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
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 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 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 […]
February 29, 2024
Last year, Flanders issued 19 million euros of fines for truck drivers who did not comply with the rules on kilometer tax. That is a record since the system was introduced in 2016. Most of the fines – almost 80 percent – were intended for foreign trucks. The Netherlands, Poland, and Spain, in particular, took […]
February 28, 2024
Like in 2022, Dutch Railways NS made a 191-million-euro loss last year due to increased costs for wages and equipment, but also because the number of expected passengers fell short. NS, therefore, wants to make train tickets considerably more expensive next year, possibly by more than 10%. With that 191-million-euro loss, NS may be doing […]
February 15, 2024
According to the European Automobile Manufacturers’ Association (ACEA) latest ‘Vehicles on European Roads’ report, there were 252 million cars on European roads in 2022, a 1% increase from the previous year. But despite battery-electric sales reaching ‘all-time highs’ in 2022, only 1.2% of cars on EU roads are battery-electric. Only six countries had a share […]
February 12, 2024
The European Council confirmed on Friday an agreement with the EU Parliament on a 90% CO2 emission reduction by 2040 for heavy-duty vehicles and a 100% reduction for buses by 2035. It came after a last-minute debate within Germany’s coalition over the proposal, with the liberal Free Democrats (FDP), the smallest party in the three-party […]
February 12, 2024
The Walloon government has decided to extend Liège’s tramway network to Seraing (Jemeppe) despite its high price tag. The extension, excluding the actual streetcars running on it, was originally planned to cost 105 million euros. The works would now cost 355 million euros. Three new bids, still to be negotiated, have been submitted for the […]
February 09, 2024
Dutch beer giant Heineken has engaged Swedish Einride, a specialized transport company in electric and remote-controlled trucks, to start delivering daily to its German distribution center in Duisburg from its brewery in Den Bosch, the Netherlands, by electric Mercedes eActros 300 trucks. These trucks will cover some 540 km each daily, driven by a human […]
February 07, 2024
On Wednesday, Nissan introduced its next generation of the Interstar, its largest van for the first time available with a 100% electric powertrain, “without compromising performance”, as the manufacturer claims. An 87 kWh battery should provide a range of 460 kilometers, and it can charge 252 km in just 30 minutes on a DC charger. […]
February 06, 2024
Swedish Volvo Group, the parent company behind Volvo Trucks, Mack Trucks, and Renault Trucks, has acquired Proterra’s battery plants in the US. Volvo Group paid $210 million (€195 million) before adjustment for inventory level at closing, including a development center for battery modules and packs in California and an assembly factory in Greer, South Carolina. […]
February 05, 2024
Dutch truck manufacturer DAF has closed 2023 with a record production of 69,800 trucks at its Eindhoven and Leyland factories. It has also settled with German train operator Deutsche Bahn over the losses incurred by the truck manufacturers’ price-fixing scandal a decade ago. DAF, part of the Paccar Group, can look back at a successful […]
February 02, 2024
Volvo Trucks has introduced its first electric truck not directly based on a combustion model: the FM Low Entry. Designed for city use, it features a lowered cab moved forward for better visibility and easier ingress and egress. Production starts in the second quarter of 2024. The Volvo FM Low Entry is related to the […]
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
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 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 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
“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 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
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 18, 2024
With the immediate appointment of Mark Zwaaneveld (62) as co-CEO, Belgian bus and touring car builder Van Hool is getting a shrewd crisis manager in-house to put the company back on track after four years of doom. Zwaaneveld will focus on a restructuring plan, while Filip Van Hool (59), the founding family’s third generation, runs […]
January 17, 2024
The French micro-mobility specialist Ligier will import K-Ryole’s electric transport solutions to Belgium, Luxembourg, and the Netherlands. The purpose is to offer even more zero-emission micro-mobility solutions for building and logistics. K-Ryole is a French manufacturer of innovative, electrically supported bike trailers and trolleys, especially suited for last-mile delivery. The bike trailers are mainly used […]
January 12, 2024
Harald Seidel, President of DAF Trucks, takes over from Martin Lundstedt (Volvo Group) as the new chairman of the Commercial Vehicle Board of the European Automobile Manufacturers’ Association (ACEA) for 2024. He will be in charge of defending the truckmakers’ interests in Europe. The ACEA unites the European vehicle manufacturers, including commercial vehicles. Luca de […]
January 08, 2024
Nikola Motor’s 2023 has been tumultuous, to say the least. But the American zero-emission semi-truck manufacturer has closed out the year with its first hydrogen fuel cell electric trucks being delivered to customers. The outlook for 2024 should follow soon. Nikola’s 2023 year in review was not an easy one. The troubles started (or continued, […]
January 02, 2024
Honda and Isuzu have started on-road testing in Japan of their jointly-developed ‘Giga Fuel Cell’ truck, a 12-meter long, 25-ton truck equipped with four 103 kW fuel cells providing 320 kW (429 hp) of electric power and a range of 800 km with 56 kg hydrogen in its tanks. The potent fuel cell developed by […]
December 26, 2023
The Belgian oil tanker company Euronav, specializing in the transportation and storage of crude oil, is gearing up for a ‘greener’ future with the take-over of CMB.Tech. That Belgian cleantech maritime group builds, owns, operates, and designs large marine and industrial applications running on hydrogen, ammonia, or dual fuels. It’s a significant step to gradually […]
December 18, 2023
Getlink, the operator of the Channel Tunnel, wants to attract new rail operators. It has set aside a budget of 50 million euros for this purpose. With direct high-speed trains between London, Paris, Brussels, and Amsterdam, Eurostar is currently the only operator for passenger transport through the Channel Tunnel. But that monopoly Eurostar has had […]
December 15, 2023
Flemish and foreign truck transport has already generated 565 million euros in kilometer taxes this year – 21 million more than last year and 35 million more than in 2021. Together, all trucks covered 3,3 billion kilometers. In addition to the revenue from the levy itself, there were 12 million euros in fines, bringing the […]
December 13, 2023
Volkswagen Commercial Vehicles (VWN) will also offer the successor to the T6.1 Transporter as a BEV. The sales launch is scheduled for 2024, and VWN does not want to present the exact technical data of the electric van until then. The entirely newly developed Transporter and its shuttle variant, Caravelle, will be available as a […]
December 11, 2023
Milence, the joint venture between Daimler Truck (Mercedes-Benz Trucks), the Traton Group (MAN, Scania), and Volvo Group (Volvo Trucks, Renault Trucks) created to tackle the charging infrastructure for long-haul electric transport, has started operations with its first charging hub in Venlo, the Netherlands. Another will follow soon in Antwerp. Milence can be described as the […]
December 05, 2023
The initial goal for Norway was to achieve a 50 percent market share for zero-emission trucks by 2030. Still, the Norwegian parliament (Storting) has asked the government to go for the full 100 percent in the 2024 budget agreement. This makes Norway the first country to set a concrete deadline for combustion-powered trucks. Whereas the […]
December 01, 2023
Research by the Flemish Foundation for Traffic Knowledge (Vlaamse Stichting Verkeerskunde, VSV) shows that half of the truck drivers place objects on their dashboards, including illuminated miniature Christmas trees in the end-of-the-year season. These items can obstruct visibility, increasing the risk of (blind spot) accidents. VSV is, therefore, launching a campaign with the transport sector […]
November 30, 2023
Febelauto, the Belgian management organization for waste vehicles and industrial batteries, will organize a circular truck and bus event in December. The event will take place in Beringen on December 11th. Importers and OEMs (Original Equipment Manufacturers) will be invited to sign a manifesto that day. Flemish Minister of Mobility and Public Works Lydia Peeters […]
November 30, 2023
Starting on January 1st, 2024, truck drivers who want to take the ADR exam to transport dangerous goods can finally do so digitally in Flanders. Until now, they had to convene once a month at a single location, but with this digital method, exam moments can be scheduled freely at 16 exam centers. The Flemish […]
November 24, 2023
The Port of Antwerp-Bruges has chosen Milence, the joint venture between Daimler Truck, Volvo Group, and the Traton Group, to develop two charging hubs at the Truck Parking Goordijk and Ketenis. Milence is developing Europe’s largest public charging network for all battery-electric heavy-duty trucks. Scheduled to open in May 2024, the hubs in the Antwerp […]
November 23, 2023
The Volvo’s zero-emission heavy-duty truck, the FH Electric, is the first to get the ‘Truck of the Year 2024’ Award, issued by a jury of 24 commercial vehicle journalists from major trucking magazines throughout Europe. The award is given to a truck introduced to the market in the previous twelve months, significantly contributing to road […]
November 23, 2023
The EU Parliament has voted on new CO2 standards for trucks and buses and is now ready for negotiations with the EU member states. The Parliament has largely adopted the positions of the EU Commission but added a loophole for e-fuels in trucks. The MEPs agree with the Commission’s proposal presented in February that only […]
November 10, 2023
As a convinced defender of road tolls to fight traffic congestion (and pollution), Stef Proost now suggests ‘peak hour rights” to cure the still-increasing daily congestion at peak hours on Belgian roads. Professor Emeritus Stef Proost (University of Louvain) is an economics professor who has become an expert on mobility problems and their economic and […]
November 06, 2023
Danish container shipping company Maersk, which accounts for about a sixth of global container trade, is to cut at least 10 000 jobs worldwide. The industry is struggling with falling rates and increasing competition and the company is so protecting its profitability says CEO Vincent Clerc. The layoffs are expected to save the company 600 […]
November 06, 2023
Quantron AG, a spin-off of Germany’s Haller Group, will help Ford Trucks on a fast track to put its F-Max trucks to be built in Turkey on a fuel cell hydrogen diet. Both parties signed a letter of intent to share Quantron’s know-how in energy management systems, e-axles, high-power batteries, fuel cells, and tank integration. […]
November 01, 2023
MAN Truck & Bus has made its long-distance eTGX and distribution eTGS electric trucks available for sale, with the first units scheduled for delivery in 2024. Both models feature a modular battery pack, megawatt charging, and an 800 km range. Back in 2021, MAN started the development of its electric future with the eMobility Center […]
October 25, 2023
Rail operator Lineas, Europe’s largest private freight operator headquartered in Belgium, lacks funds. Without an additional injection of at least 50 million euros, bankruptcy is looming for the company, of which the Belgian government is a shareholder, so write business newspapers De Tijd and L’Echo. Belgian federal Mobility Minister Georges Gilkinet (Ecolo) wants the government […]
October 25, 2023
At the Japan Mobility Show, Honda and Isuzu are showcasing their jointly developed longe range hydrogen truck, called ‘Giga Fuel Cell’, for the first time. It’s a low deck 8×4 rigid truck, 12 meters long and with 25 tons capacity for intercity transports with a range of up to 800 kilometers, on one tank filled […]
October 23, 2023
Low-emission zones (LEZ), which prohibit access to certain major cities for heavily polluting vehicles, have been successfully introduced in six European countries, including Belgium. This is according to a French report. In Belgium, the cities Brussels, Ghent, and Antwerp, among others, introduced such an LEZ. The report aims to draw lessons for France from the […]
October 20, 2023
Swedish truck maker Scania has ‘rejuvenated’ its urban battery truck range in line with the regional range, with a new e-chassis, auxiliary systems, and batteries from Northvolt assembled in packs in Scania’s new battery assembly plant in Södertälje. It also adds a new electric machine called EM C1-4, combining a single permanent magnet motor with […]
October 20, 2023
Stellantis has revealed the outline of the commercial vehicle part of its Dare Forward 2030 strategy. The conglomerate wants to deliver next-gen zero-emission light commercial vehicles (LCVs), offer its customers a 360-degree service, and generate €5 billion from connected services. Stellantis is currently on top of the light commercial vehicle market in Europe and South […]
October 20, 2023
EV truck start-up Volta has filed for bankruptcy in its home country, Sweden. The company’s subsidiaries in other countries, like the UK, will follow suit. The fall-out is linked to Volta’s battery manufacturer, which filed for Chapter 11 in the US. In an official statement, the company said: “The recent news that our battery supplier […]
October 17, 2023
The proposal of the EU to cut CO2 emissions of heavy trucks and buses by 90% from now until 2040 is getting a mixed response from the industry and environmentalists. European car manufacturers federation ACEA wants supporting targets for the infrastructure and transport companies, while Transport & Environment (T&E) feels the short-term targets are too […]
October 12, 2023
After a concept version, two prototypes, and a camouflaged test model, Mercedes-Benz Truck has finally lifted the cover off its production-ready long-haul battery-electric truck. Somewhat surprisingly, Mercedes has opted for a futuristic look that references the GenH2 truck concept. We’ve known about the Mercedes eActros 600 for a while. Daimler Truck first showed a concept […]
October 10, 2023
Antwerp-based tanker shipping company Euronav remains in Belgian hands. Compagnie Maritime Belge (CMB) and the Norwegian Frontline, Euronav’s two major shareholders, have reached an agreement on the matter. The agreement is described as one of the largest deals in the shipping industry in recent decades. “A huge milestone”, says CMB CEO Alexander Saverys, who is […]
October 09, 2023
Flemish Mobility Minister Lydia Peeters (Open VLD) launched a ‘Flemish Task Force Autonomous Transport’, in view to coordinate and accelerate the development of autonomous transport in Flanders. “The aim of the task force is to lead the upswing of autonomous transport in Flanders and to support new pilot projects maximally,” says Peeters. “Autonomous mobility is […]
October 09, 2023
In the Antwerp port area, logistics company Wijngaard Natie is now driving around with four fully electric trucks, produced by Volvo Trucks. This would be the first all-electric port transport in Antwerp, although Katoen Natie is also using the Volvo FH Electric. The four trucks should mark a turning point in the transition to sustainable […]
October 09, 2023
Volvo Group and Renault Group have signed a binding agreement to create a joint venture with the goal of creating a new generation of electric vans. These will be built on a modular platform with 800 V batteries, with production expected to start in 2026. Logistics company CMA CGM is also planning to join the […]
October 06, 2023
A loaded near-production prototype of the Mercedes-Benz eActros 600, Daimler Truck’s long-haul battery-electric truck, has completed a round trip from Stuttgart to South Tyrol and back on one charge. The distance of 530 km each way confirms Mercedes’ promised 500 km range for the model. The Mercedes-Benz eActros 600 is launching soon, with the world […]
October 03, 2023
Thanks to ‘Smartdrop’, an intelligent last-mile calculation tool to determine the impact of online parcel deliveries, consumers can choose the most sustainable delivery option. It was developed by the Belgian trade federation Comeos and the Brussels University’s research group VUB Mobilise. The tool considers several factors associated with online purchases: CO2 emissions, traffic congestion, air […]
October 02, 2023
Nikola has celebrated the commercial launch of its hydrogen fuel cell electric truck at its manufacturing facility in Arizona. The trucks are now ready to be built for customers, with Nikola also supplying the hydrogen refueling ecosystem. After a few tumultuous months, with the recall of all of its battery-electric Tre trucks and the separation […]
