October 18, 2024
Elon Musk has promoted Omead Afshar, previously seen as his “chief of staff” at Tesla, to a high-ranking executive role, marking a significant leadership change at the automaker. Afshar, who faced controversy in 2022, now assumes the position of Vice President of Operations in North America and Europe, overseeing Tesla’s sales and manufacturing in these […]
October 18, 2024
Poppy, a provider of shared and rental cars, is pulling out of Liège due to too many incidents with the shared cars, according to its marketing director, Pierre de Schaetzen. Poppy, a subsidiary of the Brussels holding company D’Ieteren, has been operating in Liège since early February 2023, the company’s first steps in Wallonia. Around […]
October 18, 2024
Chery Automobile, China’s fifth-biggest automaker with over 1.88 million vehicles sold worldwide last year, says it will take on Belgium from January 2025 with two models: the Omoda 5 EV and the Jaecoo 7 PHEV. While the brand awaits the Brussels Motor Show for an official launch, we could already take the Omoda 5 EV, […]
October 18, 2024
A survey (among 3,540 Flemish drivers) by mobility organization VAB revealed that cyclists riding in the dark without lights on and car drivers who do not use their indicators are Flemish motorists’ biggest annoyances in traffic. The organization, therefore, pleads for stricter punishment for some violations and refresher courses for drivers. Other drivers’ most annoying […]
October 18, 2024
Since yesterday, ticket sales have started for the faster trains that will run between Brussels and Amsterdam from mid-December. From Brussels to Amsterdam, a ticket for the new Eurocity Direct costs between 25 and 64,1 euros, and to Rotterdam on the Eurocity, it costs between 13,1 and 32,7 euros. However, the passenger organization TreinTramBus is […]
October 18, 2024
BMW CEO Oliver Zipse’s latest stance against the sales ban on combustion-engined cars by 2035 might reignite the discussion surrounding a political revision on the EU level. According to the top executive, keeping the combustion engine running is the best remedy for remaining competitive in the face of mounting Chinese competition. President of the European […]
October 18, 2024
The Dutch mobility organization ANWB has studied the charging habits of its members all across Europe this summer. They researched the data of their members’ charging passes (ANWB laadpas), which have been charged 63,000 times abroad this summer. Most charging sessions were in France (24,615), Germany (17,202), Belgium (5,179), and Italy (4,278). Still, some Dutchmen […]
October 17, 2024
Stellantis said on Wednesday that its consolidated global shipments in the third quarter have dropped to 1.148 million units, a 20% decrease compared to the same period in 2023. The Franco-Italian automaker said in a note that the fall in deliveries was higher than underlying sales, which are estimated to have dropped by 15%. This […]
October 17, 2024
The International Energy Agency (IEA) expects a global fuel and gas surplus in the next five years. Although the energy crisis has led to scarcity and sky-high prices in recent years, the IEA expects just the opposite in the second half of the decade. That could be good news for Europe, where the energy crisis […]
October 17, 2024
Hyundai Mobis, a significant supplier for Hyundai Motor Group, has announced an investment of approximately €235 million to establish new production facilities in Slovakia. The move aims to expand the South Korean partners’ presence in the European electric vehicle (EV) market, the second-largest globally. The new plant will focus on producing key EV components, including […]
October 17, 2024
According to figures from Transport for London (TfL), more than 1,400 vehicles have already been seized by bailiffs in London for non-payment of Ultra-Low Emission Zone (ULEZ) fines. Since August last year, virtually all of London has been an environmental zone, the world’s largest pollution charging zone. That means users of polluting cars must pay […]
October 17, 2024
Geely’s premium electric vehicle brand Zeekr is preparing to officially unveil its new mid-sized MPV, the Zeekr MIX, on October 23. With display models arriving in showrooms around the same time, the MIX is expected to generate significant attention due to its advanced design and family-oriented features. The Zeekr MIX, which is also headed to […]
October 17, 2024
The brand new Höegh Aurora is currently the world’s biggest auto carrier, capable of storing 9,100 cars on its fourteen decks. It has visited Zeebrugge’s car terminal and the Antwerp harbor before sailing further to Gothenburg. The Höegh Aurora is making its maiden trip as it is the first launched of twelve Aurora Class ships […]
October 17, 2024
South Korean car manufacturer Hyundai wanted to present something new at the Paris Motor Show, so this week, it premiered the Inster Cross in the French metropolis. Hyundai says it’s a version of the small city dweller “with a more outdoor look”. The regular Inster, based on the little Casper with a combustion engine available […]
October 16, 2024
The International Council on Clean Transportation (ICCT) has published a study on the CO2 reduction requirements of the ten largest car manufacturers to comply with the EU’s fleet limits for 2025. On average, manufacturers must increase their BEV share by a maximum of twelve percentage points, from 16% in 2023 to around 28% by 2025. […]
October 16, 2024
SAIC, the mother company of the now Chinese MG brand, has unwrapped the fully electric MG ES5, a compact SUV, likely to succeed in the current very popular MG ZS EV. This one is 153 mm longer and 40 mm wider but stands around 4 mm lower on its wheels than the outgoing car. Although […]
October 16, 2024
For the first time, more second-hand campers were registered than new ones in September 2024. The new camper market has fallen slightly over the past nine months (-2.7% to 4,807 units). The increased prices of new campers and the higher interest rates on loans explain the declining sales. The second-hand market, on the other hand, […]
October 16, 2024
Will Brussels Airlines again have a well-known Belgian comic book figure on the fuselage of one of their planes alongside Tintin? That might be lonesome cowboy Lucky Luke, the hero initially conceived by Morris, aka Maurice De Bevere. He has been chosen, along with the Atomium, Cycling, Poppies, and Shrimp Fishermen, among the five most […]
October 16, 2024
Stellantis brand Citroën presented the upcoming C5 Aircross as a concept car at the Paris Motor Show. The carmaker will also launch it with a purely electric drive. The revised ë-C4 and ë-C4 X were also on display. The C5 Aircross Concept shown in Paris features several design elements common to show cars of this […]
October 16, 2024
BYD, which originated in battery manufacturing and is now China’s biggest carmaker, is launching an eighth European model at the Paris Motor Show, the Sealion 7. This coupé-like crossover, again targeted to compete with the best-selling Tesla Y, will arrive during Q4 of 2024. The Sealion 07 EV was launched in May of this year […]
October 15, 2024
Amnesty International reports in a new report that car manufacturers BYD, Mitsubishi, and Hyundai score the worst on human rights in the production of their electric cars. According to the Human Rights Organization, mining potentially exposes communities to exploitation, health risks, and environmental damage caused by the rapid expansion of mines to extract metals such […]
October 15, 2024
A new study by the Belgian energy regulator CREG warns of an abundance of solar power and that more flexibility will be needed to accommodate the growing surpluses. The high-voltage grid operator Elia had already sounded the alarm before the summer. Since 2021, Belgium’s solar panel capacity has more than doubled to 10.3 gigawatts. In […]
October 15, 2024
Stellantis CEO Carlos Tavares said on Monday at the Paris Motor Show that he is not ruling out future job cuts. “I am not ruling out anything,” Tavares told French radio station RTL when asked whether he intended to cut jobs. Tavares was in the French capital for the Paris Motor Show, which runs until […]
October 15, 2024
It’s finally here: the long-awaited fully electric Lynk & Co 02 for Europe. You can buy or lease it for a competitive price compared to its siblings, the Volvo EX30, Smart #1, or the Zeekr X, starting at €35,495. Sharing is natural for a brand that wants to redefine car ownership, but there is no […]
October 15, 2024
British low-cost airline EasyJet has appointed Belgian Jan De Raeymaeker as CFO. The company announced this on Monday. De Raeymaeker is currently the finance director of Lineas, a rail operator. At easyJet, De Raeymaeker succeeds Kenton Jarvis, who becomes CEO, replacing Johan Lundgren. De Raeymaeker will start working at EasyJet in January. His annual salary […]
October 15, 2024
Leapmotor International entered the Paris Motor Show today with the global debut of the B10, the first model in its new B-series. “This launch marks a critical milestone in Leapmotor’s global expansion, as the company accelerates its efforts to provide accessible, high-tech electric vehicles (EVs) across Europe and beyond,” says the press release from partner […]
October 14, 2024
Gigacasting has been touted as the go-to manufacturing innovation for cost-efficient EV production. After Tesla introduced the technique, many carmakers followed its lead or planned to do so. But after doing the math, Stellantis has decided to sidestep the adoption of gig casting in favor of more flexible, quickly implementable solutions. A missed opportunity? Arnaud […]
October 14, 2024
The Flemish public transport company De Lijn’s bus and tram tickets can now be paid with eco vouchers at the vending machines. This applies to single tickets and De Lijn cards of 10 or 50 journeys. However, for the time being, paying with eco vouchers on the tram, bus, or via the app is impossible. […]
October 14, 2024
Renault is also showing the production version of its new R4 at the Paris Motor Show. The press release says the Renault 4 E-Tech electric “takes up a natural position in the B segment, just above Renault 5 E-Tech electric. ” Slightly bigger and roomier than the Renault 5 E-Tech electric, its positioning is similar […]
October 14, 2024
Citroën has introduced a refreshed version of the Ami microcar at the 2024 Paris Motor Show, marking the vehicle’s fourth anniversary with notable design updates and a new buggy concept. The updated Ami, known for its quirky style and high accessibility to youngsters, now boasts a “more sympathetic and mature” front design, restyled to pay […]
October 14, 2024
French energy giant Engie is pulling the plug on its Dutch charger daughter EVBox seven years after acquiring it and accumulating €800 million in loss. Attempts failed to find someone to take over the ailing company that installed 550 thousands of charging points worldwide and claims a +20,000 business customer base. The decision, like a […]
October 14, 2024
MINI uses the setting of the Paris Motor Show to boost the MINI Cooper Electric and MINI Aceman models with up to 190 kW (258 hp) John Cooper Works variants. With the same 54.2 kWh battery, the MINI John Cooper Works Electric gets a range of up to 371 kilometers (WLTP), and the MINI John […]
October 14, 2024
Just before the start of this year’s Paris Motor Show, Renault’s sports car subsidiary, Alpine, invited guests to the presentation of the A390_β. Without the Greek letter in its name, the production version is scheduled for market launch next year. We were allowed to look at this ‘beta version’ and gain insight into Alpine’s electrification […]
October 11, 2024
As of now, the Stellantis group is definitely and officially in search of a new CEO. Its creator and current CEO, Carlos Tavares, will end his mandate in early 2026, and it will not be renewed. Meanwhile, the current boss has reshuffled his management in the wake of the group’s receding sales and profit figures […]
October 11, 2024
The Flemish public transport company De Lijn will introduce six new emission-free minibusses to the Mechelen city network after the autumn vacations. These busses are more compact and run entirely electrically. The new buses, costing 350,000 euros each, have been ordered from Chinese manufacturer Yes-EU. After the seven Yes-EU midi e-buses already in service in […]
October 11, 2024
Antwerp has a new shared scooter provider. After Poppy and Lime, Bird was the third platform operational in the city, but the latter’s permit recently expired. The city started looking for a new provider and issued a license to the Swedish Voi. Voi was founded in Stockholm (Sweden) and pioneered e-scooters in Europe. The company […]
October 11, 2024
On Thursday night, it was show time again for Elon Musk in an appropriate setting: the artificial city of Warner Brothers’ studio lot in Los Angeles. Here, he could safely unleash a fleet of twenty fully autonomous two-seater Cybercabs and add a ‘one more thing’ surprise, the 20-seater Robovan. The whole thing was submerged in […]
October 11, 2024
The BMW Group increased its deliveries of all-electric vehicles in the third quarter by 10.1% compared to the same quarter last year. Across all BMW brands, the manufacturer delivered a total of 103,440 electric vehicles. In total, for the first nine months of 2024, BMW Group delivered 1,754,158 units, 4.5% less than the year. “This […]
October 11, 2024
Renault will publicly unveil the Mobilize Duo or the next-generation Twizy at the Paris Motor Show. Like its spiritual forefather, it’s also available in a cargo version dubbed Bento. As cities worldwide strive for cleaner air and reduced traffic congestion, these two compact yet versatile electric vehicles want to earmark the future of city transportation […]
October 10, 2024
In seven years, Volvo Cars’ factory in Ghent, Belgium, has produced one million XC40s (and derivatives). The car was Volvo’s first compact premium SUV and also became the first EV for the Swedes with a fully electric version. In 2025, it will be joined by Volvo’s latest small EV to date, the EX30, which is […]
October 10, 2024
The International Energy Agency (IEA) expects a massive increase in renewable energy production by 2030. According to a new report published on Wednesday, tripling the capacity – as agreed at the latest climate conference in Dubai – is within reach. The IEA expects renewable energy sources like wind and solar to meet almost half the […]
October 10, 2024
General Motors’ Ultium battery brand name will be discontinued as the company shifts toward incorporating different battery types and chemistries in its electric vehicle (EV) lineup. The move comes as GM aims to cut EV production costs and address the challenges of scaling battery production. Kurt Kelty, GM’s VP of batteries (and a former Tesla […]
October 10, 2024
Belgian public railroad company NMBS/SNCB must pay the state a fine of 416,666 euros. In 2023, NMBS/SNCB was insufficiently punctual, canceled too many trains, and experienced too many minutes of delays. The fine results from an alarming report that is part of the public service contract between the state and the NMBS/SNCB. If NMBS/SNCB does […]
October 10, 2024
Rio Tinto Group, the world’s second-largest mining group, is to buy U.S. lithium producer Arcadium Lithium Plc. The British-Australian group is putting 6,7 billion dollars, or 6,1 billion euros, on the table for the acquisition. This is Rio Tinto’s largest deal in 17 years. With the acquisition, the group is betting heavily on lithium, a […]
October 10, 2024
Honda is gearing up to unveil its highly anticipated 0 Series EV lineup, marking a highly anticipated leap forward in the company’s electrification journey. Before the official launch of the first model in 2025, Honda provided a sneak peek of its latest technology at its global R&D center in Tochigi, Japan. The 0 Series must […]
October 10, 2024
After Sweden and the Netherlands, Chinese-Swedish EV brand Zeekr – sister brand to Volvo and Lynk & Co – is opening sales in Norway, a European forerunner and one of the world’s most developed EV markets. In September, 96.4% of all new car registrations in the country were fully electric vehicles. The Zeekr 001 shooting […]
October 10, 2024
A new report by an international team of scientists – 15,000 scientists from 150 countries – states that climatic conditions have worsened. The report shows twenty-five of thirty-five planetary vital signs are at record extremes. For example, greenhouse gas emissions are still rising, the world is using more oil and coal, and oceans are becoming […]
October 10, 2024
Ratan Tata, the businessman who inherited one of India’s oldest conglomerates and transformed it through a string of eye-catching deals into a global empire, has died. He was 86. In 2008, he bought Jaguar Land Rover from Ford. Tata Group Chairman Natarajan Chandrasekaran announced his death in a statement, calling Tata “a truly uncommon leader […]
October 10, 2024
Dacia, already Europe’s leading B-segment brand, is entering the C-SUV segment with Bigster. This all-new vehicle illustrates Dacia’s core values: essential, eco-smart, robust, and outdoor. It will also be a lot cheaper than its main rivals. The all-new Bigster is tailored to the specific requirements of a still-growing SUV market. “Spiraling costs are an issue […]
October 09, 2024
Another Toyota and Subaru co-developed electric SUV is coming to the US, Europe, and Japan. The new electric SUV will join the current bZ4X and Solterra in the Japanese automaker’s global lineup. Toyota and Subaru worked together to launch the bZ4X and Solterra models in May 2022. These electric SUVs are based on the e-TNGA […]
October 09, 2024
Ryanair chief Michael O’Leary plans to abolish the paper boarding pass and allow online check-in only. The measure, which would apply from May next year, would save costs. Ryanair desks would disappear at airports, and every passenger would have to check in via smartphone. An additional surcharge already applies now, but eventually, O’Leary wants to […]
October 09, 2024
According to driving schools, there is a renewed interest among young people in being able to drive independently as soon as possible after their 18th birthday, and a new French study confirms this fact. Despite its high cost, young people worldwide remain attached to the car precisely because they consider it essential for their daily […]
October 09, 2024
According to a new online survey by VSV (Vlaamse Stichting Verkeerskunde), one out of five youngsters feels forced to answer calls or messages while driving. Using a cell phone while driving is legally prohibited unless the device is in a suitable holder. A new campaign and additional police checks should raise awareness about distractions in […]
October 09, 2024
According to figures from Korean consultancy firm SNE Research, from January to July 2024, batteries for electric vehicles (EV, PHEV, HEV) registered worldwide represented approximately 510.1 GWh of energy, a 21.7% growth compared to the year before. China’s biggest battery cell makers, CATL, with a market share of 37.1%, and BYD, with 16.4%, strengthened their […]
October 08, 2024
The business newspaper L’Echo writes that there is a good chance that the measure requiring all new cabs in Brussels to be emission-free by January 1st, 2025, will be postponed for a year. The main reason would be that there are not enough charging stations in the Brussels Region, while the high price of new […]
October 08, 2024
Nissan joined the ‘club’ one month after BMW, Honda, and Ford started operating their shared US EV-charging network ChargeScape. The three founding automakers have been researching the possibility of a standard charging service network for some time and have turned their findings into a business. Nissan will be a 25% equity partner in the charging […]
October 08, 2024
Dutch transport company Arriva has ordered 157 new electric buses from VDL. Some buses will be built in the VDL factory in Roeselare, West Flanders. The 157 new-generation Citea buses are destined for the West Brabant region of the Netherlands. Financial details about the order are unknown, but the extra production will not involve new […]
October 08, 2024
Registrations of new motorcycles continued to rise during the first nine months of 2024 to 22,694 units (+2,7%) – despite the wet weather. Compared to the first nine months of 2022, the increase is even +7.4%. In concrete terms, this means that almost 1,600 more new motorcycles have been registered this year than two years […]
October 08, 2024
The latest ‘Mobility in Figures 2024-2025’ (Mobiliteit in Cijfers) report of the Dutch automotive sector’s RAI and Bovag shows the Netherlands is still one of Europe’s leading countries in rapid electrification. On a total car fleet of 9.4 million, 1.3 million cars (14%) are fully electric or have a hybrid drivetrain. That’s four times more […]
October 08, 2024
Last Friday, the 27 EU member states voted on the Commission’s proposal to seriously increase the import tariffs on EVs produced in China. We already commented on this last week. Meanwhile, the Chinese have reacted, and the NGO T&E has commented interestingly. China’s Ministry of Commerce (MOFCOM) has opposed the European Union’s additional tariffs on […]
