January 21, 2020
Autonomous shuttles and robot taxis are supposed to replace the car and other transport with a safer and more intelligent form of mobility. However, while their development has been going on for a few years, questions about usage, economic models, public acceptability, and real-world safety remain. For years, humans have been dreaming of tomorrow’s mobility. […]
January 21, 2020
The arrival of the Nightjet, the night train connection between Brussels and Vienna, has aroused a lot of interest. There is not only the mobility and ecological aspect, according to action groups, but the climate impact of such a night train is also eleven times smaller than the impact of the same journey by plane. […]
January 21, 2020
European Commissioner Johannes Hahn estimates that the European ‘Green Deal’ will cost at least 1.000 billion euros. He now has to convince the European finance ministers of the ‘Sustainable Europe Investment Plan’. That plan is the investment structure of the ‘Green Deal’ that was proposed in December. To achieve its main goal, a climate-neutral Europe […]
January 21, 2020
According to a new survey by the knowledge institute for mobility policy (Kennisinstituut voor Mobiliteitsbeleid, KiM), Dutch drivers no longer see traffic jams as a social problem. While 72% of the Dutch considered traffic congestion on highways unacceptable, the number decreased to 35% in 2019. Antisocial behavior Other nuisances like aggression, noise annoyance, air pollution, […]
January 20, 2020
More than fifteen years after the demise of the Donauwalzer, a night train has been running between Vienna and Brussels since Sunday. For 2020, a round trip is planned twice a week, from Brussels on Tuesdays and Thursdays. The Austrian railway company ÖBB, which stands for Österreichischen Bundesbahnen, is running the route, in cooperation with […]
January 20, 2020
Belgians pay an average of 400 euros per month for fuel, insurance, taxes, and car maintenance. However, only 10,7% of drivers are really aware of this. That is the conclusion of a Transport & Mobility Leuven survey. Although the figures date from 2016, they do give an indication. The mobility organization took into account the […]
January 20, 2020
The Belgian bicycle show Velofollies that opened its doors on Friday for the public is drawing the attention of the Dutch. Especially the leased ‘company’ bike is an eye-catcher for our northern neighbors. ‘Bicycle country’ “Although The Netherlands has a reputation as ‘bicycle country’, more Belgians are commuting by a leased company bike,” said Ilse […]
January 17, 2020
Consulting firm KPMG pushes its employees to swap their company cars for more environmentally friendly solutions. From February 1st, every employee taking the step will get 10 euros per day of mobility budget to be reinvested in mobility solution subscriptions. With this incentive, the company hopes to reduce its CO2 emissions by 350 tons. Worldwide […]
January 17, 2020
Car manufacturer Toyota invests 394 million dollars in Joby Aviation, an American start-up that wants to make flying taxis. “Aviation is a long-term goal for Toyota,” says CEO Akio Toyoda in a press release taken over by De Morgen. “With this, we have the opportunity to revolutionize the future lifestyle of people and their way […]
January 17, 2020
On Thursday, municipalities, police zones, mobility operators, and citizens’ associations gathered for the Brussels Mobility’s Road Safety summit. The authority wishes to put road safety as a number one priority and reduce the death toll to zero by 2030. The Region will find a solution for accident-prone areas by tackling speed, pedestrian crossings, two-wheelers, the […]
January 17, 2020
Relatives of the dramatic Stint accident in Oss, in September 2018, have asked whether the vehicle can be rebaptized when it will hit the road again. Edwin Renzen, the builder of the Stint, has complied with this request, and the new ‘bolderkar’, as the Dutch call the vehicle, will be named ‘Buszy’. Since the accident, […]
January 17, 2020
In the past few weeks, the German long-distance coach company, FlixBus, transported 40% more passengers between Belgium and France due to the persistent rail strikes in France. The French railway company is on strike against the retirement plans of president Emmanuel Macron, and the German Flixbus is benefiting from the actions. Strike actions “Since December […]
January 17, 2020
On Wednesday, the city of Bruges has launched its first electric tourist boat. The ceremony took place near the Gruuthuse company along the Dijver watercourse. It is the first boat in a series of five that have to replace a fleet of diesel vessels. No emissions, no odors The electric boat is nine-meter-long and has […]
January 16, 2020
The Brussels public transport company, STIB/MIVB, is doing well, as in 2019 it recorded again a record number of 434 million journeys or an increase of good 16 million compared to 2018. Climate awareness is on the rise, as commuters are increasingly opting for the Brussels bus, tram, and metro. Continuing growth MIVB is doing […]
January 16, 2020
An electric car has a smaller ecological footprint than a car with an internal combustion engine. However, the critical question is whether there will be enough electricity in the future to charge these cars. For example, is the Brussels electricity network capable of supplying the electricity that a new fleet would require? According to the […]
January 16, 2020
According to the Global Automotive Consumer Study 2020, done by Deloitte, 29% of the Belgian consumers are ready to buy a hybrid electric car, and 9% want a fully electric vehicle. These findings corroborate the study of the Belgian car magazine, AutoGids/Le Moniteur Automobile, where one-third of the respondents was ready to drive an electrified […]
January 16, 2020
The cameras of the newly introduced low-emission zone in Ghent registered 5.072 offenders during the first week of January. They will not be fined yet; they’ll just get a warning. Fines of 150 euros will be imposed as of February. The introduction of the measure was announced last year. Transition period The high number of […]
January 15, 2020
Kinto, a Toyota daughter providing new mobility services, was started over a year ago in Japan and is now coming to Europe. Kinto will start different services in different countries of the EU, according to what the specific market wants and is ready for. According to an Ernst&Young study, car manufacturers will have to draw […]
January 15, 2020
Metaforum, the interdisciplinary think tank of the KU Louvain, has published its vision on sustainable and feasible energy and climate policy. The text ‘Sustainable Energy Provision for Belgium’ sides with the Paris climate agreement and the European Green Deal and works out how Belgium can contribute. Renewable energy The authors of the text took up […]
January 14, 2020
The Danish company GreenMobility, which operates electric car-sharing services in Copenhagen and Aarhus, becomes active in Antwerp in April. Brussels and Ghent would follow. The company will set up its services in Antwerp in a joint venture with local partner Deurnese Transportmaatschappij (DTM), Green Mobility reported in a press release on Monday. GreenMobility will start […]
January 14, 2020
The MR’s president, Georges-Louis Bouchez, surprised more than one citizen when he declared that Belgium should become the leader in autonomous vehicle technologies and the first country to fully allow self-driving cars on the road. The young new head of the party wishes to broaden the political debate to new topics. On Sunday, during the […]
January 14, 2020
A massive switch to electric cars in Belgium will inevitably lead to electric car taxation. That’s the opinion of a number of experts. Most think road-pricing will be used to do so. Others fear the electricity used to charge cars will be taxed. In 2018, the state raised 8,6 billion euros in excise duties and […]
January 14, 2020
The number of speed pedelecs on the Belgian roads increased significantly in 2019. More and more people consider the fast-riding bikes an alternative for their second car. According to the service for vehicle registrations (Dienst voor Inschrijvingen Voertuigen, DIV), last year, 13.416 speed pedelecs were registered or 40% more than the year before (9.364). In […]
January 13, 2020
In partnership with Toyota and Lease Plan, consumer association Test-Achat/Test-Aankoop (TA) is launching a new private leasing solution for its members. According to the association, this offer is designed without unexpected fees, unlike other private lease offers. For many years, Belgian consumer association Test-Achat/Test-Aankoop (TA) has been denouncing the private lease sector’s abuses as an […]
January 13, 2020
For most private users, a diesel car is no longer economically interesting. This is the conclusion of the mobility association, VAB, based on a new budget test. As a result of this ‘diesel anxiety’, second-hand gasoline cars have become 22% more expensive in two years. “Hardly anyone wants a diesel that is no longer allowed […]
January 13, 2020
Speed controls with mobile speed cameras have become useless in The Netherlands due to the popular app, Flitsmeister, that allows drivers to warn each other for speed controls. Last year, there were more controls but 10% fewer fines, according to an analysis of the Flitsmeister’s data. Hardly any fines anymore Public services are worried because […]
January 10, 2020
Besides the excitement of the past few years about autonomous driving, experts and industrial companies have now realized that the revolution will happen in stages. Robotaxis and shared self-driving vans should lead the way and clear the path for future driverless vehicles. This year’s Consumer Electronics Show (CES) in Las Vegas was not short of […]
January 10, 2020
Belgian tax-efficient alternatives to the company car, like the mobility budget, and ‘cash for car’, are not catching on yet. Only 0,011 percent of the employees eligible for the mobility budget opted for it. ‘Cash for car’ could only convince 0,175% of the 210.000 company car drivers surveyed by Acerta. ‘Cash for car’ and the […]
January 10, 2020
Since January 1st, 2020, the parking management of the Brussels municipality of Schaerbeek has been in the hands of the regional parking agency parking.brussels. The new and modern parking policy and the resulting measures were presented on Thursday by Schaerbeek’s alderman for mobility, Adelheid Byttebier (Groen), and director-general of parking.brussels, Eric Dubois. Green zones all […]
January 10, 2020
The city of Utrecht, together with Amsterdam, is determined to ban the car from their city centers. On Thursday, local authorities of Utrecht and several project developers signed an agreement for an experimental but ambitious housing project along the Merwede Channel. The project is meant to become the first (almost) car-free zone in the Netherlands. […]
January 09, 2020
Bicycle courier Baptistine has created several maps of Brussels that show the travel time between various key locations. Handy for those who want to estimate the time it takes to travel between two points by bike in Brussels. For the sake of clarity: the times indicated are only theoretical. Indeed, they may vary according to […]
January 09, 2020
Mercedes is number one in premium car sales in Belgium. According to Mercedes-Benz, the brand has made its mark in the professional market for several reasons. Mainly thanks to the extended vehicle portfolio and the availability of cars. Mercedes-Benz was still five thousand vehicles behind BMW a year ago. Now, Mercedes has an advantage of […]
January 09, 2020
The Uber taxi app indicates that from now on it will be active in Belgium not only in Brussels, but also in Louvain, and Namur. In a reaction, the Bond Beter Leefmilieu (BBL) asks Uber to opt for 100% electric vehicles and to cooperate with public transport instead of competing with it. Low-cost taxi service […]
January 09, 2020
Car sharing is a good idea, but how much does it cost? Until a few years ago, the situation was clear. If you needed a shared car, there was Cambio. Period. Meanwhile, however, the Flemish driver can choose between several tens of alternatives, each with their specific formula, says Jeffrey Matthijs of Autodelen.net, an independent […]
January 09, 2020
The amount borrowed by Belgians for their new car has increased by 17% in five years. Last year, Belgians borrowed an average of 15.400 euros to buy a car. According to Belfius Bank’s figures, this amount was 19.200 euros for a new car, and 12.500 euros for a second-hand one. This is 17% more than […]
January 09, 2020
According to Transport and Logistic in Flanders (Transport en Logistiek Vlaanderen, TLV), the idea of the Belgian fashion chain, JBC, to have parcels returned by commuters is illegal. The professional association that represents 1.500 Flemish transport companies considers juridic actions when the fashion store continues its plans. On Tuesday, JBC announced it is going to […]
January 08, 2020
Last year, companies in Belgium registered a record number of 315.557 new cars. That is almost 22.000, or 7 % more than in 2018. The Belgian company car market exceeded the 300.000-mark for the first time. The share of company cars in Belgian car sales rose from 53% to 57% last year. This is the […]
January 08, 2020
Seven Belgian federations are joining forces to set up a so-called ‘Low Emission Mobility Platform’ to exchange knowledge and to boost the breakthrough of sustainable technology in the mobility sector. Priority will be the roll-out of EV charging infrastructure and further development of hydrogen and green gas, the parties state in a press release. The […]
January 08, 2020
Last year, the total consumption of electricity in Belgium decreased by 3%. In 2019, consumption was 84,7 terawatt-hours or the lowest level since 2014. Older figures are not available. Decreasing consumption “We have seen a decline in the energy consumption for some years now,” says Elia spokeswoman, Marleen Vanhecke. “Especially the industry has improved its […]
January 07, 2020
From 2021, the entire Brussels region will become a 30 kph zone where the maximum speed of 30 km/hour will become the norm. However, there will also be exceptions to this rule, for example, on dedicated lanes on which buses drive at 50 km/hour. The stakes are high for the Brussels transport company Stib/Mivb: maintaining […]
January 07, 2020
Together with the leasing company Arval, the energy company Engie will lease electric cars. Under the name Numobi, they want to manage a fleet of 30.000 electric cars in Belgium by 2030. All-in The energy company Engie and the leasing company Arval expect the demand for electric company cars to skyrocket in the coming years. […]
January 07, 2020
Infrabel CEO, Luc Lallemand (53), is leaving the company to do the same job at the French railway infrastructure management company, SNCF Réseau. Lallemand has been in his current function since the railroad was split up in 2005. At SNCB Réseau, Lallemand will be in charge of 54.000 employees, five times as many as at […]
January 07, 2020
Passengers of public transport company De Lijn no longer need to wait at the dark and filthy bus stops of the Brussels North station. On Monday, the Flemish bus company inaugurated its new temporary bus station on the North Square next to the train station. Dark and filthy From now on, all departing buses – […]
January 07, 2020
The Belgian brewer, AB Inbev, the producer of the famous Jupiler beer, launched a remarkable sensitizing campaign this week on radio and television. In the build-up to the Brussels Motor Show that is opening its door on Friday, the brewer introduced the slogan “Cars built with love, are to be used with care”. The text […]
January 06, 2020
On January 1st, 2021, in one year, Brussels will have completed its speed limit reduction to 30 kph on most of the Region’s streets. Today, the government begins discussions with the 19 municipalities, police zones, and public transport operators, to make that transition to go as smoothly as possible. Brussels Mobility has created a temporary […]
January 06, 2020
Febiac, the Belgian and Luxembourgian car, and bike federation organizes every year the Brussels Motor Show. For its visitors, it has launched a free app, AskLee, to aid them in everything they want to know about the show and the cars. From now on, the application is available in the Apple Store and Play Store. […]
January 06, 2020
For the Belgian company XenomatiX, participating in the Consumer Electronics Show (CES) in Las Vegas will be a significant start of an extraordinary year. As a Louvain spin-off of Imec, the company produces the so-called lidar sensors. Multi-beam approach Thanks to XenomatiX’ multi-beam approach – using several laser pulses at the same time – they […]
January 03, 2020
According to the latest European statistics study by Eurostat, the average Belgian only spends 1,1% of its ‘consumer’ budget on public transport. It’s a low share compared to the French (2,4%), the Dutch (2,3%), the British (4,2%), or even the European average (2,6%). Three Belgians out of four also see public transport as too expensive, […]
January 03, 2020
The East Flemish family company, Quatra, collects 65.000 tons of used deep-frying oil annually, which is used as fuel for cars and will soon also be used for airplanes. “In ten years’ time, we have become the biggest in Europe.” At the beginning of 2019, Quatra invested 10 million euros for the construction of a […]
January 03, 2020
Film music composer Hans Zimmer (62) from now on creates sounds for new electric BMWs. Zimmer created his first sound for the BMW Vision M Next concept car, but he will also make compositions for upcoming production models. From 2021 on, a driving noise is compulsory for electric vehicles, making them safer for pedestrians and […]
January 03, 2020
2020 will see the Brussels public transport Stib/Mivb equipped with 22 new metro cars, 90 new trams, and 141 new hybrid buses. During the year, the operator will also test autonomous shuttles, and a MAAS (mobility as a service) app integrating public and private actors. During this new year, the Brussels public transport will finally […]
January 03, 2020
Last year, the car-sharing platform Cambio has registered 551.680 rides. That is an increase of 12,9% compared to 2018 (488.475 rides). In ten years’ time, the number of rides has increased annually by 16%. 41.500 members Also this year, the company expects a 10 to 15% growth of cars, members, and rides. Today, the organization […]
January 02, 2020
Switching to an electric car might imply a few hidden and unexpected costs, especially concerning charging issues. Home electrical grid updates could be required for optimal charging performances. Contrary to what the electric car aficionados and some members of the government would make us believe, everyone isn’t ready to switch to an electric car. In […]
January 02, 2020
The Belgian branch of the global environmental movement, Extinction Rebellion (XR), calls for a boycott of the Brussels Motor Show. They baptized it the ‘Salon of Lies’ in a press release. XR is planning actions on Saturday 18 January to ‘disturb’ the motor show’s last weekend. Details will be published later. In that press release, […]
January 02, 2020
Last year, the IT company Mobco in Dilbeek (Brussels, Belgium) offered its employees an original Christmas present: those who already drove a company car were given an e-scooter on top. The compact two-wheelers were part of a smart ‘combi mobility plan’, and were intended to stimulate the owners to use public transport more often. ‘The […]
December 29, 2017
Without government incentives, private car drivers are not ready to buy a full electric vehicle (FEV) yet. This is shown by figures from the Netherlands, where since the introduction of the first FEVs in 2010 only 4.600 were sold to private persons, among which half of them are self-employed. Car sales figures the newspaper Trouw […]
December 29, 2017
The entire pentagon of the Brussels city centre has become a 30 kph traffic zone in 2010. Eight years later speeding will finally be controlled and subsequently punished with speed cameras. During those years politicians pointed to each other when questions were asked about controlling this low speed zone. But now Alderwoman for Mobility Els […]
December 28, 2017
According to research with a driving simulator, executed by the Institute for Mobility (IMOB, Instituut voor MobiliteitI) and the Hasselt University, car drivers slow down at crossroads where they have to give priority to traffic from the right. “The faster we drive, the more risk there is at an accident and the heavier the material […]
December 28, 2017
A recent study states that the use of services like Uber or Lyft (online car hiring with driver) is causing more traffic jams in the city of New York because the number of cars is still increasing. The situation of traffic being constantly blocked in New York is still getting worse. Average speed during peak […]
December 27, 2017
On Monday Chinese government introduced a master-plan, imposing the biggest city of the country to stop growing. Today the most important economical and financial city has 24,2 million inhabitants and only has some space left for about 800.000 additional inhabitants the coming eighteen years. A maximum of 3.200 square kilometer may be built on by […]
