March 13, 2024
From Friday 22 to Sunday 24 March, Tour & Taxis will host the sixth edition of the bike fair Bike Brussels. In the event location’s ‘Gare Maritime, ‘ more than 150 exhibitors will guide cycling enthusiasts through the latest innovations in the sector, recent accessories that can come in handy for a trip on two […]
March 13, 2024
According to Vias’ latest traffic safety barometer, based on figures from the federal police, there were 7% fewer road deaths last year than in 2022. Last year, 483 people died in traffic, compared to 520 in 2022. The Vias Institute is a Belgian knowledge center that aims to improve road safety, mobility, and social safety. […]
March 13, 2024
The future electric SUV from Hyundai has been spotted testing in various states of cover. Previously announced as Ioniq 7, it could be renamed Ioniq 9 after the success of its brother from Kia, the EV9. What is certain is that both SUVs will share the same 800-volt E-GMP platform. This should give the seven-seater […]
March 13, 2024
On Tuesday, Belgium’s most significant car importer, D’Ieteren Automotive, kicked off its own B2B ‘motor show’ in the industrial settings of Silo Brussels, a former brewery and malthouse located along the canal at Neder-Over-Heembeek. Called ‘Mobility Solutions’ by D’Ieteren, it demonstrates it’s no longer about selling cars only but rather focusing on a far broader […]
March 13, 2024
In an interview with the Financial Times on Tuesday, Mercedes-Benz CEO Ola Källenius made a remarkable statement, rubbing up his French competitors by urging the European Commission to lower tariffs on Chinese EV imports instead of raising them. This would force European carmakers to make better cars, he added. “I’m a contrarian,” he said in […]
March 12, 2024
Porsche has unveiled the nec plus ultra of its facelifted Taycan range: the Turbo GT. It is the fastest four-door EV on the Nürburgring and Laguna Seca and the most powerful series production model from Porsche ever. It is enough to comfortably beat the Tesla Model S Plaid, but it also comes at a price. […]
March 12, 2024
Volvo has announced a significant charging improvement for cars built on its next-gen EV platform. Their batteries will charge up to 30% faster than the current line-up, and it has nothing to do with revolutionary chemistries or a different manufacturing approach. The secret weapon is an algorithm. Volvo Cars is investing in Breathe Battery Technologies, […]
March 12, 2024
In an interview with the American car magazine Car and Driver, Stellantis CEO Carlos Tavares says his group has to produce its own batteries. Meanwhile, he also stresses that EVs have to become lighter and batteries more efficient to maintain the expected range of an EV. The most expensive part of an EV is the […]
March 12, 2024
Belgian bus manufacturer Van Hool decided to cut almost half of its jobs at its headquarters in Koningshooikt after a series of cascading troubles eviscerated its competitiveness. Some point to Van Hool’s hydrogen strategy, others to the lack of support from public transport company De Lijn, but neither explanation offers a complete picture. It has […]
March 12, 2024
After the sabotage attack, which led to a power outage and discontinuation of assembly, Tesla’s Grünheide factory is back online. Engineers from energy supplier Edis worked in three-shift mode to restore the connection and succeeded on Monday evening. “The measures to restart the plant are now running at full speed under all safety precautions,” wrote […]
March 12, 2024
Belgian public railway company NMBS/SNCB and infrastructure manager Infrabel spent 612 million euros on consultancy between 2020 and 2022. Based on internal documents from both companies, research media Apache and Médor have exposed this. Mobility Minister Georges Gilkinet (Ecolo) had previously said the cost for that period was 44,6 million euros, but the actual amount […]
March 12, 2024
Amsterdam is considering introducing an innovative adaptive speed governance solution for e-bikes. The system is intended to remotely slow down the speed of electric bicycles as they approach the city center. Amsterdam’s Alderwoman, Melanie Van der Horst (D66), recently inaugurated a system demonstration. The initiative specifically tackles the challenges of congested bike lanes, aiming to […]
March 12, 2024
Audi has confirmed the expected reorganization of the Board of Management: CEO Gernot Döllner is also taking over Technical Development at the German carmaker with immediate effect. Audi’s Formula 1 Team accelerates its racing commitment and takes over the F1 Sauber team. Audi’s previous Board Member for Technical Development, Oliver Hoffmann, will now be responsible […]
March 11, 2024
Until the end of April, Fiat will switch to one shift at its Mirafiori plant due to falling demand for the all-electric 500e and the Maserati models produced on-site. The factory near Turin adapted its output in February, but the supposed plan to resume two-shift operations at the beginning of this month has been further […]
March 11, 2024
Cycling has become much safer over the last few years. The risk of dying on a bicycle has fallen by 40 percent in the last seven years. In 2015, 24.9 fatalities occurred per billion kilometers cycled; in 2022, this dropped to 14.9. These figures were published on Friday on the study day celebrating the tenth […]
March 11, 2024
Together with the official opening of its new test center in Donauwörth, Germany, Airbus Helicopters presented last week the prototype of its fully electric CityAirbus NextGen eVTOL, a four-seater with eight propellors that takes off and lands vertically. Once airborne, the two-ton so-called ‘multicopter’ tilts its rotors to fly like an airplane for some 80 […]
March 11, 2024
Within three years from now, Japanese customers will enjoy the benefits of autonomously driving Nissan taxis in Japan. The automaker has been investigating self-driving cars in traffic since 2017 and has released a road map to make it happen. Nissan is taking a cautious approach to Robotaxi rides and wants to gather experience and customer […]
March 11, 2024
Car manufacturing group Stellantis wants to take over the Belgian, Sint-Truiden-based transmission specialist Punch Powertrain. Although both companies are already working together via joint ventures, the Belgian company wants to defend itself against this hostile takeover in court. Punch Powertrain plays an important role in Stellantis’s electrification process because it develops and produces the transmissions […]
March 11, 2024
In stormy weather since the Covid-19 pandemic and the following crisis, Belgian bus and coach builder Van Hool production workers face the ultimate doom scenario. On Monday’s ultimate works council, the unions got the grim message that 1,116 of currently 2,494 jobs at the company’s main factory in Koningshooikt (Lier) will disappear by 2028, 834 […]
March 11, 2024
In 2024, there will be 41 major road construction works on the Flemish highways for an investment of 902 million euros, not including Oosterweel. “The interventions are very diverse,” says Flemish Minister of Mobility and Public Works Lydia Peeters (Open Vld). “They range from renewing the road surface to the installation of noise barriers, the […]
March 11, 2024
Audi will produce its new entry-level electric model, announced around a year ago, at its headquarters in Ingolstadt. Gernot Döllner, Audi’s CEO, said as much at a staff meeting at the main plant. The new EV sits below the Q4 e-tron. Its much bigger brother, the Q6 e-tron, is already rolling off the production line […]
March 08, 2024
After five years of loss-making, Brussels Airlines posted record results last year, with an operating profit of 53 million euros. The airline carried 8,3 million passengers for the entire year, 21% more than in 2022. But even though turnover climbed back to pre-corona levels, Brussels Airlines has been plagued by social unrest for some time, […]
March 08, 2024
European vehicle safety non-profit Euro NCAP has unveiled plans for a new safety score 2026 that will include an assessment of the ease of use of essential controls. Cars that force drivers to use touch controls for features like wipers and indicators will be punished and risk the all-important five-star safety rating. The auto industry […]
March 08, 2024
People often say that women are lousy drivers, but statistics show just the opposite: almost eight in ten road deaths are men. Women are less likely to be involved in serious accidents than men and are generally also less likely to be severely injured in accidents (40% compared to 60% of men). However, it is […]
March 08, 2024
US electric car manufacturer Rivian has unveiled a new mid-size platform for the new R2, its first next-generation model after the R1S and R1T. On the platform, an even smaller model will be available, the R3. Both models are thus based on a new platform and come with a choice of one, two, or three […]
March 08, 2024
German premium car manufacturers BMW and Mercedes-Benz have formed a joint venture to construct EV fast chargers in China. The joint venture, Beijing Ion Qi New Energy Technology Co., Ltd., is based in Beijing’s Chaoyang district. The joint venture, in which Mercedes-Benz Group China and BMW Brilliance Automotive each hold a 50% stake, aims to […]
March 08, 2024
Hydrogen, regarded as one of the critical energies for decarbonizing heavy road transport and the steel industry, faces a new hurdle. The cost of its quintessential production tool, the electrolyzer, is rising steeply instead of reaching affordability. That’s not according to plan. A recent report by Bloomberg New Energy Finance (BNEF), the 2024 Electrolyser Price […]
March 07, 2024
According to Copernicus, the Earth Observation component of the European Union’s space program, the last three months have been the hottest worldwide. February was part of a series of nine consecutive monthly records, driven by continued greenhouse gas emissions and the El Niño weather phenomenon. In its latest monthly report, published on Thursday, the European […]
March 07, 2024
E-truck start-up Volta Trucks has signed a preliminary agreement with Austrian production specialist Steyr Automotive to continue producing its trucks. The Swedish start-up filed for bankruptcy in October last year but was bought out by Luxor Capital Group, one of its creditors, in December. It seems that the Volta Trucks story will continue after all. […]
March 07, 2024
Infrabel has started work in Bilzen to remove all railway crossings in the city’s territory. Seven train crossings will be eliminated and made safer this way. They will be replaced by mobility alternatives, such as bridges (2), tunnels (4), a parallel road, and two sections of bicycle highway. The level crossings will only be closed […]
March 07, 2024
Stellantis, including brands such as Citroën, DS, Peugeot, Jeep, Fiat, and Alfa Romeo, will invest 5,6 billion euros in South America between 2025 and 2030, the largest investment ever in the South American automotive sector. The group aims to develop its EV offerings on the continent and promote its ‘bio-hybrid’ technologies, which combine electrification and […]
March 07, 2024
The fire on the cargo ship Felicity Ace, which caused the loss of several thousand vehicles, is finding its way to court. A probe points to a Porsche EV aboard with a defective battery having ignited the fire. That kept the ship burning for two weeks before it sank. The Volkswagen Group is facing lawsuits […]
March 07, 2024
Ford has updated the full-size E-Transit in the US, boosting the range by 26 to 32 percent thanks to a new 89 kWh battery. The electric van also gets 49 percent faster charging while the price only increases slightly for the American market. A European launch has not yet been announced. The 2022 E-Transit was […]
March 06, 2024
Colruyt Group has started using a 44-ton electric truck to supply city stores as sustainably as possible. The truck is quieter and generates fewer emissions, making deliveries less inconvenient for residents. Flemish Mobility Minister Lydia Peeters (Open Vld) officially inaugurated the refrigerated e-truck. “Using electric trucks for city deliveries is no longer a thing of […]
March 06, 2024
Dodge has unveiled its new electric car. And it is to deliver on the promise of being the ultimate ‘muscle car’, the new Charger Daytona, a massive 5.2-meter long two-door coupé with all-wheel-drive, a 100.5-kWh battery, and up to 317 miles (510 km) of EPA range. The range-topping Charger Daytona Scat Pack gets 670 hp […]
March 06, 2024
Brussels-based holding company D’Ieteren, best known for car glass repairer Carglass and as an importer of VW vehicles, posted sharply higher profits in 2023. Last year, that adjusted consolidated profit before tax came to 970.8 million euros or a 28.1% increase compared to 2022. Things look rosy for D’Ieteren for this year, too: It expects […]
March 06, 2024
According to Mobility Federation Traxio, the new and second-hand car market continues to perform well in February 2024. Last month, 60,355 second-hand cars were registered, that is 7,160 units or 13,5% more than last year. The success is due to the more significant offer and stable prices. Private individuals ‘ registrations of second-hand electric vehicles […]
March 06, 2024
According to a document published on Tuesday and cited by the Reuters news agency, the EU Commission says it has sufficient evidence ‘tending’ to show Chinese EVs were being subsidized, and it will start ‘customs registrations’ on Thursday to prepare for possible retroactive tariffs. That means that import tariffs could be imposed retrospectively if the […]
March 05, 2024
According to Toyota’s projections for the U.S. market, American consumers are expected to purchase significantly fewer EVs by 2030 than the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) anticipates. Consequently, the automaker plans to procure emissions credits to meet U.S. regulations instead of allocating additional resources toward electric vehicle development, citing doubts about their marketability. The EPA announced […]
March 05, 2024
The Dutch electricity grid is becoming increasingly saturated. Top executive Maarten Otto of energy network company Alliander confirmed this when presenting the annual results. He added that demand is growing much faster than the pace at which the grids can be expanded for years, and expansion of the net is not expected to provide additional […]
March 05, 2024
In February, Volvo Cars achieved its highest-ever share of electrified models in fully electric and plug-in hybrids and fully electric combined. This was mainly driven by the ramp-up of the company’s new fully electric small SUV, the EX30. Fully electric cars constituted 22% of all cars sold globally last month, while the combined sales of […]
March 05, 2024
The Dutch railway network needs a major overhaul. Over the next six years, rail manager ProRail will step up its game to prepare the Dutch rail network for the next forty years. Travelers must take inconvenience into account for the next six years. Between now and 2030, train passengers and freight rail must, therefore, take […]
March 05, 2024
Three years after its launch, Hyundai’s Ioniq 5 EV gets an extensive update, which adds a bigger battery, improved aerodynamics, ergonomic changes to the interior, better safety tech, and a new N Line model, adding some sportiness to the ‘regular’ model range. Strictly speaking, this is the Ioniq 5’s mid-life facelift, but not much has […]
March 05, 2024
Leapmotor, the Chinese start-up with backing from Stellantis, has launched its first ‘global’ model: the C10, an electric or range-extended family SUV with a very aggressive price point. The model is now available in China for around €16,500, with an international launch following later this year. Leapmotor first presented the C10 at the IAA in […]
March 05, 2024
The long-announced ‘three-country train’ Liège-Maastricht-Aachen will start running in the border region between Belgium, the Netherlands, and Germany from June 9th. The Maastricht-Aachen section has been active since 2019. However, Belgium could not yet be served due to making the trains of carrier Arriva suitable for the different security systems used in the three countries. […]
March 05, 2024
The Makro site in Machelen will be used as a storage facility for Tesla cars until the end of this year. Tesla is allowed to store a maximum of 1,400 cars there, pending further distribution to car dealers and buyers. “The site will also be monitored, insured, and maintained so that the nuisance will end,” […]
March 05, 2024
After announcing new price cuts every day last week for nearly every model in its lineup, BYD announced a 12% price reduction for its best-selling compact SUV, the Yuan Plus, better known in Europe as the Atto 3. In China, the Yuan Plus Glory Edition has a starting price of 119,800 yuan (€15,338). In Belgium, […]
March 05, 2024
The French car manufacturer Renault is hoping it has a winner on its hands with the upcoming Renault 5 BEV. The company says it already has 50,000 orders on the waiting list just a few days after its official debut at the Geneva Motor Show. “We have a waiting list of 50,000 people,” Renault brand […]
March 05, 2024
BMW has started building its own production facility for fifth-generation high-voltage batteries in Thailand. The high-voltage battery assembly facility on the site in Rayong will prepare the plant there for the production of purely electric cars. According to the Munich-based company, local BEV production is set to begin in the second half of 2025. The […]
March 04, 2024
The electric car manufacturer Fisker warns in its latest annual report that it may be unable to continue operations. The current resources are not sufficient to cover the next twelve months. Such warnings occur from time to time and do not necessarily result in the insolvency of a company. In this way, Fisker’s management draws […]
March 04, 2024
Last year, the rich countries had the lowest energy CO2 emissions in fifty years. Developed economies benefited from further wind and solar energy growth, swapped coal for gas more often, and saved on energy consumption. In a new report, the International Energy Agency (IEA) points out that countries must help weaker economies because the amount […]
March 04, 2024
After this exact point was speculated last summer, Dacia CEO Denis Le Vot confirmed to Automotive News Europe at the Geneva Motor Show that the Sandero, the current best-seller of the brand, will get an electric successor by 2027 or 2028. Dacia currently only has the heavily updated Spring in terms of electric offerings, but […]
March 04, 2024
In February, 43,723 cars were registered in Belgium and Luxembourg, 9.6% more than in February 2023. The rise can be attributed to more individual buyers, which is noticeable, given that there was no traditional motor show this year. The registrations for individual buyers increased by 12.9%, representing 41.7% of total registrations, while they were 37.6% […]
March 04, 2024
Start-up Kevin Speed will run high-speed trains (HST) in France from 2028 under the brand ‘ilisto’. The new HST operator signed an agreement with SNCF Réseau, the French rail network operator, to get the necessary train paths for the planned train runs. Specifically, Kevin Speed wants tracks from Paris to the North (Lille), east (Strasbourg), […]
March 04, 2024
Nissan bids farewell to an era as it halted production of the iconic all-electric Leaf MkII at its Sunderland plant in the UK last week. In a following move, the automaker readies its next-generation electric vehicles at the factory. Since its inception in 2010, the Leaf has been a trailblazer in the electric vehicle market, […]
March 04, 2024
French-Dutch airline group Air France-KLM has seen sales and profits rise to record highs in 2023 despite losing in the fourth quarter. The group ended the year with a net profit of 934 million euros, its highest-ever profit figure. Sales rose to 3 billion euros, 14% more than in 2022. These record figures starkly contrast […]
March 01, 2024
Honda has unveiled the CR-V e:FCEV, a plug-in hybrid SUV variant that combines a rechargeable battery with a hydrogen fuel cell drivetrain. It will be launched in the US and aims to combine the flexibility of a PHEV with a permanent zero-emissions drivetrain. Honda is one of the few car manufacturers still working on hydrogen […]
March 01, 2024
The European Parliament has agreed on a new set of regulations concerning driver’s licenses. One of the plans is to increase the weight limit of electric light commercial vehicles to 4.25 tons to compensate for the loss of payload due to heavy battery packs. But new exam rules, digital licenses, and stricter rules for young […]
March 01, 2024
The saga around Polestar’s financing opens up a new chapter, as the EV startup managed to draw in some serious funding from international banks. With parent Geely’s commitment, the company is secured to achieve its short-term targets. In the wake of Volvo Cars’ decision to sever ties with Polestar, the EV brand has swiftly pivoted, […]
March 01, 2024
Beherman Motors has signed an agreement with the Chinese brand Farizon to import and distribute in the Benelux region. The well-known family importer, tied to Mitsubishi, Mazda, Saab, and BMW in the past, taps further into the opportunity of the nascent eLCV market and aims at a share of 5%. Farizon, a subsidiary of the […]
