‘2020 saw sharpest decline by far in aviation history’

February 04, 2021

Global passenger traffic carried by airlines collapsed by 66% in 2020 compared to 2019. This is what the International Air Transport Association (IATA) reported on Wednesday. It makes 2020 the worst year in history for air travel demand. “In the year 2020, the airline industry faced unprecedented challenges in the form of closed borders, strict […]

Daimler to split into ‘Daimler Truck’ and ‘Mercedes-Benz’

February 04, 2021

German car and truck group Daimler has announced its intention to split its industrial business to create two independent companies. The spin-off Daimler Truck should go public and independent by the end of 2021, while Daimler’s premium car business should return to its best-known brand name of Mercedes-Benz. Daimler Truck will concentrate on its path […]

E-car market share boosted up to 10,5% in EU

February 04, 2021

The whole 2020 year figures prove the ECV or electric chargeable car’s advance (BEV and PHEV) is undoubted, rising to a market share of 10,5% compared to 3% the year before. ACEA, the European car manufacturers federation, says this boost is owing to ‘stimulus packages introduced by governments’, especially in the fourth quarter. In Q4, […]

Chombar leaves CEO seat to Marc Biron at Melexis

February 04, 2021

After eighteen years, Françoise Chombar, the Belgian technology company Melexis’s actual CEO, will become Chairwoman of the Board from 1 August 2021 onward. She will be succeeded by Marc Biron, a civil engineer who joined the company in 1997 at the age of 27. The current Chairman of the Board, Roland Duchâtelet, will remain a […]

Electrified cars reach more than 80% of sales in Norway

February 03, 2021

Norway is considered a Walhalla for EV sales. The latest registration numbers for the first month of 2021 confirm the turnaround in the high North, with electrified cars reaching 80% of new registrations. This year in January, 5 461 electric passenger cars were registered across the country. That accounts for a 53 percent market share. […]

ACEA: ‘car sales expected to recover by 10% in 2021’

February 03, 2021

European Automobile Manufacturers’ Association (ACEA) forecasts that 2021 will mark “a first step on the path to recovery,” with car sales rising by 10% compared to 2020, where the market contracted by 23,7%. A further fallout will mark the first quarter due to the pandemic, ACEA predicts, but all hope is set on the second […]

Ford goes for Google’s Android OS from 2023

February 02, 2021

American carmaker Ford has been seduced by Google’s operating system Android to be integrated into all Ford and Lincoln cars from 2023. That means you won’t need a smartphone to manage car settings and use Google’s voice-activated Assistant, Google Maps and other features, and Ford’s own services. It will come all built-in. The partnership between […]

Car sales continue to fall in 2021

February 02, 2021

Car sales continued to decline on the Belgian market in January. Last January, 27,2% fewer passenger cars were sold than in the same month a year earlier. The Belgian market is also doing worse than our neighboring countries. The combination of the corona pandemic and the Brussels Motor Show’s cancellation is at the root of […]

Ex-CEO Bombardier Transport number two at Alstom

February 02, 2021

Canadian Danny Di Perna, the former CEO of Bombardier Transport, is now number two at Alstom, as Executive Vice President & Chief Operating Officer. Frenchman Henri Poupart-Lafarge of Alstom remains at the helm of the world’s second-biggest railway equipment manufacturer, after the finalized fusion last week. Bombardier Transportation is the rail equipment division of the […]

SK Innovation: third (giga)battery factory in Hungary

February 01, 2021

South Korean battery maker SK Innovation is going to build a third battery cell factory in Hungary. The factory will be situated centrally in Iváncsa, some 50 km from the capital Budapest, and, with a capacity of 30 GWh, it will be twice as big as the two others the Koreans have there. A supply […]

BMW wants to speed up i4 production

February 01, 2021

According to some media in Germany, BMW is speeding up the production start of the all-electric i4 from the year’s end to August or September. In China, meanwhile, BMW has significantly reduced the price of its iX3 electric SUV. The i4 is being built in Munich. Preparations for the production of this all-electric Gran Coupé […]

Daimler ends 2020 with €6,6 billion profit

January 29, 2021

Despite the pandemic, a strong fourth quarter helped German automotive group Daimler pull through 2020 and manage 6,6 billion euros of profit before interest and taxes. It’s 50% more than in 2019 when dieselgate and the Takata airbag crisis hit Daimler, but that amount is 16% less than in 2018. The group’s ‘Cars and Vans’ […]

Volkswagen’s MEB to power luxury electric catamarans

January 29, 2021

Start dreaming: a 15-meter Cupra-designed luxury yacht entirely powered by solar energy, driven by Volkswagen’s electric MEB-platform that can cruise for months, completely disconnected from the world. That’s what Volkswagen announces for 2022 in a partnership with Austrian electric catamaran builder Silent Yachts. Within the Volkswagen Group, an innovation fund exists to promote innovative business […]

One in eight new cars sold in Western Europe was electrified in 2020

January 29, 2021

According to a German analyst Schmidt Automotive Research report, one in eight new cars registered in Western Europe was already electrified in 2020. “2020 lived up to its claim of being the first genuine year where EVs moved from the slow hanging fruit lane to the mainstream,” says the report. With Western Europe, the analyst […]

GM CEO Mary Barra: ‘We want to be carbon neutral by 2040’

January 29, 2021

America’s biggest car manufacturer, General Motors, is the first to react to the new (green) wind blowing from the White House. GM plans to be carbon neutral in 2040 and produce as few polluting vehicles as possible from 2035 onward. On the first day in office, President Joe Biden already announced stricter emission regulations and […]

Brussels Airlines: summer decisive for extra support

January 28, 2021

If Brussels Airlines cannot operate at a reasonable level by the summer months, it will need additional support. Koen Van Loo, managing director of the Federal Participation and Investment Company (FPIM), said so on Wednesday in the Parliamentary Commission for Finance and the Budget. Last year, Brussels Airlines received a 460 million euros support package […]

Renault: Twingo will die, Mobilize is the future

January 28, 2021

French car manufacturer Renault has announced that the current (third) generation of Twingo will be the last. Small cars with combustion engines aren’t profitable anymore. The answer to the mobility problems caused has to be brought by Renault’s new Mobilize department. “Renault will leave the A-segment,” says CEO Luca de Meo. “It has become complicated […]

Tesla ends pandemic year 2020 with $721 million profit

January 28, 2021

Despite a dramatic pandemic year that paralyzed the world for months, Tesla has ended 2020 with a net income of €721 million on $31,5 billion in sales. A sharp contrast with the $860 million in red the year before. But it’s not all car sales, as Tesla got a lot of money thanks to ‘regulatory […]

ZF supplies new brake system to VW for its EVs

January 27, 2021

Volkswagen has asked ZF to deliver a new braking system for all EV models based on the electric MEB platform. Until now, the ID.3 and ID.4 electric cars on the platform are already in production. The system also manages the important recovery of braking energy. The German supplier is mostly known for its gear systems, […]

Stellantis and Engie create joint venture for electric mobility

January 27, 2021

Through its FCA Italy subsidiary, Stellantis has signed a full set of agreements to create a joint venture with Engie EPS, the industrial player within the Engie Group. The new entity aims at becoming champion in e-mobility, offering services ranging from residential and public charging infrastructure to charging subscription and V2G (vehicle-to-grid) technologies. Engie and […]

Belgian rail’s order gives Bombardier Bruges respite

January 27, 2021

The Belgian train manufacturer Bombardier from Bruges has just received an order to build 204 additional M7 double deck carriages for the Belgian national railway company NMBS/SNCB. It’s worth 450 million euros and will create 180 additional jobs. Bombardier has promised a six million euros investment in its Belgian production site in Bruges to manage […]

EU approves second project for ‘European Battery Innovation’

January 27, 2021

The European Commission has approved a second project under EU state aid rules to support research and innovation in the battery value chain. The project, called ‘European Battery Innovation’, counts as an Important Project of Common European Interest (IPCEI). Participating member states are Austria, Belgium, Croatia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Italy, Poland, Slovakia, Spain, and […]

Dieselgate: already 5 years, but the end is not in sight

January 26, 2021

In the never-ending story of Dieselgate, there are some new developments (again). A judge in the Spanish capital Madrid has ordered that Volkswagen has to pay €3 000 compensation to each duped customer. Volkswagen has announced it will appeal. Meanwhile, the judicial process against former CEO Martin Winterkorn has been postponed to April of this […]

Assuralia creates database to tackle car insurance fraud

January 26, 2021

The Belgian Professional Association of Insurance Companies, Assuralia, will launch a newly developed database in February to combat automotive insurance fraud. It will gather data on reported damage claims and accidents and sound the alarm if a name, a number plate, or a vehicle appears a suspicious number of times. According to the Association, insurance […]

Vietnamese manufacturer VinFast previews three EVs

January 26, 2021

The new Vietnamese car manufacturer VinFast has shown its first three electric models. The VF31, VF32, and VF33 are all SUVs, respectively, in the C, D, and E segments. The manufacturer gave some initial technical specifications. He wants to accept first orders in Vietnam in May and hopes to be present in Europe at the […]

Biden: revisiting car CO2 standards to start EV era

January 25, 2021

It looks like America’s 46th President, Joe Biden, started from day one to work on a new ‘electric’ era for the auto industry. During his campaign, he promised plans to cut back emissions, push EVs in the US with scrap and/or purchase premiums, and work on road infrastructure, among which adding 550 000 charging stations […]

Audi announces exit plan for internal combustion engines

January 25, 2021

Audi is planning an end date for the combustion engines of its A4 and A6 models. The same will apparently occur for the A8. Even in plug-in hybrids, Audi no longer wants to invest heavily. These decisions are part of the exit plan from the internal combustion engine drawn up under Audi CEO Markus Duesmann. […]

ACEA: 100-fold increase of e-trucks needed to meet EU targets

January 22, 2021

European truck makers estimate that around 200 000 zero-emission trucks will have to be in operation by 2030 to meet the CO2 targets for heavy-duty trucks. Based on new data from the European Manufacturers Association ACEA, this would require a staggering 100-fold increase in the space of under ten years. A new study by the […]

Bosch to cut 400 of 863 jobs at wiper factory Tienen

January 22, 2021

Automotive supplier Robert Bosch will cut 400 of 863 jobs at its windshield wiper production facility in Tienen (Belgium). According to the management, the production of windshield wipers is not profitable anymore. The company earlier needed some restructuring, and now the management intends to dismiss 400 people, of which 158 employees and 242 workers. “The […]

Volkswagen will have to pay EU fine on CO2 targets

January 22, 2021

In contrast with other manufacturers, the VW Group will have to pay a fine of approximately €140 million for exceeding the average CO2 emission rate established for the group in 2020 by 0,5 grams. The pandemic and problems with the ID.3 launch have caused retardation resulting in the fine. According to VW, the fine will […]

Lotus and Alpine opt for electric future together

January 21, 2021

During the presentation of its new strategic plan, Groupe Renault announced that Alpine would go fully electric and develop an EV sportscar together with Lotus. Both will work on a shared EV platform that the French will use for the A110’s replacement. At the same time, the legendary, Geely-owned sportscar manufacturer aims at launching a […]

Mercedes launches the EQA, its compact EV

January 21, 2021

On the 4th of February, the new compact EV of Mercedes-Benz, the EQA, will go on sale all over Europe. EQA is a derivative of the recently renovated GLA and will be built in Germany and China. In Belgium, the car will be sold with a €52 756 price tag (€43 800 VAT excluded). “Mercedes […]

De Lijn to redo its e-bus tender homework (update)

January 21, 2021

This week Flemish Mobility Minister Lydia Peeters (Open Vld) urged public bus company De Lijn to redo its homework for the tender for 200 (of 970) electric city buses. The ‘small print’ of the preliminary tender conditions demanding proof for delivering 150 e-buses in the past would exclude Belgian bus builder Van Hool – the […]

Stellantis CEO Tavares: ‘We will save our brands and our jobs’

January 20, 2021

With his first press conference in a very austere setting, Carlos Tavares, the newly appointed CEO of the Stellantis PSA/FCA merger, outlined the great lines of what will be Stellantis. Stellantis will be formed by no less than 14 brands, all classified ‘iconic’ by the CEO. “Thanks to the fusion, the brands that lacked investments […]

Porsche expands Taycan range with base model

January 20, 2021

Porsche is launching an additional version of its first all-electric travel sedan, the Taycan. It is a two-wheel-drive base version that offers the greatest autonomy due to its more limited engine power. The latest rear-wheel-drive Porsche Taycan completes the existing range of the Taycan Turbo, Taycan Turbo S, and Taycan 4S and will retail starting […]

BMW Group Belux organizes its own motor show in home turf

January 20, 2021

With the slogan ‘BMW Group goes Phygital’, the Belgian BMW importer organizes a flexible digital and physical commercial offensive. In compensation for the postponement of the annual Brussels Motor Show, many importers have searched for alternative solutions. January is traditionally the month that the whole of Belgium is thinking automotive, with the annual motor show […]

ACEA: ‘2020 saw biggest drop in car demand ever’

January 19, 2021

With a drop of -23,7%, passenger car registrations in the EU27 saw the biggest drop in car demand ever. 3 086 439 fewer new cars were sold, with a total of 9,9 million. December (-3,3%) couldn’t buck the trend to a positive one, except for a handful of countries. There the breakthrough of the electric […]

Share4Mobility: Renault dealers go for car-sharing

January 19, 2021

Ten Belgian Renault dealer groups have joined forces to promote car-sharing. Under the name Share4Mobility, they want to ensure national coverage, anticipating the trend for less car ownership and more alternative car use. Share4Mobility is the initiative of 10 Belgian Renault dealer groups, representing a yearly car volume of some 80 000 new cars. Autopartners, […]

Audi ‘deepens’ joint venture with Chinese FAW for EV production

January 19, 2021

Audi announced it is ‘deepening its partnership’ with FAW (First Automobile Works), one of the big four Chinese carmakers, in a joint venture. The Germans will hold 60% of shares, provided approval of the Chinese authorities. The goal is to build in the next few years all-electric cars on the PPE platform (Premium Platform Electric) […]

SAIC and Alibaba set up new IM e-car brand

January 18, 2021

SAIC (Shanghai Automotive Industry Corporation), the biggest car manufacturer in China, and Alibaba, the ‘Chinese Amazon’ are launching a new EV car brand called ‘IM’. The latter stands for ‘Intelligence in Motion’ but also Zhiji Motor in Chinese. Their joint venture, Zhiji Motor, presented two models, a sedan and an SUV. Internet giant Alibaba delivers […]

SNCF sounds alarm bell: ‘Eurostar in bad financial health’

January 18, 2021

Eurostar, the company that organizes the fast train connection between France and Great Britain, is on the verge of bankruptcy. Now that there is only one train a day, the company urgently needs support. The French railway company SNCF sounded the alarm last week through Christophe Fanichet, CEO of SNCF, which has a 55% stake […]

BMW ends its $2 000 monthly US subscription program

January 15, 2021

BMW is canceling its monthly subscription program ‘BMW Access’ by the end of January in the USA. Officially because the Nashville, Tennessee, project was always meant as a pilot with BMW now looking into future possibilities, ‘developing the next iteration’. The latter was confirmed by a US BMW spokesperson to The Verge. Remarkable, just as […]

Motorbike sales in Belgium at highest level in ten years

January 15, 2021

Last year, 25 807 new motorbikes were sold in Belgium. That is 3,5% more than a year earlier. This is shown by figures provided by Febiac, the Belgian federation of car and two-wheelers importers. It is a remarkable increase because, to contain the coronavirus’s spread, motorbike shops could not receive customers for two periods in […]

D’Ieteren: new name, logo, and organizational structure

January 15, 2021

Belgian historical automotive importer D’Ieteren Auto changes its name to become ‘D’Ieteren’. Although maybe not clear to non-insiders at first sight, the new identity should position it along with the group’s other activities (Belron, Moleskine, and D’Ieteren Immo) and mark a change in strategy. By 2025, D’Ieteren aims at becoming the leader in sustainable mobility […]

Groupe Renault announces strategic plan ‘Renaulution’

January 14, 2021

On Thursday, Renault Group CEO Luca de Meo announced a new strategic plan, called Renaulution. The aim is to shift the group’s strategy from volume to value. The plan is structured in three phases: resurrection (up to 2023), renovation (up to 2025), and revolution (from 2025 onward). The Group sets itself also new financial objectives. […]

Total and Engie to build 40 MW electrolyzer for hydrogen

January 14, 2021

In a joint press release, French petroleum group Total and French energy provider Engie have announced the launch of the Masshylia project for hydrogen production from renewable electricity. A new 40 MW electrolyzer will be built on Total’s biorefinery in La Mède, France. Fed by green electricity from solar panels will produce up to five […]

86% of Belgians not ready yet for digital car purchase

January 14, 2021

Online sales are rising worldwide due to the corona pandemic, but those who want to buy a new car still prefer to do so physically rather than online. This is shown by a market survey among consumers by Belgian sector federation Traxio about the importance of visiting a showroom. More than 86% consider a physical […]

Geely and Foxconn to jointly build EVs for other carmakers

January 14, 2021

Chinese carmaker Geely and Taiwanese electronics giant Foxconn are setting up a joint venture to become contract manufacturers for other companies wanting to build electric cars. Like Apple, for instance? Geely surely has some spare capacity to build more cars at the moment. It looks this Chinese octopus is spreading its tentacles everywhere. And it […]

Stellantis: starting the real work

January 14, 2021

Stellantis, the recently approved fusion between FCA and PSA, has been welcomed positively. Now the real work starts. Is the new group going to ignore the huge Chinese market? What about synergies? What about financial welfare? Questions to ask, answers to find. The international dimension of the fusion is obvious. It’s clear why PSA (strong […]

GM’s Bright Drop: versatile electric mobility for delivery companies

January 13, 2021

General Motors launches a new Bright Drop brand to offer electric delivery vehicles combined with roll containers and an intelligent cloud-based logistics platform. Delivery company FedEx will start using this system from the end of 2021. New brand A few days ago, GM showed its new logo and announced its plans for the number of […]

Renault in 2020: CAFE objectives reached and 21,3% sales drop

January 13, 2021

On Tuesday, French Groupe Renault (Renault, Dacia, Lada, Renault Samsung Motors & Alpine) announced having sold 800 000 fewer cars in 2020 than the previous year, which equals a 21,3% sales drop. On the other hand, sales of EVs and its newly launched range of hybrids and plug-in hybrids allowed Groupe Renault to fall under […]

Dutch Fastned sells more electricity despite pandemic

January 13, 2021

Dutch fast-charging network Fastned has sold 14% more electricity in Q4 (a total of 3,3 GWh) in the five countries it’s active in, despite the pandemic limiting commuter traffic with people working from home. Underlying factors are a strong growth of the number of electric vehicles sold, pushing Fastned’s active client base up by 25% […]

Geely and Baidu to build ‘smart’ EVs together

January 12, 2021

China’s ‘Google’, search engine giant Baidu, confirmed joining forces with carmaker Zhejiang Geely Holding Group to develop and manufacture ‘smart’ electric cars. Baidu will bring in its expertise on car connectivity and autonomous driving, including DuerOS for Apollo and Baidu Maps. Geely offers its manufacturing knowledge and its new electric Sustainable Experience Architecture (SEA). Baidu’s […]

Alain Visser, CEO of Lynk & Co (1): ‘We go for another business model’

January 12, 2021

The Belgian Alain Visser is Lynk & Co’s CEO, the Chinese Geely daughter who intends to change things on the car market. Many new and sometimes controversial ideas come from or are stimulated by the CEO — no better reason for having a chat with him. We’ve known Alain Visser for a long time. Already […]

VAB Group and Koopman Logistics join forces

January 12, 2021

The Belgian VAB Group and the Dutch family company Koopman Logistics join forces to offer various Flemish players attractive automotive solutions. The new site will be in Genk, is 100 000 m2 in size, and will employ 100 people. The new structure will be called VAB Koopman Automotive Solutions. Growth For years, VAB has been […]

Daimler meets EU CO2 targets in 2020 by tripling ‘xEV’ sales

January 12, 2021

German carmaker Daimler is confident it will meet the European CO2 targets set for 2020 by tripling car sales of its Mercedes brand’s ‘xEVs’, plug-in hybrids (PHEV), and battery-electric cars (BEV) combined. On a total passenger car sales of 2,1 million (-7,5%), Mercedes-Benz Cars sold 160 000 xEV worldwide, an 228,8% increase. “Our internal forecasts […]

Interesting Chinese EV newcomer Aiways U5: we drove it

January 11, 2021

The coming year will see a small avalanche of new Chinese brands on European markets, a lot of them producing electric vehicles. Aiways is one of them, and with a little delay due to corona, the first product, a full-electric SUV called U5, has finally landed. We give you a first impression. The U5 is […]

GM’s new logo to emphasize new electric identity

January 11, 2021

General Motors wants a cleaner image with products that will increasingly be electrified and that includes a new logo. The new logo will be used mainly at corporate level and will not be visible on the cars, as they are sold under different brand names. The American car giant General Motors is often associated with […]

NIO presents ET7 flagship with up to 150 kWh battery

January 11, 2021

Chinese electric startup NIO has presented its new ET7 flagship, a five-meter long ‘premium’ sedan with a choice of a ‘swappable’ battery of 70, 100, or 150 kWh. The ET7 looks closely like the initial concept envisioned by the original BMWi design team and is to complete the ES8, ES6, and EC6 line-up. The two […]

Apple talking to Hyundai about autonomous EV?

January 11, 2021

Rumors pop up again Apple is talking with established carmakers to cooperate for building an autonomous electric car. Like the Korea Economic Daily TV, local media in South Korea mentioned last week, Apple talks with Hyundai this time. The rumors boosted Hyundai’s stock value temporarily by more than 24%. Hyundai initially confirmed the talks to […]