April 26, 2023
Skoda Auto is further stepping up the pace of its electric mobility campaign and transformation. Launching four all-new e-vehicles and two updated Enyaq iV family models, the Czech carmaker plans to expand its BEV range to six models by 2026. Skoda Auto will have invested a total of 5,6 billion euros in e-mobility by 2027. […]
April 26, 2023
Maxus has filled the gap in its range between the compact eDeliver3 and the large (e)Deliver9 with the eDeliver 7, an electric 1-ton van set to compete with the likes of the Ford E-Transit Custom, Peugeot e-Expert, and the Mercedes eVito. Maxus, part of the SAIC group along with the new MG, is further expanding […]
April 26, 2023
Car manufacturer Hyundai and battery manufacturer SK will invest five billion dollars to build a joint battery cell factory in Bartow County, Georgia, US. Production would start in the second half of 2025. With this new joint venture, the two South Korean companies aim to produce 35 kWh of EV battery cells annually, enough to […]
April 26, 2023
German premium car manufacturer BMW will produce a second electric model at its German factory in Regensburg this year. The fully electric iX2 will follow the iX1 that has been coming off the lines in Regensburg since autumn 2022. Meanwhile, BMW is doing the final testing of its new 5 Series in the South of […]
April 26, 2023
Already in January, DAF Trucks finished its Eindhoven compound’s new assembly line for electric trucks. Now, the Dutch Minister for Economic Affairs and Climate, has officially cut the ribbon for the inauguration of the 5 000 square meter DAF Electric Truck Assembly. The DAF XD and XF Electric presented at IAA 2022 will start rolling […]
April 25, 2023
Last Friday, Toyota Motor Corporation’s CEO Koji Sato gave a stark assessment of the Japanese automaker’s work ahead in China, saying it must do more and move faster as its competition in the world’s biggest auto market surges. Toyota showed two new EV concept cars for the Chinese market at the motor show in Shanghai. […]
April 25, 2023
In Berlin, Seat’s sporty daughter Cupra has unveiled the Tavascan, its first all-electric SUV coupe, and its second BEV model. Based on the Volkswagen Group MEB platform, the Cupra Tavascan will launch in 2024 and will be available with either 210 or 250 kW, the latter being the highest power yet for the platform. Two […]
April 24, 2023
The Renault Group is steadily recovering. For Q1 of 2023, turnover has risen by 30% to € 11,5 billion. The loss due to the withdrawal from Russia is not integrated into the figures, but Renault stays optimistic for the future. By the end of the year, it wants to go IPO with its electric division […]
April 24, 2023
VW Group’s battery subsidiary PowerCo has announced its plans to build its largest battery cell factory in Canada, investing up to €4,8 billion in its creation. It’s quite a safe investment as the Canadian government is offering up to €8,8 billion of subsidies in return. The PowerCo gigafactory in St. Thomas, Ontario, will have a […]
April 24, 2023
The Chilean government wants to partially nationalize the country’s lithium reserves. This was stated by the leftist Chilean President Gabriel Boric last week. At 9,3 million tons, the country has the largest amount of lithium among global reserves. All companies dealing with the valuable raw material in Chile will henceforth be forced to involve the […]
April 24, 2023
Ford has started the international career of its electric pickup F-150 Lightning, as the American manufacturer is preparing for a market launch in Norway. According to Ford, the customer demand for the product and the country’s advanced EV adoption were just too hard to resist. Although production of Ford’s first electric pickup truck is still […]
April 24, 2023
According to an agency report, the Japanese carmaker Nissan is pushing ahead with its growth plans in software and electric vehicles more independently of Alliance partner Renault. Somewhat strange when you know that the two companies recently agreed on retightening the links in a restructured Alliance. At the beginning of this year, the manufacturer Alliance […]
April 21, 2023
Eight European partners, of which five research facilities and three industrial partners, have joined forces to create a next-gen electric drive unit for mass-produced EVs. The goal is to create a synchronous motor that is more efficient, cheaper to produce, and, importantly, less dependent on rare earth materials from China. The Mondragon University in Spain […]
April 21, 2023
The battery-electric car (BEV) has rounded for the first time the cape of 15% market share in Belgium in the first quarter of 2023. The fully electric Tesla Model Y became the third most-sold car overall with 3 140 units, just after the Toyota Yaris (3 141) and the favorite of the Belgians, the ‘home-made’ […]
April 21, 2023
Chinese premium carmaker Nio wants to move down the ladder. Under the codename Firefly, its CEO confirmed that a new subbrand is in the making, which will focus on Europe and aims at launching a small EV below the €25 000 mark to rival the forthcoming Volkswagen ID.2. Nio CEO Lihong Qin unveiled the plans […]
April 21, 2023
As the top-selling New Energy Vehicle brand in China, BYD didn’t miss out on its appointment at Auto Shanghai 2023. Instead, the brand showcased the concept car Song L, kickstarted pre-sales of the compact Seagull, and launched the Chaser 07. The latter is a plug-in hybrid, which applies to the NEV category. Starting with the […]
April 20, 2023
No first-quarter figures for 2023 were as anticipated as those from Tesla. Kickstarting a price war in the EV category and defying the other car makers, curiosity about side effects on income was high. For Tesla, gaining that market share comes at the cost of earnings dropping by more than 20%. The good news was […]
April 20, 2023
Iveco Bus has inaugurated its new electric bus production facility in Foggia, Italy, near the Iveco Group FPT Industrial plant for industrial engines. This new Foggia factory should also produce the 500 ordered electric buses for the Flemish public transport company De Lijn. Iveco Bus was already present in Italy with its Suzarra plant, which […]
April 20, 2023
Scania is starting production of its regional long-haul electric heavy-duty trucks later this year, with a range of about 350 km. Powering these trucks is a new battery from Northvolt, with prismatic cells, a 1,5 million km lifespan, and a much smaller carbon footprint compared to the industry average. Scania and Northvolt started the development […]
April 19, 2023
Canadian company Magna will manufacture an electric SUV for Ineos Automotive. Production will kick off in Graz, Austria, in 2026. In addition to building it, Magna will also be responsible for developing the complete vehicle. Magna says Ineos Automotive is a new customer in engineering and complete vehicle manufacturing. The two companies already cooperated on […]
April 19, 2023
Bentley CEO Adrian Hallmark will deliver the first all-electric Bentley to its new owner in three years. By 2030, he wants every single of the company’s five production models (one more than at present) to be battery-powered. In an interview with the English car magazine Autocar Hallmark said: “Our surveys tell us that around 70% […]
April 19, 2023
The European Parliament and EU member states have agreed on a plan to produce more chips in Europe and become less dependent on Asia. “Europe is taking control of its destiny”, is how Internal Market Commissioner Thierry Breton hailed the breakthrough. With the so-called Chips Act, the EU aims to increase its share of global […]
April 19, 2023
According to the newly published figures of the European car manufacturers association ACEA, the EU car market recorded a significant 28,8% increase in passenger car registrations in March, surpassing more than a million units (1 087 939). All the bloc’s most significant markets saw double-digit growth last month, with Spain (+66,1%) and Italy (+40,7%) in […]
April 19, 2023
Volkswagen will invest around one billion euros to establish a new R&D center for fully connected electric cars in Hefei, China, named ‘100%TechCo’. The Group announced the project at the Shanghai Auto Show on Tuesday and set ambitious targets for the unit charged with accelerating innovation locally. The project is to combine vehicle and component […]
April 18, 2023
The West-Flemish steel wire specialist Bekaert is to make additional investments in Belgium in the manufacture of and research into electrolysis materials to produce hydrogen. Bekeart is doing this by setting up a new plant in Wetteren, East Flanders. With the new plant, Bekaert will double its annual production capacity of porous transport layers or […]
April 18, 2023
French carmaker Renault is reviewing its pricing policies for electric cars worldwide to ensure it stays competitive after a wave of price cuts by U.S. rival Tesla, a top executive said on Monday, according to Reuters. Meanwhile, Renault presents a face-lift of its (ICE) best-seller, the Clio. After slashing prices several times in the United […]
April 18, 2023
Porsche has heavily revised its flagship SUV Cayenne to extend its lifespan beyond 2026 when its electric counterpart is set to be released. The facelift model gets a slightly modified look, more powerful engines, more tech on board, and a bigger battery for the E-Hybrid version, allowing for a much more usable EV range. Although […]
April 18, 2023
Clinging onto its dynamic reputation, BMW has unveiled its fastest zero-emission car of the range. Out of a completely overhauled dual-motor powertrain, the model is called i7 M70 xDrive. This topliner can hit 100 km/hour from a standstill in 3,7 seconds with launch control, propelled by a combined output of 660 hp. The i7 lifts […]
April 18, 2023
Opulence with an environmental conscience in the automotive world is now possible thanks to the Mercedes-Maybach EQS SUV. It’s not only Maybach’s first electric model, but it also features some sustainable innovations for interior materials. The luxury car segment has never been healthier, which means Mercedes-Maybach can afford to expand its model range a bit […]
April 18, 2023
As promised, the Volkswagen brand officially showed its new ID flagship on the 17th of April. The almost five-meter-long ID.7 saloon has a new drive system and battery size and is trimmed for range and comfort to convince earlier European Passat clientele to change to electric drive. In addition, the promised 700 km range of […]
April 17, 2023
The Dutch subsidiary of automotive supplier International Automotive Components (IAC) is the first victim of BMW withdrawing production of the MINI at VDL Nedcar in Born. According to Dutch media, the factory will close in February 2024, with 100 people losing their jobs. IAC Group, with headquarters in Luxembourg, is a global supplier of innovative […]
April 17, 2023
After more than ten years, Lancia has come out with a newly-designed car. The Pu+Ra HPE is not meant for production, but it shows the way for the next decade as Lancia embarks on its renaissance in the electric era. And it’s very much a designer’s car, with countless new materials, classic inspirations, and a […]
April 17, 2023
The Luvly brand is near to producing its microcar O, which can ship as a flatpack and puts a strong accent on safety. With a length of 2,7 meters and a weight of five times less than a regular battery-powered car, the Luvly O joins the growing ‘cuddly’ category of tiny cars like the Citroën […]
April 17, 2023
Ahead of the official premiere, more photos and the first technical data of the new Mini Cooper have appeared on the internet. This model is being produced in cooperation with the Chinese company Great Wall and will be available in EV and ICE versions. The pictures show a blue Mini with a white painted roof, […]
April 14, 2023
Japanese carmaker Toyota takes a further step in its global multi-tech strategy for decarbonizing conventional drivelines. With oil giant Exxon Mobile, it has partnered to test so-called low-carbon fuels in some ICE models. According to the official statement, the potential is to reduce the greenhouse gas footprint by 75%. Even though Toyota is gradually adopting […]
April 14, 2023
Group Renault has made a deal with battery manufacturer Verkor from Grenoble to buy the bulk – the equivalent of 12 GWh of a total capacity of 16 GWh – of its Dunkirk gigafactory’s production from 2025. That will allow Renault to equip between 130 000 and 200 000 electric vehicles annually. Renault Group is […]
April 13, 2023
Ford is investing heavily in its Oakville, Ontario assembly plant to transform it into an EV production hub, including a battery pack assembly factory. The Canadian plant, which currently produces the Ford Edge and Lincoln Nautilus, will become an important keystone in EV production for North America. The investment of 1,8 billion Canadian dollars (ca. […]
April 13, 2023
On Wednesday, we announced that at least one out of ten sales in Q1 for the BMW Group was electric. Competitor Mercedes-Benz now announced that it scored almost at the same level for its fully electric car sales in the first quarter of 2023. Sales of battery-electric passenger cars almost doubled to 51 600 units […]
April 13, 2023
Volkswagen has unveiled a new generation of drive units for its Modular Electric Building platform (MEB). The rear-axle drive APP550 comprises a newly developed power unit that is supposed to offer more power and improved efficiency simultaneously. We already talked recently about the APP550: this drive unit has been manufactured by VW Group Components in […]
April 12, 2023
Last year, wind and solar energy generated 12% of electricity worldwide – a new record. Still, the share of renewables remains smaller than that of coal. That is the conclusion of the global energy think tank Ember. The organization recently published its fourth ‘Global Electricity Review’ based on the open data of the electricity sector […]
April 12, 2023
While total sales for Q1 of 2023 were slightly lower at 588 138 units (-1,5%), there was (again) a significant growth of BEV sales. BMW Group delivered 64 647 fully electric BMW and Mini vehicles, an 83,2% increase compared to Q1 of 2022. This means 11% of the Group’s sales are fully electric. If plug-in […]
April 12, 2023
By the decade’s end, the Hyundai Group wants to be one of the top three global EV makers. So the Korean carmaker is piling up sales from its three house brands (Hyundai, Kia, and Genesis) to bolster that ambition. It targets an annual production of 3,64 million all-electric cars spread over 31 models. The road […]
April 12, 2023
Nine years after the closure of the Ford automobile factory, vehicles are being assembled again in Genk (Limburg). In November, Rhenus Automotive will start assembling John Deere agricultural vehicles: tractors, riding mowers, and off-road vehicles. In the coming months, several million will be invested in infrastructure and assembly lines. Precise figures are not mentioned yet, […]
April 11, 2023
Like Toyota, Kia has unveiled its electrification strategy for the near future with an updated version of its ‘Plan S’. That includes a growth strategy with a goal of 4,3 million vehicles sold yearly by 2030, with an EV market share of around 40%. In addition, the Korean manufacturer wants to make niche ‘Purpose-Built Vehicles’ […]
April 11, 2023
The gap between suppliers and car manufacturers in Germany grew last year. “While car manufacturers are currently earning splendidly despite the crisis, many suppliers have their backs to the wall,” said Constantin Gall, head of the mobility division for Western Europe at Ernst & Young (EY). Last year, the German automotive industry boosted sales by […]
April 11, 2023
In its home market, Tesla has once again lowered retail prices for the third time this year. The company wants to expand its output aggressively and tries to keep demand rising as competition is building up. The Model S and X each drop by 5 000 dollars, the Model 3 by 1 000 dollars, and […]
April 11, 2023
Man’s best friend is getting a promotion to a digital assistant. Mini debuts the English Bulldog Spike in its Concept Aceman for the Auto Shanghai show, starting next week on April 18th. It’s still a design concept for now, but Spike will make its way into Mini’s digital ecosystem in the future. Spike has been […]
April 11, 2023
Airbus Helicopters, the helicopter manufacturing division of the European aircraft giant Airbus, has signed a contract to supply 50 H160 helicopters to GDAT, one of China’s largest helicopter leasing and operating companies. The order is estimated to be worth between 750 million and 1 billion dollars. It is the most significant H160 order in the […]
April 11, 2023
Ralf Herbrich is a German computer scientist at the Hasso Plattner Institute in Potsdam just outside Berlin. He previously investigated the role of artificial intelligence in the daily operations of big companies like Microsoft, Amazon, Facebook, and Zalando. Herbrich now wants to use his experience to increase battery pack life in electric cars – and […]
April 11, 2023
In his first speech as the new Toyota CEO, Koji Sato said on Friday that Toyota Motor Corporation would expand its electric vehicle line-up with ten new models and sharply increase its EV sales to 1,5 million units annually by 2026 and 3,5 million in 2030. The company sold 24 000 EVs out of 10,48 […]
April 07, 2023
The hydrogen dream car of the 32-year-old French racing driver Olivier Lombard, the Hopium Māchina, is one step further away from becoming a reality by 2025, as the start-up is forced to find new money first by focussing on selling its state-of-the-art fuel cell technology to third parties. Hopium is splitting up into two entities, […]
April 07, 2023
The all-new, all-electric 2025 Ram 1500 REV – the first battery-electric light-duty pickup truck from Ram Truck – made its world debut at the New York International Auto Show. With an optional 229 kWh battery pack, the pickup truck has a targeted range of 805 km. “The all-electric Ram 1500 REV is a monumental milestone […]
April 06, 2023
Just before the presentation of the new Ford E-Transit Courier, we got a chance to sit down with the CEO of Ford’s commercial vehicle operation Ted Cannis. He offered some insight on what’s next for Ford Pro, and how he would like to see some support from the Belgian government for electric commercial vehicles. “At […]
April 06, 2023
Dredging and marine engineering companies DEME and Jan De Nul, and Aertssen Group in JV Terranova, specialized in infrastructure works, join forces with energy providers Luminus and Nippon Gases to build and exploit a production unit for green hydrogen in Zelzate. The companies have established a new partnership Terranova Hydrogen NV. The three companies will […]
April 06, 2023
Ford has revealed a new generation of its most compact commercial vehicle, the Transit Courier. This new model improves its practicality with a larger cargo area and will also get an electric version. In contrast to its bigger brothers, Transit Connect and Transit Custom, this model was not built in collaboration with Volkswagen. The new […]
April 06, 2023
VW ID.7 testing is in its last weeks. Shortly before the world premiere of Volkswagen’s future ID. flagship on 17 April, VW provides pictures of the last test drives and delivers more details on the electric sedan’s drive, chassis, and comfort features. The VW ID.7 will have a new, specially developed electric drive when it […]
April 06, 2023
A year ago, we first mentioned the Taito, the first product of a young Ghent start-up. The three-wheeler e-scooter is now ready for sale and will cost €2 590, available through the Bike Republic sales network. That’s more than the initially suggested retail price of €1 750 back in 2022, but the company argues that […]
April 06, 2023
Rivian has published its official Q1 2023 production and delivery numbers, with 9 395 and 7 946 vehicles, respectively. That is slightly less still than the numbers achieved in Q4 2022, although the American EV start-up assures its customers and investors that Rivian is on track to produce 50 000 vehicles in 2023. Life is […]
April 06, 2023
After facing numerous delays and difficulty finding – and keeping – workers, Tesla’s Brandenburg Gigafactory near Berlin has finally ramped up to full speed with three shifts. And a fourth weekend shift could also be on the cards if the production rate keeps increasing, with a cheaper and more compact Tesla on the horizon. It’s […]
April 05, 2023
The new generation Mini Countryman, the largest Mini model, is in its final testing phase. The start of production at the BMW Group Plant Leipzig in November 2023 will be the first time a Mini is produced in Germany. With five doors and a variable-use interior, the largest model in the new Mini family of […]
