (southern France), the ITER site covers an area of 180 hectares. In total, its financing is estimated at around 20 billion euros but the total cost remains difficult to assess. ITER is one […]
July 24, 2020
During the first six months of the year, Europe for the first time produced more green electricity than electricity from fossil sources. The corona crisis created exceptional circumstances that paved the way for greener solutions. Trend break The trend break was mentioned in the report of the British NGO Ember (former Sandbag). In the first […]
July 24, 2020
Polestar, the new car manufacturer of electric vehicles and daughter of the Chinese Geely Group, has opened its first ‘Space’ in Brussels, the third in the world, after Beijing and Oslo. Later, there will be three more in Belgium, in Antwerp, Ghent, and Liège. “Brussels gets renowned for the implantation of green mobility,” says Lies […]
July 23, 2020
Last week, Nissan presented its second full-electric passenger car, the Ariya. It’s also the sign for the new Nissan strategy to be developed. We had a brief virtual meeting with the CEO and COO and spoke with the newly appointed MD Nissan West Europe, the Belgian Koen Maes. For Nissan, 2019 has been an ‘annus […]
July 23, 2020
Audi is teaming up with Hager Group, a German world leader in electrical installations in a research project to make its e-tron capable of fully bi-directional charging. That means that the car can store electricity from the house’s solar panels and deliver it back at night to feed household appliances or ‘sell’ it to the […]
July 22, 2020
The Colruyt family, the family that gave its name to one of the biggest retailers in Belgium, has invested in VoltStorage. This German start-up produces big batteries for home-storage of locally produced electricity (solar panels, wind…) Via their private holding Korys, the family is the biggest investor of a group that injects €6 million into […]
July 22, 2020
A British start-up, lead and founded by some ex-Airbus engineers, promises ‘the world’s first 70-seater electric-hybrid airplane’ operational by 2028. It will be a propeller plane with four engines, two electric and two on kerosine or a more sustainable fuel, and will have a range of 800 nautical miles (1 481 km) to start. Kamran […]
July 17, 2020
In Germany, you can drive a Renault Zoë free of charge. How is this possible? Two reasons: manufacturers need electric cars to lower their average fleet consumption, and many governments subsidize heavily after the corona crisis. Autohaus König, a large German car dealer with different outlets, proposes an electric Renault Zoë for two-year leasing at… […]
July 16, 2020
German car manufacturer, BMW, has concluded a long-term agreement with the Swedish battery manufacturer, Northvolt, for sustainably manufactured battery cells. As of 2024, the order volume would turn around 2 billion euros. The cells will be produced in the Northvolt giga-factory in Skelleftea (north of Sweden), which is still under construction. Sustainable energy A key […]
July 16, 2020
A study by Dutch environmental research and advise bureau, CE Delft, based on the comparison of a classic gasoline Golf, the e-Golf, and the fuel cell Toyota Mirai concludes that there is no real future for the hydrogen car. The EV will be by far the most sustainable and cheapest of all, the fuel cell […]
July 14, 2020
While other major truck manufacturers are still experimenting with hydrogen for heavy transport, Hyundai’s first ten fuel cell trucks of a fleet of 50 are on their way to Switzerland. The 34-ton Hyundai XCIENT Fuel Cell with a range of 400 km will be leased by a joint venture with Swiss company H2 Energy to […]
July 13, 2020
The Luxembourg government is heralding a new era in climate goals that will mean the end of cheap refueling with gasoline or diesel within five years. According to its Mobility Minister, François Bausch, CO2 taxes on fuels will be increased gradually not to cause a shockwave. Bausch, who is a member of the green party […]
July 10, 2020
A research team of the Belgian KU-Leuven university has developed a prototype ‘solar panel’ that can produce ‘green hydrogen’ directly out of the air, using the energy of the sun. After ten years of research, it’s ready for upscaling. If Europe is serious about a clean hydrogen strategy for industry and transport to become carbon-neutral […]
July 10, 2020
After barely a week, Dutch subsidies for private individuals wishing to buy a new electric car have already been fully used up. Ten million euros had been earmarked, enabling 2 500 private individuals to buy an electric car with a €4 000 subsidy. The scheme came into effect on 1 July, and the money has […]
July 09, 2020
The European Union sets the bar high in greening its industry and transport sector and goes all out for hydrogen to achieve its goal of reaching climate neutrality in CO2 emissions by 2050. From steel and cement industry to trucks, trains, airplanes, and ships, hydrogen will become one of the key factors. And in this, […]
July 09, 2020
Last week, Brussels Mobility Minister, Elke Van den Brandt (Groen), and Environment Minister, Alain Maron (Ecolo), have announced that the Region aims at installing 11 000 charging points by 2035. An ambitious plan, knowing that currently, the Region counts only 350. The text also notes that fast-charging solutions aren’t planned, as they are ‘unnecessary’. To […]
July 09, 2020
On Wednesday, Spanish car manufacturer Seat has announced it will be investing €5 billion in Spain between 2020 and 2025, mainly in the development of the electric car. A large part of this budget will be dedicated to “R&D projects developing new cars, especially electrified ones,” declared Carsten Isensee, Seat president and successor to Luca […]
July 09, 2020
“Daimler can do better. And we will do it.” That was the message of CEO Ola Källenius on Wednesday at the general assembly of the group. An essential part of accomplishing this will be the green conversion Daimler is going to accelerate in the coming years. Dumping CO2 will be one of the key measures. […]
July 08, 2020
Audi has just presented the second concept of its coming electric compact SUV, the Q4 e-tron. It will be launched in 2021 in two variants, a classic looking, more boxy SUV, and a more elegant, coupe-style Sportback. The SUV concept was shown at the Geneva Motor Show in 2019. Now, Audi virtually launched the Sportback […]
July 08, 2020
The Dutch cabinet puts 15 million euros on the table for the further development of charging infrastructure for electric vehicles. Provinces and municipalities provide the same amount so that the total budget is 30 million euros. Part of the climate agreement The Netherlands wants to have 1,9 million e-vehicles in traffic by 2030, which will […]
July 07, 2020
French industrial gas giant, Air Liquide, and the Port of Rotterdam are carrying the load of an alliance for an ambitious project to put some thousand hydrogen-powered trucks on Dutch, Belgian, and Western German roads by 2025. That includes a network of 25 high capacity hydrogen filling stations and the capacity to produce ‘green’ hydrogen […]
July 06, 2020
Young Dutch start-up Future Current has developed an app – called ‘Laadje’ or ‘ChargeYou’ if you like it translated into English – that enables smart charging when prices are low to make the most out of variable energy prices. Otto Barten and Folert Niewijk are working in Utrecht on a platform that has to bring […]
July 06, 2020
Belgium will be able to meet the climate goals in 2050. That is what Willy Baeyens and Hubert Rahier, both professors at the Brussels University VUB say. In the blog ‘Belgium climate-neutral’, they plead for a sustainable energy plan. Climate-neutrality “We have a strong need for an ambitious transition plan of the government, but also […]
July 03, 2020
The German grid manager, 50Hertz, a subsidiary of the Belgian Elia, wants to be fully operational on renewable energy by 2032. Today, this is 60%. 50Hertz has expressed its ambition to be the first to provide its entire grid with purely green energy. The company, therefore, launches a plan to increase its part of renewable […]
July 02, 2020
French industrial gases multinational Air Liquide is going to build Europe’s first high-capacity filling station for hydrogen-powered semi-trucks at its Fos-sur-Mer site, in the Provence-Alpes-Côte d’Azur Region in France. It will enable up to 20 refuelings of long-haul trucks per day, for up to 800 km of autonomy. The 700 bar high-pressure station will be […]
July 02, 2020
Belgium’s electric car fleet is continuing to grow slowly, with 3 775 units registered since the beginning of the year (2,3%). However, unlike Flanders, which plans on installing 30 000 charging points by 2024, Wallonia lags behind and strongly believes that home and work charging solutions will suffice. “If we refer to the surveys carried out […]
July 02, 2020
Limiting subsidies and lowering federal taxes should ensure that the CRM support mechanism for the construction of gas-fired power stations should not increase the consumers’ energy bill. That is the agreement the Belgian parliament came to. The breakthrough was reached through unprecedented cooperation between the MPs of Groen and N-VA. It is not a perfect […]
June 30, 2020
After 116 years and some 9,6 million cars, the last one with an internal combustion engine (ICE) has been produced in VW’s Zwickau plant (in the state of Saxony, Eastern part of Germany). It was a white VW Golf Variant. From now on, only electric vehicles will roll off the line. With six different models […]
June 26, 2020
ElectriCity is assembling several players to start a project of electric taxis being charged ‘wireless’ via an inductive charging platform in the city of Oslo. The Norwegian capital is considered lately as the capital of automotive electrification. The ElectriCity project is bringing together the car manufacturer Jaguar Land Rover, the Scandinavian taxi group Cabonline, the […]
June 24, 2020
According to The Shift Project reflection group, Europe may run out of oil by 2030. The tightening of the world’s oil supply, changes in oil consumption in Africa and China, and the consequences of the Covid-19 health crisis could jeopardize the supply of ‘black gold’ to the EU in the next ten years. Despite lower […]
June 23, 2020
The French Citizens’ Climate Convention has presented 150 proposals to the Minister for Ecological and Solidarity Transition, Elisabeth Borne. Among them, a speed limit of 110 km/hour on highways, which is a sensitive matter in France. Their aim is to reduce greenhouse gas emissions by 40% by 2030. The convention is made up of 150 […]
June 22, 2020
Mazda’s parts distribution center Mazda Logistics Europe and the Belgian importer Mazda Motor Belux choose to go electric. They have put almost 3 700 solar panels on their roofs and installed 86 charging points in the parking lot. In collaboration with Engie, the roof of the distribution center and Mazda Belgium’s HQ has been used […]
June 19, 2020
Japanese diesel engine specialist, Yanmar, a big name in marine applications, has signed a memorandum of understanding with carmaker Toyota to use its fuel cell technology of the Mirai for hydrogen-powered boats. Yanmar’s goal is to realize an easily installable marine fuel cell system with an increased range for boats. In a press release, Yanmar […]
June 17, 2020
The Japanese car manufacturer has a quite different approach to electrification than most of its (usually far bigger) competitors. We already gave information about this in the recent past. Today, we had the opportunity, as one of the first in Europe, to drive their first fully electric car, the MX-30. Mazda stands for an original […]
June 17, 2020
The German carmaker, Volkswagen, is going to invest $200 million (€184 million) extra in American solid-state battery specialist QuantumScape. These types of batteries promise a range for EVs comparable with today’s ICE cars, up to 800 km. Both companies want to set up pilot production and say the plans will be ‘firmed up’ by the […]
June 17, 2020
With the advent of New C4, the French car manufacturer, Citroën, also launches its first fully electric car of the modern generation. New C4 is the new offer in the still popular compact car segment, commonly known as the C or Golf-segment. Of course, Citroën had already a few electric cars, but the recent Ami […]
June 16, 2020
In a joint statement, seven European states call upon the EU Commission for a common strategy and funding for ‘green’ hydrogen and setting production targets for 2030. It is signed by the energy ministers of Germany, France, The Netherlands, Belgium, Luxembourg, Austria, and Switzerland. The latter not actually a member state, but following EU rules. […]
June 16, 2020
Flemish Minister for Environment and Energy, Zuhal Demir (N-VA), officially opened the construction site of the Stormwind farm near the Nyrstar site in Pelt on Monday, International Wind Day. The wind farm is intended to become the most efficient wind farm in Flanders and will produce enough green electricity to meet the annual electricity consumption […]
June 16, 2020
BP estimates to book a value reduction of $17,5 billion for its gas and oil fields in the second quarter. The British company expects a much lower demand and price for oil in the coming years, partly as a result of the corona pandemic. $55 for a barrel of Brent oil for the period 2021-2050, […]
June 16, 2020
According to a report in the Netherlands (EV rapport 2020), electric vehicles are far more dangerous in everyday traffic. The possibility for someone to get hurt is three times as high with an electric car, the report claims. Unfortunately for the authors, further reading leads to a lot of question marks and very few answers… […]
June 12, 2020
The Brussels public transport company, MIVB/STIB, is currently having more than 2 000 solar panels installed on the roofs of two of their sites in Brussels, Jacques Brel, and Schaerbeek. From July, they will be put into operation as a new source of energy. With this installation, the company is continuing to transform its energy […]
