September 16, 2020
In her first State of the Union, Ursula von der Leyen, President of the EU Commission, traced out on Wednesday the path of an ambitious energy transition that is to impact everyday life for the next thirty years. New is the sharpened target of 55% CO2 reduction by 2030. A goal that should be ‘feasible’ […]
September 16, 2020
On the market for trucks, buses, and vans, diesel continues to rule as the primary fuel. Still, with the advent of gas and electrically driven trucks and vans, in particular, this diesel monopoly is gradually starting to erode. Different technologies The city center is the main breeding ground for the new generation. Environmental issues are […]
September 15, 2020
The British oil company, BP, one of the five largest oil groups in the world, believes that the era of ever-increasing oil consumption is already behind us, and that 2019 will go down in oil history as the year in which oil consumption – at 99,7 million barrels a day – reached its highest level […]
September 11, 2020
A pilot project with 13 fully electric buses of Flemish public bus company De Lijn is starting in Leuven, Antwerp, and Ghent. By 2025, Flemish Mobility Minister, Lydia Peeters (Open Vld), wants public transport in city centers to run entirely emission-free and by 2035, extend this to the whole of Flanders. “That’s a tough ambition, […]
September 11, 2020
Belgian telecom operator, Proximus, is considering selling its mobility daughter Be-Mobile, also the owner of the popular Dutch navigation service Flitsmeister. It appointed a merchant bank to study the ‘strategic options’, newspaper De Tijd writes quoting a source close to the dossier. Proximus itself didn’t want to comment. According to De Tijd, the ‘strategic exercise’ […]
September 10, 2020
The ‘mobility budget’ whereby Belgian workers entitled to a company car can exchange their vehicle for a smaller and greener one, with a budget for the train, a shared bicycle, or other sustainable means of transport, is proving unsuccessful. Little enthusiasm Between April and December 2019, only 242 Belgian employees subscribed to the mobility budget, […]
September 10, 2020
It’s announced four years ago, and it’s finally unveiled on Wednesday in Silicon Valley: the Lucid Air. The ‘dream’ of former Tesla Model S chief engineer Peter Rawlingson, today Lucid’s CEO. And he couldn’t find superlatives enough to describe it: more luxurious than a Mercedes S-Class and outclassing his former brainchild Model S in ‘absolutely […]
September 10, 2020
In the long term, it is cheaper to keep two Belgian nuclear power plants open than to close them and switch to alternatives in 2025. This is the conclusion of a study by EnergyVille, a research center linked to KU Leuven and UHasselt, about which De Tijd reports. The study was commissioned by the Engie […]
September 10, 2020
Belgian chemical group, Solvay, and French specialist in waste management, Veolia, are getting together for better management of lithium-ion battery recycling processes. The two actors are aiming for better recuperation of metals, such as cobalt or lithium. “I am enthusiastic about our partnership with Veolia, which aims to make circularity another significant step toward cleaner […]
September 09, 2020
On the sand mining site ‘De Schans’ of Sibelco, on the border of Dessel and Mol, Flanders’ first floating solar park was inaugurated officially on Tuesday. With 17 250 solar panels and a capacity of 7 GWh a year – the equivalent of the electricity used by 2 000 households – the company’s factory gets […]
September 09, 2020
After launching its €100 billion rescue plan last week, the French government goes more in detail on its €7 billion-worth plan for the development of ‘green’ hydrogen. The aim is to reach 6,5 gigawatts worth in 2030. France wants to act on industry and heavy mobility solutions and switch from carbon-heavy industrial hydrogen to clean, […]
September 09, 2020
Insurance start-up Mobly, a subsidiary of Baloise, and Europ Assistance are launching a new MaaS (Mobility as a Service) app designed for alternative mobility solutions. With MovEasy, clients and employees of partnered companies can book and use a series of alternative transport solutions, from shared cars to bicycles or taxis. The app also allows stranded […]
September 09, 2020
By stepping into Nikola’s capital for an 11% stake, building its pickup Badger, and becoming its ‘Royal Warrant’ for batteries and fuel cells, General Motors is putting the Phoenix-based electric truck start-up definitely on the map. The breaking news pushed Nikola’s stock up with 45% while the first pickup or heavy truck is yet to […]
September 08, 2020
While it’s already driving in Germany for one year now, the French-built hydrogen train from Alstom has yet to convince SNCF at home to take the plunge. A leg up from the €7 billion hydrogen plan of the government might get the train moving after corona brought it to a standstill. End of 2018, French […]
September 07, 2020
The German bicycle and e-bike manufacturer, Canyon, has presented its Future Mobility Concept, a way of bridging the gap between a speed pedelec and a one-person ‘car’ where you still will have to pedal to get it moved. But the Germans are speaking of ranges up to 150 km, and speeds variable from 25 km/hour […]
September 04, 2020
Europe is too dependent on China for crucial raw materials such as lithium for the Green Deal. That is why it wants to support recycling, its own extraction, and processing, precisely to achieve ‘strategic autonomy’. The EU is thinking of the creation of an ‘alliance for rare metals and minerals’ as it did for the […]
September 04, 2020
Belgian start-up CE+T Energrid and Californian Orison have developed a small but powerful 2,2 kWh home backup battery that plugs into a conventional socket. The system, which requires no special installation, can count up to six units. Not only to smooth out grid variations, but it also spares some money as it charges when electricity […]
September 03, 2020
The Belgium gas grid operator, Fluxys, will test in the UK whether old natural gas pipelines can be used to transport hydrogen. Fluxys Belgium thus aspires to play a leading role in the development of an international hydrogen network. “Hydrogen can play an important role in making industries more sustainable.” FutureGrid At a military test […]
September 03, 2020
Olli, the self-driving shuttle of American ‘ground mobility company’ Local Motors, made its Belgian debut at the Maria Middelares hospital in Ghent on Wednesday. It’s going to transport visitors between the bus and tram stop and the hospital over a distance of 600 m, with an accompanying driver ‘just in case’, for the time being. […]
September 03, 2020
The Chinese manufacturer BYD (Build Your Dreams) will deliver 246 electric buses for three regions in the north of the Netherlands: Overijssel, Flevoland, and Gelderland. 130 of these 12-meters long e-buses will already be operational next year. It’s the most significant order for electric buses in the whole of Europe until now. The buses will […]
September 02, 2020
After one and a half years of hard work, engineers of the Dutch Faculty of Aerospace Engineering of TU Delft got their V-winged passenger airplane of the future, the Flying-V, airborne. At least a 22 kg-weighing scale model of it with a wingspan of three meters. As both KLM and Airbus are partners in the […]
September 02, 2020
On September 1st, Skoda launched the ENYAQ iV at its Czech headquarters near Prague. This 100% electric SUV will be available in the first half of 2021, but can already be seen in the (postponed) Tour de France as the ‘red car’ of Tour director Christian Prudhomme. Exact prices are not yet available. MEB-platform For […]
September 02, 2020
A new study by the technical university of Eindhoven (TU Eindhoven) is very clear: when you consider (CO2) emissions, electric cars are always cleaner, also when you consider their production and electricity out of fossil fuels. The study was ordered by the green fraction in the European Parliament. The green MPs wanted to know finally […]
September 01, 2020
As from today, September 1st, cars with a too high emission level can be recalled by European authorities throughout Europe. If fraud is detected, manufacturers risk fines of up to €30 000 per car. The new rules are implemented to avoid a huge emission fraud like the one discovered in 2015 (first in the US) […]
September 01, 2020
Amazon has got the approval of the US Federal Aviation Authority (FAA) to start trials with its Prime Air drone deliveries under certain conditions. After UPS and Alphabet daughter Wing (with FedEx), it’s the third large parcel delivering company to get the status of ‘air carrier’ with drones. Imported step forward But this doesn’t mean […]
August 28, 2020
The corona crisis has led to reconsidering R&D investments throughout the car industry. Some weeks ago we saw suppliers trying to cut costs everywhere, including R&D; today we zoom in on the fate of Renault’s Technocentre. Technocentre Renault in the Paris banlieue (Yvelines) is the biggest R&D center in France. It employs some 10 500 […]
August 28, 2020
It might sound too good to be true, a nuclear-waste-battery that lasts for decades. Imagine an electric car you won’t have to charge in ninety years. Californian start-up NDB Inc. isn’t the first to prove the technology could work. And if it works and it’s safe, it will be a disruptive technology that could change […]
August 27, 2020
Turning nuclear waste into a ‘nano-diamond battery’ that recharges itself continuously and could last for decades. Think about an electric car you never have to plug in. Not in nearly 90 years. It will be possible, and it’s perfectly safe, says Californian start-up NDB Inc. after delivering their first proof of concept. “Once this battery […]
August 26, 2020
Korys, the investment group of the Colruyt supermarket family, invests in Ampacimon. With its smart sensors, the Liège technology company ensures that high-voltage cables are less likely to overheat. As a result, they can transport up to 50% more power. Ampacimon has customers from India to South America, Japan, the USA, Canada, and power grid […]
August 26, 2020
By 2035, the English sports car manufacturer, McLaren, will not sell cars wit internal combustion engines (ICE) anymore. The company is taking the turn toward electric and launches its first hybrid car next year, on a totally new carbon-fiber structure. “We will develop ICE engines for the next ten years and sell them for the […]
August 25, 2020
Chinese electric carmaker NIO is partnering with the world’s biggest battery manufacturer, CATL, among others in a joint venture to offer swappable battery packs for its EVs in a program called ‘Battery-as-a-Service’ (BaaS). Batteries will be owned and leased by the new third-party battery asset management company, called Weineng Battery Asset Company. Consumers will be […]
August 25, 2020
You have a few Rolls-Royces or Bentleys in your garage, and, of course, a series of other more plebeian motors. What can you do to stand out from the crowd? You can buy an (old) electric Rolls-Royce or Bentley. Too posh or old style? Try a fully electric Jaguar XK 120 instead. Lunaz is the […]
August 21, 2020
Researchers at the Brussels University VUB have succeeded to integrate into the metal itself sensors that can warn for metal fatigue when the material is stressed. The pioneering technique using 3D printing could be used in large vehicles and airplanes or critical infrastructures like bridges or rotating machines. The latter could prevent disasters. Metal fatigue […]
August 20, 2020
A number of German companies and organizations from the racing scene are setting up a new ‘sustainable’ championship with hydrogen-powered cars, called Hyraze League. GT-like +800 hp fuel cell racing cars will compete from 2023 on. Simultaneously on the circuit in the real world, as in an Esports discipline online. The initiators want to start […]
August 20, 2020
Tesla is going strong, and the American EV-constructor is building a new complex in Texas and one near Berlin in Germany, apart from the new site in Shanghai. In Germany, construction is going very well. Even Elon Musk says he is “impressed”. Under construction The construction contract was signed on 19 January. Tesla hired about […]
August 20, 2020
China’s Contemporary Amperex Technology Co. (CATL), the world’s biggest manufacturer of battery cells and batteries, is developing a new type of electric-vehicle battery that contains no nickel or cobalt, the company communicated a few days ago. The new battery type will be different from existing NCA (Lithium Nickel Manganese Cobalt Oxide), NMC (Nickel Manganese Cobalt […]
August 19, 2020
With the Tesla shares having gained 339% since January, eccentric billionaire Elon Musk takes the fourth place in the ranking of the 500 wealthiest people on earth. His fortune was estimated at $90,3 billion on Wednesday. The South-African-born American outranks now Frenchman Bernard Arnault (Louis Vuitton), but he sits behind Mark Zuckerberg (Facebook), Bill Gates […]
August 19, 2020
The Mannheim regional court in Germany has issued an injunction against Daimler on Tuesday for the “unauthorized use of Nokia’s underlying cellular technology” in its connected cars. It could lead to a sales ban on Mercedes cars with that technology in Germany. But it’s actually only one out of ten ‘patent battles’ Nokia is fighting […]
August 18, 2020
Hyundai just made a successful record attempt at the German Lausitzring. This time the circuit wasn’t used to set a speed record, the Korean manufacturer wanted to see how far the Kona Electric could drive with one battery charge. The 1 000 kilometer mark was broken easily. Kona Electric The participating cars were three Konas […]
August 17, 2020
From 2022 onward, the Flemish energy regulator (VREG) wants to calculate the distribution costs of electricity on the basis of capacity and no longer on consumption. Peak consumers will pay more, and it might even price the electric car out of the market. According to Maarten Matiënko, spokesman for VAB, electric driving might become more […]
August 17, 2020
BMW Group’s sustainability goals aimed at putting more than seven million vehicles with electrified drive systems on the road worldwide by 2030, two-thirds of them all-electric variants. Ten-year plan With a ten-year plan for sustainability, the BMW Group wants to underscore its commitment to the goals of the Paris climate agreement, the main focus being […]
August 17, 2020
It looks from outer space, the Hyperion XP1 fuel-cel supercar with its 1 000-mile (1 609 km) range and a top speed of 221 mph (356 km/h), that was unveiled last week. But it is rather ‘a down-to-earth message through a product’ that hydrogen is the way to go, says Angelo Kafantaris, CEO of the […]
August 14, 2020
The PSA Group recently briefly announced that from 2023 its new cars will be equipped with infotainment systems with Android Automotive OS, Google’s open-source platform for vehicles. PSA will need some time to implement Android on its cars (the group includes Peugeot, Citroën, DS, and Opel/Vauxhall brands). Since the PSA Group is planning a fusion […]
August 14, 2020
The start-up Classified Cycling developed a revolutionary gear system and has a first contract with bicycle manufacturer Ridley. The arrival of Tom Boonen, former Belgian cyclist, as financier and advisor, should accelerate the expansion. New gear system Classified Cycling pioneers a new gear system for bicycles. This could mean the end of the classic front […]
August 13, 2020
French start-up VoltAero wants to push for regional air travel as major airlines reduce their offer to face the crisis. The young company has developed an innovative, electric hybrid airplane that can also run on biofuels or hydrogen. Named Cassio, its three versions can transport four, six, or ten passengers. “We want, thanks to Cassio, […]
August 13, 2020
A Belgian company, Genker Oil, in the city of Genk has produced some 2 million liters of illegal diesel. It is alleged that 1,2 million euros in excise duty were evaded. The fine may amount to five to ten times the amount of excise duty evaded. Two types of diesel There are two types of […]
August 13, 2020
Californian EV start-up, Lucid, has given with its ‘Air’ prototype the Tesla Model S and Porsche’s EV flagship Taycan the go-by in a ‘real-world’ range test witnessed by Bloomberg. It got a whopping 162 km further, totaling 733 km, on one battery charge. Not that far off the ‘claimed’ 832 km range. The Newark-based start-up […]
August 12, 2020
Swedish steel company SSAB cooperates with mining company LKAB and energy company Vattenfall to produce steel with hydrogen instead of coal. As a result, CO2 emissions would decrease dramatically. This could revolutionize one of the most polluting industries in Europe. Revolutionary process Next month, the Hybrit pilot plant should be ready for use. Hybrit stands […]
August 12, 2020
Car manufacturer Hyundai and Aptiv, the autonomous driving offshoot of automotive supplier Delphi (ex-GM) have baptized their self-driving joint venture ‘Motional’. They promise on-road tests with Level 4 ‘fully driverless systems’ starting this year, and ‘available for robotaxi providers and fleet operators in 2022’. The 50/50 joint venture itself was announced in March of this […]
August 12, 2020
Belgian Ph.D. student at Gembloux Agro-Bio Tech, Quentin Schmetz, is working on the development of second-generation bioethanol. He has devised an innovative chemical process that makes it easier for bacteria to digest complex biomass from wood residues to produce ethanol. Bioethanol is used all around the world to power internal combustion engines. In Belgium, it […]
August 11, 2020
Now just a model name, Ioniq, will become the brand name for the electric cars of Hyundai Motor Company. Hyundai also announces a series of new all-electric models. With a specific brand for electric vehicles, the South Korean brand underlines the importance it attaches to that market, and the role it wants to play in […]
August 11, 2020
Although it’s not likely its first pickup or Class 8 truck is to be built before Q4 2021, American start-up Nikola has scored an order for ‘at least’ 2 500 battery-electric garbage trucks for Republic Services. There is an option to double that even to 5 000, Nikola says. According to the press release, it’s […]
August 10, 2020
The Walloon public bus company, TEC, has been testing on its buses for nine weeks, in real conditions, a new Belgian technology allowing more complete combustion of the hydrocarbon. An ethanol-based, electromagnetically charged liquid solution is added directly to the vehicle’s fuel tank to reduce fuel consumption by 15 to 20% and CO2 emissions with […]
August 10, 2020
After ten customers actively testing the full-electric Mercedes eActros truck for over a year in Germany and Switzerland, its test-area is expanding to the Netherlands and Belgium. To start Dutch supplier of the Albert Heijn supermarkets, Simon Loos will use a 25-ton eActros daily for 200 km delivery trips out of the AH distribution center […]
August 10, 2020
For the first time ever, Uber made more money from deliveries than Uber passenger rides. In the second quarter, its revenues from rides fell by two-thirds. The number of active monthly users fell from 99 million last year to 55 million. Meal deliveries doubled. The California-based company reported a net loss of $1,8 billion and […]
August 07, 2020
GM’s luxury brand, Cadillac, has unveiled a concept of its first fully electric car, the Lyriq. Cadillac will only launch the crossover model in 2022. But the brand has promised most of its models will be electric by 2030. The Lyriq is part of GM’s plan to launch 20 fully electric cars by 2023. Cadillac […]
August 07, 2020
Dutch security researchers have succeeded in manipulating several smart traffic lights. By mimicking the signal of users of a special app, the hackers create a virtual cyclist who pushes the wait button remotely, thus allowing them to get the green light without being near the traffic lights. The hackers announced their findings on Thursday, at […]
August 06, 2020
Anthony Levandowski is sentenced to 18 months in jail for stealing business-sensitive documents when he moved from Waymo to competitor Uber in 2016. Levandowski was the brain and driving force behind Waymo, the Google company that develops autonomous cars. Levandowski took thousands of ‘top secret’ computer files with him from Waymo to Uber. “This is […]
August 06, 2020
Mercedes-Benz’s flagship will get in its electric version, EQS, which is to be launched next year, an estimated range of 700 km (WLTP) thanks to a newly developed battery pack using Chinese CATL battery cells. The German car manufacturer, Mercedes-Benz, and the Chinese battery producer, CATL (Contemporary Amperex Technology Co., Limited), on Wednesday announced an […]
August 05, 2020
In the Netherlands, BOVAG, the Dutch federation of companies involved in mobility, organized an inspection of car tires, which showed that 5,3% of cars were still fitted with winter tires. Tire inspection The inspection took place on Thursday 30 and Friday 31 July, when it was over 30 degrees Celsius throughout the country. BOVAG inspectors […]
