November 02, 2022
The new generation E-Class planned for 2023 will be the last new model from Mercedes-Benz on an internal combustion engine (ICE) platform. All subsequent new model series in the future will be based on architectures that the Stuttgart-based company is developing specifically for electric vehicles. Mercedes’ new Modular Architecture platform (MMA) could become the base […]
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 31, 2022
In the third quarter of 2022, VW Group sold 2,2 million cars, 24% more than the year before. Turnover rose comparatively to € 70,7 billion. Net profit, on the contrary, shrunk by 26% to € 2,1 billion. Former VW-daughter Porsche did better: it sold 2% more cars and increased profit by more than 40%. The […]
October 28, 2022
After 100 days in charge of the VW brand, Thomas Schäfer has shed some light on future plans. He announced that the deadline for an all-electric line-up in Europe has been advanced to 2033 and that a 25 000 euros electric car is in the making. However, the brand must also rationalize its production strategy. […]
October 28, 2022
Until now, East Flanders was still a blank spot for the Dutch Van Mossel Automotive Group in Flanders. With the take-over of Autogroep Servayge (AGS), the biggest car dealer group in Flanders also has an introduction to this province. And that’s only the beginning. Van Mossel takes over the AGS dealerships in Ghent, Oudenaarde, Deinze, […]
October 28, 2022
For the third quarter of 2022, Volvo cars reported an operating profit of 3,5 billion Swedish crowns (some €320 million) and a profit margin of 4,4%. Unfortunately, it means that profits decreased by 71%. But In Göteborg, they are confident that despite multiple headwinds, things will improve because demand continues to be robust. “Macroeconomic uncertainties […]
October 27, 2022
The German premium car manufacturer Mercedes-Benz will sell its Russian activities to the local investor Avtodom, a Russian car dealership chain. This has been announced by the Russian Ministry for Industry and Trade. In a press release, Mercedes-Benz confirmed that it will leave the Russian market. Mercedes-Benz inaugurated a new factory in 2019 in Iessipovo, […]
October 27, 2022
The Spanish government has released details on its funding program PERTE, which must support the transition of its old automotive manufacturing ecosystem into a modern hub for electric vehicle production and battery manufacturing. Volkswagen’s branch, Seat, will receive half of the reserved subsidies, worth almost 900 million euros. This turns Seat into the top recipient […]
October 27, 2022
Ford Europe is planning to accelerate the switch to electric vehicles in Europe. On Wednesday afternoon, reports in German and UK media were already hinting at it. Ford Europe Model e boss Martin Sander announced with a Twitter message that production of the internal combustion Fiesta small car in Cologne will end one year earlier […]
October 27, 2022
Swedish truck builder Volvo Trucks started series production of the fully electric range of its popular heavy trucks, the Volvo FH, Volvo FM, and Volvo FMX, in the Tuve factory in Gothenburg, Sweden, and is prepping its Ghent (Belgium) factory to follow next year. Ghent will play a significant role in the group’s electrification, including […]
October 26, 2022
Lotus has revealed the final pricing and specifications of its Eletre electric ‘Hyper-SUV’, which will be delivered to customers in the first half of 2023. Lotus offers a choice of two powertrains with up to 918 hp and three equipment levels, with Belgian prices starting from €97 690. The Lotus Eletre will have three variants: […]
October 26, 2022
Toyota, the world’s number one car manufacturer, has announced a second EV in the bZ (beyond Zero) sub-brand, an all-electric sedan called the bZ3, developed in collaboration between Toyota, BYD, and FAW Toyota. It will be offered exclusively in China for the time being. In addition, according to some media reports, there are indications that […]
October 26, 2022
The BMW Group has presented plans on how to expand the capacities for EV component production. At the same time, CEO Oliver Zipse declares that, in the future, “hydrogen, not electric, will be the hippest thing to drive”. However, the Munich-based premium manufacturer doesn’t want to put all its eggs in one basket. “To say […]
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 25, 2022
The Japanese electric motor manufacturer Nidec has launched its second-generation E-Axle electric drive system for EVs. Compared to the previous generation, it gains efficiency, uses less rare materials, and is quieter. Nidec supplies electric motors for several Chinese EV manufacturers, including Guangzhou Automobile Group Co (GAC) and Geely. Its first-generation E-Axle, which integrates the motor, […]
October 25, 2022
The era when Tesla owned the EV market is over. It shows in China, where fierce competition has forced the American brand to lower prices by 5%. With Giga Shanghai as a global hub and its most significant export base, China is not only crucial for Tesla for assembly and production strategy. Worldwide it’s the […]
October 25, 2022
As the third quarter of 2022 finally ended with a positive sales figure in Belgium and Luxembourg, the importer association Febiac dares to be prudently optimistic again. The months of August and September ended with positive sales figures compared to last year, and this was the first time in more than a year. Also, in […]
October 25, 2022
French President Emmanuel Macron inaugurated the Paris Motor Show ‘Mondial de l’Auto’ last week. But in the wake of the difficulties almost all motor shows are experiencing post-pandemic, the Mondial seems to have lost its global character. As a result, only 400 000 visitors showed up, while the previous edition attracted more than a million. […]
October 24, 2022
General Motors is introducing another all-electric pickup truck. Like the previous combustion model, the Sierra EV runs under the GMC brand and is based on the Ultium platform. In the full option ‘Denali Edition 1’ outfit, the electric pickup has impressive data and can already be reserved. Delivery, however, will not occur before early 2024. […]
October 24, 2022
The American tech firm Ouster has released its latest generation lidar sensor, which is anticipated to boost the research and development of autonomous driving vehicles. Due to the new ‘breakthrough’ L3 chip, the REV7 lidar reaches 400 meters — double the distance of its predecessor, the L2. As one of the leading players in the […]
October 24, 2022
At the end of last week, Renault published a turnover of €9,8 billion for the third quarter of the year. When you don’t consider the Russian retreat, that’s a rebound of 20,5%. This result is essentially due to an altered price strategy and high demand for more expensive cars (with more significant margins) like hybrids […]
October 21, 2022
Have the tables turned for Tesla’s product planning? While Elon Musk, during a webcast beginning this year, claimed that a $25 000 car wasn’t on the agenda, he now stated that a small architecture is in the making at roughly half the cost of the Model 3 and Y. The potential for this baby Tesla […]
October 21, 2022
Mercedes-Benz just finalized a supply agreement with Canadian-German-start-up Rock Tech Lithium Inc. to secure high-quality lithium supply used in battery production as part of a direct sourcing approach. An average of 10 000 tonnes of battery-grade lithium hydroxide will be refined per year at a converter based in Guben, Brandenburg, Germany, and delivered to the […]
October 21, 2022
The Chinese manufacturer BYD has finally launched its attack on the European market. After starting in Norway two years ago, BYD now wants to deliver its vehicles to Germany, Sweden, Denmark, the Netherlands, Belgium, and Luxembourg. The markets in Austria, France, and Great Britain are still to follow in 2022. To do so, it will […]
October 20, 2022
Hon Hai Technology Group, better known as Foxconn, held its third annual tech day, unveiling two new EV prototypes (Model B and Model V) and the production version of the Model C, a battery-electric SUV with a range of nearly 700 km. Foxconn is progressing rapidly in the electric car market. After showing three BEV […]
October 20, 2022
Cellforce, the joint venture between sports car manufacturer Porsche and battery maker Customcells, is planning to produce ten times more battery cells than originally planned. At a ceremony, laying the foundation stone for its first plant near Tübingen in the south of Germany, the company said it aims to make 1 GWh of high-performance cells […]
October 20, 2022
GM Defense, General Motors’ military vehicle subsidiary, has been selected by the US military’s Defense Innovation Unit (DIU) to develop a battery pack prototype based on the Ultium platform suitable for military use. GM Defense already had several hydrogen-based projects in development for the military. For this contract, GM Defense has to develop an Ultium-based […]
October 20, 2022
On Wednesday, the BMW Group announced a $1,7 billion investment in its US operations, including $1 billion to prepare for the production of electric vehicles at the company’s existing US manufacturing facility in Spartanburg, South Carolina, and $700 million to build a new high-voltage battery assembly facility nearby Woodruff. By 2030, BMW Group will build […]
October 19, 2022
Nissan and Renault are thinking of restructuring the Alliance Renault-Nissan-Mitsubishi. Renault is planning to reduce its stake in Nissan and Nissan would invest in Ampère, the sub-company uniting the ‘electric activities’ of Renault. The French state, one of the biggest shareholders of the Renault group, insists on the Alliance’s preservation. At the beginning of the […]
October 19, 2022
The Vietnamese car manufacturer Vinfast has announced its first European store locations, with the Cologne (Germany) store to kick off its European debut in November 2022. In addition, stores in France and the Netherlands are also announced to be coming soon, with those three countries also housing the three European headquarters for Vinfast. In September, […]
October 19, 2022
Rolls-Royce Motor revealed its Spectre yesterday. It’s a fully electric grand coupe, the first fully electric car of the historic super-luxury brand, now owned by the BMW Group. The car will arrive next year, and the company has announced that the price will be situated between Cullinan and Phantom. That means around € 400 000. […]
October 18, 2022
At the press day of the Paris Motor Show on Monday, CEO of Stellantis Carlos Tavares lashed out at European policy concerning electrification. He stated that a ‘made in Europe’ label should receive preferential subsidies. He also repeated his warning on the social implications of abolishing the combustion engine, claiming electrification is too expensive for […]
October 18, 2022
Renault is one of the few car manufacturers present at the Paris Motor Show 2022, and has used the occasion to present its 4Ever Trophy, a tribute to the classic Renault 4 and a preview for a production version coming soon. Last year, Renault celebrated the 60th anniversary of one of its most iconic models: […]
October 17, 2022
BMW is moving the production of the MINI electric hatchback and a small sport utility version of it from Oxford (UK) to China through its partnership with Great Wall Motor. It’s a blow for the historic plant in Cowley, southeast Oxford, British media say after becoming home to Europe’s first mass-produced electric car in 2019. […]
October 14, 2022
At least seven out of ten motorists believe that driving a car requires financial sacrifices, but 72% say they cannot do without one. So says the annual barometer conducted in 18 countries worldwide by the Cetelem Observatory, the economic research and intelligence unit of BNP Paribas. Nearly two-thirds of those surveyed fear they will no […]
October 14, 2022
In an interview with the British Car magazine, McLaren CEO Michael Leiters has confirmed that, finally, also McLaren concedes to the pressure of the market and will build an SUV. After Ferrari, McLaren is one of the last sports car manufacturers to give in to the market pressure. For long, luxury and ‘real’ sports car […]
October 14, 2022
Through its software branch, Cariad, Volkswagen will invest €2,4 billion in a joint venture with Horizon Robotics to develop autonomous driving technology. Because of intensive urbanization, China is regarded as one of the main instigators of autonomous driving vehicles. Beijing-based firm for self-driving technology Horizon announced during the summer that it was looking for fresh […]
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
Hyundai Group has announced that its entire line-up will be software-defined vehicles (SDVs) as of 2025. This means their cars will use lines of code that can be updated over the air (OTA), making it possible to change specific parameters like safety, multimedia, or comfort after the purchase. This is the approach adopted by Tesla […]
October 13, 2022
According to data from the European constructors’ federation ACEA, 6 of 27 EU countries have less than one EV charging point per 100 km of road, with fast charging availability also below the level needed to support the growing electric vehicle market share. It’s not the first time that the European Automobile Manufacturers’ Association (ACEA) […]
October 13, 2022
At the Paris motor show, the Mondial, Renault’s sporty sub-brand Alpine is showing the Alpenglow concept, a car ” that is the starting point for all future Alpine car designs, technologies, and breakthroughs, all the while remaining true to the brand’s history. The aim is clear: combining full sustainability with driving (and racing) pleasure. “Alpenglow […]
October 13, 2022
After quite a few ‘pre-release’ messages, Polestar has finally revealed much more of its oncoming big SUV, the Polestar 3. The fully electric twin-motored vehicle can be ordered from now in Europe for a target price of €89 900. The first deliveries are scheduled for Q4 in 2023. We already gave you most of the […]
October 12, 2022
With total sales of 517 800 cars in the third quarter of 2022, Mercedes-Benz has increased its sales by 21% compared to last year and reached the sales figures of its direct competitor BMW for Q3 (517 689 vehicles sold). In the same period, it sold 30 000 BEVs, more than double (+115%) compared to […]
October 12, 2022
During the first nine months of 2022, BMW Group more than doubled its BEV sales. Meanwhile, it is now offering over-the-air (OTA) upgrades for 3,8 million vehicles on the road. The BMW Group sold 128 196 fully-electric BMW and MINI vehicles in the first nine months of the year (+114,8%). In the third quarter, 52 […]
October 11, 2022
One of China’s major car manufacturers, SAIC Motor, known in Europe for its EVs under the former British MG brand and the Maxus vans, is stepping into the booming battery-swapping business with battery giant CATL and two giant oil companies. A new joint venture is set up with as its core business the lease of […]
October 10, 2022
Last Friday, Nio held its official European launch in Berlin. The biggest eye-catchers were the three electric cars headed for Europe, the Nio Home concept replacing dealerships and showrooms, its battery swapping stations, and its subscription models. It is clear that the young Shanghai-based company wants to disrupt the market. On display were, of course, […]
October 10, 2022
While the cuddly and innovative E seems a good fit for the European market, Honda has something different for its American customers. The Prologue is a sleek-looking compact SUV constructed around the building blocks from partner General Motors. Honda had already unveiled a concept version and some design sketches of its first-ever electric SUV and […]
October 10, 2022
After a three-year delay, Elon Musk has announced on Twitter that the first batch of Semi-tractors will be delivered on the 1st of December. Beverages company Pepsi is taking that delivery. However, while this is a milestone for the EV maker, it is not pioneering in the commercial market as it did with its passenger […]
October 10, 2022
The sales crisis in the car sector seems to have come to an end. In September, there were 16,8% more new car sales in Belgium and Luxembourg compared to last year. The same tendency is signing off in France. But we’re still far from the comfortable sales figures in 2019, before the pandemic and the […]
October 07, 2022
On Thursday, the French car manufacturer Renault confirmed that its future electric models will be built in France. Apart from the already confirmed new electric R5, the electric R4, and Scénic will be assembled in its Douai and Maubeuge factories (north of France). The new construction pole ‘Electricity’ is already producing Mégane E-Tech Electric in […]
October 07, 2022
China’s second-largest car manufacturer BYD (Build Your Dream) and the world’s leader in EV sales numbers, opened its first Belgian showroom on Thursday at the Leuvensesteenweg 319 in Zaventem by Brussels. In the spotlights are the three fully electric models destined for Europe: the large SUV Tang, the HAN sedan, and the Atto 3, a […]
October 07, 2022
The official launch is scheduled for the 18th of October, but ahead of the reveal, Foxconn has already disclosed the Model B in full. The car appeared on the YouTube channel of design house Pininfarina, which is responsible for the car’s styling. Though still a concept, it is expected that the flagged-off version of the […]
October 06, 2022
The German multinational chemical company BASF has ambitious plans: it wants to transform its Antwerp production unit, the second-largest in the world, entirely climate neutral as soon as possible. On Wednesday, the company threw light on its plans during Belgian King Filip’s and Queen Mathilde’s visit to Ludwigshafen. The BASF Group aims at climate neutrality […]
October 06, 2022
Last year, the second-hand car market was booming, partly due to delivery problems with new cars. However, for eight months, sales figures are now red for second-handers. For September, the sales were 13,6% lower than last year and 9,7% lower than in September 2020. For the first nine months of 2022, the regress is 11%. […]
October 05, 2022
The German car rental company Sixt and the Chinese EV carmaker BYD have concluded a long-term agreement. It guarantees the rental company access to 100 000 BYD electric cars over the next six years. The first EVs should still be delivered in Q4 of 2022, in synch with the Chinese manufacturer’s European launch. As a […]
October 05, 2022
All Peugeot models will be available with electrified powertrains from 2023 onward. Peugeot will be the first Stellantis brand to introduce the Group’s new generation of hybrid powertrains. The new powertrain will be used in the 3008 and 5008. Later, the powertrains will also be used in other models and Stellantis brands. For this mild […]
October 04, 2022
On the 17th of October, at the 89th Paris Motor Show, Renault will unveil a brand-new show car that is a modern tribute to the iconic Renault 4. Some thirty years after production ended, Renault will seize the moment at the 2022 Mondial de l’Auto in Paris this October to unveil its new take on […]
October 04, 2022
V4Drive SE is the name of the new company that German battery specialist Varta created to answer the growing EV market. The unit will be led by its current CEO Herbert Schein, who steps down from the parent company’s board of directors to concentrate on ramping up the new business. One crucial customer was already […]
October 04, 2022
American start-up Lordstown Motors and Taiwanese electronics giant Foxconn have finally started production of the Endurance electric pickup truck. The vehicles are produced by the now Foxconn-owned former GM plant in Lordstown, Ohio. The manufacturer stresses that production will ramp up slowly due to supply chain constraints. The slow production start of the Lordstown Endurance […]
