July 01, 2025
Mitsubishi Motors aims to sell 75,000 to 80,000 vehicles annually in Europe, a gain of 20 to 30 percent over last year, with the help of two new Renault-sourced models that arrive in 2025, regional CEO Frank Krol told the specialized magazine Automotive News Europe. It’s also thinking of (re)introducing some of its own Japanese […]
July 01, 2025
To boost the competitiveness of zero-emission road transport, the European Commission has proposed extending the toll exemption for electric and hydrogen trucks and buses. The exemption currently expires at the end of 2025, but the Commission wants to postpone the deadline until 2031. The market share of zero-emission trucks and buses remains marginal, primarily due […]
July 01, 2025
As climate shifts bring more extreme weather and high-water risks, new tests by the ADAC in Germany expose an often-overlooked danger: what happens when a car plunges into water? Are electric car drivers at a higher risk than those in a combustion-engined vehicle? In the experiment, the German organization submerged two cars: a conventional Seat […]
July 01, 2025
Lufthansa’s planned entry into Latvian airline airBaltic has been approved by the German competition authority. The German airline group will now have a 10% stake in airBaltic, which has Riga as its central hub. Otherwise, airBaltic’s main shareholder remains the government of Latvia. The entry involves a sum of € 14 million. Although the deal […]
July 01, 2025
A Tesla Model Y has driven itself from the company’s Gigafactory in Austin, Texas, to a customer’s doorstep with no one behind the wheel. Or not even somebody watching remotely, according to CEO Elon Musk, who trumpeted the feat as the first “fully autonomous delivery” of its kind. Musk posted triumphantly on X, the social […]
July 01, 2025
A new observational study by the Vias traffic institute has revealed that Belgian van drivers are most often distracted by their mobile phones or other devices. On average, they are not entirely focused on traffic for 8% of the time, it turns out. The Vias researchers observed almost 20,000 drivers for a month at 161 locations […]
July 01, 2025
Flemish public transport operator De Lijn is becoming greener without having to do anything about it. As of today, the private bus operators that provide rides on behalf of De Lijn are deploying 588 new electric buses on De Lijn’s network. According to the Federation of Belgian Bus and Coach Operators (FBAA), this is “the […]
July 01, 2025
Dutch navigation software specialist TomTom, which grew out of one of the world’s two pioneering digital mapping companies with a strong connection in Belgium, is forced to cut another 300 jobs from its 3,600 employees worldwide to “prepare for the future.” That future will be increasingly based on Artificial Intelligence (AI) and autonomous driving, as […]
July 01, 2025
Volkswagen has increased its stake in US partner Rivian. A second payment of one billion US dollars (approximately €850 million) became due on June 30, following Rivian’s achievement of the targets agreed upon in the contract. Meanwhile, the group also thinks about a new ‘Nova’ platform for its ICE/PHEV luxury and supercars. VW had invested […]
July 01, 2025
Audi’s latest vehicles are now compatible with the AirConsole gaming platform, which uses smartphones as controllers. However, thanks to the Active Privacy Mode on modern Audis equipped with a passenger screen, passengers can now also play games while driving, marking an industry first. Gaming in cars is becoming increasingly the norm. Tesla was the first […]
June 30, 2025
Leapmotor has launched its latest model in China: the B01 electric saloon. The 4.77-meter-long EV has a CLTC range of up to 650 km, is available with LiDAR-assisted semi-autonomous driving technology, and can be purchased in China for 105,800 RMB, or just under €12,600. Leapmotor is one of the more successful Chinese new-energy vehicle (NEV) […]
June 30, 2025
Frédéric Dunon, the CEO of the high-voltage grid operator Elia, warns that if the government does not intervene, the electricity supply will be compromised by 2035. “A clear energy strategy is urgently needed,” he says. “We need to know which energy mix we want: do we want more offshore wind energy, more nuclear energy, and […]
June 30, 2025
Children younger than twelve can travel for free on the coastal tram in July and August if they have a beach flower with them. Transport company De Lijn presented its colorful summer campaign last Friday in Bredene. With this campaign, De Lijn is linking a true coastal tradition to one of its most iconic lines and […]
June 30, 2025
The pedestrian zone in the center of Brussels, between Place Fontainas and Boulevard Adolphe Max, has been in place for ten years since Sunday. The zone has since become one of the busiest in the capital, but it has also been criticized for being too focused on tourists and events, rather than on residents. Additionally, […]
June 30, 2025
BMW has to recall more than 70,000 electric vehicles in the U.S. due to a software issue with the electric motor. It could lead to a sudden loss of propulsion while driving, increasing the risk of an accident. The i4, i5, i7, and iX model series are affected. As is customary in the United States, […]
June 30, 2025
The Board of Directors of the Belgian public railroad company NMBS/SNCB has postponed its decision on designating Spanish CAF as the preferred bidder for a billion-euro order for new railcars. NMBS/SNCB’s decision drew considerable political criticism, and CAF competitors Alstom and Siemens also appealed to the Council of State. In a reaction, NMBS/SNCB refers to […]
June 30, 2025
After months of tense negotiations with the European Commission, the Belgian federal government has decided to drastically limit its planned extension of tax deductions for plug-in hybrid vehicles (PHEVs). What was once pitched as a broad incentive to support businesses transitioning away from older combustion engine cars will now apply only to self-employed individuals. Companies […]
June 27, 2025
The increase in the flight tax that the De Wever government wants to introduce will cost Brussels Airlines 1 million euros. So, write the business newspapers L’Echo and De Tijd. Indeed, it turns out that the increase also applies to tickets that were already purchased before the introduction of the new law, usually on July […]
June 27, 2025
The Flemish Waterway is planning to install speed meters on towpaths. The measure is part of a ‘fun’ awareness campaign to encourage users to respect traffic and courtesy rules on the paths. Towpaths are increasingly used by walkers, joggers, cyclists, skaters, and service vehicles, all of which move at different speeds. Courtesy is, therefore, essential […]
June 27, 2025
Belgium’s tax-friendly treatment of company cars is depriving the state of up to €6 billion a year in lost revenues, as calculated in a damning new report by the Federal Planning Bureau. The analysis, published on Thursday, highlights how a system initially designed to ease wage costs has evolved into one of the most expensive […]
June 27, 2025
Mercedes-AMG has presented the CONCEPT AMG GT XX, a technology platform featuring axial flux motors and a newly developed high-voltage battery. Delivering over 1,000 kW of system output, the concept previews a fully electric four-door performance model scheduled for series production in 2026, based on the AMG.EA platform. “The CONCEPT AMG GT XX is the […]
June 27, 2025
It was announced as China’s latest Tesla Y-killer, and it lives up to the expectations, creating a virtual ‘stampede’ within minutes of its official launch on Thursday. Xiaomi claims to have received over 200,000 confirmed orders in three minutes for its newest YU7 electric SUV, a vehicle that resembles a Ferrari Purosangue and nearly outperforms […]
June 26, 2025
Walloon industrial group John Cockerill has completed a 166 million euros capital increase. With that much-needed money, it intends to pursue its strategic development plan around hydrogen, and thus the production of its electrolyzers. Among others, the semi-public investment company SFPIM and gas grid operator Fluxys are stepping into the project. John Cockerill Hydrogen had […]
June 26, 2025
Lancia has unveiled its own interpretation of an electric hot hatchback at the Balocco Proving Ground in Italy. The Ypsilon HF shares the same 280 hp electric drivetrain as its cousin, the Peugeot E-208 GTi. And for those who want the muscled look, Lancia is also offering the Ypsilon HF Line. It appears that Stellantis […]
June 26, 2025
The Berlin Constitutional Court has ruled that an initiative to make the city largely car-free is legal, paving the way for organizers to collect signatures for a referendum. The draft law is thus compatible with the Berlin Constitution, the Basic Law, and federal law. Now, the initiators can further pursue their legislative proposal for a […]
June 26, 2025
The financial analysis platform TradingPedia analyzed global sales of electrified vehicles worldwide in 2024 by examining new car registration data from the European Automobile Manufacturers Association (ACEA) and the International Energy Agency (IEA). The fact that China is by far the leading country in EV sales is confirmed here. According to TradingPedia research, China led […]
June 26, 2025
After some embarrassing failures in the past to do it alone, such as Volkswagen’s, eleven giants from the German automotive industry have realized they need to join forces in developing the software that will increasingly define the car of the future. Under the impetus of the German Association of the Automotive Industry (VDA), they signed […]
June 26, 2025
According to the data of the European car manufacturers’ association, ACEA, new car registrations increased by 1.6% in May, compared to the same month last year. EV sales rose 25% last month. For the first five months, there was a slight decrease of 0.6% due to fewer sales in the first three months of this […]
June 25, 2025
Mercedes-Benz Vans has received its most significant EV order to date. The German manufacturer will deliver 5,000 electric vans to Amazon’s European delivery partners. Three-quarters of which are the larger eSprinter, while the rest of the order consists of eVito panel vans. The vehicles will be delivered in the coming months. As the American e-commerce […]
June 25, 2025
A new study commissioned by the European Environmental Bureau (EEB) reveals that making particle filters mandatory in Europe’s dirtiest home heating method – wood burning – would deliver significant public health benefits at a fraction of household incomes. High fossil fuel prices have pushed many low-income and rural households back to wood as their primary […]
June 25, 2025
Ford is moving forward with the construction of its battery plant near Detroit, aiming to produce lithium-iron-phosphate (LFP) battery cells on a domestic scale. The project represents not only a strategic leap toward more affordable electric vehicles but also a symbolic homecoming for a battery technology that was born in the US and later perfected […]
June 25, 2025
BYD is leveling up the game for electric buses once again. After presenting the B12 at Busworld Europe 2023 in Brussels, the first model with a Blade Battery integrated into the chassis, the Chinese manufacturer has now unveiled the B13.b at the UITP Summit in Hamburg. This low-entry 13-meter electric intercity bus surpasses the B12 […]
June 25, 2025
Although the average CO2 emissions per passenger per km are on average up to 10 times higher for a private jet flight compared to a regular scheduled flight, the demand for private flights in Belgium is five times higher than in the rest of Europe. According to the business newspaper L’Echo, which bases its figures […]
June 25, 2025
The French government has ordered the immediate immobilization of 800,000 additional vehicles because of the presence of possibly lethal Takata airbags. All car brands are involved in the massive and urgent recall that is now needed. Last week, French car manufacturer Citroën initiated a ‘stop drive’ for all its C3 and DS3 models produced between […]
June 25, 2025
Tesla finds itself under the French spotlight for all the wrong reasons. The American EV maker has now been slapped with a formal injunction by France’s consumer watchdog, the DGCCRF. The charge? Misleading advertising and dubious business practices, according to French authorities, that veer off the legal path. The case zeroes in—unsurprisingly—on Tesla’s most contentious […]
June 25, 2025
Firefly, Chinese premium EV maker NIO’s sub-brand, launches its own ‘BaaS’ offer in China, allowing customers to buy an EV and rent the battery instead of purchasing it. This ‘Battery-as-a-Service’, already offered by NIO and its other brand, Onvo, reduces the initial purchase price by more than 30%. The starting price of its – for […]
June 25, 2025
Renault is gathering its collection of historic vehicles, artworks, and archival documents in a new exhibition center outside Paris, at the landmark Flins site, set to open in 2027. The public will be able to explore the brand’s unique heritage through tours and themed exhibitions. This ambitious project aims to showcase the brand’s 125-year history […]
June 24, 2025
A survey of HR service provider Acerta shows that the CO2 emissions of company cars have diminished by one-third in two years. The reason is apparent: since mid-2023, only zero-emission vehicles are 100% tax deductible. This has also resulted in a spectacularly increased presence of EVs in Belgium’s professional car market. The Acerta study is […]
June 24, 2025
Honda is set to launch its Fastport fleet-as-a-service company at Eurobike in Frankfurt later this week. The micromobility venture will sell the Fastport eQuad, a pedal-assist electric quadricycle designed for last-mile urban deliveries, which is built in the US and is specifically designed for North America and Europe. Honda already manufactures cars, motorbikes, and engines […]
June 24, 2025
According to a new European Environmental Agency (EEA) report released on Tuesday, more than 20% of Europeans – more than one in five – are exposed to unhealthy levels of transport noise. When measured against stricter World Health Organization (WHO) recommendations, this figure rises to over 30%, or nearly one in three citizens. “Extremely high […]
June 24, 2025
Since Monday, June 23rd, the Flemish public transport company De Lijn has officially put its first electric buses, manufactured by the Chinese company BYD, into service. These are the first of 92 e-buses ordered. At Jacob Autocars, which is part of Hansea, one of the largest private bus companies in Belgium that also provides transport […]
June 24, 2025
After years of bold promises and missed deadlines, Tesla has finally launched a pilot fleet of autonomous taxis in the Texas capital. But the debut has already sparked safety concerns and renewed scepticism about the company’s readiness to deliver truly self-driving vehicles. Eyebrows are already raising as this next phase in Tesla’s coming of age […]
June 24, 2025
The US Supreme Court has revived a challenge by fuel producers against California’s strict vehicle emissions rules, casting doubt on the state’s planned 2035 ban on new gasoline cars. The ruling could significantly impact EV policy leadership in the largest US car market. The conservative-dominated Supreme Court has granted fuel producers the right to challenge […]
June 23, 2025
Empty batteries from Nissan EVs’ Leaf will provide power for some 90,000 residents in the Spanish enclave of Melilla in Morocco. The Japanese automaker is teaming up with European energy company Enel for the groundbreaking project. The project was already announced two years ago, but is now being finally launched. It fits into Nissan’s ‘Ambition […]
June 23, 2025
The number of driver’s licences (type B) obtained in Flanders has been declining slightly every year since 2014. Last year, 66,415 Flemish people obtained their B driver’s licence; in 2014, this figure was still 76,730. This trend is also evident in Brussels: 10,505 driving licences last year, compared to 11,957 in 2014. In Wallonia, we see an […]
June 23, 2025
Two years after the first demonstration truck, Toyota Motor Europe has now taken delivery of its fifth VDL hydrogen fuel cell truck, which its logistics partners will use in a five-year test. The trucks will drive between Belgium, France, Germany, and the Netherlands, delivering parts with zero tailpipe emissions. VDL Groep manufactures Toyota’s new fuel […]
June 23, 2025
VW is said to be toying with the idea of a particularly high-performance ID.2 R, which could become the brand’s first model to feature all-wheel drive using in-wheel motors. Should VW give the green light, the ID.2 R would sit above the already confirmed ID.2 GTI in the line-up and potentially even be pitched against […]
June 23, 2025
The Voyah Courage, a “premium” electric SUV built by Chinese conglomerate Dongfeng Motor, is coming to Belgium this summer. The brand is distributed by the Ghistelinck group, with one dealership currently located near Ghent. And while the specs seem decent, we still don’t know the price. Voyah is part of Dongfeng Motor’s plan to conquer […]
June 23, 2025
Brussels Airlines expects nearly 2 million passengers in July and August, the airline reports. That’s 600,000 more than a year earlier. To cope with this influx of passengers, the Lufthansa subsidiary will deploy a fleet of 50 aircraft, or six more than last year. Among other things, Brussels Airlines is adding an extra Airbus 320 […]
June 23, 2025
As of today, Antonio Filosa has started as the new CEO of Stellantis. After three weeks of visiting Stellantis factories, R&D centers, and offices worldwide, he officially started his new job by reshuffling his management team. Meanwhile, important decisions are to be made soon as the world’s fourth-largest car manufacturer has to recover from an […]
June 23, 2025
Chery Group—China’s largest vehicle exporter—announces a second model, alongside the Omoda 5 (ICE and EV), the flagship SUV, the Omoda 9 SHS. This one isn’t fully electric, but it is a plug-in hybrid with an electric range of 145 km, and it is offered for €52,900. The Omoda 9 is known in China as the […]
June 20, 2025
Audi CEO Gernot Döllner has confirmed that the brand has reversed its 2021 decision to phase out the production of cars with combustion engines (ICE) by 2033. The German carmaker no longer makes promises and communicates fixed deadlines “in the spirit of flexibility”. In an interview with the English car magazine Autocar, Döllner emphasised that […]
June 20, 2025
More than 52,000 new leased bicycles were added in Belgium last year. That’s according to a market analysis by mobility federation Traxio. It makes 2024 an absolute record year. There are currently 166,796 leased bikes on the road in Belgium. Almost two-thirds of bikes are electric. Especially Flanders scores well Almost 10% of all bikes […]
June 20, 2025
Ford has issued a global stop-sale on its electric Mustang Mach-E as it grapples with a potentially serious safety issue that may prevent the doors from unlocking, putting occupants at risk of being trapped. The recall affects nearly 317,000 vehicles spanning model years 2021 to 2025, raising fresh concerns among customers and dealers about delivery […]
June 20, 2025
MOIA, Volkswagen Group’s autonomous ride-sharing subsidiary, has unveiled the series production version of the VW ID. Buzz AD. The self-driving electric minivan is now available for sale to mobility providers and comes complete with all necessary software solutions and operator assistance. MOIA was founded in 2016 as part of Volkswagen’s ADMT (Autonomous Driving Mobility and […]
June 20, 2025
The Belgian Arizona government appears increasingly cornered over its controversial attempt to revive tax breaks for plug-in hybrid vehicles in corporate fleets. As it becomes clear that the proposed measures likely breach earlier commitments Belgium made under the EU’s post-COVID-19 recovery programme, the penalty for the revived incentive could be costly. Not a favorable outlook […]
June 19, 2025
Hylane, a German zero-emissions truck rental company primarily known for its hydrogen efforts, is expanding in two ways. The company now also offers battery-electric trucks and has expanded into the Netherlands, where it will benefit from additional subsidies to partly finance its new trucks. Hylane was founded in 2021 in Cologne, Germany, and, as the […]
June 19, 2025
In its annual report, a team of more than 60 international scientists has compiled a comprehensive picture of the current state of the climate. Together, they warn that the world is in “crunch time” to avoid higher levels of warming beyond the key threshold of 1.5 degrees Celsius. The group examined the amount of planet-heating […]
June 19, 2025
In an unprecedented attempt to unravel years of climate policy, US President Donald Trump has launched a renewed offensive against electric vehicle mandates and state-level emissions rules. His move sets the stage for a bitter legal clash with clean car advocate California and its allies. On top of that, the two Chambers of Congress have […]
June 19, 2025
Having your car braking automatically in an emergency at 130 km per hour and coming to a complete standstill without hitting the obstacle. Some cars can do that today, and Xpeng shows how to do it with its newest G7 SUV equipped with a Turing AI chip, even at night. Xpeng shared a video on […]
