February 22, 2024
According to the data of the European Car Manufacturers Association ACEA, the EU new car market in January 2024 rebounded from the slowdown experienced in December 2023, with year-on-year car registrations increasing by 12.1% to 851,690 units. Notably, the bloc’s major markets all saw significant growth, with Germany (+19.1%), Italy (+10.6%), France (+9.2%) and Spain […]
February 22, 2024
Dutch Fastned has opened a new fast-charging station in Belgium along the E40 highway in Walshoutem (Landen), and this one is the first to feature 400 kW charging on eight charging points. Fastned now has 26 stations in Belgium, all in Flanders except for one (in Vielsalm), since opening the first in 2020 in Ostend. […]
February 21, 2024
Traffic Safety Institute Vias pleads for the introduction of controls for nitrous oxide – the so-called ‘laughing gas’ – on the road. The drug has gained popularity in recent years, especially among young people. It gives users a buzz similar to that of alcohol and can have a severe influence on one’s driving abilities, so […]
February 21, 2024
The electric bike is becoming more and more popular. More than one in four Belgians, or 28%, used one in 2023, up 4% from a year ago. This is according to a survey by the FPS Mobility. The rise is particularly striking in rural areas. The regular Flemish cyclist living outside a big city uses […]
February 21, 2024
Flanders’ Christian Democratic party CD&V wants to phase out the low-emission zones. That is what party chairman Sammy Mahdi said during a debate at the Automotive eMotion Summit in the Skyhall, the former departure hall of Brussels Airport. According to Mahdi, these zones have proven successful in reducing the amount of air pollution. However, diesel […]
February 21, 2024
As already mentioned in our article on Renault’s growth, Dacia now launches a new edition of its Spring electric model. The compact electric car, which looks like a small city SUV, is facelifted inside and out. Along with its 2023 sales figures, the Renault Group announced that there will be a new edition of the […]
February 21, 2024
Brainiacs from South Korea’s Pohang University of Science and Technology (Postech) have discovered a way to maximize the potential for using silicon in lithium-ion batteries for electric cars. As a result, their next-generation battery packs increase the maximum range by 30%, up to 1,000 km, and keep costs down. Has the home country of Hyundai […]
February 21, 2024
The sporty brother of the upcoming fully electric Renault 5 is undergoing its last test stages in arctic conditions. The launch of the first Alpine EV is foreseen for June 2024. “Our A290, the future compact B-segment electric sports car, is currently being tested in the extreme and demanding conditions of Sweden’s Lapland,” says Philippe […]
February 20, 2024
Researchers from the University of Oxford have discovered that Britain sends more polluting used cars to poorer countries than it does to scrapyards. The study found that legally exported used cars had 53% higher emissions of nitrogen oxides per kilometer – key health-harming air pollutants – than those that were scrapped instead. It also warned […]
February 20, 2024
Brussels Airport has started installing additional solar panels on the roofs of the newest Brucargo buildings, the cargo zone of Zaventem’s airport. The extra panels will cover a surface of 65,000 square meters or roughly the equivalent of nine soccer fields. They must double the share of solar energy in the airport operator’s own energy […]
February 20, 2024
Ultimately, the Porsche Panamera will become available with four plug-in hybrid (PHEV) drivelines, of which the automaker unveils the first two: the 4 E-Hybrid and 4S E-Hybrid. Both models can cope with approximately 100 kilometers of zero-emission driving, a reach that has grown into the new standard. Both E-Hybrids combine a cutting-edge hybrid system with […]
February 20, 2024
In December last year, China presented the C919, its first domestically produced airplane. On Tuesday, China’s largest passenger aircraft will be shown internationally for the first time at Singapore Airshow. With the C919, Beijing aims to compete with Airbus and Boeing, the world’s two leading aircraft manufacturers, while becoming less dependent on foreign technologies. A […]
February 20, 2024
In a move that further cements its position in the electric vehicle (EV) market, Volkswagen has unveiled the ID.7 Tourer, the latest in its ID series. The car offers a blend of increased cargo space and an impressive electric range. Joining the BMW i5 Touring, the ID.7 Tourer stands out as one of the few […]
February 20, 2024
The French-German Automotive supplier Forvia plans to cut up to 10,000 jobs in Europe by 2028. That should improve the company’s competitiveness, Forvia says, and generate half a billion euros in yearly savings. Although the company, formed from the merger of Nanterre-based Faurecia and German Hella, has returned to profitability, it continues to carry heavy […]
February 20, 2024
Swedish car manufacturer Volvo is determined to become a fully electric carmaker by 2030, and that’s why it’s now ironing out the naming of its electric models, all consequentially starting with an ‘E’. Volvo’s first fully electric XC40 Recharge, made in Ghent (Belgium), among others, becomes the ‘EX40’, and the first electric sedan C40 that […]
February 19, 2024
Tesla’s Cybertruck community has been up in arms recently about two issues: possible rust or corrosion of the electric pickup truck’s stainless steel panels and the ability to skip the waiting line for delivery in exchange for referral credits. Let’s take a look. To recall: Tesla finally started delivering the Cybertruck to US customers at […]
February 19, 2024
The number of shared cars has increased significantly in the past year. By the end of 2023, Flanders had 4,159 shared cars, or 31.5% more than the year before. Among them are all types of shared cars: free-floating, roundtrip, and individually shared cars. According to the car-sharing website Autodelen.net’s annual report, you can find shared […]
February 19, 2024
The CEOs of U.S. automakers Ford and General Motors said last week they would consider partnerships to cut electric vehicle technology costs as Chinese rivals move into the U.S. and European markets. “If there are ways that we can partner with others, especially on technologies that are not consumer-facing, and be more efficient with R&D […]
February 19, 2024
With a market share of more than 70%, still according to the estimates of Stellantis CEO Carlos Tavares, the French-Italian-American automaker comes out on top with 30,000 orders in the social leasing contracts in France. Renault got just over 10,000 orders, according to CEO Luca de Meo. That the difference in terms of sales between […]
February 19, 2024
Just 17% of electric cars sold in Europe are compact vehicles in the cheaper B segment, compared to 37% of new combustion engines, a new analysis finds. Carmakers are slowing EV adoption by prioritizing sales of larger, more expensive electric cars, according to Transport & Environment (T&E), which conducted the research. According to the report, […]
February 19, 2024
In a remarkable video posted on Weibo, Chinese premium EV maker NIO has demonstrated a feature of its flagship sedan ET9’s SkyRide chassis system that will please customers in the High North. Like a Husky awakening in the snow in the morning, the car is shaking all the snow off its body during winter testing, […]
February 19, 2024
For the fiscal year 2023, car manufacturer Stellantis Group recorded a net profit of € 18.63 billion (+11%) compared to last year’s € 16.78 billion. Net revenues were € 189.54 billion, up from last year’s € 179.59 billion, with consolidated shipment volumes increasing 7%. The adjusted operating income increased 1% to € 24.34 billion from […]
February 16, 2024
Automotive Cells Company (ACC), the joint venture by Stellantis, TotalEnergies’ Saft, and Mercedes-Benz, has announced that its shareholders secured a €4.4 billion debt raising, increasing the funding for the construction of four new production facilities at three gigafactories for lithium-ion battery cell production in France, Germany, and Italy. Future production sites include one factory in […]
February 16, 2024
Scout Motors, Volkswagen’s rugged American EV brand, has broken ground on its brand-new production facility in South Carolina. Production of the off-road capable pickup truck and SUV is targeted to begin by the end of 2026, with a market launch soon after. But the models will already be revealed this summer. Scout Motors is the […]
February 16, 2024
After appointing several top management positions, Audi CEO Gernot Döllner is also installing a new head of the design department. JLR’s current chief designer, Massimo Frascella, will replace Marc Lichte as Chief Designer on June 1st, although Lichte will remain with the Group. Frascella (52) has held senior positions at JLR since 2011, most recently […]
February 16, 2024
NMBS/SNCB has presented the first of 130 autonomously accessible M7 double-decker carriages at train builder Alstom in Bruges. The Belgian railway company wants passengers with reduced mobility, including wheelchair users, to be able to travel independently by train from the purchase of their ticket to their destination. “Besides safe and comfortable transport, accessibility is also […]
February 16, 2024
Since this Wednesday, February 14th, the Uber application has been available in three large Walloon cities: Liège, Namur, and Mons. Ten years after its establishment in Flanders and Brussels, the American company of independent drivers is expanding its services in the south of the country. However, the service only allows you to book ‘traditional’ taxis. […]
February 16, 2024
More than ten years ago, BMW shook the car world with its first i-cars, the i3 and the i8. In 2019, it showed a concept for a successor of the PHEV i8 sports car called Vision M Next. The canceled production version of this car, called I16, has now been revealed by BMW’s chief designer, […]
February 16, 2024
Officially, VDL Nedcar’s contract with BMW ends on March 1st, 2024. Still, the curtain drops definitively this Friday with the last MINI, a silver-grey cabrio, rolling off the production line in Born (Netherlands). On Thursday, the main assembly line came to a halt; on Friday, on three smaller lines, the finishing touch on the last […]
February 15, 2024
Renault is doing well again these days. Its turnover has grown by 17,9% to €52.5 billion, with a net benefit of €2.3 billion. Its free cash flow has turned around €3 billion now and has grown by €905 million last year. More interestingly, the operational margin has increased to 7,9%, a record figure for the […]
February 15, 2024
According to the European Automobile Manufacturers’ Association (ACEA) latest ‘Vehicles on European Roads’ report, there were 252 million cars on European roads in 2022, a 1% increase from the previous year. But despite battery-electric sales reaching ‘all-time highs’ in 2022, only 1.2% of cars on EU roads are battery-electric. Only six countries had a share […]
February 15, 2024
According to research by the Dutch mobility organization ANWB and its German sister club ADAC (Allgemeiner Deutscher Automobil-Club), some safety jackets on the Dutch market are unsafe. They hardly reflect any light. And although the jackets are not mandatory in the Netherlands, both organizations sound the alarm. ADAC experts purchased 14 different safety vests online […]
February 15, 2024
Official figures in the UK from the Environment Department (Defra) show that the increase in wood burners in homes and the use of biomass in industry has offset cuts in pollution from cars. Statistics reveal that polluting particulate matter (PM), a variety of small and toxic substances that can enter the bloodstream and severely impact […]
February 15, 2024
Scarbo Vintage, a California-based manufacturer who likes to revive classic designs, has unveiled the Rover. It takes inspiration from the classic Land Rover Defender but takes pretty much everything else to the extreme, including its 1,000 hp electric drivetrain… and its price tag. While Scarbo Vintage may not ring a bell for most, it has […]
February 15, 2024
After successful testing in three departments – Rhône, les Hauts-de-Seine, and l’Eure-et-Loir – France is generalizing the numeric or digital driving license to replace the paper version nationwide. Interior Minister Gérald Darmanin has announced that motorists must apply for this digital driving license. Pierre Chasseray, general delegate and spokesperson for the motorist’s association ’40 millions […]
February 15, 2024
On Wednesday, the revived Lancia brand launched its first car of the new era, a successor to the current Ypsilon that will be available as a pure electric car or (somewhat later) as a hybrid. It starts with a limited series of 1,906 cars (the founding date of Lancia) designed in collaboration with the famous […]
February 15, 2024
German automotive supplier has finally announced it will slash 7,150 jobs in its car division, of which around 5,400 jobs are in the administrative areas and a further 1,750 in research and development. That reduces roughly 3.6 percent of the German supplier’s global workforce. In November, Continental said there would be job cuts in 2024, […]
February 14, 2024
Today, the resurrected Italian car brand Lancia launches the first car in its new product portfolio, the successor to the current Ypsilon. We presented the car in another article and talked to Lancia’s brand CEO, Luca Napolitano. Napolitano studied Business Administration in Rome and began his automotive career at Ford. In 2000, he started working […]
February 14, 2024
The Dutch police have a new weapon against high-speed and high-power electric bicycles. They recently introduced a roadside testing platform to check the speed of mopeds, scooters, and other electric vehicles, such as electric bicycles, speed pedelecs, and fat bikes. The roller test benches also check whether these vehicles comply with the applicable legislation. The […]
February 14, 2024
American carmaker Chrysler has presented a new concept that shows a glimpse into the brand’s electric future, however far it may be. Unlike the Airflow concept of 2022, the Chrysler Halcyon EV Concept demonstrates technologies that don’t exist. The Chrysler Halcyon EV Concept features a lithium-sulfur battery, inductive charging that could give it unlimited range […]
February 14, 2024
The emblematic modernist headquarters of car importer D’Ieteren in Rue du Mail in Ixelles has been included on the Brussels list of monuments. This was announced by the office of the regional Secretary of State for Spatial Planning and Heritage, Ans Persoons (Vooruit). The procedure to protect various parts of the building was launched in […]
February 14, 2024
Stellantis will manufacture electric drives at its Hungarian plant in Szentgotthárd. The car manufacturing group will also use Tesla’s fast-charging system NACS in North America. The Stellantis Group will invest some 100 million euros in equipping its Hungarian factory accordingly. The first Electric Drive Modules made in Hungary will roll off the production line at […]
February 14, 2024
On Tuesday, Toyota Motor Corp. said that the president of its small-car manufacturing unit, Daihatsu Motor Co., will step down over a safety testing scandal. The parent company will send new executives to take the lead in revamping the unit to bolster its governance. Masahiro Inoue, chief of Toyota’s operations in Latin America and the […]
February 13, 2024
It isn’t a car, and it isn’t a moped on four wheels. Still, it can reach a top speed of 90 km/hour, and you need a driver’s license B for it in Belgium. Officially, it is a fully electric lightweight quadricycle (L7e) that looks like the direct reincarnation of the ultimate bubble car of the […]
February 13, 2024
BMW Motorrad will use a more sustainable fuel from German expert Nordoel in the World Superbike championship. With a claimed 40% reduction of CO2 emissions during the production phase, the methanol-based fuel aims to reduce the carbon impact without compromising performance. BMW is not voluntarily starting to use a more sustainable type of fuel: the […]
February 13, 2024
Flemish Minister of Mobility Lydia Peeters (Open Vld) resolutely opts for more structural measures to address the capacity problems at the technical inspection centers. The most remarkable measure is the extension of the periodicity for passenger cars (vehicle category M11). New vehicles were subject to a yearly inspection from the day they turned four years […]
February 13, 2024
On the first day, the Flemish government’s e-counter opened to apply for a premium for a new or second-hand zero-emission vehicle; 1,423 applications were submitted in the first three hours. Most applications are about new cars. Flemish Minister of Mobility and Public Works Lydia Peeters (Open VLD) responds satisfactorily. Of the more than 1 400 […]
February 13, 2024
In France, the social leasing plan, a state measure to give less fortunate people access to an EV for 100 euros a month, has already run out of budget. The scheme is discontinued after more than 50,000 validated orders in six weeks, or almost double what was initially planned. The Elysée Palace announced that the […]
February 13, 2024
A leak reveals that the future EV8 will be equipped with an impressive 113,2 kWh battery giving it up to 800 km of range. Two electric motors will give it an all-wheel-drive and 450 kW (603 hp). The leak comes from Kia’s Union New Car Production Schedule and it shows a glimpse of the future […]
February 13, 2024
A few months ago, Volvo Cars announced that it would withdraw its interests in its sister company, Polestar. Today, Volvo confirms that it won’t be the major investor in Polestar anymore, but a total withdrawal seems out of the question. In an interview with the German newspaper Handelsblatt, Volvo CEO Jim Rowan (59) declared: “We […]
February 13, 2024
Audi has started preparations at its plant in Györ, Hungary, to produce the new generation of electric drives called MEBeco for the Volkswagen Group’s small electric cars announced in 2025. According to Audi Hungaria, the first systems for this have arrived, and the planning of the production lines is underway. Audi had already confirmed in […]
February 12, 2024
The share of employees with a ‘mobility budget’ has doubled again in 2023, from 0.2% in 2022 to 0.4% in 2023. This means that one in 250 employees now has a mobility budget. With the federal mobility budget, employees exchange their (right to a) company car for a budget to manage their mobility sustainably. “It […]
February 12, 2024
While support for hydrogen trucks is still building, the market for hydrogen passenger vehicles simply doesn’t seem to be there. Shell has decided to close all of its seven California-based hydrogen stations for light-duty vehicles due to “supply complications and other external market factors”. The support for hydrogen-powered passenger cars seems to be dropping. Even […]
February 12, 2024
The Belgian railway company NMBS/SNCB is developing a new fare range. Consequently, some current tickets with a fixed price – for seniors or youngsters – will no longer be available. Senior organizations fear that train travel will become too expensive for seniors in the future. Today, people over 65 pay a fixed price: 8.30 euros […]
February 12, 2024
On Friday, the Flemish government finally agreed to adjust the premium for electric cars: the bonus can only be applied for 2024 and not for three years, as previously announced. Whether the aid will continue after 2024 will be up to the new government, as elections are due in June 2024. The premiums remain the […]
February 12, 2024
Autobahn GmbH, the German federal agency that plans, finances, builds, maintains, and manages the network of highways in the country, has finalized a tender for 1,000 new fast charging points at 200 so-called ‘unmanaged’ rest areas. These will have to be upgraded to the grid to support high-power charge points (HPC) first, as most today […]
February 12, 2024
Abarth unveils the first picture of the pure electric New Abarth 600e as it undergoes its final tests while making its public debut. The New Abarth 600e – in its Scorpionissima launch edition – appeared for the first time in public last Thursday at the shooting of a new commercial in Milan, Italy. The new […]
February 12, 2024
Regarding the roll-out of electric vehicles, JLR is stepping on the brakes or is at least recuperating energy. The carmaker also announced launching more plug-in hybrids, saying the demand for pure EVs has cooled down. The announcement is quite surprising as it comes when the company is seeing strong interest in the first electric Range […]
February 12, 2024
The European Council confirmed on Friday an agreement with the EU Parliament on a 90% CO2 emission reduction by 2040 for heavy-duty vehicles and a 100% reduction for buses by 2035. It came after a last-minute debate within Germany’s coalition over the proposal, with the liberal Free Democrats (FDP), the smallest party in the three-party […]
February 12, 2024
The Norwegian Public Roads Administration has used an electric heavy truck from Swiss boutique manufacturer Designwerk to clear snow for the first time. Thanks to the 1,000 kWh battery capacity, the truck was able to complete a full day’s plowing work with ease. Designwerk is a small, Swiss-based manufacturer of custom electric trucks. It’s partially […]
