January 27, 2023
French automaker Renault has teamed up with compatriot R-FIT to offer, in 2023, electric retrofit kits for its iconic R4, R5, and later also for the first generation of the Twingo. A complete retrofit kit for the Renault 4 costs €11 900, VAT, and installation included. And the government is willing to subsidize it from […]
January 26, 2023
After 4,5 years of work, Amsterdam has inaugurated a new, underground bicycle shelter in front of the central station of Amsterdam. The secured bike racks, built under the water of the station square, offer parking space for almost 7 000 vehicles. Cyclists can park their bikes 24/7, the first 24 hours are free. Cyclists enter […]
January 25, 2023
German multinational energy company RWE is building two new plants in the Maastricht-Roermond region in the Netherlands, to produce 54 000 tons of green hydrogen yearly out of 700 000 tons of municipal solid waste that otherwise would have to be incinerated. Hydrogen from non-recyclable solid waste streams saves around 3,6 million tons of CO2 […]
January 24, 2023
Public transport company De Lijn has ordered the first 17 electric tram buses for the Spartacus project in Limburg. The decision was made in May last year to shelve the almost 18-year-old plans for a tram connection between Hasselt and Maastricht and replace it by electric buses to be delivered now by Dutch-Belgian bus builder […]
January 24, 2023
The French start-up Fairbrics, a pioneer in the field, wants to capture the CO2 released by manufacturers to transform it while using molecular chemistry into polyester spools for the clothing industry. To that end, it will establish a factory in Antwerp, a pioneering project that should be up and running by mid-2024. The project is […]
January 20, 2023
In 2022, car recycling organization Febelauto recuperated 120 tons of hybrid and electric vehicle batteries to be recycled. Three times more than the 37 tons of the previous year. “This year, we should arrive at about 400 tons because the volume is expected to triple each year,” explains Catherine Lenaerts, director of Febelauto. About 48% […]
January 18, 2023
Belgian SMEs, companies of up to 250 employees, invest more rapidly in ‘green’ car fleets. In 2022, one in eight new commercial vehicles was fully electric. Most company cars (80%) are younger than five years, and since 2021, there are more new hybrid gasoline cars than diesel cars. The largest part of newly registered company […]
January 17, 2023
Consumer credits for new cars in 2022, amounting to around two billion euros, support the transition to environmentally friendly vehicles. That is the conclusion of BVK, the professional association for credit (Beroepsvereniging van het Krediet, BVK), and published by the federation of the financial sector Febelfin. Following the opening of the actual Brussels Motor Show, […]
January 17, 2023
Minister Petra De Sutter (Groen) wants more parcels delivered by bicycle, she said during a company visit to Cargo Velo, the all-round urban courier service operational in Ghent, Antwerp, and Brussels. E-commerce is still booming, partly due to the corona crisis, but, unfortunately, most deliveries are still made by vans. However, according to experts, at […]
January 17, 2023
Antwerp Airport reopened its connection with London on Monday. Luxembourg-based airline Luxair is responsible for the link to London City Airport. In the first phase, they will fly to the British capital four times a week. Although flying is climate-friendly compared to before, traveling by Eurostar remains a good deal less polluting, even if the […]
January 17, 2023
Electrification and the swing toward SUVs are making their mark on the scales of the Belgian car fleet. On average, cars now weigh 10% more than three years ago, according to research by Energyville. According to the organization, the weight penalty of both trends is terrible news for safety and CO2 goals. Energyville spots two […]
January 13, 2023
On Thursday, New Holland Agriculture, a global player in agricultural machinery, showed in Belgium its first tractor that runs on methane, a gas emitted from various anthropogenic (human-influenced) and natural sources, like cows, goats, and sheep. The vehicle was presented at Agriflanders, an agricultural fair in Flanders Expo (in Ghent, Belgium). Earlier, two new prototypes […]
January 11, 2023
New data from the Copernicus Climate Change Service of the European Union reveal that 2022 was a year of climate extremes, with record-high temperatures and increasing greenhouse gas concentrations in the atmosphere. The year 2022 was the second warmest in recent history for Europe. Only 2020 was even warmer. The temperature did not reach absolute […]
January 10, 2023
Dutch individuals buying an electric car this year or leasing one privately can apply for a subsidy again. That popular subsidy moneybox was empty at the end of May, but it is refueled with 99,4 million euros, 8 million euros more than in 2022. Because the amount per car has been reduced, more people can […]
January 10, 2023
An electric vehicle replacing one with a classic combustion engine (ICE) can spare a European company today on average €3 599 and 5 560 liters of fuel per year per vehicle. That represents a reduction of 15 tons of CO2 per vehicle, a new report based on telematics data from Webfleet shows. Webfleet is the […]
January 09, 2023
Greenland and Norway want to produce green ammonia with Greenlandic wind. The Greenland-based company Anori and the Norwegian company H2Carrier have signed a letter of intent to build Greenland’s first commercial wind farm. The park will supply power for the production and export of CO2-free ammonia. The wind farm is projected to comprise 1,5 GW […]
January 09, 2023
Last year, renewable energy production continued to increase in Belgium, with several broken records. According to figures published by high-voltage grid operator Elia, in 2022, there was a gradual increase in the installed capacity of onshore wind power (+14%) and solar energy (+35ia. As a result, wind and solar power accounted for 19,8% of the […]
January 06, 2023
Norwegian energy company Equinor and its German sector partner RWE are planning to build an undersea hydrogen pipeline between the two countries. A protocol agreement has been concluded but a feasibility study will follow first. The agreement was signed in the presence of German Economy and Climate Action Minister Robert Habeck, who is in Oslo […]
January 05, 2023
The BMW Group shows its vision of ‘the future digital experience’, at the Consumer Electronics Show (CES) 2023 in Las Vegas. The BMW i Vision Dee is a futuristic mid-size sedan with a new, pared-down design language. ‘Dee’ stands for Digital Emotional Experience, aiming to create an even stronger bond between people and their cars. […]
January 03, 2023
Talking about EV incentives, this one from the African country Uganda fires one’s imagination: President Museveni announced in his end-of-the-year address he made a deal with investors to swap all motorcycles with internal combustion engines (ICE) in the country for locally-produced electric ones for free. The investors will be able to make their money by […]
January 03, 2023
Greece’s Ministry of Environment and Energy has announced the ‘Green Taxi’ plan. With the plan, Greece aims to replace 2 000 old and polluting taxis with purely new electric ones. The Greek government provides a budget of 40 million euros for this purpose. The new program will allow cab owners to apply for a subsidy […]
December 30, 2022
The United States is leaving an opening for foreign carmakers to benefit from EV tax credits of up to $7 500 under the Inflation Reduction Act. According to the Bloomberg news agency, The US Treasury Department signals in its Frequently Asked Questions list a commercial-vehicle clause in the law that imported EVs can qualify for […]
December 30, 2022
Europe is well on its way to undercutting by at least three grams the CO2 emission targets of 116 g/km set by the EU for new car registrations in 2022, according to German automotive data analyst Dataforce’s forecast. It is an improvement of six grams compared to the year before (119 g/km). Eventually, the EU […]
December 29, 2022
Last Wednesday, wind energy production in Belgium reached record levels. That morning, at 7:15 a.m., the combined wind farms produced as much as four nuclear power plants: 4 505 MW of electricity. The new record is partly due to the expansion of wind farms on land, and at sea, the national grid manager Elia confirmed. […]
December 28, 2022
European Sleeper, the Dutch-Belgian night train service announced in February 2021, will be operational in May 2023. The train will connect Brussels, Amsterdam, and Berlin and be available three times a week in both directions. The maiden trip is planned for May 25th, departing in the German capital at 10:56 p.m. and arriving the following […]
December 27, 2022
The city of Lille is to introduce an eco-bonus to ease highway congestion. So writes the French newspaper Le Monde. Congestion on the highways to Lille during rush hours is increasing so that alarm thresholds for fine particles in the air are increasingly being exceeded. Those who do not use their cars during rush hours […]
December 23, 2022
In the two coming years, Flanders will install at least 10 789 additional charging points for electric vehicles. Compared to the beginning of the year, the total number will almost triple. According to Mobility Minister Lydia Peeters (Open Vld), answering a question posed by MP Stijn Bex (Groen), Flanders is on track to achieve the […]
December 23, 2022
Wallonia lets go of the tight deadline for its regional low-emission zone (LEZ) that was to become active on January 1st, 2023, and postpones the ban on Euro 0 and Euro I cars for two years until 2025, together with the Euro 3 cars. This means a stay of execution for 6 200 of the […]
December 22, 2022
The United States Postal Service (USPS) plans to deploy more than 66 000 electric vehicles by 2028. This will make it one of the largest electric vehicle fleets in the country. The company announced this on Tuesday. The vehicles purchased under this plan will replace the aging fleet of more than 220 000 vehicles, many […]
December 22, 2022
According to the European Investment Bank (EIB), Africa can earn a trillion euros annually from the production of green hydrogen from 2035. This hydrogen can be produced without CO2 emissions using solar energy and transported abroad. The ‘Africa’s Extraordinary Green Hydrogen Potential’ report, analyzing Africa’s green hydrogen potential, was commissioned by the European Investment Bank, […]
December 22, 2022
Belgium’s biggest bank, BNP Paribas Fortis, wants to be far more active in the mobility sector. So it launched a survey among 2 000 Belgians about their mobility preferences. 35% of the respondents declared not to be ready for electrification (fully electric or hybrid), which is a 6% increase compared to 2021. The electric transition […]
December 22, 2022
This year, Flanders installed 55 additional windmills – twelve of them to replace old units – increasing the energy production by 204 megawatts (MW) to a total of 1 748,6 MW. The new units have a capacity of 3,6 MW, compared to 2,0 mW for the older ones. They’re situated higher in the atmosphere, where […]
December 22, 2022
More than one million cyclists passed the counting post in Brussels Wetstraat/Rue de la Loi, toward the city center, this year. It’s one of Brussels’ busiest approach roads, with the presence of several notable Belgian and EU governmental buildings. If you also consider the second counting post, in the other direction, the number of cyclists […]
December 22, 2022
Micromobility operator Dott, which has shared e-scooters and e-bikes in several Belgian cities, has acquired 15 electric vans from Maxus to use as service vehicles. The vehicles were delivered by the leasing company Athlon. The blue-and-red shared e-scooters from Dott are becoming common in Belgian cities like Brussels, Ghent, and Liège. Those bikes and scooters […]
December 21, 2022
In the Brussels region, 18 640 fines have already been issued this year for motorists who drove into the Brussels Low-Emission Zone (LEZ) in a car that was too polluting. So reports Brussels Environment. The number of fines rose again compared to last year, despite a longer warning period. Most of the fines are for […]
December 21, 2022
In recent months, the Flemish public transport company De Lijn had to cancel many planned trips. The reason for it was a shortage of staff. After an intensive recruitment campaign focusing on the largest ‘problem areas’ (Antwerp, Louvain, and the Flemish part of Brussels), De Lijn recently recruited 657 drivers. However, next year, the company […]
December 20, 2022
The Dutch electric bus manufacturer Ebusco has revealed a new model for its zero-emissions line-up: the Ebusco 3.0 18-meter, an articulated bus made from composite materials. That keeps the weight very low and gives the bus an electric range of up to 700 km, with a passenger capacity of 150 people. The main advantage of […]
December 20, 2022
Trucks hauling Christmas presents to Europeans will emit an extra 10 300 tons of nitrogen oxides in December. According to a new study by the environmental organization Transport & Environment (T&E), heavy-duty vehicles transporting gifts all over Europe will produce 133% more nitrogen oxide (NOx) emissions in December than in other months. Carbon emissions will […]
December 20, 2022
Volkswagen Group has told the newspaper Financial Times that it has cut loose its external partners within its CO2 pool. After meeting the CO2 targets last year, with the help of four Chinese carmakers, the output of electric vehicles at the German car giant is now vast enough to proceed on the EV strength of […]
December 19, 2022
Norway is the world leader in EV adoption, but in its far northern remote regions, a lot of its inhabitants still must make ends meet without an electricity grid. For one specific reindeer farm, Hyundai came to the rescue and powered a cabin for light and cooking lunch. No, not some Christmas magic, just the […]
December 19, 2022
From 2027 onward, citizens of the European Union will have to pay for the greenhouse gases they emit through their transport and the heating of their homes. On Saturday, negotiators from the European Parliament and the European Council, which represents the Member States, agreed on this. Climate goals This means that everyone within the European […]
December 19, 2022
Mercedes-Benz has signed a letter of intent with Norwegian aluminum producer Hydro to significantly reduce the CO₂ footprint of aluminum in the automotive supply chain. A fully electric Mercedes luxury car can contain up to 700 kg of aluminum. From 2023, this metal delivered by the Norwegians for the German carmaker’s electric lineup will already […]
December 16, 2022
No diesel cars will be allowed in the low-emission zones (LEZ) of Antwerp and Ghent from 2031, the Flemish government decided this week. The newspaper De Morgen was the first to report that, and the deadline for gasoline cars in 2035, which will also be banned. Even plugin hybrid will no longer get free entry. […]
December 16, 2022
Two family businesses from Limburg (Belgium) – Orbix in Genk and Betonagglomeraten Gubbels Masterbloc in Maasmechelen (both Limburg) – have launched a world-first: they produce CO2 ‘absorbing’ construction blocks based on slag from the steel industry. The finished products are bricks in which cement has been replaced by CO2 as a binding agent. The bricks […]
December 15, 2022
IKEA launched its first ‘low-carbon’ delivery operation to customers in Paris on Wednesday, with the help from the Belgian inland waterways specialist Blue Line Logistics. From now on, IKEA will use the Seine river and electric last-mile delivery vehicles to bring the furniture to the customers’ homes. “We are the first major distributor to serve […]
December 15, 2022
The Federal Government and energy provider Elia have signed an agreement relating to the financial support offered up as part of the Recovery & Resilience Facility (RRF). The fund was established by the European Commission during the corona pandemic to support future-oriented investments being undertaken by Member States. The signing of the protocol, which governs […]
December 14, 2022
The EU members and the European Parliament have agreed on introducing a CO2 tax for non-European companies. The new climate measure applies to the aluminum, steel, and fertilizer sectors and the hydrogen industry. The so-called Carbon Border Adjustment Mechanism (CBAM) makes companies outside the EU pay for their CO2 emissions, just as European companies already […]
December 14, 2022
A recent Green Impact study, ordered by Mobility Minister George Gilkinet (Ecolo), confirms the potential of recycling and reusing batteries. The study results were presented on Tuesday at Umicore’s site in Hoboken (Antwerp). Batteries contain rare materials like lithium, nickel, and black lead, so they are a source of valuable resources. Besides, only a few […]
December 13, 2022
The European Commission will allocate more than 150 million euros for two Belgian projects intended to capture CO2 in the ports of Antwerp and Ghent. That is what the companies involved in the project communicated on Monday in a common press release. Antwerp@C Export Hub is a joint project of Air Liquide, BASF, Borealis, ExxonMobil, […]
December 13, 2022
Battery-powered cars make up 20% of the Norwegian car fleet, according to the Norwegian Electric Vehicle Association. The numbers have doubled over a period of less than three years, demonstrating how the incentives, though revised by the government, have successfully pushed EV adoption. The organization expects that the share will rise to 30% by 2025, […]
December 12, 2022
The impact of batteries on the environment and communities is set to significantly improve under a new law agreed by EU lawmakers on Friday. The European Union will impose battery producers tougher environmental standards. Batteries should become more environmentally friendly, easier to replace, and recyclable. The new law will apply to all types of batteries […]
December 09, 2022
Delhaize has ambitious plans: next year, the supermarket chain is to install 1 800 public fast-charging stations up to 150 kW for electric vehicles on the parking grounds of its stores. By providing such a large number of charging points – the largest in the retail sector – and making them accessible to everyone 24/7, […]
December 09, 2022
The registrations of new motorbikes and second-hand ones scored surprisingly well in November. Last month, 1 093 new motorbikes were registered, an increase of 25,3% compared to last year. However, not enough for a positive annual figure. Speed pedelecs, on the other hand, continue to peak. The annual total over the first eleven months is […]
December 09, 2022
In the port of Ghent, steelmaker ArcelorMittal has inaugurated its ‘Steelanol’ project, which converts gas from its blast furnaces into bioethanol. The project represents an investment of 200 million euros. It is part of the company’s plans to become carbon neutral by 2050. “Our customers are looking for green steel, and we want to lead […]
December 08, 2022
The city of Antwerp welcomes two new hydrogen-powered municipal waste collection vehicles. A first for Flanders. The vehicles were introduced on Wednesday, December 7th, at the DATS 24 hydrogen filling station in Wilrijk (Antwerp, Belgium). Hydrogen-powered vehicles are very quiet and clean. They’re equipped with an electric motor and a fuel cell and only emit […]
December 08, 2022
France will ban short-haul domestic flights in favor of the train. The country was given the green light by the European Commission to abolish flights between cities if the link by train offers an alternative solution with trips of fewer than 2,5 hours. But Willie Walsh, the Director General of the International Air Transport Association […]
December 06, 2022
Air France-KLM is to buy 800 000 tons of non-fossil Sustainable Aviation Fuel (SAF) over ten years from TotalEnergies to meet its environmental objectives. The two companies signed on Monday a memorandum of understanding for this, starting in 2023. The fuel will be produced by TotalEnergies in its biorefineries and made available to Air France-KLM […]
December 06, 2022
The global energy crisis has triggered an unprecedented acceleration in installations of renewable power, reports the International Energy Agency (IEA). Energy security concerns caused by Russia’s invasion of Ukraine have motivated countries to increasingly turn to renewables such as solar and wind to reduce reliance on imported fossil fuels. Prices of the latter have spiked […]
December 02, 2022
Next year, Flemish Minister for Mobility and Public Works (Open Vld) will invest 2,3 billion euros in 815 projects. In all those projects, three keywords are involved: bicycle, safety, and sustainability. The largest part of the budget is destined for the Agency for Roads and Traffic (Agentschap Wegen en Verkeer, AWV) (€738 million) and the […]
December 02, 2022
Low-cost airline Ryanair has signed an agreement with Shell to supply more sustainable aviation fuel (SAF). The oil and gas group will help make SAF more available to the Irish carrier’s fleet at 200 European airports. This mainly concerns Ryanair’s largest bases in Dublin and London Stansted. Ryanair has already partnered with Neste, the world’s […]
