Geely launches E2 in Benelux, arriving September 11th (update)

August 19, 2026

Geely has put a firm date on the Benelux launch of its compact E2 electric hatchback. The Chinese bestseller will arrive at official dealers in Belgium and the Netherlands on September 11 and 12, sharpening the European rollout announced earlier this month. The launch date was shared by Geely’s director of sales & network Benelux, […]

Hyundai Ioniq 3 dips below €30,000 to make Kia EV3 blush

August 18, 2026

Hyundai has opened Belgian order books for the Ioniq 3, pricing the compact electric hatchback at a competitive €29,995. It undercuts its Kia EV3 sibling by a wide margin. First deliveries are scheduled for October 2026. Hyundai’s Belgian importer, Astara Western Europe, has landed close enough to make the Ioniq 3 one of the most […]

UK considers halving 2030 EV target to 50%, but 2035 ban stays

August 17, 2026

The British government has launched a consultation round that could slash its 2030 electric vehicle sales target from 80 percent to as low as 50 percent. But the 2035 ban on new gasoline and diesel cars remains fixed. The British ZEV mandate has its own ladder to reach defined targets. The percentage of new car […]

Oil majors double profits as Europe debates taxing the windfall

August 17, 2026

Europe’s major oil companies have more than doubled their profits in the latest quarter of 2026, reigniting the debate over whether governments should tax part of those gains while simultaneously spending public money to shield motorists from high fuel prices. According to an analysis by the environmental lobby group Transport & Environment, eight major oil […]

DAF sources Einride for Level 4 autonomy into its electric line-up

August 14, 2026

Einride has been running autonomous freight for years, but always on its own hardware. That changes now. The Swedish operator is partnering with DAF to integrate its Einride Driver software into the Dutch manufacturer’s electric truck production. It’s the first time Einride’s autonomous technology is climbing into somebody else’s cab rather than building its own. […]

Chevrolet exits Chinese market, but production will stay

August 14, 2026

General Motors has confirmed that the Chevrolet brand will stop selling new cars in the Chinese market. Meanwhile, GM is clarifying that the brand will continue production within the country but will shift its strategic focus toward exporting vehicles to international markets outside of the United States. The move caps a brutal sales slide for the […]

ADV Automotive strengthens its Ford distribution, but also eyes other brands

August 13, 2026

With Garage Feyaerts joining ADV Automotive, the dealer group is reinforcing its position as the largest Ford dealer group in Belgium. It now has 14 dealerships across the country. Meanwhile, the group is also looking to enlarge its model portfolio with other (mostly Chinese) brands. Garage Feyaerts, a family-run business, has been active in car […]

BYD’s bargain Seal 06 gets serious as European sales surge

August 12, 2026

BYD’s latest Seal 06 is becoming much more relevant to Europe than the bargain-priced Chinese EV we wrote about last year. The 2027 model combines a larger battery, 800-volt architecture, much faster charging, and up to 630 km of Chinese range, while its domestic entry price has barely moved. When BYD launched the full-electric Seal […]

German car buyers finally switch to electric, also second-hand

August 12, 2026

Growing numbers of German drivers are switching to electric cars, with the used vehicle market now also seeing a surge in uptake, according to new data from the German insurer HUK Coburg published on Tuesday. Among all private customers who switched their HUK-insured car in the second quarter, nearly 12% or one in eight moved […]

Raleigh, Batavus and Sparta owner Accell declared bankrupt (update)

August 12, 2026

The Dutch companies of bicycle giant Accell Group, owner of brands including Batavus, Sparta, Koga, Babboe and Raleigh, have been declared bankrupt by the Amsterdam District Court. The decision comes less than a week after the group was granted a suspension of payments and marks a rapid escalation of its financial crisis. Court-appointed administrators Thijs […]

Zero pays new riders as Europe’s electric motorcycle battle heats up

August 10, 2026

Zero Motorcycles is offering newly licensed European riders up to €500 to choose electric, as the American manufacturer tries to expand its customer base, just as competition in electric motorcycles starts getting more serious. Under its 2026 Rider Training Incentive, anyone buying a Zero within three months of obtaining an A1, A2, or full A […]

Ford prices Fathom EV pickup at $28,350, eyes global potential

August 07, 2026

Ford has put a name and a price on the first model from its radically simplified new electric-car platform. The Ford Fathom, a compact-to-midsize electric pickup, will start at $28,350 in the United States, or $29,945 including destination charges, when deliveries begin in the fall of 2027. That makes the five-seat Fathom almost as cheap […]

Belgium captures 15% of Dutch border-region gasoline demand

August 06, 2026

An increasing number of Dutch people living in the border region with Belgium are filling up their tanks in Belgium, according to research by ABN AMRO. By now, approximately 15 percent of gasoline consumption in that region has shifted to Belgium. The Dutch are flocking to Belgium to fill up their tanks, now that the price […]

Renault’s EV boom lifts revenue, but finance rivals car profits

August 05, 2026

Renault Group has returned to profit in the first half of 2026, helped by rapidly rising electric car sales and a richer product mix. However, the figures also reveal how thin the margins on building cars remain. Mobilize Financial Services, the group’s captive finance arm, generated almost as much operating profit as Renault’s entire automotive […]

Belux registrations down 7.4% in July, BEVs have the highest market share

August 04, 2026

According to data from the sector federation Febiac and the federal public service Mobility and Transport, 29,274 new cars were registered in July, 7.4% fewer than in July 2025. After 7 months in 2026, 266,209 new cars were registered, and that’s a decline of 2.4% compared to last year. As the professional car market is […]

Leapmotor B03 could become Stellantis’ €20,000 Chinese price weapon

August 04, 2026

Leapmotor is preparing to launch the A05 in China on August 10, a compact electric hatchback that will be sold internationally as the B03. With dimensions close to the Geely E2, two LFP batteries, and a potential European price near €20,000, it could become one of the sharpest value propositions in Europe’s affordable EV market. […]

Hyundai opens Dutch order books for Ioniq 3 from €27,995

August 04, 2026

Four months after Hyundai unveiled the Ioniq 3 at Milan Design Week, the compact electric ‘Aero Hatch’ now has its first European price list. Dutch customers can order it from €27,995, with showroom arrival expected at the end of September. Belgium will follow, but Hyundai Belux says only that local prices will be announced “after […]

Ferrari Luce more popular than expected?

August 03, 2026

Several sources and media outlets have reported that the planned 2026 production of the Ferrari Luce (± 500 units) is already sold out two months after its May launch. According to the Financial Times, the €550,000 model reportedly attracted particularly strong interest in China and among technology entrepreneurs in places such as Silicon Valley. Ferrari’s […]

IAE: Europe’s EV market accelerates, Belgium starts to level off

July 31, 2026

Electric car sales recovered strongly in the second quarter of 2026, with Europe emerging as the fastest-growing major market. However, Belgium’s figures reveal a more nuanced picture. The country remains one of Europe’s leaders in battery-electric market share, but growth is slowing, and adoption remains heavily dependent on company cars. The latest figures come from […]

Porsche to cut another 5,000 jobs but sees light at the end of the tunnel

July 30, 2026

In the first half of the year, Porsche’s net profit rose 34% to €1.35 billion, despite selling fewer cars than before. Nevertheless, Porsche is responding to declining sales figures and margins with a ‘Future Package’. By 2035, a further 5,000 jobs will be cut at the Zuffenhausen and Weissach sites, along with compensation reductions for […]

Stellantis rebounds in Q2, but still trails European rivals on profit

July 30, 2026

Stellantis returned to profit in the first half of 2026 as higher volumes and an improvement in North America lifted revenue, but its margins and cash generation still lag behind most European rivals. Second-quarter revenue increased by 13% to €43.5 billion, while shipments rose by 10%. Stellantis posted a net profit of €293 million, compared […]

BMW’s European strength cannot offset China-driven profit collapse

July 30, 2026

BMW Group is stepping up cost reductions and organizational reforms after a sharp deterioration in profitability during the first half of 2026. The German premium carmaker insists that demand remains healthy in Europe and that its Neue Klasse electric offensive is gaining momentum. Still, weaker sales and pricing in China, tariffs, and rising depreciation are […]

European van market barely grows as electric sales surge

July 29, 2026

Europe’s commercial vehicle market returned to growth in the first half of 2026, but the recovery was uneven. According to ACEA, new van registrations in the EU rose by only 1.9% to 742,759 units, while truck registrations increased by 9.8% to 171,933 and buses and coaches by 22.7% to 22,590. The stronger figures in trucks […]

Zeekr launches 9X in Belgium, but China keeps the ‘wildest’ versions

July 29, 2026

Zeekr has confirmed the European and Belgian launch of the 9X, a 5.24-meter luxury SUV that marks a major change of direction for the Geely-owned brand. Until now, Zeekr has presented itself in Europe as an electric-only premium brand. Its new flagship is a plug-in hybrid combining a 55.1 kWh battery, two electric motors, and […]

BYD’s flagship sedan Da Han targets EQS and i7, but will Europe get it?

July 28, 2026

BYD has released the first official production images of the Da Han, a huge electric flagship saloon that moves the Chinese manufacturer into territory occupied in Europe by the Mercedes EQS, BMW i7, and Lucid Air. The model will make its public debut at the Chengdu Motor Show in August and sits above the existing […]

Lynk & Co targets Europe’s premium estates with 523-hp 07 GT

July 27, 2026

Lynk & Co has launched the 07 GT in China, a high-performance plug-in hybrid wagon with up to 523 hp and a claimed electric range of 200 km. More importantly for European buyers, the Geely-owned brand has confirmed that the model is planned for Europe in 2027. The 07 GT measures 4.85 meters in length, […]

Volvo EX50 name emerges as Ghent awaits crucial production decision

July 27, 2026

Volvo Cars has applied to register the EX50 name in Europe, fuelling speculation that the Swedish manufacturer is preparing a new electric SUV to replace the current EX40. Such a model would be particularly important for Belgium, as the EX40 is built at Volvo’s Ghent factory, while the company’s new plant in Košice, Slovakia, has […]

Renault revenue grows, with Belux still a global top-ten market

July 23, 2026

Renault Group entered the second half of 2026 with revenue still growing, even as worldwide vehicle sales came under pressure. Its latest financial update showed first-quarter revenue rising by 7.3% to €12.53 billion, while newly published figures reveal that global sales slipped by 0.4% in the first half. Against that mixed backdrop, Belgium and Luxembourg […]

EU car registrations up 5.7% in first half-year; EVs grow to a 20.7% market share

July 23, 2026

According to data from the European Car Manufacturers Association (ACEA), new EU car registrations rose 5.7% year-to-date, with a strong June performance (+13.6%) contributing to a positive first half of 2026. This came against a backdrop of persistent geopolitical headwinds weighing on the outlook. The market continued to benefit from robust consumer demand for a […]

Toyota Europe courts Uber drivers without going all-in on EVs

July 20, 2026

Toyota and Uber are expanding their long-standing partnership with a new European program intended to make electrified vehicles more accessible to ride-hailing drivers. The initiative will launch in ten countries in July before being rolled out more widely across Europe. Uber drivers and fleet operators will be offered preferential conditions on new Toyota and Lexus […]

Lamborghini kicks its ‘not mature’ EV further down the road

July 16, 2026

Lamborghini has again defended its decision to turn the electric Lanzador into a plug-in hybrid. This time, the argument is no longer only about weak demand or poor returns. Product director Stefano Cossalter says EV technology is not mature enough to deliver the emotion Lamborghini owners expect. Cossalter, responsible for the Urus and Lanzador, told […]

VW launches ID. Cross with 427 km range and €27,990 price

July 16, 2026

Volkswagen officially unveiled the production ID. Cross on 15 July, turning the compact electric SUV previewed earlier this year into a showroom model. The European market launch is scheduled for autumn 2026, while Belgian customers can already order the 52 kWh Life and Style versions. The entry-level Trend is expected to become orderable in early […]

Renault confirms ‘structural shift’ as EVs go mainstream

July 15, 2026

Renault is seeing what its UK boss Adam Wood calls a “structural shift” toward electric cars, as higher fuel prices combine with a new generation of more attractive and affordable models to move EVs beyond their early-adopter niche. And the trend appears to be more than a British blip, with Renault reporting stronger EV orders […]

VW Group boss aims at overhead cost, and the brands will have a different future

July 15, 2026

VW Group CEO Oliver Blume persists in its aim to cut costs dramatically inside the Group. Meanwhile, five of the most important brands inside the group’s portfolio face different levels of change and cost-cutting. The German company’s overhead is higher than competitors’ by roughly one-fifth, Blume said in an interview published on VW’s intranet. Reaching […]

Traxio: ‘New motorcycles on the rise, used ones down slightly’

July 14, 2026

The market for new motorcycles grew by 13.2% in the first half of the year compared to the same period last year – with 16,368 new vehicles, this is the highest growth level in fifteen years. Thanks in part to the Brussels Motor Show, 2026 got off to a strong start. According to the mobility federation Traxio, increases […]

BYD officially launches Denza Z, its first sports car for Europe, at Goodwood

July 13, 2026

BYD has officially unveiled the European version of the Denza Z at the Goodwood Festival of Speed. CEO of BYD, Stella Li, and former F1 champion Jenson Button took the wraps off the sports car that intends to go head-to-head with the Porsche 911. Or rather, the Maserati GranTurismo Folgore. Because the driveline is fully […]

VW Group sells more BEVs in Europe but loses ground in the rest of the world

July 13, 2026

The Volkswagen Group reports 438,500 all-electric vehicle deliveries for its brands in the first half of the year. This represents a 5.8% decrease compared to the same period last year. BEV sales have declined significantly, particularly in the US and China. However, in the important European market, Volkswagen recorded 8% growth. Alarm bells are ringing […]

Mixed sales picture for BMW Group in first year-half

July 13, 2026

The first half of the year presented a mixed picture for BMW Group: while markets in China and the Asia-Pacific region saw significant declines in the first six months (more than 20% in China), the BMW Group increased its sales in Europe and the U.S. In Europe, sales rose by around +5.4%. In the US, […]

Don’t charge to 100% and Ionity will reimburse you

July 10, 2026

As the charging sector shifts its focus from infrastructure rollout to rethinking payment schedules, the latest pricing innovation comes from Ionity. Europe’s largest ultra-fast charging network will literally pay drivers to disconnect before their battery is full. The reason? Free up charging space. The new scheme, called ‘Fast Lane Reward’, gives you 5 kWh of […]

Monroe manufacturer Tenneco is cutting 120 jobs in Sint-Truiden

July 09, 2026

Shock absorber manufacturer Tenneco, better known by the brand name Monroe, is set to lay off 120 employees at its Sint-Truiden plant – 101 manual workers and 19 white-collar staff. The dismissals would reportedly be phased from September 2026 until the end of 2027.  The announcement had been anticipated for some time, but the company confirmed its […]

Polestar brings back the rear window on its 4 SUV

July 08, 2026

Polestar has released more details about the upcoming new version of the 4. Rumored to be a shooting brake, the model will be called SUV and will go on sale on September 2. In any case, it brings back the rear window, which was replaced by a camera on the original 4.  A rear window […]

Leapmotor opens B03X orders in Belgium from €24,900

July 07, 2026

Leapmotor has opened the European order books for the B03X, the compact electric crossover it hopes will turn the Chinese brand from a niche newcomer into a serious contender in Europe’s volume EV market. At €24,900, the B03X will compete for the same buyers as Stellantis’ own Fiat Grande Panda Electric, Citroën ë-C3 Aircross, and […]

Traxio: ‘Used vehicle registrations dip slightly in first six months’

July 06, 2026

The number of used car registrations fell slightly in the first six months of the year compared with last year (-3.6%) and the year before (-2.8%). “What stands out in this regard is the yo-yo effect, month after month,” explains Filip Rylant, spokesperson for mobility federation Traxio. Geopolitical tensions, in particular, appear to be affecting […]

BNEF still sees record global EV sales despite US policy retreat

July 06, 2026

BloombergNEF expects global electric-car sales to set another record in 2026, even as the United States moves sharply in the opposite direction. Its new Electric Vehicle Outlook forecasts 23.3 million passenger EV sales worldwide this year, 11% more than in 2025, giving plug-in cars a 27% share of the global new-car market. The headline is […]

Fiat bets big on the city with new small car strategy

July 03, 2026

At a dedicated event in Rome, Fiat CEO Olivier François unveiled what the company calls its “micromobility vision.” The lineup consists of a threesome running on batteries: the existing Topolino, the earlier announced three-wheeler Tris, and the new Multiplina Concept. In these retro-crazy times, the Italian brand is reinterpreting the classic Fiat 600 Multipla.  Highest […]

Tesla posts its best sales result ever, but BYD still in the lead

July 03, 2026

As Tesla has registered its strongest second quarter on record, the negative spiral initiated by Musk seems to have been countered. The American EV maker is back on track, but BYD still outsold it by roughly 77,000 fully electric vehicles on a global level. According to figures published this week, Tesla delivered 480,126 units in […]

Belux car registrations up 9.4% in June; EVs continue growth

July 02, 2026

According to data from the federal public service (FOD) Mobility and the sector federation Febiac, 45,449 cars were registered in June, 9.4% more than in June last year. For the first half of the year, registrations are still slightly down (-1.7%) compared to H1 2025. During that first half of the year, individual buyers bought […]

Toyota’s hydrogen obsession just got a turbine spin

July 01, 2026

Toyota filed a patent last month for a hydrogen-powered gas turbine combustor. It’s a compact spinner designed to produce between 13 and 130 horsepower, but to what use? And is it feasible or just a quirky engineering idea? Back to the sixties As a strong – and increasingly isolated – believer in hydrogen for passenger […]

Chinese lifeline must help refresh Jeep’s lineup in Europe

June 30, 2026

Stellantis is betting on Chinese Dongfeng to get Jeep back on track in Europe. In addition to greenlighting the import of the American Recon, the lineup will be completed in 2028 with a Chinese-built plug-in hybrid SUV. But Brussels is already drafting tariffs on the exact type of vehicle this partnership produces. Jeep’s European portfolio […]

CEO Smart Europe: ‘We’ll definitely discuss European production of the #2’

June 30, 2026

Although Smart reinvented itself around the booming SUV segment, sales have yet to meet expectations. With the recently appointed Wolfgang Ufer at the helm as its new CEO, the brand is bringing a Mercedes veteran to the role just as its most iconic model, the #2, is ready for a rematch. “It’s the best two-seater […]

XPeng’s ‘Mona Lisa’ heads for Europe with a mass-market mission

June 30, 2026

XPeng will unveil its new Mona L03 in Beijing on 2 July, but China is only the first stop. Chairman and CEO He Xiaopeng has said the fastback SUV will travel to Europe shortly afterward for its global launch and the start of an official sales rollout. This makes the L03 far more than a […]

Shell presents a small EV that could be a big deal

June 29, 2026

In the wake of the new European E-car rules, a similar concept from an unexpected name has surfaced. Shell has unveiled a small urban EV called the Triple10 Challenge, which shows some interesting features for a car of its size. This is more than oil supermajor window dressing for green credentials. Shell still pumps roughly […]

Polestar banned from selling in the US, focus now on Europe

June 26, 2026

Polestar has been officially denied to sell cars in the United States as of 2027. After the brand withdrew from China due to low adoption, the luxury EV maker now also risks losing the world’s second-largest car market. The company will focus largely on Europe. But that is still the backyard of German premium. Polestar […]

Ford hasn’t admitted it yet, but new Mustang Mach-E is shelved

June 25, 2026

No, the Mach-E is not canceled today. Ford is still building it in Mexico and shipping it to dealers. But a second-generation Mach-E built on Ford’s new Universal EV architecture isn’t going to happen. A dead end seems ahead for the battery-powered vehicle that galloped the Blue Oval into the EV era, despite its unfortunate […]

Škoda Peaq: seven-seat electric flagship built to undercut Kia EV9

June 24, 2026

Nomen est omen. A peak is a summit. So, conveniently, the new Peaq sits at the top of Skoda’s electric range. Stuffed with seven seats and a 91 kWh battery at best, the Czech brand has built its largest vehicle in 130 years. The Kia EV9 and Hyundai Ioniq 9 are facing a strong contender, […]

Geely E2 heads for Belgium with Chinese sales star pedigree

June 24, 2026

Geely will introduce the E2 in Belgium after the summer, bringing one of China’s biggest recent EV successes to the crowded European small-car market. The compact five-door is intended to make Geely a player at the accessible end of the electric market, starting around €20,000, but final Belgian prices and several core technical details remain […]

UK-made EVs risk higher EU prices as new Brexit tariff deadline looms

June 23, 2026

European and British carmakers are again seeking a reprieve from a post-Brexit trade rule that could impose a 10% tariff on electric vehicles crossing the Channel from 1 January 2027. The risk does not arise simply because a car is assembled in Britain. To remain tariff-free under the EU-UK Trade and Cooperation Agreement, an electric […]

Mazda CX-6e: Chinese hardware, Japanese soul, European ambitions

June 23, 2026

At Silo’s Brussels, the former brewery complex beside the Willebroek Canal, Mazda Motor Belux last week gathered journalists, dealers, fleet managers, and other stakeholders for its Mazda Experience Days, putting the spotlight on the CX-6e that made its world debut at the Brussels Motor Show in January. The occasion was as much about strategy as […]

ACEA: EU car market grows 4% in May, EV shift is reshaping industry

June 23, 2026

New car registrations in the European Union rose 4.0% in the first five months of 2026, reaching 4.75 million units. The headline masks a much more profound market shift: battery-electric cars now account for 1 in 5 registrations, while gasoline and diesel are rapidly losing ground. According to the latest figures from ACEA, 950,521 battery-electric […]

Volvo offers to open its factories to Chinese sister brands

June 22, 2026

Volvo Cars CEO Hakan Samuelsson has made an explicit offer to his Chinese parent company. In an interview with Automobilwoche, Samuelsson said it would be “positive and possible” for Geely’s sibling brands to produce vehicles at Volvo’s European factories, including the Ghent, Belgium, plant. Samuelsson’s offer is a direct invitation for Geely Auto (the brand, […]

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