May 10, 2022
Brussels public transport company MIVB/STIB has offered 30 decommissioned buses to Cuba. It concerns 20 Van Hool A330 D1 buses and 10 Mercedes Citaro articulated buses. They are Euro 4 buses, which, under the low-emission zone (LEZ), are no longer allowed in the Brussels region from 1 January 2022. According to the newspaper La Dernière […]
May 09, 2022
Next month, BMW will launch the i3, but only on the Chinese market. It’s an extended version of the 3-Series marketed in Europe. This i3 eDrive35L will also be built locally at the Chinese BMW Brilliance Automotive Ltd. and will be offered with a 100% electric drive. For the time being, there are no plans […]
May 06, 2022
The annual report of Car Pass, the organization that has been charting odometer fraud for 15 years, reveals that in the past year 1 578 cases of odometer fraud were detected in Belgium. The biggest problem is still with vehicles that come from abroad, there is even a 2% increase in the number of fraud […]
April 04, 2022
No, it wasn’t an April fools’ joke. On Friday, April 1st, EU Internal Market Commissioner Thierry Breton appealed to European carmakers, asking them to continue manufacturing combustion engine cars despite their ban in the EU from 2035. “Even if Europe bans the sale of internal combustion engines, other countries in the world will continue to […]
March 23, 2022
The VW Group has outlined its electrification strategy for the US in a media gathering. Backed by an investment of $7,1 billion through 2027, the German automotive group plans to launch a portfolio of 25 battery-powered models by the end of the decade. Sales of models with an internal combustion engine will start phasing out […]
March 16, 2022
According to an analysis by Wells Fargo, global car production could shrink with up to 700 000 units during the first half of the year or 15% of Europe’s output. With 17 factories, Ukraine is one of the top producers of wire harnesses, which is in particularly high demand for building EVs. Due to the […]
March 10, 2022
Michael Fux has just received his Hispano Suiza Carmen Boulogne. This is the first example to go to the US. The manufacturer came to life again in 2019, when it showed a prototype of the Carmen at the Geneva Motor Show. Now, the first car, a special version of the Carmen, has been delivered. The […]
March 03, 2022
On both sides of the frontline, the automotive industry has to take measures to cope with the consequences of the hostilities in Ukraine. While local production in Russia is mostly suspended until further notice, international car export to the country is grinding to a halt. Meanwhile, the sanctions lead to the temporary closure of assembly […]
March 02, 2022
Toyota Motor Europe (TME) has sent its first batch of Yaris cars across the channel by train freight. This stepping stone will lead to a broader logistics network that ultimately connects the European plants of the car manufacturer by rail. As a result, it targets a significant CO2 reduction. In France, Toyota’s Valenciennes Vehicle Logistics […]
January 25, 2022
On Monday, the American investment company KKR made a take-over bid of 1,56 billion euros for the Accell Group the Dutch owner of bicycle brands like Raleigh, Sparta, Koga, Babboe, Haibike, Winora, Ghost, Batavus, Lapierre, and Carqon. The KKR consortium, a group of investors, will give the Dutch bicycle manufacturer a strong financial boost, which […]
January 03, 2022
From 1 January this year, France restricts international freight transport by trucks over 44 tons. More than 40 tons will only be permitted for intermodal transport by French trucks. France has ended all ambiguity surrounding the maximum weight for cross-border transport with the new legislation. The UPTR, the Professional Union of Transport and Logistics in […]
September 30, 2021
Active Ants, a subsidiary of the Belgian bpost group, has opened a brand-new e-fulfillment center in Willebroek. In this new state-of-the-art warehouse, people and robots are working together to pack thousands of parcels for webshops. The bpost group continues to grow (+3% compared to 2020) and, despite the record year 2020, e-commerce has not reached […]
June 07, 2021
Early May 2021, Nissan announced that it opened its order books in the Japanese home market for the all-electric powered SUV. However, today, it has become clear that it cannot meet the proposed deadlines due to shortages in the chip market. The Ariya will be an additional 100% electric model for Nissan, positioned above the […]
May 27, 2021
In recent months, we have seen the European market flooded by relatively cheap electric vehicles made in China. Despite the tense trade relationship between the States and China, we see a reversal, as GM wants to build electric vehicles on Chinese soil with its Ultium platform. Platform strategy The Ultium base is a platform that […]
May 07, 2021
While numerous glorifying press releases from German manufacturers reach us about the excellent figures for Q1 2021, the Ifo Institute (Leibniz Institute for Economic Research at the University of Munich) warns that one-third of the jobs in the German car industry is in danger. In a study ordered by the German car industry federation (VDA), […]
May 06, 2021
Since 2015, Genesis has been a separate brand within the Hyundai Group, of which Kia is also a part. On Wednesday, the brand announced that the luxury brand wants to commercialize its first product on the Old Continent this summer, starting in June in Germany, Switzerland, and the UK with classic ICE cars. End of […]
April 20, 2021
Although Harley-Davidson is currently able to present good results, the European future looks bleak for the American motorbike manufacturer. From June 2021, 56% of import duties will have to be paid on these iconic American motorbikes. So far Harley had found a way to pay only 6% initially, saying the bikes were assembled outside the […]
February 08, 2021
British exports to the European Union fell by more than two-thirds in January compared to the same month in 2020. This is according to data from the British freight forwarding organization Road Haulage Association (RHA). Although the corona crisis also plays a role, a significant proportion of the drop is linked to the extra paperwork […]
January 25, 2021
The continued existence of Nissan’s British production site has been regularly questioned in recent months due to Brexit. Today, the Japanese manufacturer announces that the assembly plant will be preserved and that there will be an expansion in battery production. This announcement is good news for the 6 000 employees currently working at the Nissan […]
January 07, 2021
Last year, the British car market collapsed: 1,63 million car sales (-29,4%) is the lowest figure since 1992, and the regress is the strongest (in one year) since… 1943. Moreover, the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders (SMMT) is not convinced that Brexit will solve things, despite the last-minute trade agreement. SMMT estimates the loss […]
December 22, 2020
XPENG is a fairly young Chinese car brand that builds electric models and has just delivered its first models in Europe. The first model is the G3, a compact SUV making its debut on the Norwegian market. In China, the G3 has been on the market since 2018, and the manufacturer is determined to supply […]
October 27, 2020
The export of old and polluting cars from Western countries is a threat to the countries of destination. Most of those cars end up in developing countries. That is what a report by the UN Environmental Program (UNEP) states. According to the report, 14 million old cars were exported between 2015 and 2018. Almost half […]
August 24, 2020
The family-owned Antwerp wholesaler Deldo is a top name in the world of car tires. It’s the second-largest tire dealer in Europe but few consumers know the name.”We rather not show off and prefer to operate in the shadow,” the family tells newspaper De Tijd. The company buys large batches of premium tires directly from […]
July 20, 2020
The corona crisis is causing problems at bus builder Van Hool in Lier. Orders are down, turnover is plummeting, 300 people have been laid off at the factory in Macedonia, 70 temporary jobs have been cut in Belgium, and construction of the factory in the US has been put on hold. Van Hool employs 4 […]
July 09, 2020
The European Parliament has voted the long-awaited ‘Mobility Package’, containing a series of directives to combat social dumping in the road transport sector in Europe. The directives also define the working framework for truck drivers. On the agenda: improvements in rest periods, driving times, and the installation of tachographs in vehicles. Vans over 2,5 tons […]
June 25, 2020
The British car industry is at the edge of the abyss. Squeezed between Brexit, Covid-19, and the electric transition, it is really fighting for its survival. The lonely bright star at the firmament remains Nissan Sunderland, but for how long still? Like in all other countries, the closure of the showrooms during several months, and […]
June 22, 2020
With a direct train connection to Grenoble (France) the Antwerp transport company Aertssen Logistics has recently reduced the number of trucks it was sending over the Antwerp Ring by thousand, it claims. The company specializes in the storage, modification, and dispatch of heavy construction and agricultural machinery, among others. Every year, the family business handles […]
June 19, 2020
When we talk about the car industry, we immediately think of countries like Germany or France. But almost the whole European Union is heavily involved in the automotive industry. Take the Netherlands, some 40 000 Dutchmen (and women) work in this field, mostly for suppliers of the industry. And those are going to suffer the […]
June 18, 2020
BMW wants to stop the production of its X1 model at VDL Nedcar in Born, The Netherlands, in 2023. By doing this, the German car manufacturer cancels the contract concluded last autumn. This guaranteed that the BMW X1 would be assembled in the Netherlands until 2030. What BMW’s decision means for the 5 000 employees […]
June 15, 2020
How is the car business waking up after the corona confinement? Belgian newspaper L’Echo asked Stéphane Sertang, CEO of the car dealer group Ginion, how he sees things. Ginion Group covers a certain amount of (usually premium or high-end luxury) brands. There is Mini, BMW, and Volvo, but also Ferrari, Rolls-Royce, Ferrari, McLaren, Pininfarina, or […]
June 11, 2020
Ford and Volkswagen have signed agreements that expand their global alliance for building midsize pickup trucks, commercial vehicles, and electric cars. Ford and Volkswagen first announced the plans at the beginning of last year. The two automotive groups already work together on autonomous technologies, through Argo AI. Ford leads the European light commercial vehicle (LCV) […]
June 10, 2020
Two Limburg family businesses – logistics group H. Essers and environment and energy Group Machiels – are planning to invest 30 million euros on the site of the former Ford plant. The project they’re investing in will be called ‘Port of Limburg’, and will be a container terminal for inland navigation. ‘Port of Limburg’ With […]
June 09, 2020
According to consulting firm AlixPartners, the coronavirus hits the automotive industry in France particularly hard. It does not expect a return to growth before 2030. Even before the pandemic, the firm warned about a crisis in the industry. After a peak in sales of 2,7 million vehicles in 2019, these will drop to 1,8 million […]
June 05, 2020
The Belgian rail operator Lineas will be deploying extra freight trains from Antwerp to Germany this summer. The railway company expects that due to the drought, ship transport on the Rhine – the most important lifeline of the German industry – may come to a standstill. Record low On Saturday, the Meuse sank to its […]
June 04, 2020
The Volkswagen Group is investing €2 billion in China. Half of the money will be used to increase VW’s share in the joint venture with the Chinese JAC Motors to 75%. With the other half, the Germans will take a 26% stake in battery supplier Gotion High-tech. The investment demonstrates the importance the group attaches […]
May 28, 2020
The negotiations about the fusion of the ports of Antwerp and Zeebrugge are going well. Normally, this summer, the final talks will take place, and decisions will be made. “The negotiations are going on in a positive and constructive atmosphere,” says Jacques Vandermeiren, CEO of the Antwerp port authority (Antwerps Havenbedrijf). “The due diligence is […]
April 21, 2020
The market price of a barrel of crude oil has temporarily turned negative on Monday. Due to the price drop, a barrel of 159 liters of oil was worth $-37,63 at its lowest point. This means that oil companies pay traders to buy oil, to prevent that oil production in certain fields has to be […]
April 15, 2020
The International Monetary Fund (IMF) sees ‘extreme uncertainty’ about the economic recovery after the corona pandemic. The question is what impact the recovery measures will have, and there is a range of variables. The oil price, for instance, which the IMF expects to remain low for years to come. It all depends on the global […]
April 09, 2020
Paul Hegge, the representative of the Belgian Rail Freight Forum, sounds the alarm bell as today he sees a 20% drop in demand for rail freight transport. Railway transports are the EU’s backbone for delivering essential goods. The logistics of running trains across national borders that are closed due to the corona crisis are complicated […]
March 31, 2020
With a price per barrel of $23,5, oil has reached its lowest price since November 2002. Because of the corona crisis, oil consumption has dropped 10 to 15%. Also, the dispute between Saudi-Arabia and Russia seems to have no end. This has led to an oversupply of oil on the market. Saudi Arabia indicated that […]
March 25, 2020
Although there is still a lot of truck traffic on our roads, these are not golden times for the transport sector. The stagnation of economic life because of the corona crisis has its consequences here too. “I fear a snowball effect from which the transport sector cannot escape,” says Lode Verkinderen. The director of the […]
March 24, 2020
The European Commission wants to introduce so-called ‘green lanes’ or priority lanes on the main traffic axes, where trucks can cross the border within 15 minutes. As a result of border controls, traffic jams in some places in Europe reached 40 km last weekend, with waiting times of up to 18 hours. “This must stop. […]
March 24, 2020
At the moment, car dealers are only permitted to perform urgent repairs. For all other things, showrooms and workshops are closed. In a sector where the margins are already fragile, this can cause big problems. As in many other countries, Belgian car sales have come to a complete halt due to the corona crisis. All […]
March 18, 2020
Lockdown or not, the Port of Antwerp is doing everything in its power to remain fully operational. The port employs some 60 000 people and is of the utmost importance for the supply of Belgium and other EU countries. “We are actively working to prevent the further spread of the coronavirus,” says Port of Antwerp. […]
March 17, 2020
Autoconcern Volkswagen has been summoned by the Dutch Diesel Emissions Justice Foundation because of the diesel scandal. That’s what the Dutch press agency ANP writes. In addition to Volkswagen, the foundation, which is committed to all registered European victims, also sues cheating software developer Robert Boch, importer Pon, and individual Dutch dealers in court in […]
March 12, 2020
Tesla is going to build the Cybertruck, and the American EV manufacturer is looking for a new location in Central USA. The latter was ‘tweeted’ by its CEO Elon Musk. Specialists are tipping Nashville, Tenessee as a possible winner. The Cybertruck will be the sixth Tesla model, and this electrically powered pickup will make a […]
March 10, 2020
The price of crude oil crashed due to lower demand and higher production. One barrel now costs $35, a drop of 22%. It has been since the Gulf War in the early 1990s that the price of crude oil fell so much again in one day. The lower demand is the result of the coronavirus, […]
February 19, 2020
The Leuven start-up, IVEX, raises €1,2 million in capital. It will use this to invest in its safety control software for autonomous cars. The company’s technology validates the chosen path of autonomous cars. The investors are PMV, Noshaq, Marc Jacobs, The Faktory, and SPDG. The latter is the holding company of the Périer-D’Ieteren family. It […]
February 18, 2020
The felling of a part of the German forest in which Tesla’s European giga-factory is to be located has been halted. The environmental movement ‘Grüne Liga Brandenburg’ has gone to court because Tesla already felled trees without a building permit. Some 300 hectares of trees have to be cut down for the factory. Many German […]
February 14, 2020
Despite its commercial success, Airbus recorded a net loss in 2019. This result is linked to exceptional costs, including fines in a corruption case for the A400M military transport aircraft. Faced with its American competitor Boeing, in 737 MAX crisis, Airbus took over the crown of the world’s leading civil aircraft manufacturer in 2019. With […]
February 10, 2020
Since his venue to power, VW Group CEO, Herbert Diess, has been working on a plan to give each brand of the group a specific geographical responsibility and a trade mission. Lately, it has become clear where he wants them to be. The VW Group counts four so-called generalist brands like Audi, Seat, Skoda, and […]
February 07, 2020
Fiat Chrysler Automobiles (FCA) experienced a clear recovery at the end of 2019, a difficult year for the group. This allows the Italian-American manufacturer to confirm its objectives for this year. FCA also reached an agreement with the Italian tax authorities, which accused it of undervaluing Chrysler to pay fewer taxes. FCA can, therefore, calmly […]
February 07, 2020
Volvo CEO, Hakan Samuelsson, was in Brussels on Thursday to comment on the good results of the Swedish/Chinese car manufacturer last year. The Ghent factory is playing a major part in these positive evolutions. In 2019, Volvo sold 705.000 cars (+9,8%), (first time more than 700.000), and turnover increased with 8,5% to 26 billion euros. […]
February 04, 2020
Flemish Minister of Mobility, Lydia Peeters (Open VLD), is allocating 10 million over the next five years to rebuild and better secure highway car parks. In the first phase, seven car parks will be constructed, but N-VA urges the minister to speed up this process and to focus on car parks affected by transmigrants. Different […]
February 03, 2020
Flemish newspaper De Morgen interviewed Frans Timmermans, ‘Mister climate’ of the European Commission, about the European Green Deal. Timmermans does not see the Green Deal as a fixed plan, but rather as a guideline with the ultimate goal of climate neutrality by 2050. For Timmermans, the Green Deal combines three major challenges in Europe: the […]
January 31, 2020
The Dutch car distributor Stern is in merger talks with its Swedish competitor Anders Hedin Group. While a merger is not certain yet, it could be beneficial. Both Groups’ activities are complementary, geographically, as well as in the automotive brands they distribute. After a possible merger, the combination wants to list on Euronext Amsterdam. Stern […]
January 31, 2020
Since Brexit was voted in 2016, the British car industry shrank 25%. Last year total car production was 1,3 million units, far away from the 2 million that were predicted only four years ago. Of course, the crisis in the British car industry is not due to Brexit alone. The has also been the diesel […]
January 29, 2020
Advanced Metallurgical Group (AMG) wants to build a lithium plant in Germany. The aim is to prevent a shortage of batteries once the European production of electric cars is running at full speed. The German automotive world warned for such a crisis last week. According to analysts, there will inevitably be a shortage of raw […]
January 28, 2020
While the price of cobalt has decreased due to an over-offer on the market, car manufacturers are nevertheless negotiating multi-year contracts to secure supplies. Tesla, for example, is negotiating with Glencore for its cobalt supply, like BMW already did. But why are manufacturers trying to secure a material that seems abundant? According to George Heppel, […]
January 15, 2020
PSA subsidiary, Opel, will cut 2.100 additional jobs in Germany through a voluntary redundancy plan. Employees born before 1963 will be able to opt for early retirement. The agreement made with the trade unions should lead to “further, clear improvement in our competitiveness,” says Opel boss Michael Lohscheller. In exchange, the manufacturer excludes redundancies until […]
