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Hyundai winds down development of new fuel cell

Piet Andries Posted On December 30, 2021

Just days after Hyundai announced that it is shutting down its internal combustion engine development team, the company is also pushing the pause button on its hydrogen car project. The company was developing its third-generation fuel cell at luxury brand Genesis. But the South Korean economic newspaper Cosun unveiled that the project has now been stalled.

Only a few months ago, the Korean carmaker had presented a hydrogen road map, which showed that its latest fuel cell would go into production by 2025. Compared to the second generation, which features in the current Hyundai Nexo, the focus was much more on lower production costs and reducing the price by half. Hence, making the fuel cell smaller but more efficient than the previous one.

It seems that the company has concluded that the stringent objective can’t be met, to which it responded by reorganizing the involved team and reducing the role of the hydrogen department.

Reboot remains unclear

According to the original plan, that team was supposed to be working on the third-generation fuel cell for four years to come. Whether Hyundai will reboot the program remains unclear.

Together with the national government, the Korean car manufacturer wants to prepare for a hydrogen society with a significant role for the energy carrier in mind by the end of the decade. But the questionable feasibility of hydrogen cars has come to the attention of CEO Chung Eui-sun, following an audit.

Modest projections

The sales figures aren’t great. The ambition of the Korean government was to have 80 000 hydrogen cars on the road by the end of 2022. As for now, only a mere 20 000 have been dispatched, export included.

Catching up on those numbers would be a gargantuan task, further complicated by an expansion of the fueling infrastructure that is dragging. Only half of the projected number of stations in Korea have been built.

Projections for the commercialization of hydrogen cars remain modest, with about 3% of the global car fleet by 2030, according to the other major hydrogen player Toyota. Hyundai’s decision seems another blow for the uptake of the novelty technology.

Energy / Environment / Europe / Industry / Top Stories Today / Weekly Newsletter

Northvolt commissions Europe’s first battery gigafactory

Joris Van Roy Posted On December 30, 2021

Swedish battery-startup Northvolt has commissioned its Skellefteå factory in the north of the country by producing the first prismatic battery cell on site. Production will fully start in 2022, ramping up to a capacity of 16 GWh annually. That’s enough to power about 300 000 electric cars. Ultimately, the factory will output 60 GWh per year.

Northvolt chose the location of its gigafactory in the far north because of the abundance of hydroelectricity in that part of the country as it wants its battery cells to be 100% sustainable. The production of one gigawatt-hour cell requires about 60 to 80 GWh of ‘green’ electricity, says factory director Fredrik Hedlund.

Recycling raw materials

Recycling rare raw materials will be another major target. In November, the Swedish battery manufacturer successfully produced its first lithium-ion battery cell made entirely from precious recycled metals.

The nickel, cobalt, and manganese used in this cell came from the waste of other used batteries. As such, Northvolt has reached a milestone in finalizing a closed-loop process for battery production. A new giga-scale recycling plant is under development adjacent to the Northvolt Ett factory in Skellefteå,

European first

“Marking a new chapter in European industrial history, the cell produced at Skellefteå is the first to have been fully designed, developed, and assembled at a gigafactory by a homegrown European battery company,” Northvolt states in the press release. At total capacity, the Nortvolt Ett (One in Swedish e.n.) factory will output 60 GWh, double what Tesla’s Nevada gigafactory is producing today.

That capacity will be needed to fulfill over €26 billion worth of contracts Northvolt has secured from key customers, including BMW, Fluence, Scania, Volkswagen, Volvo Cars, and Polestar.

BMW concluded in July 2020 a long-term agreement with the Swedish battery manufacturer for sustainably manufactured battery cells. As of 2024, the order volume would turn around 2 billion euros.

Northvolt Two with VW

But first, the Swedish batteries will go to Volkswagen. On its ‘Power Day’ in March 2021, VW announced it had already placed an €11,5 billion order when presenting its uniform battery. Volkswagen holds 20% of the Swedish battery maker and decided to inject another 509 million euros ($620 million) in July.

Volkswagen has a deal with the Swedish for building ‘Northvolt Two’, a second battery factory in Salzgitter, Germany. There Volkswagen has its Battery Cell Center of Excellence. It is to produce 16 GWh by the end of 2023, to be upscaled to 24 GWh.

Northvolt Three with Volvo

Volvo wants to source 15 GWh of battery cells per year from the Northvolt Ett battery plant starting in 2024. On the other hand, the Swedish-Chinese carmaker plans to set up with Northvolt yet another gigafactory for batteries somewhere in Europe.

The first step is a 50/50 joint venture to build a research and development center in Sweden that will begin operations in 2022. The new gigafactory, planned to be powered by 100 percent clean energy, will employ around 3 000 people. The new plant’s location is yet to be decided, but Ghent Belgium, where Volvo has its second-largest car plant, is no longer among the candidates.

Airbus of batteries

For the Northvolt battery gigafactory in Skellefteå, the German government gave a $525 million (€441 million) state guarantee. It can do this legally abroad, given the strategic involvement of German carmakers BMW and Volkswagen in the project.

The German government is willing to invest heavily in creating future lithium-ion battery production capacity at home and in the rest of Europe. It’s one of the major driving forces behind the European initiative to create its own battery industry in a so-called ‘Airbus of batteries’.

25 battery factories by 2030

Today, nearly all battery production comes from China, South Korea, and Japan. At the same time, Northvolt is the first to get a real gigafactory for batteries operational in Europe.

According to Benchmark Mineral Intelligence (BMI), only two large battery factories are operational elsewhere in Europe, run by South Korean LG in Wrocław, Poland, and another owned by Samsung near Budapest in Hungary. BMI says another 25 are planned by 2030, including Asian manufacturers coming to Europe or Tesla with its gigafactory in Germany.

Daimler’s Mercedes-Benz car branch recently joined the Stellantis Group and TotalEnergies as an equal partner in the ACC giga-battery factory project in France and Germany’s The Automotive Cells Company (ACC) is also the fruit of the EU’s efforts to create an ‘Airbus of batteries’ with an objective of at least 120 GWh of cell capacity by 2030.

Northvolt Ett – where European industrial history is being made. pic.twitter.com/OTQiPWBpH2

— Northvolt (@northvolt) December 29, 2021

Industry / Product / Top Stories Today

Rivian delays biggest pickup and SUV battery models to 2023

Piet Andries Posted On December 29, 2021

Production woos at electric start-up Rivian have forced the American company to reshuffle its model mix. In an e-mail, CEO JC Scaringe has addressed customers who preordered their R1T pickup and R1S SUV with the Max battery pack explaining to them that their vehicles won’t be built before 2023.

Rivian, based in Irvine, California, is producing in Normal, Illinois, but announced it would build a second factory in Georgia, east of Atlanta, to ramp up production with 400 000 cars a year by 2024. Meanwhile, news broke Rivan is talking with Dutch VDL Nedcar for possible extra production capacity in Europe.

71 000 preorders

Initially, Rivian customers were promised to have their vehicles with a large battery capacity delivered in the course of next year. In his letter, Scaringe explained that Rivian wants to prioritize the largest number of preorder holders.

Of those 71 000 preorders, roughly 80 percent chose the Adventure Package and a Large battery pack. Also, those customers who opted for the cheaper level equipment pack Explore will have to deal with a delayed timeline. Basically, Rivian tucks back to a single model assembly.

The Max pack consists of a 180 kWh battery, supplying more than 640 kilometers on a single charge, according to EPA. For the reputation of Rivian, the top model is of great importance in North America, where every last mile counts seen the vast distances. At the same time, the pickup fan base regularly uses their vehicles off-road.

Ramp up quickly

The affected customers are offered the opportunity to reconfigure their car to a version with lower equipment and a smaller battery pack so that the order can be filled quicker.

Scaringe underlined in his email that “we optimized our build sequence around the build combination that would support us ramping as quickly as possible and, therefore, have the largest possible positive climate impact.” The company also takes into account teething problems during the first phase of production, which will affect output.

Indeed, after its successful IPO earlier this month, Rivian wants to scale up rapidly, but it currently lacks the capacity. Therefore, the company has announced that it will start building a second manufacturing plant near Atlanta in the State of Georgia as of next year. Once ramped, the site will have an output of 400 000 vehicles a year. Production is assumed to start in 2024.

Production in Born?

Rivian is also in talks with VDL Nedcar for assembly at their site in Born, the Netherlands, to further expand that capacity. The rumor was officially confirmed by a Dutch province parliament member last week.

Currently, the Dutch firm runs on a contract with BMW, which will be terminated by the end of 2023 without extension. To preserve labor for its workforce, VDL Nedcar is in dire need of a new agreement. It turned to Rivian after a deal with the American start-up Canoo fell through.

Industry / Mobility / Product / Top Stories Today / Weekly Newsletter

BNP Paribas Fortis to offer lowest ‘ecomobility’ EV loan rate ever

Félix Bouland Posted On December 28, 2021

As usual, during the Brussels Motor Show period, BNP Paribas Fortis bank and its subsidiary, Fintro, are launching a specific car loan with a lower rate. This year, the bank puts the emphasis on electromobility with a 0,60% rate for new environmentally-friendly vehicles as well as other soft mobility means of transport.

January in Belgium has always been associated with the Brussels Motor Show. Even though this year’s edition has been canceled, the interest in cars during the period remains. Carmakers will still bring specific BMS conditions and banks will still offer lower rates.

Lowest rate ever

Belgian bank BNP Paribas Fortis and its subsidiary, Fintro, are bringing this January an ‘ecomobility’ installment loan with a 0,60% rate. Not only is this loan’s rate lower than the previous year (0,75%), it is also specifically tailored for the purchase of environmentally-friendly vehicles and soft mobility means, such as e-bikes.

Announced officially in La Libre newspaper, BNP’s ecomobility loan rate is one-third lower than the rate for other non-eco-friendly new cars or recent used cars less than three years old (0,90%). It is also much lower than the bank’s current loan for eco-cars (1,50%) or scooters and bicycles (1,30%). This offer will be limited in time, from 4 January to 28 February 2022.

‘Advantageous offer’

Other banks will surely follow suit and offer specific low rates for the 2022 BMS period, but, at the moment of writing, none other than BNP Paribas Fortis have communicated on it. Belfius promises advantageous conditions for cars and bikes. At the moment, Belfius’ loan rate for eco-cars sits at 0,90%.

Energy / Industry / Opinion / Product / Top Stories Today / Weekly Newsletter

Why is BMW number one in Belgium?

Tony Verhelle Posted On December 28, 2021

During the first eleven months of this year, BMW registered 37 184 cars, while the second, Volkswagen, managed 32 688 cars. It’s improbable that VW will catch up during the sole month of December, so BMW, a German premium brand, is the best-seller in Belgium and Luxembourg for the first time.

As the market has (again) been slowing down these last months, BMW will probably end just under the magic figure of 40 000 sales, but as the total market won’t reach 400 000 either (worse than last year, despite the pandemic), the Germans will reach just over 10% market share.

First time

For the first time, it’s a premium brand wearing the crown, and that’s a scoop. Since 2010, two so-called general brands divided the first places, Volkswagen seven times, Renault four times. This noticeable change has a lot to do with the still-growing importance of the fleet market in this country.

These last years, company cars represent more than half of the entire car market, and the premium brands thrive on it. In no other country, a premium brand is number one, and its two main rivals are also in the top 5 (Audi fourth, Mercedes fifth after eleven months, but very close).

As said, the reason is the importance of the fleet market. The heavy taxation of wages has prompted many companies to seek other opportunities to pay their employees. One of them is including a company car in the remuneration package, a win-win for employer and employee.

In this fleet market, premium cars have always been over-represented. The fact that people don’t have to pay the full cost of the car combined with good residual values for premium brands makes this fleet market the preferred playground of these brands.

Why BMW?

The German car manufacturer is already popular on the Belgian market for a long time. Before ending up first this year, it had already several good rankings in the preceding years, ending fifth, for example, in 2014, third in 2016, and second last year.

Of course, these figures are registered in a receding market. With (probably) less than 400 000 cars sold in 2021, the Belgian car market is registering a serious low after years of booming sales. In 2020, sales fell from 550 000 (in 2019) to just over 400 000. However, the expectation was that the market should quickly recover in 2021. Quod non.

Especially individual buyers have been hesitating lately to buy a new car. The energy transition is coming under steam, authorities are pushing, but the average customer isn’t persuaded yet. So he buys a second-hand car instead, also pushed by the semiconductor shortage causing long waiting lists for many new vehicles.

This is less important in the fleet market, where terms must be respected. The marketing people at BMW have been responding adequately to that market. Apparently, the brand suffered less from the chip shortage than some of its rivals and introduced new sales tools to counter the consequences.

For example, a client can ‘bridge’ the waiting time for his new electric car with a hybrid as long as the awaited one hasn’t arrived yet. On the brands’ configurator, a client can also shift to a readily available car when the waiting period for his desired four-wheeler is too long.

And in the future?

BMW seems ready to take on the challenge to go for another ‘crown’ in 2022. It has a bunch of new, attractive products in the pipeline (the full-electric i4, for example), and its marketing machine is doing overtime. With the absence of a real Brussels Motor Show, BMW has its Phygital show on its own premises again in January, probably reconducting its success of last year.

But of course, the competition won’t hesitate to attack the new ‘king’. VW and Audi importer D’Ieteren seems well determined to react and points at the fiscal changes that will occur, which they hope will make their products more attractive.

Mercedes and Peugeot (the other brands in the top 5) aren’t ready to throw in the towel either. So in a probably still morose total market – not yet entirely recuperated from the chip shortage – some nice battles are waiting to happen in 2022.

Industry / Top Stories Today / Transport

Sales of commercial vehicles also down in November

Tony Verhelle Posted On December 24, 2021

According to figures of the European car manufacturers association ACEA, new commercial vehicle registrations across the EU retreated (-14,7%) for the fifth consecutive month in November.

The van segment’s double-digit drop weighed heavily on the overall result, as vans accounted for over 80% of total commercial vehicle sales in the European Union. The region’s four major markets posted substantial declines last month, with the sharpest drop seen in Spain (-30,4%).

During the first 11 months of 2021, nevertheless, European Union commercial vehicle registrations remained up by 11,5%, still benefiting from 2020’s low base for comparison due to the pandemic.

The largest markets still performed well so far this year, especially Italy (+17,6%) and France (+9,4%), although the percentage increases in Germany (+1,3%) and Spain (+0,6%) fell significantly compared to earlier months.

LCVs

Last month, the market for new vans in the European Union saw another double-digit decline (-16,6%) as the ongoing shortage of semiconductors continued to hamper vehicle output. The region’s performance was not helped by the weak results of the major EU markets: Spain (-33,0%), Germany (-24,7%), Italy (-16,2%), and France (-12,1%).

From January to November, EU light commercial vehicle registrations were still up by 10,8% at 1,4 million units, despite the weak performance of recent months.

Looking at the largest markets for new vans, Italy (+17,1%) and France (+9,7%) managed to remain in positive territory, while cumulative volumes in Germany (+0,4%) and Spain (-0,4%) were more or less stable compared to 2020.

HCVs and buses

In November, heavy truck (over 16 tons) sales in the European Union declined less steeply (-3,5%) than vans. The Central European countries continued to provide positive support (+13,4%) to the region’s performance, but this was not enough to offset the double-digit drops posted by the four major markets in Western Europe. So far, in 2021, 219 595 new heavy trucks were registered across the European Union, up 21,0% compared to the same period one year ago.

Last month, EU demand for medium-heavy trucks (up to 16 tons) contracted by 6,0%, counting 23,678 units sold. A similar evolution to the heavy-truck segment. Eleven months into 2021, new truck sales in the European Union increased by 16,6% year-to-date, with 264 031 units registered in total.

Last but not least, the buses. In November 2021, buses were the only segment showing a slight increase (+1,6%) in new registrations. Except for France (-6,5%), all key EU markets made a positive contribution to last month’s growth: Italy (+14,4%), Spain (+7,8%), and Germany (+5,1%). From January to November, new bus and coach registrations across the EU grew by +2,3% to reach 26 101 units.

All-in-all, we see that the commercial vehicles market is not suffering as much from the chip shortage as the passenger car market. Still, nevertheless, sales are gloomy, especially when one considers that comparisons are made with the year 2020, the year of the pandemic.

Energy / Environment / Industry / Top Stories Today / Weekly Newsletter

Volvo Car Belux installs fast-chargers at the dealers

Tony Verhelle Posted On December 24, 2021

Mid-year 2022, 30 Volvo dealers will have fast-chargers on their premisses, accessible to all EV drivers. Volvo Car Belux is creating a fast-charging network in cooperation with its dealers in Belgium and Luxembourg.

It has already been repeated, as of 2030, Volvo will only build full-electric cars. This aim is part of a bigger plan of the manufacturer to be completely climate-neutral in 2040. The Volvo importer in Belgium and Luxembourg wants to allow all its current and future EV clients to charge their car without any problem in the Belux.

30 stations in 2022

The charging stations at each of the 30 dealers will have two outlets and can charge at a pace of up to 175/200 kW. The charging points will be available on a 24/7 basis and are open to all owners of an electric car.

Volvo customers will benefit from a preferential tariff. From now on, they get a Plugsurfing card and app, which will give them a discount on the charging fee. Volvo Car Belux is also striving to provide 100% ‘green’ electricity as soon as possible.

At the moment, there are already three dealers ready, all of them in the southern part of the Belux. We’re talking about Reiff in Chaineux, Novabil in Tournai, and Collé in Luxembourg. In the coming weeks, four others will follow: Van Kasteren (Sint-Niklaas), Heremans (Heist-op-den-Berg), Scancar (Wilrijk), and ACB Delta (Brussels).

Energy / Industry / Product / Technology / Top Stories Today

Polestar 5 gets new 475 kW motor and 800-Volt system

Tony Verhelle Posted On December 23, 2021

Polestar is developing a new electric motor and battery pack with an 800-Volt system, according to a media report. The drive system, which is to be used exclusively by Polestar, probably makes its debut in the Polestar 5.

The Polestar 5 is expected for 2024 and will be the range’s flagship. It’s a sedan-like car like the recently shown Precept concept, and Polestar wants to put it in comparison (also price-wise) with cars like the Porsche Panamera.

P10 with 475 kW

The news about the new drive was broken by Gregor Hembrough, the head of Polestar’s American unit. The electric motor, developed under the name P10, has an impressive output of 475 kW and will only be used by Polestar.

As with the Porsche Taycan, the P10 is to be coupled to a two-speed gearbox to be able to choose between maximum acceleration and efficiency on highways, for example.

At 36 x 50 x 64 centimeters, the P10 seems quite compact. The Polestar 5 will probably have an all-wheel-drive system featuring two drive units, but it isn’t sure whether the front one will also be the P10.

If this is the case, it is unlikely that the system power can be simply doubled (to 950 kW). The maximum power output of the battery is likely to be the determining factor here.

800 Volt

According to Hembrough, the engine will not be shared with other Geely brands, but the 800-Volt battery pack is a different matter. Polestar’s British team is developing this in conjunction with Volvo and Lotus.

The 800-Volt system is said to have an energy content of 103 kWh and will be installed in the Polestar 5, among others. The architecture should offer “simplified compatibility” with 400-Volt charging systems.

Hembrough also communicated that the 103 kWh battery pack should be able to be charged to 80% in “20 minutes or less” at a suitable charging station, which would correspond to an average charging power of 216 kW at an average assumed starting value of 10 percent charge level.

In addition, the battery pack is supposed to be able to charge bidirectionally; there are talks about up to 20 kW extraction power. However, Hembrough did not want to give details about the cell type. It was already known that the Swedish brand is aiming for a target range of 600+ kilometers for the Polestar 5 flagship.

Polestar 3

The first Polestar to come on the market soon, in 2022 somewhere, is also targeting this 600 km range. The company itself speaks about “a Luxury Aero SUV”, based on the SPA2 platform.

According to Volvo CEO Samuelsson, that’s the same platform as the full-electric successor to the Volvo XC90, which will be called Embla. Both vehicles will be built together at Volvo’s US plant in North Carolina.

Vivaldi web browser in Polestar 2

Meanwhile, Polestar integrates the Vivaldi website browser into its Polestar 2. It’s the first web browser available for the Android Automotive operating system. “It’s nice to offer our clients a Christmas gift with the Vivaldi browser,” comments Thomas Ingenlath, Polestar’s CEO.

The app was developed for Polestar 2 by the Vivaldi team in Norway and brought an expanded browser functionality to the Android Automotive OS steered central display in the Polestar 2. The browser wants to be very flexible and has an in-built ad blocker, a privacy-friendly translation tool, tracking security, and encrypted sync.

The Vivaldi browser for Polestar 2 is available from now in all European and North-American markets and some markets of the Asia-Pacific.

Industry / Product / Technology

Project Arrow will be Canada’s first homemade EV

Piet Andries Posted On December 23, 2021

Canada has a long list of automotive suppliers, and all that time, they have been dragging along a dream to build their own car. That dream is about to happen with Project Arrow, a mid-sized SUV with an all-electric powertrain scheduled for market launch in 2025.

Project Arrow is still very much an idea – or should we say rendering? – but since it is backed by the Automotive Parts Manufacturers’ Association (APMA), development and assembly seem feasible. The Canadian government supports the birth of its first national car with nearly $4 million (€2,7 million).

Sliding doors

APMA wants to demonstrate a full-size running prototype in the course of next year. The definitive model will be shown at CES in January 2023. The target price aims for a fork between $40 000 and $60 000 (€27 500-41 000).

However, not too many details have yet emerged, but the size of the SUV seems to fit in above the Tesla Model Y. There’s no lack of innovative thinking either since renderings show that the car has four sliding doors. Whether that’s folly or realism remains to be seen. But remember, the guys behind Project Arrow know their parts better than anybody else does.

Uncluttered design

In an interview with Automotive News Canada, the Chief Technical Officer at APMA, Fraser Dunn, disclosed some extra information. He stated that the car would have an uncluttered design as a reaction to contemporary SUVs that carry too much plastic on their bodywork.

He further added that SAE Level 3 is in the works. The battery pack will consist of cylindrical cells from the Canadian joint venture VoltaXplore – remarkable since most start-ups rely on the Asian market for their batteries.

Old dream

But it shows that the project draws in significant interest from other Canadian companies. Apparently, more than 400 of them are willing to collaborate.

The old dream of Canada possessing its own car and brand can be traced back to 2008 when supplier Magna International nearly acquired Opel from GM. Because of their less complex and more digital technology, the transition to EVs has made a genesis, with a car developed from scratch, a lot easier now.

As for now, it seems likely that Project Arrow will follow in the footsteps of other start-ups like Nio, Rivian, Karma, Lightyear, Canoo, Nikola Motors, and so on that are reshaping the automotive field.

Energy / Environment / Industry / Top Stories Today

Citizen’s project 17.000 solar panels to power Ghent city buildings

Hilde Van Raemdonck Posted On December 23, 2021

Local authorities in Ghent have signed an agreement with citizen’s cooperation Beauvent for the production of green electricity for at least 15 years through a power procurement agreement.

In the next fifteen years, all city buildings will use sustainable electricity produced by 17 000 XL solar panels on the 6,4 hectares of the rooftop at wood importer Lemahieu Group’s site at the Rigakaai. Citizens of Ghent can participate in the project.

7 000 MWh

In the coming months, Lemahieu Group and Beauvent will install 17 000 solar panels, good for electricity production of 7 000 MWh a year, the equivalent of the energy needed for 2 000 households. It will be the largest solar project in Beauvent’s history, and one of the largest in Flanders.

The project, supported by the Flemish Energy Company (Vlaamse EnergieBedrijf, VEB), is a first in Flanders. It’s the first time that a city will use the energy produced on the roof of a private owner. The citizen’s cooperation will partly finance the project, but residents can also co-invest in the project.

‘Next logical step’

“We’re trendsetters with this unique contract,” says Annelies Storms, Ghent Chairman for Facility Management. “We stimulate sustainable energy production and ensure that Ghent can generate 100% of its own electricity.”

“Following our initial successful collaboration with Beauvent, in which we realized a 2,2 Megawatt-peak solar energy project at our production plant in Ostend in 2021, we decided to use our rooftop area for the benefit of the City of Ghent and, by extension, the people of Ghent. We have been carbon-neutral since 2020, and we already have green energy at our Ghent site because of the windmill. This investment is the next logical step in our sustainability policy,” says Mike Lemahieu, CEO of Lemahieu Group.

46% from renewable sources

By 2030, Ghent wants to get 30% of the electricity used in the city from renewable sources; today, it is 10%. And with the planned project at the Rigakaai, it will be 46% at one stroke, far more than the set target.

Energy / Industry / Opinion / Product / Top Stories Today / Weekly Newsletter

Mercedes EQS: limousine for the green CEO? We drove it.

Tony Verhelle Posted On December 23, 2021

Of the German premium brands, Mercedes is the first to put a fully electric limousine on the market. The EQS is the top model of Mercedes’ electric branch EQ. It also harbors the S in its name, from S-Class or, in German, Sonder Klasse, extraordinary classy, so to say. Does it live up to this ambition?

In contrast to BMW, which will launch an electric version of its new 7 Series, the i7, in 2022, Mercedes has no plans to offer a fully electric S-Class just now. Instead, it developed a different car on a dedicated platform (EVA2).

Plenty of space

A purposeful electric platform plants the wheels in the far corners. This means there’s plenty of room in between. As the EQS also measures an impressive 5,2 m in length, the wheelbase measures 3,2 m, and five passengers can have lots of space in this car, especially with the flat floor.

The only drawback: a fast sloping (coupé) roofline can cause problems in the back for people with a (very) long torso. The load volume of the trunkj is also impressive (610 liters minimum), the more that it is easily accessible through a large hatch. The rear seats can be flipped over to give an impressive cargo area of 1 770 liters.

Smooth and snug

Despite its bulk, the EQS also delivers a record drag coefficient. With a Cx of 0,20, it’s the best of the current car production. This also guarantees a very quiet environment and ride, and the remarkable fact that the EQS is actually more frugal at (moderate) highway speeds than in an urban environment where accelerating a mass of more than 2,5 tons takes its toll.

The eyecatcher in the interior is, without doubt, the Hyperscreen, a curved glass panel reaching from the left to the right of the dashboard, assembling three large screens. One of them is facing the front passenger, but we doubt its usefulness, except catching the eye. It doesn’t give other info than one can have on the vast central screen.

More interesting for the comfort-oriented EQS driver: the Remote Parking Assist allows you to park the car with your smartphone from outside, and Memory Parking Assist memorizes frequently used parking maneuvers so they can be repeated automatically.

A cruiser, not a racer

Although the sporty AMG-version is already in the showroom, the EQS’ most important task is to transport its passengers in the most comfortable manner. Beware, this heavy limousine can be blisteringly quick of the mark, especially when you opt for the twin-engined 580 or AMG version, but that doesn’t mean it’s a sports car.

Don’t be fooled, the EQS also has excellent road behavior and even four-wheel steering as standard, but the accent lies on smoothness and comfort, not on razor-sharp turning or sporty driving on country roads.

The EQS is too big and bulky for this purpose. Nevertheless, we would choose the option of 10° steering input (instead of the standard 4,5°) on the rear wheels, not for sportiness, but it makes maneuvering with this large car a gem. With a turning circle of 10,9 m, this EQS maneuvers tighter than an A-Class.

No hick-ups?

The EQS definitely does what it promises: transporting up to five people in a sphere of luxury and quietness that one must look for in a Rolls-Royce otherwise. But the sloping roof makes the sight to the rear awkward (it’s like peeking through a letter-box), and the pedal feel of the brakes is too artificial to our liking.

We drove a brand new EQS 450+ (one motor, rear-wheel drive), and we found it challenging to consume less than 25 kWh/100 km. We don’t know if this was due to the many short trips or the winter conditions, but we were far from the promised WLTP figures and the extensive range (+ 700 km) that goes with it. 450 km was the best our car could promise, despite the 108 kWh of useable energy in the battery pack.

Last but not least, a price tag of at least €120 000, to be upped quickly with a lot of interesting but pricy options, is rather severe and somewhat higher than accordingly equipped and (ICE)-powered S-Classes. So, not a car for everyone, but the climate-conscious CEO or governmental official could very well cope with it.

Industry / Top Stories Today / Weekly Newsletter

Rough times for car dealers: lay-offs to survive

Félix Bouland Posted On December 22, 2021

Talking to BFM Business, Francis Bartholomé, President of the French National Council for Automotive Professionals (CNPA), explains that 60% of car dealers are planning to lay off some staff. After the Covid-19 pandemic plagued the sector in 2020, the car market is now facing the chip shortage.

In Belgium, the story is much the same. A recent study from the Federation for Automotive Retailers (Traxio) on profitability in 2020 shows that car dealers saw their turnover drop by 17%, mainly due to the new car sales drop of -23% compared to 2019. With the car market continuing to regress, the story for 2021 is much the same.

French car dealers plan staff reductions

According to Francis Bartholomé, President of the French National Council for Automotive Professionals (CNPA) talking to BFM Business, more than half of all car dealers (60%) are planning a series of lay-offs to deal with the regressing market. The pandemic already hit the automotive sector at heart, and the chip shortage is now finalizing the blow for some.

With the chip shortage came the explosion of delivery times. This induced a drastic drop in new car sales and they are now expected to be even lower than those of 2020. In dealerships, salespersons are penalized with sales bonuses only being awarded on delivery.

-17% turnover in 2020

Traxio’s recent car dealer’s 2020 profitability study shows the effect of the pandemic on the automotive sector. With new car sales dropping in Belgium as well (-23% compared to 2019), dealers have seen their turnover drop by 17%. Profits followed suit with more than -8%. Government support measures covered the wound and helped prevent the bleeding. However, the average debt ratio of automotive dealers increased.

“In the short term, brand retailers will have to deal with direct consequences of Covid-19, such as the chip shortage, but this crisis also has longer-term consequences, influenced largely by consumer behaviors. I’m thinking of teleworking or the switch to smaller company cars, hybrid or electric ones as well. This cocktail means that our sector is undergoing substantial changes much faster than expected,” notes Henri de Hemptinne, President of the Brand Retailers, in a recent press release from Traxio.

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Brussels Motor Show goes through the roof

Tony Verhelle Posted On December 22, 2021

As already mentioned, the 99th edition of the Brussels Motor Show will not take place at Brussels Expo, as usual, but in the dealerships. Nevertheless, organizer Febiac wants to mark the event by building a pop-up Rooftop Studio on top of the iconic Hall 5.

At an altitude of 45 m, the glass studio will offer an impressive panoramic view of the Atomium and the city behind it. It wants to be a meeting place for the many people usually involved in the BMS, like partners, media, journalists, influencers, etc.

At the dealer

The commercial center of gravity of the BMS 2022 will be at the dealers of the different brands. Therefore, from the 14th to the 31st of January, everybody is welcomed at the many dealer locations all over the country.

The increasing number of Covid-19 infections at the end of November forced organizer Febiac to decentralize the show to the dealerships. The federation of importers and manufacturers wants to preserve the momentum the BMS has every year on the Belgian car market.

But Febiac also wanted to keep a central gathering during the show period. That will be the Rooftop Studio. “With our Rooftop Studio, we want to put the individual mobility of the future in the picture,” says Gabriel Goffoy, Febiac’s new communication director.

“We aim to confront the vision of the youngest generations with the ideas of the industry, the authorities, the opinion makers, and other voices to be heard. Our sector has adapted itself very fast to the new European guidelines, but that’s still not well known. We want to change that.”

New campaign

“The new generations are our future clients,” says Febiac CEO Andreas Cremer. “We offer an impressive panoply of innovative products and want to communicate on this. In our Rooftop Studio, there will be a daily news bulletin of… 99 seconds (referring to the 99th BMS, e.n.), also broadcasted on RTL-TVi and VTM Drive.”

“Important information for all customers will be included so that consumers can find their way in a changing market with many developments and fiscal adaptations. The new digital platform by Febiac will play an important role here,” Cremer concludes.

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GM kicks off new Ultium platform

Gert Verhoeven Posted On December 21, 2021

General Motors has just delivered the first vehicles that use the brand new Ultium platform developed exclusively for electrically powered vehicles. By 2025, GM plans to launch 30 different models on this basis worldwide.

In the first phase, the real GMC Hummer will be built on this base platform. The Hummer is back and wants to adopt a greener image through purely electric propulsion. It is striking that this GM product is returning to the heart of the American car industry, as the icon is being assembled in Detroit at Factory Zero (Hamtramck, Michigan).

GM products

Other electric GM products (Chevrolet and Cadillac) will be assembled here in a second phase. In addition, GM is further investing ($5 billion) in production facilities in the US to manufacture battery cells (140 GWh yearly).

The other concrete realization on the Ultium basis is the Bright Drop EV600 van that will be used by the delivery company FedEx. Here, too, the first units (of an order of 500) have just been delivered. Production of these vehicles will reach cruising speed at GM’s Canadian Ontario site in autumn 2022.

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NMBS/SNCB orders 98 new double-deck carriages from Alstom

Hilde Van Raemdonck Posted On December 21, 2021

Belgian railway company NMBS/SNCB has ordered 98 additional M7 double-deck vehicles from French train manufacturer Alstom. The order is part of a general agreement signed in 2015 for the delivery of 1 362 M7 carriages of which NMBS/SNCB already ordered 747.

The M7 carriages will be assembled at Alstom in Bruges, on the former site of Bombardier, and in Valenciennes (France). The knowledge center in Charleroi is responsible for the traction system and the national and European signaling systems.

€268 investment

The double-deck trains can reach a speed of 200 km per hour max, and comply with the new ETCS safety system, the European standard for the safety of trains. They’re also compatible with the existing M5 and M6 double-deck trains. The new order represents a €268 million investment.

The new generation of double-decker trains, or ‘M7’ for short, offers more comfort to passengers and is equipped with the latest software and extra safety provisions. The ceilings in the new double-deckle trains, with a powerful engine that runs smoothly over two hundred km/hour, are higher.

More space for bicycles and baby buggies

In December last year, NMB/SNCB announced an order of 200 additional M7 double-deck carriages from Bombardier in Bruges. At that time, the production site in Bruges was building 355 M7 carriages, of which some 40 were already delivered.

There’s more room for luggage, and the new carriages will pay more attention to passengers with limited mobility like wheelchair users. 130 of the carriages will be ‘autonomously accessible’. Another 68 carriages would offer space for bicycles and baby buggies. The first deliveries of that order were planned for 2024 and represented a €450 million investment.

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Biden administration strengthens emission rules again

Tony Verhelle Posted On December 21, 2021

The Biden administration has adjusted the emission rules for cars softened during the Trump era. The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has published the new guidelines on Monday. It wants the car manufacturers to be 5 to 10% better in their energy performance between 2023 and 2026.

In a press release, EPA confirms that “these are the most ambitious federal emission standards for greenhouse gases ever published for cars and pickups.” This move is part of the ambitious ‘Build Back Better’ plan of Joe Biden, which is (again) under fire due to the refusal of American senator Joe Manchin (Democrats) to sign the bill.

88,5 kilometers or 55 miles

While the new, more ambitious plan is awaited, EPA expects cars, SUVs, and pickups to be able to drive at a continuous speed of 55 miles or 88,5 kilometers on 1 gallon (3,785 liters) of fuel by mid-2026. The Trump administration demanded 69 kilometers, while Obama before him already asked 80,5 kilometers by mid-2025.

In real driving conditions, those figures represent 64,5 km per gallon for the new EPA demands, against 51,5 km asked for by the Trump administration and 58 km by the Obama government. Of course, we’re talking average here, and there will be vehicles using more fuel and others consuming less.

It is evident that manufacturers will have to build far more electric vehicles to achieve this goal. EPA itself foresees that the targets for 2026 can be reached “when 17% of the newly sold cars are electric, and the most advanced techniques are used on the ICE engines.”

Governmental aid

President Biden has already signed a decree that foresees that in 2030, 50% of all cars sold in the US will have to be electric, self-charging hybrid, or running on hydrogen.

John Bozella, CEO of the Alliance for Automotive Innovation regrouping almost all American and foreign car manufacturers, points out that governmental aid will be necessary to obtain these targets. He’s thinking about “consumer incentives, a substantial increase in good infrastructure, regulations for fleet, and support regarding the entire supply chain in the US”.

Financial and climate savings

EPA thinks that “the new regulations will save 210 to 420 billion dollars for the American drivers on fuel expenses between now and 2050”. Again, the objectives are clear: “reducing climatic pollution, a better general health situation, and important savings at the fuel station for the average car driver”.

However, the Union of Concerned Scientists finds it necessary to be far more ambitious. “The new standards will repair the damage done by the precedent administration, but if we want to avoid a climatic catastrophe, we will have to double the ambition or even more.”

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Nikola delivers its first battery-electric Tre trucks in US

Joris Van Roy Posted On December 21, 2021

American electric truckmaker Nikola has finally delivered its first two battery-electric Tre trucks in the US in a pilot project with Southern California trucking company Total Transportation Services Inc. (TTSI) at the Los Angeles harbor. Two FCEV trucks for the project are to follow later. Nikola’s Tre truck is basically a European-built Iveco.

This is the first tangible result in the US for the much-hyped start-up founded by now 39-year-old Trevor Milton, who had to step down in September 2020, as he and his company got caught in a storm accused of fraud and misleading investors. Last year was rather one of losing one ‘mega deal’ after another.

TTSI operates a fleet of about 2 000 trucks in the Port of Los Angeles, with major retailers such as Amazon and Target as clients. It wants to add 30 more battery-electric trucks next year, followed by 70 fuel cell trucks later in 2023.

California: zero-emission trucks for all ports

California Governor Gavin Newsom signed in September 2020 an executive order that all heavy-duty trucks transporting containers to and from California ports must be 100% zero-emission by 2035. In the Port of LA alone, 12 000 freight trucks are operating today.

The BEV Nikola Tre features a 480 kW (645 hp) motor and 753 kWh battery capacity, providing it with a range of 350 miles (563 km). The FCEV is projected to have a 500-mile range (804 km).

Built in Ulm with Iveco

The Nikola Tre, initially meant for Europe, is based on Iveco’s S-WAY platform and is jointly produced with Nikola in Ulm, Germany. The site in Ulm is Iveco’s chassis engineering hub that is to become ‘a leading hub for fuel-cell technology’ of the group. Nikola delivers the electric drivetrain for the truck.

According to a previous press release, the initial Nikola Tre for the US customers is produced in Germany. Nikola’s production plant in Coolidge, Arizona, is still under construction. Yet it started the first pre-series production of Nikola Tre BEVs, to be ramped up to 2 400 trucks a year in 2022, and 20 000 in 2023.

Fuel cells from Bosch or GM

The hydrogen version of the Tre will follow in 2023, using for Europe the S3 fuel cell stacks developed by Bosch with Swedish PowerCell. Bosch used to have a 6,4 percent share in Nikola but reduced it to 4,9% later when the media storm took share prices down.

Eventually, General Motors would work with Nikola supplying its Hydrolec fuel cell systems and eventually its Ultium battery systems for the BEV trucks in the US. But since the intended mega-deal with GM smashed to smithereens, it remains relatively silent except for a new letter of intent for delivering fuel cells, which is still under review.

Mega-deal canceled

In December last year, General Motors announced its withdrawal from the mega-deal with Nikola to become a shareholder and co-develop and build the latter’s Badger pickup. As that project was only viable with an established carmaker’s help, Nikola decided to ditch the Badger and refund people who preordered it.

In that deal, General Motors was to get an 11% ($2 billion) equity stake in newly issued common stock from Nikola in exchange for specific in-kind contributions. Those would have started with the engineering, homologating, validating, and manufacturing of the Nikola Badger pickup.

Ultium batteries

And this would come both as a battery-electric (BEV) and fuel cell (FCEV) version. The final version of the Nikola Badger was initially to make its public debut between December 3 and 5, at the Nikola World 2020 event in Arizona, where the company is based, but never materialized.

The deal with GM also would extend to Nikola’s Class 7/8 heavy-duty semi-trucks, with GM supplying its Hydrotec fuel cell technology and Ultium batteries for the Nikola One, Nikola Two, and Nikola Tre (outside of Europe), and the electric off-roader NZT. The trucks’ battery-electric versions should become available in 500 kWh, 750 kWh, and 1 000 kWh configurations.

25 BEV Tre trucks for Hamburg

Later that month, Nikola started to further slide down the slope after announcing that a mega-deal for 2 500 battery-electric garbage trucks was abandoned. Nikola would develop refuse trucks based on the electric Tre for Republic Services, one of America’s biggest waste collection companies, with an option of up to 5 000 units later.

There was some good news for Nikola in Europe, though, as it could announce in September of this year a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with the Hamburg Port Authority in Germany to deliver 25 BEV Tre trucks in 2022.

Industry / Product / Top Stories Today

NIO’s ET5 sedan to take on Tesla Model 3 and BMW 3 in China

Joris Van Roy Posted On December 20, 2021

Chinese electric carmaker NIO has presented its most affordable model so far, the ET5 sedan, at the NIO Days in Suzhou, Shangai’s neighboring city. The 4,7 m full electric, all-wheel-drive sedan with a range of choice between 550 and 1 000 km and the swappable battery will sell over there at 328 000 yuan (€45 572).

By renting the 75 kWh battery at 980 yuan (€136) monthly, the list price drops to 258 000 yuan (€35 846) for the basic model. NIO already started selling in Norway this year but announced to expand in Europe to the Netherlands, Germany, Sweden, and Denmark next year. By 2025 it wants to be present in 25 countries and regions worldwide.

Appealing design

The NIO ET is a sleek-looking sedan with a drag coefficient as low as 0.24, featuring a complete glass roof and almost the same specifications as the company’s flagship ET7. NIO’s fifth production model has an appealing design for Western buyers.

No wonder, as the design team in Münich is staffed with people who earned their ‘wings’ with Daimler and BMW like Director External Design Oliver Samson and Vice-President of Design Kris Tomasson. Being Head of Exterior Design for BMW i at that time, the latter joined NIO in 2015 to set up the Munich design center.

Tesla Model 3 challenger

Being just slightly longer than the Tesla Model 3 or the popular BMW 3-Series and with a price tag that can compete both with the electric competition like Xpeng’s P7 or Geely’s Zeekr 01, as the classic ICE (Brilliance) BMW 3 or Audi A4 in China.

With its 75 kWh battery pack, the ET5 equals the range (556 km) of Tesla’s basic Model 3 (550 km), both according to the new CLTC standard, China’s light-duty vehicle test cycle. The latter is roughly 19% more ‘optimistic than the former NEDC.

Ranges up to 1 000 km (CLTC)

But with the 100 kWh long-range battery pack, the ET5 promises a (CLTC) range of over 700 km and with a 150 kWh battery which is to come later, even more than 1 000. Prices for the 100 kWh version start at 386 000 yuan (€53 630) or with the Battery-as-a-Service (BaaS) formula at 258 000 yuan (€35 846) with a rental fee for the battery of 1 480 yuan (€205) per month.

In China and in Europe, starting in Norway, NIO batteries are owned and leased by the new third-party battery asset management company, called Weineng Battery Asset Company that was set up with China’s biggest battery manufacturer, CATL. As a result, consumers can have their battery pack swapped and upgrade or downgrade to different packs (70, 100, or 150 kWh) as needed.

NIO has acquired CE & TÜV certifications for the NIO Power Swap Station, its DC Power Charger up to 180kW, and NIO’s AC wall box called ‘Power Home’. As a result, it now can roll out its battery-swapping service and charging infrastructure in all EU member states, starting with four stations in Norway.

So far, NIO has already installed more than 700 swapping stations in China and expects, by the end of 2022, to have in total over 1 300 Power Swap stations.

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Crédit Agricole and Stellantis create new big player in operational leasing

Tony Verhelle Posted On December 20, 2021

The Crédit Agricole daughter C.A. Consumer Finance and car manufacturer Stellantis have decided to make their partnership evolve and together create a pan-European leader in operational leasing. In addition, C.A. Consumer Finance would take over 100% of the capital of FCA Bank and Leasys Rent, with the ambition of making it a Europe-wide player in car financing, leasing, and mobility.

Over the past 15 years, C.A. Consumer Finance and Fiat Chrysler Automobiles have jointly developed a significant player in automotive financing: FCA Bank. In the wake of the merger between FCA and PSA to form Stellantis, CA Consumer Finance and Stellantis have entered into exclusive negotiations to redefine the focus of their cooperation.

Top five

C.A. Consumer Finance and Stellantis would create a pan-European leasing company bringing together Leasys (314 000 managed vehicles as of year-end 2020), the leasing subsidiary of FCA Bank, and the market leader in Italy, and Free2Move Lease (369 000 operated vehicles as of year-end 2020). This leasing business has historically covered the PSA brands.

This exclusive partnership between C.A. Consumer Finance and Stellantis would allow them to become one of the top five players in Europe immediately. This new multi-brand leasing joint venture, equally owned by C.A. Consumer Finance and Stellantis, would serve all customers, both companies and individuals, in ten European countries.

The Leasys leasing platform would be the foundation on which this new player would be created, with the contribution of Free2Move Lease, drawing on the teams’ professionalism and expertise. The two partners aim to develop a fleet of over one million vehicles by the end of 2026.

Stéphane Priami, Deputy Chief Executive Officer of Crédit Agricole S.A. and CEO of C.A. Consumer Finance, explained: “This new player would serve the Crédit Agricole Group’s ambition to take key positions in car leasing activity, the fastest-growing segment with the greatest potential in the automobile market which is undergoing a profound change and facing evolving habits.”

“It would also contribute to Crédit Agricole’s strategic plan by meeting customers’ need for simplicity through an all-inclusive and innovative offer, and by supporting them in their energy transition through easier access to more environmentally friendly vehicles,” he added.

New Europe-wide player

In parallel, C.A. Consumer Finance would launch a Europe-wide player in car financing, leasing, and mobility by assuming a 100% ownership of FCA Bank and Leasys Rent.

This new entity would have three main development areas: the consolidation of the white label agreements and joint ventures currently managed by FCA Bank, and the gain of new ones; the pursuit of new agreements with all other players in the market (dealers, distribution groups, rental companies, etc.) in markets such as passenger vehicles, utility cars, motorbikes, leisure cars; and the short-term rental, subscription and mobility activities currently operated under the Leasys Rent brand in Europe, with more than 500 Mobility Stores¹ all of which offer electric charging stations.

C.A. Consumer Finance aims to make this company one of the leading players in the market in Europe, mainly through modern and innovative solutions and white label offers, with a target of € 10 billion in outstandings by 2026.

In 2023

The relevant agreements between Stellantis, Crédit Agricole S.A., and its subsidiary C.A. Consumer Finance could be signed in the first quarter of 2022 upon completing the information and consultation procedures with staff representative bodies regarding this plan.

The proposed transactions should be completed during the first half of 2023 once the required authorization has been obtained from the relevant anti-trust authorities and market regulators.

Private lease is booming

“Long-term renting and leasing is going to develop; we’re all sure of that,’ confirms Priami. “People will move from car possession to car use. Electrification also plays a role here. People will hesitate to actually buy more expensive electric vehicles.”

Long-term renting or leasing was already preferred for a long time by companies; now, there is a growing number of individual buyers getting attracted by private leases. A survey in France by the ICDP cabinet recently underlined that the car dealer of tomorrow would deliver more and more leased vehicles. The number of leased cars would almost double in the Hexagone by 2025.

Meanwhile, the big players are organizing themselves. A few months ago, ALD Automotive (a daughter of Société Générale) and LeasePlan (Europe’s number one in leasing) were sniffling at each other in view of extended collaboration.

Another big player, Arval (a BNP Paribas daughter), saw his fleet grow by 6,4% in 2020, despite the pandemic, and now has a fleet of 1 381 555 vehicles. “Our objective in the long term is to compete with those giants,” concludes Priami. “We want to take our place in an activity where we weren’t sufficiently present yet.”

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Ford wants to build 600 000 EVs by the end of 2023 (update)

Tony Verhelle Posted On December 17, 2021

Ford has revealed a few more details about its updated projection to achieve an electric vehicle production of 600 000 units annually within 24 months (by the end of 2023).

As we understand, it does not mean 600 000 BEV produced globally in 2023, but that the rate, at least in December 2023, will be at 50 000 BEVs per month.

The high demand for electric cars has prompted the company to reconsider its strategy and instead of launching more models, first improve the availability of the existing ones. Key models in this strategy are the Mustang Mach-E and the F 150 Lightning pickup.

Mustang Mach-E

Ford has announced a significant increase in production for its all-electric Mustang Mach-E. By 2023, Ford wants to achieve an annual output of more than 200 000 units of the electric car. That would be three times as many as were produced in 2021.

“It’s hard to produce the Mustang Mach-E fast enough to meet the incredible demand, but we are sure going to try,” CEO JimFarley wrote on Twitter. He was citing a production target of ‘200 000+ units’ for 2023.

This is for North America and Europe only, meaning production from the Cuautitlan plant in Mexico. For China, the Mustang Mach-E is built locally with joint venture partner Changan, so these vehicles are not counted in Farley’s statements.

F-150 Lightning

According to Jim Farley, Ford’s new Rouge Electric Vehicle Center (part of the Ford Rouge Center) in Dearborn, Michigan, was expected to produce 80 000 units of the F-150 Lightning pickup per year in 2024 (up from 40 000 previously).

But considering the demand (close to 200 000 reservations, frozen for the moment but soon an open order bank) it’s not enough. Currently, Ford plans to double the Ford F-150 Lightning output again at the Rouge Electric Vehicle Center, which will require a significant investment (a couple hundred million) for a bigger building. As we understand, the new target is now 160 000 annually.

600 000 in 2024?

If one starts adding up the numbers, 160 000 Ford F-150 Lightning and 200 000 Ford Mustang Mach-E, plus some noticeable five-digit number for the Ford E-Transit (produced separately in North America and Europe), it will probably exceed 400,000.

Then there is Ford’s EV project in Europe, based on the Volkswagen MEB platform (at least one car). The first model – a small crossover/SUV is expected in 2023. This European electrification plan assumes 600 000 MEB-based EVs over six years, starting in 2023, which indicates 100 000 per year on average.

Postpone other EVs?

In order to create the capacities in Cuautitlan for the increased Mach-E numbers, Ford apparently has to adjust the production planning for the Mexican plant.

According to information from the specialized magazine Automotive News, the US manufacturer apparently wants to withdraw the planned production of two electric SUV series from Mexico. The all-electric Ford Explorer and Lincoln Aviator are to be built at another location yet to be determined. This could be significantly later than originally planned, late 2024 instead of mid-2023.

Automotive News refers to a Ford document that was apparently sent to suppliers. The models developed under the code names CDX746 and CDX747 are to go into series production as the U759 and U760, with a planned start of production in December 2024.

The new planning for the two electric SUVs had been foreshadowed: Lisa Drake, COO Ford North America, had already spoken about the considerations in an interview last week. “We had previously contemplated building an additional electric vehicle down there in Cuautitlan but our first priority right now is to scale production of the Mach-E given that demand,” Drake said.

“Our production system is very flexible by design, and we’ll utilize multiple North American plants as we build out our future North American line-up,” she added. The Ford executive did not hint at where the Explorer and Aviator might be built.

Battery production

While Ford is apparently optimistic about having enough batteries for the significant production expansion of the Mustang Mach-E (the cells are made by LGES in Poland), battery shortage is the reason for the temporary reservation freeze on the Ford F-150 Lightning electric pickup.

“We’ll get the semiconductors, that’s a matter of prioritizing the battery-electric vehicles over the internal combustion engine vehicles,” Farley told US broadcaster CNBC. “The issue is batteries. That’s what we have to solve.”

Ford plans to use cells from SK Innovation for the F-150 Lightning, to be produced at a factory in the US state of Georgia. In the meantime, Ford and SKI have agreed to set up a battery joint venture, BlueOvalSK, with a production capacity of 60 GWh. However, the production of its own battery cells will not start before 2025 – until then Ford will have to rely on purchased cells.

Meanwhile, in the US, Ford has raised the price of the Mustang Mach-E by $1 000 to $3 000, depending on the variant, as part of the move to the 2022 model year.

Industry / Legislation / Top Stories Today

France: €400 million for automotive subcontractors

Félix Bouland Posted On December 17, 2021

As part of Macron’s ‘France 2030’ recovery plan, automotive subcontractors and equipment manufacturers will get a 300-million-euro support fund for their diversification. Additionally, €100 million will support employment in affected industrial areas.

Minister for the Industry, Agnès Pannier-Runacher (LREM), announced that these funds would accompany structuring projects to help a sector not only hit by the pandemic but also by relocation and the automotive industry’s sharp electrification.

Bandage for the French automotive industry

A recovery plan has already been launched in 2020, with eight billion euros for the automotive industry. That being said, in the recent ‘France 2030’ global recovery plan, President Emmanuel Macron announced a new budget of 2,5 billion euros, without precision on who in the automotive industry will benefit from it.

Today, clarity is brought to the announcement, as a 300-million-euro support fund will be allocated to diversifying subcontractors in the automotive industry for projects in line with electrified vehicles and their components.

Visiting a metal shaping factory in Pont-Saintes-Maxence, Minister for the Industry, Agnès Pannier-Runacher (LREM), announced that the funds will be allocated to structuring projects at around one million euro per company.

The French automotive industry lost many feathers due to the Covid-19 pandemic; switching to electrified vehicles is bad news for many OEMs. Analyses show that electrification could cause the loss of 52 000 jobs in France. Projects to build batteries or transform plants, such as Renault is doing, will probably not compensate for that loss.

€100 million for employment

This Thursday, Minister Pannier-Runacher also announced the launch of the ‘industrial shock’ scheme, which an additional 100-million-euro envelope will trigger to support employment. The plan will be launched in areas most affected by the changes in the automotive industry.

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Lightyear wants an affordable solar car by 2025

Piet Andries Posted On December 17, 2021

Is it driving on sunshine for less than € 30 000 within a few years? That’s the new target for Dutch start-up Lightyear, a specialist in solar cars. The news breaks shortly after the company secured the necessary fundings for its pioneering car, the One (pictured above), which will be offered for a retail price of about € 150 000.

It seems that the brand wants to move fast into the mass market since the more affordable car is set to go on sale in 2024 or 2025 at the latest. Due to the woos concerning chip shortage, the company doesn’t want to get hooked on a precise date.

By subscription

The plans about the new car were referred to when the directors of the company announced a commercial deal with Dutch leasing and fleet company LeasePlan this week. The latter ordered a batch of 5 000 models of the forthcoming Lightyear Two. They will be offered to its customers on a monthly subscription basis. It is referred to as the first solar subscription service worldwide.

Not too many details on the cheaper model were released. But it is clear that it will be based on the technology of the One, which is being prepared for assembly by Valmet in Finland.

Very frugal

The Lightyear One, which will be in Leaseplan’s portfolio as well, is a trailblazer in aerodynamics (a path that is also followed by Mercedes with the soon to be unveiled EQXX). It has a long sweeping roofline, a surface that is maximized for capturing solar energy while reducing drag at the same time. The hood is also completely covered with solar panels, amounting to 5 square metres in total.

According to the official statement, the One can cover 725 kilometers (WLTP) on a single charge. It has in-wheel electric motors on every corner. The specifications don’t mention the size of the battery pack, but it is supposed to be significantly smaller than usual. Due to its streamlined design, the One has a very frugal consumption of no more than 8,3 kWh per 100 kilometers, according to WLTP.

Lightyear says the panels are sufficient to cover the daily commute of the majority of European drivers and claims you can drive for months without charging.

TIME Magazine

Lightyear was founded in 2016 by alumni of Solar Team Eindhoven. As students, the company members competed in four World Solar Challenges, of which they won three. Next to their cars, Lightyear also produces solar roofs for automotive applications. They tested them on Teslas, for example.

Two years ago, the Lightyear One was heralded by TIME Magazine as one of the “100 Best Inventions.” In 2020, Lightyear won the “Rising Star” and “Most Disruptive Innovator” Award of the Technology Fast 50 program organized by Deloitte.

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Car market continues to regress (Update)

Tony Verhelle Posted On December 17, 2021

In November, 24 134 new cars were registered in Belgium, again 17,1% less than in the pandemic year 2020, and -30,2% compared to November 2019. The same tendency is to be seen practically all over Europe.

The semiconductor shortage plays a significant role in this and nowhere it’s so visible as in Germany and Russia. The UK is somewhat an exception in the figures due to the success of electric cars.

Europe

In the whole European Union, passenger car registrations fell for the fifth consecutive month this year (-20.5%), totaling 713 346 units sold. In volume terms, this result marked the lowest November total on record since 1993.

Double-digit losses were recorded in many EU markets, including three of the four major ones: Germany (-31.7%), Italy (-24.6%), and Spain (-12.3%). Bulgaria, Ireland, and Slovenia were the only EU markets posting growth.

Eleven months into the year, the impact of the microchip shortage on vehicle output dragged the EU’s year-to-date sales performance into negative territory (-0,04%), and this despite 2020’s record-low base for comparison.

Nevertheless, three of the four largest EU markets still posted positive results from January to November 2021: Italy (+8.6%), Spain (+3.8%), and France (+2.5%). In Germany, on the other hand, registrations of new cars further weakened (-8.1%) compared to one year ago.

Belgium

2019 was an excellent year for the car business, especially in Belgium, but this has turned a lot lately. Of course, there was the pandemic year with the lockdowns in 2020, but now it seems that sales aren’t recovering, on the contrary.

Compared to last year, 362 746 cars have been sold in Belgium, and that’s 9,6% less than last year and a whopping 29,8% less than in 2019 (admittedly, a record year).

The damage is less pronounced in the commercial vehicles sector, and the market seems to be picking up lately because the economy is growing again. As far as motorbikes are concerned, the market is still progressing, with a clear plus for November (+6,9%) and still growing overall (+1,5% compared to 2020, and +2,4% compared to 2019).

When you look at the brands, BMW confirms its ascendancy and is the only manufacturer that obtains more than 10% of the market, with an 11% growth figure compared to 11 months last year.

Volkswagen is number two (but regressing 12,5%) with a 9,1% market share, and there is a tight battle for place three to five, Peugeot (7,41% market share) winning at the moment before Audi (7,34%) and Mercedes (7,19%).

Big losers this year are Renault (-36,1%), Alfa Romeo (-35,8%), Fiat (-28,1%), Jeep (-26,7%), Honda (-24,5%), DS (-23,3%), Dacia (-22,2%), and Land Rover (-20,5%). It’s clear that the Alliance and the Stellantis group are the manufacturers which regressed the most.

Apart from BMW, there are almost no winners among the more prominent brands. Instead, considerable progress is reserved for new or small brands like Cupra, Polestar, MG, Smart, Subaru, etc. Still, we’re always taking small numbers here. Luxury brands like Bentley (100 cars, +6,4%), Ferrari (133 cars, +2,3%), and Porsche (2 767 cars, +4,1%) are still doing very well.

France

In the Hexagone, this November has been one of the worst, even 3,2% less than in the same month last year when the dealers were in lockdown half of the month. All-in-all, the French market stays at a quarter less than in the normal year 2019 and still suffers from the semiconductor shortage. Here also the luxury brands see a reverse tendency (+77% compared to last year).

The biggest losers are the two domestic manufacturers, Stellantis (-30,5% for the first 11 months compared to 2019) and Renault (-28,2%). The foreign brands suffer less, with VW at -20,5%, and others at even less. Hyundai-Kia is even progressing and has jumped above 5,4% market share. The French automotive platform PFA is still expecting some 1,7 million cars sold in 2021, slightly more than in the ‘catastrophic year’ 2020.

Germany

With a 31,7% lower sales volume in November 2021 compared to 2020, the problems due to the semiconductors shortage are not gone yet, on the contrary. In fact, the year 2021 will be worse than the (first) pandemic year 2020.

The German federal automotive Agency (KBA) noted 2,4 million cars were sold during the first eleven months of this year in Germany, which is 8% less than in 2020. Ferdinand Dudenhöffer of CAR (Center for Automotive Research) thinks that the whole year sales will end up at 2,69 million, also 8% less.

“The German market has never been so bad since the Reunification,” says Dudenhöffer. “The secondary effects of the pandemic (chips shortage, turbulence in the logistic chain, more expensive raw materials, have destabilized the world market in 2020 and beyond.”

“Germany suffers a lot,” he continues. “Car production has fallen back by 32% in November (-12% for the last 11 months) and it won’t be much better in 2022. A serious revival shouldn’t be expected before 2023, and even then the figures of 2019 won’t be beaten.”

Meanwhile, electrified cars continue to progress. Pure electric cars now sell more than diesel cars in Germany (20% market share against 16%), while gasoline still remains the market leader with 33%. But if you count in PHEVs, 34% of the market is already electrified.

The most successful brand in Germany is still Volkswagen (15% market share), although the sales went down -42%. The second brand here is Mercedes with 10% of the new car market.

The Netherlands

During November, 17,5% fewer cars were sold in the Netherlands compared to last year, and over 11 months, the decline is more than 8%. The best-sold car here is already for a certain time an electric one, this time, it was the Skoda Enyaq, followed by the Kia Niro.

A remarkable feat was established by Lynk&Co, obtaining fifth place with its 01 model, which is mainly rented with a monthly subscription fee instead of being sold.

Russia

The sales in Russia continued to regress in November (-20,4% compared to last year). For the first 11 months, there’s still light progress (+6,9%), but only if you compare it with the figures of the pandemic year 2020.

“Apart from all the negative factors in the market (production down, semiconductor shortage, logistic problems), there’s also the Russian government initiating laws that make the situation even more difficult,” says Thomas Staertzel, CEO of the Association of European Businesses (AEB).

Staertzel points at the nine-fold higher cost one pays to get rid of an electric car in Russia, combined with the fact that electric cars will now also pay import taxes. “These are decisions that will seriously hamper a market segment that’s only starting to develop in Russia,” Straetzel adds.

United Kingdom

The UK seems to be the exception confirming the rule in November. Last month, 115 706 cars were sold over there, and that’s 1,7% more than last year. Of course, here also one has to be careful comparing solely to 2020, the pandemic year. The November sales figure is still 31,3% below the average of the five years before the pandemic (2015-2019).

The motor of the market in November was an electric one. In November, two times as many electric cars were sold as last year. They already represent 18,8% of the total market, a number that goes up to 28,1% if you count in hybrids.

The Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders (SMMT) is worried about the deployment of infrastructure. According to SMMT, the number of rechargeable cars has gone up from 11 to 16 per charging point in the last two years. The association calls upon the authorities to remedy that as soon as possible.

Japan

The Japanese market seems to recuperate from the big blow it observed in September and October (minus 30%), also due to the chip shortage. In total, the market has only regressed 13,4% in November.

Toyota is still the biggest loser (-18,8% in November), and brands like Honda (+3,8%) and Nissan (+2,2%) even progressed. The Kei car (a mini-car very typical for the Japanese market) stays very popular, with sales totaling more than 60% of regular cars.

Tendencies

All over the world, we see markets suffering from the enduring semiconductor shortage influencing the worldwide car market. This also causes a skew in the market toward more expensive and electrified models.

As semiconductors are hard to find, manufacturers tend to reserve them for more expensive cars with more interesting profit margins, electrified vehicles being part of this. The average buyer with a restricted budget is the loser.

So, it’s far from astonishing that many people are turning to the second-hand market to find a car. Almost all over Europe, the second-hand market is booming, with prices rising every month. As long as the chip shortage remains a problem, this tendency will still increase.

Energy / Industry / Product / Top Stories Today

Audi invests € 18 billion in EVs

Tony Verhelle Posted On December 17, 2021

According to the newest planning round, Audi wants to invest € 18 billion in electrification alone from 2022 to 2026. In the planning round a year ago, Audi had put the investment in electrification for the years 2021 to 2025 at € 15 billion.

The Ingolstadt company always concludes its planning round shortly after the VW Group. Last week, the mother holding decided to invest € 89 billion in future technologies such as electromobility and digitalization. For the first time, these future technologies account for more than half of the total investments in the Group.

A direct comparison with Audi is difficult. While the Group had summarised the future technologies, Audi highlights the investments in electrification and hybridization with € 18 billion, without digitalization. With € 37 billion in total investments in R&D and production machinery until 2026, electrification now accounts for 48%.

20 electric models in 2025

On the way to a full-electric future – the last combustion engine is to be sold in 2033 – Audi has issued a new interim target. By 2025, the company wants to have more than 20 fully electric models in its range.

However, this figure has to be considered with precaution. The Q4 e-tron and the Q4 e-tron Sportback count as independent models, as do the Audi e-tron GT and the Audi RS e-tron GT, for example.

“The current round of planning reflects our accelerated future trajectory, says Audi CFO Jürgen Rittersberger. “Based on this investment planning, the focus of our advance payments until 2026 is quite clearly on consistently implementing the roadmap with a comprehensive product offensive of fully and partially electric models.

“The rate of change in our society is rapidly increasing,” adds Audi CEO Markus Duesmann. “For that reason, we are accelerating our transformation to climate-neutral mobility. For us, a sustainable business model is quite clearly a matter of approach and responsibility.”

In the statement, Audi also mentions its increasing investments in charging infrastructure. It refers to expanding the Ionity network from 1 500 to 7 000 HPC points by 2025. By 2030, Audi wants to sell 3 million cars; last year, it sold some 1,7 million.

Industry / Top Stories Today

Canoo drops VDL Nedcar deal definitely

Joris Van Roy Posted On December 17, 2021

American electric startup Canoo definitely drops its deal with Dutch subcontractor VDL Nedcar to build its Lifestyle Car in Born in the south of the Netherlands. CEO Tony Aquila prefers to keep production in America, saying risks are less over there. The fact that Arkansas and Oklahoma are offering support for the new factories helped without a doubt to convince him.

No hard feelings at the Van der Leegte family who owns VDL, though, as the company is investing 7,5 million euros in Canoo and paying back €25 million, it got earlier to prepare production. For VDL Nedcar in Born, this means it has to look for new contracts by 2023 when production for BMW stops. But according to a spokesman, there are no worries as talks are going on with ‘a lot of different parties’.

Logistic risks

In November, rumors started to appear in the Dutch press that Canoo CEO Tony Aquila favored speeding up the build of its Oklahoma factory over the risks associated with a contract manufacturer like VDL Nedcar. Before, he said that production would kick off in the Netherlands in the start-up phase and function as a backup for the US and a bridgehead for the European market afterward.

Aquila wanted to reconsider earlier agreements with VDL Nedcar because of risks in the field of the Covid-19 pandemic, shipment logistics, and taxes. Initially, the plan was to assemble some 1 000 vehicles a year in Born for the US market in Q4 of 2022, ramping production to 15 000 by 2023. That deal is buried, but both Aquila and Willem van der Leegte, President of the VDL Group, confirmed there would be further cooperation on other terrains.

Advancing US production

For Canoo, production at its own Oklahoma factory in Pryor would start in 2023. Canoo has now advanced the start date for its US production “before Q4 of 2022”. Besides the Pryor factory, Canoo plans to set up a software development center and other offices in the state. Headquarters will move to Bentonville (Arkansas), where the young start-up wants to set up a small production facility and an R&D center.

The Canoo Lifestyle Vehicle is a 4,4 m long minibus-like vehicle that looks almost identical in the front and the rear. It can seat up to seven people in surprisingly dynamic configurations with a round backbench and a table. The steering wheel can slide from left to right. It has a 300 hp motor and a range of 250 miles (400 km) with its 80 kWh battery pack.

The Lifestyle Vehicle is the first variant the Californian start-up will commercialize. The pickup truck version and the multipurpose delivery van are built on the same EV platform or ‘skateboard’. The latter will be produced in Canoo’s US-based mega micro-factory in Oklahoma, which is yet to be built and will start production in 2023.

Industry / Top Stories Today

Daimler pays €6.000 record bonus to 100.000 German employees

Tony Verhelle Posted On December 16, 2021

The German car manufacturer, Daimler AG/Mercedes-Benz AG, will pay a record profit-sharing bonus of up to € 6 000 to some 100 000 of its German employees. The company wants its workers to participate in the success of the 2021 financial year.

The Board of Management and the General Works Council have decided to pay a bonus of up to 6 000 euros to eligible tariff-scale employees in Germany. In this way, the companies are expressing their gratitude to the employees for their outstanding work and flexibility in a year that was once again impacted by the coronavirus pandemic and by difficult overall conditions.

For 100 000 employees

Even though the financial results for the year are not yet available, the Board of Management and the General Works Council have decided to set a lump-sum profit-sharing bonus for 2021. The profit-sharing bonus will be paid along with the wages and salaries for February 2022 to approximately 100 000 eligible tariff-scale employees in Germany.

Sabine Kohleisen, Member of the Board of Management of Daimler AG and Mercedes-Benz AG, responsible for Human Resources and Director of Labour Relations: “Our company’s extraordinary development is a team achievement. I would like to wholeheartedly thank all of the colleagues who contributed to this accomplishment with their great dedication.”

Ergun Lümali, Chairman of the General Works Council of Daimler AG and Mercedes-Benz AG: “Our colleagues are the key to the success of our company. Therefore, it is only more than fair to reward their tireless dedication with an extraordinarily high profit-sharing bonus. On behalf of the General Works Council, I would like to thank them for this outstanding commitment in 2021.”

Not unusual

Profit-sharing is not unusual in Germany, where works councils and unions are strong and earnestly involved in the wellbeing of the companies they’re represented in. The paying of substantial bonuses is a logical consequence of this way of (co-)working.

Other car manufacturers, like Porsche, for instance, are also known for paying substantial bonuses to their employees. The € 6 000 the Mercedes workers are now getting is a record for the company. But, unfortunately, not all workers apparently qualify, and the pay-out is also limited to Germany.

Energy / Industry / Opinion / Product / Top Stories Today

BMW i7 is next BEV to come

Tony Verhelle Posted On December 16, 2021

The development of the BMW i7 is entering its final phase with a test program under extreme road and weather conditions. The electric motors, all-wheel drive, and high-voltage battery prove their performance and reliability under maximum loads. The car is currently tested in the world’s extreme weather regions.

Currently, it’s primarily hot-region testing that takes place on test tracks and public roads all over the world. The development engineers “primarily verify the performance and reliability of the electric motors, the all-wheel-drive, and the high-voltage battery under maximum stress due to high temperatures, unpaved roads, dust generation, and large differences in altitude,” says a press release.

Endurance

For example, this involves mountain driving with trailers and a downhill drive with a fully charged drive battery that can no longer absorb recuperation energy. The most extreme scenarios for energy management and power electronics are simulated to see where the limits are and where remaining bugs have to be cured.

The endurance tests in the heat are not only intended to test the powertrain components, as fundamental faults so close to the presentation would be an enormous challenge but, above all, to safeguard them.

The components of the fifth generation of e-drives at BMW have already undergone numerous test drives, as they are already used in the iX3, iX, and i4. Nevertheless, for each vehicle model, it must be tested anew whether cooling and durability are also given with the respective arrangement of the components – hence the tests at extremely high outside temperatures, permanent sunlight, and dryness.

Life cycle simulated

“Within a firmly defined test program for the prototypes, loads are simulated that correspond to the challenges faced by a production vehicle during a complete product life cycle,” BMW explains.

“Supported by sensitive measurement technology onboard, experienced test engineers register every reaction of the electric motors, the high-voltage battery, the drive control, and the integrated cooling system as well as the charging technology and energy management to weather and road-related influences.”

Besides the electric and drive components, other parts such as the onboard electronics or the air-conditioning system are, of course, also tested during hot-landing trials. In addition, the developers can once again check the behavior of the materials used in the interior.

The hot and the cold

Some weeks ago, BMW had already published pictures and impressions of the winter testing of the i7 in Arjeplog, Sweden. It is equally important to know everything about the cold behavior of the drive components and especially the electric parts, also particularly sensitive to extreme cold.

At the same time, work was also carried out there on tuning the drive and suspension systems. According to BMW, the development engineers can “fine-tune the control systems particularly sensitively” on the large patches of ice and snow-covered roads with low grip.

When all goes well, BMW hopes to launch the purely electric i7 in 2022 together with other model variants of the new BMW 7 Series. In the press release, the i7 is announced as the only full-electric luxury sedan. Indeed, rival Mercedes doesn’t have a pure electric version of its recent S Class, but the statement completely denies the presence of the EQS, already on the market. Apparently, the people at BMW don’t consider the latter as a luxury machine. We think they are mistaken.

eBikes / Industry / Mobility / Services / Top Stories Today / Weekly Newsletter

D’Ieteren acquires eight Antwerp iBike shops

Gert Verhoeven Posted On December 15, 2021

Earlier this year, Belgian car importer D’Ieteren announced that – besides car import – it would also focus on bicycle distribution and maintenance. Today, the group puts its money where its mouth is with the second major acquisition of iBikes, a group of bicycle shops in the Antwerp region.

D’Ieteren has already made a significant acquisition in Brussels with Godbikes, where it now has several bicycle shops in its portfolio. A large flagship bike store is directly located on the ground floor of the D’Ieteren headquarters in the Maliestraat (Elsene).

Diversity

In addition to bicycles, the group is also diversifying into the used car market by further developing platforms for used car sales, maintenance, and body repairs, as sales and delivery of new cars continue to falter.

The acquisition of iBikes accelerates D’Ieteren’s bicycle plans, as it involves nine sales outlets in and around Antwerp selling over 5 000 bicycles a year. As more than half of these bicycles are electrically powered, the turnover generated by this business is becoming increasingly important.

Know-how

Therefore, consumers are increasingly looking for ways to avoid paying for the bicycle privately. Larger (cargo) bikes are also replacing cars in an urban environment. Here, too, the costs are considerable.

This is precisely where the know-how of a group like D’Ieteren can make the difference because, as a car importer, it has significant expertise with leasing formulas that can even be combined with car contracts.

Using expertise

As D’Ieteren’s bicycle division grows, it will also develop a solid online platform linked to several physical support points where sales, a test ride, and maintenance can professionally take place.

Moreover, with iBikes, D’Ieteren also acquires some important top brands such as Riese & Müller, Brompton (best known for folding electric bicycles that fit in the trunk of a car or on public transport), Koga, etc.

D’Ieteren also has the necessary expertise to get spare parts to the dealer (and consumer) efficiently. Contrary to many traditional bicycle sellers, the increasing complexity of electronic bicycle components is not an insurmountable problem for the group.

Energy / Environment / Hydrogen / Industry / Product / Top Stories Today

Has Toyota yielded in favor of EVs?

Piet Andries Posted On December 15, 2021

On a podium floor flooded with EVs, Toyota CEO Akio Toyoda addressed the media on Tuesday to outline the new EV plans of his company. The Japanese car manufacturer is accelerating its efforts.

A boosted total investment of 8 trillion yen (€31 billion) is foreseen to get 30 EV models in the overall line-up by 2030. On top of that, Lexus turns fully electric by then (at least in North America, Europe, and China).

Previously announced targets were 15 Toyota and Lexus models with battery power by 2025. Doubling that amount in the showroom means that the group’s plants will assemble 3,5 million BEV cars, roughly 30% of Toyota’s global production, by 2030.

Impressive line-up

Toyoda was flanked by more than a dozen EV models in his showroom of the future. They ranged from city cars, small LCV models for last-mile solutions, SUVs, a baby Land Cruiser, a zero-emission successor to the MR2, and even a Lexus sports car that seemed to be the LFA of times to come, which Toyoda confirmed. Impressive is the least you could say.

Far from every car was presented in detail. Officially, it was only announced that the bZ4x would get a little brother. While Lexus will get its own version of the bZ4x, called the RZ.

No binding agreements

With an “EV for everyone” on show, one would think that the Japanese car manufacturer has finally yielded in favor of the electric car. Initially, it took a rather lukewarm stance in the matter. For example, the company turned down several invitations for signing a binding agreement on a ban for producing ICE cars.

But even now, a closer look unveils that the ICE technology isn’t vanishing for the biggest car manufacturer in the world. The most important carmakers are aiming at 50% BEV production in 2030. Not a third, like Toyota.

In his speech, Toyoda explained: “It is not us but local markets and our customers who decide which options to choose. As for why we try to keep so many options, in terms of business management, one might think it’d be more efficient to focus on fewer choices.”

Developing continents

In contrast to a rival like Volkswagen, Toyota’s business experiences a more substantial exposure in developing countries that will struggle decisively more with the energy transition. For those regions, it wants to hold on to internal combustion engines, although in more advanced versions than today.

And there will be multiple hybrid options, too, of course. Bear in mind that this is also one of the reasons why Lexus will be only fully electric in certain parts of the world by 2030.

Keep the workforce

More precisely, Toyota also still intends to invest in the hydrogen conversion of ICE, next to e-fuels. As such, it can make old-school technology emission-free and, more importantly, keep a significant amount of the workforce on board that has been working with conventional engines in the past.

Toyota is not the only Japanese car manufacturer to persist in developing the internal combustion engine. Mazda, Subaru, Yamaha, and Kawasaki joined in the plans as well.

Energy / Industry / Product / Top Stories Today

BMW plans increased involvement in China

Tony Verhelle Posted On December 15, 2021

The BMW Group is planning a more extensive involvement in China. According to a media report, there will be an increase in shares in the BMW-Brilliance joint venture and several electrified models. However, unlike the iX3, those newcomers won’t be built for the global market.

The German newspaper Handelsblatt, referring to group circles, says that the group wants to exercise an option in the first quarter of 2022 that secures it a further 25% in the Chinese joint venture with Brilliance for €3,6 billion.

BMW already held 50% of BMW-Brilliance and was one of the first to take advantage of the fact that the Chinese authorities now admit foreign companies having a larger stake than 49% in Chinese (co-owned) companies.

Two important models

BMW is also preparing the production of two important models in China. First of all, the production of the X5. This large SUV, currently built at the US plant in Spartanburg (also as a PHEV), will be partly relocated to China.

The BMW XM recently presented as a powerful PHEV concept from the company’s sporty M-daughter is to be built there in return to keep the Spartanburg plant working at full capacity. However, whether the aggressively designed super-SUV will be able to compensate for the lost volumes of the X5 is considered relatively unlikely.

The reason for this move has to be the high demand for the X5 in China. With local production, BMW wants to be able to adapt the model series to Chinese requirements better.

The second new model to be produced over there, according to Handelsblatt, is the electric version of the 3 Series. This car is to be offered only in China; in Europe, there will be the i4. While a BMW spokesman confirmed the plans for X5 production in China to the press agency DPA, he did not want to comment on the ‘speculations’ about an electric 3 Series for China.

But there is more than speculations. The BMW electric 3 Series is already listed on the Chinese Ministry of Industry and Information Technology (MIIT) website. New models must be registered with the MIIT before production begins.

The vehicle shown there has a closed radiator grille (similar to the iX3) and a length of 4,87 m. This suggests that the electric vehicle model is based on the long-wheelbase version of the 3 Series, unique to China.

The power output is stated on the MIIT page as 250 kW, which corresponds exactly to the basic variant of the i4, the eDrive 40, or the single-motor rear-wheel-drive version. However, the MIIT release does not contain any information on the battery size or the range.

Industry / Top Stories Today

Daimler is almost 20% Chinese

Hilde Van Raemdonck Posted On December 14, 2021

The Chinese car manufacturer BAIC holds 9,98% of Daimler’s capital since 2019 or almost twice as much as previously announced. This means that state-controlled BAIC has become Daimler’s main shareholder, before Chinese car manufacturer Geely (9,7%). Together, both Chinese car builders possess almost 20% of Daimler shares.

Stuttgart-based Daimler and Chinese BAIC join forces for production, research, development, and sales. Daimler in its turn owns a 9,55% share in BAIC’s listed subsidiary BAIC Motor. However, the company promised in an agreement not to obtain more shares of the German carmaker.

‘Key driver’

According to an official statement the situation “underlines the successful partnership to continue the long-term success of Mercedes-Benz in China”.

Ola Källenius, Chairman of the Board of Management of Daimler AG and Mercedes-Benz AG: “China has become the largest global market for Mercedes-Benz and a key driver in the shift toward electric mobility and digitalization. BAIC’s investment in Daimler reflects its commitment to our joint successful alliance in production and development in the world’s largest passenger car market.”

Fully electric by 2030

Mercedes-Benz intends to become a fully electric car brand by 2030, and China plays a key role in this strategy. By the end of this year, Mercedes will launch four electric models in China, of which three are produced locally.

The German group describes BAIC as the most important industrial partner of Mercedes-Benz in China. Together, the two have just recently completed a new battery production line in Beijing through their Chinese joint venture Beijing Benz.

Industry / Mobility / Portrait / Top Stories Today

Elon Musk ‘Person of the Year’ for Time Magazine

Hilde Van Raemdonck Posted On December 14, 2021

Time Magazine has declared the American billionaire Elon Musk ‘Person of the Year’. According to the magazine, Musk is a clown, a visionary, and a genius, but above all the man who wants to save the planet and find a new one to live on. He’s one of the few individuals who considerably influenced life on earth.

Musk is a pioneer and inspirer of the electric car manufacturer Tesla, space travel company SpaceX, the Boring Company, specialized in infrastructure and tunnel construction services, and Neuralink, a neurotechnology start-up, developing implantable brain-machine interfaces.

Influencer

In April 2021, Musk’s SpaceX obtained a contract with NASA to transport American astronauts to the moon. It was also the first company to bring four space tourists into space without an astronaut. Musk is also an influencer, and his tweets about crypto coins caused significant fluctuations in the value of the coins.

At the moment, Elon Musk is considered the richest man in the world – his fortune is estimated at more than 250 billion. “The man represents the most important revolutions in our society: the permanent loss of traditional institutions and the malfunctioning of the governments, giving companies more power and responsibility,” as Belga press agency quotes Edward Felsenthal, chief editor and CEO of Time Magazine.

South African roots

Time Magazine elected Musk for creating possible solutions to an existential crisis, embodying the possibilities and dangers of the tech titans’ era, and guiding the most daring and disruptive transformations in society.

Elon Musk was born in 1971. His mother is Canadian, his father is South African. He was raised in Pretoria (South Africa) before moving to Canada at the age of 17.

Last year, Time Magazine proclaimed the American president Joe Biden and vice president Kamala Harris ‘Person of the year; in 2019, it was climate activist Greta Thunberg. Earlier nominates were Donald Trump, Jeff Bezos, Barack Obama, and Mark Zuckerberg.

Energy / Environment / Europe / Industry / Legislation / Mobility / Top Stories Today

Germany extends subsidies for electric cars

Luc Joris Posted On December 14, 2021

The German government is extending subsidies for electrified cars by one year. In 2022, the purchase of an e-car will continue to be subsidized up to a maximum of 9 000 euros and 6 750 euros for plug-in hybrids.

These subsidies, introduced in July 2020, have played a vital role in the record increase in Germany’s market share of electrified vehicles. In 2020, for example, a total of 394 940 electric-powered cars were sold in Germany, with all-electric cars (194 163) seeing an increase of 206%.

15 million e-cars by 2030

The new coalition led by Chancellor Olaf Scholz, which took office last week, intends to accelerate the shift. The goal is to have 15 million purely electric vehicles on the country’s roads by 2030, up from some 520 000 today (more than 1 million with hybrids). In 2009, the Angela Merkel government set the goal of 1 million electric cars in 2020, a plan questioned by many, not at least by the German auto industry.

Sales of pure electric cars soared by 207% between 2019 and 2020, and by 104% up to November 2021 compared to the same period last year (+81% for hybrids) in Germany, the world’s second-largest market for this technology after China, writes AFP.

Catalyst for Europe

According to expert Matthias Schmidt, Germany is acting “as a catalyst for economies of scale” among manufacturers while providing used e-cars that will boost the electric share in other countries. “Without the subsidies, the market would be a fraction of what it is now,” says Schmidt.

The German subsidies also give the European figures on the sale of e-cars and the car industry a boost. With 31% of electric and plug-in hybrid sales in the January-November period, Germany is the largest market in Europe.

Adjustment

However, the subsidies will be reviewed and “more climate protection-oriented” by limiting the eligible cars from 2023 onward, the Minister for the Economy and Climate, Robert Habeck, said.

Indeed, the subsidies for hybrid cars have caused a lot of embarrassing inconvenience to environmentalists, as these models can be used without ever being recharged.

In the future, the proportion of electric operation of the vehicles and their degree of autonomy will be considered in granting the new subsidies. In this way, only electrified cars that positively affect climate protection will be subsidized.

Yet, the system still has an ambiguous twist. If subsidized cars can be sold abroad at the end of a too-short leasing period, the subsidies would mainly allow manufacturers to maintain their profitability and increase the number of electrified cars in the Netherlands and Denmark,” Schmidt notes.

Energy / Industry / Product / Top Stories Today

Harley-Davidson goes separately IPO with LiveWire

Tony Verhelle Posted On December 14, 2021

The almost mythical motorcycle manufacturer, Harley-Davidson, has decided to put its electrical division LiveWire separately on the stock market via a Spac. LVW, as it will be symboled, is planned to come on the New York Stock Exchange in the first half of next year.

Harley-Davidson is a legendary manufacturer, created in 1903, but it saw its traditional, aging clientele dwindle and not be replaced by younger customers. Instead, those preferred other (sorts of) bikes and also showed to be more sensitive to environmental issues.

Hence the creation of a full-electric motorbike concept in 2014 and the launch of LiveWire as a separate sub-brand that focuses exclusively on electric motorbikes. For the manufacturer, it was an opportunity to clearly profile itself in a growing market that is entirely different from its typical customer base.

With LiveWire, Harley wanted to launch a brand that can sail an autonomous course, but with the existing Harley dealer network to support it for distribution and service. Now, the company goes for the next step to IPO on its own.

Going IPO

The Initial Public Offering is supposed to bring in $545 million to be invested in new products and the improvement of the production and distribution facilities. LiveWire also wants to expand across the world, as it is only present in Europe and the US for the moment.

By going IPO separately, “Livewire can be an agile and innovating company and at the same time benefit of the important production and distribution capacities of its strategic partners, being Harley-Davidson and the Taiwanese bike manufacturer Kymco,” declared Jochen Zeitz, Harley Davidson’s CEO.

The Spac to be used is AEA-Bridges Impact Corp. (Abic), known as IMPX on the New York Stock Exchange. Once the transaction is finalized, it will be LVW. Harley-Davidson will have 74% of the LiveWire shares, the Abic investors some 17%, and the Abic founders and Kymco some 4% each.

Last Monday, the course of Harley-Davidson on the New York Stock Exchange took off by 19% at the opening, saddling down at a +7% in the middle of the day. The stock market value of the future LiveWire is estimated at $1,77 billion, almost one-third of the value of the mother company Harley-Davidson.

Same logic

A troubled Harley-Davidson is following the same logic as other (car) manufacturers did lately. Being frustrated by the boom of everything ‘electric’, with Tesla as the example to follow, many manufacturers are launching some of the electric parts of their companies independently on the market.

A recent example is Volvo that went IPO itself but will launch its full-electric sister Polestar independently via a Spac. According to previsions, Polestar should have approximately the same value as Volvo itself when it goes IPO next year.

And just now, Volkswagen communicated its plan to go IPO with its battery department independently, under a separate name in an independent company.

Industry / Top Stories Today

Volvo Cars victim of cyber attack on R&D servers

Hilde Van Raemdonck Posted On December 13, 2021

Volvo Cars recently announced it has become the victim of a cyberattack. Meanwhile, investigations have confirmed that some of the company’s research and development data were stolen. It’s not clear whether the attack is a case of ransomware. Ransomware is malware designed to deny a user or organization access to files on their computer, with the assailant demanding a ransom to unlock it.

According to a release, the Scandinavian Group, owner of the Chinese Geely, “was informed that one of its file repositories had been illegally accessed by a third party”. The incident could have consequences for the car manufacturer’s activities, Volvo announced. Further details, however, were not revealed. Not even the precise date of the attack.

Security countermeasures

“Volvo Cars immediately implemented security countermeasures including steps to prevent further access to ist property and notified relevant authorities,” the release said.

The company now is working with third-party specialists to investigate property theft. The car manufacturer does not expect any impact on the safety and security of its customer’s cars or their personal data.

Attack claimed by Snatch gang?

According to information security, and technology news site BleepingComputer, the attack was already claimed by the so-called ‘Snatch gang’. Snatch is known ransomware and the gang published on November 30 on its ‘data leak website’ 35,9 MB of documents and screenshots as proof of breaching Volvo Car’s servers and stealing files during the intrusion.

But asked by BleepingComputer, Volvo Cars denied commenting on speculation about potential cyber security attacks.

Energy / Industry / Product / Top Stories Today

The ID. California to be Volkswagen’s electric camper

Tony Verhelle Posted On December 13, 2021

Volkswagen has also confirmed an all-electric leisure vehicle, the ID, as part of its new round of planning. California. It will be produced by the commercial vehicle division in Hanover in the future and will be an electric camper based on the VW ID. Buzz.

From next year on, this ID. Buzz is to be produced in Hanover in a cargo and passenger version. The electric camper on its basis will only be offered three years after the start of production of the ID. Buzz, i.e. from 2025.

California

The name ID. California is, of course, based on the well-known California campervans; the current model is still based on the T6 and will continue to be built on this basis. The T7 introduced this year switches to the MQB platform and should thus better meet the demands and requirements of private customers – for example, in terms of driving comfort, but also the plug-in hybrid now offered. But since the utility value is somewhat reduced, the Transporter and California will continue to be built on a T6 basis.

Regarding the ID. Buzz, no final data regarding load space and payload are known yet. However, with the now decided production, VW Commercial Vehicles seems to be sure to be able to derive a camping and motorhome based on the MEB van.

Details about the ID. California have not yet been disclosed by VW Commercial Vehicles. The electric camper is likely to get a small integrated kitchen and built-in cupboards in the usual style of the combustion models.

The bench seat in the back can be converted into a bed for two people. However, the ID. Buzz offers a little less space than a T. Converted into marketing-speak, this means that “the ID. California should be a little snugger”. At least there should be some room for improvement: a pop-up roof with more sleeping options is considered a set feature.

Hanover

Preparations for MEB production at the commercial vehicle plant in Hanover were completed in summer 2021. Production of the ID. Buzz derivatives will not remain the only EV production there.

The aforementioned planning round has also confirmed that the Artemis Audi will be built in Hannover and at least the bodywork for the corresponding Bentley. In addition, MEB axles will be assembled in Hanover in the future.

Energy / Industry / Top Stories Today

Die is cast: Shell moves to London

Joris Van Roy Posted On December 13, 2021

As expected, the die is cast: shareholders of the ‘Royal’ Dutch oil giant Shell have approved on Friday at a meeting in Ahoy Rotterdam, the move to the UK for the company to become a pure British company legally.

For the shareholders, this is a win, as Shell avoids paying a 15% withholding tax on dividends as the UK doesn’t require that. And it will get rid of its dual share structure to only have British shares in the future, to become more flexible in its moves. It will lose its ‘Royal Dutch’ title, though.

The shareholders could vote at Ahoy or through a video link. Around 58% of the Shell shareholders voted, and within that group, 99,8% favored the move of the headquarters to London.

Unpleasantly surprised

Until last Friday, the Dutch/British multinational is registered in the UK, but its headquarters are in the Netherlands, still a result of the fusion between Dutch and British Shell going back to 1907.

The Dutch government said to be “unpleasantly surprised” by Shell’s proposal. A last desperate effort by Premier Rutte’s VVD party to find political support to scrap that tax ultimately didn’t find any hearing. And now the die is cast.

Actually, the move concerns no more than twelve people, top management around CEO Ben van Beurden who emphasizes in the Dutch press it’s a mere fiscal move ‘on paper’ than physically. The ‘tax residence’ moves from The Hague to London.

Investing in the Netherlands

According to Ben van Beurden, all current entities in the Netherlands will remain unchanged, and the energy campus in Amsterdam is to be extended. Shell has announced up to four billion euros on investments in the Netherlands and intends to keep investing in the country afterward.

Industry / Opinion / Top Stories Today / Weekly Newsletter

Zipse faces challenging second year as ACEA’s president

Joris Van Roy Posted On December 10, 2021

BMW’s CEO and Chairman of the Board, Oliver Zipse, has been confirmed for a second term as president of the European Automobile Manufacturers’ Association (ACEA). That’s no surprise, as the federation’s president is elected by its members annually for a year-long term, which can be renewed once.

He is facing a challenging next year, with the EU setting new stringent standards for the automotive industry and the discord in ACEA’s own circle. While German carmakers like Volkswagen and Mercedes-Benz are forcing electrification, the French, Spanish, Italians, and Czechs are hitting the brakes to spare the combustion engine. And BMW is holding the balance.

Historic challenges

“The EU auto industry is a global technology leader that utilizes its innovative capacity to deliver solutions to tackle climate change. We are convinced that sustainability and global competitiveness can go hand-in-hand – and even strengthen each other – if both are driven by technological innovation,” stated Mr. Zipse in the press release.

“The auto industry is currently facing historic challenges due to global supply chain shortages, particularly the lack of sufficient microchips. As a result of this disruption, coming on the back of the Covid-19 crisis, EU car production stood at 3 million units less than 2019 pre-pandemic volumes in the first nine months of this year,” Zipse says.

Sales dropping

“In October, new car sales dropped by 30% compared to 2020, marking the fourth consecutive month of decline. Zipse: “For the sake of our industry’s global competitiveness, Europe must strengthen its technological sovereignty to be able to provide essential components to the region’s core industries.”

“As an industry, we have the right vehicle technology readily available. However, making sure that enough Europeans buy these vehicles over the coming years largely depends on how quickly and widely infrastructure is rolled out across the entire EU. We call on the Council and the Parliament to ensure that the AFIR targets are ambitious and robust enough to enable future CO2 targets to be met in practice.”

ACEA to speak with one voice?

But the rollout of charging and hydrogen infrastructure won’t be the only challenge. There is a lot of work to do within its circle to have everyone on the same page if ACEA is to speak with a single voice as a lobbying group.

In July, the European Commission proposed with its Green Deal to mark the end of sales of cars with internal combustion engines (ICE), including plug-in hybrids (PHEV), at 2035. But there are already countries proposing to set that date earlier.

Discord within Europe

The Netherlands, Germany, Sweden, Denmark, Greece with Norway and the UK outside the EU, already proposed 2030 or earlier. The Flemish Government in Belgium just proposed 2029. France, Spain, Italy, and the Czech Republic are pushing hard to postpone that date to 2040 and keep ICE alive, at least in the plug-in hybrid sales that boom today.

The Czech Prime Minister, Andrej Babiš, eager to protect its car industry (Skoda), said, “We won’t let us dictate whatever the green fanatics in the European Parliament have prepared.” In France, President Macron foresees in his ‘France 2030’ program to build two million electric cars in his country by 2030 indeed, yet PHEVs included.

Too expensive for the middle class?

No wonder as Renault is lobbying hard for PHEVs to be exempted from banning, and Carlos Tavares from Stellantis, representing the other part of French carmakers and Italian and American too, is adding political parry and thrust on behalf of the electric car.

“What has been decided by the EU is adding 50% more to the cost of a traditional ICE car. That 50% we can’t charge on the consumer as the middle class won’t be able anymore to pay for it,” he said recently. Nevertheless, Peugeot just decided to have only 100% electric cars from 2030 on, reserving ICE cars for export outside Europe. For Opel/Vauxhall 2028 was set earlier and Fiat committed to 2030.

Lambos and Ferraris

Spain, the second largest car producer in Europe, always advocated 2040 as the earliest deadline. And Mario Draghi, former President of the European Bank and now Premier of Italy, already confirmed his support to spare Ferrari and Lamborghini from forced electrification.

Sweden aims at 2030, and its national pride, Volvo, goes along, setting a 100% electric target by that date. In Germany, the new government is on the same wavelength. Volkswagen is pushing hard to become an EV leader, making a U-turn after finishing off the diesel engine involuntarily in the dieselgate scandal.

Different speeds in Germany

Mercedes-Benz has been hesitating for a long time, relying heavily on its plug-in hybrids to compensate for its late start in BEVs to avoid heavy fines for not reaching the EU’s 95 g/km standards. But in July, CEO Ola Källenius announced all newly launched architectures will be electric-only from 2025 onward.

At BMW, on the other hand, Oliver Zipse is blowing hot and cold about going fully electric. In 2014, BMW made big waves with the all-electric i3 and created an entire subdivision dedicated to EVs. But then, enthusiasm seemed to have deemed away with Zipse and his new management taking over from Harald Krüger.

Getting into higher volumes

Besides the i3 and X3 being built on a dedicated EV platform, there will be no new platform before 2025. All other models can have an internal combustion engine, too, and PHEVs still make the bulk of sales. Recently, CEO Oliver Zipse gave boardroom interviews entitled “Delivering Net Zero”.

He told the news agency Reuters, for example, that he’s no big fan of dedicated EV platforms and that BMW is ready to compete with Tesla. Meanwhile, he stresses that BMW doesn’t lag when it comes to energy transition and electrification. “We waited for the moment when electromobility is really getting into higher volumes,” Zipse clarifies.

Energy / Industry / Product / Top Stories Today / Weekly Newsletter

Diess stays at VW, getting €89 billion for investments

Tony Verhelle Posted On December 10, 2021

Volkswagen has decided to keep CEO Diess at the helm and further electrify its European locations as part of its new planning round. 89 billion euros will be invested in future technologies such as electromobility and digitalization alone over the next five years.

This means that for the first time, more than half of the total investment would be in future technologies, as the Chairman of the Supervisory Board, Hans-Dieter Pötsch, indicated right at the beginning of the press conference; 56% instead of 50% in the previous planning round.

“The financial starting point is extremely solid and robust,” said Pötsch. “Among the central points we have decided on is the complete electrification of the European locations.”

Diess stays, Brandstätter comes in

The supervisory board meeting also decided on a comprehensive reorganization of the group’s executive board. According to Pötsch, this is a “personnel and structural reinforcement” “to be prepared for the next phase of the transformation”.

The personnel decisions have turned out as follows: Herbert Diess remains Chairman of the board but has to hand over some of his responsibilities. VW brand chief Ralf Brandstätter will join the group’s management board and take over responsibility for the China business from August 2022.

He will be succeeded as CEO of the VW core brand by Skoda boss Thomas Schäfer. It is not yet known who will succeed him in Mlada Boleslav. In addition, Manfred Döss will take over the Integrity and Legal Affairs department from Hiltrud Werner.

Former Deutsche Börse board member Hauke Stars will take over the newly created IT department, and Audi’s board member for marketing and sales, Hildegard Wortmann, will in the future also be in charge of sales at the Group level. In addition, the contract with Gunnar Kilian, who is responsible for Human Resources and Truck & Bus and runs until April 2023, will be extended by several years.

According to Pötsch, Diess will pay “even more attention” to the software subsidiary Cariad to develop future profit pools. Diess will also retain responsibility for the volume group in the group, including strategy, validity, design, and communication, at least until next summer. Pötsch described Diess as the “engine of change”.

Diess himself stated at the press conference that he feels strengthened by the new appointments to the board. “I cannot complain about a lack of responsibility,” said Diess. “Now we are further strengthening the Executive Board and will consistently focus on transformation.”

Wolfsburg

Commenting on the dispute, particularly about the Wolfsburg site, Diess said: “For a long time, I was worried that we were not tackling the change consistently enough. Now we have decided on a comprehensive package, we won’t recognize Wolfsburg in ten years,” said the CEO. “I am now much more confident that we will manage the transformation and the competition. And that we will recognize the new competition, we have made sure of that.”

The package for Wolfsburg does not just include the production of the flagship electric vehicle ‘Trinity’, which will be built at a new plant near the current factory site from 2026. “Mrs. Cavallo has personally lobbied for an electric vehicle to be produced in Wolfsburg before then,” said Diess, referring to works council chairwoman Daniela Cavallo.

Cavallo got her way: partial production of the ID.3 will start in 2023 (with deliveries from Zwickau), followed by full production in 2024. This means that the ID.3 will also be manufactured in a second plant in addition to Zwickau. “This plan will allow the Group to service additional market volumes that Zwickau alone would be unable to handle due to the good long-term capacity utilization forecasts,” the company adds.

This could be bad news for Audi Brussels. Just recently, there were rumors about the Audi Q4 e-tron to be also built in Brussels to relieve Zwickau. However, as the ID.3 moves partly to Wolfsburg, Zwickau will probably have enough production capacity to keep Q4 e-tron production there.

In total, Volkswagen will invest €21 billion in the Lower Saxony plants as part of the planning round from 2022 to 2026 – one billion euros of which will go to the Trinity plant alone. In addition, two billion will be invested in the battery factory in Salzgitter.

The MEB component production in Salzgitter and Braunschweig and Kassel in Hesse, will also be expanded. In addition, the sites are preparing for the production of components for the SSP platform.

Neckarsulm

Audi’s Neckarsulm site is also being electrified: The E6 is to be built there – presumably the production version of the PPE-based electric car A6 e-tron shown as a concept in April. And as already confirmed by Audi boss Markus Duesmann: The Q8 e-tron will be built at the Brussels plant as the successor to the e-tron quattro.

Porsche is likely to build its second electric model, based on the Artemis project, in Leipzig, as Diess mentioned two electric vehicle models for the Saxony site. So far, only the electric Macan successor has been confirmed there.

In the Spanish plants, as expected, VW is aiming to produce small electric cars at the Martorell plant. In addition, electric SUVs are to be built in Pamplona; Diess did not specify brands or concrete models at the press conference. However, both locations are still “under review”, a decision also depends on funding commitments.

25% BEVs in 2026

With all these measures, 25 % of all Volkswagen cars built worldwide will be already battery-electric by 2026, “according to plan”, as Pötsch emphasized. Diess forecasts an operating return on sales of eight to nine percent for 2025/2026 – in 2021, with around nine million vehicles, the company will end up “at the upper end” of the margin range of 6 to 7,5%, he said.

There was no mention of possible job cuts at the press conference or announcements. However, Diess, satisfied with the results, adds: “We can only manage this transformation of the century if we work efficiently.

But Diess is not the only one who is satisfied. “Looking at the planning round, I can state with satisfaction: the transformation is in full swing at our sites,” says works council member Cavallo in her statement. “Volkswagen is serious about transformation and is setting the course for it.”

Smooth out the folds

Cavallo nevertheless warns of a lean period, not only in the current year but also in 2022. “In 2021, we will not build 400 000 vehicles in Wolfsburg,” says Cavallo. “Semiconductors will also be a problem in 2022. So the planning round is really something to behold. It shows exactly the right course. But the coming months will be tough.”

Has the management dispute now been settled? At the works meeting in November, Cavallo had sharply criticized Diess and above all reproached him for his “fascination” with Tesla and Elon Musk. However, at least on this point of conflict, Diess appears to have reformed somewhat. He did not mention the word Tesla at the press conference, even when asked directly. Instead, he spoke of ‘an American manufacturer building a plant near Berlin’.

Industry / Product / Top Stories Today

BMW thinks of Saturday shifts to tackle high demand for i4

Tony Verhelle Posted On December 9, 2021

BMW plans to introduce Saturday shifts at its Munich plant in the first quarter of 2022 to keep up with the high demand for the new i4 electric model. The waiting time for the electric sedan is currently said to be around nine months but could soon climb to a year.

The news comes from the German publication WirtschaftsWoche citing company circles. The Munich-based company wants to take countermeasures by introducing additional shifts. When asked by the business magazine, BMW is said to have referred to the high flexibility of its production system.

The company explains: “We are therefore in a position to expand the volume, for example by adding additional shifts, and thus to meet the gratifyingly high demand.” However, the plans for the coming year have not yet been finalized, so that no details can be given.

i4 deliveries started

A week ago, BMW reported that it had handed over the first examples of the all-electric i4 to customers. Since the end of October, the electric sedan has been in production at the BMW plant in Munich.

The model is an electric sedan the size of a BMW 3 Series, with which the core of the BMW model range is to be electrified. The i4 was launched in November alongside the flagship iX SUV.

The i4 is the first fully electric car to be produced in Munich. Also manufactured in that plant are the BMW 3 Series Sedan, the BMW 3 Series Touring – both with combustion engines and hybrid drive – and the BMW M3 and the BMW 4 Series Gran Coupé.

Five BEVs as of now

The i4 and iX duo reinforces BMW’s all-electric range. That consists of the i3, the i4, the Mini SE, the iX3, and the iX. In the coming years, fully electric versions of the new 7 Series, X1, and the high-volume 5 Series follow.

As related ambitions, BMW is working on targets of producing all-electric cars at every German plant by 2022 and having at least one all-electric model on the road in 90% of today’s market segments by 2023. By 2030, the BMW Group wants to increase the share of fully electric vehicles in its global sales to at least 50%.

Industry / Product / Road safety / Top Stories Today / Weekly Newsletter

Renault Zoe flunked in new Euro NCAP test

Tony Verhelle Posted On December 9, 2021

This week the European New Car Assessment Program (Euro NCAP) released its latest tests of new vehicles, some brand new, others retested after a long time or a face-lift. In the latter category, the Renault Zoe scored disappointingly low this time, and the Dacia Spring didn’t do well either.

When Zoe appeared on the market almost ten years ago, the car was also tested by EuroNCAP (in 2013) and received five stars. Meanwhile, the assessment tests have been altered and become more severe. As a result, the Zoe now gets zero stars, which has happened only three times since the program exists.

Secretary-General of EuroNCAP, Michiel van Ratingen, was severe in his comment on Renault: “Safety has become collateral damage in the group’s transition to electric cars.” And he continues: “Not only do these cars not offer any significant active safety as standard, but their occupant protection is worse than any other vehicle we have seen for many years.”

Euro NCAP was particularly pointing at the side airbag, which performed worse than eight years ago. And of course, criteria have been strengthened about practically everything, from passive safety elements to warning systems and driving aids (ADAS).

In a reaction, Renault assured that the Zoe is a safe vehicle and fulfills all legal security standards. The company stresses that it does its utmost best to comply with the ever more stringent regulations. The question of the side airbag was not mentioned.

Other products

Of course, among all the cars tested in 2021 were other Renault products. Unfortunately, some didn’t achieve much better performance. For example, the new Dacia Spring, also a BEV, received one star and two other Dacia, the Logan and the Sandero Stepway, two stars (out of five as a maximum).

This has a lot to do with the fact that low-cost brand Dacia doesn’t include many safety items as standard equipment. The Renault Kangoo, for example, received four stars, in line with competitors like the Fiat 500e, the Hyundai Bayon, the Opel Mokka, or the Citroën C4.

In a conclusion, one could say that the Renault Zoe has been betrayed by his age, while the Dacia Spring pays the price for being the cheapest EV on the market. Structurally based on a car (the KZ-E) made for the not so stringent Chinese market and robbed from all ‘superfluous’ safety systems to keep the price under control, one has to expect disaster in the fields that matter here.

Many five stars too

Of course, there are also many cars, usually much more expensive, that get a full five-star assessment. In a press release yesterday, BMW was boasting about the excellent score of its new electric flagship iX. The expensive car scored well and got a special mention for its side airbag, but it wasn’t the best on the test.

The Mercedes EQS electric flagship also scored very well, but there were ‘good pupils’ in all classes. Noticeable good scores were obtained by cars like the Audi Q4 e-tron, the Genesis G70 or G80, the Ford Mustang Mach-E, or the Polestar 2, which could be expected, but others also scored well, despite being a lot cheaper.

We’re thinking about the new Nissan Qashqai, the Lynk & CO 01, the Nio ES8, and the family members Skoda Enyaq iV and VW ID.4 as outstanding examples of more affordable cars.

Climate / Energy / Environment / Industry / Top Stories Today / Weekly Newsletter

Engie sees Belgian nuclear phase-out inevitable

Hilde Van Raemdonck Posted On December 9, 2021

According to electricity provider Engie Electrabel, it will be impossible to prolong the life span of the youngest nuclear power plants after 2025. That is what the French energy provider has written in a letter sent on December 7th to the Belgian Prime Minister Alexander De Croo. The letter is in line with the explanation Engie gave its staff on Tuesday.

“Keeping the reactors of Doel 4 and Tihange 3 operational is only feasible in a life-prolonging project of ten to twenty years,” the letter says. “It will take five years to realize, but earlier similar projects have convinced us that it’s impossible.”

Too late

The message is clear. It’s too late, and it’s no use to keep the debate on the nuclear phase-out going. Other options, like keeping the two nuclear plants open for just a few years, are not debatable. Engie emphasizes the fact that it has repeated this message for years. The company sees no other option than the gradual phase-out of the two plants.

Meanwhile, Engie is looking for alternatives. The company wants to exploit a new gas power plant in Vilvoorde, but the project selected for subsidies by Minister of Energy, Tinne Van der Straeten (Groen), was not granted permission by the Flemish Minister for the Environment, Zuhal Demir (N-VA). However, Engie Electrabel is determined to realize the project and wants to submit a new request for permission as soon as possible.

Energy mix

On the other side of the linguistic frontier, Georges-Louis Bouchez (MR), keeps on fighting tooth and nail. He pleads for keeping the nuclear plants longer open than 2025. According to him, it’s possible, and he points at Engie’s lack of commitment. In a tweet, he says that Engie’s desire is not a relevant element to decide about the energy mix in our country.

Federal opposition party N-VA criticizes Engie’s plans too. “Engie probably prefers subsidies for gas instead of paying nuclear taxes,” says MP Bert Wollants. The ball is back in the government’s court now. “Engie’s message is clear,” he concludes. “If we want to keep those plants open, we have to make them legally achievable. So, let’s act, for the sake of supply’s security.”

Concern

Thierry Saegeman, however, CEO of Engie Electrabel, says it’s a done deal. According to him, there is no more doubt that the two nuclear power plants will close. “We’re facing so many obstacles now that it’s not possible anymore to prolong the plants’ lifespan.”

The announcements of the imminent closure of the two nuclear plants had given rise to concern among Engie Electrabel’s staff. That is why Thierry Saegeman, CEO of Engie Electrabel, presented his retention plan on Tuesday during an exceptional works council.

One year’s annual pay

The company fears the departure of its staff before the planned closure of the two plants and is, therefore, prepared to offer them a premium and guarantees for their job security. The electricity provider wants to reassure its workforce and is committed to offering all 2 000 employees job security even after the final closure of the plants, until 2027.

For half of all employees, who will be 45 or older by the end of this year, this commitment is valid until the end of their careers. Those who want to leave the company but are willing to remain until 2026 can count on a premium, equivalent to one year’s annual pay.

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Peugeot electric-only in Europe from 2030

Félix Bouland Posted On December 9, 2021

In an interview with media Automotive News, Peugeot CEO Linda Jackson confirmed that the brand will be fully electric by 2030. However, the boss draws the line to Europe, as Peugeot’s line-up for international customers will still feature internal-combustion engines (ICE).

The French brand will follow its Stellantis stablemates DS, Lancia, Alfa Romeo, and Opel in their transition to a full-electric future as the mother group switches to the new STLA scalable electric platform.

Electric-only in Europe

“As we move on to the new platforms, STLA Small, Medium, Large, by 2030 in Europe, all of our models will be electric. But I still have to make sure I maintain internal-combustion offerings for my international customers”, declared Peugeot CEO Linda Jackson, reported by Automotive News Europe.

Peugeot isn’t alone in shaping its fully electric future. Stellantis stablemates will also transition by 2024 (DS and Lancia), 2027 (Alfa Romeo), or 2028 (Opel). Other brands have already announced their similar ambitions, such as Ford (2030), Jaguar (2025), Volvo (2030), and GM (2035).

100% electrified by 2024

However, it is essential to decipher the language used by French brands to announce their electric future. As DS Automobiles CEO, Béatrice Foucher recently told newmobility.news: “all DS products launched after 2024 will be fully electric. But other plug-in hybrid or petrol cars launched before that date will still be on sale, and the average product life is seven years”.

Therefore, we can easily deduce that Stellantis will continue to sell PHEVs even after its brands have become “fully electric”. This will be on par with CEO Carlos Tavares’ goal of low-emission vehicles (BEVs and PHEVs) accounting for 70% of sales in Europe by 2030.

Currently, Peugeot’s line-up is 70% electrified, including fully electric and plug-in hybrid versions for nearly all its models. Only the tiny 108 city car, due to die soon, and the 5008 family SUV aren’t available with an electrified offering. As per the CEO’s word, all models will be electrified by 2024. By then, the all-electric 308 will have arrived, and so will the next-generation 3008, full-electric, and with ICE (also hybrid).

Energy / Industry / Product / Technology / Top Stories Today

VW announces three battery-related partnerships

Tony Verhelle Posted On December 9, 2021

Volkswagen Group has started an extensive electrification program, and batteries (among others) are a key factor here. That’s why it has concluded three new partnerships with Vulcan Energy Resources (lithium supplies), Umicore (cathode materials), and 24M Technologies (new technologies for battery production).

Almost all car manufacturers are looking for collaborations to ensure they don’t get stuck when the production of EVs comes in full flow. Renault and Stellantis already signed an agreement with Vulcan Energy, and only yesterday BMW announced its trilateral agreement on semiconductors for lighting purposes.

According to Volkswagen, the partnerships are independent of each other. Still, they serve a common goal: “The industrialization of battery technology and the volume production of even more sustainable, cutting-edge batteries,” the German company states.

In-house production

All three partners contribute to Volkswagen’s planned in-house development and production of battery cells. The company already cooperates in these areas with solid-state battery specialist QuantumScape, the Swedish company Northvolt, and the Chinese manufacturer Gotion High-Tech.

The mining and refining project in the German Upper Rhine valley by Vulcan Energy is one of the most important projects for lithium extraction in Europe. It promises to be much less pollutant than the actual mining industry in Australia and South America.

The American start-up 24M Technologies has links with MIT (Massachusetts Institute of Technology) and wants to industrialize a new procedure to optimize cost in future battery production.

Umicore

With the Belgian materials specialist Umicore, VW wants to create a joint venture providing cathode materials for the battery cells of the car manufacturer. The joined production is planned to start in 2025 with a capacity of 20 GWh per year and raise this to 160 GWh ten years later, enough to propulse 2,2 million BEVs.

The VW Group is still aiming at building six gigafactories for battery cells in Europe, and it has an alliance with Swedish Northvolt and Gotion High-Tech to achieve this.

We will still keep other clients and other markets,” says the recently appointed CEO of Umicore, Mathias Miedreich, “but this agreement means access to an important part of the demand for cathode materials in Europe, just what e need in our aim to be a world leader when it comes to clean mobility.”

“Our deal with Umicore allows us to create an advanced supply chain where we share concerns about raw materials responsibility and sustainability,” comments Thomas Schmall, parts director at VW. Later on, other activities like refining and recycling batteries are also planned.

Meanwhile, the share value of Umicore dropped by 9% yesterday. It has issued lower benefit forecasts because it’s suffering from the semiconductors shortage and from the fact that it produces cathodes with a high cobalt content.

Given the problems with the latter rare earth material, most manufacturers are now asking for cathodes with a high nickel content and far less cobalt. The joint venture with VW concerns the nickel-dominated cathodes. The ratio between the three rare earth materials (nickel/manganese/cobalt) shifts from 4/3/3 to 6/2/2 or even 8/1/1 in the newest batteries.

The deal with Volkswagen is undoubtedly a winning combination in the long term. Still, for now, the benefit of the cathode department Energy & Surface Technologies (E&ST) within Umicore is disappointing: € 135 million against € 328 million for the catalyst department and almost € 600 million for the ‘old’ recycling department in Hoboken (Antwerp). Hence the sharp reaction of the stock market.

“We didn’t react fast enough on the changes in the market,” says Miedreich apologizing. “Car manufacturers now want batteries with a far higher nickel content in the cathodes.”

Industry / Technology / Top Stories Today

BMW signs trilateral agreement on semiconductors

Tony Verhelle Posted On December 8, 2021

To secure semiconductor supplies for the long term, BMW Group has concluded a direct agreement with high-tech microchip developer Inova Semiconductors and Globalfoundries, a manufacturer of feature-rich semiconductors.

The agreement guarantees the BMW Group the supply of several million microchips per year. The microchips will be used in the ISELED smart LED technology co-developed by the BMW Group, which will be deployed for the first time in the BMW iX and rolled out in further models.

Securing supplies

“We are deepening our partnership with suppliers at key points in the supplier network and synchronizing our capacity planning directly with semiconductor manufacturers and developers,” says Dr. Andreas Wendt, board member responsible for Purchasing and Supplier Network.

“This improves planning reliability and transparency around the volumes needed for everyone involved and secures our needs for the long term,” he continues. “This pioneering agreement marks the next logical step in securing our supplies in an even more balanced and proactive manner going forward.”

“This agreement is an example of the commitment to build a more resilient supply chain partnership approach to regain supply-demand balance for chips in the automotive industry as well as efforts to accelerate technology innovation further,” the BMW release says.

Win-win

“This agreement directly with an OEM certainly marks new territory for us as a semiconductor manufacturer,” says Robert Kraus, CEO of Inova Semiconductors. “We firmly believe this innovative approach to partnership throughout the production chain will help us achieve our objectives.”

“In this way, we can secure supplies for our end customers and ensure high planning reliability throughout the long chip production cycles. It’s a real win-win,” he concludes.

“Globalfoundries is committed to building stronger relationships with the automotive industry to deliver innovation and address the growing demand for feature-rich chips,” says Mike Hogan, senior vice president at Globalfoundries.

“This agreement with the BMW Group and Inova demonstrates how the companies are partnering to develop innovative smart LED technology for the new BMW iX and to develop new technologies for the car of tomorrow.”

Five stars at Euro NCAP

Meanwhile, the new BMW iX achieved five-star ratings in all test categories of the Euro NCAP crash test. “In the assessment of adult occupant protection, the testers highlighted among other features the effectiveness of the new interactive airbag between the driver and front passenger seats, which provides additional protection against injury in the event of a side collision. Child safety in the rear of the BMW iX was also given the highest possible score for both frontal and side collisions,” BMW proudly comments.

“The BMW iX sets new standards in sustainability, and its top rating of five stars in the Euro NCAP underlines the vehicle’s comprehensive sustainability concept,” says Dominik Schuster, Head of Vehicle Safety BMW.

The latest Euro NCAP results showed the BMW iX scoring as one of the best overall between the newest entries. Its recent competitor at Mercedes, the EQS, also had excellent scores on almost all criteria and slightly better occupant protection.

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Jeep Wrangler only as PHEV in Europe

Gert Verhoeven Posted On December 8, 2021

Jeep has an update ready for its most legendary model, the Wrangler. As a sign of the time, the American 4×4-manufacturer also delivers a plug-in hybrid version (4xe) which got some adjustments for the model year 2022. With its 17 kWh battery, this Jeep should have a pure electric range of 50 kilometers.

And on the Belgian and, by extension, most Western European markets, this will be the only version offered. By 2025, Jeep wants 70% of its lineup to have a (partially) electric drive. Because CO2 emissions and the accompanying taxes on a conventionally (ICE) powered off-road vehicle are now skyrocketing, an alternative drive such as this plug-in hybrid version offers an attractive solution.

New features

The drivetrain itself will not be renewed with these adjustments for the model year 2022. There will mainly be adjustments in the area of driving aids. For example, features such as a headlight assistant, a forward-collision warning system, and adaptive cruise control with an active stop function will be standard. There will also be an updated range of body colors and improved connectivity with the Uconnect system.

How does it work?

The Wrangler’s engine line-up consists of a two-liter gasoline engine mated to a specific eight-speed automatic transmission. The gasoline engine is assisted by a belt-driven electric motor that also functions as a generator.

This limits the consumption of the combustion engine because when a lot of power is required (starting, acceleration), the electric engine joins in. A second electric motor is integrated into the gearbox. The latter has eight speeds and is made by ZF. This engine is capable of driving the Wrangler purely electrically as well.

Full electric mode

The electric motors draw their energy from a battery with a capacity of around 17 kWh, which should enable a driving range of up to 50 km on a pure electric power basis. The battery can be recharged by the motor/generator connected to the combustion engine via a belt drive.

This battery can be recharged on a wall box or at a charging station (single-phase) with a maximum charging power of 7.4 kW.

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How Stellantis wants to become the automotive Microsoft

Piet Andries Posted On December 8, 2021

Software is the new gold in the automotive industry. Stellantis Group has unveiled its digital ambitions and wants to generate 4 billion euros by 2026 from software products and subscriptions. These revenues are expected to fivefold (20 billion euros) by the end of the decade.

Replacing the old system of making money through the options on a car by offering customers software applications, gradually turns car companies into tech providers with similarly high margins. Immense growth is expected in the field of connected vehicles.

Stellantis is rolling out three AI platforms alongside strengthening its collaborations with three already signed big names in the industry to meet these goals.

Open-sourced

The first is called STLA brain. As of 2024, this new software platform enables over-the-air updates and subscriptions. Think of RAM owners getting more payload, Alfa customers paying for a more engaging drive or receiving more horsepower (within the restrictions for emissions compliance). It comes as open-sourced, in contrast to the current closed system.

STLA SmartCockpit builds around human-interface environments for cars, jointly developed with Apple’s assembly partner Foxconn. Its primary task is to shape ultra-modern but diverse digital landscapes for the interiors across its eleven brands.

Lastly, there’s AutoDrive. This entails an earlier agreement from 2017 with BMW on developing an architecture for autonomous drive. Stellantis also has a project with Google subsidiary Waymo in this field. For its professional branches, they will work on autonomous commercial vehicles.

Microchips

A second preliminary agreement with Foxconn arose in the wake of Software Day, where the digital plans were announced. With the Taiwanese company, the car group will develop four families of microcontrollers, which should suffice to cover 80 percent of its car production.

The deal is supposed to protect better against shortages as experienced today, while it leverages Foxconn as a supplier of semiconductors in the automotive industry. Its know-how mainly lies in microcontrollers for consumer electronics.

In May of this year, both parties agreed to work together on the above mentioned smart cockpit technology under a new company called Mobile Drive. A jointly developed EV primarily for the Chinese market is expected. in a later phase

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Toyota develops new E3 platform only for Europe

Tony Verhelle Posted On December 8, 2021

The world’s number one car manufacturer, Toyota, plans to develop a new vehicle platform, with the abbreviation’ E3,’ exclusively for European vehicles with hybrid, plug-in hybrid, and electric drive systems. However, the Japanese company will apparently partly use existing technology to speed up the process.

The news was published in the specialized publication Automotive News, citing Toyota’s European boss Matt Harrison. The new platform will combine elements from the GA-C compact architecture and the e-TNGA all-electric platform. The platform is thus designed for alternative powertrains, and Toyota wants to create more flexibility with it.

Western Europe is the EV pioneer for Toyota

Recently, Toyota Motor Europe (TME) had presented its electrification roadmap for Europe. According to this roadmap, the sales share of ‘zero-emission vehicles’ (battery and fuel cell cars) should be 50% by 2030, but only in Western Europe.

By 2035, the share is aimed to reach 100%, in line with EU targets. However, Harrison added that a sufficient infrastructure for this and the expansion of renewable energies were prerequisites. Toyota wants to stick to the drive mix with hybrids on the way to these goals.

The new E3 platform should also contribute to this. According to the reports, it is already certain that the next generation of the compact crossover C-HR will be the first model based on the E3. A year is not mentioned. The current generation has been on offer since 2016, and it had a model update in 2020. A model change in 2023 or 2024 at the latest is likely.

Other future models on the E3 platform are not yet known. The current Corolla, the C-HR, the Prius, and the Lexus UX are all based on the TNGA-C compact platform. However, the report does not tell whether the E3 platform is designed just for the compact class or whether larger or smaller models are also possible.

According to the German magazine Automobilwoche, it also seems that Toyota has decided not to build cars based on the e-TNGA platform in Europe. Instead, these models – such as the recently introduced bZ4X electric SUV – will be imported from Japan.

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BMW Group delivers one-millionth electrified car

Tony Verhelle Posted On December 7, 2021

The BMW Group just celebrated the delivery of its one-millionth electrified vehicle. The future plans are that the second million will arrive in two years and that delivery of 2 million fully electric vehicles will be reached in 2025.

Pieter Nota, board member responsible for Customer, Brands, and Sales, handed over the milestone vehicle, a BMW iX xDrive40, to its owner at BMW Welt on 6 December. “The delivery of our one-millionth electrified vehicle marks a milestone in our transformation,” said Nota.

“Thanks to our steadily growing product range, we are setting ourselves ambitious sales targets, in particular for fully-electric vehicles: in 2022, we aim to double this year’s sales. By 2025, the BMW Group will have delivered around two million fully-electric vehicles to customers. We expect at least one out of every two BMW Group vehicles sold to be fully electric by 2030,” Nota continued.

Ten million BEVs in ten years

Over the next year, the BMW Group will expand its electrified product line-up to include fully-electric versions of the BMW 7 Series and BMW X1. In addition, the high-volume BMW 5 Series will be added to the electric portfolio in 2023.

The successor to the Mini Countryman and the all-electric Rolls-Royce Spectre will follow. By 2023, the company aims to have at least one fully-electric model on the roads in about 90 percent of its current market segments. Over the next ten years or so, the BMW Group plans to release a total of about ten million fully-electric vehicles onto the roads.

The ‘Neue Klasse’, which is uncompromisingly geared toward electric drive trains, will significantly contribute to these sales volumes from the middle of the decade onward.

The Mini product range will be exclusively all-electric by the early 2030s, and Rolls-Royce will be an all-electric brand from 2030 on. Furthermore, all future new models from BMW Motorrad in the field of urban mobility will also be fully electric.

Charging infrastructure

The successful ramp-up of electromobility will, of course, depend on the swift and comprehensive expansion of charging infrastructure. BMW Group wants to make a vital contribution to this. “Electromobility needs holistic thinking and implementation. That is why we don’t just offer our customers highly attractive electrified cars; we also make sure charging is easy and convenient. Our commitment spans the entire value chain: from compelling products and services through strategic investments, all the way to building our own company charging infrastructure,” says Dr. Andreas Aumann, head of Strategic Product Management at the BMW Group.

With BMW Charging and Mini Charging, the group provides customers access to more than 250 000 charging points. It also offers various home charging solutions with its wall boxes.

With the pan-European high-power charging network Ionity – in which the existing shareholders and new investor BlackRock additionally invest a total of 700 million euros for network expansion – the roaming partner aggregator Hubject and the strategic mobility provider Digital Charging Solutions GmbH, the BMW Group claims to hold a stake in three companies that will play a vital role in the continued ramp-up of electromobility.

With more than 5 000 charging points, the BMW Group also operates one of Germany’s most prominent company charging networks.

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CLEPA: ‘All-electric can cost half a million jobs in Europe’

Tony Verhelle Posted On December 7, 2021

A study by PwC for the European association of automotive suppliers (CLEPA) shows that the actual electrification policy can cost up to half a million jobs in Europe. The association urgently calls for accompanying measures to attenuate the consequences.

“There’s certainly a risk if we are focusing exclusively on electric vehicles,” says Sigrid de Vries, secretary-general at CLEPA. “Hundreds of thousands of jobs are in danger.”

Other jobs

Of course, the electrification process can lead to other jobs, including software development and the production of batteries and their accessories. According to the same study, this would compensate for a few hundred thousand jobs, reducing the net loss of jobs to 275 000.

“But this presumes the creation of a competitive European battery industry, capable of competing with the Asian giants,” CLEPA points out. “And the new activities will not necessarily be deployed at the same places or in the same companies,” underlines the Brussels-based lobbying group.

3 000 companies

CLEPA represents some 3 000 companies in Europe, employing some 1,7 million people (compared to 1,2 million working directly for car manufacturers). Notorious members are companies like Bosch, Continental, Faurecia, Valeo, ZF, etc.

Of course, many of these companies are also involved in this electrification process. However, they still demand “a regulatory frame that is open to all possible technical solutions, like hybrid technologies, green hydrogen, and sustainable and renewable alternative fuels.”

“We are sure we can reconcile the preservation of our jobs and the necessary reduction of CO2 emissions to fight climate change,” CLEPA insists. Where the development of alternative fuels is concerned, the NGO Transport & Environment just released a warning that those so-called e-fuels aren’t performing well regarding emissions compared to ordinary fossil fuels.

Less freedom of movement

“Where car manufacturers have the capacity to stop or delocalize certain activities to compensate for the loss of work in the engine manufacturing area, the car suppliers have much less freedom of movement,” CLEPA remarks.

“We are tied through long-term contracts to the car manufacturers and among our members are thousands of specialized smaller businesses (SMEs) with less access to capital to invest in the transformation of their business models,” de Vries concludes.

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Toyota to assemble batteries in North Carolina from 2025

Félix Bouland Posted On December 7, 2021

On Monday, giant carmaker Toyota announced the precise location of its future battery giga-factory, set to be built in the United States. The 1,29-billion-dollar plant will be built in Greensboro, North Carolina.

Toyota says it has chosen this site for easy access to renewable energy. Production should start in 2025 with enough batteries to power 200 000 cars per year. Less than a month after having officially unveiled its all-new electric bZ4X and after continuing to demonstrate it believes in a future with hydrogen, Toyota lays the ground for its future battery production plant.

Greensboro, North Carolina

Already planning to build its future battery factory in the United States, Toyota announced that it would come out of the ground in Greensboro, North Carolina. The site has been chosen for its easy access to renewable energy, which will power the plant at 100%. The Toyota Battery Manufacturing – North Carolina (TBMNC) will also be located near airports, ports, and important road and rail axes.

“The future of mobility is electrification, and the Greensboro-Randolph Megasite is the ideal location to make that future a reality. North Carolina offers the right condition for this investment, including the infrastructure, high-quality education system, access to a diverse and skilled workforce, and a welcoming environment for doing business,” declares Ted Ogawa, CEO of Toyota Motor North America, in a recent press release.

1,2 million vehicles

Production should start in 2025, with four lines churning out enough lithium-ion batteries to power 200 000 vehicles per year, electric or hybrid. After that, Toyota plans to expand the site to at least six production lines, for a combined total (of all battery producing plants) of 1,2 million vehicles per year.

This 1,29-billion-dollar plant is not only expected to create 1 750 new jobs, but it will also help Toyota to expand further its effort to reach carbon neutrality for its vehicles and operations by 2050.

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Canoo wants to get rid of VDL Nedcar deal (update)

Joris Van Roy Posted On December 7, 2021

American electric car start-up, Canoo, wants to get rid of the preliminary deal with the Dutch contract builder VDL Nedcar to produce the first series of its Canoo Lifestyle Car in Born. Meanwhile, rumors are getting more persistent VDL’s ‘second option’ could be American electric truck maker Rivian. The latter already established a European foothold in the Netherlands end of November under the names ‘Rivian Netherlands’ and ‘Rivian Europe’.

According to local Dutch newspaper De Limburger, an engineering team of VDL Nedcar is to visit Rivian’s factory in Normal, Illinois, a former Mitsubishi plant, one of these days. And the Dutch Ministery of Economic Affairs acknowledges there are talks with Rivian without giving any details.

Trying to lure Rivian

On the other side of the Channel, according to Sky News, Boris Johnson is dangling a carrot in front of the Americans in the form of a bespoke incentive package for building a new factory in Bristol.

But so far, Rivian founder and CEO Robert J. Scaringe, who prefers to work in silence, is keeping his cards close to his chest. Until now, he’s not even confirming actually looking to build the Rivian R1T pickup truck or other vehicles in Europe.

Meanwhile, it looks like Canoo’s intentions to drop the deal with VDL Nedcar are very real. In a document for the American market watchdog, SEC (Securities and Exchange Commission), Canoo says it has no intention to make the deal definite.

Asked by the Dutch ANP news agency, a spokesman at VDL Nedcar wouldn’t comment on Canoo’s declaration in the SEC document but said talks are still going on. Eventually, the deadline for a final agreement was set earlier to mid-December.

Oklahoma factory

In November, rumors appeared in the Dutch press that Canoo CEO Tony Aquila favors speeding up the build of its Oklahoma factory over the risks associated with a contract manufacturer like VDL Nedcar.

According to Dutch newspaper Eindhovens Dagblad, Aquila wanted to reconsider earlier agreements with VDL Nedcar because of risks in the field of the Covid-19 pandemic, shipment logistics, and taxes. Initially, the plan was to assemble some 1 000 vehicles a year in Born for the US market in Q4 of 2022, ramping production to 15 000 by 2023.

Maybe a recent hostile digital attack on VDL’s computer systems that paralyzed the factory in Born temporarily is another factor that makes Aquila hesitate. VDL Nedcar Born is currently building the BMW X1 and the Mini for the German carmakers as a subcontractor until 2023.

Advancing US production

Production at Canoo’s Oklahoma factory in Pryor would start beginning in 2023. According to the Reuters news agency, Canoo has now advanced the start date for its US production “before Q4 of 2022”.

Besides the Pryor factory, Canoo plans to set up a software development center and other offices in the state. Its headquarters will move to Bentonville (Arkansas), where the young start-up wants to set up a small production facility and an R&D center.

A good relationship with Dutch owners

CEO Tony Aquila gave his remarks in November at the presentation of the company’s third-quarter results. He had to announce an 80,9 million dollar loss, compared to the 23,4 million loss in the same period last year.

According to the Dutch newspaper, Aquila said he and Canoo have a good relationship with the Van der Leegte family, who owns VDL. He acknowledges he said before that production would kick off in the Netherlands in the start-up phase and function as a backup for the US and a bridgehead for the European market afterward.

Now that the planning for the US is getting shape, Aquila says he wants to talk with VDL Nedcar about ‘reorientating‘ specific planned dates. But apparently, he did put his money where his mouth is, as VDL Nedcar got 30,4 million dollars in July, of which a part is used already to make preparations for a production start.

Canoo Lifestyle Vehicle

The Canoo Lifestyle Vehicle is the first variant the Californian start-up will commercialize. The pickup truck version and the multipurpose delivery van are built on the same EV platform or ‘skateboard’. While Canoo first intended to sell its skateboards to other OEMs interested, Aquila now instead favors Canoo building EVs on its platform itself.

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Mazda 2 Hybrid is the brand’s first self-charging hybrid

Tony Verhelle Posted On December 6, 2021

The new Mazda 2 Hybrid, on sale in Europe from spring 2022, brings self-charging, full hybrid powertrain technology to the Mazda model range for the first time. The manufacturer got a serious helping hand from big brother Toyota for this introduction.

In fact, the drivetrain is the same as the one in the Toyota Yaris Hybrid launched last year and elected Car of the Year in 2021.

Full hybrid

So, like the Yaris Hybrid, the Mazda 2 Hybrid is a self-charging, full hybrid that combines a 1490 cc, 68 kW/93 hp three-cylinder petrol engine with a 59 kW/80 hp electric motor for a total system power of 85 kW/116 hp.

Mazda’s hybrid will accelerate from 0-100 kph in 9,7 seconds and has a top speed of 175 kph. It returns WLTP combined cycle fuel economy of 4,0-3,8 l/100 km and CO₂ emissions of 93-87 g/km (depending on wheel size and other details).

During everyday driving, power allocation is adjusted between the petrol engine and electric motor for optimum performance and the best possible fuel efficiency. During deceleration and under braking, kinetic energy is recovered as electrical energy for storage in the high-performance battery.

Toyota link

The new Mazda2 Hybrid is the latest outcome of a long-standing collaboration between Mazda Motor Corporation and Toyota Motor Corporation. It will be an OEM model supplied by Toyota Motor Europe and added to the Mazda 2 European line-up as Mazda’s own brand vehicle.

In the related press release, Mazda states that this is a highly significant car for Mazda in the context of the company’s commitment to fulfilling the objectives laid out in ‘Sustainable Zoom-Zoom 2030’, its long-term vision for technological development.

Specifically – in line with the Paris Climate Agreement – Mazda aims to reduce corporate average well-to-wheel CO₂ emissions by 50% by 2030 and, by accelerating the electrification of its fleet, achieve carbon neutrality by 2050.

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Mercedes-Benz invests €60 billion in electric future

Félix Bouland Posted On December 3, 2021

German luxury car and van manufacturer Mercedes-Benz has announced an important 60 billion euros investment plan for 2022 to 2026. Following the separation with Daimler Truck, the former Daimler Group aims at going all-electric by the end of the decade, wherever market conditions allow.

“Our goal is technological leadership in the automotive luxury segment and the area of premium vans while remaining committed to our ambitious margin targets. Mercedes-Benz has what it takes: a clear strategy, a highly qualified and motivated team, as well as strong support from the entries Supervisory Board,” declared Ola Källenius, CEO of Daimler AG and Mercedes-Benz AG.

All-electric by decade’s end

This Thursday, Mercedes-Benz announced that the Supervisory Board had endorsed the 2022 – 2026 Business Plan. The group aims at investing 60 billion euros for the transition into “a software-driven and emission-free future”, as it puts it in a recent press release.

This important investment follows the 70-billion-euro injection announced last year for the 2021 to 2025 period. However, the Daimler Group has been separated from its truck division since then. Under the name Daimler Truck, the latter is becoming an independent entity and will enter the Frankfurt Stock Exchange on 10 December.

EVs and autonomous technology

Mercedes-Benz also announced that while there are plans to reduce fixed costs, investment in research and development, the expenditure for the electrification of the product portfolio, digitalization, and autonomous driving will remain at a high level.

Mercedes adds that it plans to use standardized battery platforms and scalable vehicle architectures to reduce the costs of vehicles. Furthermore, such as the rest of the industry, Mercedes-Benz expects the proportion of battery costs to decrease significantly during the decade.

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Ghent misses out on Volvo’s giga-factory for batteries

Hilde Van Raemdonck Posted On December 3, 2021

The die is cast: car manufacturer Volvo is not going to build a gigantic battery plant in Flanders. That is what Volvo’s international headquarters have confirmed. The reason for the decision is unclear, though. The company did not reveal where the ultimate production unit will be built. Only two Swedish sites remain on the shortlist.

Earlier, Volvo announced that it will only build fully electric cars as of 2030. It will already increase the part of electrically-powered passenger cars by half by 2025; the other half will be hybrid vehicles. Both vehicle types need batteries.

Like many other car manufacturers, Volvo wants to be less dependent on (primarily Asian) battery producers. That is also why the company signed a joint venture with Swedish battery manufacturer Northvolt beginning this year. Volvo already assembles the battery pack for its first full-electric models in Ghent.

Top three

The planned joint battery factory was intended to produce batteries for about 400 000 electric cars a year, and provide production plants worldwide. The giga-factory would have generated about 3 000 new jobs in Flanders.

The Flemish region had arrived in the top three possible locations. Flanders was a likely candidate, as was Göteborg (Sweden) and another site in Sweden. In the meantime, we know that our country has been removed from the shortlist.

Dealbreaker

Volvo used three crucial selection criteria: the availability of green energy, the price of this energy, and the presence of sufficient workers. The latter favored Flanders; green energy, on the other hand, could have been a dealbreaker, since Volvo intends to operate fully climate-neutral by 2040.

Volvo and Northvolt originally considered some fifty locations to build the production plant and finally selected three. Flanders would have been a logical choice, given the proximity of Volvo Car Gent, where Volvo builds about 200 000 electric vehicles a year. Today, the Volvo production unit in Ghent is one of the most important industrial employers in the Flemish region, with about 7 000 staff members on the payroll.

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Toyota’s product show is not an all battery-electric future

Piet Andries Posted On December 3, 2021

Toyota’s idea of our electric future is not just about battery-electric cars. That was the bottom line of the Kenshiki (translated as ‘Insight’) forum held in Brussels on Thursday. The brand showcased the new production model Corolla Cross Hybrid, some European premieres, and further outlined its path toward carbon-neutrality in Europe by 2035.

Alongside the European debut of the all-electric bZ4x and limited-run sports car, the GR86 – vehicles that we previously got to see – the company’s take on the future put an undeniable accent on hydrogen.

Fuel cell 2.0

The Japanese company remains a strong believer. As of January 2022, its second-generation fuel cell will be produced. It will also be assembled in Zaventem. The new modules now come in two forms (cube and rectangular), work more efficiently, and the stack has a higher density than before. It will not be solely used for cars. Toyota is also building it for third partners.

Toyota believes that Europe will be a crucial adopter for hydrogen, which explains why it starts production locally.

The toolbox

The company brought along a version of its successful rally car, the Yaris GR, emitting only water vapor to make its stance on hydrogen a bit more exciting. Engineers had transferred the powertrain from the Corolla Sport, which competes in the Japanese Super Taikyu Race Series with a combustion engine running on hydrogen. Together with some other Japanese brands, the company wants to promote racing on alternative fuels.

That’s fitting because Toyota outlined at the Kenshiki forum once more why it didn’t sign the treaty at COP26 to end sales of combustion engines by 2040. Gill Prat, TMC Chief Scientist, explained: “While Toyota is committed to making millions of Battery Electric Vehicles available to customers, the way to reduce the most net carbon emissions globally is to use every item in our toolbox, including Hybrid Electric, Plug-in Hybrid Electric, Battery Electric, and Fuel Cell Electric Vehicles […].”

In other words, the diversity of markets worldwide will still demand a myriad of powertrains in the future.

Fifth-generation self-charging hybrid

The all-new Corolla Cross showcased Toyota’s expertise in hybrid drivelines. The SUV version of its compact car introduced the fifth generation of the self-charging hybrid powertrain (HSD), with now a 40% lighter lithium-ion battery assisting the 2.0-liter combustion engine. It will be made available as a front-wheel drive and all-wheel drive, while total system output has been boosted to 197 hp.

As for electric vehicles, Toyota expects that by 2030 the sales mix will be a minimum of 50% in Western Europe, with the capacity and capability to increase further should customer demand go even higher.

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De Lijn: Van Hool and VDL to deliver 60 e-buses

Luc Joris Posted On December 3, 2021

The Flemish public transport company De Lijn has ordered 60 electric buses from Van Hool and VDL, the best bidders in the public tendering procedure. The purchase is part of De Lijn’s long-awaited greening program, with an emission-free fleet and infrastructure by 2035 as the goal.

The buses will be delivered from the last quarter of 2022 and will cost almost 28 million euros. The remainder of the framework agreement (290 out of 350 e-buses) may be ordered following an evaluation of the initial order and in line with De Lijn’s requirements.

Belgian choice

Eleven candidates participated in that procedure, but Van Hool and VDL “best met the award criteria and offered the best value for money,” according to De Lijn.

The Belgian, family-owned coachbuilder Van Hool ranked first and can supply 60% of the order, good for 36 e-buses. As the second-ranked candidate, the Netherlands-based bus manufacturer VLD, which has a plant in Roeselare, Belgium, can provide 40% of the order or 24 e-buses.

For wheelchair users, it will finally be easier to take these buses thanks to the electric ramp, which is easier and quicker to operate.

Slow greening

The Flemish plans to electrify the bus fleet have had a bumpy ride. In the summer of 2020, De Lijn halted its first tender for 970 e-buses. The transport company switched from that ‘mega order’ to a phased approach, initially involving around 200 e-buses.

In January, Flemish Minister of Mobility and Public Works, Lydia Peeters (Open Vld), urged De Lijn to review the procedure because certain bus builders – particularly the Flemish bus builder Van Hool – threatened to be excluded.

Yet, last month, Peeters set aside another 65 million euros per year structurally for the electrification of De Lijn’s vehicle fleet. Of the 2 337 buses of De Lijn, 13 are currently electric, while the company also continues to focus on hybrid buses. However, e-buses are increasingly becoming a fully-fledged alternative to them.

European support

The Christian industry trade union ACV-CSC METEA is delighted that the first order has been awarded to two companies with factories in Belgium, in Koningshooikt and Roeselare, respectively. “Only in that way can employees evolve with the new technologies,” says the trade union.

The board of directors of De Lijn also approved an order for charging infrastructure for e-buses and e-hybrids from the French/Polish supplier Spie-Ekoenergetyka and the Dutch company Heliox. They will each deliver half of the order. This way, the e-buses and e-hybrids can be charged at their stations. Both orders are financed by NextGenerationEU, the European Union’s Covid recovery plan.

Management agreement extended

As a matter of fact, the management agreement between the Flemish Government and De Lijn will probably be tacitly extended. Minster Lydia Peeters said so in the Flemish Parliament on Thursday, writes news agency Belga.

The existing management agreement, which ran from 2017 to 2020, was already extended once by one year. According to Peeters, various factors, especially the Covid-19 pandemic, made it impossible to conclude a new public service contract with De Lijn that could take effect at the beginning of 2022.

Crisis of confidence

The left-wing opposition parties Groen and Vooruit reacted disappointed to the lack of a new agreement. “Everything concerning public transport is being delayed,” sighed Els Robeyns (Vooruit).

For his part, Stijn Bex (Groen) speaks of a crisis of confidence between the top of De Lijn and the minister. He referred to the critical interview that general manager Ann Schoubs and chairman Marc Descheemaecker recently gave in De Morgen.

Minister Peeters denies that there is any question of a “crisis of confidence”. She also defends the choice not to force an agreement with strong ambitions down De Lijn’s throat. “De Lijn has been able to increase its cost coverage to 20% in recent years. Covid has caused it to fall back to 14%. Do I now have to tell De Lijn that, in these circumstances, it has to go up to 25%?”

“Again, I would have liked a public service contract as well, but there are several things that are beyond anyone’s control,” concludes the Minister.

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Car sector worried about electricity supplies

Tony Verhelle Posted On December 2, 2021

The European car manufacturers association ACEA has issued a warning about the charging infrastructure and hydrogen distribution in Europe in the future. In addition, Belgian car sector representative Mobia worries about the amount of electricity needed.

ACEA is worried about AFIR (Alternative Fuels Infrastructure Regulation), the key piece of legislation proposed by the EU Commission to ensure sufficient deployment of public infrastructure.

Not ambitious enough

According to ACEA, the AFIR targets are far from ambitious enough, especially when there are signals that some member states want to dilute the ambition even more instead of increasing it.

Attempts by the Slovenes (at the moment presiding the EU) to reach a compromise spoke about delaying the timeline for deployment, lowering the power output of future charging stations, and increasing the allowed maximum distance between infrastructure.

“The European manufacturers are seriously concerned about the overall lack of ambition of the Commission’s AFIR proposal in the first place. If some member states get their way, that will make the expected CO2 reductions that go with it even less realistic,” notes ACEA.

“The EU auto industry is ready to build all those electric and hydrogen cars, but as part of AFIR, some 7 million public charging points will need to be deployed to reach the car CO2 targets that are foreseen by the Commission, instead of the 3,9 million in the current proposal,” says Petr Dolejsi, Mobility & Sustainable Transport Director at ACEA.

Strange allies

In their aim to obtain a better energy supplying infrastructure, ACEA is teaming up with some unexpected allies. For example, while ACEA and the NGO Transport & Environment weren’t always aligned in the past, there has been an increasing level of agreement and cooperation between them lately. Especially when it comes to advocating the need for sufficiently large infrastructure.

Julia Poliscanova, Senior Director Vehicles & E-Mobility at T&E, also underlines that “it is great that AFIR is a Regulation now. This must absolutely be kept to ensure fast and effective implementation.”

ACEA recently also joined forces with T&E to bring the importance of revising the Energy Performance of Buildings Directive (EPBD) to the attention of the European Commission.

“Because in addition to strong AFIR targets for public infrastructure, Europe will also need an ambitious EPBD to ensure that sufficient private and semi-public charging points are delivered at home and work,” notes ACEA.

Heavy-duty vehicles

ACEA also focuses on the needs of heavy-duty vehicles requiring very different infrastructure to cars and vans. Thomas Fabian, Commercial Vehicles Director at ACEA: “Already by 2025, at least 40 000 battery-electric trucks will have to be in operation in Europe, and by 2030 we will see well above 300 000 zero-emission trucks on our roads – both battery-electric trucks and fuel-cell ones.”

“Member states need to step up their AFIR ambition to ensure that the right infrastructure is available on time, so we really need dedicated and ambitious targets for HDV infrastructure,” he stresses. Part of this has to be “an EU-wide refueling network for low- and zero-carbon fuels to make sure we can also further reduce CO2 emissions from the existing fleet of vehicles.”

Continuous pressure

“This means that we must continue to drive the message home to national governments, MEPs, and policymakers that they need to understand that the ambition level of either piece of legislation requires to be fully synchronized with the other one,” remarks Eric-Mark Huitema, ACEA’s Director-General.

“The fact that different Committees are treating AFIR and the CO2 Regulation for cars and vans in the European Parliament is, for example, one of those factors indicating that we might risk ending up with a climate package that is out of sync.”

“Hence, it is important that in the months to come we keep reminding the Council, Parliament, and Commission that, instead of focusing on reaching compromises in isolation, they have to verify at every stage of the process that the different pieces of the complex Fit for 55 puzzle remain fully aligned,” Huitema concludes.

Mobia wants a guaranteed supply

The umbrella federation, regrouping Febiac (manufacturers), Traxio (dealers), and Renta (leaders) in Belgium, is sounding the alarm bell on the guaranteed supply of electricity now that the federal government is still arguing about stepping out of nuclear power or not.

“Our research team has calculated that when all cars, vans, and trucks in the country ride on electricity, the annual demand for it will increase by 37 TWh. That’s 50% more than the actual demand,” Mobia is clarifying.

“The three sector federations ask federal and regional authorities to join forces and develop a long-term strategy to provide citizens and companies with sustainable and affordable electric power,” says the press release.

And the current Mobia President, Stefan DeLaet, concludes: “The fiscal changes for company cars as of 2026, the Flemish decision to prohibit sales of non-zero-emission cars as of 2029, and the Brussels intention to ban ICE cars from 2030 will induce a strong electrification in the coming years.”

“The sector expects already 2,5 million electrified cars in 2030 on Belgian roads and 4 million in 2035. Expect an additional half-million electric vehicles like vans, trucks, and buses by the same time. Smart choices and serious investment programs are absolutely necessary if we want to see a real ‘greening’ of our mobility.”

Industry / Legislation / Opinion / Top Stories Today

Dieselgate: Stellantis under investigation in Germany

Tony Verhelle Posted On December 2, 2021

After already being indicted in France, Peugeot, and Citroën, members of the Stellantis Group, have opened a jurisdictional inquiry against them in Germany. After almost all the German manufacturers and suppliers like Bosch and Continental, the German court now turns to foreign carmakers in the wake of dieselgate.

The latter is a software fraud with diesel engines where malicious software was installed to cheat the emission testing schemes. The scandal shook the whole automotive world and has cost the initiator, the VW Group, already more than €30 billion on fines and compensations.

Meanwhile, the scandal has spread all over the car business. Almost all German manufacturers have already appeared before the court, and essential suppliers for engine technology are also under scrutiny.

Actions everywhere

While in France there is also an inquiry against the two big French manufacturers Renault and PSA (now part of Stellantis) and also FCA, the German court has recently also come into action. A spokeswoman of the Parquet in Frankfurt has declared to the news agency AFP that “an inquiry has been started against unidentified persons working for the former PSA Group”.

“The inquiry is linked to engines used in SUVs of the Citroën, Mitsubishi, and Peugeot brands,” she added. In 2020, Mitsubishi (part of the Alliance with Renault/Nissan) was already sentenced to pay a €25 million fine in Germany. The manufacturer declared it never has committed fraud but paid the fine.

Never-ending story

The initial dieselgate saga started already in 2015 when American authorities accused Volkswagen of committing fraud with the software of their diesel engines. In the last six years, the case has never been out of the news as plenty of prestigious car manufacturers were proven to be involved.

Plenty of jurisdictional actions are still running, against manufacturers but also against people working for them, the most notorious ones being former VW Group CEO Martin Winterkorn and former Audi CEO Rupert Stadler.

The most important conclusion about the whole (non-finished) affair is that car manufacturers have lost a lot of their credibility in the political world. Their impressive lobby machine has waned, and apart from the fines, they have been forced to spend hundreds of billions on an energy transition they wanted to postpone. The entire automotive world has changed because of dieselgate.

Energy / Industry / Product / Top Stories Today / Weekly Newsletter

Jaguar into ‘hibernation’ for 3 years?

Tony Verhelle Posted On December 1, 2021

Apparently, the British/Indian car manufacturer Jaguar has decided to hibernate for the next three years. Between now and 2025, no new Jaguar will arrive on the market. Instead, the current recently revised models will remain for sale in a less abundant portfolio.

No factory will close its doors, but cost cuts on all levels will also mean that some people will have to leave, even though the personnel already has been reduced from 42 000 to 35 000 the past years.

All-electric, high-end

Jaguar has already committed itself to becoming fully electric in 2025. The recently appointed CEO Thierry Bolloré announced a ‘Reimagine plan’ last year and has now changed its target completely.

Instead of competing with premium brands like Audi, BMW, or Mercedes, Jaguar wants to return to its fundamentals, with more elitist luxury models evoking yesterday’s prestige.

“Bentley sells between 10 000 and 12 000 cars per year, Jaguar sold 90 000 last year, but its aim was 200 000,” says the automotive consultant Inovev. “The Coventry-based company has noted that its aim for higher volumes hasn’t worked. Apparently, there was a lack in sophistication, model renewing and even reliability when compared with the German big three.”

Jaguar has now clearly chosen to avoid a so-called progressive transition. It will not develop plug-in hybrids anymore of its existing models and the XJ electric project has been abandoned.

Even the common electric platform with Land Rover is gone and Jaguar seems to be searching for a new all-electric platform coming from outside. It makes speculations about the possible sale of the brand raise their head again.

What about clients and dealers?

This radical choice of the top management worries the dealers, of course. Belgian Philippe Robbrecht, now the boss of JLR France, stays optimistic. “Right now, our order book in the Hexagone is well filled and we sell more than a year ago.”

Philiipe Dugardin, president of the JLR dealers in France, is less confident. “This is a violent decision and we will have to count on the aid of the manufacturer. I have no problem returning to the real luxury segment, but we will have to establish what dealer organisation will be behind it.”

Of course, there are very few single Jaguar dealers and the others can thrive on the ever-raising sales figures of Land Rover. There is a strong interest for the Defender and the very recently introduced 5th generation of the Range Rover, despite a serious price hike.

In stark contrast with its sister company, Land Rover will launch 6 electrified models in the next 4 years and also continue to surf on the positive wave the introduction of cars like the Evoque and, recently, the new Defender has created.

Resurrection needed

Jaguar had build up a nice portfolio and registered a certain success, but maybe chasing big volumes wasn’t the right way to go. Nobody knows what putting everything on ice during at least 3 years will do to the image of the brand and the spirit of its fans.

A brand like Alfa Romeo is still suffering severely from its recent drawbacks and lack of innovation and will have to work hard to come to former success levels again. Jaguar has to be careful for not ending in the same dead end street.

There are, of course, examples of the opposite. The also iconic and English Mini brand has reinvented itself after years of interruption by choosing another and higher market position, under the wings of BMW.

No doubt that the marketing strategists at JLR have been looking in that direction when they decided to halt the silent and slow bleeding and go for a new start again after a period of introspection.

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