January 13, 2023
According to internal sources quoted by the German Handelsblatt, Mercedes-Benz intends to drop its EQ-label it uses to differentiate its electric models from regular ICE cars. As the premium brand plans to go full electric by the end of the decade, it might start doctoring with the labels from 2024 and return to its old […]
January 13, 2023
Nissan has brought its Ariya Single Seater Concept to the Brussels Motor Show, an ‘electric racecar’ conceived as a “high-performance exploration, development, and demonstration project”. It is in fact the dual motor all-wheel drive of Nissan’s second BEV, the Ariya crossover, squeezed into a Formula E-like single-seat racing chassis. It was presented for the first […]
January 12, 2023
Where VW Group importer D’Ieteren had decided not to be present at the 2022 BMS (which was finally canceled), it’s again present with an entire exposition hall (11) at the BMS 2023. But the importer will not only show the novelties of its VW Group brands. Apart from that, all ‘new mobility’ proposals will also […]
January 12, 2023
The French public transport purchasing bureau (CATP) has updated its comparative study of bus drivetrains concerning pollution and costs during a 15-year lifespan. The increased energy prices and new hydrogen offers on the market gave the incentive to publish the latest figures unfavorable to hydrogen. The CATP was founded in 2011 and published its initial […]
January 12, 2023
The organizers of the Brussels Motor Show are announcing the presence of 95% of the market at the motor show opening its doors (for the press and VIP guests) tomorrow. However, it’s only 85% considering that Mercedes-Benz and Jaguar Land Rover will only be ‘symbolically’ present. Volvo and Mercedes explain that they prefer organizing their […]
January 12, 2023
According to mobility federation Traxio, the market for second-hand motorbikes experienced an exceptional end of the year. In November 2022, the number of registrations went up by 29,7%. In December, figures even increased to 117,7% (+7 235 units), bringing the annual total to 81 436 registrations (+0,9%). Why this peculiar final sprint? “This unusual year-end […]
January 12, 2023
For the first time in five years, Belgians use their cars slightly less to commute to work. On the contrary, public transport is again as popular for commuting to work as before corona, and the number of company cars reaches a new record. This is according to the annual mobility barometer of HR service provider […]
January 12, 2023
During the last quarter of 2022, the Dutch fast-charging operator witnessed a growth of almost factor three compared to the year before. Apart from a significant expansion of its network, this is attributed to the rise in BEVs on the roads. As well as price hikes due to the energy crisis. In the last quarter […]
January 12, 2023
Accompanied by some pictures of prototypes and a video, Porsche has released further details on the upcoming Macan EV. The sports carmaker confirms that its first all-electric SUV will feature a battery pack of 100 kWh, ‘bank charging’, and a clever rear axle. A fast charge from 5 to 80% shouldn’t take more than 25 […]
January 12, 2023
Volvo Car Gent, the Belgian production site pioneering the electric models of the XC40 and the C40 Recharge, is readying the factory to gear up production of fully electric cars (BEVs) to 150 000, compared to just over 70 000 last year. In 2040, this should be 200 000 in an utterly carbon-neutral plant. Volvo […]
January 12, 2023
According to the NGO Transport & Environment, the ‘big bet’ of Europe’s major oil companies on hydrogen as the transport fuel for the future is not so big in reality. A new study on behalf of T&E shows that investments in biofuel refining are eight times bigger. T&E accuses oil producers of not being serious […]
January 11, 2023
The intended merger between the Norwegian oil tanker shipping company under Cypriot flag, Frontline, and the Belgian sector peer Euronav is definitely off. Frontline pulls the plug, and the company does not give an official reason for abandoning. In reaction to the news that came like a bolt from the blue, Euronav management says that […]
January 11, 2023
New data from the Copernicus Climate Change Service of the European Union reveal that 2022 was a year of climate extremes, with record-high temperatures and increasing greenhouse gas concentrations in the atmosphere. The year 2022 was the second warmest in recent history for Europe. Only 2020 was even warmer. The temperature did not reach absolute […]
January 11, 2023
For the second consecutive year, the BMW Group has beaten Mercedes-Benz in total sales for 2022. The number three, Audi, follows at arm’s length. Also noticeable: all three have sold consistently more electric and electrified cars than in 2021. With 2,4 million vehicles sold by the BMW Group (BMW, Mini, and Rolls-Royce) and 2,1 million […]
January 11, 2023
In 2022, the high-luxury daughter of BMW, Rolls-Royce, sold 6021 cars. Never before has the illustrious company sold so many cars: 8% more than the previous record year, and that was 2021. Bentley sold more than 15 000 cars, also a record. So the Ukrainian war, the energy prices, etc., don’t affect the buying habits […]
January 10, 2023
German carmaker Mercedes-Benz is the first to get official approval for SAE Level 3 autonomous driving in the US, with Nevada taking the lead and California following, most likely soon. The latter was confirmed by the carmaker at CES in Las Vegas last week. It’s the first manufacturer to accomplish this government approval, beating Tesla […]
January 10, 2023
The arm wrestling between the Brussels regional and local authorities over the activation of the average speed checks in the Annie Cordy tunnel is still ongoing. And it does not look like they are going to be activated immediately. For the municipalities in the northwest of Brussels remain obstructionist. They are now asking for a […]
January 10, 2023
According to the mobility organization Touring, Belgian drivers still don’t understand the principle of the emergency lane. Despite the information campaigns the authorities conducted, many road users still are unaware of the regulation introduced in Belgium two years ago. Forming an ’emergency lane’ to give priority vehicles a clear path through traffic jams became mandatory […]
January 10, 2023
Dutch individuals buying an electric car this year or leasing one privately can apply for a subsidy again. That popular subsidy moneybox was empty at the end of May, but it is refueled with 99,4 million euros, 8 million euros more than in 2022. Because the amount per car has been reduced, more people can […]
January 10, 2023
When one follows the car market and the manufacturers’ policies, one of the ever-recurring words is ‘premium’. There’s almost no manufacturer anymore that doesn’t want to be –be it partly – premium, at the same time neglecting a (big) part of its former sales base. It’s becoming very crowdy in this premium part of the […]
January 10, 2023
Flanders launches a two-year pilot project allowing large bicycle trailers on public roads. Flemish Mobility Minister Lydia Peeters (Open Vld) hopes the experiment will contribute to the emission-free delivery of goods in city centers. Today, bicycle trailers may not be wider than one meter. However, during the pilot project, companies will be able to apply […]
January 10, 2023
An electric vehicle replacing one with a classic combustion engine (ICE) can spare a European company today on average €3 599 and 5 560 liters of fuel per year per vehicle. That represents a reduction of 15 tons of CO2 per vehicle, a new report based on telematics data from Webfleet shows. Webfleet is the […]
January 10, 2023
Sony Honda Mobility Inc. (SHM) is planning to launch as soon as possible two other models besides the sedan – an SUV and probably an MPV – under the new Afeela EV brand, announced at CES in Las Vegas last week. It would make no sense to limit the brand to one model for the […]
January 09, 2023
Greenland and Norway want to produce green ammonia with Greenlandic wind. The Greenland-based company Anori and the Norwegian company H2Carrier have signed a letter of intent to build Greenland’s first commercial wind farm. The park will supply power for the production and export of CO2-free ammonia. The wind farm is projected to comprise 1,5 GW […]
January 09, 2023
Andretti Global, a spin-off of the American racing squad competing in IndyCar and Formula E, has clinched Cadillac as a partner in its bid to enter the Formula 1 World Championship. Andretti-Cadillac hopes to enter F1 as new engine regulations boost sustainability in the series, but the existing teams don’t seem to want to share […]
January 09, 2023
VinFast, Vietnam’s electric car manufacturer, is lining up its following two models after the VF 8 and VF 9 that were previously presented. At CES, VinFast specified the VF 6 and VF 7, their new B and C segment electric cars. Vinfast expects to open reservations this coming March. Meanwhile, the brand’s launch in Europe […]
January 09, 2023
The Automotive Parts Manufacturers’ Association (APMA) has kept its word and unveiled its first running prototype, including the interior, at the Consumers Electronic Show (CES) in Las Vegas. However, there’s a but. No mass production is on the agenda. The rather brick-like looking Arrow is a showcase which demonstrates what the Canadian suppliers in the automotive […]
January 09, 2023
Last year, renewable energy production continued to increase in Belgium, with several broken records. According to figures published by high-voltage grid operator Elia, in 2022, there was a gradual increase in the installed capacity of onshore wind power (+14%) and solar energy (+35ia. As a result, wind and solar power accounted for 19,8% of the […]
January 09, 2023
VW’s design and engineering studio Italdesign has explored the boundaries of autonomous shuttles roaming around future cities. It envisioned, together with Swiss Schindler integrating them into buildings as an elevator capsule. The Climb-E can pick you up on the 30th floor of your apartment building and, once on the street level, drive you to any […]
January 09, 2023
In an interview with the German specialized magazine Automobilwoche at the Computer Electronics Show (CES) in Las Vegas, Stellantis boss Carlos Tavares warns the industry that many European middle-class customers will buy Chinese in the future. “The price difference between European and Chinese cars is considerable,” he says. “If we do nothing about this, consumers […]
January 06, 2023
ProovStation and Michelin unveiled TireStation, a fast and reliable solution for automated tire inspection, at the CES in Las Vegas. Combining the expertise and know–how of both companies, the system optimizes professional tire inspection. According to both companies, TireStation is a turnkey tire diagnosis solution for professionals with a wide range of advantages: improved measurement […]
January 06, 2023
Norwegian energy company Equinor and its German sector partner RWE are planning to build an undersea hydrogen pipeline between the two countries. A protocol agreement has been concluded but a feasibility study will follow first. The agreement was signed in the presence of German Economy and Climate Action Minister Robert Habeck, who is in Oslo […]
January 06, 2023
The Peugeot Inception Concept looks like a wild idea on wheels, born to grab attention, but underneath its razor-edged surface sits a guideline for the future EVs of the French brand. Peugeot’s planned entry into the US was ditched a few years ago. With no current models on offer over the Atlantic Ocean, it came […]
January 06, 2023
Speed pedelecs keep selling like hot cakes and sales figures last year reached record levels. In December, right at the end of the year, mobility federation Traxio recorded 1 264 new registrations, an increase of 72,9% (533 units) compared to December 2021. In 2022, no less than 17 592 new speed pedelecs appeared on Belgian […]
January 06, 2023
The German automotive supplier ZF is looking to save range as much as possible for EVs. The latest attempt is a heated seat belt that claims somewhat surprising range improvements. At the same time, ZF is showing its next self-driving shuttle at the Consumer Electronics Show (CES) in Las Vegas. The ZF ‘Heat Belt’ for […]
January 06, 2023
The electric Ram 1500 pickup Stellantis showed at the CES today is still a concept vehicle. Unlike what was rumored a few weeks ago, the production vehicle will not appear before 2024. Instead, the Ram 1500 Revolution BEV wants to give an idea of what Ram will be doing a year from now, “redefining the […]
January 05, 2023
A few days ago, we gave the final results of the Belux market. Today, we go for some analysis and pay attention to foreign markets. We see that the market trends quickly evolve as the energy transition comes under steam and other evolutions manifest themselves. The influence of the company car market is still growing […]
January 05, 2023
Mercedes-Benz has struck a deal with American silicon carbide (SiC) specialist Wolfspeed, the first company to introduce the more efficient SiC technology in semiconductors. These more efficient drivetrain parts will play a relatively important role as Mercedes gears up to introduce its new-gen electric architectures in 2025. Wolfspeed was a pioneer in silicon carbide technology […]
January 05, 2023
In 2022, 642 669 second-hand cars were registered in Belgium, a decrease of 9,4% (66 936 units) compared to the year before (709 605 registrations). Even compared to ‘corona year’ 2020, mobility federation Traxio registered a decline of 2,6%. In December 2022, a regression of 5% was listed, with 50 950 registrations compared to 53 […]
January 05, 2023
The Belgian, Seraing-based company, John Cockerill, a well-known hydrogen electrolysis specialist, will invest in Morocco’s green hydrogen production sector. This reports the newspaper L’Echo and is confirmed by a press release from the company. The main point of the investment is the creation of a gigafactory dedicated to manufacturing electrolyzers, the first of its kind […]
January 05, 2023
Hours before the official ‘unveiling’ of the first teaser pictures of its second solar car at the Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas, the Dutch scale-up opened on Thursday the waiting list for the Lightyear 2. This one, a more compact ‘grid-independent’ sedan with integrated solar panels and a range of +800 km, gets an […]
January 05, 2023
The BMW Group shows its vision of ‘the future digital experience’, at the Consumer Electronics Show (CES) 2023 in Las Vegas. The BMW i Vision Dee is a futuristic mid-size sedan with a new, pared-down design language. ‘Dee’ stands for Digital Emotional Experience, aiming to create an even stronger bond between people and their cars. […]
January 04, 2023
Drivers getting caught speeding in traffic in Flanders can request a language change when they have to appear before a judge. As a result, their file moves to a French-speaking court, resulting in a lengthy legal backlog and avoiding losing their driver’s license. In the first six months of 2022, police registered more than three […]
January 04, 2023
The Korean Fair Trade Commission (KFTC) has fined Tesla 2,85 billion won (around 2,1 million euros) for exaggerating its range figures by not disclosing range drops in cold weather. The KFTC also wasn’t pleased with the promised charging speeds and fuel savings that Tesla advertised on its website. Tesla has received a slap on the […]
January 04, 2023
The Renault Zoe, first released in 2012, will not be replaced. Renault’s second-in-command, Fabrice Cambolive, has confirmed this to the English car magazine Autocar. Instead, Zoe will end its life as one of the best-selling electric cars in its home country and one of the EV best-sellers in Europe. A final date for the end […]
January 04, 2023
On Tuesday, January 3rd, the Brussels museum ‘Train World’ in Schaarbeek (Brussels) welcomed its one-millionth visitor. Train World is the museum of NMBS/SNCB, the National Company of the Belgian Railways. It is Belgium’s first real railway museum, and it opened its doors to the general public in September 2015. Visitors can get a unique view […]
January 04, 2023
Brussels Mobility has just submitted a request for a permit to renovate and make safe the Belliard and Loi tunnels, the newspaper La Dernière Heure writes. The planned works consist of a complete renovation, without any change in traffic, and should last more than 2,5 years with 15 months of night closure and five months […]
January 04, 2023
At the Consumer Electronic Show (CES) in Las Vegas, French automotive supplier Plastic Omnium and French deep-tech startup Greenwave are showing a revolutionary way of integrating radar sensors into the entire surface of the car’s bumpers to catch a high-resolution image of its surroundings. The companies claim that far more information can be gathered by […]
January 04, 2023
Volkswagen will showcase its first fully electric sedan based on the modular electric drive matrix (MEB) at the Consumer Electronics Show (CES) in Las Vegas (from 5 to 8 January). Following on from ID.4, the new sedan is Volkswagen’s next global electric vehicle and will be offered on three continents in the future. The world […]
January 03, 2023
In 2022, almost 80% of all newly registered cars in Norway were electric, a world record. Tesla is the overall market leader, with a 12,2% market share. As the government wants to build down incentives and the Norwegian consumer is having trouble recharging, it could be that this was the highest sales figure in a […]
January 03, 2023
The ferry connection on the Belgian river Scheldt, the so-called Antwerp ‘water bus’, is a huge success. The number of annually transported passengers increased year after year, growing from 105 000 to 775 000 in five years. That is why Aqualiner decided to deploy larger ships this year. The water bus has been operational since […]
January 03, 2023
The EV battle for record drag has spawned a new self-declared winner. Chinese brand Aion, a subsidiary of GAC, has unveiled the hyper GT featuring a Cd value of just 0.19. It’s worth mentioning that the car is still in concept. It remains to be seen whether the production version can uphold those record-breaking aerodynamics. […]
January 03, 2023
Talking about EV incentives, this one from the African country Uganda fires one’s imagination: President Museveni announced in his end-of-the-year address he made a deal with investors to swap all motorcycles with internal combustion engines (ICE) in the country for locally-produced electric ones for free. The investors will be able to make their money by […]
January 03, 2023
About a month after the first delivery event of the Tesla Semi, where it proved its 500-mile range, technical images have emerged of the long-haul electric truck revealing its battery location and more details about its weight. Tesla data miner @greentheonly on Twitter has shared a series of technical images of the Semi, revealing its […]
January 03, 2023
Greece’s Ministry of Environment and Energy has announced the ‘Green Taxi’ plan. With the plan, Greece aims to replace 2 000 old and polluting taxis with purely new electric ones. The Greek government provides a budget of 40 million euros for this purpose. The new program will allow cab owners to apply for a subsidy […]
January 03, 2023
Despite an excellent December month (+20,6% compared to last year), the Belgian car market regressed by 4,4% compared to 2021. This was due to significant deficits in sales in the first seven months, which couldn’t be compensated by the progress in the last five months. As the Belgian market stays dominated by company cars, BMW […]
January 03, 2023
Ram’s electric pickup is set to debut in less than a week, and up until recently, it wasn’t exactly clear what it would be called. However, a new trademark filed with the United States Patent and Trademark Office indicates it could go by the name of Ram 1500 REV. On January 5, Ram will reveal […]
December 30, 2022
The United States is leaving an opening for foreign carmakers to benefit from EV tax credits of up to $7 500 under the Inflation Reduction Act. According to the Bloomberg news agency, The US Treasury Department signals in its Frequently Asked Questions list a commercial-vehicle clause in the law that imported EVs can qualify for […]
December 30, 2022
From now on, Hyundai Motors has decided to sell only pure electric vehicles in Norway. The Hyundai Group has invested a lot lately in developing electric cars. It is already benefitting from it as it has become the third biggest car manufacturer in the world. Hyundai imported the first electric Ioniq in Norway in 2016, […]
December 30, 2022
Belgian citizens can be extremely annoyed by unsocial behavior in traffic and illegal dumping in their surroundings. Inappropriate speed, aggressive driving, inappropriate parking and illegal dumping in the neighborhood are considered among the most irritating inconveniences. That is what the latest Security Monitor 2021 – a large-scale population screening among almost 100 000 citizens by […]
