September 08, 2023
Brussels-based holding company D’Ieteren Group, best known for importing and distributing cars of the Volkswagen Group and Carglass, posted a gross profit of 548,9 million euros during the first six months of this year. That is almost half as much profit as during the same period last year. The central part of the profit comes […]
September 08, 2023
A recently conducted test on 24 engine families within the Stellantis group has convinced the car giant of the longevity of combustion-engined cars. The company believes that the CO2 benefits from the fuel will keep these cars on the road until 2050. After the European Commission opened the backdoor for e-fuels after 2035, several car […]
September 08, 2023
The VW group boss Oliver Blume has shed some light on the future of its most iconic golf car. As prior reports believed, the next generation won’t be a rebadged ID.2 but a standalone model on the all-new SSP platform specifically developed for returning a profit comparable to ICE models. Clearly, Blume is realigning his […]
September 07, 2023
“The future of Seat is Cupra.” Those were the words of VW Brand CEO Thomas Schäfer at the IAA in Munich. The German manager made a story official that had been circulating for a while. The struggling Seat brand will be eclipsed by an all-electric Cupra around 2030. But that doesn’t rule out a new […]
September 07, 2023
On Wednesday, Avery Dennison, a leading global packaging and materials manufacturer, commissioned Europe’s largest Concentrated Solar Thermal (CST) platform and thermal storage unit at its production plant in Turnhout, Belgium. The project collaborates with Limburg-based Azteq, an organization that builds, develops, and maintains CST facilities. The renewable energy project contains a CST platform with 2 […]
September 07, 2023
Frenchman Pierre Voineau is the new Director General at Citroën Belux, the Stellantis Group Belgium – Luxembourg announced in a press release. Voineau, who was Product and Business Development Director at Renault’s Software République from November 2021 till now, replaces Damien Martin-Cocher, who joined in January 2021 and moves on within the group. According to […]
September 06, 2023
“We don’t partake in price wars; it is unsustainable,” said Thomas Schäfer, boss of the VW brand at the IAA Mobility 2023 in Munich. He bluntly forgot about his company’s operations in China. After a sales revival for the discounted ID.3, Volkswagen’s Chinese joint venture VW-FAW is repeating the move for its sibling ID.4. Today, […]
September 05, 2023
At the IAA Mobility in Münich, automotive supplier ZF puts the spotlights on a new type of motor for electric cars. The I2SM is a variant in the externally excited synchronous family. Still, ZF has found ways to cut its CO2 footprint in half during production and reach interesting levels of sustainability and efficiency. The […]
September 04, 2023
Dutch industrial group VDL has seen turnover from its bus division fall 40% in the first six months, from 251 million euros a year ago to 153 million euros at the end of June. This is shown in the group’s income statement. The division is also loss-making, but for how much VDL does not share. […]
September 04, 2023
At the IAA in Münich, Mercedes has unveiled a future glimpse of how the revival of its smallest range will look like. The Concept CLA provides a new all-electric platform with an ample range of more than 750 kilometres on a single charge while boosting the use of sustainable materials on board. And, yes, there’s […]
September 04, 2023
There’s something old and something new about the ID. GTI Concept that Volkswagen has brought to the spotlights of the IAA in Münich. The name combines the letters from the brand’s all-electric range with those from its hereditary sports badge. But weren’t all-electric go-faster models from Wolfsburg called GTX? Indeed, but it seems Volkswagen wants […]
September 01, 2023
The Biden administration is making up to $12 billion available to the American car industry to fund the conversion of their factories for producing battery-electric, hydrogen fuel cell, and hybrid vehicles to comply with the goal of half of new cars sold being electric by 2030. “This funding will help existing workers keep their jobs […]
September 01, 2023
Further details about Jaguar’s new start as an electric brand from 2025 start to trickle down. According to a portal report, the three models Jaguar plans, based on the new electric platform JEA (in an early stage named Panthera), will be a four-seater GT, a luxury SUV, and a large sedan. The usually well-informed British […]
August 31, 2023
Renault CEO Luca de Meo has given more details about when the electric car business will split from the rest of the company and its planned Initial Public offering (IPO). The split will take place on 1 November 2023. From then on, Ampere will be separated from the Renault Group, but the ownership structure will […]
August 31, 2023
In July 2023, the EU car market continued its growth trajectory, expanding by 15,2%, the twelfth consecutive month of growth, according to the European Car Manufacturers Association ACEA data. New car registrations reached 851 156 units as the market recovers from last year’s component shortages. Most markets posted solid growth, including the four largest: France […]
August 30, 2023
Designwerk, a Swiss company specializing in building custom electric trucks for specific use cases, entered the Benelux market after expanding to Germany. The company is mainly owned by Volvo Trucks and converts diesel-powered trucks into e-trucks with up to 1 000 kWh battery capacities. Designwerk (DW)’s origins trace back to 2008 when converting small vehicles […]
August 30, 2023
Under the name Blue Plug Chargers, Hyundai will start building its own supercharger through its subsidiary, Hyundai Kefico. In its home market, the company wants to get to terms with the more successful rollout of Tesla, which also manufactures high-power chargers. In 2021, Hyundai announced the launch of its own supercharger network under the name […]
August 30, 2023
On Tuesday morning, Prime Minister Alexander De Croo (Open Vld) visited Volvo Car Gent. He saw the training center, was given a tour of the paint shop, and finally took a test drive in a fully electric Volvo. After the visit, he said he was impressed. “Ten years ago, we wondered whether we would still […]
August 30, 2023
More and more experts warn that European countries struggle to persuade people to switch from ICE cars to EVs. Europe sells ten times more electric cars today than it did six years ago (source: IEA), but its fleet is cleaning up too slowly to meet the agreed climate goals. “What we have learned is that […]
August 29, 2023
The California-based electric car manufacturer Fisker has announced that it has launched in three new European markets: Belgium, the Netherlands, and Switzerland. The company has already launched in Austria, Denmark, France, Germany, Norway, Sweden, and the United Kingdom, as well as in Canada and the United States. Deliveries of the first car, the Ocean SUV, […]
August 29, 2023
Mercedes is on track, building its own global fast-charging park. In Europe, where the brand aims at 200 charging points, the car brand announced that it will open its first hub in Mannheim in October 2023. The charging station must set new standards for fast, convenient, and sustainable charging. The rollout of its own charging […]
August 29, 2023
In an interview with the Swiss newspaper Neue Zürcher Zeitung, the CEO of the Swedish/Swiss technology group ABB, Björn Rosengren, says that the time has definitely come to buy an electric car. The development of charging infrastructure is gaining momentum, so the biggest hurdle is disappearing. “Due to Covid-19, I’ve been unable to travel to […]
August 29, 2023
BYD Co Ltd (Build Your Dreams), China’s best-selling EV brand, has tripled its net profit for the third quarter with a 6.82 billion yuan total (€0,86 billion) or a 144.7% increase. That’s impressive again, thanks to record deliveries but less than the first quarter, where profits fivefolded. BYD sold 612 425 battery-only EVs in the […]
August 29, 2023
Chinese electric car manufacturer Xpeng signed a strategic partnership with shared mobility provider Didi. The deal includes the development of a new small electric car brand (project name Mona) and an investment by Xpeng in Didi. Xpeng wants to launch a new EV brand in 2024. It is currently being developed under the project name […]
August 28, 2023
At the Mobility Summit in Münich, BMW will unveil the Vision Neue Klasse (Vision New Class), which is believed to sit close to the production model and marks a new chapter in the brand’s history as it embodies its new generation of electric vehicles. The platform will feature 800-volt technology for increased fast charging. It […]
August 26, 2023
German carmaker BMW further invests in its production of electric vehicles and adds a new logistics center for handling high-voltage battery packs to its Leipzig factory, where its first electric vehicle, the BMW i3 is phased out in July 2022. The MINI Countryman crossover is the following fully electric model to be built there. Today, […]
August 25, 2023
Swedish lithium-ion battery manufacturer Northvolt and world-leading metal recycler EMR have built a battery recycling facility in Hamburg (Germany). The brand-new site will recycle the vast number of EV batteries that will reach their end of life. The site was officially inaugurated on August 24 by the First Mayor of Hamburg, Peter Tschentscher. The 12 […]
August 25, 2023
Volvo has unveiled the first teasing pictures of what is believed to be an all-electric MPV. Dubbed EM90, the car wants to be a “Scandinavian living room on wheels”, as the brand calls it. The final version will be unveiled on the 12th of November. Though Volvo remains tight-lipped about the specifications, the moniker already unveils […]
August 24, 2023
On Wednesday, Norway opened the world’s first floating wind farm explicitly built to power offshore oil and gas installations and is now supplying electricity to oil and gas fields Snorre and Gullfaks in the Norwegian North Sea – 140 km off the Norwegian coast. Crown Prince Haakon of Norway gave the symbolic green light by […]
August 24, 2023
Volvo’s fully electric sister-brand Polestar has reached a ‘production milestone’ as it calls it, with the 150 000th car leaving the factory. The Polestar 2 is the brand’s first volume car, and now it has started to deliver the beefed-up 2024 version of it. Prices start at €51 200. Thomas Ingenlath, Polestar CEO, comments: “The […]
August 24, 2023
It’s official. Boosting more than 1 200 hp, Lucid’s top-of-the-line Sapphire model is the fastest all-electric sedan from 0-60 mph. Over a quarter mile, the all-electric supersedan strangles top names like the Tesla Model S Plaid and even a Ducati bike. It’s a dash of glimmer as the company was forced to roll out no […]
August 24, 2023
According to an analysis commissioned by Greenpeace, twelve of Europe’s leading fossil fuel companies are deceiving the public about their willingness to curb their climate-damaging impact by transitioning to renewable energy sources. Greenpeace calls for strict regulation of fossil fuel companies to prevent even more fossil-fuelled climate destruction. The report, titled “The Dirty Dozen: The […]
August 24, 2023
The all-new Hyundai Kona Electric has entered production. The second-gen model is aimed at the European market and produced in the Czech Republic, which should account for 15% of the plant’s total output. The new Hyundai Kona was first announced at the end of 2022 before its full reveal in March this year. The compact […]
August 24, 2023
China’s number one car brand, BYD, is bringing a sixth model to Europe. It is dubbed the Seal U and represents an SUV version of its compact sibling. The car must rival Europe’s best-selling EV, the Tesla Model Y, relying on cost-saving LFP batteries and an 800-volt onboard network for faster charging. The public premiere […]
August 23, 2023
In China, a car blogger has posted on microblogging website Weibo a series of pictures of a new heavily camouflaged NIO model that allegedly would be the first of the pristine sub-brand Alps. That brand is one of two – the other being Firefly – NIO wants to position in a price range under its […]
August 23, 2023
VW’s sizeable electric sedan, the ID.7, has entered production in the Emden plant, where the ID.4 is also produced. The ID.7 brings the MEB platform to the next level with a new, more efficient powertrain and a range of up to 700 km. The first deliveries are expected before the end of the year. It’s […]
August 22, 2023
Volvo CE (Construction Equipment) has launched the DD25 Electric compactor production in Shippensburg, Pennsylvania, bringing electric machine production to the US. By 2030, 35% of its product line should be electric. Like its Cars and Trucks counterparts, Volvo Construction Equipment has also started its electric transformation. The company already offers several electric machines in the […]
August 22, 2023
During GM’s second-quarter earnings call in July, CEO Mary Barra reportedly said the company is launching a new strategy called “Winning with Simplicity”. It’s meant to lower design and engineering costs and reduce complexity in vehicle orders and manufacturing. GM is aiming to cut trim levels in half to create “fewer part numbers to simplify […]
August 22, 2023
German premium car manufacturer Mercedes-Benz will reportedly upgrade its EQE and EQS electric models to an 800-volt electrical system from 2025 onward, allowing charging capacities over 200 kW. According to media reports, the switch to 800-volt system voltage is part of a larger upgrade of the EVA2 platform, which will then be called EVA2M. EVA2 […]
August 21, 2023
Sales keep troubling the German automotive giant Volkswagen Group. Its latest results published on Friday report encouraging growth for the Western European market, but registrations are further decreasing in the crucial Chinese marketplace. In July, Volkswagen delivered 770 000 vehicles, an increase of 12,8% compared to 2022, which was particularly cumbersome because of supply chain […]
August 21, 2023
Premiered at the prestigious Monterey Car Week in California, Lamborghini has unveiled its first zero-emission family member. The new Lamborghini Lanzador is the company’s first-ever all-electric car. This cross-over will be offered as a limited run to a selection of trusted and loyal customers. It precedes a fully electric version of the Urus, scheduled for […]
August 21, 2023
California-based Faraday Future, a start-up with Chinese roots and describing itself as ‘a global shared intelligent electric mobility ecosystem company’ has finally delivered its first car, the ‘FF 91 2.0 Futurist Alliance’ to a luxury car dealership based in Costa Mesa, California, called PCM (Private Collection Motors). The first group of ‘distinguished users’ and Developer […]
August 18, 2023
In contrast to prior statements, Jaguar will not extend the lifeline of the pioneering i-Pace when its new line of EVs leaves the factory halls in 2025. In the wake of its all-electric and top luxury haul-over, the company further announced that it will hire 300 new workforce in the Midlands. Asked about the future […]
August 18, 2023
Sports retailer group Decathlon presented an e-bike with variable transmission on Thursday. The automatic shifting has been developed by E2 Drives in Wavre, in the Brabant Wallon province. The heart of the LD920 e-bike is a newly developed all-in-one solution for the bike drive, which was developed for three years with the Belgian start-up E2 […]
August 17, 2023
Joachim Sas will lead the import of luxury brands like Automobili Pininfarina, McLaren, and Rolls-Royce as COO for the Belux market. Until last month, Jochim Sas was General Manager for Mini at BMW Group Belux, where he left to pursue other career opportunities and was succeeded by Gabriel Goffoy, returning to BMW after his job […]
August 17, 2023
Indian manufacturer Mahindra has revealed a new concept electric SUV during an event in Cape Town. The Thar.e blends classic Jeep-style rugged looks with futuristic elements. The company has also teased a European launch of previously-revealed electric SUVs based on VW tech. Mahindra & Mahindra, or just Mahindra in short, is one of the largest […]
August 17, 2023
Hyundai Motor India said on Wednesday that it had signed an Asset Purchase Agreement (APA) to purchase a factory from US car manufacturer General Motors in the western state of Maharashtra. The South Korean car manufacturing group’s acquisition of the Talegaon plant in Maharashtra will lay the foundation to increase annual production capacity in India. […]
August 17, 2023
Porthos, a project for storing carbon dioxide from industry in the port of Rotterdam, has been given the green light. The Dutch Council of State has ruled that the nitrogen released while constructing the infrastructure for CO2 storage does not significantly impact the nearby nature, contrary to what environmentalists claim. So the permits issued by […]
August 17, 2023
The KIA EV5 will normally be revealed at China’s AutoChengdu on August 25, but as usual, the very first official pictures of the production version are already leaked via the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology (MIIT), picked up by CarNewsChina. Pictures of the final version show that the newcomer is very similar to the […]
August 17, 2023
On Monday, the major Chinese automotive group, Geely, officially announced the birth of another ‘daughter’, its new Ji Yue brand. Created in common with Baidu, China’s dominant internet search engine company, it’ll launch its first model by the end of this year. However, the Ji Yue 01, the new flagship model, isn’t new. We know […]
August 16, 2023
After two separate fire incidents, US-based e-truck manufacturer Nikola has issued a recall for all 209 of its currently produced Tre BEV trucks due to a faulty component in the battery pack of the trucks. The company has also decided to pause sales of its battery-electric trucks until the issue is resolved. Two “thermal incidents”, […]
August 16, 2023
Volvo Cars reported global sales of 54 165 cars in July, up 21% compared with the same month last year. This was the eleventh consecutive month of growth year-over-year. In the same period, fully electric car sales grew 248% to 5 504 units, just over 10% of the total, while plug-in hybrids increased 65% to […]
August 16, 2023
Less range and a lower price. In the United States, Tesla has reiterated the Standard versions of the Model S and Model X. Both versions cost more than 10 000 dollars less than the Long Range models, which were already discounted significantly this year as part of Tesla’s price war. Selling the more prominent models […]
August 16, 2023
After completing their previously announced ‘business combination’, the SPAC merger between Vietnamese VinFast and the already listed shell company Black Spade Acquisition, shares peaked at $37 on Tuesday after being $22 initially. This instantly made VinFast leapfrogging Ford and General Motors for the time being. These high share prices would value the Vietnamese carmaker around […]
August 15, 2023
Today, the Californian electric carmaker Fisker released additional details on its Fisker Ronin Super GT. This all-electric convertible was showcased for the first time at the company’s product vision day a few weeks ago. Meanwhile, the company had to lower its production targets for 2023 again. “The Fisker Ronin is for people who love to […]
August 11, 2023
Cadillac has unveiled the Escalade IQ, an all-electric ‘full-size SUV’, scheduled for production in the summer of 2024. Based on General Motors’ Ultium platform, the Cadillac Escalade IQ gets an enormous battery. The Escalade IQ, which will debut with the 2025 model year, has up to 559 kW of all-wheel drive with two engines. That’s […]
August 10, 2023
The British chemical company Ineos wants to invest 10 million euros in a hydrogen boiler. The boiler will be located at Ineos’ subsidiary Inovyn in the port of Antwerp and will produce steam using its own surplus of hydrogen. This way, the company can avoid losing energy. To make the Antwerp chemical cluster more sustainable, […]
August 10, 2023
Who can stop BYD on its impressive growth path? On Wednesday, the Chinese car and battery maker unveiled that it had produced its fifth million ‘new energy vehicle’. That is BEVs and PHEVs combined. The news shortly after the company crossed the three-million mark and surpassed Volkswagen as the number one brand in China. The […]
August 10, 2023
A new smaller and electric variant of the rugged Defender is reportedly being prepared behind closed doors at Land Rover. At a recent JLR (Jaguar Land Rover) investor conference, CEO Adrian Mardell confirmed that a new Defender model will come from the all-new EMA fully-electric platform. The British car company recently announced a transformation plan […]
August 10, 2023
There were 322 automobile assembly, engine, and battery production plants in Europe, up from 301 in 2021, according to the latest figures from the European Automobile Manufacturers’ Association (ACEA). Of these, 213 are in the EU, an increase of 19 from 194 in 2021. These totals comprise 127 car factories, 44 for vans, 56 for […]
