November 29, 2022
Owners of an electric car who cannot install a charging point at home and don’t have one nearby can ask for a public charging station in the immediate surroundings of their home. Since September, citizens with an electric vehicle can file such a request via an e-counter. In the meantime, 437 citizens or companies applied. […]
November 28, 2022
In 2021, the quality of bikeways along the Flemish regional roads was better than in 2019. As a result, not only has the infrastructure improved, but the comfort for cyclists increased. That is the conclusion of the Agency for Roads and Traffic’s latest bicycle report. The ART (Agentschap Wegen en Verkeer, AWV) publishes a similar […]
November 28, 2022
Cars that fail technical inspection in Flanders for a defective or insufficient working diesel particulate filter (DPF) will have one year to fix it and present it again for review. Minister for Mobility Lydia Peeters (Open Vld) decided after weeks of consultation to extend the period from three to twelve months, the newspaper Het Belang […]
November 28, 2022
The Mayor of London, Sadiq Khan, has confirmed the decision to expand the Ultra-Low-Emission Zone (ULEZ) to all of Greater London. After the conclusion of a consultation round, Khan has now put a date on the expansion. As of the 29th of August 2023, older polluting cars will have to pay a fee to enter […]
November 25, 2022
It’s called the Caterpillar 793 Electric. The American construction equipment behemoth showcased its prototype of a zero-emission mining truck at its proving ground in Arizona. The test area is also being transformed into a sustainable project to inspire mining companies in their decarbonization goals globally. Without providing exact specifications, Caterpillar showcased the prototype of its […]
November 25, 2022
Truck transport is massively polluting, and the emissions from transporting retail goods spike 94% during Black Friday week. However, there is a ready-made solution in the form of zero-emission trucks, the European environmental lobbying group Transport and Environment (T&E) says. Black Friday is notorious for peak consumerism and waste. Trucking retail goods is a dirty […]
November 25, 2022
On Thursday, Renault Trucks and Coca-Cola’s Belgian-Luxembourg branch Europacific Partners (CCEP) presented to the press the four first fully electric delivery trucks of a total fleet of thirty, which is to be commissioned in the next twelve months. The trucks with a range of 180 km to 400 km are charged overnight at Coca-Cola’s depot […]
November 24, 2022
The European Environment Agency (EEA) has published its recent ‘Air Quality in Europe 2022’ assessment, and the conclusion is not really reassuring. Although Europe’s air quality keeps on improving, air pollution still remains the largest environmental health risk in Europe, causing chronic diseases and premature deaths. According to the EEA, at least 238 000 people […]
November 23, 2022
Despite the popularity of teleworking and the reduced number of cars on Flemish roads compared to pre-corona times, traffic congestion is worse than ever. That flared up the debate on the introduction of a kilometer tax for passenger cars and vans in the Flemish Parliament. October 2022 was the second worst month regarding traffic jams […]
November 22, 2022
On Monday, November 21st, Elia Group welcomed Belgian Prime Minister Alexander De Croo (Open Vld) and the Belgian Federal Minister of Energy, Tinne Van der Straeten (Groen) to visit the Baltic Eagle offshore transmission platform. The project is a joint responsibility of Spanish energy group Iberdrola and 50Hertz, German subsidiary of Belgian Elia. The offshore […]
November 22, 2022
Belgian retail giant Colruyt Group will have its own truck fleet running on electricity or hydrogen by 2030 and forces all its suppliers to deliver using zero-emission transport by 2035. CEO Jef Colruyt announced the latter at the opening of the group’s fourth DATS 24 hydrogen station near its distribution center in Ollignies. According to […]
November 21, 2022
The switch to electric bus traffic in Brussels is being accelerated. In the next two years, four bus lines will become electric, and six additional charging stations near Westland Shopping in Anderlecht will be added. Brussels public transport company MIVB/STIB has announced this. According to MIVB/STIB CEO Brieuc de Meeûs, the terminals of bus lines […]
November 21, 2022
As of April 2025, electric car drivers in the UK are no longer exempt from road tax. Chancellor Jeremy Hunt made the measure public during his Autumn speech, stating that this would make the system “fairer”. Generally, it is not expected that the new standard will have a significant effect in slowing down EV adoption. […]
November 18, 2022
The Flemish government plans a new bicycle highway along the Brussels beltway between Vilvoorde and Strombeek-Bever. The new bikeway will be five kilometers long and connect several bicycle highways (F28 and F23, along the channel in Vilvoorde). The project fits in a larger-scale initiative to implement a total of 115 km of new bikeways connecting […]
November 17, 2022
The Agoria Solar Team, the student team of the KU Leuven, has succeeded in covering the longest distance in 12 hours with the solar car they developed. In 12 hours, the BluePoint Atlas, as their newest solar car is called, covered 1 051 kilometers, breaking the previous record of the Dutch Solar Team from Delft […]
November 17, 2022
The Brussels Region will launch a permanent citizen’s parliament on climate next year. According to Brussels Minister for Climate Transition Alain Maron (Ecolo), the initiative is a world first. Panels of 100 Brussels residents each will be able to ask questions, make recommendations, and be structurally involved in climate policy. They will also monitor what […]
November 17, 2022
This year, the Inter City Express (ICE) high-speed train connection between Belgium and Germany will celebrate its 20th birthday. In 2022, it will also transport a record number of more than one million passengers. On December 15th, 2002, the first ICE train rode between Brussels and Frankfurt. The ICE network is exploited by the German […]
November 17, 2022
The Danish shipping company DFDS has ordered 125 e-trucks from Volvo Trucks. The first new Volvo FH Electric Truck was delivered in Ghent (Belgium) on Wednesday during a launch event in the presence of Prime Minister Alexander De Croo. DFDS, one of the largest shipping companies in northern Europe, intends to run one-quarter of its […]
November 16, 2022
Gas network operator Fluxys, dredging company DEME, and the Port of Antwerp-Bruges port authorities are planning to produce green hydrogen in Egypt. The green hydrogen could be transported via the port of Antwerp or Zeebrugge, where Fluxys has already announced a first project. The project in Egypt should help meet the expected strong growth in […]
November 16, 2022
According to a recent study by Brussels University’s research center Mobi, the typical Belgian EV driver is a 47-year-old, technology-loving male. He’s highly educated and lives in a free-standing house. The Belgian charging station manufacturer Powerdale commissioned the study. VUB’s research center Mobi analyzed the data of 489 drivers with a hybrid or fully electric […]
November 16, 2022
Brussels city district Tour & Taxis will banish the cars from the streetscape from 2023 on their site. From then on, parking will only be available underground on the Tours & Taxis site. As a ‘five-minute neighborhood’, it wants to ensure that all facilities are accessible within walking distance, which is why soft mobility will […]
November 16, 2022
The German car manufacturer Volkswagen has refused a reconciliation proposal from the Belgian consumer organization TestAankoop/TestAchats in the so-called dieselgate scandal. The jurisdictional procedure will thus be continued, and the case will probably appear before the court in May 2023. The consumer organization wanted to use the recent change of power at the VW top, […]
November 14, 2022
Last week, the Commission proposed reducing air pollution from new motor vehicles sold in the EU. The aim is to meet the European Green Deal’s zero-pollution ambition while keeping vehicles affordable for consumers and promoting Europe’s competitiveness. The proposal tackles emissions from tailpipes as well as from brakes and tires. The latter will also apply […]
November 14, 2022
All lighting systems along the Flemish highways should be equipped with LED lights by 2027, three years earlier than previously announced. Switching to LED lights would be an important money-saver. Flemish Mobility Minister Lydia Peeters (Open Vld) is willing to invest 25 million euros in it. Today, the Flemish highways are equipped with about 30 […]
November 10, 2022
According to the independent think tank Influencemap, Japanese carmaker Toyota is in the shady company of the big oil and gas firms regarding a negative climate policy. Its score (-42) is the same as Russian energy giant Gazprom. The worst company in the world putting profit over the planet is Chevron. Toyota, which was listed […]
November 10, 2022
Europe just experienced its warmest October since the beginning of the registrations, with temperatures of almost 2°C above the 1991-2020 reference period. The day temperatures reached record levels in western Europe and, more specifically, in France, Austria, Switzerland, and large parts of Italy and Spain. Lower-than-average temperatures were measured in Australia, eastern Russia, and parts […]
November 09, 2022
French President Emmanuel Macron has proposed a decarbonization pact to France’s most prominent CO2-emitting industrialists. The French news agency AFP reported that it includes a doubling of public aid to 10 billion euros in exchange for a doubling of their efforts in this area. Macron, who has just returned from the world climate conference COP27 […]
November 09, 2022
Wallonia might consider for its regional low-emission zone (LEZ) postponing the ban on Euro 0 and Euro I cars for two years until 2025, Minister for Environment Céline Tellier (Écolo) has said on the news channel LN24. “In crisis times, it would be unthinkable to force people to buy a new car,” she added. The […]
November 08, 2022
It’s getting colorful but complicated. We already know grey hydrogen, the least environmentally friendly form, as it still generates CO2 when produced from gas, and blue hydrogen, where the CO2 is captured and stored. There is ‘green’ hydrogen, generated mainly by electrolysis using renewable electricity from solar or wind energy. But why not consider ‘turquoise’ […]
November 08, 2022
Drivers of scooters and motorcycles have not had to worry much about whether they are still allowed to enter Brussels since the introduction of the LEZ (Low-Emission Zone). However, this will change in 2025. From 1 January that year, the criteria will be tightened, and the LEZ will also apply to thermal mopeds, except for […]
November 07, 2022
The Belgian company and start-up ABEE (Avesta Battery and Energy Engineering) is considering building a large battery factory for electric vehicles and energy storage on the Seneffe-Manage industrial estate in Hainaut. The plant, planned for 2025 and targeting an annual capacity of 3 GWh, could supply millions of batteries ‘with a low carbon footprint’ annually […]
November 07, 2022
The French Minister of Transportation, Clément Beaune, pleads for a review clause in 2026 to readdress the end of the combustion engine in Europe by 2035. Beaune joins his compatriot Thierry Breton, EU Commissioner for Internal Affairs, who told European carmakers to keep investing in and assembling the internal combustion engine. In an interview with […]
November 03, 2022
The ‘free-flow’ highway without barriers at toll roads or the so-called “péages”, a system long established in other countries, will soon become the new standard in France. Users can drive at the permitted speed, without slowing down to stopping, by passing under gates equipped with cameras and sensors that identify their vehicle. The French state […]
November 03, 2022
Europe is warming up twice as fast as the rest of the world. Between 1991 and 2021, temperatures in Europe increased by 0,5°C per decade. These figures are reported by the World Meteorological Organization (WMO). The ‘State of the Climate in Europe’ report was drawn up together with Copernicus, the EU’s climate research service, and […]
November 03, 2022
“TotalEnergies’ greenhouse gas emissions are four times higher than what the French multinational oil and energy giant admits.” That is what the environmental organization Greenpeace’s French branch is accusing TotalEnergies of. The painful detail is that Greenpeace’s report was released just a few days before the start of the United Nations Climate Change Conference in […]
November 02, 2022
OPEC, the Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries, expects global demand for crude oil to keep rising until 2035. Africa, India, and other Asian countries will continue to drive demand because they need the oil for transport and in the petrochemical sector, OPEC said in its annual report on long-term expectations. Global oil demand was some […]
October 31, 2022
The government in the Grand Duchy of Luxembourg will invest more than 4,5 million euros in additional charging infrastructure for electric vehicles. The idea is to construct 672 additional charging points, of which 44 fast chargers. A total of 29 projects from 19 companies have been selected as part of the first call for funding. […]
October 31, 2022
Michelin has unveiled two tires that are made to a large extent from sustainable materials. The model for cars contains 45% recycled components; the one for buses even raises the ratio to 58%. According to the brand, this represents a new milestone, as this will be the first tire with circular materials on the market. […]
October 31, 2022
At Grünheide, the location of Tesla’s Giga Berlin factory, heavy-duty machines have started to clear the nearby patches of forest for the expansion of the factory. The carmaker will clear an additional 70 hectares at the site. For constructing its only Gigafactory in Europe, Tesla acquired a forested area of roughly 300 hectares in Brandenburg. […]
October 28, 2022
Thursday evening, the negotiators of the European Parliament and the Member States have reached an agreement to have all new cars and vans sold beyond 2035 to be zero-emission. It’s the ultimate step to have the ban on gasoline and diesel cars, including (plugin-) hybrids, written in stone before final ratification. “This extremely far-reaching decision […]
October 26, 2022
The Good Move circulation plan in the Brussels region continues to cause a commotion. After protests, the municipality of Schaerbeek is already implementing the first modification to the circulation plan. The Interprofessional Federation of Self-Employed Entrepreneurs SDZ demands repealing the Good Move circulation plan. With its Good Move plan, Brussels wants to improve mobility in […]
October 26, 2022
Spie Belgium will install 252 new chargers for the Flemish public transport company De Lijn. Spie Belgium is the Belgian subsidiary of the Spie Group, an independent market leader in multi-technical energy and communication services, as it claims. Last year, De Lijn signed an agreement with Spie Ekoenergetyka, a new entity, and the result of […]
October 25, 2022
Allier, in the center of France, awaits one of the most promising mining fields for lithium in Europe. Primarily because of its strategic position and size. The industrial minerals group Imerys announced Monday that it will start mining this lithium deposit by 2027. The site in Allier will be “one of the largest” in Europe […]
October 24, 2022
The Flemish government will not immediately tighten the low-emission zones in Flanders. That decision will be postponed due to the citizens’ purchasing power crisis. Minister for the Environment Zuhal Demir (N-VA) announced the decision on Friday. Normally, the Flemish government would tighten the low-emission zone regulation on January 1st, 2025. According to the new regulation, […]
October 24, 2022
The new Euro 7 ruling for tailpipe emissions is reportedly not going to be as drastic as feared. It seems that the European Commission is giving some leeway to carmakers who strongly lobbied against stringent measures. The new ruling will most likely eclipse the current standards for gasoline-powered vehicles under Euro 6. According to the […]
October 24, 2022
Several major European cities and NGOs have urged the EU Commission in a letter to push through sales of zero-emission city buses only no later than 2027. They fear without action from the EU, there will not be enough incentive for the bus industry to ramp up production and supply to keep pace with demand. […]
October 21, 2022
Staff members of the Flemish government will be allowed to lease a ‘company bicycle’ as of November. The initiative is intended to focus on sustainability and the well-being of the employees. Employees can ask for a company bike in exchange for some vacation days and/or part of their end-of-year bonus. They’re free to jump at […]
October 21, 2022
At the TRANSfarm, a site near Leuven meant for up-scaling technologies developed at the Louvain University, the Belgian SolHyd research project is readying a 350 m2 production space for its hydrogen panel. The project was presented to the general public on Wednesday, as the province of Vlaams-Brabant provides a subsidy of €146 000 to help […]
October 21, 2022
From its European headquarters in Zaventem, Belgium, e-moped maker Blitz is pushing a successful international expansion. After Israël, Singapore, Belgium, the Netherlands, France, South Africa, and the States, the company opened a hub in the UK this month. Blitz aims mainly at B2B customers in the last-mile delivery sector, for which it has developed a […]
October 19, 2022
The Brussels municipality of Jette is putting the further development of its circulation plan on pause. Mayor Claire Vandevivere (Les Engagés) announces that the circulation plan, due to numerous criticisms, will be evaluated ahead of time, and residents will be extensively questioned. Among the green majority parties, there is dissatisfaction with the decision. On the […]
October 18, 2022
The air quality in Antwerp, and more particularly in the many so-called ‘street-canyons’ – densely populated streets with high buildings where pollution is ‘trapped’ – has still not improved. That is what the action group Recht op Lucht (ROL) (‘the right to clean air’) concludes after some measurements in the city. “Our findings should be […]
October 18, 2022
Apart from the already agreed coverings of the Antwerp beltway, the newly added covering projects from the reserve list will also be realized. They will be finalized together with the Oosterweel connection and provide more bicycle connections and greenery. That is what the Flemish Minister for Mobility, Lydia Peeters (Open Vld), announced. So, the reserve […]
October 18, 2022
In a citizen’s interpellation at the Brussels City Council on Monday, citizens demanded the immediate halt of the ‘Good Move’ traffic plan in the center. The citizens said they had not been sufficiently consulted. They also blamed the Alderman for Mobility, Bart Dhondt (Groen), for not being visible enough on the ground. In turn, some […]
October 17, 2022
At the Greentech Festival in London, Audi is showcasing a particulate filter for its electric cars that collects particles from the surrounding environment. It works while driving but also when the vehicle is stationary. The technology is currently in a prototype phase. As braking, tires, and road abrasion cause 85% of fine dust in road […]
October 14, 2022
Last year, air pollution in Flanders increased again. According to the latest report of the Flemish Environmental Agency (Vlaamse MilieuMaatschappij, VMM), this is due to the revival of the economy, intensified traffic after corona, and probably the increased wood burning. The good news is that the concentration levels of polluting substances are lower than in […]
October 14, 2022
The French car manufacturer Renault Group creates another new subsidiary called ‘The Future is Neutral’. The company will be dedicated to the circular economy and wants to have a turnover of €2,3 billion by 2030. Interested investors can take minority participation. ‘The Future is Neutral’ is ambitious to become “the leader on an industrial and […]
October 13, 2022
A new study by the Dutch technical research institute TNO about the possible uptake of zero–emission trucks to replace diesel in the coming years shows the battery-electric truck (BET) is the most cost effective (only) option from 2030. Fuel cell trucks will play a marginal role due to higher costs. By 2035, 99,8% of the […]
October 12, 2022
The cheapest way to make Belgium climate neutral by 2050 is a combination of some new, small modular nuclear reactor plants (SMRs) and more wind energy at sea. That seems to be the conclusion of a recent EnergyVille study under the authority of Febeliec, the Belgian federation of large industrial energy consumers. In the summer […]
October 10, 2022
US giant Amazon plans to more than double its fleet of electric vehicles making deliveries in Europe. The multinational technology company that focuses on e-commerce, among others, is planning an investment of more than 1 billion euros over five years, it announced on Monday, to work on decarbonizing its transport network in Europe. Amazon, the world’s largest […]
October 10, 2022
German air mobility company Volocopter has taken the next step on its roadmap toward offering flying taxi services. At Fiumicino Airport in Rome, their 2X electric air taxi took off in front of onlookers from the media and airport officials. The test flight is a prelude to offering real taxi rides in 2024. While the […]
