Picture Search, the ‘shazam’ for cars

December 08, 2023

Luxembourg’s newest car classified site, mycar.lu, announces ‘Picture Search’, an innovative feature to the online car marketplace. It’s an advanced AI-powered tool that enables users to take pictures of any car they encounter on the street and instantly find the make and model on mycar.lu’s platform. “This cutting-edge development is set to revolutionize the way […]

Stellantis brings American battery-swapping tech to Europe

December 08, 2023

Italo-French-US carmaker Stellantis embraces battery-swapping technology from Californian start-up Ample to equip a Free2Move car-sharing fleet of a hundred Fiat 500e cars in Madrid next year. The Fiat 500e is Stellantis’ highest-selling electric vehicle sold globally. Ample’s fully automated battery swapping stations allow EV drivers with a compatible Ample battery pack to replace the OEM […]

Mercedes opens first European Charging Hub in Mannheim

November 28, 2023

Mercedes-Benz opened its first European Charging Hub in Mannheim, Germany, after opening one in the US and two in China earlier this year. The hub offers 300 kW charging for up to six vehicles and is near a Mercedes dealership. Over 200 Mercedes-branded charging points are coming in Europe by the end of 2024. Earlier […]

Hyundai’s Ioniq 5 robotaxi will hit US roads from 2024

November 21, 2023

Hyundai and the American autonomous mobility company Motional have announced that the self-driving Ioniq 5 robotaxi will enter the US market next year. A fleet of vehicles has completed its test programs, and the production vehicles are undergoing final validation before entering the market in 2024. The Ioniq 5 robotaxi is a collaboration between Hyundai […]

Hongqi ownership includes private driver service

November 03, 2023

Hedin Automotive, the Swedish multi-brand retailer and recent importer of the Chinese brand Hongqi in Belgium offers 50 hours of chauffeur service to clients buying a Hongqi E-HS9. The owner of a new Hongqi receives a voucher after purchasing a E-HS9 with a personal code to be used in an application of Get Driven, a […]

Febiac to organize ‘Automotive eMotion Summit’

November 03, 2023

The Belgian car and two-wheeler federation Febiac will organize a new event in February 2024 to spotlight the Belgian car sector. This ‘Automotive eMotion Summit’ wants to “shape car policies and fleet innovations”, says the press release. A few months ago, Febiac decided not to organize a Brussels Motor Show in January 2024. “When we […]

Negative advice on more expensive tickets at NMBS/SNCB

October 30, 2023

The board of directors of Belgian railway company NMBS/SNCB will soon consider a possible 5 to 6% fare increase early next year. The Rail Passenger Advisory Committee is already recommending that the indexation be postponed, mainly because of deteriorating services. Until now, NMBS/SNCB has traditionally raised fares every year at the beginning of February. Last […]

Flanders installs new road signs indicating where to charge

October 27, 2023

The Roads and Traffic Agency (Agentschap Wegen en Verkeer, AWV) will renew approximately 250 traffic signs along the Flemish highways in the coming weeks. The signs are intended to announce where owners of electric cars can charge their vehicles. The signs will be updated, and a loading icon will be added. The first new traffic […]

Minister lashes out at De Lijn’s CEO: ‘stop nagging!’

October 26, 2023

Things are at odds between Flemish Mobility Minister Lydia Peeters (Open Vld) and Ann Schoubs, director general of public transport company De Lijn. Schoubs had made some critical statements in the media about the company’s inadequate financing. She called the outdated buses ‘cadavers’ and the underfunding ‘a rotting strategy’. In response, Peeters lashed out strongly […]

First of 1.200 Electra fast-chargers at Delhaize plugged in

October 25, 2023

In Kasterlee, Delhaize and French fast-charging provider Electra have plugged in the first six of 1 200 fast charging points to be installed at the group’s supermarkets throughout Belgium. The chargers are open to Delhaize clients during shopping hours but also 24/7 to the general EV driver at €0,65 per kWh. That’s 20% lower than […]

Electra and Spie to install 21 fast-charging locations in Belgium

October 23, 2023

Electra has concluded a contract with services company Spie to expand its fast-charging network in Belgium. The collaboration will install fast chargers at 21 locations across Belgium, and preparatory works have started since September. Electra is turning to the energy transition know-how of Spie to grow its activities in the fast-charger market. It aims to […]

Stellantis’ strategic plan to stay on top of LCV market

October 20, 2023

Stellantis has revealed the outline of the commercial vehicle part of its Dare Forward 2030 strategy. The conglomerate wants to deliver next-gen zero-emission light commercial vehicles (LCVs), offer its customers a 360-degree service, and generate €5 billion from connected services. Stellantis is currently on top of the light commercial vehicle market in Europe and South […]

BMW Group starts rollout of its new direct sales agency model in 2024

October 19, 2023

2024 will see the BMW Group launch its new agency model rollout for sales. It will be introduced across Europe in several stages, starting with Mini in Italy, Poland, and Sweden on 1 January 2024. The remaining European countries will gradually follow, with the BMW brand scheduled to transition in 2026. “The upcoming rollout represents […]

Honda and GM to offer driverless taxi rides in Tokyo

October 19, 2023

General Motors and Honda are deepening their collaboration. Through its subsidiary for robotaxis, Cruise, both partners will start offering commercial driverless taxi rides in Tokyo as of early 2026, the first of its kind on the island. The news comes at a moment when the American Association for Highway Safety (NHTSA) started investigating pedestrian accidents […]

DCS & Volvo announce charging partnership

October 17, 2023

Digital Charging Solutions (DCS) has started a cooperation with Volvo Cars. Through this partnership, Volvo Cars customers will access over 590 000 charging points in Europe. The joint offer is scheduled to be launched in November. Through the cooperation, users of an all-electric Volvo model will have access to the charging points that DCS manages […]

You can pay your next Ferrari with crypto

October 16, 2023

Italian sports carmaker accepts several cryptocurrencies as a method of payment. In the first phase, the convenience is accessible exclusively in the US, but Europe is scheduled to follow at the beginning of next year. American customers have a choice between Bitcoin, Ether, and USDC. The latter is directly linked to the value of the […]

ALD Automotive and LeasePlan rebaptized as Ayvens

October 16, 2023

The merger between ALD Automotive and LeasePlan continues under the new name of Ayvens. The company, owned by Société Générale, will start rolling out its revamped identity in major markets at the start of 2024. Belgium is scheduled for the second quarter of next year. “This new brand identity not only ensures that 15 700 […]

Brussels gets 1.200 new charging points in 2024

October 05, 2023

The Brussels Region is planning 1 200 new charging points for EVs next year. Brussels Energy and Environment Minister Alain Maron (Ecolo) has announced a public contract. Sixty of these charging points will be exclusively for car sharing. By 2035, the Brussels Region aims to have 22 000 publicly accessible charging points for electric cars. […]

Smartdrop app calculates most sustainable delivery option for parcels

October 03, 2023

Thanks to ‘Smartdrop’, an intelligent last-mile calculation tool to determine the impact of online parcel deliveries, consumers can choose the most sustainable delivery option. It was developed by the Belgian trade federation Comeos and the Brussels University’s research group VUB Mobilise. The tool considers several factors associated with online purchases: CO2 emissions, traffic congestion, air […]

President EV Belgium: ‘Soon there will be too many fast-chargers’

October 02, 2023

Jochen De Smet is the current president of EV Belgium, a known facilitator of the energy transition. Being one of the speakers at Mobia’s Mobility Stakeholders Day, he stressed that the technology of this transition is not the problem, but the organization of it, especially the price transparency for the customer. “Europe has been working […]

Colruyt to roll out 10.000 charging stations in next five years

September 29, 2023

Belgian retail group Colruyt will roll out 10 000 new charging stations at its own network of supermarkets and other public venues like hospitals and shopping centers. It will combine ‘slow’ 10 to 20 kW AC chargers and ‘fast’ DC chargers up to 150 kW. Those fast-chargers installed by energy daughter DATS 24 will allow […]

Kruibeke regrets cancellation of Waterbus’ morning service

September 28, 2023

For several months now, the Antwerp Waterbus has stopped its 8 a.m. shuttle service to from Kruibeke to Antwerp, causing a lot of resentment among commuters. By canceling the 08:10 a.m. ferry, people are forced to take the early-morning 07:40 a.m. boat, but sometimes, the ferry is overcrowded, and passengers cannot board. That is why […]

Aral targets 20 000 fast-charging stations in Germany by 2030

September 15, 2023

British oil company BP continues to set ambitious targets for its network of ultra-fast charging stations. By 2030, it wants to roll out 20 000 High Power Charging (HPC) points for cars and a network of low-carbon mobility hubs for medium and heavy-duty vehicles. It will do this with Germany’s largest service station network, Aral, […]

Stellantis’ Leasys offcially entering Belgian market

September 15, 2023

Leasys, the 50/50 joint venture between multinational automotive company Stellantis and the French Crédit Agricole Consumer Finance, is a multi-brand leasing company operational in eleven European countries. This week, Leasys Belgium was officially presented. The new company intends to take advantage of the changes in the market and maximize its presence. According to the press […]

BMW, Honda, and Ford unite in common EV grid for US

September 14, 2023

BMW, Honda, and Ford are combining forces in the US and have founded ChargeScape, a joint venture that connects energy providers and EV customers from the brands. The three automakers have been researching the possibility of a standard charging service network for some time and have turned their findings into a business. ChargeScape is not […]

Floya: entire Brussels multimodal mobility offer in one app

September 07, 2023

The Brussels public transport company MIVB/STIB and Brussels Mobility have launched the new multimodal app, Floya. Now available in the app stores, the app brings together information on the entire mobility offer in Brussels on one platform. Users can thus see all possible travel options at a glance. According to MIVB/STIB, the app Evident/Trafi developed […]

Louvain’s ecozone for parcels is big success with 88% CO2 reduction

August 31, 2023

The so-called ‘ecozone’ introduced in Louvain in 2022 is a success and will be expanded. Since its introduction, parcels, newspapers, and letters have been delivered emission-free, reducing CO2 emissions by 88% per parcel compared to 2018. The ecozone in Louvain officially started in April 2022 as an initiative of the city and the Belgian Post […]

Flanders offers €6,3 million subsidy for e-truck charging points

August 30, 2023

Several Flemish companies are getting 6,3 million euros in subsidies to install charging points for their light and heavy commercial vehicles. This should add 1 200 new charging points in Flanders for e-trucks and e-vans. Earlier in the year, the Flemish government opened a call for subsidies for commercial vehicle charging points as part of […]

Ethias gets EU’s green light for stepping into EV leasing market (update)

August 28, 2023

Belgium’s fourth biggest insurer, Ethias, announced in June it is entering the volatile market of leasing electric cars with a helping hand from Spanish specialist Banco Santander. The European Competition Authority now gives the green light for the merger with the Dutch daughter of the Spanish bank, Santander Consumer Leasing BV, as it sees no […]

Volvo Belux and ALD give subscription model a tryout with XC40 (update)

August 24, 2023

Following sister-brand Lynk & Co’s wake, Volvo Car Belux and ALD/LeasePlan are giving the subscription model a tryout in Belgium by offering private individuals a personal lease contract for a popular Volvo XC40 – and only that one – which can be canceled after one month. More details are released after inquiry while Volvo Cars […]

Midnight electric air taxi ready for test take-off with Stellantis’ help

August 15, 2023

Californian electric air taxi developer Archer Aviation has secured airworthiness certification from the FAA to start the homologation testing for its Midnight eVTOL air taxi. It got another $210 million fresh capital boost from big fellows like United Airlines, Boeing, and carmaker Stellantis, with the latter actually helping to build it, in a brand-new factory […]

California allows paid robotaxi rides in San Francisco 24/7

August 11, 2023

Robotaxi companies Waymo and Cruise can deploy paid taxi rides in San Francisco every day of the week, night and day. The California Public Utilities Commission (CPUC) made the decision after a seven-hour public hearing. For autonomous driving companies, the approval is a capital step forward. Driverless robotaxis were already allowed in San Francisco for […]

VAB road assistance confronted with more breakdowns on EVs

August 04, 2023

The Flemish VAB Mobility Club is also one of Belgium’s largest road assistance providers. While it integrates BEVs in its rolling infrastructure, the road assistants see themselves confronted with more breakdowns on BEVs than the average with vehicles with internal combustion engines. The reasons, however, are not what people would normally expect with electric vehicles, […]

Porsche opens first Charging Lounge near Frankfurt

July 26, 2023

Porsche has followed its sister brand Audi in opening its Charging Lounge, allowing Porsche EV owners to replenish their batteries while enjoying snacks, drinks, and a comfortable lounge. The Charging Lounge also offers quick charging at a reasonable price. Porsche wants to lower the barrier to entry for electric mobility, although this does not mean […]

Rivian starts deliveries of Amazon’s European e-vans

July 05, 2023

The good news for Rivian is that the American EV start-up has ended its Q2 with good production figures, putting it on track for its 2023 target. Meanwhile, the first European Amazon EDV vans have landed in Germany. Back in April, things were not looking up for Rivian. It had fallen behind on its production […]

Touring taken over by AG Insurance and BNP Paribas Fortis bank (Update)

July 04, 2023

An old Belgian icon, the 127-year-old Royal Touring Club of Belgium, has finally been sold to insurance company AG (75%) and Belgian’s biggest bank company BNP Paribas Fortis (25%). It allows Touring to continue road assistance and other activities in a world where mobility is evolving rapidly. After the authorities’ investigation, the deal was officially […]

French postal service gets new airless Michelin tires

June 28, 2023

Michelin and the French postal services are partnering for a two-year test of airless tires. A European-first, forty yellow ‘La Poste’ vans will be equipped with Michelin Utips tires by the end of 2024 in the Hauts-de-France region. Currently, this is the only airless tire being used on open public roads in Europe. With that, […]

Stellantis launches Free2Move Charge as EV ecosystem

June 28, 2023

The 14-brand-strong group, Stellantis, is launching a new ecosystem for electric vehicle charging under the umbrella of Free2Move Charge. The new entity will allow clients to install and finance home chargers, with options ranging from AC charging to Vehicle-2-grid (V2G) systems. Furthermore, it’ll give access to almost all of Europe’s charging points. The Stellantis group […]

Electra wants to roll out fast-charging network rapidly

June 23, 2023

The French charging infrastructure specialist Electra has opened its first fast-charging station in Belgium at the shopping site of Maasmechelen Village (in the east of Limburg province). Electra is teaming up with LSGI Group, one of the largest developers and operators of large shopping malls, to build these stations in places where many people come […]

Engie’s Vianeo envisons +12.000 charging points in France and Belgium

June 21, 2023

French energy provider, Engie, launches Vianeo. Under this new brand dedicated to electric mobility, the company aims to develop 12 000 electric charge points across France by 2025. In addition to that, the company confirms that “about one hundred” fast chargers will be built in Belgium too. Engie isn’t one to miss the transition to […]

Bolt to offer an additional 400 shared bikes in Ghent

June 13, 2023

Bolt will be the third company to offer bike-sharing in Ghent. Four years ago, Donkey Republic started in the Artevelde City and has 500 city bikes on offer. Last year, Dott proposed 600 electric bikes and 45 cargo bikes. Bolt is joining the club, starting with another 400 electric bikes. The Bolt bikes will be […]

Hype & Stellantis drop 50 hydrogen taxis in Paris for disabled

June 07, 2023

Paris taxi company Hype and Stellantis are partnering to put the first hydrogen taxis with specific access for people with reduced mobility (PRM) on the road. Fifty Peugeot e-Expert Hydrogen and Citroën ë-Jumpy Hydrogen will transport users around Paris. By 2024, the partners could have deployed up to 1 000 zero-emission taxis. 50 Peugeots and […]

Hoppin Point at AfricaMuseum in Tervuren opened

June 01, 2023

On the border of the Flemish Brabant town of Tervuren and Wezembeek-Oppem, one of the most important Hoppin Points along the Brussels Ring Road was officially opened on Wednesday. The Hoppin Point branches off from the terminus of Streetcar 44 and is close to Tervuren Park and the Africa Museum. At the new Hoppin Point […]

Antwerp University Hospital (UZA) inaugurates first electric MUG in Belgium

May 31, 2023

The Antwerp University Hospital (UZA) is the first in Belgium to use a fully-electric ‘mobile urgency group’ (MUG) in the shape of a Mercedes EQV, which has been fully equipped to be as efficient as possible to work with and to save lives. The UZA was the first hospital to use a MUG service, where […]

BMW Group Belux donates another 20 cars to technical schools

May 30, 2023

Last Friday, BMW Group Belux donated another 20 brand new BMW and Mini cars to several technical schools throughout Belgium and Luxembourg. The vehicles represent €1,3 million in net worth and are destined to train candidate technicians with the latest car technology. It’s not the first time BMW Group Belux is acting as such. In […]

Fastned has opened first fast charging station in Wallonia

May 30, 2023

Fastned has opened its newest fast charging station – with eight charging points – in Vielsalm. These are the very first chargers from Fastned in the Walloon Region. For Fastned, the newest station in Vielsalm is their 21st in Belgium. Like the other Fastned stations, it is recognizable by the typical yellow roof covered with […]

Brussel hands out 180 000 hours of free parking tickets

May 19, 2023

A charm offensive by the city of Brussels toward merchants and shopping motorists. Indeed, the city of Brussels is going to distribute thousands of free parking tickets. This was announced by Alderman for Economic Affairs, Fabian Maingain (DEFI). By doing so, he wants to support downtown merchants while encouraging “efficient mobility solutions”. Guide motorists’ behavioral […]

Uber launches flight booking in its UK app

May 11, 2023

Technology company Uber, which offers taxi rides and meal deliveries with its app, is to expand its services. This summer, it will launch a feature in the UK that will allow users to book flights directly in its app. The feature was launched on Uber’s UK app for multimodal travel options last year, and the […]

Sparki wants to double Belgian supercharger network in 2023

May 10, 2023

Prime Minister Alexander De Croo (Open Vld) has inaugurated the first supercharger station from Sparki, a provider rooted in Belgium. The two superchargers in Deinze kickstart the first series of six ultra-fast charging stations capable of 300 kW, becoming operational in the following days. By the end of this year, the start-up company wants to […]

Brussels working on new bike sharing system without Villo!

May 08, 2023

There is a hitch in the marriage between the Brussels Region and Villo! Operator JCDecaux. Brussels Mobility Minister Elke Van den Brandt (Groen) suggested last year that Villo! no longer met the expectations of the Brussels Region. The Brussels Region is now launching a study to replace Villo! So writes the business newspaper L’Echo. The […]

Arval: ‘Mobility offer is important factor in employment search’

May 02, 2023

In Belgium, a comprehensive mobility offer is a decisive factor for seven out of ten employees in choosing their employer. That’s the result of a European survey of the Arval Mobility Observatory interrogating employees in the private sector. The observatory questioned 2 905 European employees for this Employee Mobility Survey, living in Belgium, France, Germany, […]

Eindhoven deploys 14 electric garbage trucks from DAF

April 21, 2023

Waste management collective Cure Afvalbeheer has ordered 14 DAF CF Electric garbage trucks. The first seven have been deployed to collect household waste in the Dutch municipalities of Eindhoven, Valkenswaard, and Geldrop-Mierlo. These new trucks are not only more pleasant for the environment, but they also make life easier for garbage collectors with their fully […]

Mini’s new in-car digital companion has four paws and is called Spike

April 11, 2023

Man’s best friend is getting a promotion to a digital assistant. Mini debuts the English Bulldog Spike in its Concept Aceman for the Auto Shanghai show, starting next week on April 18th. It’s still a design concept for now, but Spike will make its way into Mini’s digital ecosystem in the future. Spike has been […]

Ford Pro CEO : ‘Software-based vehicle is much harder to design than EV’

April 06, 2023

Just before the presentation of the new Ford E-Transit Courier, we got a chance to sit down with the CEO of Ford’s commercial vehicle operation Ted Cannis. He offered some insight on what’s next for Ford Pro, and how he would like to see some support from the Belgian government for electric commercial vehicles. “At […]

D’Ieteren’s Taxis Verts reflects on 6 months of hydrogen taxi usage

April 04, 2023

D’Ieteren’s Taxis Verts and Colruyt’s Virya Energy started a pilot project in September 2022 with a Toyota Mirai as a hydrogen taxi to see if this type of drivetrain is a suitable option as the taxi sector in Brussels is forced to electrify by 2025. With half of the year-long test program completed, both companies […]

Toyota partners with Electreon to wirelessly charge its EVs

March 28, 2023

Toyota and component supplier Denso have signed an agreement with Israeli wireless EV charging specialist Electreon to develop a wireless charging solution for the electric vehicles of the Japanese car manufacturer. This includes integrating wireless charging in new vehicles, an aftermarket solution for existing cars, and a plan to standardize the technology. Electreon specializes in […]

Ebusco to deliver 63 electric buses for Groningen

March 23, 2023

Dutch electric bus manufacturer Ebusco has secured a new deal with Dutch public transport company Qbuzz, providing up to 63 Ebusco 3.0 electric buses for the Groningen and Drenthe provinces. The new-gen buses are equipped with a large battery pack, allowing them to perform their daily duties without recharging. Qbuzz is a regional public transport […]

Miles lands in Antwerp with fleet of 100 shared cars

March 21, 2023

German provider Miles Mobility landed on Tuesday in Antwerp with a fleet of 100 shared cars, all VW Polos and Audi to start. After Ghent, its Belgian introduction, Miles started running a fleet of 100 Opel Corsa models in the capital. With three footholds in Belgium now, one-way trips between the three cities and the […]

TotalEnergies sells all its Dutch and German fuel stations

March 17, 2023

The French oil and gas concern TotalEnergies sells all its gas stations in Germany and the Netherlands – almost 1 600 – to Alimentation Couche-Tard, the Canadian multinational operator of convenience stores, offering a wide variety of products for people on the go. In Belgium and Luxembourg, TotalEnergies is the market leader with 619 gas […]

World’s first Tesla Supercharger V4 launched in the Netherlands

March 16, 2023

Tesla has implemented the first batch of V4 Superchargers in Harderwijk, the Netherlands, which offers improved compatibility with a wider range of vehicles thanks to a longer charging cable and the ability to offer up to 1 000 V and a theoretical 615 kW of electricity. Tesla has been gradually improving their Supercharger fast-charging stations, […]