December 20, 2024
The European Commission announced on Thursday that the European Union will launch a strategic dialogue on the future of its automotive industry in January. The initiative aims to develop rapid support measures for the auto sector as it grapples with the accelerated shift toward electric cars and the regulatory standards on average fleet emissions. The […]
December 20, 2024
China’s top EV seller, BYD (Build Your Dreams), is on track to sell 4.25 million cars this year. It has never masked its high ambitions to become a top-ten carmaker worldwide. According to the Belgian importer Inchcape, BYD is preparing an essential European first for the Brussels Motor Show in January. There are no details […]
December 20, 2024
According to data from the Association of European Car Manufacturers ACEA, new EU car registrations fell by 1.9% in November 2024. France led the way with a sharp 12.7% decline, followed by Italy (-10.8%), while the German market stagnated slightly (-0.5%). Only Spain recorded positive growth among the four most significant EU markets (+6.4%). Eleven […]
December 19, 2024
With the self-confident slogan ‘Leadership in Motion’, BMW Group Belux has presented its vision of what happened last year for the BMW Group in Belgium and its plans for 2025. Apart from being number one in Belgium and Luxembourg for the fourth consecutive year, the most noticeable fact is that Mini distribution’s switch to the […]
December 19, 2024
Alfa Romeo is bringing a world premiere to the Brussels Motor Show next January. The Italian brand will unveil the four-wheel driven version of its small SUV Junior, based on the hybrid driveline. It seems Stellantis is keen on making a grand entrance in the capital of Europe. With the demise of motor shows worldwide, […]
December 19, 2024
According to Japan’s Nikkei business newspaper, Honda Motor Co. and Nissan Motor Co. are preparing to start negotiations on a possible merger, which could ultimately be expanded to include Mitsubishi Motors Co. The talks have been encouraged because the Taiwanese electronics giant Foxconn has also shown some interest in becoming Nissan’s main shareholder. Such a […]
December 18, 2024
More than one in four Brussels motorists (27%) could do without a car. This is the finding of a survey conducted by Brussels Mobility. Through the sample of 1,900 Brussels residents with a car, Brussels Mobility aims to better understand car use and which alternatives to the car could be made more attractive. On average, […]
December 18, 2024
The German Federal Motor Transport Authority (KBA) has given Mercedes the green light to launch an updated version of its conditionally automated driving system, Drive Pilot, in 2025. This system allows the driver to watch a movie or read the newspaper while driving on highways at up to 95 km/hour. Mercedes was the first to […]
December 18, 2024
The environmental NGO Transport & Environment (T&E) has responded to the increasing pressure of the car manufacturers’ lobby regarding the 2025 EU CO2 emission targets with an analysis proving that the industry can achieve the goals and avoid the fines pending for 2025. The European Commission seems to be on the same line. Last week, […]
December 17, 2024
Zeekr, part of the Chinese Geely group, has launched its flagship electric SUV in Europe. The Zeekr 7X offers a range of up to 615 km, with ultra-fast charging thanks to an 800V architecture and a roomy, premium interior for a starting price of €52,990 in the Netherlands. The Zeekr 7X is the third electric […]
December 16, 2024
Never in automobile history, and 125 years after the electric car had to surrender to the internal combustion engine car (ICE), has the yawning gap between believers and non-believers in electrification been so wide. Still, only 1% of today’s EV drivers want to return to a pure ICE car, and 4% would switch back to […]
December 13, 2024
The introduction of an annual road tax for new electric cars in Flanders, initially set to take effect on January 1st, 2025, has been postponed. This was confirmed by the cabinet of Flemish Finance Minister Ben Weyts (N-VA) to Het Laatste Nieuws. The delay is attributed to the ongoing development of a taxation formula and […]
December 13, 2024
Stellantis brand DS Automobiles has finally unveiled its new flagship DS N°8. The SUV/crossover coupé will be the carmaker’s latest flagship and the first DS model to launch exclusively with an electric drive. The Stellantis daughter had already teased with partial press releases and pictures of the car, with big numbers on the side panels […]
December 12, 2024
According to a new study by Nature Communications, tourism turnover almost doubled between 2009 and 2019, representing an annual growth of 5.5 percent. However, this strong growth is accompanied by a carbon footprint of 5.2 gigatons of CO2 equivalent or 8.8 percent of global emissions. The primary drivers of emissions growth are slow technology efficiency […]
December 12, 2024
Today, Toyota released information on its brand new EV, the Urban Cruiser. Its public world premiere will be at the Brussels Motor Show in January. The car is likely to be the sister model of the upcoming Suzuki eVX, but Toyota doesn’t hint at this collaboration in any way. With the Urban Cruiser, developed from […]
December 12, 2024
The facelifted version of the popular BYD Dolphin hatchback has leaked. According to registration details from China’s Ministry of Industry and Information Technology (MIIT), the design introduces minor tweaks, but there will be a new powertrain option. Three motor configurations, including a new 130 kW (174 hp) variant, are slated for commercialization. These changes will […]
December 12, 2024
The Board of Directors of the European Automobile Manufacturers’ Association (ACEA) has elected Ola Källenius, Chairman of the Board of Management of the Mercedes-Benz Group, as its new President, who will assume this function from 1 January 2025. Ola Källenius will take over the presidency from Renault Group’s CEO, Luca de Meo, who has held […]
December 11, 2024
IATA, the global airline umbrella organization, expects airlines worldwide to carry 5.2 billion passengers next year, the first time this will exceed the 5 billion mark. More passengers also mean more flights, leading to higher CO2 emissions from the aviation sector. For example, using more sustainable fuels, such as biomass or used oils, could help […]
December 11, 2024
A year after the California DMV suspended Cruise’s robotaxi services in San Francisco following a series of incidents with pedestrians, General Motors is killing off its robotaxi daughter. It dispatches its engineering teams to the motherhouse to focus on more common driving aid systems (ADAS) and autonomous driving for passenger cars. “GM will no longer […]
December 11, 2024
Every year, around 239,000 deaths in the European Union can be attributed to exposure to fine particulate matter, a key air pollutant. Another 70,000 Europeans die from excessive ozone concentrations and 48,000 from nitrogen pollution. In Belgium alone, this concerns 4,100 deaths from particulate matter, 1,400 from ozone, and 1,200 from nitrogen. The figures come […]
December 11, 2024
The Brussels Motor Show (BMS) will be held from 10 to 19 January 2025 in the Brussels event halls at the Heysel. After skipping 2024, the 101st edition wants to return with a bang. At least 63 exhibitors have signed up to be present, and organizer Febiac hopes that more than 300,000 visitors will also […]
December 06, 2024
There are no longer any fully electric winners in VAB’s ‘Family Car of the Year’ election this year. The gold medal goes to a hybrid (HEV) from the Chinese brand that sells the most EVs in Europe: the MG3. The other gold winner in the more expensive category is a mild-hybrid Hyundai i30. It perfectly […]
December 06, 2024
Almost half of Belgians, 47%, never take the train, according to the survey ‘Accessibility of transport in Belgium 2024’ by the Federal Public Service Mobility. The same goes for the bus: 44% of Belgians never take the bus. Although more than eight in 10 respondents regularly use the car every week (82%), only one in […]
December 06, 2024
For the second time in four years, Subaru ranked first in Consumer Reports’ annual brand report card, which measures vehicle performance, safety, and reliability. The 2025 report card is part of an updated data set released by Consumer Reports that packages all its automotive rankings in one spot. Consumer Reports also found that Subaru was […]
December 04, 2024
California-based start-up Aptera Motors is once again turning to crowdfunding in its mission to bring its solar-powered, three-wheeled electric vehicle to the assembly halls. This renewed effort aims to secure the additional $60 million necessary to transition its prototype to a production-ready car. The new crowdfunding campaign follows Aptera’s previous one, which concluded in May […]
December 04, 2024
The new UK government is putting its money where its mouth is: the private rail company Southern Western Railways will become a public transport company again. After all, before the election, Labour had indicated that if the party would be again in government, it would nationalize the entire UK train network within five years. “Our […]
December 04, 2024
Ford has unveiled the electric version of its best-selling model in Europe. The Cologne-based manufacturer emphasizes its dynamic acceleration and efficiency. However, the battery and its price make it unclear whether the Puma Gen-E will be well received and also sell well. One thing is clear: Like many other manufacturers, Ford is not in an […]
December 04, 2024
In November 2024, 31,824 new cars were registered, or 15.3% less than in November 2023. Regarding second-hand car registrations, Traxio sees continued growth in the first eleven months of 2024 compared to previous years. In 2024, the figure for the year’s first eleven months went up to 672.625 registrations. In 2023, it was 637.950 units; […]
December 03, 2024
According to a new ranking by Transport & Environment (T&E), only 10 out of 77 airlines are making noteworthy efforts to switch to sustainable alternatives to fossil kerosene. The remaining 67 are either buying too few sustainable aviation fuels (SAFs), the wrong kind of SAFs, or are not considering SAFs at all in their decarbonization […]
December 03, 2024
On Sunday, the multinational automotive group Stellantis said that its chief executive officer, Carlos Tavares, has resigned, forcing the company to expedite its leadership transition amid a turbulent market environment. Stellantis Group, like other European players, is severely suffering from the dire market conditions in the automotive industry. Not so long ago, CEO Carlos Tavares […]
December 03, 2024
According to the sector federation Febiac and the Federal Government service Mobility and Transport, the car registrations for November were 15.2% down compared to last year in the same month. For the first eleven months of 2024, this results in -5.8% compared to 2023: 424,840 registrations instead of 450,960. Light commercial vehicle (LCV) registrations also […]
November 29, 2024
Belgium has a bad reputation regarding the quality of its road network, but now the country seems to have reached a new low. According to a recent study by the World Economic Forum, Belgium ranks 61st for road quality out of 119 countries surveyed. That is even lower than countries such as Uzbekistan and Rwanda. […]
November 29, 2024
Nissan is navigating turbulent waters as it faces a strong revenue drop and has switched to ‘emergency mode,’ according to its boss, Makoto Uchida. The Japanese car maker seeks a critical anchor investor to ensure its survival and readies for 2025, a “make-or-break” year. Honda is rumored to step in as a savior and supply […]
November 28, 2024
The Chinese car manufacturer Chery has kicked off car production in the old Nissan site in Barcelona’s Zona Franca. The first model to roll off the line is the Ebro S700, a plug-in hybrid SUV, which is part of the joint venture between Chery and Spain’s Ebro-EV Motors. Chery’s Omoda 5 will also be produced […]
November 27, 2024
Belgians suffer from so-called ‘car obesity’: they want bigger and bigger cars. Recent Transport & Environment (T&E) research has shown that vehicles grow one centimeter wider every two years. Something that Belgian drivers adore. According to global research from T&E, the average width of new cars has increased from 177.8 cm to 180.3 cm since […]
November 27, 2024
Maextro, the joint venture between Chinese tech giant Huawei and car manufacturer JAC, has unveiled its first model: the Maextro S800. It is a fully electric luxury sedan meant to compete with the likes of Maybach-Mercedes, Bentley, and Rolls-Royce, but with a sub-€150,000 price tag and high levels of autonomy. Huawei, the Chinese conglomerate primarily […]
November 27, 2024
Fully autonomous driving is becoming a reality, at least within the BMW and MINI factories. The cars drive themselves off the production lines after being finished without any human intervention. After a pilot in BMW’s largest European factory, Dingolfing proved successful, Leipzig is the official start of the roll-out. Other facilities are set to follow […]
November 27, 2024
Northvolt’s number one and two shareholders, the Volkswagen Group and Goldman Sachs bank will write down their stake in the battery maker. This is another blow for the cash-strapped company. Northvolt filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection in the US last week. The Swedish factory has a new CEO, and Peter Carlsson has stepped down. […]
November 26, 2024
By 2030, replacing an electric car’s battery might be cheaper and easier than replacing a dying classic combustion engine (ICE). At least, that’s what a new study of evolving battery prices by American startup Recurrent Motors Inc. shows. Using data from global investment banking and asset management firm Goldman Sachs and climate research firm RMI, […]
November 26, 2024
From December 1st, the American ride-hailing service Uber will also start offering its services throughout Wallonia, just as it already does in Flanders and Brussels. New regulations in Wallonia will make expansion possible. In February, Uber had already launched its UberTaxi service, a classic stand-up cab service in several cities in Wallonia. The price is […]
November 26, 2024
German carmaker Mercedes is ‘reinventing’ braking on electric cars by ditching the classic wheel brake disks and moving the braking system into the electric drive unit at the front or rear axle. This system is more efficient, quiet, and virtually maintenance-free for the car’s lifespan, and brake dust is kept inside without the need for […]
November 25, 2024
Chinese-owned British sports car icon Lotus, which was on track to be an electric-only brand by 2028, is backing down on its plan and will add extended-range electric vehicles (EREVs). It’s the such-and-such car manufacturer swallowing its green intentions to give in to the surge of negative perceptions of EVs by part of the general […]
November 22, 2024
According to data from ACEA, the European Car Manufacturers Association, new EU car registrations reversed their decline in October 2024, recording a modest 1.1% increase. Registration of battery-electric vehicles rose by 2.4% in the last month. Spain led the way with a robust 7.2% growth, while Germany rebounded with a 6% increase following three months […]
November 21, 2024
These are tense times for Air Belgium. An investor has submitted a bid for the ailing Walloon airline. Judicial reorganization proceedings ended in late September, and potential investors had until November 15th to go forward. The court in Nivelles will consider the bid on December 5th. Who the investor is and the plans regarding activities […]
November 21, 2024
Once again, Ford has announced plans to reduce its European workforce by around 4,000 employees in 2027. There are 2,900 of them in Germany, 800 in the UK, and some 300 elsewhere in Europe. The car manufacturer hopes to increase its competitiveness in this way. At the beginning of 2023, Ford announced a job cut […]
November 20, 2024
Daimler Buses presented its first electric high-floor intercity bus at the 2024 eMobility Days in Berlin: the Mercedes eIntouro. It is based on the diesel-powered Intouro but features the latest generation of LFP batteries and over-the-air updates and will be available to order from 2025. After conquering the low-floor electric city bus market with the […]
November 20, 2024
This year, Belgium has moved up four places in the annual ranking of almost seventy countries in the fight against climate change. According to the Climate Change Performance Index (CCPI) 2025, drawn up by environmental NGOs, Belgium is now in 35th place. The classification considers fourteen criteria, divided into four categories: greenhouse gas emissions, the […]
November 20, 2024
Second time lucky? Jaguar is setting the stage for a dramatic reinvention aimed at the higher end of the luxury market. Ahead of the reveal of its first battery-powered model of its reinvented era, planned for the beginning of December, the brand has presented the new visual identity that goes along with its rebirth. The […]
November 20, 2024
Chinese EV giant BYD, almost on par with Tesla as the biggest in the world, has officially released its Sealion 7 SUV on Belgian roads. It comes in three flavors: Comfort (€48,990), with a range of 482 km; Design (€51,990), a four-wheel version with a range of 456 km; and Excellence (€56,490), also all-wheel drive […]
November 20, 2024
Following the lead of individuals, several business leaders, and Hollywood celebs, Groupe Rossel, the Belgian media group behind the newspaper Le Soir and SudPresse, has announced it will no longer buy Tesla or use X because Elon Musk supports Trump. “It seems incompatible to us to implement ESG principles and actions and continue to buy […]
November 19, 2024
The Danish government will introduce an emissions tax on livestock farming by 2030, making Denmark the first country in the world to do so. Although New Zealand announced a similar law in 2022, it was withdrawn after widespread farmer protests. The aim is to make agriculture more sustainable. Denmark is a big dairy and pork […]
November 19, 2024
The Dutch province of Zeeland wants to replace the Westerschelde Ferries, which currently sail across the Western Scheldt, with zero-emission ferries. Hybrid ships (diesel/electric) are also being considered. The States of Zeeland unanimously agreed to that proposal on Friday. The two ships currently transporting cyclists and pedestrians between Vlissingen and Breskens are approaching the end […]
November 18, 2024
Toyota plans to expand its electric vehicle production capabilities with ‘Area 35’. This global initiative aims to increase manufacturing capacity and embrace the production of 3.5 million EVs annually by the decade’s end. With an emphasis on optimizing existing resources and reducing production complexities, the Japanese giant hopes to compete with Tesla and the Chinese […]
November 15, 2024
Volvo Cars has announced the sale of its entire stake in Lynk & Co to Geely-owned Zeekr in a deal worth approximately €710 million. This move is part of a larger strategy by parent company Geely to streamline its electric vehicle operations and shift away from an acquisition strategy to boosting synergies across its brands. […]
November 15, 2024
The Chinese ‘EV supremacy’ in rolling out new electric cars is making headlines nearly daily, but don’t underestimate the South Koreans with the Hyundai-Kia conglomerate. Kia is launching its fully EV3 compact ‘B-SUV’ in Europe in the ‘more affordable’ range, a warning for the Volvo EX30, Smart #1, Renault Mégane e-tech, or the Volkswagen ID.3. […]
November 14, 2024
Renault opened the order books for the first two Renault 5 E-Tech electric versions in May. The Techno version costs €32,900, while the Iconic Cinq version costs €2,000 more. Both versions have the 52 kWh battery in the ‘Comfort Range’. Some additional versions have now been added. However, you will still have to wait until […]
November 13, 2024
Tesla CEO Elon Musk is to officially join Trump’s administration as the co-head of the new US Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE), a second federal department designed to improve government spending. Throughout the elections, Musk, already CEO of Tesla and SpaceX and the de facto head of X, xAI, Neuralink, and the Boring Company, has […]
November 13, 2024
Volkswagen and Rivian have officially launched their joint venture, “Rivian and VW Group Technology, LLC,” which aims to accelerate the development of battery-powered vehicles and boost software architectures. The collaboration, valued at €5.8 billion, marks a significant increase from the €5 billion investment initially announced in June. The venture begins operations today. Speaking at the […]
November 13, 2024
Due to weak demand in the European EV market, Ford is slowing down its Explorer and Capri EV production at its sole electric car factory in the EU, in Cologne, Germany. Ford will apply for short-time work, a government furlough scheme of temporary unemployment whereby workers are sent home by a company in financial distress […]
November 13, 2024
The curtain has definitely fallen on Audi Brussels. The hope for a miracle in finding a take-over candidate is dead and buried, with the last one pulling out. The official date of the death certificate remains February 28th, 2025, when the last Audi Q8 e-tron will be made. Audi Brussels’ spokesperson, Peter D’hoore, confirmed that […]
