Tesla’s next sci-fi move: fully autonomous Cybercab and Robovan

October 11, 2024

On Thursday night, it was show time again for Elon Musk in an appropriate setting: the artificial city of Warner Brothers’ studio lot in Los Angeles. Here, he could safely unleash a fleet of twenty fully autonomous two-seater Cybercabs and add a ‘one more thing’ surprise, the 20-seater Robovan. The whole thing was submerged in […]

BMW sells less cars but more EVs in third quarter 2024

October 11, 2024

The BMW Group increased its deliveries of all-electric vehicles in the third quarter by 10.1% compared to the same quarter last year. Across all BMW brands, the manufacturer delivered a total of 103,440 electric vehicles. In total, for the first nine months of 2024, BMW Group delivered 1,754,158 units, 4.5% less than the year. “This […]

Renault’s Mobilize unveils Duo, successor to the Twizy

October 11, 2024

Renault will publicly unveil the Mobilize Duo or the next-generation Twizy at the Paris Motor Show. Like its spiritual forefather, it’s also available in a cargo version dubbed Bento. As cities worldwide strive for cleaner air and reduced traffic congestion, these two compact yet versatile electric vehicles want to earmark the future of city transportation […]

One-millionth Volvo XC40/EX40 rolls of the line in Ghent

October 10, 2024

In seven years, Volvo Cars’ factory in Ghent, Belgium, has produced one million XC40s (and derivatives). The car was Volvo’s first compact premium SUV and also became the first EV for the Swedes with a fully electric version. In 2025, it will be joined by Volvo’s latest small EV to date, the EX30, which is […]

Climate Report: ‘World on the brink of irriversible climate disaster’

October 10, 2024

A new report by an international team of scientists – 15,000 scientists from 150 countries – states that climatic conditions have worsened. The report shows twenty-five of thirty-five planetary vital signs are at record extremes. For example, greenhouse gas emissions are still rising, the world is using more oil and coal, and oceans are becoming […]

Higher EU import tariffs on EVs: China reacts

October 09, 2024

Reacting to the seriously increased EU import tariffs on Chinese EVs, the People’s Republic has installed so-called anti-dumping measures against brandy originating from the EU. Furthermore, China will investigate the import of European cars with powerful engines. As of next Friday, brandy importers in China must pay a guarantee of 39% of the total imported […]

CATL and BYD deliver 53.5% of the world’s EV batteries

October 09, 2024

According to figures from Korean consultancy firm SNE Research, from January to July 2024, batteries for electric vehicles (EV, PHEV, HEV) registered worldwide represented approximately 510.1 GWh of energy, a 21.7% growth compared to the year before. China’s biggest battery cell makers, CATL, with a market share of 37.1%, and BYD, with 16.4%, strengthened their […]

T&E: ‘Higher import tariffs won’t save car industry if EU drops CO2 targets’

October 08, 2024

Last Friday, the 27 EU member states voted on the Commission’s proposal to seriously increase the import tariffs on EVs produced in China. We already commented on this last week. Meanwhile, the Chinese have reacted, and the NGO T&E has commented interestingly. China’s Ministry of Commerce (MOFCOM) has opposed the European Union’s additional tariffs on […]

It’s a fact: Brussels LEZ postponed to 1 January 2027

October 07, 2024

The Brussels parliament has postponed for two years the tightening of the Low-Emission Zone (LEZ) on January 1st, 2025. The Liberals, PS, Les Engagés, Team Fouad Ahidar, and Vlaams Belang voted in favor; the Greens and DéFi against, while Vooruit, N-VA, and CD&V abstained. Urban movement BRAL calculated that postponing the ban on the most […]

Against prevalent perception, Belgian EV sales still soar

October 07, 2024

Are EV sales slowing down to near a standstill? Not in Belgium. Despite prevalent perception, EV sales are still soaring, with 96.233 new registrations in the first nine months of 2024, more than in the whole of 2023 (93,180). The same goes for second-hand EVs, 16,004 (January – September 2024) compared to 12,594 all year […]

MG’s electric roadster Cyberster finally goes on sale in Benelux (update)

October 01, 2024

It’s finally on sale in Europe, the MG everyone is waiting to revive the image of the iconic roadsters from its British heritage: the fully electric Cyberster. The basic 2WD version can be ordered in Belgium for €65,490, and the most potent, 4WD GT version, featuring 375 kW (510 pk), starts at €69.990. 47 pre-orders […]

Belgium one of leading EU countries in CO₂ reduction of new car fleet

September 27, 2024

Belgium’s automotive market outperforms most European markets in reducing CO₂ emissions from new cars. According to Febiac and the European Environment Agency data, Newspaper De Tijd reports that the average emissions from new cars in Belgium decreased by over 40% between 2019 and 2023. This is significantly better than the EU average reduction of 27%, […]

TNO: ‘Half of Dutch second-hand car buyers consider EVs’

September 27, 2024

The Dutch non-profit research organization TNO (Toegepast Natuurwetenschappelijk Onderzoek) survey shows that 48% of potential second-hand car buyers prefer an EV. The survey asked 1,512 respondents which type of car they would buy on the second-hand market in the five years to come. Almost half (48%) preferred an electric car, and 59% thought it feasible […]

Postponement of the LEZ in Brussels is coming

September 26, 2024

The tightening of the low-emission zone (LEZ) in Brussels will most likely be postponed from 2025 to 2027. The proposal of an ordinance to this effect by MR, PS, Les Engagés, and Open Vld was approved on Wednesday in the Environment Committee of the Brussels Parliament. The Brussels Parliament’s plenary session on October 4th must […]

Touring: ‘Average EV driver is highly educated and wealthy’

September 26, 2024

According to the mobility organization Touring,  the average EV driver in Belgium is highly educated, has a higher-than-average income, and has a private parking spot for his car. Touring has realized the latest European Alternative Fuels Observatory (EAFO) survey in Belgium in cooperation with the Brussels VUB University and interrogated 1,356 Belgian drivers. 96 of […]

Elia: ‘new wind farms and nuclear to cover growing electricity demand’ (update)

September 26, 2024

According to electricity provider Elia, electricity demand will only increase over the next 25 years. Cars will run on batteries, industrial processes will run on electricity, and we’ll heat our homes with heat pumps. Elia, therefore, wants the new government to make decisions about new investments in power supply and the future energy mix because […]

Flemish mobility organization VAB celebrates its 100th anniversary

September 24, 2024

The Flemish mobility organization VAB will celebrate its 100th anniversary this year, at September 30. On the occasion of its centenary, the organization will also have a new slogan: “VAB, daar kom je verder mee” (VAB will take you further). Over the past century, the organization has grown into a company that offers driving lessons, […]

Belgium tops China’s NEV world export ranking in 2024

September 24, 2024

In the first eight months of this year, China exported 4.09 million vehicles worldwide, with Russia (705,514 units) as its biggest export market. Belgium ranks fifth with 182,504 cars. However, when the Chinese Customs data are broken down to figures for NEVs only (New Energy Vehicles, as China calls electrified cars), Belgium tops the world […]

August car sales show mixed fortunes for automakers in Europe

September 24, 2024

August was a turbulent month for the European automotive market, with notable winners and losers among car manufacturers. Overall, vehicle sales dropped by 17%, as reported by Dataforce, but a few brands managed to defy the trend with impressive gains. Volvo’s soon-to-be-built-in Ghent EX30 continues its winning streak, while Chinese newcomer Omoda outperforms established names […]

VW Polo production stops in Europe after almost 50 years

September 23, 2024

After 40 years, Volkswagen is no longer building Polo models in Europe. VW has ended its Polo production in Europe as it shifts its focus to smaller, more affordable EVs. Volkswagen has been building Polo models in Pamplona, Spain, since 1984. Over 8.4 million Polos have been assembled at the Pamplona plant as one of […]

Smart #5 pre-orders open in China at €31.200

September 23, 2024

The official launch of Smart’s biggest model, the #5, is planned for the end of October, but in China, pre-ordering opened a few days ago at a price of 245,000 yuan, or some 31,200 euros. The #5 was previously tipped to the European market in 2025, costing around €40,000. Still, the possible imposition of new […]

Febelauto collected 150 tons of used HEV batteries in 2023

September 20, 2024

Last year, Febelauto, the management body for waste vehicles and industrial batteries, collected almost 150 tons of high-voltage batteries from electric and hybrid cars—or 10% more than in 2022. That number will continue to rise because the number of electrified vehicles brought to market will increase exponentially. All European vehicle manufacturers are legally obligated to […]

NIO launches its Onvo L60 at just over €19,000 with rented battery

September 20, 2024

Electric carmaker NIO has officially launched its ‘affordable’ Onvo brand in China with the L60 crossover, a Tesla Y competitor offered at an incredibly lower price of 149,900 yuan, or some 19,050 euros. That’s without the swappable battery, which is rented under the Battery as a Service (BaaS) option. The 60 kWh battery pack offering […]

European car industry rings alarm bell on CO2 regulations (update)

September 20, 2024

The European Car Manufacturers Association (ACEA) calls for urgent action regarding the EU’s CO2 emission regulations “as demand for EVs declines”. On the other hand, Stellantis CEO Carlos Tavares again declares that relaxation would be wrong: “My guys are ready to fight.” He gets support from an unexpected side: BMW also says it plans to […]

Boss denies Chinese Nio is interested in Audi Brussels (update)

September 20, 2024

According to the Flemish newspaper De Tijd, the Chinese car manufacturer Nio could be one of the candidates interested in taking over the Audi Brussels plant. However, NIO boss and founder William Li denies this. BYD is also rumored to be an interested party, and Belgium VW importer D’Ieteren which initially owned the factory before […]

:Dribe ogles at 18% Belgians interested in monthly car subscription

September 19, 2024

Newmobility.news reported before that Danish car subscription start-up :Dribe is ogling Belgium to export its fully digital platform to the rest of Europe. Now, the Danish say about one in five (18%) Belgians would consider a car subscription instead of ownership. The latter might have been spurred by the success of Swedish-Chinese Lynk & Co […]

Norway marks milestone with more electric than gasoline cars

September 19, 2024

Norway has reached the predicted watershed moment, with more electric cars than gasoline vehicles being driven daily. The breakthrough came earlier than expected but follows a month of a record market share of EV registrations. However, diesel vehicles still account for the largest share at approximately 35%. The tip-over was around the corner, as we […]

No ties anymore between Mercedes-Benz and Denza

September 17, 2024

After reducing its stake in 2021, Mercedes-Benz has now completely exited Denza. This marks the end of a fairly long-standing German-Chinese partnership: in 2011, Daimler and the Chinese car manufacturer BYD founded the joint venture Denza to jointly produce low-cost cars for the Chinese market. The Mercedes-Benz Group is no longer involved in the Chinese […]

T&E: ‘BEVs expected to reach +20% EU market share in 2025’

September 17, 2024

According to an NGO Transport & Environment (T&E) analysis, electric cars are expected to reach a 24% European market share as carmakers grow EV sales to meet the EU CO2 targets. “Car manufacturers have clear pathways to meet their EU climate targets next year due to the expected rapid growth in electric car sales,” says […]

Hyundai-IVECO eLCV partnership debuts with eMoovy

September 17, 2024

At the IAA Transportation 2024 in Hannover, Hyundai launched the first vehicle from its global eLCV platform for European markets in partnership with the Italian multinational transport vehicle manufacturer, IVECO. The Iveco eMoovy combines Hyundai’s EV chassis-cab-based 800-volt platform with a cargo compartment from Iveco. The Italian manufacturer of LCVs and trucks, Iveco and Hyundai, […]

Volkswagen unveils new Transporter, sibling to the Ford Transit

September 16, 2024

Volkswagen has launched its newest Transporter model ahead of the IAA Transportation event, showcasing a van that shares much of its DNA with the Ford Transit. Despite this collaboration, Volkswagen has emphasized that the new Transporter maintains its distinct character, reflecting the brand’s rich legacy while advancing into the electrified vehicle market. The new Transporter, […]

Europe-bound Lynk & Co 02 leaked before October launch

September 16, 2024

In China, details of the new Lynk & Co Z20 have prematurely leaked through the Ministry of Industry. The launch should be in Europe in October and in China at the Guangzhou Auto Show in November. This fully electric model is presumed to come to Europe as the Lynk & Co 02, as a second […]

Stellantis CEO: ‘It would be surreal to change the rules now’

September 16, 2024

In response to the (unofficial) ACEA proposal to the European Commission to delay the 2025 emission targets for two years, Stellantis boss Carlos Tavares said, “It would be surreal to change the rules now.” “Everyone has known about the rules for a long time and has had time to prepare, and so now it’s time […]

Belgian bicycle economy worth nearly billion euros

September 13, 2024

According to a new study by research firm Transport&Mobility Leuven (TML), the Belgian bicycle economy is worth nearly a billion euros and has experienced growth of some 90% over the past eight years. Along with the Netherlands, Denmark, and Germany, Belgium is one of the largest cycling countries in the world. Many car manufacturers see […]

BYD moves forward with EV Plant in Turkey despite China’s warnings

September 13, 2024

Chinese carmakers making inroads with car factories in West Europe are met with warnings from their home administration. Beijing fears technical know-how drainage and a “wrong” reward over import tariffs, so domestic car brands are asked for caution. Despite these flagging signals, BYD will continue constructing its EV plant in Turkey. Beijing has warned its […]

Euro NCAP starts rating crash safety of heavy trucks

September 13, 2024

Heavy goods vehicles (HGV), increasingly seen on European roads, still represent only 3% of the vehicles but are involved in almost 15% of all EU road fatalities. That’s the main reason why Euro NCAP starts (crash-)testing heavy trucks this autumn to give them a bronze, silver, or gold safety rating. These ratings focus at the […]

GM and Hyundai to collaborate in vehicle development and production

September 13, 2024

You can’t have enough leverage in today’s daunting automotive landscape. General Motors, already in a close tie-up with Japanese brand Honda, is adding Hyundai to its list of partners. Both carmakers have signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to explore a range of potential joint ventures. These include vehicle development, production, and the exploration of […]

Mercedes bets on Solstice solid-state battery for 1,000 km range

September 12, 2024

Mercedes-Benz is betting on solid-state batteries, co-developed with US-based Factorial, for its future electric car range. The companies promise a high energy density of 450 Watt-hours per kilogram that can extend the EV range up to 80%, which, at the same time, is safer, more compact, and cost-efficient to produce. The new battery—Solstice—should be ready […]

Volkswagen bites back 30-year-old employment guarantee

September 11, 2024

Tensions with unions are rising in Wolfsburg. Volkswagen has announced the termination of a 30-year-old job security agreement, signaling a significant shift in its labor policies and setting the stage for potential layoffs starting next July. The main culprits are declining car sales, a disappointing return on investment over low EV adoption, and increased competition. […]

Italy and Spain call for revision of EU tactics on automotive industry

September 11, 2024

In the wake of establishing a new European Commission, Italy and Spain are urging officials to revise the policies concerning the scheduled ban on combustion engine sales and the import tariffs for Chinese carmakers. Italy wants to accelerate the planned revision to the 2035 ban, which it calls ‘absurd’, while Spain calls for a less […]

EU survey: most EV drivers satisfied and not going back to fossil

September 11, 2024

The 2023 European EAFO Consumer Monitor, an EU survey among 17,034 non-electric drivers and 2,046 actual BEV drivers in twelve countries, shows that despite the negative press EVs are getting in some countries, most EV drivers are generally satisfied and not willing to go back to fossil. Among non-EV drivers, 57% consider buying one in […]

Billion-dollar deal leaves D’Ieteren in hands of single family branch (update)

September 10, 2024

The Brussels holding company D’Ieteren, known among other things as an importer of Volkswagen and car glass repairer Carglass, will eventually, after seven generations, be owned by only one branch of the family: Nicolas D’Ieteren and his investment vehicle, Nayarit. The latter is buying out his nephew Olivier Périer and his holding company, SPDG Group. […]

Europe’s ‘battery flagship’ Northvolt cuts back on workforce

September 10, 2024

Swedish battery manufacturer Northvolt, the flagship start-up in Europe’s quest to catch up with Asian and American battery giants, is drastically revising its operational activities. The company has announced plans to scale back its workforce over a slowdown in electric vehicle sales and intensified competition from China. Northvolt is joining the string of manufacturers tuning […]

VW CEO Blume: ‘Kitchen is shrinking with too many guests at the table’

September 10, 2024

Volkswagen faces unprecedented challenges as it struggles to navigate an increasingly harsh economic landscape. It is facing plant closures in its home country and has replaced the Financial Director, as slow EV sales and rising competition are slowly strangling Europe’s number one car brand. CEO Oliver Blume says the challenging situation is “one we’ve never […]

Di Meo: ‘EU carmakers face €15 billion fine if EV sales stay low’

September 09, 2024

According to targets set in 2017, the EU requires carmakers to bring the average CO2 emissions of their newly sold car fleets below 93.6g/km by 2025. If this target is not met, they might have to pay €95 fine per gCO2/km over the target and per car sold. But now Luca di Meo, CEO of […]

Lynk & Co finally goes fully electric with Z10 sedan (update)

September 06, 2024

Lynk & Co, the Swedish-Chinese sister brand to Zeekr, Volvo, and Polestar, is going fully electric with the in July newly revealed Z10, a five-meter-long luxury sedan with a pure electric range of over 800 km. Presented first in Gothenburg, Sweden, it now debuts in China, with prices starting at 202,800 yuan (€25,733) to 288,800 […]

Volvo adjusts its electrification strategy

September 05, 2024

Volvo, the Swedish car manufacturer owned by the Chinese Geely Group, has announced that it will abandon its ambition to sell only fully electric cars by 2030. Instead, it aims for 90-100% of its global sales to be either pure electric or plug-in hybrids at that time. Volvo attributes the change in policy to a […]

Ex-VW Group CEO Martin Winterkorn finally before court (update)

September 05, 2024

Nine years after the dieselgate scandal, the former VW Group CEO Martin Winterkorn finally appeared before a German court Tuesday. He denied all allegations against him and pleaded not guilty. He will make a declaration on Wednesday concerning his involvement. Winterkorn, aged 77, led the VW Group from 2007 to 2015. Under his leadership, the […]

ACEA: ‘EU car production jumped in 2023 nearing 15 million’

September 05, 2024

It sways the news headlines: the European car industry is facing one of the most challenging times in its 130-year history: reinventing itself in the much-needed energy transition while facing cutthroat competition from China. Still, EU car production jumped in 2023, nearing 15 million vehicles—nearly two million more than the previous year. China is the […]

Kia prices its new compact electric EV3 SUV (update)

September 04, 2024

Kia has unveiled the EV3, a new compact SUV with electric drive. The 4.30-meter-long model adopts many elements of the large EV9 inside and out; the platform is essentially the same. In Belgium, only the long-range version was available in August, starting at a special price of €39,090 (instead of 41,190) to be eligible for […]

Volvo EX90 finally makes its way to customers

September 04, 2024

Nearly two years after its unveiling, the Volvo EX90 is starting to reach customers. Software delays postponed the launch of the electric 7-seater SUV by around a year. The first United States and Europe customers are getting their cars this month, with deliveries ramping up between Q4 2024 and Q1 2025. The Volvo EX90 is […]

Traxio: ‘Almost half a million used cars registered already in 2024’

September 04, 2024

After an intense period with many used car registrations in July, August saw a slight dip with -4.0%. Still, the provisional annual total is heading toward half a million second-hand car registrations (490,296 units), almost 60,000 more than two years ago. Gradually, more electrified used cars are offered, as 12.7% of registered vehicles are chargeable. […]

Geely’s €10,000 priced Geome Xingyuan EV to challenge BYD’s Dolphin

September 04, 2024

In China, the fierce price war among the big car manufacturers raves on, with Geely throwing in a new weapon, the Geome Xingyan EV, for city dwellers at a bottom price of around 80,000 yuan or 10,170 euros. It’s targeted directly against BYD, which beefed up its popular Dolphin at unchanged prices starting at 99,800 […]

VW is considering plant closures, also in Germany (update)

September 04, 2024

As the VW Group will miss its savings targets by several billion euros, the top management is planning further cuts. For the first time in its 87 years of existence, possible plant closures and redundancies are being considered, also in Germany. Meanwhile, VW’s daughter Audi announced that the Audi Brussels plant would not produce a […]

Electric car sales set new 94% record in Norway

September 03, 2024

While the rest of Europe reports discouraging figures, Norway continues to set new benchmarks in electric vehicle adoption. In August, more than 94 percent of all new passenger cars registered were electric, a new record for the world’s forerunner in the EV transition. “This looks very promising to reach 100% as of January,” reacted secretary […]

Belux car market one fifth down in August

September 03, 2024

According to the data of the sector federation, Febiac, 29,333 cars were registered in Belgium and Luxembourg in August 2024, a regress of -20,3% compared to the same month last year. Cumulated over the previous eight months, this means a decrease of 3.3% overall. It is noticeable that the segment of individual buyers is still […]

Polestar in trouble, new CEO Lohscheller has to fix it

August 30, 2024

Polestar, the electric car brand of Geely and Volvo, announced the appointment of Michael Lohscheller as its new CEO. In October, he will succeed long-term CEO Thomas Ingenlath, who has held the position since 2017. The new appointment comes shortly after another significant change at the top of the board. On on October 1st, Lohscheller […]

Smart officially reveals tech-heavy #5 as its biggest model yet

August 30, 2024

It’s been a long runner-up toward the official release of Smart’s largest and most advanced model. After the showstopper concept at the Beijing Autoshow and the leaked images from the Chinese regulator, Smart has now cleared the official pictures and specifications on the #5. The all-electric SUV hits the heart of the electric car market, […]

Zero taxes for EVs ending story in Flanders by 2025-2026?

August 30, 2024

If anyone hoped the zero tax policy for EVs the Flemish government is offering to lure more people into electric driving was a never-ending story, it is time to wake up. Around the negotiating table for the next government, all parties – N-VA, Vooruit, and CD&V – agree that the ‘zero tariff’ will no longer […]

EU car market stable, EV sales slowing down

August 30, 2024

According to data from ACEA, the European Manufacturers Association, new EU car registrations saw a modest increase (+0.2%) in July 2024. However, there were mixed results across the region’s four major markets: Italy (+4.7%) and Spain (+3.4%) recorded moderate gains, while the French (-2.3%) and German (-2.1%) markets experienced declines. Seven months into 2024, new […]