August 12, 2022
The new traffic plan in the center of Brussels comes into force on Tuesday, 16 August, as announced several months ago. The project, adopted by the city council on 21 February, aims to turn the Pentagon into a ‘traffic-calmed zone’. Less transit traffic should make the center more livable, accounting for no less than 42% […]
August 12, 2022
Fans of Starsky and Hutch, the movie Helter Skelter, or Jay Leno’s Garage immediately recognize this cuddly strand buggy. The good news is that the beach buggy Meyers Manx has been revived. The frog looks remain, but as for the driveline, this is a whole new ‘electric animal’. Officially called Meyers Manx 2.0, this little […]
August 12, 2022
Not GigaShanghai, but GigaBerlin is reportedly Tesla’s first factory to start equipping Model Y cars with the advanced Blade battery from Chinese automotive group BYD. The collaboration between both companies hasn’t been a secret, but while everybody assumed it would favor the Chinese market, Europe now seems to come first. Neither company acknowledges the technical […]
August 12, 2022
Dutch fast-charger network company Fastned has tripled its turnover in the first two quarters of this year to €12,6 million, a 188% increase compared to the same period in 2021. This is due to the fast expansion of its European network and the growing fleet of electric cars. In Belgium, Fastned opened four new fast-charging […]
August 12, 2022
In the coming years, Ryanair will no longer offer tickets at absolute bottom prices, such as 0,99 or 9,99 euros. This is what the top man Michael O’Leary of the Irish low-cost airline said in a radio interview with the BBC. Due to rising fuel and energy prices, accelerated by the war in Ukraine, Ryanair […]
August 12, 2022
Flemish Minister of Mobility Lydia Peeters (Open Vld) wants to accelerate the rollout of the Basic Accessibility Plan. A complete reorganization of public transport and to align all levels of it. The concept was launched in 2015, and approved in 2019, but never realized. After several delays and adjustments to the timing, Minister Peeters now […]
August 12, 2022
German automotive veteran Michael Lohscheller who joined American electric truck maker Nikola in February of this year, will succeed Mark Russell as CEO and President of Nikola Corporation when he retires on January 1st, 2023. Before joining the truckmaker, Lohscheller briefly was the CEO of Vietnamese VinFast but decided to return to Europe for personal […]
August 11, 2022
Nippon Express (NX) Italia has launched an ‘eco-friendly’ last-mile delivery service in Venice, Italy, using hydrogen-powered boats to navigate the canals. Venice just got its first public hydrogen filling station in June 2022, only the second in the whole of Italy, one of the laggards in Europe regarding this alternative zero-emission fuel. Nippon Express Group […]
August 11, 2022
Ford’s all-electric vehicle sales reached a new record. In July, the company sold 7 669 BEVs, 169% more than a year ago and 4,9% of the total volume (also a new record). The company says that its BEV growth rate is outpacing the market’s average and that the brand is now the 2nd biggest player […]
August 11, 2022
Due to the persistent drought and record temperatures, the water level in the Rhine near Kaub, between Koblenz and Mainz in Germany, is dropping so low that many cargo ships will no longer be able to sail there as of Friday. That is a problem for the industry. The Rhine, one of the busiest waterways […]
August 11, 2022
Electric carmaker Tesla will finally deliver the first fully battery-electric class-8 Semi trucks with a 500-mile (800 km) range by the end of 2022. At least, this is what Elon Musk promised on Twitter. And PepsiCo, which ordered 100 of them years ago, is probably the lucky one to get them first. Tesla unveiled the […]
August 11, 2022
On Wednesday, the new Willems quay in Balen along the Dessel-Kwaadmechelen channel has been officially inaugurated. “The installation of such quays has to promote inland shipping and inspire other companies,” said Flemish Minister of Mobility Lydia Peeters (Open Vld) at the inauguration. Inland shipping has the capacity to remove another 160 000 trucks from the […]
August 10, 2022
According to American strategic research company BloombergNEV, passenger car sales will keep on growing in the next decade, from 1,2 billion today to 1,5 billion in 2039. They see the tipping point after a century of uninterrupted annual car sales growth, the so-called ‘car peak’, in 2036. And it’s going to be more and more […]
August 10, 2022
In Antwerp, the 2,5 millionth passenger on the Waterbus that travels down the Scheldt was honored on Tuesday. According to the Flemish government, which is funding the project, the Waterbus is very popular and has left behind the logical dip of the corona period. One in three passengers also takes a bicycle on board, which […]
August 10, 2022
According to figures from Minister for Mobility Georges Gilkinet (Ecolo), more than 12 000 Belgians are driving around with an expired driver’s license. And this could lead to fines of 1 600 to a whopping 16 000 euros. Since July 2010, those who pass their driving test get a European driver’s license. The card looks […]
August 10, 2022
German sports car manufacturer Porsche broke the lap record for electric production cars with a little help from a performance kit. Its upgraded Taycan Turbo S flashed by the finish line in 7:33.350, two seconds faster than the previous winner: the Tesla Model S Plaid (7:35.579). Factory driver Lars Kern put the Taycan Turbo S […]
August 10, 2022
Antwerp has kicked off the rollout of an extensive shared e-bicycle network. In May, the city announced that the 32 municipalities of the Antwerp transport region and the Waasland would start to launch a large shared e-bike platform. In the meantime, the first bright orange bicycles are driving around the metropolis. On May 11th, Antwerp […]
August 10, 2022
Mercedes-Benz has released the SUV offshoot of the all-electric EQS for sale. Prices in Germany start at €110 658 for the EQS 450+. The EQS SUV can now be ordered in three drive variants, and the first vehicles are expected to reach European customers this December. For all technical details, we refer to our previous […]
August 10, 2022
Volvo Car Gent has started end June construction works to extend its on-site EV battery pack assembly production from 150 000 today to over 300 000 by mid-2023. In 2020, this brand new battery assembly plant in Ghent was the first for Volvo. Currently, 240 people are working on these assembly lines. Two models In […]
August 10, 2022
Chevrolet has reduced the price of its Bolt EV by up to $6 000 in the US this summer. Owners of previously bought Bolt vehicles are apparently offered the same credit… if they waive all rights to sue GM over the vehicle. The website Jalopnik reported that owners who bought their Bolt before the price […]
August 10, 2022
In the second quarter of 2022, the Brussels local police checked the speed of 9 758 387 drivers using fixed cameras, mobile speed cameras, and the LIDAR speed camera. Of these drivers, 19 434 were found to be driving at an illegal speed. At the section controls in the Hallepoorttunnel and the Baljuw- and Louiza-tunnel, […]
August 09, 2022
In France, sites and apps providing road guidance will have to inform their users about the negative impact of their trip on the environment and their health. In addition, they will have to propose less polluting routes and possible alternatives to the car for their voyage. When a user searches to plan a route, the […]
August 09, 2022
Natuurpunt, a volunteer organization protecting nature, calls citizens to register dead animals on the road via an app. This way, the organization wants to collect and analyze data about animals run over and killed in traffic. With more than five km of road per square meter, Belgium has the densest road network in Europe. But, […]
August 08, 2022
The bi-annual Paris Motor Show, the ‘Mondial de l’Automobile’, will take place from 17 to 23 October this year at the usual spot in Paris (Porte de Versailles). One may notice the shortened period, and the organizers hope to attract half a million visitors in these seven days, also because the after-sales show Equipauto will […]
August 08, 2022
The Tesla Model X and Model S are available again in Europe after almost two years. Both top models of the American EV manufacturer were unavailable for a while, and orders outside the US were also put on hold since the end of 2021. A chain of events was at the root of this curious […]
August 08, 2022
In 198 of the 300 Flemish municipalities and cities, there is at least one ‘bicycle street’. This is what Flemish Minister of Mobility, Lydia Peeters (Open Vld), announced. The concept, by which local authorities give extra visibility and space to cyclists, was made legal ten years ago after it had been tested in 2011 in […]
August 08, 2022
In contrast to popular belief, the famous Autobahn wasn’t an idea from Adolf Hitler. Instead, the spiritual father of these freedom highways, where cars aren’t subjected to speed limits, was Konrad Adenauer. He opened the first stretch 90 years ago. While the Autobahn has always been a pillar for the German automotive industry, its ungoverned […]
August 08, 2022
Lucid Motors, the electric carmaker of ex-Tesla engineer Peter Rawlinson, will build only 6 000 to 7 000 cars this year due to production headaches and shortages. Initially, Lucid had forecasted 20 000 Lucid Air sedans for 2022. In February, this was adjusted to 12 to 14 000 and halved again now. When Lucid had […]
August 08, 2022
The Democrats in the US Senate have presented a new bill on the tax credit for electric cars. This bill still foresees the amount of a $ 7 500 reduction, but the upper limit of 200 000 electric cars per manufacturer is removed. This would make Tesla and GM eligible again. The law has now […]
August 05, 2022
Three years after flying over the Channel with a self-developed ‘Flyboard’, French former jet-ski world champion Franky Zapata has demonstrated his ‘flying car’, the JetRacer. The drone-like VTOL (vertical take-off and landing) aircraft with one seat is propelled by ten micro turbo-jet engines. It can reach an altitude of 3 000 meters and a top […]
August 05, 2022
Nancy Pelosi’s cumbersome visit to Taiwan is already affecting the supply chain strategy for Ford, BMW, and Tesla. Chinese battery manufacturer CATL has postponed its decision on a US plant that is supposed to manufacture battery cells and packs for those brands. The company doesn’t want to raise geopolitical tensions any further by announcing an […]
August 05, 2022
Toyota Motor Corporation kept its profit outlook for the current year, while investors expected an upgrade. However, the immediate result was a share price fall of 3%, as the stock market always wants higher results. Toyota’s top managers point at the ‘many uncertainties ahead’. “We are not confident enough to raise guidance,” they say, as […]
August 05, 2022
Lufthansa, led by its cargo arm, has achieved its first quarterly net profit in over two years. Europe’s leading air transport group expects to post an operating profit of at least 500 million euros in 2022. “The Lufthansa group is back in the green,” boss Carsten Spohr said in a statement. “It’s now a matter […]
August 05, 2022
Last year, the police fined 12 517 cyclists for not respecting traffic regulations. In our country, an average of 34 cyclists are tagged daily. The figures come from the Ministry of Domestic Affairs. The most common infringements are the absence of lights, ignoring traffic lights, and using a cell phone while cycling. However, the police […]
August 05, 2022
Has the famous VW Golf reached a dead-end? In an interview with German newspaper Welt Volkswagen brand CEO Thomas Schäfer admitted that the future existence of its core model no longer is to be considered a certainty, unlike in the past. The German automaker’s new CEO, Thomas Schäfer, expressed strong caution about the Golf’s future, […]
August 05, 2022
Austrian automotive contract manufacturer Magna has finished 55 prototypes of the Fisker Ocean EV for final testing to prepare for the production kickoff on November 17th, 2022. Fiskers says all 5 000 limited edition Oceans are sold, outspread over Austria, Canada, Denmark, France, Germany, Norway, Sweden, United Kingdom, and the United States, where the car […]
August 05, 2022
In a statement commenting on the half-year results of the BMW Group, CEO Oliver Zipse also talked about the future new class, the ‘Neue Klasse’. He has confirmed that the first two models to be launched are an all-electric sedan and an SUV. So there will also be a “sporty SUV” at the launch alongside […]
August 04, 2022
The Brussels region has issued the building permit for the renovation and extension of the former postal sorting office at Brussels-Midi station. This was announced by Pascal Smet (one.brussels-Vooruit), State Secretary for Town Planning in Brussels. The Belgian rail company NMBS/SNCB will accommodate its headquarters and many other activities in the future building. A consortium […]
August 04, 2022
According to mobility federation Traxio, sales of second-hand cars in Belgium further declined in July after relatively better results in May. In July, 49 406 used cars were registered, a decrease of 14,4% (-8 292 units) and even a decline of 31,0% compared to 2020. Over the year’s first seven months, the second-hand market regressed […]
August 04, 2022
The European Commission has given the green light for Belgian D’Ieteren Group to take over French Parts Holding Europe (PHE) on the condition it sells the car glass division of the parts distributor. D’Ieteren had proposed to put up for sale PHE’s Mondial Pare-Brise and Glass Auto Service in France to avoid a monopoly as […]
August 04, 2022
The German shared mobility platform Tier plans to introduce 1 500 shared e-bicycles in Brussels. The first vehicles are available since Wednesday, and the vehicle fleet will expand further in the coming weeks. Mid-February, micro-mobility provider Tier launched hundreds of new shared e-scooters in Brussels. In the meantime, the company has more than 4 000 […]
August 04, 2022
Brussels Minister of Mobility Elke Van den Brandt (Groen) is not in favor of increasing the number of lanes on the Brussels Ring Road. She is reacting to the plans of the Flemish government presented last week. Van den Brandt does advocate more bicycle and tram connections to Brussels. According to her spokesperson, increasing the […]
August 03, 2022
The Italian high-end sports car manufacturer Ferrari has adapted its financial forecasts due to record earnings in the second quarter of 2022. From April to June 2022, it sold 3 455 sports cars, 28,7% more than the year before, while turnover jumped to €1,29 billion (+24,9%). “The results of the first six months of 2022 […]
August 03, 2022
The German airline group Lufthansa and its Belgian subsidiary Brussels Airlines are testing a new environmentally-friendly ticket fare on the Scandinavian market. In addition to the classic Light, Classic, and Flex fares, a so-called ‘green fare’ has also been available since Tuesday in the booking process for European flights from Norway, Sweden, and Denmark. With […]
August 03, 2022
Ghent will get a new bicycle bridge over the Tijarm, an unnavigable waterway in the province of East Flanders between Zwijnaarde and Merelbeke. The bridge will be a safe and comfortable connection between the industrial zone ‘Eiland Zwijnaarde’ and the Zwijnaardsesteenweg. Eiland Zwijnaarde is an industrial zone on the ‘island’ of Zwijnaarde with the same […]
August 03, 2022
French Forsee Power and German Vitesco are joining the motorbike battery swap consortium formed by the major players in the motorbike sector. The consortium includes motorbike manufacturers and technology suppliers and now counts 21 members willing to jointly develop a new business model. The Japanese and Italian motorbike manufacturers have joined forces through the Swappable […]
August 03, 2022
“In a highly volatile environment, the BMW Group remained on course in the first half of 2022,” says the German premium manufacturer. The company emphasizes that this was achieved despite severe challenges, including continued supply chain disruptions and bottlenecks for semiconductors and specific supplier parts. Meanwhile, the company introduces an entry-level i4 eDrive35 in North […]
August 03, 2022
Hyundai is expanding its hydrogen truck fleet in Europe by delivering 27 XCIENT fuel cell trucks to seven German logistics, manufacturing, and retail companies. They applied and got approval for the funding of eco-friendly commercial vehicles from Germany’s Federal Ministry for Digital and Transport (BMDV). BMDV has a budget of 1,6 billion euros available until […]
August 03, 2022
The national railroad company NMBS/SNCB has launched a remarkable summer campaign. The company sells promotional products like socks, bucket hats, or banana bags with the logo of NMBS/SNCB, and T-shirts and sweaters with the name of a station on them. Train fanatics can choose between 550 different station names. The products are only available online […]
August 02, 2022
Chinese Ganfeng Lithium Group has started constructing what it claims to become China’s biggest solid-state battery factory, with a capacity of 10 GW of battery cells and 10 GW of EV battery packs. The group specializes in a wide array of the lithium battery supply chain, from lithium resource development, refining, and processing to battery […]
August 02, 2022
In June, the Peugeot 208 was Europe’s most popular car. And while the Model Y managed to secure the number one spot in the BEV category with relative ease, Tesla has to account for slowing growth, not matching the overall pace of electric car uptake. Last month, the Peugeot 208 beat the Dacia Sandero as […]
August 02, 2022
As of 5 September, a subscription to one of the park-and-ride car parks in the outskirts of Brussels will be completely free for commuters who use transport in this way. The Brussels parking agency parking announces this.brussels. The prices for bicycle parking in a Cycloparking will also go down significantly. The price reductions are linked […]
August 02, 2022
Turkey’s EV manufacturer Togg has taken a critical step toward series production. It released the first test cars straight off the lines in the Gemlik industrial center, southeast of Istanbul. CEO Gürcan Karakas told some German media more about the ambitious schedule. “At the beginning of November, we will have perfected the processes and then […]
August 02, 2022
Next to a fuel station from its sister brand Aral, BP has inaugurated its first charging station for battery-powered heavy trucks. The chargers are located in Schwegenheim, Germany, and are the first step toward more powerful stations. Electric trucks can only become viable if the charging stalls are powerful enough to reduce downtime to a […]
August 02, 2022
The city of Louvain keeps its residents in suspense by announcing new information panels along the roads. The new LED screens should offer residents and visitors more detailed information about parking facilities and how to get there. But in the meantime, Monday’s press release only shows dead black screens. According to the Alderman for Mobility […]
August 02, 2022
Dutch fast-charging network manager Fastned is raising prices from Monday on by 10% on average to cope with higher energy prices on the market. “As we expect energy prices to remain volatile, we will review our prices monthly and adjust when appropriate,” the company says. In November 2021, Dutch Fastned raised prices for the first […]
August 02, 2022
According to the registration figures released by the importer organization Febiac, the Belux car market is not yet recovering. With -5,2% of new car registrations compared to 2021, the decline has been softly reducing, but for the first seven months, there is a cumulated regress of 14,8%, compared to the year 2021 already receding. The […]
August 01, 2022
Germany’s largest nuclear power plant in Bavaria, the Isar 2 in Munich, might remain operational next year, if necessary. That is what the German Minister for the Environment, Steffi Lemke (Die Grünen), told the Frankfurter Allgemeine. Germany decided to exit atomic energy following the accident in Fukushima, Japan, in 2011. But since the Russian invasion […]
August 01, 2022
Chinese premium electric carmaker NIO has reconfirmed its intentions to deliver a 150 kWh battery in Q4 of this year. This battery, which Beijing-based WeLion develops, is a hybrid solid-liquid electrolyte battery that would boost the range of the NIO ET7 sedan above 1 000 km (NEDC). For a heavy SUV like the ES8, a […]
August 01, 2022
In the first six months of the year, 21 856 passenger trains on the Belgian rail network were canceled due to staff shortage. That is more than in 2017. If the situation does not improve, the 2016 record will be broken. The most important culprit seems to be the national rail, NMBS/SNCB. The company struggles […]
