May 11, 2023
After handing over the first Fisker Ocean to a Danish customer and reserving the first German specimen for himself, CEO Henrik Fisker has adjusted its production forecasts for the year 2023 and announced a new off-road version of the electric SUV called Force E. Fisker corrected its production forecast for the Ocean when announcing its […]
May 11, 2023
The world’s biggest carmaker, Toyota, managed to boost revenue last year by 18%, while output was still plagued by supply chain constraints. The results from its last fiscal year unveil a slipping net income, but the performance nonetheless exceeds expectations. The group’s new boss Koji Sato comments that he sees further sales growth for the […]
May 10, 2023
Energy Minister Tinne Van der Straeten (Groen) has given the green light to the federal development plan of high-voltage grid operator Elia. With that plan, Elia sets out its Belgian course for the next ten years to simultaneously strengthen its energy supply and keep it affordable. The federal development plan includes the realization of the […]
May 10, 2023
The Dutch asphalt sector can reduce emissions by 30% to 60% by using biobased asphalt, in which the fossil bitumen has been replaced by lignin and other components from residual vegetable flows. That is what figures from Wageningen University indicate. The potential savings are enormous because, in the Netherlands alone, 10 million tons of asphalt […]
May 10, 2023
Colruyt is working toward its goal of having all of its transport operations zero-emission by 2035. The retail group has taken delivery of a 44-ton Volvo FM Electric and five smaller electric refrigerated trucks from Volvo and Scania. The heavy truck will distribute goods to the Colruyt Group supermarkets and stores, while the refrigerated trucks […]
May 10, 2023
Poppy Mobility, D’Ieteren’s shared mobility service, has invested significantly in recent months. The company doubled its offer and now has a fleet of 1 000 vehicles in the 19 Brussels municipalities and 2 000 in Antwerp, Ghent, Mechelen, Lier, Liège, and Belgian airports. Since January 1st, the company also uses a system based on facial […]
May 10, 2023
Prime Minister Alexander De Croo (Open Vld) has inaugurated the first supercharger station from Sparki, a provider rooted in Belgium. The two superchargers in Deinze kickstart the first series of six ultra-fast charging stations capable of 300 kW, becoming operational in the following days. By the end of this year, the start-up company wants to […]
May 10, 2023
Italian commercial vehicle manufacturer Iveco and American electric truck startup Nikola are going their own way from now, the first focussing on Europe, the other on its North American market. Iveco will assume full ownership of the joint venture in Ulm, Germany. Iveco Group acquires the JV partially by paying in cash ($35 million) and […]
May 10, 2023
Sweden is set to convert a motorway into a permanent electrified road, allowing electric cars and e-trucks to charge while driving. According to reports from Euronews, the Swedish transport authority Trafikverket has selected the E20 motorway to undergo the conversion. In the U.S. state of Florida, ENRX is working on a similar project. The Europan […]
May 10, 2023
Even after two days of an ‘official’ strike at VDL Nedcar in Born, the Dutch VDL Group still didn’t want to meet the union’s ultimatum to double the social plan, resulting in the unions extending the strike further on Wednesday and Thursday. According to the unions, willingness is high with the Nedcar workers to continue […]
May 09, 2023
The province of Limburg (Belgium) has applied for an environmental permit to construct the ‘Kolenspoor’ (coal track) bicycle highway between Genk and As. The project represents a €13 million investment. The old coal track connects Maasmechelen with Beringen and runs via Heusden-Zolder, Houthalen-Helchteren, Zonhoven, Genk, and As. The construction of the first 12-km-long stretch, from […]
May 09, 2023
When picking up the NIO ET7 in Amsterdam for a week-long test drive, it was apparent right from the first moment we stepped into the 5,1-meter sleek sedan this is not your average Chinese low-budget electric car. This one is conceived to be a luxurious ‘second living room’ on wheels, playing in the highest categories […]
May 09, 2023
Belgian employees with flexible remuneration are increasingly opting for cycling. This emerges from an analysis by HR service provider SD Worx of so-called cafeteria plans, a personalized pay package with extralegal benefits that companies now offer. More than one in ten employees opt for a bicycle, for example. Individual pension savings and extra holidays also […]
May 09, 2023
Geely’s subsidiary LEVC (London Electric Vehicle Company) has presented its modular electric platform SOA (Space Oriented Architecture), which was developed together with the parent company. With this, the manufacturer wants to become “a leading global provider of purely electric mobility solutions”. The first LEVC model based on the SOA will be “a completely new offering, […]
May 09, 2023
The first electric car from the American manufacturer Fisker Inc. is allowed to roll on the roads in Europe. The Fisker Ocean has received sales approval for the European market. The first Fisker Ocean One Launch Edition was handed over to its owner at the recently opened Fisker Center in Copenhagen on Friday. “I’m super […]
May 09, 2023
The Volkswagen Group and car supplier giant Bosch will not realize their planned joint venture to equip battery cell factories. Volkswagen and its battery subsidiary PowerCo are now pursuing the plan without Bosch as a partner, but Bosch will remain on board as a supplier. At the same time, CEO Oliver Blume is getting fed […]
May 08, 2023
There is a hitch in the marriage between the Brussels Region and Villo! Operator JCDecaux. Brussels Mobility Minister Elke Van den Brandt (Groen) suggested last year that Villo! no longer met the expectations of the Brussels Region. The Brussels Region is now launching a study to replace Villo! So writes the business newspaper L’Echo. The […]
May 08, 2023
HySun, a joint venture between Spanish companies Nanogap et Tewer Engineering, claims to be able to produce ‘white’ or ‘green’ hydrogen for one euro per kilogram or less by 2030 just by using solar energy. That would enable it to go under the price of ‘grey’ hydrogen produced from natural gas and used for 95% […]
May 08, 2023
In La Hulpe, Walloon Minister of Mobility and Road Infrastructure Philippe Henry (Ecolo) has inaugurated the very first Walloon section of the bicycle highway. The bicycle highways should become the backbone of the Walloon structuring bicycle network, which the government wants to establish to offer attractive alternatives to car use. At the same time, they […]
May 08, 2023
After selling out the Scorpionissima launch edition, Abarth has now announced the full model range of its first electric model, the 500e. There are two equipment levels, both available as a hatchback or a convertible model, with European pricing starting from around €39 000. The 500e is Abarth’s first foray into electric mobility, following the […]
May 08, 2023
Flemish public transport company De Lijn is looking for about 600 drivers for all of Flanders. Last Saturday’s job day in Destelbergen (East Flanders) attracted some 30 people who were interested in a job. The job day has been organized now so that the new drivers can start their new job this summer. A bus […]
May 08, 2023
German automotive supplier ElringKlinger has scored a big contract with a term of several years with BMW. The company will supply cell contact systems to BMW Group series electric models in the new class (‘Neue Klasse’). The high-volume series production for Europe is scheduled to start in 2025, with the plant in Neuffen, Baden-Württemberg, taking […]
May 08, 2023
Volkswagen and Shell Germany have put the first battery-boosted charging station into operation at a Shell gas station in Göttingen, Germany. If the trial deployment is successful, further examples of Elli’s pole could be created at pit stops by Shell in Europe. The Flexpole charging columns from Volkswagen’s energy brand Elli deliver up to 150 […]
May 08, 2023
After unveiling the prototype in 2022, Volvo Trucks has started testing its hydrogen fuel cell electric truck on public roads. It promises a range of 1 000 km, with refueling times of less than 15 minutes. But series production is still a few years away. In June 2022, Volvo Trucks presented its hydrogen-electric heavy truck, […]
May 05, 2023
A survey of AG Insurance amongst 1 500 Belgians shows that the increasing cost of living and a growing environmental awareness influences the use of their car(s). 62% of them declare to have consciously driven less last year, and almost 40% have saved on expenses for her/his car. The latter can pose a problem when […]
May 05, 2023
Car manufacturers are not allowed to extol the virtues of their products by using terms like ‘sustainable’ or ‘eco smart’. Greenwashing is forbidden. This is what the Belgian Federal Service for Economy says, following checks at the latest motor show in Brussels. During that motor show in January 2023, inspectors checked whether exhibitors at the […]
May 05, 2023
Belgium scores poorly when it comes to affordable public transport. That’s according to an analysis by Greenpeace. Due to the high cost and a small range of discounts, Belgium finishes 12th in the European ranking. But Belgium is not the only European country that suffers from that problem. Greenpeace’s analysis shows that public transport in […]
May 05, 2023
Volvo is the next car manufacturer to lay off staff in the wake of the electric transition challenging the automotive industry. To streamline its efficiency, the company is reducing its office-based national workforce by 6%, corresponding to 1 300 jobs. So, the cuts are made entirely in Sweden. In an official statement, CEO of Volvo […]
May 05, 2023
Whether it is an effect of the recent ban in Paris is not immediately clear, but Brussels is drastically changing course about shared vehicles. Starting next year, the Brussels government wants to allow a maximum of 8 000 shared e-scooters on the capital’s streets. From 2024, there would only be room for two operators versus […]
May 05, 2023
Peugeot’s smallest SUV is given a slight mid-life update, with a facelift taking cues straight from its recently updated sister sedan, the 508. Not only is the 2008’s skin tighter, but the electric version also gets a more powerful motor and a new, larger battery, which increases the range. Sister company Citroën does precisely the […]
May 05, 2023
The Walloon engineering company John Cockerill has created a joint venture with French Technip Energies. Rely, as the joint venture is called, will be “a unique provider of integrated and competitive green hydrogen solutions”, the press release says. Together, they intend to build large-scale hydrogen plants. The two industry leaders share a common objective of […]
May 05, 2023
In the second year of the C40 Recharge’s existence, Volvo created a brand-new, compact e-motor for it… and we saw that it was good. Developed in-house in Sweden, it makes its entry in the new rear-wheel drive 2024 versions of the XC40 and C40 Recharge, both manufactured in Ghent, Belgium. Newmobility.news got the opportunity to […]
May 05, 2023
Mercedes-Benz has pushed back an interim goal on its way to becoming an electric car manufacturer. Specifically, it is about the target set almost two years ago that electric cars and plug-in hybrids should account for half of the sales in 2025. The manufacturer wants to continue to reach this interim goal by the middle […]
May 04, 2023
The California Air Resources Board (CARB) has voted unanimously to start phasing out trucks with internal combustion engines (ICE) by mandating zero-emission vehicles in fleets with the so-called Advanced Clean Fleets regulation. The first phase is set to start in 2025 in harbor environments, followed by a sales stop for combustion box trucks, vans, buses, […]
May 04, 2023
In Sint-Truiden, gearbox manufacturer Punch Powertrain has kickstarted the production of components for the eDCT transmission for Stellantis. The gearbox will be assembled in the car giant’s 1,2 million vehicles, providing substantial CO2 savings. “Our patented technology enables us to bring sustainable technologies to global markets at affordable cost,” said Jorge Solis, CEO of Punch […]
May 04, 2023
Following the unofficial leak of data and images a few weeks ago, Mini has announced the first official key data for the upcoming Cooper Electric. The fifth generation of the 3-door Mini will be available for purchase by the year’s end and will be produced in Leipzig from November. The fifth generation of the 3-door […]
May 04, 2023
Brussels Airlines posted sharply higher sales in the first quarter at 280 million euros than a year earlier. However, the airline still lost 44 million euros but maintains that it is “on track for strong black figures for all of 2023”. Parent company Lufthansa also posted a loss in the first quarter, a net loss […]
May 04, 2023
After Wolfgang Hatz, a former top manager at VW Group car manufacturing daughters Audi and Porsche, changed his attitude in Court, former Audi CEO Rupert Stadler has finally given in, and now follows the same strategy, both pleading guilty to installing emissions-cheating software in cars to mislead official emission measurements (commonly known as ‘dieselgate‘). Until […]
May 03, 2023
Lineas, Europe’s largest private rail freight operator headquartered in Belgium, is eyeing a 20 million euros capital injection. This is reported by the business newspapers De Tijd and L’Echo. The rail freight company’s two shareholders, French investment fund Argos Wityu (90%) and the federal government (10%), are working on a first tranche of capital increase. […]
May 03, 2023
Three years after Daimler Truck pulled Fuso from the US market, the Japanese brand is making a comeback as Rizon, which brings rebadged eCanter medium-duty electric trucks to the States to offer a wider gamut of EV options to transporters. Daimler Truck is not saying as much, but the newly-announced Rizon brand for the US […]
May 03, 2023
With 70% of total consumption, diesel remains Belgium’s main fuel for road transport. This is shown by figures from Energia, the voice tube of the country’s petroleum sector. Nevertheless, it remains striking that fuel continues to make up most of what is refueled while fewer and fewer new diesel cars are being bought. In general, […]
May 03, 2023
On Tuesday, the Dutch railway company NS announced that traveling by Benelux train between Brussels and Amsterdam or trains to Germany will become less flexible during summer. Passengers will no longer have the choice of which train to board; they will only be able to take the train for which they bought a ticket. According […]
May 03, 2023
Until now, Cupra has been absent in China because of the cost and the risk involved. But with the Tavascan being made in China, the VW Group is looking into launching a new EV sub-brand for its Chinese-built models, according to Automobilwoche. The Spanish SUV coupé would lead the charge for this unnamed sub-brand. The […]
May 03, 2023
Centrica Business Solutions, a British multinational energy and services company headquartered in Windsor, Berkshire, has started the construction of its first 24 MW battery storage facility outside the UK. The first installation will be built in Ostend. The site is set to be at full capacity by early 2024. Later, the company plans more similar […]
May 03, 2023
The Belgian automotive sector is recovering, with new car registrations pushing the throttle by +40.38% compared to April last year. With 17 420 cars sold or 10,17% market share BWM is keeping its pursuers Volkswagen (14 681 or 8,57%) and Peugeot (12 897 or 7,36% ) in the rearview mirror. Mercedes hooks up fourth with […]
May 02, 2023
In Belgium, a comprehensive mobility offer is a decisive factor for seven out of ten employees in choosing their employer. That’s the result of a European survey of the Arval Mobility Observatory interrogating employees in the private sector. The observatory questioned 2 905 European employees for this Employee Mobility Survey, living in Belgium, France, Germany, […]
May 02, 2023
Traffic fines are going up by 10% in the Netherlands. The increase in penalties will probably go into effect on January 1. The Ministry of Justice and Security must contribute to covering the government deficit and thus does so by increasing traffic fines. All departments, except Defense, must contribute to balancing the Dutch budget. For […]
May 02, 2023
Flemish Minister for Mobility Lydia Peeters (Open Vld) would like to reintroduce a premium for electric or zero-emission cars. This premium is only part of the proposals the minister is putting on the table within the Flemish government during the discussion about the climate objectives. In 2020, the Flemish government decided to scrap the premiums […]
May 02, 2023
Wallonia is finally delivering its car tax reform after much bickering. It will take effect from July 20th and apply only to registration tax (TMC), the tax that must be paid when a new vehicle is purchased and thus registered before it’s allowed on the street. The annual circulation tax will remain unchanged, but the […]
May 02, 2023
Parking in Antwerp’s historic city center will be mainly reserved for residents and permit holders from August 1st. Visitors will have to go to parking buildings and underground parking garages or park-and-ride zones, often situated at the edge of the city. Never before has Antwerp taken such a drastic measure to discourage motorists from entering […]
May 02, 2023
An electric taxi parking on a particular ‘hotspot’ and fast charging at 40 kW while waiting for the next customer. It’s already a concept proving in its first year the practical feasibility. No wires to plug in. Just park and charge for 30 minutes for an extra 100 km of range. Swedish carmaker Volvo has […]
May 02, 2023
The BMW Group and E.ON have agreed on the first pan-European cooperation for intelligent charging at home. The strategic collaboration aims to create ‘Connected Home Charging’, “a holistic charging ecosystem that will allow customers to connect their electrified BMW or MINI vehicle with the energy system, as part of a climate-neutral, sustainable household.” “With this […]
May 02, 2023
While delivering Honda’s annual business briefing last week, Honda CEO Toshihiro Mibe made a few interesting comments regarding Chinese competitors, according to Automotive News. He said Honda executives had an unpleasant surprise at the Shanghai auto show, where local brands flooded the exhibition hall with advanced EVs of all kinds. In Shanghai, the Japanese automaker […]
May 02, 2023
Poppy Mobility, D’Ieteren’s shared mobility service, has decided to give its users a choice to pay per kilometer or minute. Until now, the mobility provider only offered a price per minute. Now it is also possible to choose to pay per kilometer. The new formula, with a well-thought-out rate of 0,95 euro/km, reduces the stress […]
May 02, 2023
In the first quarter of 2023, 72,8 million travelers used the buses and streetcars of the Flemish public transport company De Lijn. That is an increase of 43% compared to the same period last year. De Lijn will also equip all its buses with 3D cameras to count more accurately. Passenger numbers at De Lijn […]
April 28, 2023
A bicycle bridge over the Haachtsesteenweg (N21) has been inaugurated in the Flemish Brabant town of Steenokkerzeel. The bridge is part of the bicycle highway F214, which connects the center of Vilvoorde with Brucargo, the cargo zone of Brussels Airport. “Thanks to the bridge, hundreds of airport employees will be able to get to work […]
April 28, 2023
On its home turf, Chinese car giant BYD has beaten Volkswagen and is currently the number one brand in sales. Also, the brand doubled its registrations worldwide, boosting its profit fivefold during the first quarter of 2023. At Auto Shanghai, Volkswagen CEO Oliver Blume stated, “BYD is very, very strong”. Reporting on its sales for […]
April 28, 2023
In Flanders, speed pedelecs are only allowed on towpaths being part of a bicycle highway. However, according to the new policy vision on towpaths, Flemish Mobility Minister Lydia Peeters Open Vld) has agreed with the Flemish Waterway (Vlaamse Waterweg), those fast-riding e-bikes will get access to all towpaths in Flanders, provided they respect the maximum […]
April 28, 2023
BMW Group’s investment arm BMW i Ventures announced an investment in Cyclic Materials, a Canadian company focused on recycling rare earth elements (REE). Regarding e-mobility, Cyclic Materials already cooperates with Polestar to recover magnets for electric motors. The $27 million Series A funding was led by BMW i Ventures (BiV) and Energy Impact Partners (EIP). […]
April 28, 2023
American number one car manufacturer General Motors has announced plans to stop production of the Chevrolet Bolt electric model at the end of this year, CEO Mary Barra told investors. So far, the Chevy Bolt EV and its larger offshoot Bolt EUV accounted for most of the company’s EV sales. Initially, the Bolt had been […]
