Electra and Spie to install 21 fast-charging locations in Belgium

October 23, 2023

Electra has concluded a contract with services company Spie to expand its fast-charging network in Belgium. The collaboration will install fast chargers at 21 locations across Belgium, and preparatory works have started since September. Electra is turning to the energy transition know-how of Spie to grow its activities in the fast-charger market. It aims to […]

Volkswagen to stop selling ICE vehicles in Norway

October 23, 2023

Volkswagen, the second most important car company in Norway, will stop selling new cars with an internal combustion engine (ICE) at the end of the year. “As a farewell to cars burning fossil fuel, the last Golf will be ordered at the end of the year,” declared Ulf Tore Hekneby, CEO of the group Møller, […]

Renault climbs the ladder again

October 20, 2023

Renault Group realized a turnover for Q3 2023 of €10,5 billion, an increase of 7,6%. Noticeably, the sales increase in cars of 6% in total is mainly due to electrified vehicles, which climbed 22%. The figures for the year’s first three quarters are even more eloquent, with a turnover of €37,4 billion (+21,1%) and almost […]

Stellantis’ strategic plan to stay on top of LCV market

October 20, 2023

Stellantis has revealed the outline of the commercial vehicle part of its Dare Forward 2030 strategy. The conglomerate wants to deliver next-gen zero-emission light commercial vehicles (LCVs), offer its customers a 360-degree service, and generate €5 billion from connected services. Stellantis is currently on top of the light commercial vehicle market in Europe and South […]

Is Tesla’s price war backfiring with crumbling margins?

October 20, 2023

Grey clouds are overshadowing Tesla’s long-lasting winning streak. During the presentation of Q3 earnings, the company announced crumbling margins, a delay for its Mexican factory, and worries about the profitability of its highly anticipated Cybertruck. Tesla’s chase for more volume, fueled by price drops, is eating away at the company’s margins. When the company realized […]

European car sales: growth and electrification continue

October 20, 2023

New figures from the European Car Manufacturers Association ACEA indicate that the European car market has seen a 14th consecutive month of growth and that electrification continues. In September 2023, new car registrations increased by 9,2%, reaching 861 062 units. Two of the EU’s most significant markets saw substantial gains: Italy (+22,7%) and France (+10,7%). […]

Swedish electric start-up Volta Trucks files for bankruptcy

October 20, 2023

EV truck start-up Volta has filed for bankruptcy in its home country, Sweden. The company’s subsidiaries in other countries, like the UK, will follow suit. The fall-out is linked to Volta’s battery manufacturer, which filed for Chapter 11 in the US. In an official statement, the company said: “The recent news that our battery supplier […]

Tesla’s first Cybertruck delivery finally scheduled for November 2023

October 19, 2023

Tesla has finally fixed the date of November 30, 2023, for the first customer deliveries of its long-awaited Cybertruck electric pickup truck, which was initially scheduled for a 2021 launch. CEO Elon Musk has, however, tempered expectations regarding mass production ramp-up and profitability. Just under a year ago, Tesla CEO Elon Musk promised analysts that […]

Rotterdam Porthos CO2-capturing starts construction in 2024

October 19, 2023

Porthos, the Rotterdam carbon-dioxide-capturing project given the green light in August, has entered a new phase. The final investment decision has been made, and in 2024, the construction of the first large CO2 transport and storage system in the Netherlands will start. The project will cost 1,3 billion euros and is expected to be ready […]

Air France to abandon Orly Airport

October 19, 2023

Air France will virtually disappear from Orly Airport by 2026. The French airline plans to concentrate its flights at Charles de Gaulle Airport. The decision comes as domestic flights from Orly are becoming less popular, as people more often video-conferee or travel by train. Sister carrier Transavia will now become Group Air France’s reference carrier […]

BMW Group starts rollout of its new direct sales agency model in 2024

October 19, 2023

2024 will see the BMW Group launch its new agency model rollout for sales. It will be introduced across Europe in several stages, starting with Mini in Italy, Poland, and Sweden on 1 January 2024. The remaining European countries will gradually follow, with the BMW brand scheduled to transition in 2026. “The upcoming rollout represents […]

Honda and GM to offer driverless taxi rides in Tokyo

October 19, 2023

General Motors and Honda are deepening their collaboration. Through its subsidiary for robotaxis, Cruise, both partners will start offering commercial driverless taxi rides in Tokyo as of early 2026, the first of its kind on the island. The news comes at a moment when the American Association for Highway Safety (NHTSA) started investigating pedestrian accidents […]

BMW adopts NACS standard for the US

October 19, 2023

BMW joins the list of automakers that will adopt the Tesla-developed NACS charging standard in the US and Canada. The technical switch is adopted cross-brand, so Mini and Rolls-Royce are also joining. The connector will be built in as from 2025. Over the past weeks, several automakers agreed to synchronize with the NACS standard in […]

Citroën’s new ë-C3 EV will cost € 23 300

October 18, 2023

Citroën has presented “the first affordable European electric car.” With its technical specifications, a range of 320 kilometers, and a price of € 23 300, the ë-C3 will indeed set standards. In Flanders, considering the premium of € 5 000 for individual buyers, the car will cost € 18 300 in 2024. The model could […]

Split Belgian car market gets wider

October 18, 2023

For the Belgian car market, 2023 will probably be the year that electrified cars took over. A  positive side-effect is that the average CO2 emission of these new cars landed under 90 g/km for the first time. Meanwhile, the split between individual buyers and company cars gets bigger and bigger. The same is true for […]

Toyota presents Kayoibako people and goods mover concept

October 17, 2023

At the Japan Mobility Show 2023, Toyota will not only present two BEV concepts, but it will also showcase the Kayoibako. This new vehicle is a multi-purpose modular electric concept that can fit numerous roles. The budget-friendly 4-meter-long Kayoibako can double as a last-mile delivery van, shuttle van, or even camper, and the perfect city […]

Mixed reactions on EU27 confirming truck CO2 targets

October 17, 2023

The proposal of the EU to cut CO2 emissions of heavy trucks and buses by 90% from now until 2040 is getting a mixed response from the industry and environmentalists. European car manufacturers federation ACEA wants supporting targets for the infrastructure and transport companies, while Transport & Environment (T&E) feels the short-term targets are too […]

BMW recruits Umicore for battery materials supply in US

October 17, 2023

Through its battery cell supplier AESC, BMW has signed a ten-year agreement with Umicore to source high-nickel materials locally for the company’s US production. The supply chain will serve BMW’s round cell technology, featured in the company’s next generation of BEVs. It is also a necessary move to keep benefitting from Joe Biden’s IRA incentives. […]

DCS & Volvo announce charging partnership

October 17, 2023

Digital Charging Solutions (DCS) has started a cooperation with Volvo Cars. Through this partnership, Volvo Cars customers will access over 590 000 charging points in Europe. The joint offer is scheduled to be launched in November. Through the cooperation, users of an all-electric Volvo model will have access to the charging points that DCS manages […]

Toyota reveals some details of two new BEV concepts

October 16, 2023

Japan’s number one car manufacturer will exhibit the two new Toyota concepts at the Japan Mobility Show 2023 (October 28th to November 5th) with a booth themed “Let’s Change the Future of Cars – Find Your Future.” In this first announcement of models to be exhibited at the booth, Toyota reveals some design details for […]

Geneva Motor show to reappear in 2024

October 16, 2023

Europe’s most important motor show will finally make its comeback in 2024. That’s what the Geneva International Motor Show (GIMS) organizers have announced recently. The 100th-anniversary edition will open again between Monday, 26 February, and Sunday, 3 March 2024. After four years of cancellations caused by the Covid-19 pandemic and problems around the organizers (financial […]

Van Hool shows 24-meter double-articulated e-bus for France

October 16, 2023

Belgian bus manufacturer Van Hool has joined forces with Kiepe Electric from Germany and Alstom from France to create the fully electric 24-meter Exqui-City double-articulated bus for Île-de-France Mobilités. The project was first announced in 2022 and is now revealed at Busworld in Brussels, with deliveries scheduled for the end of 2023. The new 24-meter […]

VW Group sells 45% more BEVs in nine months of 2023

October 16, 2023

The Volkswagen Group disclosed its electric car statistics for the third quarter. They show that sales of battery-electric vehicles are increasing by 45% for the first nine months of 2023 but also that the manufacturer’s increase is slower than expected. Furthermore, there’s a noticeable difference between the performances of the distinctive brands inside the group. […]

Toyota and Idemitsu join forces on solid-state battery

October 13, 2023

The world’s number one car manufacturer, Toyota, and the Japanese energy company, Idemitsu Kosan, are teaming up on solid-state battery development. The two Japanese companies aim to reach commercialization by 2028. Toyota is joining forces with Idemitsu Kosan to advance the development and production of solid-state batteries for its future electric cars. The collaboration focuses […]

Volkswagen Up! bows out

October 12, 2023

Volkswagen will discontinue the production of its small Up!, which is also offered with an electric drive. That means the tiny VW has been discontinued earlier than initially announced and will leave a gap in the VW model range for several years. Production will end much earlier than previously planned. In May 2022, Hildegard Wortmann, […]

Vinfast receives battery maker as ‘a gift’

October 12, 2023

Chairman of the Vingroup, Pham Nhat Vuong, announced a present for his automotive brand VinFast. It was gifted the battery-making arm of the group, VinES, at no extra cost. This must leverage the group’s competitiveness in the wake of current market challenges. VinFast Auto is set to acquire 99,8% of the shares of VinES but […]

Volkswagen ID.4 and ID.5 get more power and efficiency

October 12, 2023

Following the introduction of VW’s new 210 kW (286 hp) electric motor on the ID.7, more and more MEB platform-based models are getting this more efficient and powerful drivetrain. The Volkswagen ID.4 and ID.5 SUVs are next in line, raising their driving range up to 556 km, while the price remains the same. More power […]

Guido Dumarey buys ZF transmission factory near Lyon

October 12, 2023

The Flemish entrepreneur Guido Dumarey has bought the ZF transmission plant near Lyon, which produces transmissions for buses and trucks and industrial vehicles, with a yearly turnover of € 110 million. The amount of the investment has not been disclosed. ZF Bouthéon employs more than 300 people and will now be called Dumarey Powerglide Bouthéon. […]

Mercedes-Benz Trucks finally unveils production-ready eActros 600

October 12, 2023

After a concept version, two prototypes, and a camouflaged test model, Mercedes-Benz Truck has finally lifted the cover off its production-ready long-haul battery-electric truck. Somewhat surprisingly, Mercedes has opted for a futuristic look that references the GenH2 truck concept. We’ve known about the Mercedes eActros 600 for a while. Daimler Truck first showed a concept […]

VDL Nedcar’s first ‘new’ client is… BMW

October 12, 2023

The Dutch contract car manufacturer  VDL Nedcar has finally disclosed who is the first new client after the BMW Group will have left Born (south of the Netherlands), where Mini’s were assembled, in 2024. And the first ‘new’ client is… BMW. VDL Nedcar struck a deal with BMW to assemble 125 000 battery packs between […]

Are EV sales growing enough?

October 11, 2023

There have been different signs lately about the EV market. Of course, sales are usually still rising, and the growth percentages can be impressive, but the real booming seems already over, and in absolute figures, there’s still a long way to go. One has to be careful when the emphasis is on percentages and the […]

Will HPB open the first Gigafactory for solid-state batteries?

October 11, 2023

German battery start-up High-Performance Battery (HPB) claims to have reached a breakthrough in battery technology by lifting its solid-state technology to production readiness. It’s one of the biggest hurdles of these promising battery packs. While nothing technological seems to be holding back solid-state, ramping them up from laboratory prototypes to commercial level is particularly challenging. […]

BMW unveils new iX2 with a sloping roofline and up to 449 km of range

October 11, 2023

BMW has lifted the veil on its new smaller SUV-Coupé – or Sports Activity Coupé, as Munich refers to it. The new X2 changes from a smaller, stubbier version of the X1 to a literal coupé version of the new X1. Like its brother, it also comes as an all-electric version, under the name of […]

Audi Brussels postpones Q4 e-tron production

October 10, 2023

In a works council on Monday morning, the direction of the Audi Brussels plant communicated that the Audi Q4 e-tron production, planned to start soon, has been postponed. For the moment, there is no additional production capacity needed. The smallest electric Audi was already in production in VW’s biggest EV factory in Zwickau (Germany), with […]

Euronav remains in Belgian hands

October 10, 2023

Antwerp-based tanker shipping company Euronav remains in Belgian hands. Compagnie Maritime Belge (CMB) and the Norwegian Frontline, Euronav’s two major shareholders, have reached an agreement on the matter. The agreement is described as one of the largest deals in the shipping industry in recent decades. “A huge milestone”, says CMB CEO Alexander Saverys, who is […]

BYD presents new e-buses with Blade battery at Busworld Brussels

October 10, 2023

BYD has brought a whole fleet of new electric buses to Busworld in Brussels, which runs from 7 to 12 October. The highlights include a new B12 model with a Blade battery within the chassis and a BYD-UNVI DD13 double-decker bus. Chinese manufacturer BYD is not only present in the European car market, with models […]

Tesla Berlin factory workers demand better working conditions

October 10, 2023

More than a thousand employees of Tesla’s Brandenburg factory, near Berlin, are asking for better working conditions. Labor union IG Metall says that many employees complain about short production cycles, excessive production targets, and staff shortages. It’s not the first time that Tesla’s German factory is in the news, and not only for appalling work […]

CALB unveils battery with 25-year lifecycle

October 10, 2023

Giant Chinese battery cell producer CALB has unveiled a new battery with an impressive estimated lifecycle at RE+ 2023, the energy solution exhibition in Las Vegas. Named 314Ah, referencing its capacity, the new cell can withstand 15 000 full charge cycles. According to CALB, it’s the equivalent of 25 years. Moreover, the Chinese battery expert […]

Brussels and Paris want revision of EU exhaust standards

October 10, 2023

Nearly 10 major European cities, including Paris, Brussels, and Rome, have petitioned the European Parliament, demanding stricter standards for air quality and exhaust emissions. The 27 EU member states approved in September a watered-down regulation. This has yet to be negotiated with the European Parliament, which has not yet determined its position. The 27 do […]

Iveco unveils E-Way H2 hydrogen bus powered by Hyundai

October 10, 2023

Iveco and Hyundai have unveiled their first collaboration for the bus market: the Iveco Bus E-Way H2, which runs on a hybrid fuel cell and battery-electric powertrain and is meant for city use. The new zero-emission bus was unveiled at the Busworld show in Brussels. Hyundai and Iveco first announced their partnership for zero-emission drivetrains […]

BMW also appoints new top managers

October 10, 2023

Following the contract extension for Group CEO Oliver Zipse, the BMW Group has made several new appointments at the management level below the Board of Management. This includes management changes at the BMW, BMW Motorrad, and Rolls-Royce brands. The BMW Group thus fills several top management positions directly below the Management Board. The changes will […]

VW’s PowerCo and Belgian Umicore join forces in Ionway (Update)

October 10, 2023

The Volkswagen Group’s new battery subsidiary PowerCo and the Belgian materials technology group Umicore have established a joint venture for cathode and pre-material production in Europe. The JV is called Ionway. From 2025, it will supply PowerCo’s European battery cell factories with key materials from the Ionway factory in Poland. By the decade’s end, the […]

Ford Saarlouis plant threatened with closure as potential investor pulls out

October 09, 2023

Ford is running out of options in the search for a new investor in its Saarlouis plant in Germany, where it produces the compact Focus model, which is set to retire in 2025. The only potential investor remaining has pulled out, leaving 4 400 jobs threatened. It has been widely reported that Ford’s switch to […]

Port of Antwerp-Bruges has first all-electric trucks

October 09, 2023

In the Antwerp port area, logistics company Wijngaard Natie is now driving around with four fully electric trucks, produced by Volvo Trucks. This would be the first all-electric port transport in Antwerp, although Katoen Natie is also using the Volvo FH Electric. The four trucks should mark a turning point in the transition to sustainable […]

Volvo Group and Renault Group together for next-gen electric vans

October 09, 2023

Volvo Group and Renault Group have signed a binding agreement to create a joint venture with the goal of creating a new generation of electric vans. These will be built on a modular platform with 800 V batteries, with production expected to start in 2026. Logistics company CMA CGM is also planning to join the […]

Volvo Cars sales for one third electrified and growing

October 09, 2023

Volvo Cars global sales reached 61 666 cars in September, up 25% compared to the same period last year, as Europe, the US, and China all reported sales growth for the month. Electrified cars represented 34% of all sales, an increase of 37%. For the first nine months of 2023, the company sold 509 158 […]

Polestar likely to reach delivery targets for 2023

October 09, 2023

Polestar, Geely’s ‘Scandinavian inspired’ BEV daughter, aims to reach profitability in 2025. This can only be achieved by increasing the number of deliveries. In the third quarter, the Swedish-Chinese brand achieved a 50% jump compared to Q3/2022. Polestar delivered around 13 900 electric cars to customers in the third quarter, 50,4% more than in the […]

Highly successful CEO leaves Rolls-Royce

October 06, 2023

Rolls-Royce Motor Cars has announced today that its CEO, Torsten Müller-Ötvös, will retire on 30 November 2023. He will be succeeded by Chris Brownridge, currently CEO of BMW UK. With 14 years as CEO, the German leaves BMW Group’s British high luxury brand as its longest-serving CEO since Claude Johnson brought Charles Rolls and Henry […]

Electric Skoda Enyaq RS gets more power and more range

October 06, 2023

Skoda has updated its electric Enyaq iV, specifically the sporty RS version. The SUV now gets a boost in power from 299 to 340 hp, thanks to a revised and higher-output electric motor on the rear axle. The Czechs have also upgraded the energy management software, meaning that despite the power increase and the same […]

Mercedes eActros 600 manages +1.000 km Alpine round trip

October 06, 2023

A loaded near-production prototype of the Mercedes-Benz eActros 600, Daimler Truck’s long-haul battery-electric truck, has completed a round trip from Stuttgart to South Tyrol and back on one charge. The distance of 530 km each way confirms Mercedes’ promised 500 km range for the model. The Mercedes-Benz eActros 600 is launching soon, with the world […]

German car market slows down for the first time this year

October 06, 2023

The end of government subsidies for electric company cars is causing a significant slump in sales of EVs in Germany. Their market share in September has fallen from 32% to 14% one month earlier. Overall, the automotive market is regressing only slightly, but this year’s negative trend is a first. The Kraftfahrt Bundesamt (KBA) results […]

Cadillac Lyriq EV starts selling in Europe

October 06, 2023

Starting today, Swiss customers can order a Cadillac Lyriq electric SUV online. Deliveries will begin in the first half of 2024.  It will be the first country where the luxury GM daughter will sell its first EV. France and Sweden will follow, with three other non-defined European countries somewhat later. After years of losses, General Motors […]

Volvo strengthens partnership with Storedot in fast-charging

October 04, 2023

Volvo Cars has signed a multi-year agreement with the Israeli developer of fast-charging technology StoreDot. The car brand will work with the latter’s experts to develop and test XFC cells. The first fruit of the collaboration is scheduled for next year. Storedot has been continuously working on its XFC cells (the abbreviation for ‘extreme fast […]

T&E: ‘Europe’s car industry is still doing too little, too late’

October 04, 2023

In a striking opinion piece, William Todts, Executive Director of the NGO Transport & Environment (T&E), points at the mess the German car industry has made these recent decades and the efforts from the European Union to tackle the problem. “Earlier this month, Ursula von der Leyen sent shockwaves through the European and Chinese car […]

Omoda targets Benelux market with a sub-40.000 euro car (update)

October 03, 2023

Omoda is the name of a new Chinese brand, part of the Chinese car manufacturer Chery Automobile. The brand will first be introduced in Belgium and Luxembourg at the beginning of 2024. The first car introduced is the Omoda 5, a fully electric SUV that will be sold at just under €40 000 for the […]

Stellantis appoints new CEO to fix ailing Jeep sales

October 03, 2023

Antonio Filosa, a veteran executive within the Stellantis constellation, is taking over from Christian Meunier as head of Jeep. The new appointment must draw the brand from its negative spiral, as sales since the beginning of the year have dwindled further, even in its core market in the US. Despite acting as a niche player […]

Tesla delivers 6,6% less in Q3 2023

October 03, 2023

Tesla is losing a tailwind. While it beat analyst’s forecasts quarter after quarter, the growth was halted during Q3 of 2023, ending its dominant streak. With 435 059 cars delivered, the company shifted 31 081 cars less than the previous quarter. Tesla points to its remanufacturing procedure as an explanation. We had grown accustomed to […]

New car registrations grow again in September

October 03, 2023

In Belgium and Luxembourg, 38 906 new cars were registered in September, 25,4% more than in September last year. For the first three quarters of the year, the increase was 33,2% compared to last year, totaling 374 848 newly registered cars. In the Netherlands and France, we see the same tendencies but less pronounced. The […]

Nikola officially launches its hydrogen truck in the US

October 02, 2023

Nikola has celebrated the commercial launch of its hydrogen fuel cell electric truck at its manufacturing facility in Arizona. The trucks are now ready to be built for customers, with Nikola also supplying the hydrogen refueling ecosystem. After a few tumultuous months, with the recall of all of its battery-electric Tre trucks and the separation […]

New Dutch EV mini-roadster Carice TC2 charms nostalgics

October 02, 2023

A small roadster with fifties styling and an electric drive is proposed on the market for a few months. The origin is Dutch, and the design inspiration is British, but the Porsche 356 reminiscence is not far away. Meet the Carice TC2. “With the Carice TC2, we want to create art on wheels,” Niels van […]