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 […]
February 09, 2024
Hyundai’s IMA platform, detailed last year as a successor to its current E-GMP architecture, will spawn two electric pickup trucks aimed at the US market. A trademark application for the names of these two new vehicles also gives insight into their size and place in the model range. The IMA platform, first announced in 2022 […]
February 09, 2024
Starting December 15th, Dutch Railways NS plans to run 1,600 more weekly trains than the current timetable. The aim is to better and more often connect various regions of the Netherlands, both during the day and at earlier and later times. It is the most significant change for NS in years. The number of intercity […]
February 09, 2024
Volvo Cars is building a new center for mobility innovations in Torslanda near Gothenburg. With this facility, Volvo wants to take new technologies out of the laboratory environment and test them in a realistic way. Volvo describes the new center, ‘ Mobility Innovation Destination Torslanda’, as a tailor-made test field for automotive development near the […]
February 09, 2024
The Belgian producer of digital display solutions, Q-lite, will install up to 500 digital bus stop displays for De Lijn throughout Flanders. That is what both companies announced on Thursday. These new digital information screens will replace the old stop devices that have reached the end of their lifespan. Q-lite will produce and install the […]
February 09, 2024
Dutch beer giant Heineken has engaged Swedish Einride, a specialized transport company in electric and remote-controlled trucks, to start delivering daily to its German distribution center in Duisburg from its brewery in Den Bosch, the Netherlands, by electric Mercedes eActros 300 trucks. These trucks will cover some 540 km each daily, driven by a human […]
February 09, 2024
As the German magazine Automobilwoche reports, Audi will focus more on software in future vehicle development. Döllner wants to set up a ‘Software Defined Vehicle’ hub to focus on new vehicle concepts across the Group’s brands. Volkswagen and the much-criticized VW software subsidiary Cariad will also participate in the hub. That means other Group brands […]
February 08, 2024
Nikola and Daimler Truck have inaugurated new hydrogen refueling stations in the US and Europe. While Nikola can start to move past its mobile fueling units, Daimler Truck is aiming to change the game with cheaper and more efficient subcooled liquid hydrogen stations. Nikola, the American zero-emission truck manufacturer, has opened its first HYLA hydrogen […]
February 08, 2024
Fossil fuel energy production took a record dive in the EU last year. An energy think tank Ember report unveils that the continent’s energy mix was greener than ever. But a rolling thunder is perturbing these clear skies, as a disastrous 2023 for Europe’s offshore wind leader, Ørsted, sharply contrasts with the record profits from […]
February 08, 2024
The European Investment Bank will grant Belgian Umicore an eight-year loan of 350 million euros for research. The money is intended for the technological development, innovation, and recycling of batteries for e-cars. In 2022, Umicore invested 316 million euros, or 7,6% of its revenues, in research and development. Umicore’s battery materials technologies, innovation roadmap, and […]
February 08, 2024
Ford is updating its popular crossover. The new Puma gets different design touches here and there, but its onboard technology receives a significant upgrade. Not only does the Puma get new screens, but it also gains 5G connectivity and many active safety enhancements. Between the lines of this news, Ford announced that an all-new electric […]
February 08, 2024
In Hannuit, in the Belgian province of Liège, on the border with Flanders, there will be a park with more than 3,800 solar panels. That solar panel park managed by Infrabel will provide solar energy to the Leuven-Liège high-speed railroad line. The project has a price tag of about 2 million euros, 90% of which […]
February 08, 2024
CAKE, the nifty Swedish maker of premium lightweight, electric motorcycles and mopeds, has unexpectedly filed for bankruptcy on February 1st. The lawyer’s office, Fylgia, says attorney Jakob Callmander was appointed as the bankruptcy administrator, and tender documents are being prepared for the sale of the business. Its Swedish compatriot Polestar, Volvo’s electric sister brand, launched […]
February 07, 2024
After announcing the Touring version at the new 5 Series sedan presentation and sending teaser images, BMW has officially revealed its estate version. Meanwhile, spy pictures had already leaked from a studio shoot. Now, BMW comes with the full story of the car. A flexible drive architecture allows model variants with gasoline and diesel engines, […]
February 07, 2024
More than 30 organizations have signed the ‘Inclusive Car-sharing’ Green Deal in Brussels, a charter to expand car sharing as a sustainable mobility alternative by giving access to it to as many Brussels residents as possible, regardless of their specific needs. This is an initiative of Brussels Environment and Mobility Ministers Alain Aaron (Ecolo) and […]
February 07, 2024
According to the plans presented on Tuesday, the European Commission wants to cut greenhouse gas emissions in the European Union by 90% by 2040 compared to 1990 levels. “There’s no other way,” says Wopke Hoekstra, European Commissioner for Climate Action. “The longer the EU waits to take difficult measures, the harder and more expensive it […]
February 07, 2024
Toyota Motor Corp. said Tuesday it will invest $1.3 billion in its Kentucky factory in the United States. The investment is part of the preparation to begin producing its first electric vehicles in the country in 2025. Meanwhile, the world’s number-one car manufacturer expects record net profit even as quality scandals bite. The new investment […]
February 07, 2024
Porsche has given its electric flagship, the Taycan, an ‘extensive update’ with more power, more range, faster acceleration, and faster charging with greater stability. It will arrive at dealerships in Spring 2024. Although the next generation looks pretty much like the first one, Porsche says it sharpened the design and more strongly differentiated the Turbo […]
February 07, 2024
Most drivers (98.4%) tested for alcohol during the last winter campaign blew negative. That was the best result since the so-called ‘Bob’ campaigns began in 1995. For comparison, ten years ago, in 2013-2014, 3.2% of drivers were still positive, or twice as many as this year. This winter’s Bob campaign started on Friday, December 1st, […]
February 07, 2024
On Wednesday, Nissan introduced its next generation of the Interstar, its largest van for the first time available with a 100% electric powertrain, “without compromising performance”, as the manufacturer claims. An 87 kWh battery should provide a range of 460 kilometers, and it can charge 252 km in just 30 minutes on a DC charger. […]
February 07, 2024
On Monday, Stellantis Chairman John Elkann dismissed speculation that the Italian-US-French group plans to merge with Renault. “‘No plans are being examined for Stellantis mergers with other manufacturers,’ Elkann said when asked about the rumors. On Tuesday, he also tried to appease the Italian government about Stellantis’ commitment to Italy. Renault, for its part, said […]
February 07, 2024
This week the first fully electric Volvo EM90 minivans are rolling of the production lines at Geely’s Hangzhou Bay plant in China. Volvo launched its EM90 in November last year, a close brother to the Zeekr 009. It gets a 200-kW electric motor on the rear axle powered by a 116-kWh battery for 738 km […]
February 06, 2024
At the Netherlands’ only car production plant in Born, VDL Nedcar, unions see the last gleam of hope vanish of starting up again in 2026, as the British Gordon Murray Automotive Group is pulling out the so-called L60 project. Details were never given, but it was assumed Nedcar would build two electric premium SUVs with […]
February 06, 2024
A young motorist from Ghent (Belgium) has been sentenced to a heavy fine of 1,600 euros for driving his father’s manual BMW while he only had a driver’s license for an automatic car. He also had to hand in his driver’s license for 15 days and take his practical exam. In Belgium, holders of a […]
February 06, 2024
The car rental giant Hertz freezes its mega-deal with Polestar. After deciding to sell off one-third of its existing EV fleet (mostly Teslas) in January, the company now puts a temporary hold on the agreement to purchase 65 000 Polestar 2 vehicles. That’s another big blow for Geely’s daughter Polestar, which recently announced the dismissal […]
February 06, 2024
The Council of State is sharply critical of the Flemish government’s draft decision on a premium for the purchase of an electric car. The Council has problems with the ‘first come, first served’ principle and fears due to the limited budget also a possible reduction of the premium in case of too much demand. The […]
February 06, 2024
They only caught a glimpse of minor details of JLR’s first all-electric Range Rover in December 2023, but already 16,000 people have joined the waiting list the company opened simultaneously. It only gives an indication of people interested without any commitment yet, but JLR boss Adrian Mardell told British media he was “excited about the […]
February 06, 2024
Swedish Volvo Group, the parent company behind Volvo Trucks, Mack Trucks, and Renault Trucks, has acquired Proterra’s battery plants in the US. Volvo Group paid $210 million (€195 million) before adjustment for inventory level at closing, including a development center for battery modules and packs in California and an assembly factory in Greer, South Carolina. […]
February 05, 2024
In a decisive move to combat escalating fuel import costs and worsening air pollution in its cities, Ethiopia has announced a groundbreaking shift in its automotive policies. Transport Minister Alemu Sime calls for an immediate ban on buying fossil-fueled vehicles. What’s 2035 for Europe is today for Ethiopia. Minister Sime revealed that the nation spent […]
February 05, 2024
Dutch truck manufacturer DAF has closed 2023 with a record production of 69,800 trucks at its Eindhoven and Leyland factories. It has also settled with German train operator Deutsche Bahn over the losses incurred by the truck manufacturers’ price-fixing scandal a decade ago. DAF, part of the Paccar Group, can look back at a successful […]
February 05, 2024
The German electric vehicle developer ElectricBrands has filed for insolvency under self-administration and aims to “completely reorganize the company”. The company, based in Eppertshausen, says it is about to launch its lightweight electric vehicles on the market. ElectricBrands states that it has filed an application for insolvency under self-administration with the Darmstadt Local Court and […]
February 05, 2024
Last year, staff at the Walloon public transport company TEC faced almost three times more aggression cases than in 2015. Staff in the Liège-Verviers region spontaneously stopped work last week after several cases of aggression—the strike continuous today. Between 2015 and 2023, the number of cases of aggression on Walloon public transport rose from 56 […]
February 05, 2024
As of March, the Italian government is activating a new subsidy scheme aimed at decarbonizing its polluting old car fleet. The plan entails substantial aid for lower incomes and incentives for hybridized vehicles and charging infrastructure. Almost one billion euros is put aside for the national clean sweep. The 950 million euro plan was unveiled […]
February 05, 2024
Over 54% of Parisians voted in a referendum to support a proposal by Mayor Anne Hidalgo to triple the parking fee for SUVs, including hybrid and electric cars weighing more than 1,6 and 2 tons, respectively. The vote managed to mobilize only 5,68% of voters or 78,000 Parisians. Under the plan, parking fees for visitors […]
February 05, 2024
According to the specialized German magazine Automobilwoche, there’s a possibility that the Audi plant in Brussels will be closed. In a worldwide restructuring of the VW Group factories (including those of premium daughter Audi), no new car would be allocated anymore to Brussels. Hence, the closing of the factory after 2027. Automobilwoche states that Audi […]
February 05, 2024
In China, the world’s currently biggest EV maker, BYD (Build Your Dreams), has started to deliver the first batches of its new Yuan Up, an affordable compact electric crossover, to dealerships, preparing for the official sales launch in March 2024. It’s expected to retail there for 100,000 to 130,000 yuan or some 12,900 to 16,800 […]
February 02, 2024
Volvo Trucks has introduced its first electric truck not directly based on a combustion model: the FM Low Entry. Designed for city use, it features a lowered cab moved forward for better visibility and easier ingress and egress. Production starts in the second quarter of 2024. The Volvo FM Low Entry is related to the […]
February 02, 2024
It’s a half-yearly tradition for the Norwegian Automobile Federation (NAF) to organize the El Prix event, the world’s most extensive range test for electric vehicles. The winter test was won four times in a row by Tesla, but the American EV maker fell back to the middle field in the latest edition with the gold […]
February 02, 2024
French car and van maker Renault unveiled the fourth-generation Master in November with impressive performance and range figures. Today, those figures are official and homologated. The new electric Master E-Tech has a range of up to 460 km (WLTP). The new Renault Master E-Tech manages this feat, all things considered, with an 87-kWh battery. Despite […]
February 02, 2024
The Brussels government is going to increase the Bruxell’Air premium. The increase should encourage Brussels residents to eliminate their number plates and switch to more sustainable transport. In Ghent, you can also get a premium if your number plate is scrapped. Last year, the city received over 200 applications for a 500-euro compensation. On the […]
February 02, 2024
German carmaker BMW has completed construction of the new production halls at its Steyr site in central Austria and is now adding half a billion worth of equipment for the future manufacturing and development of its Neue Klasse e-drives. Pre-series production will launch in the summer of 2024, and serial production will start in the […]
February 02, 2024
The car market in Belgium and Luxembourg starts the same way it ended last year: in January 2024, 46,667 new cars were registered, which is 17.1% more than in the same month last year. These are deliveries of cars ordered last year, so it’s too early to see an influence of the ‘salon conditions’ almost […]
February 01, 2024
It’s not a car, and it isn’t a motorbike, nor a trike; it is what Yamaha calls an electric three-wheel ‘autocycle,’ a development concept to offer “Exciting Urban Mobility when one’s body and mind and the machine become an organic whole”. In a promo video, Yamaha has a young urban mother and her son drive […]
February 01, 2024
Industry data show that in 2023, China became the world’s biggest car exporter for the first time, dethroning Japan with overseas solid sales of electric vehicles. Data from a Japanese trade organization, released Wednesday, showed the country’s car exports in 2023 rose 16% from a year earlier to 4,42 million vehicles, falling behind China, which […]
February 01, 2024
Stellantis has started production on its mid-size and large hydrogen fuel cell vans in its Hordain (France) and Gliwice (Poland) plants. They feature a zero-emission range of up to 500 km, with a 4-5-minute refueling time. The manufacturer now has combustion, battery-electric, and hydrogen variants of its commercial vehicles. In total, eight hydrogen fuel cell […]
