High-speed rail link between Brussels and Basel to launch in 2027

June 15, 2026

Starting in July 2027, a direct high-speed rail link will be established between Brussels and Basel, Switzerland. “This is a pilot project designed to assess the demand for travel between Brussels and Basel,” says the Belgian public railway company NMBS/SNCB. For this project, NMBS/SNCB, SNCF Voyageurs, and the Swiss operator SBB are joining forces. There […]

Lantis opens bicycle route along Oosterweel construction sites

June 15, 2026

Lantis, the developer of the immense Oosterweel project in Antwerp, launched a new cycle route last Sunday that leads visitors past the construction works. The cyclists receive further explanation about the works and an idea of ​​what the surroundings will look like in the future. The approximately 15-kilometer route, which starts at ‘Het Steen’, follows the existing […]

BMW’s electric M3 Concept shows its face at Le Mans

June 15, 2026

BMW chose the world’s most famous endurance race to drop the clearest preview yet of its first all-electric M car. You can call it a concept, but we all know that this is as close as it gets to the real thing. The BMW M Concept Neue Klasse celebrated its world premiere at the 24 […]

CATL boss’s reality check: no solid-state EV miracle after 2030

June 15, 2026

Solid-state batteries are often presented as the next great leap for electric cars, promising more range, faster charging, better safety, and perhaps lower costs. But Robin Zeng Yuqun, founder and chairman of CATL, the world’s largest EV battery maker, has given that optimism a reality check. And when such an authority speaks, it’s worth listening. […]

Driving school director arrested after half a million euro exam fraud

June 15, 2026

Three suspects, including a driving school director, have been arrested and placed in pretrial detention as part of an investigation into a large-scale driver’s license fraud scheme, the Antwerp police announced Friday. Investigators believe the fraudulent activities generated nearly half a million euros over approximately 3 years. The suspects were offering early appointments for practical […]

Smart to Antwerp with the NÜWIEL eTrailer

June 15, 2026

NÜWIEL, a German manufacturer of eTrailers, has been selected by the City of Antwerp for a new pilot project under the “Smart to Antwerp” initiative to help the city transition to zero-emissions logistics. Local businesses and entrepreneurs can try NÜWIEL’s eTrailer for free for 4 weeks to see if it can help reduce traffic congestion […]

BMW’s 200-million-km milestone raises stakes in EU’s hands-free driving race

June 15, 2026

BMW says customers have driven more than 200 million kilometers hands-free with its Highway Assistant, underlining how quickly advanced driver assistance is moving from technology showcase to daily use on European motorways. The German premium brand uses the milestone to position itself among the front-runners in an increasingly crowded field. Ford, Mercedes-Benz, and Tesla are […]

Paris-Antwerp by barge: Europe’s new freight route takes shape

June 12, 2026

To alleviate road congestion, Europe plans to establish a new waterborne freight corridor between Le Havre, Paris, and the Ports of Antwerp and Rotterdam. Both Flanders and Wallonia are allocating significant resources to this large-scale European inland waterway project, now called the Seine-Scheldt, which comprises a network of 1,100 kilometers of navigable waterways. To date, […]

Bolt and Dott to lose Brussels e-scooter licenses in 2027

June 12, 2026

Just as the issues surrounding the use of shared e-scooters in Brussels were starting to improve – save for a rise in the number of accidents – the Brussels government has decided to ban shared e-scooters starting in 2027. The decision stems from a rising number of accidents, increased nuisance to other road users, and […]

Vias: ‘30% more accidents involving speed pedelecs in Flanders’

June 12, 2026

The number of traffic accidents in Belgium remained approximately the same in the first three months of this year, but what stands out is that the number of accidents in Flanders involving speed pedelecs has increased by 30% compared to the same period last year, from 142 to 184. In the province of East Flanders, […]

Provost draws the line: Renault eyes drones, not defence

June 12, 2026

Renault Group will not turn itself into a defense company, as Europe’s car industry faces Chinese electric carmakers and the continent’s rush to rebuild military capacity. That was the message from François Provost, CEO of Renault Group, in an interview with Bas Kurstjens of De Tijd and other media during last week’s Automotive News Europe […]

Flanders allows Tesla’s FSD Supervised on public roads (update)

June 12, 2026

Belgium has officially become the fifth EU member state to grant full approval for use of the Tesla FSD self-driving system. After succesful trials with a test vehicle, the Flemish Minister of Mobility, Annick De Ridder (NV-A), has granted approval. As regulatory barriers across Europe continue to fall, Tesla has simultaneously overhauled the pricing model […]

Dongfeng ‘solid-state’ battery is coming… with a catch

June 12, 2026

According to CarNewsChina, Dongfeng will start mass-producing its next-generation battery in the second half of this year and immediately start integrating it into vehicles. That would make it the first brand to offer solid-state at scale and could open opportunities for Peugeot, with whom the brand has strengthened its ties. But as with many battery […]

VW’s ‘other bus’ grows up: Multivan and California updated

June 12, 2026

Within VW Commercial Vehicles’ range, the ID. Buzz gets most of the spotlights. But the Multivan and its motorhome sibling, the California, just got a significant cosmetic and technological update. The electrified drivetrains remained the same, however. The youngest evolution of both models brings a redesigned front end, an entirely new cockpit, and an upgraded […]

Liège Airport soars toward record year, but turbulence looms

June 11, 2026

Liège Airport, Belgium’s largest cargo airport, started 2026 on a growth trajectory and expects to set a record this year. And why wouldn’t it, when a recent study by the University of Liège shows that the airport is at the heart of an ecosystem comprising nearly 150 companies and supports an estimated 12,600 direct, indirect, and […]

Dutch lights could dim as power shortage looms by 2030

June 11, 2026

An electricity shortage is looming in the Netherlands. By 2030, the country will no longer be able to meet the full electricity demand. High-voltage grid operator TenneT warned of this on Wednesday in its Security of Supply Monitor 2026, an annual advisory report to the Ministry of Economic Affairs. TenneT estimates the power shortage at a […]

Exmar launches first ever duel-fuel ammonia seagoing vessel

June 11, 2026

The Belgian gas shipping company Exmar has announced the historic delivery of its first seagoing vessel, partially powered by an ammonia engine. “A historic milestone for shipping,” the company stated in a press release on Wednesday. The newly built gas carrier has been named ‘MGC Antwerpen’ and is equipped with a dual-fuel motor: this means it […]

China’s EV shift improved air and prevented 262,000 deaths

June 11, 2026

China’s rapid shift to electric and other new-energy vehicles reduced urban air pollution enough to prevent an estimated 262,000 premature deaths, according to a new peer-reviewed study published in Nature Health. The study’s researchers, published in May, compared actual pollution levels to a counterfactual scenario in which every vehicle on the road still ran on […]

After making millions of foreign cars, Mexico now launches its own EV brand

June 11, 2026

Emerging markets are tapping into the opportunity of building their own brands on the wings of electrification. After Turkey and its national marque Togg, Mexico is seizing the opportunity of launching its own car manufacturer. One of the world’s most important car-making nations finally goes it alone. Mexico is one of the world’s largest vehicle-producing […]

From July: 12-hour driving ban after positive alcohol test

June 11, 2026

Starting in July, anyone caught driving drunk will be given a twelve-hour driving ban. Until now, a driving ban following a positive alcohol test could last two, three, six, or twelve hours. The Federal Public Service Mobility and Transport reported on Tuesday that the legislative amendment was published in the Official Gazette. By systematically revoking driver’s […]

Dodge Charger: American muscle legend, now with EU papers

June 11, 2026

Dodge is back in Europe, and it is not arriving quietly. Stellantis has officially announced the European debut of the new Dodge Charger, bringing both the all-electric Daytona and the gasoline-powered SIXPACK across the Atlantic. In other words, the muscle car that America did not quite know what to do with is now being handed […]

Renault 4 Plein Sud: the R4 puts its sunglasses back on

June 11, 2026

Renault has found a new trick for the electric age: making a sensible small SUV look as if it has just escaped to the Riviera. The Renault 4 E-Tech Electric Plein Sud is not a full convertible, and it is certainly not as bare-legged as the Renault 4 Plein Air of the sixties. But with […]

Volkswagens charging butler shows its tricks in Dresden

June 10, 2026

Volkswagen has shown its autonomous charging robot to a live audience for the first time. The concept of a charging butler is no longer science fiction. This prototype will do real work in a real city. Has plugging in finally become hassle-free? Volkswagen Group Innovation brought its autonomous charging robot to Dresden. It’s got six […]

H. Essers opens waterway terminal to keep 260 trucks off the road

June 10, 2026

The Belgian-Limburg logistics group H. Essers has opened a new inland waterway container terminal in Bergen op Zoom, the Netherlands. Thanks to its location outside the dike, inland waterway containers can now remain on the water from start to finish between the ports of Antwerp and Rotterdam. The new terminal has a capacity of 250,000 […]

Alpine turns torque vectoring into something you can actually try

June 10, 2026

Alpine is using the opening of orders for the A390 GTS to do something unusual for a carmaker: instead of only explaining a complex chassis technology in a press release, it is putting it into Assetto Corsa. The new electric fastback has been modeled for the simulator, with Alpine describing the powertrain settings and dynamic […]

Stellantis starts robotaxi pilot in Luxembourg

June 10, 2026

Stellantis has teamed up with Bolt and Pony.ai to start offering robotaxi rides in Luxembourg. Not the city, but the whole country. Adding to other pilots, ranging from Zagreb over Munich to London, 2026 is unfolding as the year when robotaxis finally land in Europe.  Luxembourg is a small country, but apparently it has a […]

Finnish fraud: miracle solid-state battery turns out to be false

June 09, 2026

It was the battery claim of the decade. Donut Lab introduced solid-state cells that shocked the battery world with their efficiency and blistering charging times. Now, it turns out that it was just a decent liquid lithium-ion cell with an ambitious press release. Finnish financial and criminal authorities are reportedly looking into the matter. Alarm […]

Belgian Rail site puts Euregio’s Einstein telescope bid on track

June 09, 2026

If the Euregio secures the prestigious project to build the Einstein Telescope, a railway site spanning over 44 hectares in Montzen, near Voeren, will be available for this purpose. Both the Belgian rail infrastructure manager, Infrabel, and the Belgian national railway company, NMBS/SNCB, have given their informal approval for this. World-class measuring instrument The Einstein […]

Fastned opens 54th Belgian station as competition accelerates

June 09, 2026

Fastned has opened a new fast-charging station on the carpool parking in Sint-Job-in-‘t-Goor, near exit 4 of the E19 towards Antwerp. The Dutch fast-charging company says the site, located on one of the main traffic axes in the Noorderkempen, responds to growing demand for high-power charging infrastructure in the region. The new station offers eight […]

Three ‘free’ mistakes? De Lijn’s new fine policy raises eyebrows

June 09, 2026

Every bus driver employed by the Flemish public transportation company De Lijn will have three minor traffic violations reimbursed annually. Starting with the fourth minor violation within 12 months, the driver must pay the fine themselves. More serious violations, such as driving under the influence, are the employee’s responsibility from the outset. The new regulation […]

Citroën boss: “Electric 2CV will be deliberately not over-engineered”

June 09, 2026

Citroën’s CEO, Xavier Chardon, confirmed in an interview with German fleet publication Autoflotte that the new 2CV will make its debut at the Paris Motor Show this October. The concept, he says, will be “very close to the production model.” Sales follow in 2028, or exactly eighty years after the original premiered at the same […]

High fuel prices make Belgian drivers rethink the road trip

June 09, 2026

For many Belgians, the car remains a constant for day trips, weekends, and holidays. However, the high cost of driving is causing motorists to choose, plan, and drive more consciously. This is evident from a new study commissioned by Auto5 among 809 Belgian motorists. Almost half say they are more cost-conscious: they think more about […]

VW ID. Polo, Cupra Raval and Skoda Epiq roll off production lines (update)

June 09, 2026

The Volkswagen Group’s affordable EV offensive went into production. Last week, the first ID.Polo, Cupra Raval rolled off the line at the Seat plant in Martorell, near Barcelona. Skoda just confirmed production of the new Epiq has started at Volkswagen Navarra in Pamplona. These are the first two members of VW’s Electric Urban Car Family. […]

BYD and Nio caught in new US-China security clash

June 09, 2026

The Pentagon has put some of China’s best-known technology and mobility companies on its Section 1260H list of “Chinese military companies”, adding a new geopolitical layer to the global expansion of Chinese car brands. The updated list includes Alibaba, Baidu, BYD, Nio, and battery maker CALB, alongside firms active in lidar, robotics, solar energy, semiconductors, […]

Peugeot plugs the GTi legend back in with the new E-208 GTi

June 09, 2026

Peugeot is bringing the GTi badge back to the road with the production version of the E-208 GTi, the first fully electric model to carry one of the French brand’s most famous performance names. In a short press release, Peugeot confirms that the car will return to the 24 Hours of Le Mans one year […]

More than 13,000 vehicles risk Brussels LEZ fines from July 1

June 08, 2026

Normally, the LEZ fines for Euro 5 diesel and Euro 2 gasoline vehicles were set to take effect in Brussels on June 7, but the date has been postponed yet again. Brussels Minister of Finance Dirk De Smedt (Anders) has now confirmed that the fines can be collected starting July 1. Specifically, 13,219 vehicles that […]

Flemish tram network creaks under years of deferred maintenance

June 08, 2026

More than half (53%) of the tram tracks in Flanders are in “poor to very poor” condition: 230 km of tram track are in bad or very bad condition (127 km in bad condition and 103 km in very bad condition). This is evident from figures released by the public transport company De Lijn on […]

Airlines fly into record demand, but profits lose altitude

June 08, 2026

The International Air Transport Association (IATA) has nearly halved its profit forecasts for airlines. This is primarily due to higher fuel prices, but also because the war in the Middle East has severely disrupted flights through aviation hubs such as Dubai. Nevertheless, IATA estimates that this year the number of passengers will exceed 5 billion […]

China wants to put electric cars on a diet

June 08, 2026

China wants its electric cars to become slimmer and more efficient after years in which bigger batteries, longer range claims, and SUV-style comfort features have made passenger cars larger and heavier. According to Chinese state broadcaster CCTV, the average passenger car in China weighed 1,704 kg in 2024, roughly one-third more than in 2012. Some […]

Van Hool land sale becomes test case for Flanders’ industrial ambitions

June 08, 2026

The bankrupt bus manufacturer Van Hool from Koninkshooikt (Lier, Belgium) has recently put a 30-hectare business expansion site up for sale, and the Flemish government is participating in the bidding process. Not because it is trying to become e real-estate player, but because it wants to keep control over a rare, large, contiguous industrial site. […]

Flanders puts €119 million on the table to keep Volvo in Ghent

June 08, 2026

To support Belgium’s last car factory, the Flemish government offers a subsidy package of up to €119 million to Volvo Cars. The offer was sent as an official letter to the headquarters in Gothenburg. Will this address the root of the problem, or does it just buy time? As Volvo gears up for its new […]

Night trains to Brussels Airport starting in late 2027

June 08, 2026

Starting in December 2027, there will be an improved train service to and from Brussels Airport, with additional early-morning trains from cities including Bruges and Ghent. This is outlined in the new transport plan from the Belgian national railway company NMBS/SNCB, which the Council has approved with Ministers. Other notable changes include a 3% expansion […]

BMW lands Belgium’s biggest EV fleet deal: 1,000 cars for Katoen Natie

June 08, 2026

BMW Group Belux has signed what it calls “the largest electric corporate fleet deal ever concluded in Belgium with one car manufacturer”. Logistics group Katoen Natie will replace more than 1,000 combustion-engined company cars with electric BMW and Mini models by the end of 2027. The deal, announced at Katoen Natie’s headquarters in Antwerp, covers […]

Audi launches the Nuvolari, its first ‘supercar’

June 05, 2026

With the Nuvolari, VW’s premium daughter, Audi, is unveiling its first supercar with a high-performance hybrid powertrain and making a bold statement about the future. Limited to 499 units, offering 1,001 hp and a top speed of over 350 kph, the Nuvolari is Audi’s fastest and most powerful production vehicle ever. “This shows how the […]

Rob Smeets appointed new CEO of Port of Antwerp-Bruges

June 05, 2026

Port of Antwerp-Bruges has appointed Rob Smeets as its new CEO. Smeets, the current interim CEO, has been given a six-year term and succeeds Jacques Vandermeiren, who announced his departure in April. Smeets faces a daunting task. Over the next 10 years, the Port of Antwerp-Bruges must secure approximately 5 billion euros for numerous projects. […]

Nissan Sunderland explores contract manufacturing for Chinese Chery

June 05, 2026

Nissan and Chery have officially confirmed they are negotiating a potential contract manufacturing agreement for Chery passenger vehicles at Nissan’s Sunderland, UK, plant. Nissan had previously announced plans to reduce its own production at the factory to a single production line. As early as April, an unconfirmed report by the Financial Times claimed that Nissan […]

Powerdot and Octopus Energy launch Europe’s first home-plus-public EV bundle

June 05, 2026

Destination charging operator Powerdot and energy provider Octopus Energy have merged home and public charging into a single €49.99 monthly subscription. It’s a real first in the sector, aiming to democratize and facilitate charging. The most important caveat for now is that it is only available in France. To get it out of the way […]

Lotus Eletre X: the range extender that kills the electric-only plan

June 05, 2026

Lotus once promised to go fully electric by 2028. That plan is dead. To spearhead the new direction, the brand is releasing the Eletre X, a range-extender version of its SUV that was originally meant to be electric-only. “The EV penetration rate was not as good as we expected”, said Lotus CEO Feng Qingfeng to […]

Fietsersbond: About half of cyclists during the morning rush hour are young people

June 04, 2026

46% of cyclists during the morning rush hour in Flanders and Brussels are children or teenagers who ride independently. This is according to a survey by the Fietsersbond or Cycling Union. In addition to this 46%, 6% of children were being transported on an adult’s bicycle. These were mainly cargo bikes (43%), longtails (25%), or […]

BMW keeps electric Mini production out of Oxford for now

June 04, 2026

BMW Group is reportedly reconsidering plans to electrify Mini’s Oxford plant amid looming trade barriers and rising costs, casting doubt over a medium-term modernization of the site. In 2023, the BMW Group announced plans to produce two new all-electric Mini models at its Oxford plant from 2026, with a full transition to battery-electric vehicles by […]

Fiat Grizzly: bare necessities for big families

June 04, 2026

Fiat unveiled the first official images of the Grizzly and Grizzly Fastback. Two compact SUVs that represent one family with global ambitions. These are far from niche products. This is Fiat going mainstream to every corner of the world market. Two bodies, one platform In wildlife environments, the scenario is different, but in the case […]

NMBS/SNCB covered 3 million fewer kilometers in 2025

June 04, 2026

The service offered by the Belgian public railway company NMBS/SNCB decreased by 3,9% last year compared to the previous year. Last year, all NMBS/SNCB trains together covered 79,2 million train-kilometers, compared to 82,4 million in 2024 – a decrease of 3,2 million train-kilometers. Nevertheless, the railway company aims to increase its service by 10% over […]

CATL’s next battery shot: the cell that breathes air

June 04, 2026

The world’s largest battery maker has publicly backed lithium-air technology as its long-term strategic direction. Not solid-state (though that is next up, too). Not sodium-ion (that is already going into mass production this year).  The battery company that correctly predicted and pushed those transitions now says the real endgame is a battery that uses atmospheric […]

ICCT: ‘PHEVs emit 5 times more CO2 in real-world conditions’

June 04, 2026

A study by the International Council on Clean Transportation (ICCT) shows that plug-in hybrids in Europe emit, on average, five times more CO₂ than official test values suggest. According to the study, the gap between real-world and certified emissions is particularly large for plug-in hybrids compared to other powertrain types, and continues to widen. In […]

Avello: ‘Cycling infrastructure hinders safe commuting’

June 03, 2026

Wallonia and Brussels lag behind Flanders in bicycle commuting to work. Of course, the terrain and the capital’s busy urban environment play a role in this. But according to Avello, an advocacy group for cyclists in Walloon and Brussels municipalities, Wallonia and Brussels are also structurally the least bicycle-friendly regions, and it is precisely the […]

Uber extends its robotaxi services in Munich with second partnership

June 03, 2026

Ride-hailing giant Uber announces a three-way collaboration with chip giant Nvidia and Israeli artificial intelligence startup Autobrains to launch a second robotaxi program in Munich. With a different software approach, the technology bets on fast scalability and carmaker independence.     Uber’s new deal combines Autobrains’ autonomous driving software, Nvidia’s Drive Hyperion Level 4 compute […]

From summer 2027, using a warning triangle will no longer be mandatory in Belgium

June 03, 2026

Turning on your hazard lights instead of placing the warning triangle will become the new primary warning method for drivers whose vehicles break down on Belgian roads. The new rule takes effect on June 1, 2027. It is being introduced because placing a warning triangle along busy roads is no longer considered safe. After all, […]

Chinese TikTok car will not be about powertrain but cockpit 

June 03, 2026

Despite earlier denials of the rumors, TikTok’s parent company is preparing to launch a car in its home country, China. It will be a crossover targeting the youthful audience typically active on social media platforms. The car itself will be manufactured by Seres, the Chinese automaker that’s also behind Huawei’s Aito brand. Five months ago, […]

MG introduces EV premium models IM5 and IM6 in the EU

June 03, 2026

Following their launch in the United Kingdom, Norway, and Switzerland last year, MG Motor will also introduce its two fully electric IM models with 800-volt architecture in Belgium, France, Germany, and the Netherlands. The electric MG IM5 saloon and MG IM6 crossover SUV are scheduled to arrive in July. Prices have not yet been announced. […]

Mercedes expands electric GLC line-up

June 03, 2026

Mercedes-Benz has so far offered the electric GLC exclusively as a 360 kW all-wheel-drive model with a 94 kWh battery. However, media reports suggest the German carmaker will open order books for two additional powertrain variants later this month, both paired with a smaller battery. The GLC with EQ technology made its world debut at […]

Create a free account, or log in.

Gain access to read this article, plus limited free content.

Yes! I would like to receive new content and updates.