Daimler Truck adds US factory as tariffs reshape production

August 07, 2026

Daimler Truck is preparing a major expansion of its North American manufacturing footprint. The German truck maker will build a new factory in the United States for vocational and long-haul trucks, with construction due to start late this year and production scheduled for 2029. The location has not yet been decided, with Daimler Truck North […]

Summer track works to impact train traffic across Belgium

August 07, 2026

The Belgian railway operator Infrabel deliberately schedules the most extensive construction projects for the summer because there is less commuting to work or school during that time. With fewer commuters, fewer trains are needed, allowing Infrabel to close more tracks simultaneously without bringing the entire network to a standstill. Here is an overview of the construction […]

Ford prices Fathom EV pickup at $28,350, eyes global potential

August 07, 2026

Ford has put a name and a price on the first model from its radically simplified new electric-car platform. The Ford Fathom, a compact-to-midsize electric pickup, will start at $28,350 in the United States, or $29,945 including destination charges, when deliveries begin in the fall of 2027. That makes the five-seat Fathom almost as cheap […]

China filing unmasks Smart #2 nine weeks before Paris premiere

August 07, 2026

Just over nine weeks before its official premiere at the Paris Motor Show, the new Smart #2 has been exposed by Chinese regulatory filings. The virtually undisguised production car appears six weeks after Smart Europe CEO Wolfgang Ufer told Newmobility.news that it would initially be built in China, but European production will definitely be discussed. […]

Dutch study ‘revives’ Belgian case for €100-a-month social EV leasing

August 07, 2026

A Dutch study arguing that governments should subsidize electric lease cars for low-income, car-dependent households rather than cut fuel taxes for everyone could also feed the debate in Belgium. Vooruit and opposition party Ecolo have both proposed versions of French-style social leasing, with EVs available for roughly €100 to €150 per month, but the idea […]

Belgium’s automotive world moves under one roof in Diegem (update)

August 06, 2026

Belgium’s leading automotive organizations are preparing to move into a common headquarters in Diegem. FEBIAC says its twenty employees will transfer to the new House of Mobility from October 1, with the official inauguration scheduled for November 26. The federation of vehicle manufacturers and importers is driving the project, which will unite manufacturers, leasing companies, […]

Kia’s first van grabs 37% of Europe’s small electric market

August 06, 2026

Kia has barely entered Europe’s commercial-vehicle market, yet its first electric van is already outselling models from manufacturers with decades of experience. According to figures quoted by Kia UK, the PV5 accounted for 37% of Europe’s battery-electric small-van segment and ranked first in 12 countries, including Germany and the United Kingdom. Electric C-segment only The […]

Belgium captures 15% of Dutch border-region gasoline demand

August 06, 2026

An increasing number of Dutch people living in the border region with Belgium are filling up their tanks in Belgium, according to research by ABN AMRO. By now, approximately 15 percent of gasoline consumption in that region has shifted to Belgium. The Dutch are flocking to Belgium to fill up their tanks, now that the price […]

BMW starts i3 production, keeps presales under wraps

August 06, 2026

BMW has started series production of the new electric i3 at its historic Munich plant, describing the launch as a steep ramp-up driven by strong demand. The electric sports saloon is the second production model of the Neue Klasse after the iX3 and the first to be built in Germany. Customer deliveries are due to […]

Brussels seeks Lime compromise to avoid shared-bike shutdown

August 06, 2026

Due to a recent ruling by the Council of State, all bike- and e-scooter-sharing operator in Brussels will lose their licenses on September 1. In response, Brussels Mobility announced that it is inviting all operators in the sector to a mid-August meeting. But it now appears that the Brussels government is aiming for a transition […]

Trump diagnoses EV ‘disease’, but his numbers run flat

August 06, 2026

Donald Trump has diagnosed millions of electric-car drivers with a new illness: worrying about where to charge. At a rally in Las Vegas on Wednesday, the US President claimed that EV owners suffer from a “disease” that apparently begins when their battery is still three-quarters full. Speaking at the Red Rock Resort, Trump said he […]

France targets powerful cars for novice drivers, Belgium may follow

August 06, 2026

Starting this autumn, young drivers in France will no longer be allowed to drive powerful cars. France is banning young drivers from operating a vehicle “with engine power exceeding a specified threshold.” This ban applies to any car a novice driver operates, including borrowed or rented vehicles. The trigger is a series of serious accidents involving young […]

Belgium and Netherlands double down on cross-border power links

August 05, 2026

On Tuesday, August 4, the Brabo III high-voltage line in the Port of Antwerp was officially opened, with the Belgian Prime Minister Bart De Wever (N-VA) and Dutch Minister Rob Jetten in attendance. Elia and TenneT have inaugurated the Brabo project – an upgrade to the electricity interconnection between Belgium and the Netherlands – in […]

Fuel shock forces Brussels Airlines to ground A330 growth plans

August 05, 2026

High fuel prices, an Ebola outbreak in East Africa, and strikes by third parties led Brussels Airlines to have a difficult start to 2026, with an adjusted operating loss of 70 million euros. This represents a 50% decline compared to the same period last year. In response, the airline has scrapped its fleet expansion plans. […]

New Audi A2 e-tron turns efficiency into its main weapon

August 05, 2026

Audi has removed most of the camouflage from the upcoming A2 e-tron, but the bigger news is beneath the skin. The manufacturer has released its first detailed technical dossier on the compact EV, confirming that the 140 kW version with an optional efficiency package consumes just 12.8 kWh per 100 kilometers according to preliminary WLTP […]

Renault’s EV boom lifts revenue, but finance rivals car profits

August 05, 2026

Renault Group has returned to profit in the first half of 2026, helped by rapidly rising electric car sales and a richer product mix. However, the figures also reveal how thin the margins on building cars remain. Mobilize Financial Services, the group’s captive finance arm, generated almost as much operating profit as Renault’s entire automotive […]

Antwerp is a diesel hub, but Belgian drivers still pay soaring global price

August 05, 2026

Belgium may be home to Antwerp, one of Europe’s largest refining and diesel-trading hubs, but that does not give Belgian motorists access to cheaper fuel. Diesel produced in Antwerp is traded at international north-western European prices, which are determined by global supply, refinery availability, transport costs, and geopolitical tensions. That global market is now flashing […]

Belux registrations down 7.4% in July, BEVs have the highest market share

August 04, 2026

According to data from the sector federation Febiac and the federal public service Mobility and Transport, 29,274 new cars were registered in July, 7.4% fewer than in July 2025. After 7 months in 2026, 266,209 new cars were registered, and that’s a decline of 2.4% compared to last year. As the professional car market is […]

‘Climate change has no reverse gear, but we still control the brakes’

August 04, 2026

Anyone who thought we could turn back the climate clock and return to the old ‘normal’ is in for a disappointment. Even if we stop driving gasoline-fueled cars and having barbecues, no one alive today will ever experience that former normal again.  The sobering message comes from Bart Strengers, a climate scientist at the Netherlands Environmental […]

TU Eindhoven students build solar mobile clinic for remote regions

August 04, 2026

A team of students from Eindhoven University of Technology has unveiled a solar-powered mobile clinic designed to bring medical care to remote regions where roads are poor and electricity supplies unreliable. Called ‘Stella Juva’, the vehicle is presented by Solar Team Eindhoven as the world’s first solar-powered ambulance, although it functions more like a self-sufficient […]

Leapmotor B03 could become Stellantis’ €20,000 Chinese price weapon

August 04, 2026

Leapmotor is preparing to launch the A05 in China on August 10, a compact electric hatchback that will be sold internationally as the B03. With dimensions close to the Geely E2, two LFP batteries, and a potential European price near €20,000, it could become one of the sharpest value propositions in Europe’s affordable EV market. […]

BIPT: ‘Bpost records Belgium’s lowest parcel-delivery emissions’

August 04, 2026

According to research by the telecom regulator BIPT, Bpost is by far the most eco-friendly parcel delivery service in Belgium. BIPT was commissioned to map out the environmental footprint of parcel delivery in the country. According to the BIPT study, Bpost performs remarkably well compared to other parcel services. The reason? Bpost is investing heavily in […]

Shell pulls back from green energy, TotalEnergies picks up the pieces

August 04, 2026

The British multinational oil and gas company Shell is selling its European onshore renewable energy operations, such as wind and solar farms, to the French group TotalEnergies. The deal involves a portfolio of 4 gigawatts, of which 500 megawatts are currently operational. Under CEO Wael Sawan, Shell has taken a more critical look at renewable […]

Hyundai opens Dutch order books for Ioniq 3 from €27,995

August 04, 2026

Four months after Hyundai unveiled the Ioniq 3 at Milan Design Week, the compact electric ‘Aero Hatch’ now has its first European price list. Dutch customers can order it from €27,995, with showroom arrival expected at the end of September. Belgium will follow, but Hyundai Belux says only that local prices will be announced “after […]

New bike path construction site opens at Brussels Quatre-Bras

August 03, 2026

On the Chaussée de Malines/Mechelsesteenweg, between the Quatre-Bras/Vierarmen intersection and Avenue des Fougères/Varenslaan in Wezembeek-Oppem, work has begun on the construction of a new bike path. The bike path will connect the Quatre-Bras/Vierarmen intersection on the Ring with the E40. The route runs largely along the Brussels Ring Road between Tervuren and Zaventem. In this […]

Hit-and-run scourge: Belgium fares worst among its neighbors

August 03, 2026

In one out of four traffic accidents in Belgium involving pedestrian injuries, the person responsible flees the scene. Cyclists also frequently fall victim to hit-and-run accidents. Although most perpetrators are caught, the phenomenon remains alarmingly widespread, the Vias Institute reported on Sunday. Belgium has the worst record among its neighboring countries for hit-and-run crashes involving pedestrians. In […]

Belgian Innoptus Solar Team: ‘We are the US champions!’

August 03, 2026

After eight days of blood, sweat, and tears, the Innoptus Solar Team can finally claim victory. They are incredibly proud to have concluded their American adventure by achieving the goal they set out with a year ago: clinching the overall victory. “We knew that a great deal of work would have to be done on the […]

XPeng releases the G9L SUV targeting the global market

August 03, 2026

Xpeng began teasing the G9L SUV in China on Monday, deepening its bet on the large SUV market after the GX flagship. The Chinese electric vehicle (EV) maker calls the G9L a “global 5-seater tech flagship”, making it another SUV aimed at the global market after the GX and the Mona L03. Xpeng said the […]

Brussels’ shared mobility fairy tale ends in legal chaos

August 03, 2026

Brussels was once one of the first European cities where shared e-scooters took off in a big way. At its peak – much to the chagrin of those who envied it –there were more than 20,000 e-scooters available for anyone to grab throughout the city. But now the fun is over, and so is that […]

VinFast’s fourth chapter: Europe test lab for its electric taxi empire

August 03, 2026

Only two months after VinFast invited European journalists to explore its integrated industrial empire in Vietnam, with a range of electric cars, buses, and scooters, another part of that ecosystem has landed in Europe. Green SM, the electric taxi company controlled by VinFast founder Phạm Nhật Vượng, began operating in Copenhagen on July 30 with […]

Honda is barking up the wrong tree in the US

July 31, 2026

Honda recently canceled the only EV it was still selling in the US, the Prologue, and this month it started telling Prologue owners to “consider a hybrid” next. But virtually zero EV owners are interested in switching back to gas after they had the EV experience. Up until this month, Honda sold one of the […]

Growth and higher fares cushion Air France-KLM’s €800m fuel shock

July 31, 2026

Air France-KLM saw its net profit decline by 71% to 190 million euros in the second quarter. This is due to the sharp rise in kerosene prices caused by the war in the Middle East. On the other hand, the airline group managed to pass on the lion’s share of those higher kerosene costs to […]

Innoptus Solar Team: ‘Less than 500 km to the finish in Amarillo, Texas’

July 31, 2026

On Wednesday, the Belgian Innoptus Solar Team grabbed first place in the American Solar Challenge, and one day later, it maintained that position despite a significant change in weather conditions. On Thursday, the Belgian team finished 38 kilometers ahead of their Dutch rivals from Delft. Today, two days before the end of the American Solar Challenge, […]

Colruyt’s DATS 24 hands retail energy customers to EnergyVision

July 31, 2026

The rapidly growing Ghent-based energy company EnergyVision is taking over the supply of gas and electricity to households from DATS 24, a subsidiary of Virya Energy, the energy division of the Colruyt retail group. The acquisition covers approximately 33,000 connection points (EANs), corresponding to about 18,000 customers. The exact purchase price has not been disclosed. […]

Europe’s shrinking rivers threaten fuel supplies, industry, and food prices

July 31, 2026

The prolonged heat is leading to low water levels in rivers. This year has been marked not only by low water levels, but also by their remaining below the minimum navigable level for an extended period. This, in turn, is developing into a combined transport, industrial, agricultural, and water-management crisis. The immediate problem is that […]

Will the next Mazda MX-5 be fully electric?

July 31, 2026

There’s been endless speculation about the future of the Mazda MX-5 (also known as the Miata). As this (fourth) generation ages, Mazda needs a new one to replace it, and there have been many rumors about what will power the next generation. And while no specific powertrains have yet been confirmed for the next-gen Miata, […]

IAE: Europe’s EV market accelerates, Belgium starts to level off

July 31, 2026

Electric car sales recovered strongly in the second quarter of 2026, with Europe emerging as the fastest-growing major market. However, Belgium’s figures reveal a more nuanced picture. The country remains one of Europe’s leaders in battery-electric market share, but growth is slowing, and adoption remains heavily dependent on company cars. The latest figures come from […]

Porsche to cut another 5,000 jobs but sees light at the end of the tunnel

July 30, 2026

In the first half of the year, Porsche’s net profit rose 34% to €1.35 billion, despite selling fewer cars than before. Nevertheless, Porsche is responding to declining sales figures and margins with a ‘Future Package’. By 2035, a further 5,000 jobs will be cut at the Zuffenhausen and Weissach sites, along with compensation reductions for […]

Innoptus Solar Team still in the lead in US after strategic choices

July 30, 2026

On Wednesday, we reported that the Belgian Innoptus Solar Team grabbed first place on the fourth day of the American Solar Challenge. Today, the team announced that its position in the race remained unchanged, despite a significant change in weather conditions. Calculated risk The grey sky and thick fog – far from ideal for charging […]

Stellantis rebounds in Q2, but still trails European rivals on profit

July 30, 2026

Stellantis returned to profit in the first half of 2026 as higher volumes and an improvement in North America lifted revenue, but its margins and cash generation still lag behind most European rivals. Second-quarter revenue increased by 13% to €43.5 billion, while shipments rose by 10%. Stellantis posted a net profit of €293 million, compared […]

No tram tunnel for Brussels Meiser Square, at least for now

July 30, 2026

In mid-July, the new Brussels Council of Ministers formally gave the green light to the redevelopment of General Meiser Square in Schaerbeek, popularly known as Misery Square. The original plan was to begin the redevelopment in the spring of 2025, but the current goal is to start construction by the summer of 2027. For a long […]

Hyundai-Kia wants EVs to power homes, but Belgium is not ready yet

July 30, 2026

Hyundai Motor Group is bringing its smart and bidirectional charging activities together under the new global AllDayEnergy brand. In the future, the platform could allow Hyundai and Kia owners to charge when electricity is cheapest, store surplus solar power in their cars, supply part of that energy back to their homes, and potentially earn money […]

New Mercedes GLA unveiled: up to 657 km of range

July 30, 2026

Mercedes-Benz presented the all-new GLA in Warsaw. The compact SUV has a range of up to 657 kilometers and charges at up to 320 kW (not all versions). The electric car can be ordered immediately at prices starting from €48,599. In Belgium, orders are taken as of tomorrow; pricing starts at €49,005. The manufacturer will […]

BMW’s European strength cannot offset China-driven profit collapse

July 30, 2026

BMW Group is stepping up cost reductions and organizational reforms after a sharp deterioration in profitability during the first half of 2026. The German premium carmaker insists that demand remains healthy in Europe and that its Neue Klasse electric offensive is gaining momentum. Still, weaker sales and pricing in China, tariffs, and rising depreciation are […]

Traxio: ‘Professional carwash is more water-conscious than washing cars at home’

July 30, 2026

Mobility federation TRAXIO, which also represents carwashes in Belgium, is calling for responsible water use and for cars to be washed in a ‘water-conscious’ manner. The federation advocates using a professional carwash instead of setting to work with a bucket and garden hose. “Professional car wash systems use up to 95% recycled water that is […]

SNCF posts over a billion in profit in first half of the year

July 29, 2026

The French railway company SNCF posted a net profit of 1.18 billion euros in the first half of 2026, compared with 950 million euros in the same period last year. Revenue totaled 21.94 billion euros, compared with 21.52 billion a year earlier. CEO Jean Castex described the performance as “satisfactory” in a climate and macroeconomic […]

Jewish Foundation seeks damages over Belgian Holocaust trains

July 29, 2026

The Jewish organization Nico Gunzburg Foundation has filed a lawsuit against the NMBS/SNCB railway company and the Belgian state in Brussels, according to the newspaper Het Laatste Nieuws. The organization is seeking compensation and an acknowledgment of guilt for the deportations that took place during World War II. Research by historian Nico Wouters shows that […]

European van market barely grows as electric sales surge

July 29, 2026

Europe’s commercial vehicle market returned to growth in the first half of 2026, but the recovery was uneven. According to ACEA, new van registrations in the EU rose by only 1.9% to 742,759 units, while truck registrations increased by 9.8% to 171,933 and buses and coaches by 22.7% to 22,590. The stronger figures in trucks […]

Belgians grab first place in American Solar Challenge

July 29, 2026

On the fourth day of the American Solar Challenge, the Belgian Innoptus Solar Team took first place. What began as a major setback turned into a surprising turnaround. Once the team was on the road, it faced several challenges. The route was full of hills, which really put both the vehicle – Infinite Apollo – […]

Audi launches its largest SUV ever, the Q9

July 29, 2026

Twenty years after Audi introduced its first SUV, the German luxury brand is launching its largest utility vehicle ever, the Q9. The official launch took place on Tuesday in New York, indicating that the model is also key to helping reverse its U.S. fortunes. The Q9 is significantly larger than the redesigned Q7 and also […]

Van Ypersele blasts climate inaction after 2,000 heat deaths

July 29, 2026

Climate change has long since ceased to be an abstract threat, and yet politicians hardly ever mention it. More than thirty years after the first alarm bells were raised, the political establishment still shrugs off the extreme temperatures. “Two thousand people are dead, yet not even a minute of silence was observed,” said Jean-Pascal van Ypersele […]

Zeekr launches 9X in Belgium, but China keeps the ‘wildest’ versions

July 29, 2026

Zeekr has confirmed the European and Belgian launch of the 9X, a 5.24-meter luxury SUV that marks a major change of direction for the Geely-owned brand. Until now, Zeekr has presented itself in Europe as an electric-only premium brand. Its new flagship is a plug-in hybrid combining a 55.1 kWh battery, two electric motors, and […]

Stellantis sells Free2move to Mutares

July 29, 2026

Stellantis is divesting its carsharing business and selling the Free2move division to Munich-based investment company Mutares, which plans to deploy more EVs. The transaction is part of the automotive group’s strategic realignment and is expected to be completed by the end of 2026. Stellantis and Mutares have signed an agreement for the complete acquisition of […]

Renault to be sent to trial in France for ‘aggravated deception’

July 28, 2026

The French car manufacturer Renault will be judged in court for ‘aggravated deception’ as a result of the ‘Dieselgate’ scandal that also has repercussions in France. Renault responded, “that it would defend its innocence, the professionalism, and the ethics of its 100,000 employees.” The Renault brand is the second automaker to be sent to trial […]

Carrefour in Kraainem bans EVs from rooftop parking lot due to heavier weight

July 28, 2026

Electric cars are no longer welcome in the rooftop parking lot of the Carrefour supermarket in Kraainem, a municipality in the Belgian province of Flemish Brabant. The ban is in place because EVs are heavier and therefore have a greater impact on the building, according to the newspaper Het Laatste Nieuws. According to Carrefour, there […]

Is BMW creating a lucrative niche with the i4 Coupe and Convertible?

July 28, 2026

BMW is planning an all-electric i4 Convertible for 2028, according to a new report from BMWBLOG citing sources close to the automaker. It would make sense for BMW to bring the also rumored i4 Coupe to fruition as well. Doing so would improve economies of scale given how much of the costs would be split […]

BYD’s flagship sedan Da Han targets EQS and i7, but will Europe get it?

July 28, 2026

BYD has released the first official production images of the Da Han, a huge electric flagship saloon that moves the Chinese manufacturer into territory occupied in Europe by the Mercedes EQS, BMW i7, and Lucid Air. The model will make its public debut at the Chengdu Motor Show in August and sits above the existing […]

Toyota, Daimler and Volvo unite to keep hydrogen trucks alive

July 27, 2026

Toyota has signed a binding agreement to acquire a 33% stake in Cellcentric, the fuel-cell joint venture formed by Daimler Truck and Volvo Group. The deal turns the non-binding memorandum announced in March into a firm transaction and underlines that three of the world’s largest vehicle manufacturers still see a future for hydrogen in heavy […]

Climate debate falls silent despite heat and raging wildfires

July 27, 2026

Climate change is no longer an abstract threat but a harsh reality. Forest fires are raging so fiercely in Spain, France, and other European countries that some have declared a state of emergency. Meanwhile, roughly 300,000 to 360,000 people have been evacuated across France and Spain due to wildfires.  In Belgium, the June 27 heatwave […]

Volkswagen Q2 profit down 33%, CEO sounds the alarm bell (again)

July 27, 2026

Volkswagen’s second-quarter net profit fell 32.9% from a year earlier to €1.54 billion, it said on Friday, as Europe’s largest carmaker continued to grapple with weak demand in China. The company’s net profit was down from €2.29 billion in the second quarter of 2025, when earnings had already fallen 36% from a year earlier. Group-wide […]

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