November 25, 2022
Mercedes-Benz USA has posted a new product called ‘Acceleration Increase‘ to its online shop’s website. The new service costs $ 1 200 for one year (excluding tax) of the service, which can improve an EQ vehicle’s acceleration by 0,8 to 1,0 seconds. On its website, the car manufacturer writes that the new service will “unleash […]
November 25, 2022
It’s called the Caterpillar 793 Electric. The American construction equipment behemoth showcased its prototype of a zero-emission mining truck at its proving ground in Arizona. The test area is also being transformed into a sustainable project to inspire mining companies in their decarbonization goals globally. Without providing exact specifications, Caterpillar showcased the prototype of its […]
November 25, 2022
The anniversary edition of the Brussels Motor Show (BMS), taking place from 14 to January 22nd, 2023, is not to be considered the 100th edition of the ‘old school’ motor show but the first of a new kind. The aim is clear: inform the visitor/customer about the energy transition and its (electric) influence on mobility. […]
November 25, 2022
Shared e-scooters in Paris will be equipped with number plates. The operators of the mobility services have announced this. The number plates should make it easier to report traffic offenses committed by users of the e-scooters, such as driving through the red light or riding two on the vehicle. Things had not been going well […]
November 25, 2022
Truck transport is massively polluting, and the emissions from transporting retail goods spike 94% during Black Friday week. However, there is a ready-made solution in the form of zero-emission trucks, the European environmental lobbying group Transport and Environment (T&E) says. Black Friday is notorious for peak consumerism and waste. Trucking retail goods is a dirty […]
November 25, 2022
At GM China Tech Day, Chevrolet unveiled the FNR-XE, a concept of a three-box sedan preluding a production model reserved for the Chinese market and expected for next year. After the compact Bolt, the pickup Silverado EV, and the SUV Equinox EV, this is Chevrolet’s fourth BEV. Chevrolet introducing an all-electric sedan in China shouldn’t […]
November 25, 2022
On Thursday, Renault Trucks and Coca-Cola’s Belgian-Luxembourg branch Europacific Partners (CCEP) presented to the press the four first fully electric delivery trucks of a total fleet of thirty, which is to be commissioned in the next twelve months. The trucks with a range of 180 km to 400 km are charged overnight at Coca-Cola’s depot […]
November 24, 2022
Belgian retailer Colruyt is testing the Estonian Clevon delivery robot on Belgian public roads with its Smart Technics innovation team. That’s a Belgian first as it required a special federal government permit and the local mayor’s and police chief’s blessing to have an autonomous vehicle on public roads. The idea is to see if home […]
November 24, 2022
The European Environment Agency (EEA) has published its recent ‘Air Quality in Europe 2022’ assessment, and the conclusion is not really reassuring. Although Europe’s air quality keeps on improving, air pollution still remains the largest environmental health risk in Europe, causing chronic diseases and premature deaths. According to the EEA, at least 238 000 people […]
November 24, 2022
Polestar launched the sedan 2 two-and-a-half years ago, and production numbers have already hit 100 000 units. Sales of the BEV are successfully gaining traction worldwide. The celebratory model carried the same spec as the first unit Polestar assembled and is destined for an Irish customer. Polestar builds the 2 solely in its Chinese factory […]
November 24, 2022
Abarth has launched its first electric car with the Abarth 500e, which follows the recipe of its combustion brothers by giving the Fiat 500e more power and a sporty look. The brand has also solicited its community to develop some features, with members getting priority in the pre-order process in return for their efforts. Abarth […]
November 24, 2022
Back in May, the MR and PS within the federal majority were not overflowing with enthusiasm for the introduction of the point-based driving license in Belgium. Now, both parties are jamming on the brakes again now that a more elaborate proposal of the three competent ministers is on the government table, writes the newspaper L’Echo. […]
November 24, 2022
American hydrogen high-tech startup Hyperion, known for its 1000-mile range XP-1 hypercar, showed in Los Angeles its idea to tackle the infrastructure headaches: a mobile, spaceship-like filling station for FCEVs that can make its own hydrogen on-site but also fast-charge an EV alongside in 20 minutes. The idea behind it is simple, but a substantial […]
November 24, 2022
Japanese carmaker Mazda has revised its sales targets for EVs by 2030. The previously announced share of 25% has been raised to between 25% and 40%. In addition, the company is planning an investment of 10,3 billion euros in its electrification strategy, possibly including a factory for battery production. As one of the members of […]
November 24, 2022
An old icon of ‘Belgianism’, the 127-year-old Royal Touring Club of Belgium is being sold to insurance company AG (75%) and Belgian’s biggest bank company BNP Paribas Fortis (25%). How much money is involved in the transaction is not specified. However, it allows Touring to continue road assistance and other activities in a world where […]
November 23, 2022
The Brussels government will allocate an additional 125 million euros to Mobility next year, increasing the budget to 1,448 billion euros in the 2023 budget. This amounts to 20% of the Brussels Region’s budgetary funds. “The government is taking its responsibility on mobility challenges, the climate change, and health crisis, and more generally on the […]
November 23, 2022
Despite the popularity of teleworking and the reduced number of cars on Flemish roads compared to pre-corona times, traffic congestion is worse than ever. That flared up the debate on the introduction of a kilometer tax for passenger cars and vans in the Flemish Parliament. October 2022 was the second worst month regarding traffic jams […]
November 23, 2022
Chinese premium electric carmaker NIO is opening up its offer in Europe with a purchase option and battery renting. It is a complement to meet European clients’ wishes to the monthly car subscription it started in Germany, the Netherlands, Sweden, and Denmark, the first countries the brand was launched after Norway. Prices start at €51 […]
November 23, 2022
The German supplier ZF presented a new generation of electric drives for passenger cars and light commercial vehicles. With numerous innovations at the component and system level, these are to “set standards with outstanding power density and energy efficiency”. According to the company’s press release, these standards include the compact design of the drives, the […]
November 23, 2022
Persistent rumors exist that the VW brand is about to replan its product strategy for further electric models fundamentally. According to some reports, more electric cars based on the MEB platform will be launched on the market. This means that MEB will have to be modernized, with an investment of billions. Last week, we mentioned […]
November 23, 2022
Halfway through its development cycle, Mercedes has started durability tests with the EQG. Though this battery-powered version embodies a new chapter in the vehicle’s bloodline, its hardcore mission won’t change. If standards are already extraordinary for the regular G-Class, these will be even more demanding on the all-electric version. The battery pack must be capable […]
November 23, 2022
Ford has unveiled the passenger version of its E-Transit Custom, which gets the E-Tourneo Custom nameplate. The electric people carrier has up to eight seats, an electric range of 370 km, and offers more comfort and technology than before. PHEV and diesel versions are also available. Like the E-Transit Custom, the E-Tourneo Custom gets a […]
November 22, 2022
Swiss/Swedish technology group ABB has raised CHF 200 million (± €204 million) for its E-mobility division. Shares to raise said capital are being issued as part of a pre-IPO private placement. The transaction is expected to close before the end of 2022, and the capital will be used to implement the growth strategy. The private […]
November 22, 2022
The US-based brand Drako is the newest addition to a flood of new brands following in the wake of the electrification of the automotive industry. This gull-winged super-SUV counts on 2 000 hp, and subsequent performance runs outpacing the Ferrari Purosangue. Fasten your seatbelts. Faithful to the customer taste of its home market, the company […]
November 22, 2022
On Monday, November 21st, Elia Group welcomed Belgian Prime Minister Alexander De Croo (Open Vld) and the Belgian Federal Minister of Energy, Tinne Van der Straeten (Groen) to visit the Baltic Eagle offshore transmission platform. The project is a joint responsibility of Spanish energy group Iberdrola and 50Hertz, German subsidiary of Belgian Elia. The offshore […]
November 22, 2022
Geely’s luxury brand Zeekr has launched a platform for autonomous driving vehicles. Dubbed SEA-M, the carmaker presented it on a robotaxi, the M-Vision. Google’s subsidiary Waymo is the first customer. The unveiling of the car, and the architecture, follows a previous announcement from Google and Geely unveiling their collaboration on developing an all-electric ride-hailing vehicle […]
November 22, 2022
Europe’s largest airline group Lufthansa has launched a campaign to recruit 20 000 employees in Europe. According to the group’s statement, Lufthansa will recruit these new employees in 45 professions at its site in Germany, Austria, Switzerland, and Belgium. In particular, technicians, IT specialists, lawyers, pilots, and cabin crew are being sought. The campaign comes […]
November 22, 2022
Belgian retail giant Colruyt Group will have its own truck fleet running on electricity or hydrogen by 2030 and forces all its suppliers to deliver using zero-emission transport by 2035. CEO Jef Colruyt announced the latter at the opening of the group’s fourth DATS 24 hydrogen station near its distribution center in Ollignies. According to […]
November 21, 2022
In October 2022, new passenger car registrations continued their upward trend (+12,2%) in the European Union, with 745 855 units sold. However, this result remained nearly 290 000 units below the October 2019 pre-pandemic levels. When we look at the first nine months, car registrations in the EU fell by 9,9%, but there was a […]
November 21, 2022
Paris is considering banning its 15 000 free-floating shared electric scooters riding around in the French capital. Local authorities are concerned about public safety on the city’s sidewalks. Shared e-scooter providers Lime, Dott, and Tier, active in Paris’ city center, are promising a series of improvements, but whether their licenses will be renewed is a […]
November 21, 2022
Smart’s second new-gen model has been revealed as the #3, another compact electric SUV, but a larger one than the #1, which was launched earlier this year. The model was spotted in a new batch of regulatory filings from the Chinese Ministry of Industry and Information Technology, which also revealed a few key specifications. The […]
November 21, 2022
Over three years, the American carmaker General Motors will be as profitable on its EV portfolio as with its combustion-engined models. That’s what CEO Marry Barra told investors at a meeting. Tax incentives, the spreading of costs, and mining contracts are the main drivers. “Solidly profitable” were the words used to describe the financial outlook […]
November 21, 2022
The switch to electric bus traffic in Brussels is being accelerated. In the next two years, four bus lines will become electric, and six additional charging stations near Westland Shopping in Anderlecht will be added. Brussels public transport company MIVB/STIB has announced this. According to MIVB/STIB CEO Brieuc de Meeûs, the terminals of bus lines […]
November 21, 2022
As of April 2025, electric car drivers in the UK are no longer exempt from road tax. Chancellor Jeremy Hunt made the measure public during his Autumn speech, stating that this would make the system “fairer”. Generally, it is not expected that the new standard will have a significant effect in slowing down EV adoption. […]
November 21, 2022
ElectroMobility Poland (EMP) will use Chinese Geely’s Sustainable Experience Architecture (SEA) for its electric car brand Isera. It’s the first company from outside the Geely group, where Zeekr and Smart #1 and #3 use it, to do so. The first model will be a compact SUV, and EMP announced plans for two other models, a […]
November 21, 2022
Volkswagen’s electric car plant in Zwickau set a production record in the week from 7 to 11 November when 7 100 electric cars were produced, more than in any previous week. This means that the plant is close to reaching its maximum capacity. Concerning the future of the VW icon Golf, the CEO has indicated […]
November 18, 2022
Next year, the Belgian railway company NMBS/SNCB will introduce a new ‘silent’ reporting system for train travelers who feel unsafe. According to research, the feeling of insecurity among train travelers continues to increase. The new system is simple and discrete: travelers can simply ask for help by sending a text message to the permanence center […]
November 18, 2022
The Belgian version of the points-based driver’s license is about to see the light of day. So report several newspapers, including De Morgen and La Libre Belgique, which saw the draft by three competent ministers. The primary measure in the draft, which comes after more than 30 years in limbo in the federal parliament, is […]
November 18, 2022
The Flemish government plans a new bicycle highway along the Brussels beltway between Vilvoorde and Strombeek-Bever. The new bikeway will be five kilometers long and connect several bicycle highways (F28 and F23, along the channel in Vilvoorde). The project fits in a larger-scale initiative to implement a total of 115 km of new bikeways connecting […]
November 18, 2022
Those who hoped to appease their appetite for more details about the Gravity SUV in this week’s Lucid’s Launch Event come home empty-handed. Besides a new teaser video for Gravity (see below), the focus was basically on the long-awaited basic version of the luxury sedan Lucid Pure, as it should. That one finally goes into […]
November 18, 2022
The production of the Fisker Ocean has started on schedule at the contract manufacturer Magna in Graz (Austria). However, this production of the electric SUV, for which Fisker has registered more than 63 000 reservations so far, is not expected to really pick up speed until next year. In addition, the configurator with the final […]
November 18, 2022
According to German media sources, the new Volkswagen Group boss Oliver Blume is questioning the construction of the new electric car plant initiated by his predecessor Herbert Diess in the Warmenau district of Wolfsburg. It also means that the first EV planned to be produced there, the prestigious ‘Trinity’ sedan, will also be (at least) […]
November 18, 2022
Carlos Brito, the former CEO of Belgian beer giant AB InBev will become CEO of Carglass parent Belron. Belgian group D’Ieteren, which owns just over half of Belron, announced this on Wednesday. Quite a lot of analysts think that Brito has also been hired to prepare an IPO of the very successful glass provider Belron […]
November 17, 2022
The Agoria Solar Team, the student team of the KU Leuven, has succeeded in covering the longest distance in 12 hours with the solar car they developed. In 12 hours, the BluePoint Atlas, as their newest solar car is called, covered 1 051 kilometers, breaking the previous record of the Dutch Solar Team from Delft […]
November 17, 2022
Mercedes-Benz announced on Wednesday that it was slashing its list prices for the fully electric EQE and EQS models in China by 10 and 15%, respectively, a price drop of up to 237 600 yuan (€32 283). According to Chinese media, the Mercedes EQ range performs weakly in the world’s most active new energy vehicle […]
November 17, 2022
The Brussels Region will launch a permanent citizen’s parliament on climate next year. According to Brussels Minister for Climate Transition Alain Maron (Ecolo), the initiative is a world first. Panels of 100 Brussels residents each will be able to ask questions, make recommendations, and be structurally involved in climate policy. They will also monitor what […]
November 17, 2022
This year, the Inter City Express (ICE) high-speed train connection between Belgium and Germany will celebrate its 20th birthday. In 2022, it will also transport a record number of more than one million passengers. On December 15th, 2002, the first ICE train rode between Brussels and Frankfurt. The ICE network is exploited by the German […]
November 17, 2022
The Danish shipping company DFDS has ordered 125 e-trucks from Volvo Trucks. The first new Volvo FH Electric Truck was delivered in Ghent (Belgium) on Wednesday during a launch event in the presence of Prime Minister Alexander De Croo. DFDS, one of the largest shipping companies in northern Europe, intends to run one-quarter of its […]
November 17, 2022
Jaguar Land Rover Chief Executive Officer Thierry Bolloré has today announced his resignation from the company for personal reasons, leaving on 31st December 2022. Taking over from today as Interim CEO will be Adrian Mardell. “I am immensely proud of what we have achieved together at Jaguar Land Rover over the last two years, Thierry […]
November 17, 2022
Next to the new Prius, Toyota showcases the full battery-electric bZ Compact SUV Concept at the Los Angeles Motor Show, a sleeker interpretation of its first BEV, the bZ4X. This new concept might become the second BEV production model in the lineup for Europe and the rest of the world. Technical details about the powertrain […]
November 16, 2022
Gas network operator Fluxys, dredging company DEME, and the Port of Antwerp-Bruges port authorities are planning to produce green hydrogen in Egypt. The green hydrogen could be transported via the port of Antwerp or Zeebrugge, where Fluxys has already announced a first project. The project in Egypt should help meet the expected strong growth in […]
November 16, 2022
The Toyota Parts Center Europe (TPCE) in Diest, the Japanese car giant Toyota’s largest distribution center outside its home country, expects to increase its activities by 25%, but without recruiting. This was stated by Andy Sinton, head of the parts supply chain at Toyota Motor Europe, on Tuesday during a press visit to mark the […]
November 16, 2022
According to a recent study by Brussels University’s research center Mobi, the typical Belgian EV driver is a 47-year-old, technology-loving male. He’s highly educated and lives in a free-standing house. The Belgian charging station manufacturer Powerdale commissioned the study. VUB’s research center Mobi analyzed the data of 489 drivers with a hybrid or fully electric […]
November 16, 2022
Brussels city district Tour & Taxis will banish the cars from the streetscape from 2023 on their site. From then on, parking will only be available underground on the Tours & Taxis site. As a ‘five-minute neighborhood’, it wants to ensure that all facilities are accessible within walking distance, which is why soft mobility will […]
November 16, 2022
The German car manufacturer Volkswagen has refused a reconciliation proposal from the Belgian consumer organization TestAankoop/TestAchats in the so-called dieselgate scandal. The jurisdictional procedure will thus be continued, and the case will probably appear before the court in May 2023. The consumer organization wanted to use the recent change of power at the VW top, […]
November 16, 2022
The biggest car manufacturer in the world, Japanese Toyota, persists in its ‘self-charging’ hybrid technology approach and launches the fifth generation of the hybrid icon, the Prius. The car has its worldwide premiere today in Japan and at the Los Angeles Motor Show. The European introduction will be on the 5th of December. The car […]
November 16, 2022
Within a few weeks, the European Commission will review the truck’s CO2 standards, and lobbying groups of the industry and the environmental NGOs are bringing the heavy cannons to bear for the last influencers’ battle. So does Transport & Environment, publishing a study proving e-fuels can’t compete with battery electric trucks even in the most […]
November 15, 2022
The Chinese joint venture BMW Brilliance Automotive (BBA) has announced an investment of some € 1.4 billion in the expansion of its electric car battery production in the city of Shenyang. This is to supply the vehicle plants there. This still involves the assembly of purchased cells into ready-to-install batteries, not in-house cell production. The […]
November 15, 2022
Twenty-four hours. That’s all Hyundai needed to sell out its limited run of 2 500 Ioniq 6 First Editions in Europe. The sleek-styled addition to the Ioniq range is deemed a big success for the brand, despite its non-conventional looks. The First Edition of the Ioniq 6 preludes the official sales of the model, which […]
November 15, 2022
Belgian traffic safety institute Vias would like to see nitrous oxide, the so-called ‘laughing gas’, forbidden in Belgium too. The Dutch Ministry of Public Health, Welfare, and Sport recently announced that from January 1st, 2023, the aforementioned product will be on the list of banned substances. In other words, possession, sale, and use of laughing […]
