Key to VW’s affordable ID.1 is ‘where to build it’

March 15, 2024

At the annual media call 2024, Volkswagen brand CEO Thomas Schäfer unveiled more details on the upcoming €20,000 ID.1. The most affordable EV in the lineup will arrive in 2027. However, the biggest challenge will be deciding on the location of production. All mainstream automakers focus on affordable EVs, which is critical to realizing the […]

NIO’s ‘family EV’ sub-brand coming to Europe as ‘Onvo’

March 15, 2024

Chinese premium EV maker NIO has chosen ‘Onvo’ as the English name for the line of affordable ‘family electric cars’ it will sell in Europe. In China, it’s called Ledao (乐道), which means as much as ‘happy road’, according to founder and CEO William Li. Under the ‘Alps’ codename, it has been developing a mass-market […]

Nissan and Honda join forces to battle Chinese competition

March 14, 2024

Nissan and Honda are preparing to reduce their production capacities in China significantly. The two  Japanese car manufacturers are finding it difficult to keep up with Chinese competitors in the race for electric cars. A solution could be to join forces and slash EV prices consequently. As Nikkei Asia reported, both manufacturers plan to reduce […]

Wallonia axes Low Emission Zone plans due in 2025

March 14, 2024

Walloon Environment Minister, Céline Tellier (Ecolo), has declared that the plan for Wallonia to become a Low Emission Zone (LEZ) was “disproportionate, difficult to apply and not very effective.” The Walloon LEZ is now axed, but major cities will be able to introduce restrictions to enhance air quality, not only on vehicles. Introduced in 2019, […]

Danish car-sharing GreenMobility leaves Belgium

March 14, 2024

Car-sharing company GreenMobility is leaving Belgium and returning to its Danish home market. After previously exiting the Netherlands, Germany, Finland, and Sweden, the Belgian branch will also be sold or closed down. “A pity,” according to Steve Van Avermaet, responsible for GreenMobility’s Belgian activities. “We were the company’s first foreign market and the last one […]

Among candidate investors ‘lining up’, Dumarey awaits bankruptcy Van Hool

March 14, 2024

According to Flemish Minister-President Jan Jambon and Minister for Work Jo Brouns, several possible candidates are ‘lining up’ and showing interest in investing in a restart of bus manufacturer Van Hool in Koningshooikt (Lier). But that doesn’t mean avoiding bankruptcy, as some – like Belgian entrepreneur Guido Dumarey, a specialist in blowing new life into […]

VW Group to cut costs and launch 30 models in 2024

March 14, 2024

Volkswagen Group is launching a major product push this year to help offset a gloomy economic outlook and growing competition. At the same time, a major efficiency improvement has to cut costs impressively. On Wednesday, finance chief Arno Antlitz presented the automaker’s 2023 results, saying the “general economic situation remains challenging”. VW Group expects a […]

D’Ieteren kicks off its own ‘Mobility Solutions’ motor show

March 13, 2024

On Tuesday, Belgium’s most significant car importer, D’Ieteren Automotive, kicked off its own B2B ‘motor show’ in the industrial settings of Silo Brussels, a former brewery and malthouse located along the canal at Neder-Over-Heembeek. Called ‘Mobility Solutions’ by D’Ieteren, it demonstrates it’s no longer about selling cars only but rather focusing on a far broader […]

Mercedes-boss urges EU to lower not raise tariffs on Chinese EVs

March 13, 2024

In an interview with the Financial Times on Tuesday, Mercedes-Benz CEO Ola Källenius made a remarkable statement, rubbing up his French competitors by urging the European Commission to lower tariffs on Chinese EV imports instead of raising them. This would force European carmakers to make better cars, he added. “I’m a contrarian,” he said in […]

This is how your next electric Volvo will charge 30% faster

March 12, 2024

Volvo has announced a significant charging improvement for cars built on its next-gen EV platform. Their batteries will charge up to 30% faster than the current line-up, and it has nothing to do with revolutionary chemistries or a different manufacturing approach. The secret weapon is an algorithm. Volvo Cars is investing in Breathe Battery Technologies, […]

Stellantis CEO: ‘We must make our own, lighter batteries’

March 12, 2024

In an interview with the American car magazine Car and Driver, Stellantis CEO Carlos Tavares says his group has to produce its own batteries. Meanwhile, he also stresses that EVs have to become lighter and batteries more efficient to maintain the expected range of an EV. The most expensive part of an EV is the […]

Tesla’s Grünheide factory back after sabotage by activist group (update)

March 12, 2024

After the sabotage attack, which led to a power outage and discontinuation of assembly, Tesla’s Grünheide factory is back online. Engineers from energy supplier Edis worked in three-shift mode to restore the connection and succeeded on Monday evening. “The measures to restart the plant are now running at full speed under all safety precautions,” wrote […]

Worst scenario for Van Hool: 1,116 jobs will disappear (update)

March 11, 2024

In stormy weather since the Covid-19 pandemic and the following crisis, Belgian bus and coach builder Van Hool production workers face the ultimate doom scenario. On Monday’s ultimate works council, the unions got the grim message that 1,116 of currently 2,494 jobs at the company’s main factory in Koningshooikt (Lier) will disappear by 2028, 834 […]

Euro NCAP to punish manufacturers for excessive touchscreen controls

March 08, 2024

European vehicle safety non-profit Euro NCAP has unveiled plans for a new safety score 2026 that will include an assessment of the ease of use of essential controls. Cars that force drivers to use touch controls for features like wipers and indicators will be punished and risk the all-important five-star safety rating. The auto industry […]

Vias: ‘Statistically proven: men drive less safely than women’

March 08, 2024

People often say that women are lousy drivers, but statistics show just the opposite: almost eight in ten road deaths are men. Women are less likely to be involved in serious accidents than men and are generally also less likely to be severely injured in accidents (40% compared to 60% of men). However, it is […]

VW sued over Porsche EV igniting Felicity Ace car carrier

March 07, 2024

The fire on the cargo ship Felicity Ace, which caused the loss of several thousand vehicles, is finding its way to court. A probe points to a Porsche EV aboard with a defective battery having ignited the fire. That kept the ship burning for two weeks before it sank. The Volkswagen Group is facing lawsuits […]

Ford E-Transit gets up to 32% more range

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 […]

D’Ieteren sells 40% more cars and makes almost €1 billion operating profit

March 06, 2024

Brussels-based holding company D’Ieteren, best known for car glass repairer Carglass and as an importer of VW vehicles, posted sharply higher profits in 2023. Last year, that adjusted consolidated profit before tax came to 970.8 million euros or a 28.1% increase compared to 2022. Things look rosy for D’Ieteren for this year, too: It expects […]

EU prepares ‘possible retroactive tariffs’ on Chinese EV imports

March 06, 2024

According to a document published on Tuesday and cited by the Reuters news agency, the EU Commission says it has sufficient evidence ‘tending’ to show Chinese EVs were being subsidized, and it will start ‘customs registrations’ on Thursday to prepare for possible retroactive tariffs. That means that import tariffs could be imposed retrospectively if the […]

BYD cuts price of best-seller Yuan Plus/Atto 3 with 12% in China

March 05, 2024

After announcing new price cuts every day last week for nearly every model in its lineup, BYD announced a 12% price reduction for its best-selling compact SUV, the Yuan Plus, better known in Europe as the Atto 3. In China, the Yuan Plus Glory Edition has a starting price of 119,800 yuan (€15,338). In Belgium, […]

50,000 people queuing for electric Renault 5

March 05, 2024

The French car manufacturer Renault is hoping it has a winner on its hands with the upcoming Renault 5 BEV. The company says it already has 50,000 orders on the waiting list just a few days after its official debut at the Geneva Motor Show. “We have a waiting list of 50,000 people,” Renault brand […]

Is the future of Fisker threatened?

March 04, 2024

The electric car manufacturer Fisker warns in its latest annual report that it may be unable to continue operations. The current resources are not sufficient to cover the next twelve months. Such warnings occur from time to time and do not necessarily result in the insolvency of a company. In this way, Fisker’s management draws […]

Nissan ends production of Leaf in UK

March 04, 2024

Nissan bids farewell to an era as it halted production of the iconic all-electric Leaf MkII at its Sunderland plant in the UK last week. In a following move, the automaker readies its next-generation electric vehicles at the factory. Since its inception in 2010, the Leaf has been a trailblazer in the electric vehicle market, […]

EU agrees on heavier 4.25 ton e-vans with regular B license

March 01, 2024

The European Parliament has agreed on a new set of regulations concerning driver’s licenses. One of the plans is to increase the weight limit of electric light commercial vehicles to 4.25 tons to compensate for the loss of payload due to heavy battery packs. But new exam rules, digital licenses, and stricter rules for young […]

Beherman Motors to import Chinese Farizon e-vans in Benelux

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 […]

Leipzig starts production full electric MINI Countryman

March 01, 2024

While in the Netherlands, at VDL Nedcar in Born, for the 2,000 employees, the curtain fell in February for the production of the MINI, BMW shows it is capable of keeping production within its own factories. The first fully electric MINI Countryman models are rolling off the line in Leipzig. Leipzig is the birthplace of […]

Volkswagen inks its deal with Xpeng for two ‘smart e-cars’ for China

March 01, 2024

German carmaker Volkswagen has inked a Master Agreement with Chinese partner Xpeng on strategic technical collaboration to develop two ‘smart e-car’ models in the Chinese market’s mid-size (B) segment. These two first models should hit the market in 2026. For the time being, the collaboration is only for the Chinese market. Still, earlier in July […]

EU Parliament rejects limited driver’s license validity period

February 29, 2024

The European Parliament rejects limiting the validity period of driving licenses for older drivers. Earlier, European Mobility Ministers also agreed that there would be no specific validity restriction on driving licenses for the over-70s. The legislation, which also introduces a digital driving license on smartphones, has yet to be negotiated with members; it emerged on […]

Volvo Cars introduces ‘Accident Ahead Alert’

February 29, 2024

Volvo Cars’ connected safety technology can now alert drivers of accidents ahead. You’re driving down a winding country road. It’s impossible to see beyond the bends in front of you. Suddenly, your Volvo car alerts you: there’s been an accident ahead, just around the bend. “With our new ‘Accident Ahead Alert’, we introduce another pioneering […]

Italy looking to lure other carmakers besides Stellantis (update)

February 29, 2024

The Italian government has approached the booming Chinese car manufacturer BYD to build a car plant in the country and confirmed having contact with Tesla and other carmakers. The Meloni government wants to halt the monopoly of Stellantis in that field and has contacted several other manufacturers to come and produce in Italy. “Several carmakers […]

Renault CEO calls for ‘Airbus’ of EV manufacturers in Europe

February 28, 2024

European automakers could collaborate to share development and production costs, suggests Renault Group CEO Luca de Meo. At the considerably smaller Geneva International Motor Show, the Renault Group was one of the highlights, besides the Chinese manufacturers BYD and SAIC), presenting its all-important new electric R5. Europe’s automakers, facing a stiff challenge from Chinese automakers […]

Stedin calls for EV-charging to be turned off between 4 and 9 p.m.

February 28, 2024

The Dutch grid operator Stedin calls charging station operators to switch off charging stations for electric cars between 4 p.m. and 9 p.m., especially in urban areas. The Netherlands has more than half a million charging stations, two-thirds of which are on the street. If they are all switched on simultaneously at full power, the […]

Bombshell at Apple: killing off the autonomous EV project

February 28, 2024

For the approximately 2,000 employees working for nearly a decade on the ‘Apple Car,’ the news came as a bombshell on Tuesday: the billion-dollar project will be shuttered, and people will be relocated to other projects like AI, if possible. The message was delivered to the team internally by Apple’s Chief Operating Officer, Jeff Williams, […]

Cadillac Lyriq EV starts selling in Europe (update)

February 27, 2024

After Swiss and Swedish customers had already the opportunity to order a Cadillac Lyriq electric SUV online in October, GM’s luxury brand will launch the car in France on the 23rd of March. Deliveries will begin in the first half of 2024. Germany and the UK are following a little bit later. After years of losses, […]

Stellantis will supply up to 500,000 cars to Ayvens by 2026

February 27, 2024

Ayvens, the result of the merger between ALD Automotive and Leaseplan, has concluded a framework agreement with Stellantis to purchase up to half a million vehicles by 2026. The deal with Ayvens includes several Stellantis brands and cars with different drives, including electric. First significant delivery volumes are expected to begin in the first half […]

Renault reveals production-ready R5 E-Tech in Geneva

February 26, 2024

Pictures of the production-ready Renault R5 had already leaked on Instagram, but Renault subsequently launched the model officially on the press day of the Geneva Motor Show. The final design stays remarkably close to the concept version, which debuted three years ago. The 5 replaces the Zoe and will accompany the 4 later this year. […]

Microlino Lite premiere: 45 km per hour and from age 16

February 26, 2024

At the Geneva Motor Show, Swiss-Italian electric micro-carmaker Microlino unveiled the ‘Lite’ or L6e version of the Microlina L7e, which is the fully electric lightweight quadricycle. This one has a limited maximum speed of 45 km/hour, half of its older brother, with a basic range of approximately 100 km that can be extended up to […]

Volvo’s stake in Polestar will shrink from 48 to 18%

February 26, 2024

Volvo Cars will reduce its stake in Polestar to 18%. To this end, the Swedish firm aims to sell shares worth 9.5 billion crowns (± €850 million) to its shareholders. In other words, first and foremost, it is to the mother company, Geely. The transaction is scheduled to be finalized this spring. The fact that […]

Renault Scenic is Car of the Year 2O24

February 26, 2024

The new Renault Scenic E-Tech Electric has been proclaimed the Car of the Year 2024 in a ceremony that took place at the Geneva International Motor Show (GIMS). The Renault Scenic E-Tech has achieved first place thanks to 329 points from 58 journalists and COTY members. For 22 jurors, this SUV was the best of […]

BMW chief designer posts pictures of canceled i8 successor

February 16, 2024

More than ten years ago, BMW shook the car world with its first i-cars, the i3 and the i8. In 2019, it showed a concept for a successor of the PHEV i8 sports car called Vision M Next. The canceled production version of this car, called I16, has now been revealed by BMW’s chief designer, […]

Last MINI rolls of VDL Nedcar production lines in Born

February 16, 2024

Officially, VDL Nedcar’s contract with BMW ends on March 1st, 2024. Still, the curtain drops definitively this Friday with the last MINI, a silver-grey cabrio, rolling off the production line in Born (Netherlands). On Thursday, the main assembly line came to a halt; on Friday, on three smaller lines, the finishing touch on the last […]

Renault CEO: ‘Deals with the Chinese would be beneficial for both sides’

February 15, 2024

Renault is doing well again these days. Its turnover has grown by 17,9% to €52.5 billion, with a net benefit of €2.3 billion. Its free cash flow has turned around €3 billion now and has grown by €905 million last year. More interestingly, the operational margin has increased to 7,9%, a record figure for the […]

‘Of 252 million cars on EU roads in 2022, only 1,2% was fully electric’

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 […]

Electric Ypsilon is the first new Lancia

February 15, 2024

On Wednesday, the revived Lancia brand launched its first car of the new era, a successor to the current Ypsilon that will be available as a pure electric car or (somewhat later) as a hybrid. It starts with a limited series of 1,906 cars (the founding date of Lancia) designed in collaboration with the famous […]

CEO Lancia: ‘We must avoid the pitfall of nostalgia’

February 14, 2024

Today, the resurrected Italian car brand Lancia launches the first car in its new product portfolio, the successor to the current Ypsilon. We presented the car in another article and talked to Lancia’s brand CEO, Luca Napolitano. Napolitano studied Business Administration in Rome and began his automotive career at Ford. In 2000, he started working […]

Driving an Isetta reincarnation: the Microlino Pioneer

February 13, 2024

It isn’t a car, and it isn’t a moped on four wheels. Still, it can reach a top speed of 90 km/hour, and you need a driver’s license B for it in Belgium. Officially, it is a fully electric lightweight quadricycle (L7e) that looks like the direct reincarnation of the ultimate bubble car of the […]

First Ford F-150 Lightning lands in Europe

February 13, 2024

Ford has handed over the first F-150 Lightning outside of the US. The electric version of the best-selling pickup truck has arrived in Norway and will be sold in a limited run. Meanwhile, demand has slowed down in the US after the first rush by early adopters. In April last year, Ford announced it would […]

‘Leaked’ Kia EV8 to replace Stinger with 800 km of range

February 13, 2024

A leak reveals that the future EV8 will be equipped with an impressive 113,2 kWh battery giving it up to 800 km of range. Two electric motors will give it an all-wheel-drive and 450 kW (603 hp). The leak comes from Kia’s Union New Car Production Schedule and it shows a glimpse of the future […]

Volvo CEO: ‘We don’t withdraw from Polestar entirely’

February 13, 2024

A few months ago, Volvo Cars announced that it would withdraw its interests in its sister company, Polestar. Today, Volvo confirms that it won’t be the major investor in Polestar anymore, but a total withdrawal seems out of the question. In an interview with the German newspaper Handelsblatt, Volvo CEO Jim Rowan (59) declared: “We […]

EU agrees on 90% CO2 reduction for heavy-duty transport (update)

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 […]

Audi boss reshuffles management and focuses on software

February 09, 2024

As the German magazine Automobilwoche reports, Audi will focus more on software in future vehicle development. Döllner wants to set up a ‘Software Defined Vehicle’ hub to focus on new vehicle concepts across the Group’s brands. Volkswagen and the much-criticized VW software subsidiary Cariad will also participate in the hub. That means other Group brands […]

Trendy Swedish electric motorbike maker CAKE goes belly-up

February 08, 2024

CAKE, the nifty Swedish maker of premium lightweight, electric motorcycles and mopeds, has unexpectedly filed for bankruptcy on February 1st. The lawyer’s office, Fylgia, says attorney Jakob Callmander was appointed as the bankruptcy administrator, and tender documents are being prepared for the sale of the business. Its Swedish compatriot Polestar, Volvo’s electric sister brand, launched […]

New BMW i5 Touring officially presented

February 07, 2024

After announcing the Touring version at the new 5 Series sedan presentation and sending teaser images, BMW has officially revealed its estate version. Meanwhile, spy pictures had already leaked from a studio shoot. Now, BMW comes with the full story of the car. A flexible drive architecture allows model variants with gasoline and diesel engines, […]

EU Commission pleads for 90% emission reduction by 2040

February 07, 2024

According to the plans presented on Tuesday, the European Commission wants to cut greenhouse gas emissions in the European Union by 90% by 2040 compared to 1990 levels. “There’s no other way,” says Wopke Hoekstra, European Commissioner for Climate Action. “The longer the EU waits to take difficult measures, the harder and more expensive it […]

Porsche zips up next Taycan with energy boost

February 07, 2024

Porsche has given its electric flagship, the Taycan,  an ‘extensive update’ with more power, more range, faster acceleration, and faster charging with greater stability. It will arrive at dealerships in Spring 2024. Although the next generation looks pretty much like the first one, Porsche says it sharpened the design and more strongly differentiated the Turbo […]

Stellantis boss denies Renault merger rumours (update)

February 07, 2024

On Monday, Stellantis Chairman John Elkann dismissed speculation that the Italian-US-French group plans to merge with Renault. “‘No plans are being examined for Stellantis mergers with other manufacturers,’ Elkann said when asked about the rumors. On Tuesday, he also tried to appease the Italian government about Stellantis’ commitment to Italy. Renault, for its part, said […]

First Volvo EM90s rolling of production line in China (update)

February 07, 2024

This week the first fully electric Volvo EM90 minivans are rolling of the production lines at Geely’s Hangzhou Bay plant in China. Volvo launched its EM90 in November last year, a close brother to the Zeekr 009. It gets a 200-kW electric motor on the rear axle powered by a 116-kWh battery for 738 km […]

With Gordon Murray pulling out Nedcar’s gleam of hope dies

February 06, 2024

At the Netherlands’ only car production plant in Born, VDL Nedcar, unions see the last gleam of hope vanish of starting up again in 2026, as the British Gordon Murray Automotive Group is pulling out the so-called L60 project. Details were never given, but it was assumed Nedcar would build two electric premium SUVs with […]

Hertz freezes mega-deal with Polestar

February 06, 2024

The car rental giant Hertz freezes its mega-deal with Polestar. After deciding to sell off one-third of its existing EV fleet (mostly Teslas) in January, the company now puts a temporary hold on the agreement to purchase 65 000 Polestar 2 vehicles. That’s another big blow for Geely’s daughter Polestar, which recently announced the dismissal […]

Ethiopia first country in the world to ban ICE cars?

February 05, 2024

In a decisive move to combat escalating fuel import costs and worsening air pollution in its cities, Ethiopia has announced a groundbreaking shift in its automotive policies. Transport Minister Alemu Sime calls for an immediate ban on buying fossil-fueled vehicles. What’s 2035 for Europe is today for Ethiopia. Minister Sime revealed that the nation spent […]