October 26, 2023
Responding to strong demand for the car, Volvo Cars has decided to start building the new fully electric Volvo EX30 in its Ghent plant in Belgium in 2025, expanding production capacity for its small SUV. The EX30 was revealed to almost universal acclaim earlier this year and has already won several major awards. Production of […]
October 26, 2023
The ‘love affair’ between Japanese carmaker Honda and American General Motors for developing together a line of ‘affordable’ electric cars under $30 000 ends abruptly. Honda CEO Toshihiro Mibe said the automaker scraps the plans after a year-long evaluation proving a ‘changing business environment’ makes them unviable. “After extensive studies and analysis, we have come […]
October 25, 2023
According to reports in the media, the next generation of the Audi A4 will also be launched purely electrically from the end of 2025. The A4 e-tron should be available as a saloon and estate – with a similar orientation to the current combustion engine model, which will remain in the range for the time […]
October 25, 2023
On Tuesday, the European Commission presented new measures to boost the European wind power industry to achieve the European Union’s targets for renewable energy generation by 2030. The European Union aims to reach its climate goal of generating 42,5% of the EU’s total energy consumption from renewable sources by 2030. Wind energy, which accounted for […]
October 25, 2023
After Nissan, the other Japanese Alliance partner, Mitsubishi Motors, also announced its participation in Renault’s electric car division Ampere. The Japanese will invest a maximum of €200 million. Mitsubishi Motors calls it “an ambitious step forward” in its EV strategy. Nissan previously announced that it would invest up to 600 million euros in Ampere. As […]
October 25, 2023
At the Japan Mobility Show 2023, the successor of the Tokyo Motor Show after four years of absence, Lexus introduced concept models under the theme ‘Pushing the Boundaries of the Electrified Experience’, envisioning new possibilities for mobility through electric cars. The Lexus booth hosted the global debut of the next-generation Battery Electric Vehicle (BEV) concept […]
October 25, 2023
At the Japan Mobility Show, Honda and Isuzu are showcasing their jointly developed longe range hydrogen truck, called ‘Giga Fuel Cell’, for the first time. It’s a low deck 8×4 rigid truck, 12 meters long and with 25 tons capacity for intercity transports with a range of up to 800 kilometers, on one tank filled […]
October 24, 2023
Volvo Cars opened its largest software test center in Gothenburg, Sweden. The site is also set to expand further, more than doubling its capacity over time. The center measures 22 000 m2. Volvo says it is “the new flagship in our network of development centers and tech hubs worldwide”. Volvo Cars also operates software test […]
October 23, 2023
For the first time in 130 years, the powerful German trade union IG Metall will have a woman at the top starting this Monday. Christiane Benner (55) sees her fight for workers’ rights as a political mission. During the weekend, the newly appointed head of Germany’s most significant union called on the federal government to […]
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 […]
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, […]
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 […]
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 […]
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 […]
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%). […]
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 […]
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 […]
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 […]
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 […]
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 […]
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 […]
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 […]
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 […]
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 […]
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 […]
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 […]
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. […]
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 […]
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 […]
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 […]
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 […]
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. […]
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 […]
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, […]
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 […]
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 […]
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. […]
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 […]
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 […]
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 […]
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. […]
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 […]
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 […]
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 […]
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 […]
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 […]
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 […]
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 […]
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 […]
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 […]
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 […]
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 […]
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 […]
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 […]
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 […]
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 […]
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 […]
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 […]
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 […]
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 […]
