February 01, 2024
From 1 February, Belgian public railway company NMBS/SNCB is raising most fares by 5,9%. These include the prices of standard tickets, season tickets, and multi-journey tickets. Last year, fares had also risen sharply, then by some 9% on average. According to NMBS/SNCB, in line with the public service contract with the government, the higher prices […]
February 01, 2024
Ford has unveiled the commercial vehicle version of its VW Caddy-based Connect van: the Transit Connect. However, it beats its donor by launching a plug-in hybrid variant first, which boasts up to 110 km of electric range with minimal compromises. The Ford Transit Connect slots in between the small Transit Courier and the larger one-ton […]
February 01, 2024
A new study by the International Council on Clean Transportation (ICCT) indicates that the gap between real-world and official CO2 emission and fuel consumption values of new combustion engine cars increased from 8% to 14% between 2018 and 2022. The average gap, or divergence, between the official and real-world fuel consumption and CO2 emission values […]
February 01, 2024
Worldwide, the Chinese Geely daughter Polestar will cut 450 jobs or 15% of its current workforce. Lower demand for its cars and a very competitive environment (Chinese manufacturers, Tesla lowering its prices regularly) forced the EV manufacturer to react. Meanwhile, Geely’s sister Volvo Cars, with 48% a critical Polestar shareholder, will stop funding Polestar and […]
January 31, 2024
The University of Ghent has appointed Meredith Glaser as an academic expert for more and safer bicycle traffic. Glaser is an internationally respected academic with approximately 15 years of experience in spatial planning, transport, and mobility. She will further specialize in everything related to cycling. Meredith Glaser is originally from the Californian coast but has […]
January 31, 2024
Confident in the quality of its products, Peugeot offers customers of the new e-3008 ‘Peugeot Allure Care’”, a program that guarantees peace of mind by covering the electric motor, charger, powertrain, and the main electrical and mechanical components for up to 8 years/160 000 km. At the second E-Lion Day, the Stellantis daughter also promised […]
January 31, 2024
Last year, Belgian public railway company NMBS/SNCB carried 244 million train passengers, 7% more than in 2022. After the Covid-19 years, this is the second consecutive year of growth. Mobility Minister Georges Gilkinet (Ecolo) says the figures confirm “that we are on the right track, even if there is still work to be done, especially […]
January 31, 2024
The delivery of Europe’s cheapest China-built Volvo, the EX30, is getting behind schedule due to a necessary update of the car’s software based on Google’s Android Automotive operating system. A few glitches must be solved before software version 1.2 can be installed, as it “does not yet meet all the requirements necessary to be released”. […]
January 31, 2024
Launched in its home market with a gasoline engine, the Hyundai Casper should arrive in Europe in late 2024. However, for us, it’ll be electric only. Rumors talk of an affordable, small crossover with a 35-kWh battery and a range of about 200 km. Playing in the same ballpark as the recently unveiled Citroen ë-C3 […]
January 31, 2024
South Korean media report that Kia is delaying the launch of its future electric sedan, the EV4. Originally planned to be on the road before the end of 2024, the production version of the Kia EV4 Concept should be launched by early 2025. Kia didn’t mention any specific reason. The future Kia EV3, presented in […]
January 31, 2024
The fully electric BMW i5 sedan and BMW iX2 SUV Coupé will each be available with an additional drive system variant from March 2024. The drive system offerings for the BMW X2 and BMW XM have also been expanded. New features in the area of digital services will also be introduced in spring 2024. These […]
January 31, 2024
Various sources reveal that Isuzu Motors will invest nearly two billion dollars into electric trucks and batteries. News reached us over an order with LG worth one trillion won. There is also talk of a new EV pickup truck from Thailand. The Korean battery specialist LG Energy Solution will supply Isuzu Motors with cylindrical cells […]
January 30, 2024
Belgium will not have a sharp increase in taxes on fossil company cars. After much wrangling, the federal government has agreed on the benefit in kind for diesel and gasoline company cars. The government reached a deal by linking other dossiers to that of company cars. Thus, the annual ceiling of the bicycle allowance will […]
January 30, 2024
BYD (Build Your Dreams), the Chinese car manufacturing giant that dethroned Tesla as the world’s biggest EV maker, expects to be on a bed of roses with a profit growth of 86.5%. That’s up to between 29 billion and 31 billion yuan (€3,98 billion) for 2023 compared to the previous year, driven by solid sales […]
January 30, 2024
Car sharing is increasingly popular in Louvain. In the last four years, the number of users has increased by 80%. However, Poppy discontinued service after only three months. In the meantime, newcomer BattMobility hopes to fill the gap. BattMobility only offers electric shared cars with a fixed parking space, a significant difference from Poppy’s concept. […]
January 30, 2024
Toyota Motor Corp. said today its group sold more cars than any other automaker in 2023, maintaining its lead for the fourth consecutive year as it ramped up production amid an easing chip shortage. The automaker sold a record 11.23 million vehicles globally last year, including those produced by the group’s mini-vehicle maker, Daihatsu Motor […]
January 30, 2024
New EU van, truck, and bus sales rose again in 2023, with double-digit growth figures in all segments. New van sales surged by +14.6% to nearly 1.5 million units, driven by strong performances in key EU markets. It is the same story for trucks (+16.3%) and 346,986 units sold, and buses with +19.4% growth compared […]
January 30, 2024
Renault Group has announced that it has canceled the initial public offering (IPO) of its electric division, Ampere. This is a major strategic turnaround for the group and a sign of the EV sector’s difficulties in attracting investors. Renault justifies the decision in its statement by pointing out that “the current market conditions are not […]
January 29, 2024
Technical partners Honda and General Motors (GM) have initiated mass production of hydrogen fuel cell systems at their shared facility in Brownstown, Michigan. It has been a long time coming, as the two auto giants announced their collaboration in fuel cell technology ten years ago. The $85 million facility, part of the Fuel Cell System […]
January 29, 2024
Organizing photoshoots for imminent car launches without giving away the looks becomes more complex every day. After the recent leak of the new Lancia Ypsilon pics, the website car scoops got pictures of the announced BMW 5 Series Touring, scheduled to follow its sedan brother this year into the market. The Touring version of the […]
January 29, 2024
The Flemish government has approved the Regional Spatial Implementation Plan for the northern part of the Ring Road around Brussels, bringing a 550-million-euro remodeling a step closer. Flanders wants to make the R0-North between Sint-Stevens-Woluwe and Groot-Bijgaarden more traffic-safe and increase the area’s livability. In the spring of 2023, a public inquiry on the provisional […]
January 29, 2024
The public prosecutor’s office in Limburg has announced stricter action against mobile phone use behind the wheel. From February 1st, anyone using his mobile phone or other mobile device while driving a motor vehicle will immediately have to hand in his driver’s license for fifteen days, after which a €174 fine will follow. Similar measures […]
January 29, 2024
London Electric Vehicle Company (LEVC), a subsidiary of the Chinese Geely Group, has started prototype production of its second model, the L380. This sizeable electric minivan has a brand-new architecture designed for optimal space usage and a large battery capacity. The model will go on sale in China in 2024, with other markets following later. […]
January 29, 2024
Flemish public transport operator De Lijn is pulling plans for self-driving buses in cities off the ice again. A pilot project will be developed in Leuven to have an operational connection by 2026. There is talk of 15 to 20 vehicles in an initial phase, possibly expanding to 80. So, this is not the first […]
January 29, 2024
At the shipyard of HD Hyundai Heavy Industries (HD HHI) in Ulsan, South Korea, the world’s first vessel on ‘green methanol’ carrying up to 16 592 twenty-feet shipping containers (TEU) has been baptized ‘Ane Mærsk’. At the beginning of February, it will enter service connecting Asia and Europe The 350-meter-long vessel is Mærsk’s second container […]
January 29, 2024
Over a year after its European launch, BYD’s Tang EV is set for an upgrade, including a larger battery and improved features. The Chinese carmaker wants to increase its appeal to compete with the Tesla Model Y, the best-selling car worldwide, last year. An essential upgrade component is the Tang’s battery capacity, which will increase […]
January 26, 2024
Venice will install speed cameras for boats along its world-famous canals. The city hopes this measure will limit the speed of motorized boats and ships, make the city safer, and prevent erosion due to high boat waves. Wave motion – ‘moto ondoso’ in Italian – causes erosion of the canal walls below the waterline, damaging […]
January 26, 2024
Porsche has (finally) unveiled its first electric SUV. After a couple of years of delay, the carmaker has high hopes for its second electric model after the Taycan. After all, the Macan is not only Porsche’s best-selling model, but with the new Premium Platform Electric, it is also a trailblazer for the upcoming electric models. […]
January 26, 2024
Holcim, the Swiss-based construction materials and cement company, has placed a record order for 1 000 battery-electric Mercedes-Benz eActros 600 trucks. The company wants to have 30% zero-emission trucks by 2030, and it’s not just counting on Daimler Truck to achieve this goal. This isn’t the first time Holcim has signed a letter of intent […]
January 26, 2024
A new direct railway line now connects the ports of Genk and Zeebrugge. On an annual basis, this will take some 12 000 trucks carrying containers off the road. “The rail connection promises significant benefits in terms of mobility and sustainability,” says Heike Ulburghs, General Manager of the Port of Genk. Flanders is making 200 […]
January 26, 2024
The news that the Model Y was the best-selling vehicle worldwide couldn’t remedy the market’s disappointment in the company’s annual results. Slow growth, dwindling margins, and a solid performing rival, BYD, form dark clouds above the company’s headquarters. During the earnings call, the CEO of Tesla, Elon Musk, warned that the Chinese car makers could […]
January 25, 2024
After announcing its eTGX and eTGS long-haul electric trucks in November 2023, MAN has announced that the first model year has nearly sold out, with 700 orders placed in the first three months of sales. MAN claims a “daily range” of up to 800 km for its battery-electric models. The first examples of MAN’s long-haul […]
January 25, 2024
Cadillac has started to build the exclusive Celestiq EV at the General Motors Global Technical Center in Warren, Michigan. But they’re doing it ‘by driblets’, as they are hand-built, and only 100 to 150 of them will be made to keep them exclusive. As will be the price tag: $340 000 (€311 950) before customization. […]
January 25, 2024
In 2023, Eurostar’s high-speed trains carried a quarter more passengers. The number of travelers increased in one year from 14,8 million in 2022 to 18,6 million or almost as many as before the coronavirus pandemic – 19 million in 2019. One of the explanations for the success was the high demand for tickets to London, […]
January 25, 2024
“Despite lofty ambitions and strict requirements, most passenger cars on EU roads still emit the same quantity of CO2 as 12 years ago,” the European Court of Auditors (ECA) said in a statement. A top EU auditor reported on Wednesday that sales of electric cars in the European Union are not growing fast enough to […]
January 25, 2024
Candy and pet care company Mars has partnered up with Swedish start-up Einride to electrify its European transport fleet. The first two electric trucks have already been delivered, with 298 more on the way by 2030. Einride wants to make these trucks autonomous, starting with a pilot project in 2025. Mars, known for its candy […]
January 25, 2024
After the Stellantis Group, Renault, and Hyundai, Volkswagen will also offer cars in the French ‘social leasing’ project, President Emmanuel Macron’s plan to provide electric vehicles for less than 150 euros a month through a lease with purchase option. Four models will be offered by the end of January, from the small Volkswagen E-UP (€89/month) […]
January 25, 2024
It has been over two years since we heard anything about Apple’s decade-long ‘Titan Project’ to launch its own fully autonomous electric car that wouldn’t even feature a steering wheel anymore. But that won’t happen, insiders told the Bloomberg news agency, as the new shift is to a somewhat ‘common’ EV with the driver still […]
January 25, 2024
Through the inadvertence of people working for the car manufacturer’s official web channels, ‘official’ pictures of the production version of the Wagoneer S EV already leaked long before Jeep was ready to show them to us. Jeep had already teased its first-ever EV for the American market last week, but the short video only really […]
January 24, 2024
The iconic Golf is celebrating its 50th birthday this year, and Volkswagen is launching an enhanced version of its bestseller to mark the anniversary. To date, more than 37 million Golfs have been sold across eight generations. The updated Golf has a next-generation infotainment system, a more intuitive operating concept, a sharper front and rear […]
January 24, 2024
Engineers of the state-owned railway company Deutsche Bahn started a six-day strike last night, the longest strike ever on German railways. The strike comes because of a long-running dispute over working conditions and pay between DB and union GDL. Train traffic in Germany is expected to come to a virtual standstill. It is now the […]
January 24, 2024
The French oil and gas group TotalEnergies has signed a deal with Danish sustainable energy company European Energy for a majority stake in two wind projects. Under the arrangement, TotalEnergies will take an 85% stake in the Jammerland Bugt project (240 MW), and 72,2% in the Lillebaelt South nearshore development (165 MW), both in Danish […]
January 24, 2024
Alexander Vlaskamp, CEO of German heavy truck maker MAN Truck & Bus, is no believer when it comes to hydrogen to decarbonize heavy transport. Although MAN develops both to a certain extent, he’s convinced that the limited supply and high cost of green hydrogen make a fuel cell truck unable to compete with battery electric […]
January 24, 2024
The European Commission has blocked plans by German airline group Lufthansa to take a minority stake in Italian airline ITA Airways. EU anti-trust regulators are “concerned after a preliminary investigation that the transaction could restrict competition on several short- and long-haul routes to and from Italy,” they said in a press release. This mainly concerns […]
January 24, 2024
Toyota Chairman and former CEO Akio Toyoda believes battery-electric vehicles will have a maximum market share of 30%, with the rest taken up by hybrids, hydrogen fuel cells, and ICE cars. “With a billion people in the world living without electricity, limiting their choices and ability to travel by making expensive cars isn’t the answer,” […]
January 24, 2024
While the Manta is sent to the history books, German carmaker Opel has announced the comeback in 2024 of the Frontera nameplate – Opel’s 4×4 sold between 1991 and 2004 – for an entirely new SUV that will also feature a fully electric version right from the start. Details are scarce, but Opel CEO Florian […]
January 23, 2024
Stellantis has fully unveiled its STLA Large platform. Designed for large electric vehicles, it forms the basis for future cars in the D and E segments for the global markets. However, it is not a purely electric platform, which has a reason. This will be a pivotal year for the strictness of emissions regulations with […]
January 23, 2024
Japanese Yamaha Motors, a big name in marine engines – outboard and inboard – has fully acquired German electric outboard motor pioneer and world leader Torqeedo from Deutz. German ‘historic’ combustion engine manufacturer Deutz AG is more into burning hydrogen now, focusing on construction equipment and agricultural machinery, among others. It says in a press […]
January 23, 2024
Brussels Airlines and its Belgian rival TUI fly are looking to recruit more than 700 people this year. Both airlines are mainly looking for stewards and flight attendants, but TUI fly is also looking for 15 future pilots, for example, while about 40 are needed at Brussels Airlines. Brussels Airlines, which had to lay off […]
January 23, 2024
With the ‘Neue Klasse’ or ‘New Class,’ BMW will launch a new vehicle architecture for the electric future in 2025. The Munich-based company has a tight model schedule: six model series are to use the New Class base within two years. More details have become available. BMW already confirmed in March 2023 that six model […]
January 23, 2024
Three years after the introduction of the 30 km/hour rule in Brussels, Brussels Mobility can only present a fine balance sheet: the introduction of the speed limit has not only led to less noise pollution and a general decrease in average speeds in the capital’s streets but has also reduced the severity of accidents, particularly […]
January 23, 2024
Car manufacturers are making increasingly wider cars. For instance, the 1974 Volkswagen Golf was ‘only’ 1,610 m wide, but the 2019 version measured 1,790 m. Not to mention the Dodge Ram, which is more than two meters wide – 2,085 m, to be precise- overshooting the 1,80 m-wide parking spaces by almost 30 cm. The […]
January 23, 2024
Those nostalgics waiting for the ‘electric comeback’ 2025 of Opels’s 1970s icon, the Manta, might be disappointed, as Stellantis is said to ‘freeze’ the plans, not to say ‘ditch’ them altogether. According to the French car magazine L’Automobile, an ‘internal evaluation’ has led to that decision. And if the French magazine’s sources are correct, there […]
January 23, 2024
“The growing demand for key materials can increasingly be met by technological advances, battery recycling, and global cooperation,” said Chinese battery giant CATL’s CEO Robin Zeng, attending the World Economic Forum annual meeting in Davos. “At the end of the day, when we achieve 100% electric cars, there will be a very tiny amount of […]
January 22, 2024
Lucid has found a replacement for Michael van der Sande as Managing Director for its European operations. Coming from Polestar, the German Alexander Lutz is taking over. He reports directly to Martin Winterhoff, the company’s current COO for Europe. Alexander Lutz previously served as the head of Polestar’s operations in Italy. He was promoted to […]
January 22, 2024
In France, the first vehicles have been delivered within President Emmanuel Macron’s social leasing plan, a measure to lease a European electric car at 100 euros per month for those on the lowest incomes. The first vehicles were provided by the Stellantis Group, known for brands such as Peugeot, Citroën, etc. So far, about 91 […]
January 22, 2024
Since last year, taking rides in horse-drawn carriages in the center of Brussels has no longer been possible. The city will come up with an alternative this summer: the horse-drawn carriages will be replaced by three electric ones, a unique in Europe, according to Brussels news site BRUZZ. The electric ones will be operated by […]
January 22, 2024
Chinese auto manufacturing group BYD is reportedly considering expanding its European range with hybrid off-road models from its sub-brands Yangwang and Fangchengbao. The former is a 1200-hp luxury vehicle with tank turn capability, and the latter is a more affordable SUV that could rival the Toyota Land Cruiser and Land Rover Defender. BYD is expanding […]
January 22, 2024
For the first time last year, more electric bicycles were sold in Belgium than regular bicycles. E-bikes now have a market share of 51,2%. However, bicycle sales have decreased. After the top year of 2022, bicycle sales dropped by 12,9%. Still, more than 600 000 units were sold (606 017 to be precise), or more […]
January 22, 2024
Volvo Car Gent celebrates a stellar year as it nailed a total production of 230 527 cars in 2023, marking a significant 19,4% increase from the previous year’s output of 192 991 vehicles. It’s the first time in four years that the factory has surpassed the figure of 200 000 cars per year. In 2024, […]
