De Lijn renames buses to and from Brussels as R-lines

December 28, 2022

Every bus line of the Flemish public transport company De Lijn driving to and from the Brussels Capital Region will, in the future, be recognizable by a new line number. The new combination consists of the letter ‘R’ and two digits. The letter R stands for ‘regional’. The Flemish transport company, which has some 50 […]

Will ‘retrofit’ soon have a legal base in Belgium?

December 28, 2022

Retrofit, the transformation of an existing, sometimes old car into an electrically driven one, is becoming increasingly popular. But many countries have legal obstacles to such a conversion. Federal Mobility Minister Georges Gilkinet (Ecolo) wants to solve these problems by creating a legal canvas for the proceedings. In France, Retrofit is already popular. One of […]

NIO’s third generation station swaps battery in 2,5 minutes

December 28, 2022

Along with introducing two new flagship SUVs, the third generation of battery-swapping stations was shown at the NIO Day 2022 event in Hefei, China. These stations can hold up to 21 charged battery packs (up from 13) and perform 408 swaps a day (+30%), as it now only takes two and a half minutes to […]

Lille is going to pay motorists not to use their cars

December 27, 2022

The city of Lille is to introduce an eco-bonus to ease highway congestion. So writes the French newspaper Le Monde. Congestion on the highways to Lille during rush hours is increasing so that alarm thresholds for fine particles in the air are increasingly being exceeded. Those who do not use their cars during rush hours […]

Swedish engineer develops world’s first female crash test dummy

December 27, 2022

Swedish engineer and researcher in motor vehicle safety, Astrid Linder, has developed the world’s first female crash test dummy. Linder and her team are convinced that this research can help shape the way cars will be built in the future by highlighting key differences between men and women. Some of them include females being shorter […]

Belgians now can pay their traffic fines in slices

December 27, 2022

From now on, those who wish to do so can request a digital repayment plan for traffic fines. So reports Justice Minister Vincent Van Quickenborne (Open Vld). The application is made through the Justice Just-on-Web digital portal and is available for everyone, as the offender does not have to prove his financial situation. The initiative […]

NIO launches two new flagship SUVs in China

December 27, 2022

Chinese premium electric carmaker NIO has launched two new flagship SUV models – a Coupe-SUV EC7 and a new version of the bigger six-seat ES8 – at its traditional NIO Days event in Hefei, Anhui province, where the company builds its cars in two factories. It claims the EC7 has the industry’s lowest aerodynamic profile […]

Scania to deliver 600 electric trucks for Girteka in Lithuania

December 27, 2022

Scania and the transportation company Girteka from Lithuania announce an extensive new partnership. Girteka expects Scania to deliver up to 600 battery-electric trucks over the next four years. The companies will also collaborate on establishing charging infrastructure. The aim is to help reduce Girteka’s customers’ climate emissions at competitive costs. Girteka Logistics was founded in […]

Umicore and Nano One join forces to produce cathode active materials

December 27, 2022

Umicore, the Belgian materials technology group, and the Canadian battery developer Nano One announce the signing of a non-exclusive agreement to jointly develop production process technologies for lithium-ion battery active cathode materials. Both companies intend to share their technologies for high nickel NMC active cathode materials to increase throughput further while reducing the cost and […]

Fleming takes car, train, and bus less often than before corona

December 23, 2022

Flemish citizens don’t take the car, train, or bus as often as before the corona crisis. That is what the second large-scale Covid-19 survey of Flanders, in which 3 730 respondents took part, revealed. The third and final report from Statistics Flanders to gain insight into the impact of the corona pandemic on the living […]

‘Flanders on track to triple number of charging points in three years’

December 23, 2022

In the two coming years, Flanders will install at least 10 789 additional charging points for electric vehicles. Compared to the beginning of the year, the total number will almost triple. According to Mobility Minister Lydia Peeters (Open Vld), answering a question posed by MP Stijn Bex (Groen), Flanders is on track to achieve the […]

Citroën’s Christmas present: another 1 000 My Ami Buggy’s

December 23, 2022

Did you miss your Citroën My Ami Buggy? Most probably, the 50 produced specimens were sold out in… 18 minutes. Now, Citroën has decided to produce 1 000 more, twenty times the initial number. As an answer to the success of the first version, a new limited edition of “My Ami Buggy” will go on […]

Last raised bridge over Albert Channel ready for traffic

December 23, 2022

Today, traffic will be able to cross the steel arch bridge over the Albert Channel in Viversel (Heusden-Zolder, Limburg, Belgium) again. That is what the Flemish Waterway (Vlaamse Waterweg) announced on Thursday. All bridges on the Channel had to be raised to allow inland shipping barges with four containers stacked on deck to pass under […]

Fastned introduces 400 kW charging for 100 km in three minutes

December 23, 2022

In its station at De Watering in Dutch Oostzaan, charging point operator Fastned has opened a charging column of 400 kW. In theory, vehicles can charge 100 kilometers of range in just about three minutes here. The milestone is a cooperation with charging solutions supplier EVBox. To reduce downtime in areas with high traffic rates, […]

LEZ Wallonia postpones ban on Euro 0 to Euro 3 cars until 2025

December 23, 2022

Wallonia lets go of the tight deadline for its regional low-emission zone (LEZ) that was to become active on January 1st, 2023, and postpones the ban on Euro 0 and Euro I cars for two years until 2025, together with the Euro 3 cars. This means a stay of execution for 6 200 of the […]

BMW to produce solid-state battery cells in Germany with Solid Power technology

December 23, 2022

BMW wants to produce solid-state battery cells in its own pilot plant in Germany based on the design of technology partner Solid Power. To this end, the Munich-based carmaker has obtained a research and development license from the US company. “Solid Power, Inc., an industry-leading developer of all-solid-state battery and sulfide-based electrolyte technology, today announced […]

US Postal Service greening its fleet with 66 000 EVs

December 22, 2022

The United States Postal Service (USPS) plans to deploy more than 66 000 electric vehicles by 2028. This will make it one of the largest electric vehicle fleets in the country. The company announced this on Tuesday. The vehicles purchased under this plan will replace the aging fleet of more than 220 000 vehicles, many […]

Alibaba’s second EV model offers its passengers ‘weightlessness’

December 22, 2022

IM Motors, the joint venture between e-commerce giant Alibaba and car manufacturer SAIC, has released a second model: the LS7, a large electric SUV. The Zhiji LS7, as it’s called in China, offers a high-tech driving experience and even a ‘Zero Gravity Buoyancy Mode’ thanks to its flat-folding passenger seat. The LS7 follows the L7, […]

EIB study confirms Africa’s one trillion euros green hydrogen potential

December 22, 2022

According to the European Investment Bank (EIB), Africa can earn a trillion euros annually from the production of green hydrogen from 2035. This hydrogen can be produced without CO2 emissions using solar energy and transported abroad. The ‘Africa’s Extraordinary Green Hydrogen Potential’ report, analyzing Africa’s green hydrogen potential, was commissioned by the European Investment Bank, […]

Survey: ‘One-third of Belgians not in favor of electrified car’

December 22, 2022

Belgium’s biggest bank, BNP Paribas Fortis, wants to be far more active in the mobility sector. So it launched a survey among 2 000 Belgians about their mobility preferences. 35% of the respondents declared not to be ready for electrification (fully electric or hybrid), which is a 6% increase compared to 2021. The electric transition […]

Flanders added 55 new wind turbines this year

December 22, 2022

This year, Flanders installed 55 additional windmills – twelve of them to replace old units – increasing the energy production by 204 megawatts (MW) to a total of 1 748,6 MW. The new units have a capacity of 3,6 MW, compared to 2,0 mW for the older ones. They’re situated higher in the atmosphere, where […]

Brussels Rue de la Loi counted more than one million cyclists

December 22, 2022

More than one million cyclists passed the counting post in Brussels Wetstraat/Rue de la Loi, toward the city center, this year. It’s one of Brussels’ busiest approach roads, with the presence of several notable Belgian and EU governmental buildings. If you also consider the second counting post, in the other direction, the number of cyclists […]

Gabriëls opens second of 30 ultra-fast chargers for Belgium

December 22, 2022

Belgian fuel station chain Gabriëls has opened in Sint-Pieters-Leeuw at the Bergensesteenweg, the second ultra-fast charger of thirty planned to be rolled out in the Flemish region by 2026. Like the first one opened in Deurne at the Bisschoppenhoflaan, the station offers, besides traditional fuel pumps, three 300 kW chargers, each capable of charging two […]

Toyota produces 5th generation hybrid powertrain in Europe

December 22, 2022

Toyota has announced a €77 million investment for producing fifth-generation hybrid powertrains at its Poland and UK plants. The powertrain will be built in the UK and Turkey and used for the first time in the new Corolla. Seven production lines will be upgraded at Toyota Motor Manufacturing Poland (TMMP) and Toyota Motor Manufacturing UK […]

Dott chooses Maxus for its service vans in Belgium

December 22, 2022

Micromobility operator Dott, which has shared e-scooters and e-bikes in several Belgian cities, has acquired 15 electric vans from Maxus to use as service vehicles. The vehicles were delivered by the leasing company Athlon. The blue-and-red shared e-scooters from Dott are becoming common in Belgian cities like Brussels, Ghent, and Liège. Those bikes and scooters […]

Lucid opens its first EU retail and delivery center in Hilversum (update)

December 22, 2022

American premium electric carmaker Lucid opened its first retail and delivery center in Europe in Hilversum near Amsterdam, the Netherlands, last week. Now Lucid says delivery of the limited series of the Lucid Air Dream Edition to selected clients in Germany and the Netherlands has started. The latter just got its WLTP range rating of […]

Belgian rail adopts infrared tech against track walkers

December 21, 2022

Belgian railway network operator Infrabel has inaugurated in Brussels an infrared system against track walkers. The system should avoid as many casualties as possible and protect the punctuality of trains. The advanced surveillance system was inaugurated at Brussels-Capelle Church, the busiest point on the rail network with a daily flow of 1 200 trains and […]

Nissan Sunderland’s 250.000th Leaf to power Christmas lights

December 21, 2022

Nissan Sunderland has produced its 250 000th Leaf, which has been in production in the British plant since the first generation in 2011. To celebrate, the Leaf is used to power the plant’s Christmas display using ‘Vehicle-to-X-Mas Tree’ (V2X) technology. The Nissan Leaf has been in production for over a decade. Still, it’s the second […]

Brussels fined nearly 19 000 drivers in LEZ in 2022

December 21, 2022

In the Brussels region, 18 640 fines have already been issued this year for motorists who drove into the Brussels Low-Emission Zone (LEZ) in a car that was too polluting. So reports Brussels Environment. The number of fines rose again compared to last year, despite a longer warning period. Most of the fines are for […]

De Lijn needs to recruit 900 additional drivers in 2023

December 21, 2022

In recent months, the Flemish public transport company De Lijn had to cancel many planned trips. The reason for it was a shortage of staff. After an intensive recruitment campaign focusing on the largest ‘problem areas’ (Antwerp, Louvain, and the Flemish part of Brussels), De Lijn recently recruited 657 drivers. However, next year, the company […]

Porsche fills up 911 with first synthetic fuel from Chilean plant

December 21, 2022

The Chilean eFuels pilot plant from Highly Innovative Fuels (HIF), in which Porsche has invested over $100 million, has produced its first batch of renewable combustion engine fuel. It was ceremoniously used to fill up a Porsche 911 as a clear sign the German carmaker wants to keep the classic combustion engine alive in its […]

Audi presents ‘360 factory’, producing EVs in all plants as of 2029

December 21, 2022

Audi has presented its plan for future production strategy under the slogan ‘360factory’. By the end of this decade, the brand will manufacture electrically powered models at all production sites worldwide. By 2033, ICE models will be phased out completely, and production costs will have to be halved. The background to this is Audi’s announcement […]

Bravoauto: new second-hand car business by Belgian Toyota importer

December 20, 2022

Inchcape, the British car distributor that also imports Toyota, Lexus, and BYD in Belgium, has opened a second-hand car business to try to take a piece of the growing used car market. The company is called Bravoauto and has already opened a delivery center in Machelen, near Brussels Airport. The Belgian used car market has […]

Hyundai’s new Kona fully developed around EV model

December 20, 2022

Arriving in mid-2023, Hyundai has released the first details on the new Kona, which must make its mark in the crowded C-segment for crossovers. But thanks to its unique lighting signature, the model won’t fail to draw attention. Next to the electric version, it will also be available with electrified combustion engines. A keen eye […]

Walloon government opens door for e-taxis

December 20, 2022

The Walloon government has approved a draft decree to reform the taxi sector to open up the market and integrate innovations without deregulating the activity. The authorities aim to promote integrated mobility, treating the sector’s professionals fairly to guarantee quality and sustainable service, Walloon Mobility minister Philippe Henry (Ecolo) said. In principle, with this taxi […]

Dutch Ebusco reveals lightweight electric articulated bus with 700 km range

December 20, 2022

The Dutch electric bus manufacturer Ebusco has revealed a new model for its zero-emissions line-up: the Ebusco 3.0 18-meter, an articulated bus made from composite materials. That keeps the weight very low and gives the bus an electric range of up to 700 km, with a passenger capacity of 150 people. The main advantage of […]

T&E: ‘Christmas presents increase air pollution by 133%’

December 20, 2022

Trucks hauling Christmas presents to Europeans will emit an extra 10 300 tons of nitrogen oxides in December. According to a new study by the environmental organization Transport & Environment (T&E), heavy-duty vehicles transporting gifts all over Europe will produce 133% more nitrogen oxide (NOx) emissions in December than in other months. Carbon emissions will […]

Car importer D’Ieteren takes over Jennes dealerships (update)

December 20, 2022

Via its daughter Sopadis, D’ieteren Auto wants to take over the dealerships owned by the Jennes family in the eastern part of the Vlaams Brabant province. In a press release, D’Ieteren states that the negotiations for the take-over are in an advanced stage. Just yesterday, the Belgian competition authority approved the take-over without remarks. The […]

Volkswagen says it hits EU CO2 target “on its own”

December 20, 2022

Volkswagen Group has told the newspaper Financial Times that it has cut loose its external partners within its CO2 pool. After meeting the CO2 targets last year, with the help of four Chinese carmakers, the output of electric vehicles at the German car giant is now vast enough to proceed on the EV strength of […]

BMW Belux CEO: ‘We want to double our BEV sales in 2023’

December 20, 2022

During a press conference previewing the Brussels Motor Show of next January, BMW Belux CEO Alexander Wehr declared that he foresees doubling the sales of pure electric BMWs in 2023. This year, already 12% were BEVs, but some 40% were plug-in hybrids, BMW Belux totaling more than half of its BMW sales as electrified. Like […]

Ioniq 5 powers off-grid Norwegian reindeer farm

December 19, 2022

Norway is the world leader in EV adoption, but in its far northern remote regions, a lot of its inhabitants still must make ends meet without an electricity grid. For one specific reindeer farm, Hyundai came to the rescue and powered a cabin for light and cooking lunch. No, not some Christmas magic, just the […]

No general 100 km/h speed limit on Walloon highways

December 19, 2022

The idea of introducing a general speed limit of 100 km/hour on Walloon hhighhways and main roads has not been included in the Walloon government’s revised climate and energy plan (PACE, Plan Air Climate Énergie). Instead of a general speed limit of 100 km/hour, there will be ‘dynamic management’ of speed limits, says Walloon Mobility […]

EU citizens to pay CO2 tax on transport and heating from 2027

December 19, 2022

From 2027 onward, citizens of the European Union will have to pay for the greenhouse gases they emit through their transport and the heating of their homes. On Saturday, negotiators from the European Parliament and the European Council, which represents the Member States, agreed on this. Climate goals This means that everyone within the European […]

Jean-Michel Soors new top executive TEC

December 19, 2022

The Walloon government has appointed Jean-Michel Soors as the new director general of Walloon public transport company TEC. Soors will start on 1 February 2023. Soors’ appointment follows a selection procedure launched in May 2022 to replace Vincent Perelman’s. The latter decided to explore other horizons. TEC Liège-Verviers Soors has a master’s degree in industrial […]

Tesla to build in Mexico its seventh factory

December 19, 2022

According to the press agency Bloomberg, Tesla is eyeing Mexico – and not Canada – as the location for a new Gigafactory. As both partners are in the process of finalizing details, an official announcement is expected before New Year. The local Mexican newspaper Milenio confirms the reports. The new Tesla factory is to be […]

Mobile inductive charging on trial in Germany

December 19, 2022

For the first time in Germany, dynamic wireless charging technology for electric vehicles is being tested in practice. The main actor of the pilot project in Balingen is a shuttle bus for the Garden Show 2023, which is to charge its vehicle battery while driving. The Israeli company ElectReon, which specializes in inductive charging of […]

Mercedes works with Norwegians to reduce aluminum CO2 footprint

December 19, 2022

Mercedes-Benz has signed a letter of intent with Norwegian aluminum producer Hydro to significantly reduce the CO₂ footprint of aluminum in the automotive supply chain. A fully electric Mercedes luxury car can contain up to 700 kg of aluminum. From 2023, this metal delivered by the Norwegians for the German carmaker’s electric lineup will already […]

Will Mazda unveil a world premiere at Brussels Motor Show?

December 16, 2022

From what Newmobility.news heard, Mazda is likely preparing the unveiling of a world premiere at the Brussels Motor Show next month, which could be the announced range extender version of the MX-30. However, the carmaker declined to confirm the news at its annual press conference. Therefore, the wait is until the 13th of January next year […]

LeasePlan: ‘EV cheapest option despite energy price inflation’

December 16, 2022

What turned out to be a significant trend in 2021 is now reconfirmed for 2022: electric cars are in nearly every segment and almost every European country at the same price level or cheaper than gasoline or diesel cars when considering the Total Cost of Ownership (TCO). LeasePlan did the math again for 22 European […]

Diesel to be banned in Ghent and Antwerp from 2031

December 16, 2022

No diesel cars will be allowed in the low-emission zones (LEZ) of Antwerp and Ghent from 2031, the Flemish government decided this week. The newspaper De Morgen was the first to report that, and the deadline for gasoline cars in 2035, which will also be banned. Even plugin hybrid will no longer get free entry. […]

A Belgian-made world first: CO2-absorbing bricks

December 16, 2022

Two family businesses from Limburg (Belgium) – Orbix in Genk and Betonagglomeraten Gubbels Masterbloc in Maasmechelen (both Limburg) – have launched a world-first: they produce CO2 ‘absorbing’ construction blocks based on slag from the steel industry. The finished products are bricks in which cement has been replaced by CO2 as a binding agent. The bricks […]

Toyota readies battery version of Hilux pick-up

December 16, 2022

The Japanese carmaker is adding up zero-emission versions of its pick-up Hilux. Joining the hydrogen prototype is a concept built around battery power. The Hilux Revo BEV Concept was unveiled at an anniversary event in Thailand, celebrating Toyota’s 60-year presence in the country. It’s a clear nod that the company is working on a battery […]

IKEA to deliver customers in Paris via the Seine

December 15, 2022

IKEA launched its first ‘low-carbon’ delivery operation to customers in Paris on Wednesday, with the help from the Belgian inland waterways specialist Blue Line Logistics. From now on, IKEA will use the Seine river and electric last-mile delivery vehicles to bring the furniture to the customers’ homes. “We are the first major distributor to serve […]

Mechelen prepares radical redesign of E19-junctions

December 15, 2022

The Agency for Roads and Traffic (Agentschap Wegen en Verkeer, AWV) has launched several studies to analyze how traffic at the main junctions in Mechelen North and South on the E19 highway can be improved. A study team is considering reorganizing the successive entrances and exits. To this end, they would like to build parallel […]

Tesla Model S & X Plaid finally arrive in Zeebrugge

December 15, 2022

One and a half years after they launched in the US, the Tesla Model S and X Plaid have finally arrived in Europe through the Belgian Port of Zeebrugge, with the first cars being handed over to German customers. It seems that Tesla is trying to deliver as much as possible before the end of […]

Pedestrians campaign against e-scooters lying around in Brussels

December 15, 2022

On Wednesday, the Brussels pedestrian platform Walk kicked off an awareness campaign about the consequences of badly parked shared e-scooters and bikes lying everywhere on sidewalks. A stop was made at Brussels North station to present the demands to the Brussels Minister for Mobility, Elke Van den Brandt (Groen). Safe pavements In 2023, the Brussels […]

Elia gets €99,7 million EU funding for Belgian energy island

December 15, 2022

The Federal Government and energy provider Elia have signed an agreement relating to the financial support offered up as part of the Recovery & Resilience Facility (RRF). The fund was established by the European Commission during the corona pandemic to support future-oriented investments being undertaken by Member States. The signing of the protocol, which governs […]

Opel Mokka Electric gets new name and more efficient drivetrain

December 15, 2022

The Opel Mokka-e is the next Stellantis model to receive its more efficient motor and battery combination. We also can’t call it the Mokka-e anymore because Opel has changed its naming scheme and is now giving its EV models the ‘Electric’ suffix. Like the Peugeot e-208, e-308, and the Opel Astra Electric, the Mokka Electric […]

Audi Brussels kicks off Q8 e-tron production and prepares for Q4 e-tron

December 15, 2022

Audi’s Belgian factory, which pioneered the EV production of the brand with the e-tron, of which 160 000 were shipped worldwide, delivered on Wednesday the first of its successor, now baptized Q8 e-tron. In the meantime, the Brussels factory is preparing to start building the smaller Q4 e-tron too, as confirmed in October. In summer, […]

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