April 24, 2023
The Renault Group is steadily recovering. For Q1 of 2023, turnover has risen by 30% to € 11,5 billion. The loss due to the withdrawal from Russia is not integrated into the figures, but Renault stays optimistic for the future. By the end of the year, it wants to go IPO with its electric division […]
April 24, 2023
VW Group’s battery subsidiary PowerCo has announced its plans to build its largest battery cell factory in Canada, investing up to €4,8 billion in its creation. It’s quite a safe investment as the Canadian government is offering up to €8,8 billion of subsidies in return. The PowerCo gigafactory in St. Thomas, Ontario, will have a […]
April 24, 2023
The Chilean government wants to partially nationalize the country’s lithium reserves. This was stated by the leftist Chilean President Gabriel Boric last week. At 9,3 million tons, the country has the largest amount of lithium among global reserves. All companies dealing with the valuable raw material in Chile will henceforth be forced to involve the […]
April 24, 2023
Ford has started the international career of its electric pickup F-150 Lightning, as the American manufacturer is preparing for a market launch in Norway. According to Ford, the customer demand for the product and the country’s advanced EV adoption were just too hard to resist. Although production of Ford’s first electric pickup truck is still […]
April 24, 2023
Every year, air pollution causes more than 1 200 premature deaths among minors in Europe. That is what the European Environmental Agency (EEA) states in its latest report. The report relates to about 30 countries on the continent, including the 27 member states of the European Union. The results show that the still high air […]
April 24, 2023
According to an agency report, the Japanese carmaker Nissan is pushing ahead with its growth plans in software and electric vehicles more independently of Alliance partner Renault. Somewhat strange when you know that the two companies recently agreed on retightening the links in a restructured Alliance. At the beginning of this year, the manufacturer Alliance […]
April 21, 2023
From 2026, Flemish public transport company De Lijn risks paying an estimated 30 million euros in fines because Euro 6 buses will then no longer be allowed in the low-emission zones (LEZ) in Antwerp and Ghent. To avoid that scenario, Flemish Minister of Mobility Lydia Peeters (Open VLD) is in a crisis meeting with her […]
April 21, 2023
Eight European partners, of which five research facilities and three industrial partners, have joined forces to create a next-gen electric drive unit for mass-produced EVs. The goal is to create a synchronous motor that is more efficient, cheaper to produce, and, importantly, less dependent on rare earth materials from China. The Mondragon University in Spain […]
April 21, 2023
Starting in June, anyone who wants can participate via an app in the ongoing initiatives that Belgian railroad company NMBS/SNCB is trying out through its Innovation Lab to make rail travel more attractive to travelers. So write several newspapers, including La Capital and Het Laatste Nieuws. Receiving real-time information via your cell phone about replacement […]
April 21, 2023
The battery-electric car (BEV) has rounded for the first time the cape of 15% market share in Belgium in the first quarter of 2023. The fully electric Tesla Model Y became the third most-sold car overall with 3 140 units, just after the Toyota Yaris (3 141) and the favorite of the Belgians, the ‘home-made’ […]
April 21, 2023
The self-driving shuttles riding around on the domain of the Terhills Resort in Maasmechelen are now completely autonomous. The presence of a safety steward is no longer needed. The shuttle project is unique in Belgium and exceptional in Europe. The vehicles were officially introduced in May last year in the presence of the Flemish Ministers […]
April 21, 2023
Chinese premium carmaker Nio wants to move down the ladder. Under the codename Firefly, its CEO confirmed that a new subbrand is in the making, which will focus on Europe and aims at launching a small EV below the €25 000 mark to rival the forthcoming Volkswagen ID.2. Nio CEO Lihong Qin unveiled the plans […]
April 21, 2023
Waste management collective Cure Afvalbeheer has ordered 14 DAF CF Electric garbage trucks. The first seven have been deployed to collect household waste in the Dutch municipalities of Eindhoven, Valkenswaard, and Geldrop-Mierlo. These new trucks are not only more pleasant for the environment, but they also make life easier for garbage collectors with their fully […]
April 21, 2023
As the top-selling New Energy Vehicle brand in China, BYD didn’t miss out on its appointment at Auto Shanghai 2023. Instead, the brand showcased the concept car Song L, kickstarted pre-sales of the compact Seagull, and launched the Chaser 07. The latter is a plug-in hybrid, which applies to the NEV category. Starting with the […]
April 20, 2023
No first-quarter figures for 2023 were as anticipated as those from Tesla. Kickstarting a price war in the EV category and defying the other car makers, curiosity about side effects on income was high. For Tesla, gaining that market share comes at the cost of earnings dropping by more than 20%. The good news was […]
April 20, 2023
Iveco Bus has inaugurated its new electric bus production facility in Foggia, Italy, near the Iveco Group FPT Industrial plant for industrial engines. This new Foggia factory should also produce the 500 ordered electric buses for the Flemish public transport company De Lijn. Iveco Bus was already present in Italy with its Suzarra plant, which […]
April 20, 2023
The Brussels bus, metro, and tram company MIVB/STIB scores 7,3 out of 10 on the company’s satisfaction barometer, the same score as the two previous years and better than any other public transport in Belgium. “A clear recognition from passengers about the investments in public transport,” says CEO Brieuc de Meeùs. The metro remains the […]
April 20, 2023
Employer and employee representatives within the Belgian National Labor Council have agreed on a mandatory bicycle allowance of €0,27/km, with a maximum of 40 kilometers per day. The new regulation will take effect from May 1st, although last year, one in three employers already paid a bicycle allowance. In 2022, 29% of Belgian employers paid […]
April 20, 2023
Scania is starting production of its regional long-haul electric heavy-duty trucks later this year, with a range of about 350 km. Powering these trucks is a new battery from Northvolt, with prismatic cells, a 1,5 million km lifespan, and a much smaller carbon footprint compared to the industry average. Scania and Northvolt started the development […]
April 20, 2023
Dutch railroad company NS carried passengers on a new intercity train between Amsterdam and Rotterdam for the first time Wednesday. The intention is to use that new Intercity New Generation (ICNG) later between Amsterdam and Brussels. NS reported this in a press release. The new trains would allow you to track half an hour faster […]
April 19, 2023
Canadian company Magna will manufacture an electric SUV for Ineos Automotive. Production will kick off in Graz, Austria, in 2026. In addition to building it, Magna will also be responsible for developing the complete vehicle. Magna says Ineos Automotive is a new customer in engineering and complete vehicle manufacturing. The two companies already cooperated on […]
April 19, 2023
More than 200 players in the hydrogen economy from Belgian Limburg, Dutch Limburg, the province of Liège, and the German city of Aachen met Tuesday in Spa-Francorchamps to support the development of clean hydrogen in the Euregio Meuse-Rhine (EMR) triangle. Most signed a declaration of common interest, ‘The Francorchamps Hydrogen Initiative’. Philippe Henry (Ecolo), Walloon […]
April 19, 2023
Bentley CEO Adrian Hallmark will deliver the first all-electric Bentley to its new owner in three years. By 2030, he wants every single of the company’s five production models (one more than at present) to be battery-powered. In an interview with the English car magazine Autocar Hallmark said: “Our surveys tell us that around 70% […]
April 19, 2023
Fitness center chain Basic-Fit and PowerGo have joined forces to realize charging solutions at about 450 Basic-Fit locations in Belgium and the Netherlands. PowerGo will install standard and fast chargers, where drivers of electric cars can charge their vehicles with 100% green electricity. The first location in Belgium will be Basic-Fit Brussels in Jette; in […]
April 19, 2023
The European Parliament and EU member states have agreed on a plan to produce more chips in Europe and become less dependent on Asia. “Europe is taking control of its destiny”, is how Internal Market Commissioner Thierry Breton hailed the breakthrough. With the so-called Chips Act, the EU aims to increase its share of global […]
April 19, 2023
The number of people killed in traffic in the Netherlands has increased by more than one-quarter, despite the growing number of safety systems in cars. According to the Dutch Central Bureau of Statistics (Centraal Bureau voor de Statistiek, CBS), the number of traffic deaths is the highest since 2008. Last year, 737 road deaths were […]
April 19, 2023
At the Shanghai Motor Show, Maserati is showcasing as a world’s first the fully electric version of its Grecale SUV, next to the GranTurismo Folgore coupé. ‘Folgore’ is the brand’s umbrella term for its electric model range, which will start rolling out in 2023. “The future of electrification is rooted in China,” says the Italian […]
April 19, 2023
According to the newly published figures of the European car manufacturers association ACEA, the EU car market recorded a significant 28,8% increase in passenger car registrations in March, surpassing more than a million units (1 087 939). All the bloc’s most significant markets saw double-digit growth last month, with Spain (+66,1%) and Italy (+40,7%) in […]
April 19, 2023
Volkswagen will invest around one billion euros to establish a new R&D center for fully connected electric cars in Hefei, China, named ‘100%TechCo’. The Group announced the project at the Shanghai Auto Show on Tuesday and set ambitious targets for the unit charged with accelerating innovation locally. The project is to combine vehicle and component […]
April 18, 2023
The West-Flemish steel wire specialist Bekaert is to make additional investments in Belgium in the manufacture of and research into electrolysis materials to produce hydrogen. Bekeart is doing this by setting up a new plant in Wetteren, East Flanders. With the new plant, Bekaert will double its annual production capacity of porous transport layers or […]
April 18, 2023
French carmaker Renault is reviewing its pricing policies for electric cars worldwide to ensure it stays competitive after a wave of price cuts by U.S. rival Tesla, a top executive said on Monday, according to Reuters. Meanwhile, Renault presents a face-lift of its (ICE) best-seller, the Clio. After slashing prices several times in the United […]
April 18, 2023
Porsche has heavily revised its flagship SUV Cayenne to extend its lifespan beyond 2026 when its electric counterpart is set to be released. The facelift model gets a slightly modified look, more powerful engines, more tech on board, and a bigger battery for the E-Hybrid version, allowing for a much more usable EV range. Although […]
April 18, 2023
It was already known that the Belgian railroad company NMBS/SNCB will add up to 2 000 additional trains per week in the 2023-2026 transport plan and that there will also be late trains on Friday and Saturday evenings. However, NMBS/SNCB is developing a concrete update for the Brussels Region. For example, 26 stations in Brussels […]
April 18, 2023
Clinging onto its dynamic reputation, BMW has unveiled its fastest zero-emission car of the range. Out of a completely overhauled dual-motor powertrain, the model is called i7 M70 xDrive. This topliner can hit 100 km/hour from a standstill in 3,7 seconds with launch control, propelled by a combined output of 660 hp. The i7 lifts […]
April 18, 2023
Polestar has thrown the rear window, well, out of the window on its latest addition to the range. Though the number in its nametag suggests otherwise, the cross-over coupé 4 slots exactly between the sedan 2 and the larger SUV 3. The new model was unveiled at the press day of Auto Shanghai. Swedish-Chinese EV […]
April 18, 2023
Opulence with an environmental conscience in the automotive world is now possible thanks to the Mercedes-Maybach EQS SUV. It’s not only Maybach’s first electric model, but it also features some sustainable innovations for interior materials. The luxury car segment has never been healthier, which means Mercedes-Maybach can afford to expand its model range a bit […]
April 18, 2023
As promised, the Volkswagen brand officially showed its new ID flagship on the 17th of April. The almost five-meter-long ID.7 saloon has a new drive system and battery size and is trimmed for range and comfort to convince earlier European Passat clientele to change to electric drive. In addition, the promised 700 km range of […]
April 17, 2023
The Dutch subsidiary of automotive supplier International Automotive Components (IAC) is the first victim of BMW withdrawing production of the MINI at VDL Nedcar in Born. According to Dutch media, the factory will close in February 2024, with 100 people losing their jobs. IAC Group, with headquarters in Luxembourg, is a global supplier of innovative […]
April 17, 2023
Germany and the Netherlands are starting a cooperation on battery development for the European industry, by collaboration between two of their development nerve centers. The Dutch TNO Holst Center and the German Zentrum für Sonnenenergie un Wasserstoff-Forschung (ZSW) will join forces to remedy some of the pain points of the lithium-ion battery. TNO and ZSW […]
April 17, 2023
Last year, more than 4 700 serious or fatal accidents ended with a hit-and-run. A record number in ten years. According to the Belgian traffic safety institute Vias, most victims were cyclists (21%) and pedestrians ‘14%). Fortunately, the vast majority of perpetrators were identified. Vias pleads to step up the fight against drunk driving and […]
April 17, 2023
After more than ten years, Lancia has come out with a newly-designed car. The Pu+Ra HPE is not meant for production, but it shows the way for the next decade as Lancia embarks on its renaissance in the electric era. And it’s very much a designer’s car, with countless new materials, classic inspirations, and a […]
April 17, 2023
The reconstruction of the Schuman roundabout, located in the heart of Brussels’ European district, should begin by the end of this summer. To that end, a new public inquiry has been launched, and a new permit has also been requested, considering objections made earlier. However, according to Brussels Mobility, this new public inquiry is no […]
April 17, 2023
HiPhi, the young Chinese brand of the Human Horizons Group, is one step closer to launching in European markets. Its first model, the SUV called X, already for a while on sale in its homeland, completed TÜV SÜD testing in Germany successfully. The futuristic-looking Z sedan-GT and a compact SUV, called Y, just announced as […]
April 17, 2023
The Luvly brand is near to producing its microcar O, which can ship as a flatpack and puts a strong accent on safety. With a length of 2,7 meters and a weight of five times less than a regular battery-powered car, the Luvly O joins the growing ‘cuddly’ category of tiny cars like the Citroën […]
April 17, 2023
Ahead of the official premiere, more photos and the first technical data of the new Mini Cooper have appeared on the internet. This model is being produced in cooperation with the Chinese company Great Wall and will be available in EV and ICE versions. The pictures show a blue Mini with a white painted roof, […]
April 14, 2023
Saturday, April 15th, will be a historical day for Germany. After more than sixty years, the nuclear era will come to an end. Precisely at midnight, the last three nuclear reactors in the country will shut down. Isar 2 in Bavaria, Emsland in Lower Saxony, and Neckarwestheim 2 in Baden-Württembergare are the last three reactors […]
April 14, 2023
Images and preliminary info of MG’s all-electric roadster have been released before its official debut at the Chinese motor show Auto Shanghai later this month. The body type of a roadster is historically rooted in the back-then British brand, but this new version is in every sense a modern take on that old formula. Instead […]
April 14, 2023
Japanese carmaker Toyota takes a further step in its global multi-tech strategy for decarbonizing conventional drivelines. With oil giant Exxon Mobile, it has partnered to test so-called low-carbon fuels in some ICE models. According to the official statement, the potential is to reduce the greenhouse gas footprint by 75%. Even though Toyota is gradually adopting […]
April 14, 2023
Belgian railway company NMBS/SNCB is renovating toilets in 14 major train stations “according to a new total concept”. NMBS/SNCB will collaborate with specialized Dutch company 2theloo for this purpose. The existing toilets in the 14 stations will be gradually rebuilt over the coming months, with partial or complete renovations. With the new uniform concept, there […]
April 14, 2023
Group Renault has made a deal with battery manufacturer Verkor from Grenoble to buy the bulk – the equivalent of 12 GWh of a total capacity of 16 GWh – of its Dunkirk gigafactory’s production from 2025. That will allow Renault to equip between 130 000 and 200 000 electric vehicles annually. Renault Group is […]
April 13, 2023
On Wednesday, the US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) proposed new tailpipe emission limits that could require as much as 67% of all new vehicles sold in the US by 2023 to be fully electric. “A very ambitious proposal,” EPA Administrator Michael Regan called it. The proposed limits are considered the country’s most aggressive climate regulations, […]
April 13, 2023
Brussels public transport company MIVB/STIB is behind schedule for the electrification of its bus fleet. So reports the newspaper La Capital. However, that time is short may be clear because, in 2025, a series of buses of MIVB/STIB will no longer meet the standards of the low-emission zone (LEZ). Delays in construction or transformation of […]
April 13, 2023
A lot of Belgians still have cold feet when it comes to switching to an electric car, especially in the case of private cars. One in three is plainly negative toward EVs, and only one in four is willing to consider buying one in the next five years. Moreover, higher purchase prices and soaring energy […]
April 13, 2023
Ford is investing heavily in its Oakville, Ontario assembly plant to transform it into an EV production hub, including a battery pack assembly factory. The Canadian plant, which currently produces the Ford Edge and Lincoln Nautilus, will become an important keystone in EV production for North America. The investment of 1,8 billion Canadian dollars (ca. […]
April 13, 2023
Amsterdam should become a full-fledged European hub for train travel across Europe by 2025. So says the top woman of the Eurostar Group, Gwendoline Cazenave, in an interview with the Dutch news agency ANP. An additional Eurostar train and a redevelopment of Amsterdam Central Station should contribute. Currently, four trains depart daily from Amsterdam for […]
April 13, 2023
On Wednesday, we announced that at least one out of ten sales in Q1 for the BMW Group was electric. Competitor Mercedes-Benz now announced that it scored almost at the same level for its fully electric car sales in the first quarter of 2023. Sales of battery-electric passenger cars almost doubled to 51 600 units […]
April 13, 2023
Volkswagen has unveiled a new generation of drive units for its Modular Electric Building platform (MEB). The rear-axle drive APP550 comprises a newly developed power unit that is supposed to offer more power and improved efficiency simultaneously. We already talked recently about the APP550: this drive unit has been manufactured by VW Group Components in […]
April 12, 2023
In Germany, Freudenberg e-Power Systems and the MEYER WERFT shipyard are working to equip a new 728-passenger cruise ship with a huge fuel cell and battery system that will support all the hotel functions of the ship, promising zero emissions. A world first, sponsored with €15,6 million by the German government. Now under construction in […]
April 12, 2023
Last year, wind and solar energy generated 12% of electricity worldwide – a new record. Still, the share of renewables remains smaller than that of coal. That is the conclusion of the global energy think tank Ember. The organization recently published its fourth ‘Global Electricity Review’ based on the open data of the electricity sector […]
April 12, 2023
Still under camouflage, Smart has unveiled the first pictures of the #3 on Sina Weibo, the Chinese microblog site. This model shares most of its technical components with the #1, but should be regarded as the bigger brother. We know ‘big’ remains a strange word to us in the Smart context, as the recently launched […]
