Almost 10% of Belgian children are not systematically secured in car

January 16, 2026

Almost one in ten children under 1.35 meters tall are not consistently secured in their car seats. Of the children who are secured, not all are in a child seat. In addition, one in five children keeps their coats on in their car seats in winter. This is according to a new study by the […]

Toyota Motor Europe scores sales record in 2025

January 16, 2026

Toyota Motor Europe (TME) sold a record 1,229,038 Toyota and Lexus vehicles in 2025 (+1%). TME’s mix of electrified vehicles grew to 77%, an increase of 5%, with sales of battery electric vehicles up 46%, plug-in hybrids up 76%, and hybrids up 3%. Toyota Professional’s range of commercial vehicles also achieved an all-time sales record […]

Nissan’s new NX8 for China bets on two horses: EV and EREV

January 16, 2026

Nissan’s newest SUV, developed and launched first in China, signals a clear break from the product playbook that has defined the brand’s global lineup for the past decade. The NX8, a car from the Dongfeng Nissan subsidiary, is a reminder that much of Nissan’s zero-emission innovation is now emerging from its Chinese joint venture rather than […]

13,600 km across Africa in a fully electric bus: Uganda’s electric moment

January 16, 2026

After 39 days and more than 13,600 kilometers on the open road across Africa, the Grand Electric Trans-African Expedition concluded on Sunday as the team returned to Kampala aboard a fully electric bus designed and built in Uganda, Kiira Motors Corporation’s flagship 13-meter Kayoola EV Model 2025. The journey, which began in November 2025 and […]

Fastned’s positive Q4 results highlight a shift in Europe’s EV charging war

January 16, 2026

Fastned’s latest quarterly update underlines how quickly Europe’s fast-charging market is maturing. The Dutch operator closed Q4 2025 with €38.1 million in charging-related revenue, up 44 percent year on year, delivering nearly 55 GWh across more than two million sessions at 406 stations across nine countries. On the surface, the figures signal continued momentum in […]

Lufthansa Group tightens rules for fire-prone power banks on planes

January 15, 2026

The Lufthansa Group, including its subsidiary Brussels Airlines, is tightening the rules for power banks on board flights. For example, they may no longer be used to charge devices, and storing them in the overhead compartment above the seats is also prohibited. The tightening of the rules is due to an increase in fire incidents […]

Velofollies 2026: 300 exhibitors, 600 brands, and lots of cycling experience

January 15, 2026

This weekend, from 16 to 18 January 2026, Kortrijk Xpo will host the 18th edition of Velofollies, the must-visit event for active cyclists and cycling enthusiasts. With over 300 exhibitors and nearly twice as many brands represented, the show will offer a complete range of bicycles, from recreational and utility models — e-bikes, urban bikes, […]

Tesla ends one-time FSD purchases over low adoption

January 15, 2026

Tesla is closing the door on a long-standing sales tactic for its most controversial software feature, Full Self-Driving (FSD). Starting next month, buyers will no longer be able to purchase it outright, but will need to chose a monthly subscription. CEO Elon Musk, who pitched FSD as one of the company’s major income assets, confirmed […]

BMW’s M Division goes fully electric

January 15, 2026

To be an electric leader over the long term, BMW also needs to electrify the emotional core of its brand: high-performance sports sedans like the M3 and M5. And it needs to do that with products that enthusiasts will accept as authentic. “BMW M’s high-performance vehicles will soon deliver the ‘Ultimate Driving Machine’ experience in […]

Lucid to arrive in Belgium: late to the party, but betting on its efficiency

January 15, 2026

While the Brussels Motor Show underlines how rapidly Europe’s car market is electrifying, one premium EV brand remains conspicuously absent from the exhibition halls: Lucid Motors. Yet behind the scenes, the American luxury electric carmaker is quietly preparing for its long-awaited entry into the Belgian market. After almost two years of delay, it’s working to […]

How Hedin’s Benelux CEO builds a ‘Chinese Wall’ around Its EV strategy

January 15, 2026

At the Brussels Motor Show, the Belgian introduction of NIO and Firefly was more than just another Chinese brand launch. It was a case study in how Europe’s largest dealer groups are rethinking retail, aftersales, and competition in the electric era. In an interview with newmobility.news, Eddy Haesendonck, CEO Benelux of Hedin Automotive, explained why […]

German Flixbus acquires Luxembourg airport shuttle platform Flibco

January 14, 2026

On Tuesday, the German bus company Flix, parent company of FlixBus, announced the acquisition of a majority share of Flibco, a leading European airport transfer platform currently owned by the Luxembourg company SLG (formerly Sales-Lentz Group). The parties involved did not disclose financial details. The Flibco name will, in any case, be retained after the takeover. […]

Eurostar hits 20 million passengers a year, a first in its history

January 14, 2026

Eurostar’s high-speed trains carried a record 20 million passengers last year. By investing in new trains and routes, the high-speed train operator, which currently has a monopoly on passenger transport through the Channel Tunnel, aims to reach 30 million passengers in the long term. Compared with 2024, passenger numbers increased by half a million, or just […]

2030 climate target slipping out of reach, says Copernicus

January 14, 2026

If global warming continues at its current pace, the most important global climate goal could be missed by the end of this decade. The European climate service Copernicus warns of this in an annual report. The last eleven years have been the warmest on record – an undeniable trend toward a warmer climate – the Copernicus […]

Renault courts premium buyers with new Filante crossover flagship

January 14, 2026

Renault has lifted the curtain on its new Filante crossover with an unmistakable message. The French carmaker is no longer satisfied with its role as a producer of sensible, mid-market vehicles. Instead, it is placing a costly bet on wealthier customers. But its ambition has no place on European roads. The Filante is Renault’s largest […]

Stellantis ends Jeep and Chrysler PHEV production in North America

January 14, 2026

Stellantis has officially discontinued all plug-in hybrid electric vehicles (PHEVs) sold under its Jeep and Chrysler brands in North America. The CEO of Stellantis’ biggest competitor, GM, is somewhat surprised by this decision. Although GM has also slowed EV production, Mary Barra remains convinced that EVs will be the endgame. It will only take longer. […]

Lufthansa Group partners with Starlink for Wi-Fi on all flights

January 14, 2026

The Lufthansa Group, which includes Brussels Airlines, will offer free, high-speed Wi-Fi on its approximately 850 aircraft starting in the second half of 2026. It will do so using the Starlink satellite network from SpaceX, the American space company owned by billionaire Elon Musk. The collaboration with Starlink applies to the entire Lufthansa Group, which also […]

VW Group delivered almost 1 million BEVs in 2025

January 14, 2026

The Volkswagen Group delivered 983,100 electric vehicles worldwide across all brands in 2025, nearly a third more than in 2024. In Europe, deliveries increased by 66%. With a 32% increase compared to the 744,800 battery-electric vehicles delivered in 2024, the VW Group has returned to its growth trajectory. In 2024, global electric vehicle sales had declined […]

Mazda Europe CEO on EVs, profit, and trust: ‘otherwise we could not survive’

January 14, 2026

The Brussels Motor Show has quietly grown into one of Europe’s most relevant automotive stages, and for Mazda, it has taken on a particular symbolic value. With Belgium lacking a domestic car brand, Brussels functions, as Mazda Europe CEO Martijn ten Brink put it in an interview with newmobility. news, like the “Switzerland of the automotive […]

Kia on top, China still out: what Arval’s 2025 fully electric top ten reveals

January 14, 2026

Leasing company Arval published its Top Ten most-ordered company cars for 2025, and one thing stands out immediately: every single model on the list was fully electric, and none came from a Chinese brand. In Belgium, this outcome is hardly accidental. From 2026 onwards, only zero-emission company cars will remain 100 percent tax-deductible, a fiscal […]

Stromer recalls 6,500 speed pedelecs over suspension fork safety issue

January 13, 2026

Swiss company Stromer, which has been the market leader in speed pedelecs in the Netherlands and Belgium for many years, has recalled approximately 6,500 devices. The speed pedelecs are equipped with a WREN brand suspension fork, but they have a safety issue. A risk of metal fatigue has been identified in the steering tube of the […]

Brussels’ Delta and Herrmann-Debroux metro stations to get facelift

January 13, 2026

After Diamant, Maalbeek/Maelbeek, Stokkel/Stockel, and Ossegem/Osseghem, Brussels metro stations Delta and Herrmann-Debroux on line 5 in Oudergem are also getting a facelift this year. The work is part of Brussels Mobility’s Refresh program. With the Refresh program, Brussels Mobility aims to quickly improve user comfort through targeted interventions, without waiting for a complete renovation. The […]

Mercedes EV sales slide deepens as BMW widens the gap

January 13, 2026

Mercedes-Benz entered the new year under growing pressure to demonstrate that its electric strategy remains on track. Latest figures show the German premium carmaker lost more ground to BMW in battery-electric vehicle sales last year. Chased hot on the heels by the competition, demand has weakened in key regions. A spark of hope comes from […]

EX30 lifts Volvo Car Ghent output 14% despite recall of China-built cars

January 13, 2026

Volvo Car Ghent has released its 2025 production figures, with a total of 212,177 vehicles produced in the Belgian factory. That’s 14% more than the year before, but not quite at the same level as in 2023 or in previous record years. The EX30 is part of the positive picture, but the XC40 remains by […]

Scammers resell driving test appointments slots in Flanders

January 13, 2026

Fraudulent traffickers in Flanders are systematically stealing time slots for practical driving tests and then reselling them to people who want to pass their exam faster. The fraud was discovered by the consumer radio program WinWin. It remains unclear how the fraudsters operate. However, it involves a form of hacking in which hackers reserve time slots […]

Katrin Adt, Dacia CEO: ‘We don’t want more volume at a high cost’

January 13, 2026

At the Brussels Motor Show, gaining in international importance, we were able to meet an increasing number of company representatives. One of them was Katrin Adt, the recently appointed new CEO of Dacia. Her message was clear: “We want our offer to be simple and affordable. Expanding into the fleet/leasing market is certainly not one […]

Price floors instead of tariffs: EU’s risky bet on Chinese EVs

January 13, 2026

The European Union has opened a narrow path for Chinese electric vehicle makers to sidestep punitive import duties. Detailed guidance shows how minimum prices could substitute for tariffs that have caused trade tensions between the two blocs since 2024. But why does Brussels want to hand over its extra income from punitive tariffs to the […]

MINI’s electric turn fuels its growth from niche to core business

January 12, 2026

MINI’s performance in 2025 offers an interesting case study for policymakers following the transition of Europe’s automotive sector. While much of the industry struggled with declining volumes, rising costs, and uncertainty around electrification, the BMW Group’s compact brand managed to grow. Global MINI deliveries increased by 17.7 percent to 288,290 vehicles, with electrification emerging as […]

Former Belgian Energy Minister swaps politics for wind turbine lobby

January 12, 2026

Former Energy Minister Tinne Van der Straeten (Green) is leaving politics and becoming CEO of the green interest group WindEurope. Van der Straeten resigns from parliament and will start working at WindEurope on February 2nd. “Wind energy is crucial for the continent’s electricity supply, economic competitiveness, and climate goals. It provides Europe with affordable electricity, strengthens […]

Engie forced to spit out €3bn extra for Belgian nuclear exit

January 12, 2026

Engie must set aside an additional 3 billion euros to finance the dismantling of nuclear power plants. This is according to a report by Niras, the national institution for radioactive waste, as reported by De Tijd and L’Echo. The French energy company, which operates the seven nuclear power plants in Belgium, has agreed with the […]

MR wants to reduce fines for Brussels LEZ violations from 350 to 15 euros

January 12, 2026

The French-speaking liberal MR faction in the Brussels Parliament has proposed a measure to significantly reduce fines for violations of the low-emission zone (LEZ) in the capital. The MR strongly opposes what it calls ‘punitive ecology’. It wants to reduce LEZ fines from €350 to €15. This would immediately remove the big stick for owners […]

Hyundai Staria Electric breaks cover at BMS 2026

January 12, 2026

Four years after the launch of Hyundai’s futuristic minivan, and two years after rumors of an electric version, Hyundai has unveiled the Staria Electric at the Brussels Motor Show (BMS) 2026. It features the 800V drivetrain of its Ioniq siblings, while the revamped interior will also make its way to the rest of the range. […]

Traxio & Febiac: ‘Used motorcycle market 2025 rebounds, new market stable’

January 12, 2026

New motorcycle registrations fell by 12.2% in 2025 (to 24,872 units) compared to 2024. However, 2024 was the best year of the past 15 years. The sector expects a strong start to 2026, thanks in part to the Brussels Auto Show, where nearly 20 motorcycle brands will be represented this year and at least 310 […]

Kia debuts its affordable EV2 electric car in Brussels

January 12, 2026

Kia kicks off the new year with the unveiling of the EV2, its affordable electric car designed to drive adoption among the broadest audience. At the Brussels Motor Show, the world premiere was a key driver of its international appeal. Unveiled to the public in Brussels during the press day last Friday, the Kia EV2 […]

Brussels Motor Show rediscovers its role as EU’s automotive reality check

January 12, 2026

With +100,000 or more than 20% extra visitors during the opening weekend compared with last year, the 102nd edition of the Brussels Motor Show has made one thing immediately clear: Brussels has become a genuine barometer of confidence. It’s a reality check: it is still a ‘sales’ show, not just an exhibition. If private buyers […]

Mercedes-Benz CLA is the European Car of the Year 2026

January 11, 2026

At the press day of the Brussels Motor Show last Friday, the organizers of the annual European Car of the Year election announced that the new Mercedes-Benz CLA can now call itself COTY 2026. In this 63rd edition of the election, the 59 members of the Jury, all car journalists from more than 20 European […]

Impulse Belgium: Infrabel’s new start-up incubator

January 10, 2026

Belgian railway network operator Infrabel is launching Impulse Belgium, a start-up laboratory, according to the business newspaper De Tijd. Through this internal innovation unit, Infrabel aims to focus on projects that enhance the network’s efficiency and safety. Two projects are being put forward: opening their electricity grid to third parties and using AI for railway maintenance. […]

Beijing’s air quality better than ever thanks to NEVs

January 10, 2026

Air quality in Beijing is better than ever. In 2025, the city reported more than 340 days of ‘good’ or ‘moderate’ air quality, attributable to strict emission regulations and the growing number of electric vehicles in Chinese cities. Heavy pollution days dropped from dozens per year in the early 2010s to almost zero. Over the […]

SD Worx: ‘Number of new company cars fell by half in 2025’

January 10, 2026

Company managers and employers often prefer to extend their current contracts by one year rather than purchase a new company car to keep the old, more favourable corporate tax deduction rules in place for longer. And if a new company car is purchased, it is greener but more expensive. By the end of 2024, 8 out […]

Dumarey Powerglide in Strasbourg closes down: 320 jobs lost

January 10, 2026

There has been unrest for some time at the Dumarey factory in Strasbourg, which manufactures car gearboxes. The union protest is set to grow now that West Flemish businessman Guido Dumarey has announced plans to close the factory in Alsace, France, before the end of this year. The closure could result in the loss of […]

810 km on a charge: Volvo’s all-new EX60 aims to crush range anxiety

January 09, 2026

Volvo Cars is raising the stakes in the crowded compact electric SUV market with its upcoming EX60. The battery-powered successor to its bestselling XC60 will travel farther and charge faster than any electric Volvo before. The EX60, set for full disclosure on January 21, is positioned as a critical model for Volvo as it tries […]

Longer range lifts Volkswagen electric Transporter’s appeal for fleets

January 09, 2026

Volkswagen Commercial Vehicles has refreshed its electric Transporter and Caravelle with a larger usable battery, faster charging, and an all-wheel-drive option. This should align the vans better with the needs of fleet buyers who demand electric light commercial vehicles to move beyond city-only duties. A lack of incentives and demanding use cases are hampering the […]

Engie to demolish Tihange 1; Belgian government wants it reopened

January 08, 2026

The French energy company Engie, which also operates in Belgium, has obtained a permit to demolish the cooling tower of the Tihange 1 nuclear power plant. It wants to start dismantling it in September. This undermines the plans of Energy Minister Mathieu Bihet (MR), who wants to restart the plant and negotiate an additional 10-year […]

Belgium raised more than a billion euros in kilometer tax

January 08, 2026

The kilometer charge for trucks in Belgium once again generated more than a billion euros last year – €1,060 billion to be precise. This is evident from statistics compiled by Viapass, the interregional entity that coordinates and monitors the kilometer charge in Belgium. In concrete terms, the toll generated €691.8 million in Flanders, €357.4 million […]

Belgium’s bus sector taps unemployed workers with paid driver training

January 08, 2026

Now that many long-term unemployed people in Belgium are losing their allowance, the bus and coach sector is calling on them to become bus drivers. The industry is facing a severe staff shortage and has 530 vacancies. The 374 companies in the sector, united in the FBAA sector federation, are even willing to finance the training. […]

In 2025, the North Sea was warmer than ever: 11.6°C

January 08, 2026

According to the German Hydrographic and Maritime Transport Office (BSH), the temperature of the North Sea in 2025 was the hottest ever recorded. Compared to the long-term average from 1997 to 2021, it was 0.9°C warmer. The BSH examines the surface temperatures of the North Sea and the Baltic Sea weekly, combining satellite data with […]

The vacuum cleaner’s hypercar dream(e)s that come true in Vegas

January 08, 2026

Chinese appliance maker Dreame, stepping onto the CES 2026 stage in Las Vegas, clearly hadn’t come to talk about better suction power alone. Next to robot vacuums and cordless cleaners, the company unveiled three dramatic electric sports car concepts. An idea that it has been playing with for some time now, coming true in Vegas, […]

Alpine extends its distribution network in Belgium

January 08, 2026

Reinforced by its recent sales successes, Alpine is substantially enlarging its dealer network in Belgium. “This strategic enlargement follows the dynamic growth curve of Alpine and shows that Alpine wants to be even closer to its customers to deploy its electric portfolio progressively,” says the importer, Renault Belgium. Alpine already has ‘Alpine Stores’ in Antwerp, […]

Former Polestar CEO Thomas Ingenlath returns to Volvo Cars

January 08, 2026

Volvo Cars announces the appointment of Thomas Ingenlath as Chief Design Officer, effective 1 February 2026. Meanwhile, Volvo also reported its December sales and 2025 results. “The appointment of Thomas Ingenlath marks the return of one of the most influential designers in the company’s recent history and reinforces Volvo Cars’ leadership in design,” Volvo proudly […]

Xiaomi updates its SU7 in China and Europe should pay attention

January 08, 2026

Smartphone maker Xiaomi has given its SU7 electric sedan a significant mid-cycle update in China, underscoring that its ambitions in the automotive sector extend beyond a one-off debut. And Europe should pay attention. The refreshed model, now open for pre-orders ahead of an April 2026 launch, brings higher-end hardware, longer range, and more advanced driver-assistance […]

Bosch fights resale of stolen e-bikes also via new app

January 07, 2026

Bosch eBike Systems is making its e-bikes less attractive to thieves. At CES 2026 in Las Vegas, the company is presenting an additional protection mechanism that allows e-bikes to be marked as stolen via an app, making them visible as such across Bosch eBike Systems’ entire digital ecosystem. Bosch has added an extra layer of […]

Riding the jet stream: Lufthansa turns 100

January 07, 2026

Lufthansa, founded on January 6, 1926, as “Luft Hansa,” celebrates its 100th anniversary today. The history of the German airline is almost as turbulent as aviation itself. From a technological pioneer in the 1920s to an active role during the Nazi regime, Lufthansa grew into Europe’s largest airline group, at least in terms of revenue. […]

Cambio sees number of users increase by 15%

January 07, 2026

Car-sharing operator Cambio saw its user base increase by 15% last year, from 71,500 in 2024 to 82,000 in 2025. The shared-mobility provider has about 3,000 cars available – including more than 400 electric vehicles – in 147 cities and municipalities across Belgium. The cambio cars are used intensively, ensuring that cambio users (80% of […]

BMW builds one-fourth of all cars assembled in Germany

January 07, 2026

Last year, the BMW Group once again produced more than one million vehicles at its German plants. This means that one in four cars built in Germany comes from a BMW Group plant. According to the German Association of the Automotive Industry (VDA), a total of 4.15 million vehicles were manufactured in Germany during the […]

Fastned expands to over 400 locations across Europe

January 07, 2026

The Dutch charging provider Fastned expanded its European fast-charging network to over 400 locations by the end of 2025. A total of 406 Fastned locations are now present in the Netherlands, France, Belgium, Germany, the United Kingdom, Switzerland, Denmark, Spain, and Italy. In its announcement of this milestone, Fastned reflected on its journey to date: […]

EV Belgium’s success story and the silence on convincing consumers

January 07, 2026

At its annual press conference, EV Belgium, the umbrella federation representing the business ecosystem behind zero-emission mobility, delivered impressive figures: 2025 ended with more than 145,000 newly sold electric vehicles, a market share of 35 percent, and nearly 450,000 EVs on Belgian roads. Much of that success, however, is driven by the continued dominance of […]

BMW and Mercedes compete on AI assistance at CES

January 07, 2026

At the Consumer Electronics Show (CES) in Las Vegas, the German premium car manufacturers BMW and Mercedes-Benz are taking their intense rivalry to the technology show, showcasing digital AI innovations in their latest-generation vehicles. On the one hand, there’s the BMW Group with AI assistant technology via a collaboration with Amazon Alexa; on the other […]

Brussels Motor Show 2026: the car salon that refused to disappear

January 07, 2026

Brussels is set to reclaim center stage in the European automotive calendar this winter, as the 102nd Brussels Motor Show opens from 9 to 18 January 2026 at Brussels Expo in Heysel. After drawing more than 307,000 visitors at the previous edition, organizers once again expect comparable numbers, confirming the Belgian show’s remarkable resurgence at […]

Leapmotor’s momentum builds with record sales and first flagship MPV

January 06, 2026

Chinese start-up Leapmotor is rocketing toward the big leagues. The brand became China’s No. 1 NEV start-up car brand, with a 103% year-on-year increase in sales, bringing its total to over 600,000 vehicles sold. And to add to the tally, the company has unveiled its first MPV, the D99. Leapmotor was founded in 2015 and […]

Norwegian car sales are now (as good as) fully electric

January 06, 2026

Norway closed out 2025 with a milestone: nearly 100% of electric car registrations. The country has officially reached its long-standing target: a new car fleet free of tailpipe emissions. Simultaneously, the share of electric cars on Norwegian roads now overshadows that of diesel cars. Norway’s new-car market shattered records in 2025, both in total sales […]

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