May 05, 2026
The sudden surge in oil prices following the Iran conflict is beginning to reshape Europe’s car market in real time, with Renault Group among the first to report a tangible shift in consumer behavior. In the UK, Renault company’s managing director, Adam Wood, described a “seismic shift upwards” in interest in electric vehicles, as drivers […]
May 05, 2026
Japan’s largest automotive supplier, Denso, is developing an inductive charging technology that could hit public roads by 2029. It could upend Japan’s charging infrastructure headache and make the charging cable and oversized battery packs relics of the past. With its highly urbanized profile, symbolized by highways on the eleventh floor of high-rise buildings, Japan is […]
May 05, 2026
According to data from the sector federation Febiac and the Federal Public Service Mobility and Transport, 37,802 new cars were registered in April 2026, 10 units fewer than in 2025. According to Febiac, the results were influenced by the strike at BPost, with delays in number plate deliveries. Noticeable fact: Registrations of individually bought cars […]
May 04, 2026
Europe’s fastest-growing Chinese EV brand is planning a second, higher-priced label for 2027. Like BYD has Denza, Leapmotor wants its own luxury brand. More out of a necessity than a technical ambition. But can a budget brand pull it off? Leapmotor, the Stellantis-backed Chinese EV maker that last year posted its first annual profit, is […]
May 04, 2026
At Volkswagen Group, underutilized and costly plants in Europe are under scrutiny. CEO Oliver Blume plans to reduce overcapacity in China and Europe while avoiding plant closures in Germany through ‘intelligent measures’. These measures can include selling plants to other industries or to (Chinese) competitors. Ex-Porsche boss and now VW Group CEO Oliver Blume describes […]
May 04, 2026
The trade deal between the US and the EU, which was agreed just last summer, is already showing cracks. President Trump signals a return to the tariff playbook and proposes imposing a 25% duty on European cars and trucks. But this time the trigger is geopolitical as much as economic. Donald Trump’s tariff menace has […]
April 29, 2026
BYD, the Shenzhen-based carmaker, reported a 55% year-on-year fall in net profit for the first quarter, confirming analyst expectations and underscoring the pressure created by an ongoing price war in China’s hypercompetitive electric vehicle market. Revenues also declined, even as sales volumes remain robust, highlighting a widening gap between growth and profitability. The sharp drop […]
April 29, 2026
The United Arab Emirates’ decision to leave OPEC, effective 1 May, comes at a moment when the global oil market is already under severe strain—and when oil majors are reporting a new wave of exceptional profits. Taken together, experts highlight the two developments as a deeper shift underway: a market increasingly shaped by geopolitical shocks […]
April 29, 2026
Once upon a time, the Land Rover Freelander was the best-selling four-wheel-drive vehicle in Europe. It held that title for five consecutive years. Now, nearly three decades after its 1997 debut, the name returns, reborn as an independent electric brand built in China but coming to Europe. Together with Chery Jaguar Land Rover and Chinese […]
April 29, 2026
One week after unveiling its Naxtra sodium-ion battery for electric vehicles, CATL has signed the largest sodium-ion battery order in history: 60 GWh for grid-scale energy storage over three years. The technology has crossed the line from lab breakthrough to industrial product. The ink on CATL’s Tech Day announcements was barely dry. The world’s largest […]
April 28, 2026
At the Beijing Auto Show, BYD unveiled its Sealion 08, which has a good chance of arriving in Europe. The specs of its flagship SUV are a sample of where the technological evolution of the car manufacturer and battery maker stands today: 643 hp, 900 km of range, and nine-minute charging. But the story behind […]
April 28, 2026
Renault Group’s revenue for Q1 2026 amounted to €12,530 million, up 7.3% compared to the same period last year. At constant exchange rates, Group revenue was up 8.8%. Automotive revenue reached €10,807 million, up 6.5% from Q1 2025. At constant exchange rates, it increased by 8.0%. “In the first quarter of 2026, despite a challenging […]
April 27, 2026
It looks like a concept car, but the Ioniq V, unveiled at the 2026 Beijing Auto Show, is definitely a production model. It looks like the lovechild of a Toyota Prius and a Tesla Cybertruck, but don’t let its appearance hide the real message: with its new subbrand Ioniq, Hyundai wants to start from scratch […]
April 27, 2026
At the 2026 Beijing Auto Show, Dongfeng’s two French joint ventures put four concept vehicles on the floor in a coordinated push that looks like more than a design exercise. Production starts in 2027, on Chinese platforms, in China, but export is on the agenda. Are these the successors to the famed Peugeot 508 and […]
April 24, 2026
As oil prices push fleet operators to despair, Windrose has slashed the price of its long-haul electric truck from €250,000 to €198,000. This basically puts it in the range of classic diesel trucks. Clearly, Chinese manufacturers are trying to disrupt the transportation industry, just as they did in the passenger car category. Is it schadenfreude […]
April 24, 2026
According to data from the Association of European Car Manufacturers (ACEA), new EU car registrations increased by 4% in Q1 2026, driven largely by March’s strong performance (+12.5%). The market was supported by robust consumer activity, bolstered by new and revised tax benefits and incentive schemes across major European countries. Hybrid-electric vehicles lead as the […]
April 23, 2026
Omoda & Jaecoo has officially confirmed that its seven-seater SUV, the 8 SHS-P, will be launched in Belgium at the start of summer. The brand’s largest and most premium model brings a 134 km WLTP electric range, and a level of cabin technology that aims to put considerable pressure on established European rivals in the […]
April 23, 2026
On the eve of the Beijing Auto Show, CATL held its annual Tech Day and unveiled four new battery systems at the same time. An innovation stretch that reached from a record-breaking LFP cell for mass-market EVs to a sodium-ion battery heading for production later this year. The salvo is a direct response to BYD’s […]
April 22, 2026
On the eve of the world’s largest motor show, Europe’s biggest carmaker pulled the covers off three electric vehicles spread across the widest possible price spectrum. That is either a master plan or a sign of desperation,… possibly both. At the Group’s Media Night in Beijing, the Volkswagen brand presented three cars on stage that […]
April 22, 2026
At the end of a one-week visit to India, François Provost, CEO of Renault Group, presented ‘futuREady India’, an Indian rollout of the Group’s futuREady strategic plan unveiled last March. Renault Group is launching ‘futuREady India’, the local rollout of its new strategic plan to drive growth both locally and globally, while strengthening engineering and […]
April 21, 2026
Chinese battery manufacturer Sunwoda has revealed a new LFP pack on par with the best BYD has to offer and nudges ahead of CATL in the fast-charging arms race. Nine minutes is all it takes. But the real question is what that number actually means, and whether the infrastructure to use it exists anywhere outside […]
April 21, 2026
Mercedes has unveiled the first electric C-Class in its history. The model fills an important gap in the brand’s portfolio of battery-powered models, aiming at the heart of the market. Not with a range that defeats the BMW i3 Neue Klasse, but with speeds that lift the charging experience. In 10 minutes, the compact executive […]
April 20, 2026
The next generation of BYD’s best-known compact SUV is preparing for launch in China. Important, as the Yuan Plus is sold in Europe under the Atto 3 moniker. The upgrades are substantial: a larger body, a rear-wheel-drive platform, second-generation Blade battery technology, and flash charging that delivers a near-full charge in under 10 minutes. Commercialization […]
April 17, 2026
Mobia’s analysis of the first quarter of car registrations in Belgium points to a structural shift that goes beyond monthly fluctuations: the private buyer – and Tesla – has found its way back to the car market. Electric cars are slowly gaining traction in the second-hand market, but an oil price spike effect has not […]
April 17, 2026
BMW Group delivered 87,458 BEVs globally in the first quarter of 2026. This represents a 20.1% drop compared to the same period last year. The main reason is the declining sales in China and the US. The order intake for electric vehicles in Europe looks significantly better, thanks to the new iX3. BMW’s battery-electric vehicle […]
April 16, 2026
Little known to most European — and certainly Belgian — car buyers, Chinese carmaker GAC Group has officially launched its AION UT electric hatchback in Europe, marking a significant step in its long-planned entry into what it calls the “world’s most demanding automotive market.” Designed in Milan and assembled at Magna Steyr’s plant in Graz, […]
April 16, 2026
The Belgian market for new motorcycles concludes the first quarter with distinctly positive momentum. With 6,990 registrations compared to 5,694 in 2025 (+22.8%), the sector records its best start to the season since 2021. In March 2026 alone, 3,169 motorcycles were registered. That is +10.2% compared to March 2025 and +5.5% above the average for […]
April 16, 2026
Volkswagen has officially pulled the wraps off the ID.3 Neo at a world premiere in Hamburg, with pre-sales already kicking off across most European markets. The model – which we reported on in March when the name first surfaced – turns out to be considerably more than a mid-cycle refresh. It’s a fundamentally updated car, […]
April 16, 2026
Private lease is gaining traction in Belgium, but from a very low base. According to figures published by Renta, the Belgian federation of vehicle rental and leasing companies, the number of private lease contracts reached 16,074 vehicles by the end of March 2026, up 22% year-on-year from 13,201 a year earlier. While the growth is […]
April 15, 2026
The Volkswagen Group delivered around 200,000 battery-electric vehicles in the first quarter of 2026, down eight per cent year-on-year. Strong double-digit growth in Europe was not enough to compensate for sharp declines in China and the United States. In the first quarter of 2026, the Volkswagen Group recorded a notable decline in global battery-electric vehicle […]
April 15, 2026
Rising fuel prices linked to tensions around Iran are beginning to ripple through Europe’s car market, and Belgium offers one of the clearest early signals. New data show that second-hand electric vehicles are gaining traction at an accelerating pace, even as the broader used-car market remains under pressure. In March, registrations of fully electric used […]
April 15, 2026
The VW Group continues to suffer from weak international sales (-4%), particularly in China and the United States, the German carmaker said in Wolfsburg on Monday. BEV deliveries were down 8% year on year. Globally, this pushed the number of deliveries across the VW Group in the time period between January and March down to […]
April 14, 2026
When most people think of hybrid powertrains, they think Toyota. And when people think of Chinese brands, they think of fully electric drivelines. But if it depends on Geely, the parent company of Volvo, Polestar, Zeekr, and many more, those reflexes are becoming increasingly outdated. That’s because the sprawling Chinese group has been quietly building […]
April 14, 2026
When Mercedes launched the EQS in 2021, the message was simple: going electric didn’t have to mean giving anything up. The panoramic Hyperscreen, the slippery Cd 0.20 body, and the class-leading range all made for a compelling package. But the EV landscape moves at blistering speed. So Mercedes responds with a ground-up technical overhaul that […]
April 14, 2026
Nissan has officially unveiled the third generation of its compact crossover, the Nissan Juke, and, for the first time in its 15-year history, the model goes fully electric. The announcement marks a decisive step in the Japanese manufacturer’s European electrification strategy, with the Juke EV positioned as a cornerstone of its future line-up. While the […]
April 13, 2026
At its 2026 CEO Investor Day last week, Kia Corporation laid out an ambitious long-term roadmap built around electrification, software-defined vehicles, and new mobility services. While the strategy is global in scope, Europe stands out as a key pillar, with clear volume targets, a rapidly rising EV mix, and a product offensive tailored specifically to […]
April 13, 2026
Volkswagen plans to launch new electric models from its core VW brand in the U.S. only toward the end of the decade, keeping the focus on the ID.4 and ID. Buzz in the meantime. VW U.S. chief Kjell Gruner also sees no market potential for the upcoming compact ID. Every1 in the U.S., despite its […]
April 10, 2026
Two years ago, Elon Musk told investors that building affordable electric cars for human drivers was, in his words, “pointless” and “silly.” Instead, his company would focus on the automated Cybercab and the profit model behind it. But Musk’s decision firmness isn’t his greatest quality. Reuters has reported that Tesla is backing off on that […]
April 09, 2026
At the VW Brand Night in China, the German car manufacturer has pulled the wraps off the ID. Aura T6. This mid-size electric SUV is built on an entirely new, China-specific architecture. Say goodbye to MEB and meet CEA: the platform co-developed with XPeng. When unveiled, the T6 was still tightly wrapped in camouflage film, […]
April 08, 2026
Ayvens Carmarket is introducing battery health certificates for used electric vehicles across Europe. This move may seem incremental at first glance, but it could mark a turning point in how the second-hand EV market operates. The initiative comes from Ayvens, one of the world’s largest mobility and leasing companies. Formed in 2023 through the merger […]
April 08, 2026
Toyota has unveiled the sixth-generation RAV4. Toyota Motor Corporation is not just renewing one of its best-selling models; it is reaffirming a BEV-cautious strategy that continues to set it apart from much of the industry. Since its launch in 1994, the RAV4 has grown into one of the world’s most successful SUVs, with more than […]
April 07, 2026
Registrations tripled in France, nearly doubled in Norway. After the worst year in recent memory, Tesla’s sales numbers are moving in the right direction again. The question is whether a cheaper Model Y and surpassing a stumbling BYD again are enough to call this a recovery. A year ago, Tesla was bleeding. Exactly one year […]
April 07, 2026
As its ambitions in Europe remain in flux, Vietnamese EV maker VinFast is sharpening its focus closer to home, accelerating a large-scale battery-swapping rollout for electric scooters in Vietnam while preparing to expand into major Asian markets such as India and Indonesia. The move underscores how central scooters remain to both the company’s strategy and […]
April 06, 2026
After a sluggish start to the year, Belgium’s second-hand car market bounced back in March. The Brussels Motor Show is partly to thank. But the real story is what’s happening under the hood: an aging fleet, a cautious private buyer, and an electric share that is slowly, steadily climbing. The first quarter of 2026 was […]
April 06, 2026
Subaru pulled the wraps off its largest and most powerful electric vehicle yet at the 2026 New York Auto Show. The Getaway is a seven-seat SUV that blends family needs with the brand’s trademark all-terrain credentials. It’s a strictly North-American affair that, despite the adversary context for electric mobility in the region, relies entirely on […]
April 02, 2026
According to data from the federal public service Mobility and the sector federation Febiac, 43,733 new cars were registered in Belgium and Luxembourg, an increase of 8.8% compared to last year. In the first three months (YTD), 113,805 new cars were sold, a 5.9% decrease from the same period last year. Most noticeable in March: […]
April 01, 2026
Volvo Cars is drawing closer to sister brand Polestar and its Chinese parent, Geely, through a pair of moves that signal the end of the Swedish carmaker’s long-running independence. Volvo has long benefitted from an exclusive position within the Geely group, lending the brand a strong independence to safeguard its Swedish roots. But that privilege […]
March 31, 2026
BYD is fighting a downward trend in its home market. And the best remedy to counter such a dip is a fresh product. Enter the Song Ultra EV, a car that aims to set a benchmark for what a mid-size electric SUV can deliver for the money. Buyers didn’t fail to notice. The Ultra is […]
March 31, 2026
Volvo Cars will take responsibility for the commercial and brand operations of its sister-brand Lynk & Co in Europe, marking a decisive step in Geely Holding Group’s accelerating strategy to integrate its brands and scale more efficiently on the continent. The move, announced on March 30, gives Volvo Cars control over Lynk & Co’s European […]
March 30, 2026
The Belgian family-owned Beherman Group is entering a new phase in its long history, with its subsidiary Beherman Motors appointed as the official importer of Mitsubishi FUSO Truck and Bus Corporation vehicles in the Netherlands, expanding its territory to the entire Benelux. By taking over this role from Daimler Truck, the group not only grows […]
March 30, 2026
BYD, the world’s largest electric vehicle manufacturer, reported a 19% decline in net profit for 2025. It’s the company’s first such drop in four years. The results reveal the growing cost of competing in China’s saturated EV market. BYD is hastily looking beyond its home borders to counter the downward trend. The numbers in brief […]
March 30, 2026
The Dutch motorcycle market is facing a growing fraud issue involving the country’s purchase tax system, with industry organisations warning that millions of euros in revenue may be lost each year through manipulation of import values. According to RAI Vereniging, large-scale fraud is taking place in the import of second-hand motorcycles, a problem first highlighted […]
March 27, 2026
Cupra has quietly updated the Tavascan and added a new entry-level battery variant. A much larger instrument cluster and a revised steering wheel also join the facelift, but the sleek coupe-SUV silhouette remains firmly intact. The Tavascan serves as Cupra’s flagship model, but it has been struggling to find inroads at customers’ driveways. With a […]
March 27, 2026
A new Belgian snapshot from the Europ Assistance Mobility Barometer seems to confirm a familiar narrative: a majority of Belgians (62%) say they are not yet prepared to choose a fully electric car as their next vehicle. But beyond the headline figures, the survey reveals a more fundamental gap between perception and reality that continues […]
March 26, 2026
Czech carmaker Skoda, part of the Volkswagen Group, will officially exit China by mid-year, underscoring the challenges foreign brands face amid fierce competition in the world’s largest auto market. Struggling to keep pace with China’s rapid shift toward electric vehicles (EVs), Skoda will withdraw from the market by mid-2026, Reuters reported Wednesday, citing the company. Before […]
March 26, 2026
Chinese carmaker Geely Auto is bringing its core, mass-market brand to the Benelux, explicitly positioning it as the group’s volume player alongside its more upmarket sister brands. The launch, announced in Amsterdam, is not just about two new SUVs, but about how Geely intends to structure its presence in Europe: with Geely Auto targeting affordability […]
March 25, 2026
Renault has appointed Thomas Marneffe as the new Sales Director for the Renault brand in Belgium and Luxembourg (Belux), effective April 2026. He succeeds Jan Schmook, a long-standing Renault executive who retires after a career spanning more than four decades within the group, closing a chapter marked by continuity and deep institutional knowledge. Marneffe, 42, […]
March 25, 2026
In January-February 2026, year-to-date (YTD), new EU car registrations fell by 1.2% compared to the same period last year, easing the challenging start to the year witnessed in January (-3.9%). In February alone, sales rose by 1.4%. The battery-electric car market share reached 18.8% YTD, highlighting the continued potential for further growth. These are data […]
March 24, 2026
The numbers are in, and they make for uncomfortable reading if you’re sitting in Seoul, Detroit, or Brussels. Last year, Chinese battery manufacturers controlled 70.4% of the global EV battery market, up 20% from the year before. Basically, all car-producing nations outside of China are losing the battle for battery independence. Gradually, the fears are […]
March 23, 2026
The numbers tell a story that would have seemed impossible a decade ago. In 2025, for the first time on record, the value of cars and auto parts shipped from China into the European Union exceeded what the EU exported to China in return. For the global automotive industry, this represents a symbolic and economic […]
