Macron announces several battery projects in the north of France

May 15, 2023

French President Emmanuel Macron visited Dunkerque last week to illustrate his fight for re-industrializing the north of France. The Taiwanese group ProLogium just announced the northern French port as its choice to build a new battery factory. Total investment is estimated at €5,2 billion, of which between 1 and 1,5 billion would come in different […]

Transport federations also want kilometer charge for passenger cars

May 15, 2023

The Flemish government has adopted the updated Flemish Energy and Climate Plan (VEKP). To meet the target of -40% greenhouse gas emissions by 2030, the government is taking additional measures, including extending the truck kilometer charge and a support mechanism for new and second-hand zero-emission vehicles. However, the Transport Federations regret that kilometer charging for […]

Honda expands European range with hybrid ZR-V and electric e:Ny1

May 15, 2023

Honda is accelerating its electrified assault on the European market with the hybrid ZR-V, a compact SUV between the HR-V and the CR-V, and the e:Ny1, an electric SUV that looks strikingly similar to the current HR-V. While Honda has fallen a bit behind in terms of electrification, with currently only a few hybrids and […]

Volvo EX90 and Polestar 3 delayed due to software issues

May 15, 2023

Volvo and Polestar’s new electric flagships are coming later than expected. Delays in the software development of the shared electric platform mean that both the Volvo EX90 and Polestar 3 are not expected before 2024, rather than the second half of 2023. The Volkswagen Group is not the only car manufacturer struggling with the software […]

Northvolt Drei battery factory confirmed in northern Germany

May 15, 2023

“Northvolt has decided to proceed with the next steps concerning its expansion in Heide (northern Germany),” said CEO Peter Carlsson in a joint press release with the German government. Nevertheless, the Swedish battery manufacturer continues considering building an extra gigafactory in North America. In October last year, former Tesla manager Carlsson made all alarm bells […]

Belgium counts fewer road deaths in first three months of 2023

May 15, 2023

During the first three months of this year, the number of on-site traffic fatalities on Belgian roads decreased by 18% compared to the same period last year. There were 89 road fatalities compared to 108 during the same period last year. One in three fatalities is a cyclist or pedestrian. This is according to Vias […]

Mercedes introduces carbon-friendly aluminium on EQE and EQS

May 15, 2023

Mercedes starts to manufacture the EQE and EQS models with aluminium of a significantly reduced carbon footprint as of this summer. As aluminium production emits up to four times more CO2 than steel, this is an important step in further reducing greenhouse gas emissions from its EVs. Compared to the average, the reduction in the […]

Macron could exclude non-European electric cars from EV bonus

May 12, 2023

French President, Emmanuel Macron, could announce a reform of the government’s EV bonus plan. The suggestion could be based on the vehicle’s carbon footprint, thus excluding cars produced in heavy-polluting countries such as China. However, it’s easier said than done. For a few months now, France has considered a way to exclude vehicles built far […]

Edinburgh gets UK’s first autonomous bus service

May 12, 2023

A route with self-driving buses from Stagecoach, UK’s largest bus and coach operator, will start operating in Edinburgh next week, a first in the UK. However, a driver will always be on board to monitor things and take back control of the bus in an emergency. This is also required by UK law. The project, […]

Cupra UrbanRebel becomes Raval, Seat stops producing cars by 2030

May 12, 2023

Cupra does a nifty bit of sleight of hand and transforms its previously announced UrbanRevel into the future Raval. Still a concept car, the urban electric car remains largely the same and foresees the future entre-level Spanish EV to be produced from 2025. Spanish and self-declared sporty brand, Cupra, has us talking about them in […]

Silence opens first Urban Store in Belgium

May 12, 2023

Silence, a manufacturer of microcars and scooters, has opened its first ‘Urban Store’ in Belgium.  The exact location is ‘Gare Maritime’ in Brussels, one of the city’s increasingly popular and biggest shopping hubs. As a manufacturer of electric vehicles, Silence is a daughter of Acciona, worldwide active in offering regenerative solutions for a CO2-neutral economy. […]

German study: ‘e-fuel could cost €1 per liter in the long run’

May 12, 2023

According to German Potsdam Institute for Climate Impact Research, electric fuels have the potential to reach cost parity with actual oil-based fuels. Today’s price of 50 euros per liter could fall to 1 euro as industrialization and cheaper CO2 capture reap benefits. But uncertainties remain to be resolved. As the EU approved electric or synthetic […]

New interchange on Oosterweel project almost fully open this weekend

May 12, 2023

The first parts of the new, more compact interchange Antwerp-West, where the E17 (Ghent) and the Antwerp ring road near the Kennedy tunnel meet, will open to motorists from Friday evening at 8 p.m. The interchange on Antwerp’s Left Bank is part of the Oosterweel project, a mega-project designed to complete the Antwerp ring road. […]

Japanese car manufacturers fairly optimistic about year to come

May 12, 2023

The beginning of May is always an important moment for Japanese companies. Their fiscal year ends in March, so the results are publicized now. Yesterday, we already talked about number one Toyota’s performance; today, we look at some others, in casu Nissan, Honda, and Mazda. The mood tends to be rather optimistic, the Japanese putting […]

Copenhagen wants to ban all ICE cars by 2030

May 12, 2023

The Danish capital plans to oust all passenger cars on combustion engines from its center by the decade’s end. The proposition isn’t put into law yet but has been accepted by all the governing parties. The confines of the electric-only zone will be determined after a feasibility study. Copenhagen is an example of the transition […]

Ford pilots hydrogen-fueled E-Transit in the UK

May 11, 2023

Ford is trialing the viability of a hydrogen-powered E-Transit thanks to funding from the UK’s Advanced Propulsion Center (APC). The pilot program will investigate the total cost of ownership, real-world range, and uptime, but we will have to wait until after 2025 for the results. Ford has dabbled in hydrogen fuel cell-powered vehicles several times, […]

ABB tests Megawatt Charging System (MCS) with some help from Scania

May 11, 2023

The Swiss charging infrastructure specialist ABB is testing its upcoming Megawatt Charging System (MCS) for fast-charging heavy electric vehicles. A pilot charger has successfully been used on a next-gen electric truck from Scania, bringing MCS chargers closer to reality. Where CCS (Combined Charging System) has been the standard for AC and DC charging of electric […]

Uber launches flight booking in its UK app

May 11, 2023

Technology company Uber, which offers taxi rides and meal deliveries with its app, is to expand its services. This summer, it will launch a feature in the UK that will allow users to book flights directly in its app. The feature was launched on Uber’s UK app for multimodal travel options last year, and the […]

Annual Volkswagen shareholder meeting disrupted by naked protest and pie throwing

May 11, 2023

Protests and incidents disrupted the annual shareholders’ meeting of German carmaker Volkswagen at a Berlin convention center on Wednesday. Climate and human rights activists threw, for example, a cream pie at Wolfgang Porsche, a representative of the company’s owning family, who was celebrating his 80th birthday just that day, although the target was missed. The […]

Wallonia: new car taxation scheme finally approved

May 11, 2023

After a large consulting round, the Walloon government has approved an upgraded and comprehensively altered version of the Walloon car taxation scheme. The most important change is that the scheme only applies to the registration tax, not the yearly road tax. The new system will be introduced in July 2025. “This tax reform aims to […]

Will Nio market solid state battery cars already this summer?

May 11, 2023

BMW has promised a prototype by 2025. Toyota says it has developers working like ants to make it work. And specialist Dotstore says we shouldn’t expect them before the beginning of the next decade. And then there’s Chinese EV start-up Nio, who filed for three BEV models with assumed solid-state technology expected to hit the […]

Fisker Ocean production targets lowered and off-road version coming

May 11, 2023

After handing over the first Fisker Ocean to a Danish customer and reserving the first German specimen for himself, CEO Henrik Fisker has adjusted its production forecasts for the year 2023 and announced a new off-road version of the electric SUV called Force E. Fisker corrected its production forecast for the Ocean when announcing its […]

Toyota’s revenue increases amidst ‘difficult year’

May 11, 2023

The world’s biggest carmaker, Toyota, managed to boost revenue last year by 18%, while output was still plagued by supply chain constraints. The results from its last fiscal year unveil a slipping net income, but the performance nonetheless exceeds expectations. The group’s new boss Koji Sato comments that he sees further sales growth for the […]

Belgium greenlights high-voltage operator Elia’s investment plan

May 10, 2023

Energy Minister Tinne Van der Straeten (Groen) has given the green light to the federal development plan of high-voltage grid operator Elia. With that plan, Elia sets out its Belgian course for the next ten years to simultaneously strengthen its energy supply and keep it affordable. The federal development plan includes the realization of the […]

Dutch working on bio-asphalt to reduce CO2 emissions by 60%

May 10, 2023

The Dutch asphalt sector can reduce emissions by 30% to 60% by using biobased asphalt, in which the fossil bitumen has been replaced by lignin and other components from residual vegetable flows. That is what figures from Wageningen University indicate. The potential savings are enormous because, in the Netherlands alone, 10 million tons of asphalt […]

Colruyt starts testing with electric 44-ton and refrigerated trucks

May 10, 2023

Colruyt is working toward its goal of having all of its transport operations zero-emission by 2035. The retail group has taken delivery of a 44-ton Volvo FM Electric and five smaller electric refrigerated trucks from Volvo and Scania. The heavy truck will distribute goods to the Colruyt Group supermarkets and stores, while the refrigerated trucks […]

Poppy bans speed merchants via facial recognition system

May 10, 2023

Poppy Mobility, D’Ieteren’s shared mobility service, has invested significantly in recent months. The company doubled its offer and now has a fleet of 1 000 vehicles in the 19 Brussels municipalities and 2 000 in Antwerp, Ghent, Mechelen, Lier, Liège, and Belgian airports. Since January 1st, the company also uses a system based on facial […]

Sparki wants to double Belgian supercharger network in 2023

May 10, 2023

Prime Minister Alexander De Croo (Open Vld) has inaugurated the first supercharger station from Sparki, a provider rooted in Belgium. The two superchargers in Deinze kickstart the first series of six ultra-fast charging stations capable of 300 kW, becoming operational in the following days. By the end of this year, the start-up company wants to […]

Iveco and Nikola to go their own way in zero-emission trucks

May 10, 2023

Italian commercial vehicle manufacturer Iveco and American electric truck startup Nikola are going their own way from now, the first focussing on Europe, the other on its North American market. Iveco will assume full ownership of the joint venture in Ulm, Germany. Iveco Group acquires the JV partially by paying in cash ($35 million) and […]

Sweden and Florida go for electrified roads to charge EVs

May 10, 2023

Sweden is set to convert a motorway into a permanent electrified road, allowing electric cars and e-trucks to charge while driving. According to reports from Euronews, the Swedish transport authority Trafikverket has selected the E20 motorway to undergo the conversion. In the U.S. state of Florida, ENRX is working on a similar project. The Europan […]

VDL Nedcar strike extended again (update)

May 10, 2023

Even after two days of an ‘official’ strike at VDL Nedcar in Born, the Dutch VDL Group still didn’t want to meet the union’s ultimatum to double the social plan, resulting in the unions extending the strike further on Wednesday and Thursday. According to the unions, willingness is high with the Nedcar workers to continue […]

Limburg to invest €13 million in ‘coal track’ bicycle highway

May 09, 2023

The province of Limburg (Belgium) has applied for an environmental permit to construct the ‘Kolenspoor’ (coal track) bicycle highway between Genk and As. The project represents a €13 million investment. The old coal track connects Maasmechelen with Beringen and runs via Heusden-Zolder, Houthalen-Helchteren, Zonhoven, Genk, and As. The construction of the first 12-km-long stretch, from […]

Driving the NIO ET7, China’s challenger to EQS and i7

May 09, 2023

When picking up the NIO ET7 in Amsterdam for a week-long test drive, it was apparent right from the first moment we stepped into the 5,1-meter sleek sedan this is not your average Chinese low-budget electric car. This one is conceived to be a luxurious ‘second living room’ on wheels, playing in the highest categories […]

‘Cafetaria plan’ pushes bike ahead for commuting Belgians

May 09, 2023

Belgian employees with flexible remuneration are increasingly opting for cycling. This emerges from an analysis by HR service provider SD Worx of so-called cafeteria plans, a personalized pay package with extralegal benefits that companies now offer. More than one in ten employees opt for a bicycle, for example. Individual pension savings and extra holidays also […]

LEVC launches new BEV platform

May 09, 2023

Geely’s subsidiary LEVC (London Electric Vehicle Company) has presented its modular electric platform SOA (Space Oriented Architecture), which was developed together with the parent company. With this, the manufacturer wants to become “a leading global provider of purely electric mobility solutions”. The first LEVC model based on the SOA will be “a completely new offering, […]

First Fisker Ocean delivered in Europe (update)

May 09, 2023

The first electric car from the American manufacturer Fisker Inc. is allowed to roll on the roads in Europe. The Fisker Ocean has received sales approval for the European market. The first Fisker Ocean One Launch Edition was handed over to its owner at the recently opened Fisker Center in Copenhagen on Friday. “I’m super […]

Volkswagen is trying to tie up loose ends with Bosch and Cariad (Update)

May 09, 2023

The Volkswagen Group and car supplier giant Bosch will not realize their planned joint venture to equip battery cell factories. Volkswagen and its battery subsidiary PowerCo are now pursuing the plan without Bosch as a partner, but Bosch will remain on board as a supplier. At the same time, CEO Oliver Blume is getting fed […]

Brussels working on new bike sharing system without Villo!

May 08, 2023

There is a hitch in the marriage between the Brussels Region and Villo! Operator JCDecaux. Brussels Mobility Minister Elke Van den Brandt (Groen) suggested last year that Villo! no longer met the expectations of the Brussels Region. The Brussels Region is now launching a study to replace Villo! So writes the business newspaper L’Echo. The […]

Spanish to produce green H2 under one euro only by using sun

May 08, 2023

HySun, a joint venture between Spanish companies Nanogap et Tewer Engineering, claims to be able to produce ‘white’ or ‘green’ hydrogen for one euro per kilogram or less by 2030 just by using solar energy. That would enable it to go under the price of ‘grey’ hydrogen produced from natural gas and used for 95% […]

Walloon section of bicycle highway to Brussels inaugurated

May 08, 2023

In La Hulpe, Walloon Minister of Mobility and Road Infrastructure Philippe Henry (Ecolo) has inaugurated the very first Walloon section of the bicycle highway. The bicycle highways should become the backbone of the Walloon structuring bicycle network, which the government wants to establish to offer attractive alternatives to car use. At the same time, they […]

Abarth 500e full model range and pricing announced

May 08, 2023

After selling out the Scorpionissima launch edition, Abarth has now announced the full model range of its first electric model, the 500e. There are two equipment levels, both available as a hatchback or a convertible model, with European pricing starting from around €39 000. The 500e is Abarth’s first foray into electric mobility, following the […]

De Lijn needs 600 extra bus drivers for Flanders

May 08, 2023

Flemish public transport company De Lijn is looking for about 600 drivers for all of Flanders. Last Saturday’s job day in Destelbergen (East Flanders) attracted some 30 people who were interested in a job. The job day has been organized now so that the new drivers can start their new job this summer. A bus […]

ElringKlinger scores major contract to outfit BMW EVs

May 08, 2023

German automotive supplier ElringKlinger has scored a big contract with a term of several years with BMW. The company will supply cell contact systems to BMW Group series electric models in the new class (‘Neue Klasse’). The high-volume series production for Europe is scheduled to start in 2025, with the plant in Neuffen, Baden-Württemberg, taking […]

VW and Shell to install battery-boosted DC chargers

May 08, 2023

Volkswagen and Shell Germany have put the first battery-boosted charging station into operation at a Shell gas station in Göttingen, Germany. If the trial deployment is successful, further examples of Elli’s pole could be created at pit stops by Shell in Europe. The Flexpole charging columns from Volkswagen’s energy brand Elli deliver up to 150 […]

Volvo starts testing 1.000 km range hydrogen truck on public roads

May 08, 2023

After unveiling the prototype in 2022, Volvo Trucks has started testing its hydrogen fuel cell electric truck on public roads. It promises a range of 1 000 km, with refueling times of less than 15 minutes. But series production is still a few years away. In June 2022, Volvo Trucks presented its hydrogen-electric heavy truck, […]

Three out of five Belgians drive their car less often

May 05, 2023

A survey of AG Insurance amongst 1 500 Belgians shows that the increasing cost of living and a growing environmental awareness influences the use of their car(s). 62% of them declare to have consciously driven less last year, and almost 40% have saved on expenses for her/his car. The latter can pose a problem when […]

Belgium investigates greenwashing at Brussels Motor Show

May 05, 2023

Car manufacturers are not allowed to extol the virtues of their products by using terms like ‘sustainable’ or ‘eco smart’. Greenwashing is forbidden. This is what the Belgian Federal Service for Economy says, following checks at the latest motor show in Brussels. During that motor show in January 2023, inspectors checked whether exhibitors at the […]

Greenpeace study: ‘public transport in EU far too expensive’

May 05, 2023

Belgium scores poorly when it comes to affordable public transport. That’s according to an analysis by Greenpeace. Due to the high cost and a small range of discounts, Belgium finishes 12th in the European ranking. But Belgium is not the only European country that suffers from that problem. Greenpeace’s analysis shows that public transport in […]

Volvo cuts 1 300 office jobs but leaves Ghent untouched

May 05, 2023

Volvo is the next car manufacturer to lay off staff in the wake of the electric transition challenging the automotive industry. To streamline its efficiency, the company is reducing its office-based national workforce by 6%, corresponding to 1 300 jobs. So, the cuts are made entirely in Sweden. In an official statement, CEO of Volvo […]

Brussels to limit number of shared e-scooters to 8.000

May 05, 2023

Whether it is an effect of the recent ban in Paris is not immediately clear, but Brussels is drastically changing course about shared vehicles. Starting next year, the Brussels government wants to allow a maximum of 8 000 shared e-scooters on the capital’s streets. From 2024, there would only be room for two operators versus […]

Peugeot e-2008 and Citroën ë-C4 get new battery and more range

May 05, 2023

Peugeot’s smallest SUV is given a slight mid-life update, with a facelift taking cues straight from its recently updated sister sedan, the 508. Not only is the 2008’s skin tighter, but the electric version also gets a more powerful motor and a new, larger battery, which increases the range. Sister company Citroën does precisely the […]

Belgian John Cockerill into large-scale hydrogen plants with French

May 05, 2023

The Walloon engineering company John Cockerill has created a joint venture with French Technip Energies. Rely, as the joint venture is called, will be “a unique provider of integrated and competitive green hydrogen solutions”, the press release says. Together, they intend to build large-scale hydrogen plants. The two industry leaders share a common objective of […]

In-house developed e-motor gives Volvo XC40 and C40 a 34% range boost

May 05, 2023

In the second year of the C40 Recharge’s existence, Volvo created a brand-new, compact e-motor for it… and we saw that it was good. Developed in-house in Sweden, it makes its entry in the new rear-wheel drive 2024 versions of the XC40 and C40 Recharge, both manufactured in Ghent, Belgium. Newmobility.news got the opportunity to […]

Mercedes-Benz more careful on interim goals electrification

May 05, 2023

Mercedes-Benz has pushed back an interim goal on its way to becoming an electric car manufacturer. Specifically, it is about the target set almost two years ago that electric cars and plug-in hybrids should account for half of the sales in 2025. The manufacturer wants to continue to reach this interim goal by the middle […]

California to phase out ICE trucks sales by 2036 to 2042

May 04, 2023

The California Air Resources Board (CARB) has voted unanimously to start phasing out trucks with internal combustion engines (ICE) by mandating zero-emission vehicles in fleets with the so-called Advanced Clean Fleets regulation. The first phase is set to start in 2025 in harbor environments, followed by a sales stop for combustion box trucks, vans, buses, […]

Punch Powertrain starts production of e-transmission for Stellantis

May 04, 2023

In Sint-Truiden, gearbox manufacturer Punch Powertrain has kickstarted the production of components for the eDCT transmission for Stellantis. The gearbox will be assembled in the car giant’s 1,2 million vehicles, providing substantial CO2 savings. “Our patented technology enables us to bring sustainable technologies to global markets at affordable cost,” said Jorge Solis, CEO of Punch […]

New electric Mini Cooper will have a range of up to 400 km

May 04, 2023

Following the unofficial leak of data and images a few weeks ago, Mini has announced the first official key data for the upcoming Cooper Electric. The fifth generation of the 3-door Mini will be available for purchase by the year’s end and will be produced in Leipzig from November. The fifth generation of the 3-door […]

Brussels Airlines posts bigger revenue but remains in the red

May 04, 2023

Brussels Airlines posted sharply higher sales in the first quarter at 280 million euros than a year earlier. However, the airline still lost 44 million euros but maintains that it is “on track for strong black figures for all of 2023”. Parent company Lufthansa also posted a loss in the first quarter, a net loss […]

Dieselgate: former Audi CEO Rupert Stadler also pleads guilty (Update)

May 04, 2023

After Wolfgang Hatz, a former top manager at VW Group car manufacturing daughters Audi and Porsche, changed his attitude in Court, former Audi CEO Rupert Stadler has finally given in, and now follows the same strategy, both pleading guilty to installing emissions-cheating software in cars to mislead official emission measurements (commonly known as ‘dieselgate‘). Until […]

Rail freight company Lineas gets €20 million capital injection

May 03, 2023

Lineas, Europe’s largest private rail freight operator headquartered in Belgium, is eyeing a 20 million euros capital injection. This is reported by the business newspapers De Tijd and L’Echo. The rail freight company’s two shareholders, French investment fund Argos Wityu (90%) and the federal government (10%), are working on a first tranche of capital increase. […]