November 01, 2024
Norway is revising its climate targets for vans, with a proposed delay of the deadline for all new van sales to be zero-emission from 2025 to 2027. The shift seems necessary as adoption moves much slower than the high sales penetration of battery-electric cars. Even in zero-emission Walhalla, vans stick to burning fossil fuels. The […]
October 31, 2024
Rail passenger traffic in the European Union reached a record last year if you look only at the number of passenger kilometers, according to data from the European statistics office Eurostat. In 2023, 8 billion passengers used trains in the EU. Thus, the dip initiated by the coronavirus pandemic in 2020 was also eliminated for […]
October 31, 2024
For the first time, Chinese automaker BYD has surpassed Tesla in quarterly revenue. The leap is driven by strong domestic sales, helped by government incentives, and BYD’s relentless focus on expanding its international footprint. In China, where over half of vehicle sales now consist of electric or hybrid models, BYD continues to dominate. BYD reported […]
October 31, 2024
In the third quarter of 2024, Volkswagen Group saw its operating result shrink by 41.7% and its earnings after taxes by 63.7%. The core brand Volkswagen was barely profitable. Against this backdrop, VW and IG Metall have started the next round of negotiations on the company’s collective labor agreement. VW CFO Arno Antlitz insists on […]
October 31, 2024
With the European tariffs coming into force this week, China is putting pressure on its carmakers not to invest in countries that voted for the tax wall. Mainly France and Italy were the driving forces for imposing tariffs, and instead, China suggested favoring Germany or Hungary, who voted against them. According to Reuters, quoting two […]
October 30, 2024
The European Commission has made the higher import tariffs on Chinese EVs effective ‘by law’ from Thursday after the official publication of it. Negotiations with Chinese government failed so far, but the Commission is aiming for deals with individual manufacturers now on a minimum price for cars and quotas for their imports. In return, the […]
October 30, 2024
With series production of its first ‘long-range’ electric heavy truck, the Mercedes eActros 600, kicking off next month, Daimler Truck is getting the Mannheim factory ready. One of the most critical components, the front box, has already started production. But what is it? The front box is a multi-component module that contains many of the […]
October 30, 2024
The new Walloon Minister of Mobility, François Desquesnes (Les Engagés), wants to rebalance the prices of the public transport company TEC between different age groups. Currently, 18- to 24-year-olds pay only 12 euros a year for a season ticket, or one euro a month, while 12-17-year-olds pay much more. It is expected that free or […]
October 30, 2024
From the summer of 2025, Brussel Airlines will employ job students on its flights. This will be a first for the airline. The students will receive the same training and pay as other cabin crew. Brussels Airlines wants to start with up to 60 job students, who will come in addition to the normal temporary […]
October 30, 2024
The Audi A6 e-tron has become almost €12,000 cheaper overnight thanks to the introduction of a new entry-level model with a ‘smaller’ 83 kWh battery. This makes the A6 e-tron cheaper than its direct rivals, the BMW i5, and Mercedes EQE, while still offering a very reasonable 627 km WLTP range. At its launch, the […]
October 30, 2024
Chinese smartphone brand Xiaomi and also making a successful entry as an electric carmaker, proudly announces that its SU7 Ultra prototype has become the fastest 4-door car on the Nürburgring Nordschleife. It recorded a time of 6 minutes 46.874 seconds, making it quicker than the Ferrari 296 GTB, the Porsche 918 Spyder, or the Rimac […]
October 30, 2024
The curtain falls on Audi Brussels: the date of death is ‘officially’ fixed at February 28th, 2025. Or is there still one stalk of straw to grasp? Eventually, a new potential investor surfaced from several possible overtakers contacted by Audi management: a ‘mystery’ commercial vehicle—truck and bus—manufacturer. Audi confirmed on Tuesday that the factory would […]
October 29, 2024
Xpeng Aeroht, the flying car subsidiary of Chinese EV manufacturer Xpeng, has started constructing a new factory in Guangzhou to produce its modular flying car. The company plans to build 10,000 of the actual aircraft components here, an eVTOL (Electric Vertical Takeoff and Landing) drone-like two-seater. The three-axle parent vehicle that carries and recharges the […]
October 29, 2024
MobilityPlus, a Ghent-based Belgian company that specializes in intelligent, integrated charging stations for businesses and fleets, has raised an additional 40 million euros in capital. The new investors include Suma Capital, while Concentra, the holding company of the Limburg Baert family that also controls one-third of Mediahuis, is strengthening its stake. The freshly raised money […]
October 29, 2024
According to a report from the World Meteorological Organization (WMO), greenhouse gas levels surged to a new record in 2023, committing the planet to rising temperatures for many years to come. Carbon dioxide (CO2) accumulates in the atmosphere faster than ever experienced during human existence, increasing by more than 10% in just two decades. “This […]
October 29, 2024
The cost of the Oosterweel works, the mobility and livability project around Antwerp that will, among other things, close the car traffic connection along the north side of the ring road, has risen to 10.1 billion euros. The new bill is more than 3 billion euros higher than estimated two years ago, of which 1.8 […]
October 29, 2024
Volvo Group (the parent company of Volvo Trucks and Renault Trucks) and Daimler Truck (Mercedes-Benz Trucks) have signed a binding agreement for their new joint venture to develop a software-defined vehicle platform, which was announced earlier this year. After regulatory approvals, the new company is expected to be founded in the first half of 2025. […]
October 29, 2024
Abarth’s most powerful model yet, the fully electric 600e, has been launched in its most principal European markets for a starting price of around 45,000 euros. The compact SUV also gets a new ‘Scorpionissima’ limited edition, which cranks up the power to 280 hp, becoming the most powerful Abarth yet. The Abarth 600e is available […]
October 29, 2024
Works Council Chairwoman Daniela Cavallo has provided further details on the planned savings in the Volkswagen Group ahead of the next round of negotiations. The Board of Management allegedly wants to close up to three plants, downsize all others, divest core areas, and implement massive salary cuts. This would also affect electric car production. “This […]
October 28, 2024
According to a new Oxfam report titled ‘Carbon Inequality Kills’, super-rich Europeans, with their investments and intensive use of superyachts and private planes, emit as much greenhouse gases in one week as the world’s poorest one percent do in their entire lives. In other words, fifty of the wealthiest billionaires in the world emit more […]
October 28, 2024
In Ghent, the Flemish public transport company De Lijn is testing an anti-slip coating on metal covers and switch rails to make streetcar tracks safer for cyclists. Several media outlets, including the newspaper Het Nieuwsblad, are reporting this. De Lijn will now continue monitoring and evaluating the pilot project. As every city cyclist has already […]
October 28, 2024
As tensions escalate over European Union tariffs on electric vehicles, Bloomberg reports that China is pressing its automakers from the backroom to halt their expansion plans into Europe. Beijing allegedly advises Chinese car manufacturers to stop pursuing new production sites in the EU and avoid signing further agreements while negotiations with Brussels are ongoing. In […]
October 28, 2024
According to sector federation Febiac, the market share of pure electric cars in Belgium and Luxembourg is still growing. During the first nine months of this year, 27% of registrations were purely electric, a 7.4% increase compared to 2023. Of course, the most significant factor in this positive electric result is the company car segment, […]
October 28, 2024
Hyundai Rotem, the South Korean defense contractor and a branch of the Hyundai Group, is pioneering the development of hydrogen fuel cell-powered battle tanks. This ambitious project, part of a collaboration with the National Defense Research Institute and other defense technology organizations, aims to create a tank that achieves stealth battlefield supremacy and aligns with […]
October 28, 2024
Chinese battery maker Svolt, a spin-off from Great Wall Motors since 2018, has confirmed to local media Yicai that it will end its European production activities by January 31st, 2025. It will cancel factories it was to build in Germany, in Saarland and Brandenburg, and shut down its headquarters in Frankfurt. Officially, the difficult decision […]
October 25, 2024
Scout Motors, a subsidiary of Volkswagen Group, has unveiled two new flagship electric off-roaders for the US market. The SUV Traveler and its pickup counterpart, the Terra, sit on the same electric body-on-frame platform, providing up to 350 miles (563 km) of range. A range-extender option brings that range to up to 800 km. Both […]
October 25, 2024
With a turnover of €10.7 billion (+1.8%), Renault Group is swimming against the tide in automotive land. Thanks to many new models, sales decreased less than the market average. That’s why it maintains its forecast for 2024, with an operational margin of 7.5% and a free cash flow of over € 2.5 billion. “Our third-quarter […]
October 25, 2024
Hyundai is pushing the envelope of high-performance EVs with its newly unveiled RN24 concept, a radical reimagining of the electric rally car. Showcased at this year’s N Day, the RN24 borrows the potent dual-motor powertrain from the Ioniq 5 N, now fitted within a rally-inspired chassis that emphasizes agility, power, and then some. This is […]
October 25, 2024
This weekend, we will switch to wintertime again. This means that from Saturday, October 26th, to Sunday, October 27th, 2024, we will switch from summer to wintertime. In concrete terms, this means turning the clock back one hour and getting one hour of extra sleep. This also means it will get dark earlier, and, according […]
October 25, 2024
Tesla surprised investors and analysts by posting bigger-than-expected profits for the third quarter of 2024. Though the EV maker boosted deliveries in the past three months, the money comes from unexpected income like CO2 credits, cost cutting, and “services and others.” Interestingly, Elon Musk never favored the latter as an important revenue stream. Tesla exceeded […]
October 25, 2024
The number of accidents between vehicles of the Brussels public transport company MIVB/STIB and two-wheelers decreased by 20% in 2023. MIVB/STIB describes this as “an encouraging result” and is launching a new awareness campaign. The cheering message comes at a rather unfortunate time. Yesterday in Genk, in the province of Limburg, a 15-year-old girl was […]
October 25, 2024
Chinese CATL, the world’s biggest battery maker, has presented a new type of battery for extended range (EREV) and plug-in hybrids (PHEV) to cure the prevalent ‘range anxiety’ of people reluctant to go fully electric. It promises a CLTC range of 400 km and 4C fast charging or 280 km in 10 minutes. The company […]
October 24, 2024
According to a new survey by mobility organization Touring, more than one in three Belgian drivers (34%) are often blinded by oncoming traffic. A fifth of them say this causes them stress and 18% even avoid driving in the dark. On the other hand, it appears that one in five vehicles has some defect in […]
October 24, 2024
Is lithium the new gold mine for Arkansas after oil? Researchers have discovered that an underground brine reservoir in the southern US state may contain as much as 5 to 19 million tons of lithium. Lithium is a crucial raw material for electric vehicle batteries. The amount of lithium in the Arkansas beds would be […]
October 24, 2024
Opel has gently refreshed its smallest SUV, the Mokka. The compact model gets Opel’s new brand identity, updated technology, and a redesigned cockpit. Nothing changes under the hood, with a choice between gasoline, mild-hybrid, and fully-electric drivetrains, but the Mokka 2025 does come at a lower price. Even after three years of service, Opel still […]
October 24, 2024
Jim Farley, Ford’s CEO and boss of the world’s sixth-biggest car company, with 177.000 people working for him, made a striking confession: He has been driving a Chinese Xiaomi SU7 fully electric car around Detroit for the last six months and doesn’t want to give it up. “It’s fantastic and is made by a smartphone […]
October 24, 2024
The cost of the Princess Elisabeth energy island, an artificial island off the Belgian coast that will be used by the power grid operator Elia, will probably amount to 7 billion euros, a multiple of the 2,2 billion that was initially estimated. Princess Elisabeth Island will become an energy hub for cables to neighboring countries […]
October 24, 2024
Despite good Q3 sales results, Volvo is warning of a ‘cold winter’ in sales for the last quarter of this year and even deep into 2025. Meanwhile, the sales of electrified vehicles almost reach half of the total sales, and pure electric sales represent one-quarter of these total sales. Volvo Cars reported a core operating […]
October 24, 2024
Dutch electric bus manufacturer Ebusco’s lawsuit in summary proceedings over the payment for 45 buses turns out to be a damp squib. The Dutch judge ruled that public transport company Qbuzz has the right to cancel the order, even when the buses are mostly ready for delivery. The court also allowed Qbuzz to keep the […]
October 23, 2024
The Lower House in the Netherlands wants to postpone introducing emission-free zones for company cars and trucks until 2029. However, on January 1, 14 municipalities, including Amsterdam and Rotterdam, wanted to introduce these zones despite resistance from the political Hague and most business owners. Still, there is little chance that the introduction can be stopped. […]
October 23, 2024
Germany will build a nationwide 9,040 km hydrogen network connecting various industrial areas. In the long term, a future Dutch hydrogen network will also be linked to it. German regulators have approved the construction of the network, Vice Chancellor Robert Habeck announced on Tuesday. Hydrogen should be used in sectors where renewable energy, such as […]
October 23, 2024
European environmental lobby group Transport & Environment has published a study with the Clean Cities Campaign that the supply of electric vans will be enough by 2030 to introduce zero-emission zones for freight in every European capital. But a few asterisks remain. The EU’s more stringent ambient air quality directive (AAQD), which comes into effect […]
October 23, 2024
Autoservizi Troiani, an Italian public transport operator, has ordered 110 electric Mercedes-Benz eCitaro buses to deploy in the east part of Rome, which will all be delivered by mid-2026. Part of these e-buses will use the “next-generation” NMC4 batteries, which promise more range and a longer lifespan. Autoservizi Troiani first ordered 40 hybrid Mercedes Citaro […]
October 23, 2024
To mark the 25th anniversary of the original A2, Audi is showcasing an A2 e-tron, an A2 that has been converted into an electric vehicle by a bunch of Audi apprentices. Although this is a one-off created for the anniversary, Audi is planning a new entry-level electric model below the Q4 e-tron, likely to be […]
October 23, 2024
The all-electric Renault 5 e-tech and the Alpine A290 are the first Renault vehicles equipped with a bidirectional charger capable of Vehicle-to-Grid (V2G). They were launched with the promise of allowing the owner to earn back some money by delivering electricity from the car to the network. And now, France is the first European country […]
October 23, 2024
Ten years ago, the Dutch Swapfiets was founded, the world’s pioneer of ‘bike as a service’. Three student friends from Delft wanted to offer people a reliable and rock-solid bicycle without any fuss. This is how the first bicycle subscription was born. The formula is quite simple: Swapfiets members always have a working bicycle for […]
October 23, 2024
The Swiss manufacturer Softcar has unveiled a lightweight L7e electric car with four seats. It weighs 640 kilograms, including the battery, and is said to have a range of 200 kilometers. Prices start from €23,000. All vehicles in the L7e class have one thing in common: they can travel at a maximum speed of 90 […]
October 22, 2024
Britain’s financial watchdog has fined Volkswagen 5.4 million pounds or about 6.5 million euros. The fine was issued because the German car group’s finance arm confiscated cars from vulnerable people with little warning. Volkswagen Finance must also compensate 110,000 affected customers with 21.5 million pounds or about 25.8 million euros. According to the Financial Conduct […]
October 22, 2024
According to a new study by the green group Transport & Environment (T&E), subsidies for gasoline and diesel company cars cost taxpayers €42 billion every year in the five biggest EU countries alone. The study by ERM, commissioned by T&E, calculates the effects of the four tax benefits traditionally given to company cars: benefit-in-kind, depreciation […]
October 22, 2024
Mercedes-Benz has finally opened its own battery recycling plant in Kuppenheim, southern Germany, using Primobius’s technology. It’s Europe’s first battery recycling plant using an integrated mechanical-hydrometallurgical process: shredding battery modules and chemically washing out and drying ‘precious’ materials. The company expects more than a 96 percent recovery rate for valuable and scarce raw materials such […]
October 22, 2024
The European Car Manufacturers Association (ACEA) data show that in September 2024, new EU car registrations continued their downward trajectory (-6.1%), with negative results across three of the region’s four major markets. France declined by -11.1%, Italy by -10.7%, and the German market regressed by 7%. On the other hand, Spain experienced a rebound (+6.3%). […]
October 22, 2024
Over the coming two years, Electra, a European expert in fast-charging stations, plans to open and operate at least 20 fast-charging stations at existing and future branches of the fast-food chain Burge King. The collaboration starts today with the opening of the first fast-charging station at Burger King in Zandhoven. During the first phase, existing […]
October 21, 2024
Stay Grounded, a network of organizations wanting to phase out aviation, calls for a European tax on frequent flyers. This would apply from the third flight per year. According to Stay Grounded, such a tax could reduce aviation’s CO2 emissions by a fifth and generate billions to invest in the climate transition. Globally, 1% of […]
October 21, 2024
By 2025, BMW Group Plants Dingolfing and Regensburg (both in Bavaria, Germany) will obtain electricity from solar panels on their roofs. Dingolfing’s rooftop photo-voltaic system, with a capacity of 11.1 MWp, will be one of the most powerful in Germany. To achieve this objective, the premium automotive manufacturer is renting roof space at its two […]
October 21, 2024
At the Paris Motor Show, Renault also presented an entire EV ecosystem. It has shown up with a fleet of electric vehicles covering everything from the road to the sea and even the sky. The concept vehicles were showcased with the Renault 4 E-Tech launch. Renault not only presented the R4 E-Tech for the first […]
October 21, 2024
Volvo Group, the Swedish manufacturer of Volvo Trucks, Renault Trucks, and Mack Trucks, has announced a hefty profit drop for the third quarter of this year. Due to slowing demand in the freight and construction segments, the forecasts for 2025 are also not very optimistic. Volvo Group earned an adjusted operational profit of 14.1 billion […]
October 21, 2024
Hyundai Mobis, a leading parts supplier for Hyundai, is taking in-car screen technology to the next level with its latest innovation: a full-width holographic windshield display. Developed in partnership with German optical giant Zeiss, this new technology could revolutionize how drivers and passengers interact with their vehicles by transforming the entire windshield into a transparent […]
October 21, 2024
Romanian low-cost carmaker Dacia is taking a knife to EV prices, with a little help from the Flemish government. With the incentive from Flanders, the new Dacia Spring base version is available from €7,545.50. It’s more than half the price when the small electric car was launched. The Dacia Spring has always been the cheapest […]
October 21, 2024
Specialized news magazine Automotive News communicated this week that the fate of the Audi factory in Brussels was sealed. The factory will be closed, and all 3,000 employees will be laid off. Maybe the spectacular message comes a bit too early. A recent statement by Audi COO Gerd Walker has fueled it. Until now, Volkswagen […]
October 20, 2024
Brussels Airport is among the 67 most efficient airports in the world in terms of CO2 emissions. It has achieved Lever 4+, the penultimate level of Airport Council International’s Airport Carbon Accreditation program (ACA). A total of 592 airports worldwide participate in the ACA program that compares and certifies airports in terms of CO2 emissions. […]
