November 17, 2025
Renault Group announces the appointment of Josep Maria Recasens as Chief Strategy, Product & Program Management Officer (SPPM), effective immediately. “This change is part of a drive to simplify the organisation in order to increase its agility and speed,” says the press release. Reporting to François Provost, CEO of Renault Group, and as a member […]
November 17, 2025
The Automotive Cells Company (ACC), the battery cell joint venture between Stellantis, Mercedes-Benz, and TotalEnergies, appears to be on the verge of permanently closing its factory in Termoli, Italy. An announcement could be made in a matter of weeks. The decision is imminent and could be officially announced by the end of this year or […]
November 17, 2025
Toyota Motor Corporation said last week it will invest up to $10 billion in the United States over the next five years, as the Japanese automaker ramps up battery production for hybrid and electric vehicles. The announcement was made as Toyota, the world’s largest automaker by volume, opened its first overseas plant dedicated to battery […]
November 17, 2025
The Vilvoorde police court has annulled the fine imposed on mobility expert Johan De Mol (Ghent University) for speeding because a private company co-finances the speed camera. The ruling could undermine the entire average speed check system, especially in Flanders. Flemish Minister of Mobility Annick De Ridder (N-VA) intends to study the ruling thoroughly and, […]
November 17, 2025
A major investigation in Germany has shed light on long-running concerns that electric cars might expose their occupants to unsafe levels of electromagnetic fields. The research team found that even at peak power demand, the readings stayed far below recognized health limits. Basically, electric cars are on par with trains, trams, and even conventional gasoline […]
November 17, 2025
The brain drain at Tesla is continuing. Two of its most visible vehicle program managers have left the company, including the chief of its best-selling car, the Model Y. The departures land at a moment when the automaker is reorienting itself around robotics and autonomous driving. Symbolically, the core automotive business shows further signs of […]
November 14, 2025
Blue Origin, Jeff Bezos’ space company, has launched another New Glenn rocket. On board is a scientific mission to study the planet Mars. The New Glenn has only one flight under its belt. In January, the rocket successfully placed dozens of tons of equipment into orbit around the Earth on its maiden voyage. However, the landing […]
November 14, 2025
In July 2026, the students of the Innoptus Solar Team (KU Leuven) will travel to the United States to participate in the American Solar Challenge. After a strong performance and third place in Australia in August 2025, the Belgian team wants to showcase Belgian innovation in America. For the first time, the Belgians are participating in […]
November 14, 2025
French multinational Air Liquide, a company with a strong focus on innovation and the energy transition, has started up an ammonia cracker in the Antwerp-Bruges port area. This is a pilot plant that cracks ammonia and converts it into hydrogen. According to Air Liquide, this is a world first, and the project will save more than […]
November 14, 2025
The European Parliament on Thursday backed a target to cut greenhouse gas emissions by 90% by 2040 compared with 1990 levels, broadly aligning with the position agreed earlier by EU member states. 379 MEPs voted in favor, 248 against. The 2040 target is now legally enshrined as an intermediate step towards 2050, when the EU […]
November 14, 2025
As Chinese carmakers accelerate their push into global markets, Chery’s youth-oriented Omoda brand is preparing a two-pronged assault on Europe, strengthening its presence with two new electrified models. The company announced that the Omoda 5 will receive a new SHS-H hybrid variant later this year. At the same time, the all-new Omoda 4, unveiled at Chery’s […]
November 14, 2025
Despite the popularity of the (electric) bicycle, the car remains the Belgian’s favourite means of transport. Its share in our transport has generally remained stable over the past 25 years. However, the use of bicycles, especially e-bikes, continues to increase, as shown by the new, large-scale survey by the Federal Public Service Mobility and Transport, conducted from […]
November 14, 2025
A new study by the French Institut Mobilités en Transition (IMT) casts fresh doubt on the future of plug-in hybrid vehicles (PHEVs), arguing that prolonging their sale in Europe beyond 2035 would harm both household budgets and the continent’s climate ambitions. The study finds that for buyers of new vehicles, plug-in hybrids cost about 7% […]
November 14, 2025
The Flemish and Walloon governments reached an agreement at the beginning of this month with some of the largest CO2 emitters in Belgian industry on the capture, storage, and transport of carbon dioxide, also known as CCUS. The agreement was signed yesterday at building materials manufacturer Holcim in Obourg, near Mons, by Flemish Minister-President Matthias […]
November 13, 2025
Electricity will become an increasingly important energy source over the next ten years, according to the International Energy Agency. The agency expects electricity demand to grow by at least 40 percent between now and 2035. We will use more and more electricity for air conditioning, industry, electric mobility, data centers, and electric heating. The switch […]
November 13, 2025
Peugeot has unveiled the Polygon Concept, embodying the manufacturer’s vision for the future. Peugeot claims it’s not a dream car but a compact concept car (under 4 meters) that previews the Peugeots of tomorrow, beginning with the new e-208 arriving soon. According to Peugeot, three qualities stand out: the Polygon Concept aims to be agile, […]
November 13, 2025
EVs are increasingly showing supercar performance, but this might hit a ceiling soon. China is preparing to introduce a sweeping new rule that would cap how quickly cars can accelerate when started, for instance. A new draft issued by the Ministry of Public Security proposes that all passenger vehicles be, by default, unable to accelerate […]
November 13, 2025
The upcoming all-electric GLB is currently undergoing final testing. Ahead of the presentation announced for early December, Mercedes has now released the first official information and images of the family SUV. Mercedes is consistently switching to its new, not-so-compact nomenclature: with the model change, the EQB family SUV is becoming the ‘GLB with EQ technology’. […]
November 12, 2025
Louis Schweitzer, a top French civil servant and the CEO of the ‘Régie Renault’ from 1992 to 2005, died last Thursday at the age of 83. His importance to the French carmaker can’t be overestimated. He made ‘the Régie’ profitable again and was the father of one of its current cash cows, the low-cost daughter […]
November 12, 2025
If current trends continue, the demand for air conditioning could triple by 2050. This is the warning from the Global Cooling Watch 2050 study, published by the United Nations Environment Program (UNEP) on the sidelines of COP30, the UN climate summit that started on Monday in Belem, Brazil. The increase is thought to be due to population […]
November 12, 2025
Chinese carmaker XPeng has taken another step in the electrification race with the unveiling of the G6 EREV, an extended-range version of its midsize SUV featuring a 55.8 kWh battery that delivers a pure-electric range of over 400 km (CLTC) or 325 km (WTLP). That’s roughly the distance from De Panne to Eupen on pure electricity. […]
November 12, 2025
Executives at Renault Group say they hope the European Commission’s plan for an ‘E-car,’ a small, low-cost EV built in Europe, can be accomplished by freezing regulations for existing small cars rather than creating a new category. Such a freeze would allow automakers to lower their cost base and make the cars economically viable and […]
November 12, 2025
Volkswagen has released the first pictures and preliminary info on the ID. Unyx 08 in China, a five-meter electric SUV that represents not only the first product of its cooperation with Xpeng but also a deeper technological co-development with local partnerships in China. The ID. Unyx 08, developed under Volkswagen Anhui, is the production realization […]
November 12, 2025
The Flemish national broadcasting company VRT is launching a remarkable traffic campaign to remind Flemish drivers that there are no excuses when it comes to driving under the influence of alcohol and drugs. One of the key figures in the campaign is… television producer Tom Waes, who was involved in a traffic accident one year ago, […]
November 11, 2025
Twenty-one European airlines have committed to stop making claims in relation to carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions deemed misleading, the European Commission said on Friday. The airlines include some of the largest in Europe, such as Lufthansa (parent company of Brussels Airlines), Ryanair, KLM, and Air France. In May, the Belgian Federal Public Service Economy’s economic inspectorate, […]
November 11, 2025
A new hydrogen filling station for ships was officially inaugurated in the port of Ostend on Friday. Jera Nex BP developed the hydrogen filling station, and in the initial phase, only one ship will use it: the Windcat 48, which uses green hydrogen to sail from the port of Ostend to a wind farm in the […]
November 11, 2025
In Brussels, there has been a noticeable increase in thefts of Poppy shared and rental cars. Exact figures are not available, partly because some cars are recovered before they are reported stolen, and because attempts are often considered vandalism. What is striking, however, is that the thieves are often minors without a driver’s licence. They […]
November 10, 2025
After weeks of rising concerns across Europe’s car industry, shipments of Nexperia semiconductors are moving again. It’s a relief for automakers but also a stark reminder of how fragile Europe’s industrial supplier network has become. Volkswagen, Continental spinoff Aumovio, and Bosch have all confirmed receiving new deliveries from the Chinese-owned chipmaker. The disruption began when […]
November 10, 2025
Toyota’s indestructible Hilux, long defined by diesel torque and unshakeable dependability, is stepping into uncharted territory. The ninth-generation, on order as of December, marks the most significant shift in the model’s 55-year history with the arrival of a battery-electric version. Also, a hydrogen-powered model will follow. The fully electric Hilux BEV leads the launch, hitting […]
November 10, 2025
When Chinese electric carmaker XPeng Motors unveiled its new humanoid robot Iron last week, the audience at a Guangzhou tech fair couldn’t believe their eyes. The tall, silver-skinned figure glided across the stage with slow, deliberate female movements — so human that murmurs rippled through the crowd. “It’s just a woman in a suit.” But […]
November 10, 2025
The latest ‘Electromobility Report’ from the Center of Automotive Management (CAM) in Bergisch Gladbach, Germany, shows that e-mobility worldwide has been experiencing a significant upswing so far this year. In the world regions most important to the automotive industry – China, Europe, and the USA – approximately 12.8 million highly electrified vehicles were sold from the […]
November 07, 2025
Upway, which claims to be the global market leader in refurbished e-bikes, has just raised $60 million in funding to give new life to 1 million e-bikes by 2030. This brings the total funding raised since its founding in 2021 to more than $125 million. The company’s business model is simple: Upway buys used e-bikes, refurbishes them […]
November 07, 2025
The European Commission wants to accelerate the rollout of the high-speed rail network by 2040. By significantly reducing travel times between European capitals, rail is set to become a more attractive alternative to short-haul flights. The ambitious plan also includes a new high-speed connection between Lisbon and Paris via Madrid. This would allow train passengers […]
November 07, 2025
It does resound in a Trumpian style. Too big and brash to be countered, Elon Musk raked in the approval from Tesla’s shareholders for his incredible record pay package of $1 trillion (€920 billion). But will the Tesla CEO be free from the court, after it blocked his previous wages? Tesla shareholders have voted to […]
November 07, 2025
More than half of all electric cars on Belgian roads are leased or rented. According to new figures from the vehicle rental federation Renta, its members alone operate 195,990 fully electric cars, representing 51% of Belgium’s total EV fleet. The data highlight the crucial role of corporate leasing in driving the country’s vehicle electrification. Renta […]
November 06, 2025
Launched in 1992, Renault Twingo radically transformed the A segment with its bold new vision of the city car. Today, Renault wants to reinvent the electric A segment, with a bold ‘reinvention’ of its former success story. “Contrary to popular belief, the current size of the A segment is not a reflection of low demand: […]
November 06, 2025
German luxury carmaker BMW Group more than tripled its earnings in the third quarter, the company announced on Wednesday, in a rare beacon of hope for the country’s ailing automotive industry. Net profit came in at about €1.7 billion between July and September, compared to €476 million in the same quarter last year, when BMW […]
November 06, 2025
On the eve of the UN climate summit in Brazil, the EU climate ministers reached an agreement on a 2040 climate target on Wednesday morning. The EU member states have agreed to the European Commission’s proposal to reduce CO2 emissions by 90 percent by 2040 compared to 1990. However, the agreement has been weakened in several areas. […]
November 06, 2025
Beijing Mercedes-Benz has launched the Chinese variant of the Mercedes CLA EQ, the all-electric version of the third-gen CLA. It features a longer wheelbase and some localized technology, but is built on the same platform and uses the same electric drivetrain. And yet, it’s almost half the price of the European version. The all-new Mercedes […]
November 06, 2025
The first Brussels ANPR cameras, initially intended for the low-emission zone (LEZ) and average speed checks, have been connected to the national police network. This involves 450 cameras. The integration allows all six Brussels police zones to access live data and footage in real time. Connecting the cameras to the brand-new national police platform ANPR@GPI […]
November 06, 2025
BMW CEO Oliver Zipse confirmed the i3 name for the next Neue Klasse model during the company’s quarterly results call. Production is scheduled to begin in Munich in the second half of 2026, followed by rollouts at additional plants. “With the eighth generation of the 3 Series, we will bring the Neue Klasse and its […]
November 06, 2025
Four companies are joining forces to realize a world first in green hydrogen. On a site in Namur, Belgium, they will build in 2026 the world’s first ‘commercial’ solar hydrogen park based on Belgian Solhyd technology, catching ‘green hydrogen’ directly from the air with sunlight. By choosing Namur, not a sunnier spot like the desert, […]
November 05, 2025
In March, the Mobility Committee of the Brussels Parliament already reached a consensus: Villo!, the public bike-sharing system, is underperforming and urgently needs to be replaced. A new report by the Brussels Institute for Statistics and Analysis (IBSA) now confirms this negative trend. Between 2018 and 2024, Villo! rented out no less than 40,2% fewer […]
November 05, 2025
The electricity company Ontario Power Generation (OPG), one of Canada’s leading energy producers, is exploring the possibility of deploying new small modular reactors (SMRs) in Belgium. To this end, it has signed a letter of intent with the Belgian Nuclear Forum. Various newspapers, including De Tijd and La Libre Belgique, have reported this. The De […]
November 05, 2025
Cléa Martinet, Renault’s Director of Sustainability, says that “by 2028, manufacturing costs are expected to fall by around 40% compared with the first generation of the electric Megane.” In an interview with the German magazine Autoflotte.de, she explained that the most significant levers are the switch to LFP battery cells, more efficient electric drives, and […]
November 05, 2025
After nearly two years of delay, ICO in Zeebrugge has broken ground on what will become Europe’s first fully automated multilevel parking system for finished vehicles. This €50-million-plus project marks a new chapter for the continent’s automotive logistics, ICO’s Japanese parent company NYK announced. The installation, a collaboration between ICO and Belgian partners Stow Group and […]
November 05, 2025
The second-hand car market was quieter in October than last year, with a 2.8% decline to 65,351 units. In October 2024, 67,201 used cars were registered, 4,203 more than in October 2023. The used car market continues to perform well, with 621,316 used cars registered over the past 10 months, an increase of 0.5% compared […]
November 05, 2025
The EU has been revising its CO2 regulations for companies for some time now, and many companies fear an early combustion engine ban through the back door. The Commission is expected to present its plans in mid-December. According to the German specialized magazine Automobilwoche, citing industrial sources, the EU Commission intends to present its plans […]
November 05, 2025
Geely’s Swedish-Chinese subbrand Zeekr has just rolled out a refreshed version with more power, more range, and a surprisingly long list of luxury features of its compact electric SUV, the Zeekr X, a sibling to the Volvo EX30 (Belgium-built )and the Smart #1. It packs a 61.47 kWh LFP battery, offering up to 530 km […]
November 04, 2025
Renault’s electric Ampere division and Stratus Materials have closed a Joint Development Agreement (JDA). The aim is to use cobalt-free battery technology in the next generation of electric vehicles. This so-called LXMO technology offers an energy density comparable to that of NMC (Nickel-Manganese-Cobalt) batteries at a lower price, similar to that of LFP (Lithium-Iron-Phosphate) batteries. […]
November 04, 2025
SBRS, Shell’s heavy-duty charging solutions subsidiary, and Belgian transport firm Remitrans have partnered to open the first semi-public truck charging station in Europe. The two 400 kW fast-chargers are open for the public during the day, but only available for Remitrans’ vehicles during the night. Semi-public chargers are nothing new. For electric cars, these solutions […]
November 04, 2025
Ryanair posted a net profit of 1.72 billion euros in the second quarter of this fiscal year, an increase of 20% compared to the same period last year. The higher profit was due to more expensive ticket prices. The Irish low-cost airline also expects passenger numbers to grow faster than expected this year. Ryanair, Europe’s […]
November 04, 2025
A large-scale analysis by German automobile club ADAC has provided new real-world insight into the ageing of plug-in hybrid vehicle (PHEV) batteries, confirming a pattern already observed in international studies: smaller batteries, such as those in plug-in hybrids, tend to degrade faster than the larger packs used in fully electric vehicles (BEVs). The ADAC study, […]
November 04, 2025
The Spanish carmaker Ebro has unveiled the S900, a large, seven-seat plug-in hybrid SUV designed to push it into the same league as Europe’s established players. Once known for its sturdy commercial vehicles, Ebro has re-emerged as an SUV brand, with a bit of help from China. Ebro’s name doesn’t resound widely across Europe (yet?), […]
November 04, 2025
According to data from the federal government service Mobility & Transport and the sector federation Febiac, 33,955 cars were registered in Belgium and Luxembourg in October 2025, 6.8% fewer than in the same month last year. Once again, the decrease is due to the professional market (-10.3%, 20,726 registrations compared to 23,112 last year in […]
November 04, 2025
Renault Group, Geely Holding Group, and Geely Automobile Holdings (together, ‘Geely’) have signed agreements under which Geely will acquire a 26.4% stake in Renault do Brasil. This transaction continues the strategic cooperation between Renault Group and Geely. The aim is to enhance the development of the Renault and Geely brands in Brazil while paving the […]
November 03, 2025
Thanks to the Paris Climate Agreement, our planet is no longer heading toward a catastrophic 4 degrees of warming, but is still facing an additional 2.6 degrees Celsius. That is what climate specialists from the World Weather Attribution and Climate Central have calculated. Ten years ago, the Paris Climate Agreement was signed. World leaders pledged […]
November 03, 2025
Chinese EV giant Xpeng has begun mass production of a ‘real flying car’ with the first flying body rolling of the assembly line. It’s the first time a major automaker, not a start-up, has crossed that line. Xpeng’s flying-car division, recently rebranded Aridge, announced this week that the first model rolled off the line at […]
November 03, 2025
The financial problems of the trendy, stylish Brussels bicycle brand Cowboy may have been mainly resolved by its takeover by the French bicycle group Rebirth. Still, for owners of its e-bikes, these remain uncertain times that often lead to despair in the event of a breakdown. As it happens, you sometimes have to wait months […]
November 03, 2025
Audi’s third-quarter earnings have risen sharply, mainly because last year, the burden of shutting down its Brussels plant weighed heavily on the results. However, the positive figures mask deeper financial strain from tariffs, falling volumes in China, and rising costs associated with its transition to electric vehicles. Audi reported an operating profit of €468 million […]
