‘Belgium’s road network quality at a new low, behind Uzbekistan’

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. […]

Honda to throw lifebuoy as Nissan struggles for survival?

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 […]

Chery starts building Ebro PHEVs in Nissan’s former Barcelona plant

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 […]

‘Belgians are Europe’s second biggest fans of bulky SUVs’

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 […]

Maextro S800: Huawei’s electric sub €150k Maybach competitor

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 […]

BMWs and MINIs drive off production lines fully autonomously

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 […]

Northvolt gets another blow with VW and Goldman Sachs abandoning ship

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. […]

Replacing an EV battery becoming cheaper than fixing dead ICE?

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, […]

Uber to start operating throughout the whole of Belgium

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 […]

Mercedes to ditch wheel brakes and paint EVs with solar cells

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 […]

Lotus also backs down on 2028 full-electric plan

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 […]

EU new car registrations slightly positive (+1.1%) in October

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 […]

Only one candidate to resuscitate Air Belgium

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 […]

Ford to cut 4,000 jobs in Europe

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 […]

Mercedes eIntouro: first electric intercity bus by Daimler

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 […]

COP29: Belgium slightly up in climate change performance ranking

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 […]

Jaguar unveils new brand logo ahead of its risky rebirth

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 […]

BYD releases its Sealion premium EV-challenger on Belgian roads

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 […]

Belgian newspaper group Rossel joins Tesla-X boycott

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 […]

World’s first: Denmark to impose greenhouse gas tax on livestock

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 […]

Zeeland opts for emission-free ferries on River Scheldt

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 […]

Toyota’s plan to scale-up EV production must avoid VW scenario

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 […]

Pressure mounts on Lynk & Co as Volvo sells full stake to Zeekr 

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. […]

EV3 first drive: is this Kia’s next bestseller?

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. […]

Renault 5 Electric is ready to order (Update)

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 […]

President-elect Trump invites Elon Musk in next US government

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 […]

Volkswagen and Rivian officially launch joint venture in €5.8 billion EV push

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 […]

Ford forced to slow down production at Cologne EV plant

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 […]

Audi Brussels’ hope for a miracle buried once and for all (update)

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 […]

Nissan to cut 9,000 jobs in a radical austerity program

November 12, 2024

Nissan is adopting a harsh cost-cutting course. Global production capacities will be reduced by 20%, and 9,000 jobs will disappear. Nissan also plans to sell about one-third of its Mitsubishi shares, representing approximately 10% of the total MMC shares. The changes are motivated by the company’s consolidated net value decreasing by 79.1 billion yen (approx. […]

Chinese EV-brands Voyah, Dongfeng, and Mhero drive into Belgium

November 12, 2024

Belgium welcomes the arrival of three new Chinese electric car brands in the same automotive group. After their debut in the Netherlands, Voyah, Dongfeng, and Mhero are officially available today through the Ghistelinck group network. The first brand store has opened in Eke, Ghent. When the Dongfeng Group entered the Dutch market with three brands […]

Fastned to deploy 11 fast-charging stations in Luxembourg province

November 12, 2024

Dutch fast-charging chain Fastned will deploy eleven fast-charging stations in the Belgian province of Luxembourg in the next twelve to eighteen months. Fastned won a tender from the inter-municipal group Idelux, which – under tourism pressure – wants to address the ‘EV-charging desert landscape’ in Wallonia. The Belgian province of Luxembourg, bordering the Grand Duchy […]

Several automakers weigh emissions pooling to meet 2025 CO₂ targets

November 11, 2024

Tensions are rising over next year’s new EU CO2 emission targets for the auto industry. Backed by Germany, France is pushing the European Commission to postpone the targets by one year. However, the Brussels administration maintains a firm stance. Without delay, car makers will need a significant uptick in electric car sales next year. However, […]

Audi launches new sub-brand in China called… ‘AUDI’

November 08, 2024

Naming policies are sometimes a quirky business in the auto industry. Audi hasn’t been shy of confusing with the namesakes of their models and has now turned that reputation one notch up by launching a new Chinese brand called – well – AUDI. Yes, you spell it in capitals; no, there are no rings anymore. […]

‘New CLA will set the bar’ Mercedes promises

November 08, 2024

German premium car manufacturer Mercedes-Benz says its upcoming entry-level CLA will set the bar for EV range, charging speed, and efficiency with advanced new tech. Ahead of its arrival in 2025, Mercedes is giving us a slightly closer look at its new generation of electric cars. “With the CLA, we are ushering in a new […]

Copernicus: ‘2024 almost certainly warmest year and first year above 1.5°C’

November 07, 2024

According to the Copernicus Climate Change Service, 2024 will probably be the warmest year and the first year above 1.5 degrees Celsius. October 2024 was the second warmest October globally, after October 2023, with an average surface air temperature of 15.25°C, 0.80°C above the average for October from 1991-2020. The average temperature over the past […]

What will Trump’s impact be on climate in general and the EV in particular?

November 07, 2024

The election of Donald Trump as the next American president is terrible news for the climate, says KU Leuven professor Katja Biedenkopf, an expert on climate negotiations. “Trump has already announced that he will support the oil and gas industry and reduce or abolish Biden’s climate-friendly actions.” The stock market also reacted to the election. […]

Chery’s robotic car-babe Mornine to sell you an Omoda

November 07, 2024

Humanoid robots are the next big thing if we’re to believe Elon Musk and the Chinese are definitely on the same wavelength. Chinese carmaker Chery is introducing its robotic car-babe, Mornine, nowadays to guide you through the Omoda or Jaecoo showroom of the future. She is unmistakably a female with her Coca-Cola body shape in […]

Bolt rolls out ‘premium’ green Tesla ride-hailing fleet in Brussels

November 07, 2024

Mobility platform Bolt has launched a ‘premium’ ride-hailing fleet in the Brussels Capital Region, totaling some 30 bright green Tesla cars. With this initiative, part of a large-scale European initiative, Bolt hopes to support fleet owners in shifting to EVs. “We are excited to introduce more electric vehicles on our platform in Brussels,” says Paddy […]

France wants no fines on CO2 targets 2025, EU Commission reluctant

November 06, 2024

On Sunday, the new French Economy Minister Antoine Armand pleaded to postpone the fines for car manufacturers exceeding the EU CO2 targets. A spokesman for the European Commission responded on Monday that such initiatives are premature. “Talking already about a change in the Commission’s position on these matters is really premature,” he said in Brussels. […]

New e Vitara is Suzuki’s first all-electric model

November 05, 2024

Suzuki has officially unveiled its first battery electric vehicle, the e Vitara, in Milan, Italy. Building on the concept model ‘eVX’, the model will also appear as a rebadged Toyota in global markets. The newcomer is expected to hit European markets by the summer of 2025. As the Vitara has been a long-time bestseller for […]

Belux car sales in October down 5.5%

November 05, 2024

According to the data from the federal government service Mobility and Transport and the sector federation Febiac, car registrations in October 2024 were 5.5% less than last year. 36,447 cars were registered. Added to the total for the first nine months, 393,015 units were sold in 2024, or 4.9% less. Three-fifths (60.9%) of the market […]

Netherlands sees second-hand EV market picking up

November 05, 2024

Despite continuous negative press about EV sales declining in countries like Germany and France, the Netherlands still sees growth in newly registered and second-hand electric cars. According to the automotive sector organization Bovag, the used EV market is picking up with a 36.9% growth, as more are available from the leasing sector. The number of […]

BYD surpasses Tesla in quarterly revenue but not (yet?) in EV sales

October 31, 2024

For the first time, Chinese automaker BYD has surpassed Tesla in quarterly revenue. The leap is driven by strong domestic sales, helped by government incentives, and BYD’s relentless focus on expanding its international footprint. In China, where over half of vehicle sales now consist of electric or hybrid models, BYD continues to dominate. BYD reported […]

VW calls situation ‘serious’ and insists on tough cost-cutting

October 31, 2024

In the third quarter of 2024, Volkswagen Group saw its operating result shrink by 41.7% and its earnings after taxes by 63.7%. The core brand Volkswagen was barely profitable. Against this backdrop, VW and IG Metall have started the next round of negotiations on the company’s collective labor agreement. VW CFO Arno Antlitz insists on […]

Higher EU import tariffs on Chinese EVs effective from Thursday (update)

October 30, 2024

The European Commission has made the higher import tariffs on Chinese EVs effective ‘by law’ from Thursday after the official publication of it. Negotiations with Chinese government failed so far, but the Commission is aiming for deals with individual manufacturers now on a minimum price for cars and quotas for their imports. In return, the […]

Audi slashes A6 e-tron prices with new entry-level battery

October 30, 2024

The Audi A6 e-tron has become almost €12,000 cheaper overnight thanks to the introduction of a new entry-level model with a ‘smaller’ 83 kWh battery. This makes the A6 e-tron cheaper than its direct rivals, the BMW i5, and Mercedes EQE, while still offering a very reasonable 627 km WLTP range. At its launch, the […]

VREG: ‘Average household will pay €100 more for electricity next year’

October 30, 2024

The distribution network rates on household electricity bills, which account for approximately one-third of the total cost, may increase by 31 percent next year. According to some initial calculations, this would amount to an average of more than 100 euros extra per year. For the third year in a row, electricity network rates are increasing. […]

WMO: ‘CO2 surges to new record, countries miles off track on Paris’ goal’

October 29, 2024

According to a report from the World Meteorological Organization (WMO), greenhouse gas levels surged to a new record in 2023, committing the planet to rising temperatures for many years to come. Carbon dioxide (CO2) accumulates in the atmosphere faster than ever experienced during human existence, increasing by more than 10% in just two decades. “This […]

Volkswagen to close up to three factories in Germany

October 29, 2024

Works Council Chairwoman Daniela Cavallo has provided further details on the planned savings in the Volkswagen Group ahead of the next round of negotiations. The Board of Management allegedly wants to close up to three plants, downsize all others, divest core areas, and implement massive salary cuts. This would also affect electric car production. “This […]

Febiac: ‘Belux car market is reference in EU electrification’

October 28, 2024

According to sector federation Febiac, the market share of pure electric cars in Belgium and Luxembourg is still growing. During the first nine months of this year, 27% of registrations were purely electric, a 7.4% increase compared to 2023. Of course, the most significant factor in this positive electric result is the company car segment, […]

VW’s Scout unveils electric pickup and SUV with up to 800 km of range

October 25, 2024

Scout Motors, a subsidiary of Volkswagen Group, has unveiled two new flagship electric off-roaders for the US market. The SUV Traveler and its pickup counterpart, the Terra, sit on the same electric body-on-frame platform, providing up to 350 miles (563 km) of range. A range-extender option brings that range to up to 800 km. Both […]

Tesla’s return to big profit doesn’t come from cars

October 25, 2024

Tesla surprised investors and analysts by posting bigger-than-expected profits for the third quarter of 2024. Though the EV maker boosted deliveries in the past three months, the money comes from unexpected income like CO2 credits, cost cutting, and “services and others.” Interestingly, Elon Musk never favored the latter as an important revenue stream. Tesla exceeded […]

CATL’s 400 km-range PHEV battery brushes aside range anxiety

October 25, 2024

Chinese CATL, the world’s biggest battery maker, has presented a new type of battery for extended range (EREV) and plug-in hybrids (PHEV) to cure the prevalent ‘range anxiety’ of people reluctant to go fully electric. It promises a CLTC range of 400 km and 4C fast charging or 280 km in 10 minutes. The company […]

Touring survey: ‘One in three drivers blinded by oncoming traffic’

October 24, 2024

According to a new survey by mobility organization Touring, more than one in three Belgian drivers (34%) are often blinded by oncoming traffic. A fifth of them say this causes them stress and 18% even avoid driving in the dark. On the other hand, it appears that one in five vehicles has some defect in […]

Enough lithium in Arkansas to supply the world’s EVs

October 24, 2024

Is lithium the new gold mine for Arkansas after oil? Researchers have discovered that an underground brine reservoir in the southern US state may contain as much as 5 to 19 million tons of lithium. Lithium is a crucial raw material for electric vehicle batteries. The amount of lithium in the Arkansas beds would be […]

Ford boss reluctant to give up his Chinese Xiaomi SU7 ‘test car’

October 24, 2024

Jim Farley, Ford’s CEO and boss of the world’s sixth-biggest car company, with 177.000 people working for him, made a striking confession: He has been driving a Chinese Xiaomi SU7 fully electric car around Detroit for the last six months and doesn’t want to give it up. “It’s fantastic and is made by a smartphone […]

Energy Island may cost €7 billion instead of €2 billion

October 24, 2024

The cost of the Princess Elisabeth energy island, an artificial island off the Belgian coast that will be used by the power grid operator Elia, will probably amount to 7 billion euros, a multiple of the 2,2 billion that was initially estimated. Princess Elisabeth Island will become an energy hub for cables to neighboring countries […]

Germany to invest €19 billion in 9,000 km hydrogen network

October 23, 2024

Germany will build a nationwide 9,040 km hydrogen network connecting various industrial areas. In the long term, a future Dutch hydrogen network will also be linked to it. German regulators have approved the construction of the network, Vice Chancellor Robert Habeck announced on Tuesday. Hydrogen should be used in sectors where renewable energy, such as […]

France first to launch commercial V2G with electric Renault 5

October 23, 2024

The all-electric Renault 5 e-tech and the Alpine A290 are the first Renault vehicles equipped with a bidirectional charger capable of Vehicle-to-Grid (V2G). They were launched with the promise of allowing the owner to earn back some money by delivering electricity from the car to the network. And now, France is the first European country […]