Chinese-built Ioniq V might land in Europe, but not in Zeebrugge

August 25, 2026

When Hyundai unveiled the Ioniq V at the Beijing Auto Show four months ago, the assumption still was that there was no genuine plan to bring the futuristic-looking electric hatchback to Europe. But Hyundai’s CEO talks openly about exporting China-built cars westward, and the V might be good enough to get an international travel passport. […]

Major clean-up effort at Brussels North Station yields 5.5 tons of trash

August 24, 2026

On Friday, regional and municipal sanitation services cleared 5.5 metric tons of trash from around Brussels’ North Station, a notorious hotspot for litter, illegal dumping, and street debris. This is equivalent to the amount of trash an average Belgian family would accumulate over about ten to twelve years. The amount of cleared trash immediately highlights […]

Higher CO2 levels make food more calorie-dense but not more nutritious

August 24, 2026

Scientists at Leiden University have found evidence that plants grow faster due to increased CO2. The flip side is that they become higher in calories but less nutritious. The nutritional value of virtually all crops has declined – plants contain less protein, iron, and other nutrients.  The Leiden study pooled thousands of observations across dozens of crops […]

ParkBee app will now also offer street parking

August 24, 2026

ParkBee plans to expand its parking app service in Belgium to street parking. After this summer, drivers looking for a parking spot can find one not only in private parking garages using the ParkBee app but also on the street. ParkBee won’t add an additional service fee; the aim is to ease parking pressure in towns […]

Emergency door handle triggers China’s largest recall action in history 

August 24, 2026

China just launched the largest coordinated vehicle recall in its history. More than 4.3 million cars from at least ten brands are heading back to the workshop because of the mechanical emergency release inside the cabin. Tesla is the biggest single name on the list. Illegal in 2027 The use of electrically actuated flush door […]

Global electric truck and bus sales nearly doubled in 2025

August 24, 2026

According to a study by the International Council on Clean Transportation (ICCT), electric trucks and buses reached half a million units and a market share of nearly 14%, largely driven by China’s expansion in the truck segment. Electric trucks and buses crossed the half-million-unit mark globally in 2025, with sales nearly doubling (+86%) for the […]

MG’s €13,500 fastback explodes in China, but Europe is complicated

August 24, 2026

Two months after MG unveiled its new 07 fastback in China, the car has turned into an instant hit. SAIC’s British-born brand says it secured more than 10,000 firm orders in just one minute and 57 seconds after opening the books. Total pre-orders climbed from 45,000 on launch day to 59,000 the next day. MG […]

Genk launches city-wide platform to trade neighbors’ solar power

August 24, 2026

The city of Genk (Belgium) will be among the first to establish an energy community in which residents, associations, and companies can buy and sell locally generated renewable electricity. Genk calls the initiative “a Belgian first for a public authority,” but municipalities including Ganshoren and Ixelles have already launched similar initiatives. For the Genk project, the […]

NMN launches TCO Calculator: what will your next car really cost? (update)

August 22, 2026

Buying a car is no longer simply a matter of comparing sticker prices. An electric car may cost more to buy but less to run, a hybrid can save fuel without requiring a charger, and a cheap used car may lose little value but require more maintenance. Taxes can alter the picture again, especially in […]

Waymo unleashes its Swedish-Chinese Zeekr robotaxi in San Francisco

August 21, 2026

If you hail a Waymo in San Francisco today, there is a growing chance that a Chinese-built, Swedish-designed Zeekr will turn up instead of the familiar Jaguar I-Pace. Waymo has now opened its new Ojai robotaxi to regular paying customers after California regulators cleared the vehicle for commercial driverless rides. The rollout marks a major […]

Transavia turns Brussels Airport into its fourth home base

August 21, 2026

The Dutch airline Transavia plans to establish a long-term presence at Brussels Airport. It has opened a new crew center there and stationed a fourth aircraft. From now on, it will also employ Belgian staff, and the plan is to expand further the base, which currently employs 150 people. “Brussels has become a full-fledged fourth […]

Genesis presents electric flagship GV90: not subtle, but slated for Europe

August 21, 2026

Genesis just pulled the wraps off its GV90 flagship SUV. A newcomer in the electric segment that is impossible to ignore. The setting, in San Francisco, might seem fitting for a 5.2-meter-long behemoth. But here’s the thing: it is heading toward Europe as the largest battery-electric vehicle you can buy. The GV90 is the production […]

Minister disputes claims of understaffed De Lijn safety unit

August 21, 2026

The number of social safety experts at the Flemish public transportation company De Lijn has been cut in half since 2019, from six to three. According to the ACV union and several members of the Flemish Parliament, this number is sufficient to handle more than 2,000 cases of aggression annually, support victims, review surveillance footage, […]

Semi truck comes to Europe: can Tesla disrupt one more time?

August 21, 2026

The Tesla Semi is coming to Europe. Almost a decade after Elon Musk first showed his electric truck with its bullet-shaped cab, Tesla has confirmed it will sell the zero-emission heavy hauler on this side of the Atlantic. What does it bring that Windrose doesn’t already offer? On paper, the Tesla Semi offers the most […]

BMW shows details of the electric M3 Concept

August 21, 2026

BMW showed its ‘beast’, the M3 Concept based on the Neue Klasse platform, for the first time at the 24 Hours of Le Mans. Now, BMW showed it for the first time in the U.S. at the Monterey Car Week, with a lot more pics and details. Officially, the M Concept Neue Klasse aims to […]

London’s ULEZ clears the air and children’s lungs show the difference

August 20, 2026

Air quality in London has improved significantly since the expansion of the Ultra-Low-Emission Zone – an area within the city where polluting vehicles must pay a fee to enter. The ULEZ was first established under current London Mayor Sadiq Khan in 2019, was expanded in 2021 and 2023, and now covers all of Greater London, […]

Judge bans NMBS/SNCB from operating noisy diesel trains at Lokeren station

August 20, 2026

A judge has ruled in favor of a resident living near the Lokeren station in a complaint about noise pollution from diesel trains left idling while on standby there. As a result of the ruling, the Belgian railway company NMBS/SNCB must adjust its schedule for trains serving Lokeren, the Ghent region, and Ronse, and vice […]

BMW to review model lineup

August 20, 2026

BMW is expected to drop niche models from its lineup, including the large XM plug-in hybrid and the 8 Series, as the Munich car manufacturer seeks to reduce costs while rolling out the Neue Klasse technology platform across some 40 models by the end of 2027. BMW Group’s new CEO, Milan Nedeljkovic, is reviewing BMW’s […]

Ghent loses its Volvo plant boss but gains an ally at the top

August 20, 2026

Volvo Car Gent has to start looking for a new plant director less than a year after Magnus Nilsson took charge. But his departure may be better news for the Belgian factory than it first appears. From September 1, Nilsson becomes Volvo Cars’ Chief Manufacturing Officer and joins the Executive Management Team, just as Ghent […]

Einride orders 500 Tesla Semi trucks through partnership deal with Tesla

August 20, 2026

Einride, a provider specializing in electric and autonomous freight transport, wants to expand its electric fleet in the US with 500 Tesla Semi trucks. The battery-powered trucks are to be used, among other things, for Amazon’s logistics operations. Einride has announced a partnership with Tesla to prepare for the “world’s largest Tesla Semi deployment.” The […]

Belgium’s EV lobby wants social leasing, but who should foot the bill?

August 20, 2026

Belgium’s EV sector is urging the federal government to launch a social-leasing scheme for electric cars from 2027, with both new and used EVs eligible. Sector federation EV Belgium says lower-income households that depend on a car for work should have access to affordable financing, allowing them to benefit from lower running costs rather than […]

Virgin Trains gets green light for 20 daily Channel Tunnel services

August 19, 2026

Legally speaking, the door had been open for some time for the British company Virgin Trains to become a competitor to the high-speed rail operator Eurostar. But with approval from the British rail regulator ORR for rail access on High Speed 1 (HS1) – or between St. Pancras and the entrance to the Channel Tunnel […]

From fatbike to skinnybike: Dutch e-bike craze finds a new loophole

August 19, 2026

A new phenomenon has emerged in the Netherlands: the skinnybike – the counterpart to the fatbike. Skinnybikes have tires that are up to six centimeters narrower than those of a fatbike. Like fatbikes, they are theoretically electric bikes with pedal assistance up to 25 kilometers per hour. You therefore have to keep pedaling to move […]

Plug Power exit pushes Antwerp closer to hydrogen import-hub role

August 19, 2026

Another setback for hydrogen advocates in the Port of Antwerp-Bruges: The American company Plug Power is permanently scrapping its plans to build a hydrogen plant on the former Opel site in the Port of Antwerp. Last week it was reported that Fluxys is having difficulty finding customers for its hydrogen pipeline network. Due to this […]

BMW prepares Leipzig plant for Neue Klasse production

August 19, 2026

BMW has used a five-and-a-half-week production break at its Leipzig plant to carry out extensive upgrades ahead of Neue Klasse production. To that end, BMW replaced 240 lift tables and installed 160 new robots. BMW has yet to reveal which models it will produce there. As early as June, BMW announced plans to prepare its […]

Belgium’s technical car checks split three ways, ruffling feathers south

August 19, 2026

From September 1, Flanders will take a radically different approach to technical vehicle inspections from that of Brussels in Wallonia. Ordinary passenger cars will only have to be checked every two years, regardless of age or mileage. The move brings Flanders closer to the European minimum and countries such as Germany and France. Still, it […]

Horse powertrain bets on methanol for range-extended electric vehicles

August 19, 2026

The Renault-Geely powertrain joint venture Horse Powertrain has unveiled a methanol-only range extender system. While this might not be the best fit for Europe, methanol-based drivelines are a big thing in China. But are they CO2-friendly? The D20 Methanol driveline from Horse was presented at Auto China 2026. It pairs a 2.0-liter turbocharged four-cylinder engine […]

Geely launches E2 in Benelux, arriving September 11th (update)

August 19, 2026

Geely has put a firm date on the Benelux launch of its compact E2 electric hatchback. The Chinese bestseller will arrive at official dealers in Belgium and the Netherlands on September 11 and 12, sharpening the European rollout announced earlier this month. The launch date was shared by Geely’s director of sales & network Benelux, […]

Belgium’s 12,000-liter Seagle wants to become Europe’s new fire bomber

August 18, 2026

From the High Fens in the Belgian Ardennes to the island of Skyros in Greece: Europe is desperate for every drop of water to put an end to wildfires, but amphibious firefighting aircraft are, of course, also crucial for extinguishing large-scale forest fires. Unfortunately, Europe is currently facing a severe and critical shortage of these […]

Europe wants circular cars, Belgium already has 98% recycling system

August 18, 2026

Europe has tightened the rules governing what happens to a car throughout its life. Since 13 August, the new European Vehicle Circularity Regulation has been in force, requiring manufacturers not only to recycle vehicles but also to design them for easier dismantling and reuse, and to feed recovered materials back into new cars. Belgium starts […]

Diabetes behind the wheel: is Belgium’s licence law stuck in the past?

August 18, 2026

Belgium requires virtually every driver diagnosed with diabetes to obtain a medically restricted license, while neighboring countries increasingly focus only on those whose condition or treatment creates a real driving risk. Yet according to the Belgian road safety institute Vias, one in five people with diabetes is driving without the required adapted license. That discrepancy […]

Mercedes C with internal combustion engines gets updated

August 18, 2026

Shortly after the European market launch of the electric C‑Class, the ICE model family (codename W206), sedan and estate, receive a comprehensive technical upgrade and a sharper silhouette with an expressive light signature. With a sharper presence, enhanced comfort, and a broad choice of electrified high-tech petrol and gasoline engines, as well as plug-in hybrid models, […]

Hyundai Ioniq 3 dips below €30,000 to make Kia EV3 blush

August 18, 2026

Hyundai has opened Belgian order books for the Ioniq 3, pricing the compact electric hatchback at a competitive €29,995. It undercuts its Kia EV3 sibling by a wide margin. First deliveries are scheduled for October 2026. Hyundai’s Belgian importer, Astara Western Europe, has landed close enough to make the Ioniq 3 one of the most […]

New Geely chairman An Conghui’s EU push could reshape Volvo Ghent

August 18, 2026

Geely founder Li Shufu is stepping back from the listed carmaker as it accelerates in Europe, handing the chairmanship to An Conghui and the CEO role to Gan Jiayue while remaining chairman of parent Zhejiang Geely Holding. It coincides with a major change in Geely’s international strategy. The group no longer wants to rely mainly […]

Brussels Airlines chases the Northern Lights with new Arctic routes

August 17, 2026

Starting this winter, Brussels Airlines will operate scheduled flights to the Far North, specifically to Evenes in Norway and to Kemi and Kittilä in Finland. “Winter vacations in the Arctic are becoming increasingly popular,” the airline says. In addition to scheduled flights, Brussels will continue to partner with travel agencies for charter flights to the […]

Belgium builds hydrogen highway, but customers don’t bite

August 17, 2026

The new 48-kilometer hydrogen pipeline that Belgian gas network operator Fluxys is constructing between the industrial clusters of the ports of Antwerp (Kallo) and Ghent (Zelzate) is facing a difficult period. According to the business newspapers De Tijd and L’Echo, no binding contracts have yet been signed with any customers. The pipeline network is intended […]

UK considers halving 2030 EV target to 50%, but 2035 ban stays

August 17, 2026

The British government has launched a consultation round that could slash its 2030 electric vehicle sales target from 80 percent to as low as 50 percent. But the 2035 ban on new gasoline and diesel cars remains fixed. The British ZEV mandate has its own ladder to reach defined targets. The percentage of new car […]

Oil majors double profits as Europe debates taxing the windfall

August 17, 2026

Europe’s major oil companies have more than doubled their profits in the latest quarter of 2026, reigniting the debate over whether governments should tax part of those gains while simultaneously spending public money to shield motorists from high fuel prices. According to an analysis by the environmental lobby group Transport & Environment, eight major oil […]

France introduces an incentive scheme for used EVs

August 17, 2026

In France, the purchase and leasing of used electric vehicles will receive financial support starting in September. Overall, the measure is not particularly generous: currently, only about 337 euros per vehicle are available through the so-called CEE system. In contrast, healthcare workers can expect significantly more when purchasing a used EV. The scheme is funded […]

Pony.ai and Uber plan over 2,000 robotaxis in Europe

August 17, 2026

Pony.ai and Uber plan to expand their robotaxi operations in Europe, targeting a fleet of more than 2,000 autonomous vehicles. The partners aim to launch services in four additional European cities alongside Zagreb. Pony.ai and Uber began their partnership in May 2025. In spring 2026, they launched their first commercial robotaxi service in Europe, in […]

Germany’s car industry hits 21-year job low after losing 42,300 workers

August 17, 2026

According to official government statistics, the German car industry is shedding jobs faster than any other sector. And the real employee realignment under the pressure of the current crisis still has to begin. Destatis, the Federal Statistical Office, analyzed that 691,500 people were employed in the German automotive industry at the end of June 2026. […]

First Ferrari Luce auctioned for $40 million

August 17, 2026

Sports car manufacturer Ferrari’s first all-electric vehicle once again defied earlier criticism by selling for $40 million (±€35 million), making it the most expensive new car ever sold at auction. The Sotheby’s charity auction of the ‘Tailor-Made’ Luce with chassis number 000 (or, in fact, ZFF21BUA8T0338000 in full reading) at Monterey Car Week broke the […]

NIO’s new swap station welcomes Firefly, but Europe is left out

August 17, 2026

NIO has opened the first of its fifth-generation battery-swap stations in China, finally giving the compact Firefly access to the company’s swapping network. It is an important step for NIO’s technology, but one European Firefly owners should not get too excited about. In Belgium and the Netherlands, swapping is unlikely to become part of the […]

Upcoming Jaguar Type 01 shows its inside

August 14, 2026

After showing the dramatic exterior of the prototype of its first new car in the Type 00 series, Jaguar now lifts the veil on its equally surprising interior. We will learn how the car will look in its production form from the outside on 6 October, when it premieres in New York. Most dramatic inside […]

Tesla ends Sweden’s 3-year strike by buying out every last striker

August 14, 2026

After 1,021 days, or almost three years, Sweden’s largest industrial union IF Metall is calling off its strike against Tesla. The reason is as appalling as it is bitter: the American EV maker bought out the remaining strikers one by one until there was nobody left to picket. The public fight started on October 27, […]

Police warn over TripRank app turning streets into a paid racing game

August 14, 2026

The federal police are sounding the alarm about TripRank, an app that rewards street racing – the latest craze among street racers. The police are warning of life-threatening situations on the road. TripRank records speed, routes traveled, and driving behavior, among other things. The faster users drive on public roads, the more points they receive, and […]

VW revives ID. California: has its electric camper finally lost enough weight?

August 14, 2026

Volkswagen is finally turning the ID. Buzz into a factory-built electric camper. At the Caravan Salon in Düsseldorf later this month, Volkswagen Commercial Vehicles will unveil the ID. California Cruise. It’s a concept that previews not merely one model but a new family of battery-electric California campers planned for gradual introduction toward 2028. In a way, […]

DAF sources Einride for Level 4 autonomy into its electric line-up

August 14, 2026

Einride has been running autonomous freight for years, but always on its own hardware. That changes now. The Swedish operator is partnering with DAF to integrate its Einride Driver software into the Dutch manufacturer’s electric truck production. It’s the first time Einride’s autonomous technology is climbing into somebody else’s cab rather than building its own. […]

Zeekr changes gear in Belgium with Audi veteran as new country boss

August 14, 2026

Chinese premium EV brand Zeekr has appointed Dieter Hannes as Country Manager for Belgium and Luxembourg, effective 12 August.  His arrival marks a new phase for the Geely-owned brand, shifting up one gear. After spending its first months building a dealer network and making itself known, Zeekr now has to convert that footprint into meaningful […]

Chevrolet exits Chinese market, but production will stay

August 14, 2026

General Motors has confirmed that the Chevrolet brand will stop selling new cars in the Chinese market. Meanwhile, GM is clarifying that the brand will continue production within the country but will shift its strategic focus toward exporting vehicles to international markets outside of the United States. The move caps a brutal sales slide for the […]

BYD’s Ti 3 puts 30 years of compact 4×4 design in a blender

August 13, 2026

To European eyes, the Ti 3 looks almost as if BYD has put 30 years of compact 4×4 design into a blender. There is plenty of five-door first-generation Toyota RAV4 in its proportions, some Opel Frontera in the upright flanks and chunky wheel arches, and touches of Suzuki Vitara and Land Rover Defender in the […]

Chinese C199 aims to break the Airbus/Boeing duopoly

August 13, 2026

A C919 aircraft from the Chinese state-owned company Comac made its first international flight yesterday between Beijing and Mongolia. The flight marks an important milestone for China: after all, the C919 is set to compete with the Airbus A320 and the Boeing 737 MAX, medium-sized aircraft that have dominated the market for decades. Yet this […]

ADV Automotive strengthens its Ford distribution, but also eyes other brands

August 13, 2026

With Garage Feyaerts joining ADV Automotive, the dealer group is reinforcing its position as the largest Ford dealer group in Belgium. It now has 14 dealerships across the country. Meanwhile, the group is also looking to enlarge its model portfolio with other (mostly Chinese) brands. Garage Feyaerts, a family-run business, has been active in car […]

More EVs aren’t the real grid problem, charging them all at once is

August 13, 2026

The rapid growth of electric cars is often blamed for putting more pressure on electricity grids. But a new Dutch analysis suggests the biggest problem is not simply how many EVs are plugged in, but how many start charging at the same time. Mobility provider Shuttel analyzed almost two million charging sessions from around 25,000 […]

Fastned’s chargers become cash generators, but bottom line remains red

August 13, 2026

After more than a decade of pouring money into its distinctive yellow-roofed charging stations, Fastned says the investment is finally beginning to pay off. The Dutch company’s existing network is generating considerably more cash, even while it continues building new stations across Europe. Belgium is becoming one of its main expansion markets. Fastned’s charging revenue increased […]

Porsche to form EU CO₂ pool with… Xpeng

August 13, 2026

Porsche has apparently left Volkswagen Group’s EU CO₂ emissions pool and will instead pool its new-car registrations with Chinese EV manufacturer Xpeng in 2026 and 2027. The arrangement could generate regulatory credits for Xpeng as its European sales grow. According to documents from the European Commission, Porsche withdrew from its parent company Volkswagen’s emissions pool […]

How do you keep a hydrogen car on the ground at 654 km/h?

August 13, 2026

At 654 km/h, most aircraft would already have been airborne long before. Andy Green’s job was the opposite: keep four wheels firmly on the Bonneville Salt Flats while pushing a hydrogen-powered machine to a new world speed record. The 64-year-old Briton, who in 1997 became the first and so far only person to break the […]

Tailgating: the Dutch hate it, Belgian drivers do it (update)

August 12, 2026

Tailgating is one of the biggest annoyances in traffic. It is a widespread European and international road-safety problem and not a Belgian or Dutch peculiarity. In the Netherlands, more than one in six motorists (16.2%) cite it as their primary source of irritation. Next come making non-hands-free calls while driving (15.8%) and failing to use […]

Belgian-style surrealism: Carrefour bans EVs from rooftop parking lots

August 12, 2026

In late July, the Carrefour in Kraainem, Belgium, banned EVs from its rooftop parking lots due to weight concerns, i.e., could exceed the load-bearing capacity, and fire hazards. “The measure is not being implemented at every Carrefour store with a rooftop parking lot but is being evaluated on a case-by-case basis,” the company said at […]

BYD’s bargain Seal 06 gets serious as European sales surge

August 12, 2026

BYD’s latest Seal 06 is becoming much more relevant to Europe than the bargain-priced Chinese EV we wrote about last year. The 2027 model combines a larger battery, 800-volt architecture, much faster charging, and up to 630 km of Chinese range, while its domestic entry price has barely moved. When BYD launched the full-electric Seal […]

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