Is bidirectional charging the miracle solution to prevent blackouts?

April 14, 2022

Like many manufacturers, Porsche is working on a bidirectional V2G (Vehicle-to-Grid) charging system. This means the vehicle can store electricity in its battery, but it can also feed power back into the grid at peak times to balance the grid. The question is whether this system offers a structural solution, or is it just a […]

Mercedes Vision EQXX confirms 1 000 km+ range in real life

April 14, 2022

The Mercedes Vision EQXX prototype for the electric sedan of the future has recently proven its 1 000 km + range in real driving conditions. After a 1 008 km long drive from the research center in Sindelfingen (Stuttgart) to Cassis (French riviera), the car had some 140 km range left. Driving from Germany to […]

The difference between a charging and a parking space

April 12, 2022

As the number of electric vehicles (EVs) is growing, the need for clear charging rules is rising too. For example, in Arnhem (north of Holland), a court has condemned an EV owner to finally pay the fine he got in 2020 for occupying a charging point for too long. The EV owner had refused to […]

Does the Solterra EV tick all the Subaru boxes? We drove it.

March 23, 2022

As one of the first journalists in Europe, we were able to drive the first Subaru EV, the Solterra, on a closed test circuit in Aldenhoven, near Aachen (Germany). This spring, the Solterra arrives on the market together with the Toyota bZ4x, its twin brother. But to say that Solterra is a mere copy of […]

BMW iX5 Hydrogen proofs rock-solid in winter conditions

March 10, 2022

Generally, BMW is very cautious about admitting hydrogen could become a viable alternative for the electric passenger car. But meanwhile, it proves at its test center in Arjeplog, Sweden, on the Arctic Circle, that its iX5 Hydrogen is better suited for extreme winter conditions than any BEV. No range loss and refueled in 3-4 minutes […]

Ford spins off e-mobility business and spends $50 billion

March 03, 2022

The US car manufacturer Ford has announced that it will split its automotive business into two separate companies. Electric vehicles will in future be developed and built by ‘Ford Model e’, the combustion cars by ‘Ford Blue’. In addition, Ford’s European boss Stuart Rowley will get an extra job in the course of this restructuring. […]

Kia EV6 is Car of the Year 2022

March 01, 2022

For the first time in the Car of the Year (COTY) history, a Korean car has been chosen, and he’s purely electrically driven too. Also noticeable: from the 7 finalists, 6 were fully electric, and the seventh (Peugeot 308) is already available as a PHEV and will normally come as an EV too. After a […]

Germany wants ICE cars tolerated longer than 2035

February 23, 2022

Germany has joined France in opposition to banning all ICE cars (with an internal combustion engine) in Europe by 2035. On Monday, the German Transport Minister, Volker Wissing (FDP), has pleaded to study synthetic fuels as an alternative to use in ICE cars. The European Transport and Infrastructure Ministers and other representatives were united at […]

Is Ford thinking of an IPO for its electric division?

February 21, 2022

According to undisclosed sources talking to financial press agency Bloomberg, there’s a possibility that American car manufacturer Ford is thinking of separating its electric division from the rest of the company producing ICE cars. Competitors specializing in manufacturing electric vehicles like Tesla and (soon) Rivian are big hits on the stock market. Lately, even well-known […]

BMW CEO: ‘Do not ban ICE cars too quickly’

February 04, 2022

BMW Group CEO, Oliver Zipse, is joining Stellantis boss Carlos Tavares to warn about the “premature and thoughtless banning” of ICE cars. In a meeting with German politicians in Bavaria, he emphasized that ICE cars dominate sales in Europe and Germany despite the growth of electrified vehicles. Not so long ago, Zipse’s colleague at Stellantis, […]

Tavares: ‘electric is tech chosen by politicians, not by industry’

January 19, 2022

In an interview with four European media, the CEO of Stellantis, Carlos Tavares, gave his thoughts on Europe’s campaign to phase out the internal combustion engine by 2035. The 63-year-old company director believes that switching to more expensive EVs without a progressive transition could create a social fracture. One year after the fusion of French […]

DATS 24 helps motorists choose their fuel

January 11, 2022

Nowadays, it is challenging for consumers to decide which propulsion method or fuel is the best. Brandstofwijzer.be is DATS 24’s attempt to guide the consumer through the choice options. “What should I buy?” It has become a quasi-rhetorical question by now because even a technically skilled automotive journalist with broad market knowledge cannot give conclusive […]

BMW starts a new electric era: we drove the iX flagship

January 03, 2022

2022 will be the year the German premium car manufacturer BMW really engages itself in electric mobility. With the partly iconic i3 and the i8 PHEV sports car, the Munich firm was a pioneer, but it hesitated a few years before it went for it due to lack of success. Now seems to be the […]

Why is BMW number one in Belgium?

December 28, 2021

During the first eleven months of this year, BMW registered 37 184 cars, while the second, Volkswagen, managed 32 688 cars. It’s improbable that VW will catch up during the sole month of December, so BMW, a German premium brand, is the best-seller in Belgium and Luxembourg for the first time. As the market has […]

Mercedes EQS: limousine for the green CEO? We drove it.

December 23, 2021

Of the German premium brands, Mercedes is the first to put a fully electric limousine on the market. The EQS is the top model of Mercedes’ electric branch EQ. It also harbors the S in its name, from S-Class or, in German, Sonder Klasse, extraordinary classy, so to say. Does it live up to this […]

Charging station for electric car must be closer to home

December 21, 2021

The Federal and Flemish Governments want to accelerate the electrification of the Belgian car fleet. The phasing out of the tax deduction for company cars with combustion engines will significantly increase the number of electric vehicles in the Belgian fleet over the next few years. To charge these vehicles quickly, Flemish Minister for Mobility, Lydia […]

New Dutch government goes for road pricing… in 2030

December 16, 2021

After nine months of formation and debate, the new to form Dutch government (still to be accepted in the Parliament) has presented its major guidelines. One of them is the introduction of a kind of road pricing, taxing the use of the car, not its possession. The system is to be fully operational in… 2030. […]

BMW i7 is next BEV to come

December 16, 2021

The development of the BMW i7 is entering its final phase with a test program under extreme road and weather conditions. The electric motors, all-wheel drive, and high-voltage battery prove their performance and reliability under maximum loads. The car is currently tested in the world’s extreme weather regions. Currently, it’s primarily hot-region testing that takes […]

Zipse faces challenging second year as ACEA’s president

December 10, 2021

BMW’s CEO and Chairman of the Board, Oliver Zipse, has been confirmed for a second term as president of the European Automobile Manufacturers’ Association (ACEA). That’s no surprise, as the federation’s president is elected by its members annually for a year-long term, which can be renewed once. He is facing a challenging next year, with […]

Worldwide survey: only 33% believe SUVs pollute more

December 08, 2021

In a recent worldwide survey conducted by the Cetelem Observatory on the popularity of SUVs, it emerges that sales are expected to continue growing. Out of the 11 000 web respondents from 17 different countries, only 33% consider that SUVs pollute more, and 29% of them say their next purchase will be an SUV. For […]

Dieselgate: Stellantis under investigation in Germany

December 02, 2021

After already being indicted in France, Peugeot, and Citroën, members of the Stellantis Group, have opened a jurisdictional inquiry against them in Germany. After almost all the German manufacturers and suppliers like Bosch and Continental, the German court now turns to foreign carmakers in the wake of dieselgate. The latter is a software fraud with […]

Brussels Motor Show 2022 canceled (update)

November 29, 2021

After consultation of its members, the Belgian car manufacturers and importers federation Febiac has decided to cancel the coming Brussels Motor Show (14 till 23 January 2022) given the rising concerns about the corona pandemic. “We anticipate on the fact that the alarming sanitary situation and the probable introduction of more restrictive measures won’t allow […]

Toyota defends and embraces hybrid strategy

November 16, 2021

Toyota Vice-President Shigeru Hayakawa takes up the cudgels for hybrid cars. According to Toyota, hybrid cars – HEV and PHEV – will still play a crucial role in reducing emissions in worldwide transport. Hayakawa is, therefore, pointing at South-East Asia and Africa, where he sees a vital role for hybrids. He states that countries with […]

All cars electric by 2027 in Flanders? Reactions galore

November 03, 2021

The possible plan of the Flemish government to force all new cars sold by 2027 to be electric is provoking many reactions. Although we’re still talking about propositions, these reactions are numerous and vehement. Because of the COP26 climate gathering in Glasgow, the Flemish government is brooding on possible green measures to have something to […]

Flemish government wants all cars electric by 2027

November 02, 2021

In its frantic search to have something to show at the COP26 climate gathering in Glasgow, the Flemish government is thinking of an obligation to buy electric cars by 2027. Second-hand ICE cars would then be forbidden to be sold by 2030. Inside the Flemish government, there is an ongoing search to see what trophies […]

Dacia Spring, the cheapest and most frugal EV. We drove it…

October 19, 2021

Dacia has just launched the Spring, the cheapest pure electric car on the market. For just over 17 000 euros, you can buy an EV with a range of 225 km. Initially intended for use in shared car platforms, the car is also available on the consumer market. The Dacia Spring is already existing and […]

2 out of 3 Belgians consider environmentally friendly car

September 27, 2021

More than two-thirds of the Belgian car buyers consider purchasing an environmentally friendly car within two years. That’s the result of a study held by the ING Belgium bank at the end of the European mobility week. More than half (57%) of the 1 200 Belgians interrogated think that politicians have to consider the electrification […]

There will be a Brussels Motor Show in 2022 (Update)

September 17, 2021

The  Brussels Motor Show (BMS) in January 2022 will take place.  VW Group importer D’Ieteren is still dropping out, but the Stellantis group has decided to participate. Organizer Febiac hast just announced that there will be a 2022 edition. For a while now, motor shows have been having problems seeing everyone on their exhibit platforms. […]

The MG Marvel R is arriving in Europe. We took the wheel…

September 17, 2021

MG is a Chinese brand that can launch the right product at the right time, as today the brand is bringing out a semi-premium SUV at a starting price of €40 000. MG is one of the new players in the Belgian and, by extension, European car market. The manufacturer is of Chinese origin and […]

Was IAA Mobility in Munich a motor show 2.0? (Update)

September 13, 2021

Between Tuesday the 5th of September and Sunday the 12th, the German IAA Motor Show in Munich took place. It not only changed location, but it also intended to be ‘another show’. Was this the ‘motor show 2.0’ everyone is looking for? It’s no coincidence that the IAA now has an add-on. From now on, […]

Porsche’s Mission R, a next-generation electric 718?

September 09, 2021

At the IAA Mobility, Porsche presented its purely electric customer motorsport vision with the Mission R concept. The concept car is intended to be more than just a design study, and a rolling chassis is already being tested. Porsche already showed a Mission E concept in 2015, launched in 2019 as the Taycan, the first […]

Traffic jams are back all the way

September 07, 2021

212 km, or about the distance between Brussels and Ostend, both ways. That is the number of kilometers of traffic jams in Belgium yesterday morning. Between 30 August and 3 September, congestion on Flemish motorways was even 14% higher than in the same week in 2019. It is the first time since the start of […]

We drove the new Ioniq 5 (update)

August 06, 2021

Hyundai launches the Ioniq 5 on the Belgian market today. The basic version of this striking and fully electric SUV is for sale from €45 999 onward, and even this version gets a battery with a capacity of 58 kWh, which gives an autonomy of over 400 km. Moreover, with the 800 V technology, the […]

BMW rewards consequent PHEV driving

August 05, 2021

The biggest problem with PHEV cars is the charging discipline of the user. BMW wants to do something about that. In the UK, it is rewarding its PHEV customers for each electric mile driven. BMW has launched its program ‘BMW Points’ in the UK, rewarding PHEV customers for the electric miles they’ve driven with their […]

VW sold 170 939 BEVs in the first half of 2021

July 22, 2021

Volkswagen AG delivered more than twice as many electric cars (BEVs) in the first half of 2021 as in the same period last year (+165,2%). The Group sold 170 939 battery-electric cars worldwide by the end of June, 110 991 of them in Q2 of this year alone. In addition, the Group delivered a total […]

Dieselgate: VW to pay indemnities in the Netherlands

July 15, 2021

The dieselgate saga continues: Volkswagen has been condemned in the Netherlands to pay indemnities to 150 000 owners of VW products. Last week, there was a similar verdict in Italy. The consumer organization Stichting Car Claim has been vindicated by the Amsterdam Court. Car Claim sued Volkswagen, software supplier Bosch, VW-importer Pon, and the VW […]

BMW CEO: “We will not go on a business contraction course”

June 23, 2021

Oliver Zipse, CEO of the BMW Group, is defending his strategy to sell only half of its cars with all-electric drive in 2030. Compared to what competitors (like Audi) are putting forward, BMW’s strategy has been categorized as ‘unambitious”. In an interview with the German newspaper, Süddeutsche Zeitung, Zipse comments: “If a manufacturer no longer […]

Mazda reveals (EV) strategy up to 2030

June 18, 2021

Mazda has revealed its new technology and product strategy up to the year 2030. Between 2022 and 2025, the Japanese automaker plans three purely electric models, five plug-in hybrids, and five hybrid models with Toyota technology, based on the ‘Skyactiv Multi-Solution Scalable Architecture. Last year, Mazda introduced its first electric car, the MX-30. In 2025, […]

Volvo gives Brussels Motor Show the cold-shoulder (update)

June 14, 2021

The Swedish car manufacturer Volvo, part of the Chinese Geely Group, will not be present at the 2022 Brussels Motor Show (BMS). Volvo was one of the pioneers in giving motor shows the cold-shoulder. Meanwhile, Febiac CEO Andreas Cremer has confirmed that there will be a 2022 edition of BMS. The Belgian Alain Visser, now […]

What about no-SUV zones?

June 08, 2021

A mobility expert from the Brussels University VUB pleads for zones in the cities where no SUVs are allowed. The reactions to the proposal are very mitigated. Most of them consider it unfeasible. Mobility expert Eva Van Eeno (VUB) thinks it’s time for action. According to sector federation, Febiac, 48% of the newly registered vehicles […]

Clear rules for charging station users needed

June 01, 2021

Charging electric vehicles will be a major challenge in the coming years as fiscal policy measures in particular will increase the sales and thus the use of 100% electric vehicles. Intelligent use of the limited charging infrastructure, but above all a clear understanding of the costs that a charging session will generate, is imperative. Charging […]

Fossil fuel companies under (double) fire

May 28, 2021

After the decision of a Dutch court that oil company Shell has to reduce its CO2 emissions by 45% in 2030 (compared to 2019), the fossil fuel companies feel threatened from all sides. Where political decision-makers are failing, justice is taken over. Inside the companies, there is also questioning about the course to follow. Action […]

Utrecht goes for H2 infrastructure and Hyzon vehicles

May 25, 2021

The Dutch province of Utrecht plans to build up to ten hydrogen filling stations by 2025 and to put a total of 1 800 hydrogen-powered Hyzon Motors vehicles into services. The initiative is part of the province’s agreement and overall strategy for infrastructure cooperation supported by the Hyzon Zero Carbon Alliance. EnergyCollective Utrecht Businesses (ECUB), […]

New company car taxation has many consequences

May 20, 2021

The agreement on a new taxation system for company cars provokes a lot of reactions. They come from all kinds of sources, inside and outside the sector. We listed and commented on some of them. Of course, the most fundamental criticism is that the company car’s ‘greening’ will not change much for the underlying problems. […]

First steer: SKODA Enyaq iV

May 18, 2021

Today, Skoda launches its first large electric car, the Enyaq iV. It’s no surprise that Skoda delivers this important product with a spacious SUV body that is perfectly comparable in proportions to the Kodiaq, Skoda’s largest SUV model with classic internal combustion engines. The Enyaq iV is built on a completely different platform than its […]

Belgian federal government disagrees over company car taxation

May 11, 2021

At its formation, the so-called Vivaldi coalition forming the Belgian federal government had big plans to ‘green’ the company cars. As of 2026, the fiscally attractive regime for company cars with an internal combustion engine (ICE) would be banned. Now, difficulties and differences arise about the implementation of these measures. For the second time already, […]

Odometer fraud still exists

May 10, 2021

Last year, Car Pass received mileage readings for the first time from vehicles imported into Belgium from abroad. This revealed that fraud in an adjusted odometer was involved in 2,4% of the imported cars. This is to be compared with the 0,2% registered with non-imported cars. On average, 55 000 km less than the actual […]

Almost unnoticed, Hyundai has become a trendsetter

April 27, 2021

A few months ago, Hyundai amazed the world with its Ioniq 5. Hyundai has become one of the car manufacturers that features the most current engine technologies without making much noise. And with the Belgian Luc Donckerwolke, the group attracted one of the most influential design gurus. In about 30 years, the Hyundai group has […]

No Tokyo Motor Show in 2021

April 23, 2021

For the first time since its existence (starting in 1954), there will be no Tokyo Motor Show in the fall of 2021. The Japanese car manufacturers association JAMA has announced the decision due to the new outbreak of the coronavirus registered in Japan recently. “We decided to annul this year’s Tokyo Motor Show,” announced Akio […]

Punch Powertrain in heavy weather

April 09, 2021

The car industry supplier Punch Powertrain in Sint-Truiden (east of Belgium) is having serious problems again. After 138 people leaving the company last year, another 245 jobs are at stake. The news was issued by the regional newspaper Het Belang van Limburg on Thursday and confirmed to Belga news agency by the metal union ACV […]

Ford Mondeo will disappear next year

March 30, 2021

Ford of Europe’s electrification program will make long-time icon Mondeo disappear at the beginning of next year. The Galaxy and S-Max MPVs will stay in production. Of course, the fact that Ford needs production capacity in its Valencia plant for new electrified engines is not the main reason for Mondeo’s demise. The so-called D-segment sedan […]

Ford’s Mustang Mach E has persuasive power

March 22, 2021

In June last year, we talked to you about the advent of a new pure electric car from Ford, the Mustang Mach E. Meanwhile, Ford has launched a sportier GT version of this car (to better cope with the Mustang aura?), and the ‘normal’ Mustang Mach E has arrived in the showrooms. We were able […]

Toyota Yaris is Car of the Year 2021

March 02, 2021

The Car of the Year 2021 is the new Toyota Yaris. For the second time, Toyota’s bestseller, produced in the north of France (Valenciennes), is elected the most interesting new car in Europe for 2021. A 59-member jury, composed of automotive journalists from 22 European countries, selected the winner from seven models that had made […]

Renault, at the edge of the abyss, takes heart again

February 23, 2021

2020 has been an ‘annus horribilis’ for Renault. It lost € 8 billion last year and the yearly turnover shrunk by 21,7% to € 43,5 billion. Nevertheless, CEO Luca de Meo sees the light at the end of the tunnel but can’t say exactly yet when this light will shine fully. After Carlos Ghosn’s demise […]

Jaguar Land Rover ‘reimagines’ itself and cuts 2 000 jobs (update)

February 18, 2021

The new CEO of Jaguar Land Rover, Thierry Bolloré (ex-Renault), has just revealed a new global strategy for the Indian-owned British carmaker. JLR wants to ‘reimagine’ itself as an all-electric luxury brand from 2025 and strives to become a net-zero carbon business from 2039. Meanwhile, it has also announced to cut 2 000 jobs worldwide. […]

Opel Mokka-e is drawing attention. We drove it

February 16, 2021

In 2012, Opel launched its small SUV, Mokka. In eight years, it sold more than a million of them. The new Mokka lost its X (no 4WD anymore) bit got an e instead, for purely electric. We had the opportunity to drive it. In 2018, an ailing Opel was bought from GM by PSA, and […]

Febiac, Renta, and Traxio create Mobia platform

February 12, 2021

Car manufacturer federation Febiac, the federation of car rental companies Renta, and the car sector federation Traxio join forces to create Mobia, a mobility platform that will develop, communicate, defend common views, and provide services to members of the three founding organizations. Mobia doesn’t mean that the three federations will merge; it’s an umbrella structure […]

Dutch MultiTankcard app also compares charging prices

February 10, 2021

The Dutch charge point locator MultiTankcard and MoveMove not only offer insight into the location of the charge points through their app, but they also indicate the price of recharge so that the consumer can choose the cheapest solution. But shouldn’t we evolve to a system where the price per kWh is shown on the […]

The new Golf has arrived: test of the VW ID.3

February 08, 2021

The launch of the all-new Volkswagen ID.3, fully electric and based on the dedicated MEB-platform, didn’t run like VW had hoped. Finally, it has appeared on the market, and the first figures suggest that it will be an instant success. We drove the Golf of the next decades. The ID.3 has already caused a lot […]

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 […]