June 05, 2025
In an interview with the German newspaper Die Welt, Renault Group CEO Luca de Meo says that “small cars and LCVs with electric propulsion will soon be cheaper than their ICE counterparts.” De Meo has pointed out several times already that one of the most significant problems for the breakthrough of EVs is the price. […]
June 04, 2025
Geely’s sub-premium brand Galaxy has unveiled its latest model: the A7 EM-i sedan. It’s a hybrid model, boasting a combined range of over 2,000 km and a very low fuel consumption even when the battery is empty. A launch date has not yet been announced, but the Geely Galaxy A7 is expected to offer a […]
June 04, 2025
Chinese carmaker BYD has unveiled plans to deploy a sweeping network of ultra-fast electric vehicle chargers across Europe — and not in some distant future, but within the next 12 months. The bold move forms part of the company’s strategy to become a dominant force in the European car market by the end of the […]
June 04, 2025
Are Belgian EV drivers ready for battery swapping? Chinese electric vehicle manufacturer NIO is gearing up to make its debut in Belgium and Luxembourg this September, as part of a wider push across Europe. The move is part of a strategic partnership with Swedish dealer group Hedin Mobility, which will oversee distribution, retail, and aftersales […]
June 04, 2025
The new German government appears to be rushing to launch the first subsidy measures for electric vehicles again. As part of a larger package, electric cars are to be made more attractive for companies. Special depreciation allowances are expected to be available from July. This is the result of a draft bill from the German […]
June 03, 2025
Airlines have become slightly less optimistic about 2025. They now expect to carry just under five billion passengers, down from an earlier forecast of 5.22 billion, and generate $979 billion in revenue instead of the previously projected $1,000 billion. This update was shared by IATA, the global airline industry association, during its annual general meeting […]
June 03, 2025
According to data from the Federal Public Service Mobility & Transport and the sector federation Febiac, 34,338 new cars were registered in Belgium and Luxembourg in May 2025. That’s 11.7% less than last year in May. Once again, the decrease is entirely due to the regression of the professional market (_20.1%), while individual buyers bought […]
June 02, 2025
Maserati and D’Ieteren Luxury Performance, the Luxury division of D’Ieteren Mobility Company, a 100% Subsidiary of D’Ieteren Automotive, have joined forces and further expanded their cooperation for the Belgian market. As of May 28, 2025, D’Ieteren Luxury Performance is the sole distributor of Maserati in Belgium, operating with three sales outlets in Antwerp, Brussels, and […]
June 02, 2025
Toyota’s Aygo X urban crossover gets electrified, it’s the first full hybrid in its segment. The newcomer has the lowest CO2 emissions of any non-plug-in car on the market, claims Toyota: 86 g CO2/km. At the same time, a GR Sport version will be introduced in the Aygo X lineup. “The Aygo X has attracted […]
May 29, 2025
Almost five years after the introduction of the general 30 kph zone in the Brussels Capital Region, it is abundantly clear that the introduction of that plan was a good idea. According to Brussels Mobility, there are fewer serious accidents and fatalities, and the introduction of Zone 30 also does not lead to longer travel […]
May 28, 2025
Stellantis has named Antonio Filosa as its new Chief Executive Officer, drawing a line under months of uncertainty following the abrupt departure of Carlos Tavares. The 51-year-old Italian, who currently oversees operations across the Americas and also serves as Chief Quality Officer, will officially step into the role on 23 June. His formal appointment as […]
May 28, 2025
The EU Parliament has approved the Commission’s request to soften the 2025 CO2 fleet targets. The proposal received 458 votes in favour, 101 against, and 14 abstentions. All that remains is for the European Council to approve it, which it did on 27 May. The more flexible CO2 targets are one measure the EU Commission […]
May 27, 2025
China’s biggest carmaker, BYD, has rolled out sweeping price cuts across its Dynasty and Ocean series electric vehicles in a move that underscores growing pressure in the world’s largest auto market. The discounts — as high as 34% — come amid ballooning dealer inventories and a cooling appetite among Chinese consumers, and have sent shockwaves […]
May 27, 2025
Car manufacturer Volvo Cars, owned by the Chinese Geely group, will cut 3,000 jobs (about 7% of its total workforce), primarily in Sweden. It’s a decision as part of the cost-cutting announced at the end of April. The goal is “to make Volvo cars more resilient in an era where the automotive industry is confronted […]
May 27, 2025
According to data from ACEA, the European Car Manufacturers Association, new EU car registrations fell by 1.2% in April 2025 compared to last year’s first four months. Nonetheless, registrations rebounded with a 1.3% increase last month, showing signs of recovery despite the ongoing unpredictable global economic environment. The battery-electric car market share for April 2025 […]
May 26, 2025
Up to 3 million households on low or modest incomes in Europe’s five largest countries (Germany, Spain, France, Italy, and Poland) could switch to electric cars by 2032 thanks to social leasing, according to an analysis by T&E based on data from the Öko-Institut. This scheme, which allows affordable electric vehicles under €25,000 to be […]
May 26, 2025
As of yesterday, the British South Western Railway (SWR), which serves more than 200 stations in southern England, is once again in government hands. It is, in fact, the first train company to be nationalized under Labour. The Starmer government called the renationalization of British Rail, which was privatized in 1990, a “new era for […]
May 26, 2025
Northvolt, an insolvent battery cell manufacturer, is discontinuing production at its main plant in Skellefteå, Sweden. Most recently, the factory only served a single customer, truck manufacturer Scania. The doors will shut by June 30 at the latest, and 900 people could lose their jobs. However, the company insists that work on the German Heide […]
May 26, 2025
Many people are still wondering why, for Christ’s sake, one should go electric instead of staying with the combustion engine (ICE) that has been finetuned to nearly perfection in the last 130 years. The reason is quite apparent: electric cars are superior in nearly every aspect. The Smart #5 Brabus we had the opportunity to […]
May 22, 2025
BYD has overtaken Tesla in battery electric vehicle (BEV) sales in Europe for the first time, marking a major turning point in the continent’s electric vehicle market. The milestone is reached bilaterally. As the Chinese carmaker profits from a model offensive, Tesla is witnessing one of its weakest performances since entering the European marketplace. In […]
May 22, 2025
Apple has introduced the next generation of CarPlay, called CarPlay Ultra, which can take over the instrument display and core features like temperature controls. Meanwhile, Google announced a deepened partnership with Volvo at its developer conference Google I/O, where the Swedish manufacturer will serve as a reference for Android car development. While Apple CarPlay and […]
May 22, 2025
It’s no secret that the global car industry is undergoing a power shift, but the numbers suggest that the United States are more severely on the back foot than generally assumed. A new benchmark report by Chinese manufacturing network RapidDirect places the U.S. a distant fifth among the world’s top automotive producers—well behind China, Germany, […]
May 21, 2025
Volvo Trucks has released more details on its new FH Aero Electric, its most ambitious battery-electric truck yet. The long-distance hauler will debut with an extended driving range, fast-charging capabilities, and payload capacity on par with diesel-powered models. But some patience is required, as the electric flagship model is slated to hit the market in […]
May 21, 2025
Toyota Motor Corporation (Toyota) unveiled its new RAV4 on May 21. The model will be launched in Japan before the end of the fiscal year 2025. It’s the sixth generation of a car that debuted in 1993 and has sold 15 million units worldwide, 2.5 million of which were sold in Europe. “Under the concept […]
May 21, 2025
The BMW Group has integrated large-format solid-state battery cells from partner Solid Power into a test vehicle, a BMW i7. The aim is to test how the solid-state cells behave in everyday road operation. BMW and Solid Power have been working together on solid-state batteries for years. The partnership dates back to 2016. Things turned […]
May 20, 2025
According to a monitoring report of the Belgian governmental service for social security (RSZ), there were 572,416 company cars in Belgium, which can also be used privately by company employees. The number of cars still increases (+10.9 % compared to 2022), as does the number of companies offering a company car (+3.6%). “Despite all the […]
May 20, 2025
The groundbreaking hydrogen discovery in northeastern France last year is reigniting interest in a long-overlooked source of clean energy—natural hydrogen. At a moment when the bets on hydrogen for transportation are severely off the table, scientists have started mapping vast amounts of mineable hydrogen and laid out the challenges for exploitation methods. Tucked beneath the […]
May 20, 2025
Since yesterday, the Volta 1, the first electric tug in Europe, has been sailing in the Antwerp port area. With the commissioning of Volta 1, the port is taking another step towards greening. In the long term, the port wants no tugboats to run on diesel fuel anymore because diesel still causes a lot of […]
May 15, 2025
Smart energy tariffs are becoming increasingly popular for their flexibility and potential to save costs. Smappee, an award-winning tech company from Kortrijk, is also capitalizing on that market trend by launching a virtual battery. In this service, solar panel owners can stockpile their unused power as a credit that allows them to charge their EV […]
May 15, 2025
According to the latest report by the International Energy Agency (IEA), electric vehicle sales are on course to top 20 million globally in 2025, marking a significant milestone for the automotive sector. This figure translates to one in every four new cars sold this year being electric—a remarkable rise considering the lingering economic uncertainty and […]
May 14, 2025
The Belgian Nathan De Valck will be the new CEO of Deurne and Oostende airports. So reports the Gazet van Antwerpen. De Valck will start as the top executive there on June 16th. De Valck is currently with the air cargo company Worldwide Flight Services for the airports of Brussels and Liège. The French company […]
May 14, 2025
All alarm bells are going off at Nissan. Japanese media reported that Nissan Motor Co. plans to cut about 20,000 jobs globally as part of a ramped-up restructuring campaign under the new CEO, Ivan Espinosa. Last week, in an effort to speed reforms and conserve cash, Nissan announced it was canceling plans to build a […]
May 13, 2025
The Danish capital, Copenhagen, wants to raise tourists’ awareness of the need to travel more sustainably. This summer, the city will again use generous incentives to encourage guests to travel and sightsee more sustainably. In response to the climate crisis and general world overtourism, last year’s CopenPay campaign will be extended with more discount offers and […]
May 13, 2025
Electrified cars have overtaken gasoline and diesel models in China’s vast passenger car market for the first time. In March, so-called new energy vehicles (NEVs), which include battery-electric and plug-in hybrid models, accounted for 51.1% of all retail car sales in the country. The milestone signals not just the rapid maturation of China’s electric vehicle […]
May 13, 2025
Chinese premier EV maker NIO has its flagship sedan, the ET9, certified for steer-by-wire (SWB), a first for Europe, after the regulator in its homeland did the same in December 2024. There is no longer a mechanical connection between the steering wheel and the turning wheels. Still, NIO claims its system is fully redundant, making […]
May 12, 2025
Car manufacturing group Stellantis has launched an online compensation platform for European clients with unforeseen reparation costs related to their 1.0 and 1.2 PureTech engines. Several generations of these engines (also known as EB) confronted their owners with excessive oil consumption or a premature degradation of the timing belt. This additional compensation scheme is meant […]
May 12, 2025
Amsterdam has launched a six-month trial of a smart charging scheme that aims to relieve pressure on its electricity grid while helping electric vehicle (EV) drivers cut their charging costs. The programme began in March, as cities across Europe grapple with the twin challenges of electrification and ageing power infrastructure. The Dutch capital is working […]
May 12, 2025
IAG, the group behind British Airways and Iberia, is expanding its fleet with 71 new aircraft. The orders are neatly divided between Boeing, an American manufacturer, and its European rival, Airbus. The order involves more than 20 billion dollars. The planes would be delivered between 2028 and 2033. IAD did not release how much specifically […]
May 08, 2025
Media House newspapers report that Flemish public transport operator De Lijn received a whopping 87,000 complaints last year, 24,000 more than in 2023. This is the most significant number of complaints De Lijn has ever received in one year. The record number of complaints is mainly due to the new transport plan Hoppin, which the […]
May 08, 2025
German carmaker BMW Group reported a 26.4% drop in first-quarter net profit to €2.2 billion, as weak demand in China weighed on earnings. Revenues fell 7.8% to €33.8 billion as global vehicle deliveries dropped 1.4% to 586,117 units, driven by a decline in China amid intense market competition. “Given the sustained demand for its attractive […]
May 08, 2025
Foxconn, best known as Apple’s iPhone assembler, is entering the global electric vehicle market with its first contract to supply an established automaker, Mitsubishi, with a full electric model. Mitsubishi announced it has signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with Foxtron, the EV arm of Taiwan’s Hon Hai Precision Industry Corporation (or Foxconn), to develop […]
May 08, 2025
The new Volvo XC70 mid-size SUV is Volvo Cars’ first extended-range plug-in hybrid. According to the Chinese CLTC standard, it provides a pure electric range of up to 200 kilometers, making it Volvo Cars’ longest-range plug-in hybrid. The new XC70 is designed to meet the demand for longer-range PHEVs in China, where it will be […]
May 07, 2025
Ford presented its business figures for the first quarter and reported a 200% increase in sales for its electric car division. As a result, turnover is also higher, and the loss is lower than a year ago. However, the loss still totals $850 million, and the manufacturer seems to be struggling with its EV future. […]
May 07, 2025
Retail prices for electric vehicles in Belgium dropped nearly 12 percent year-over-year in Q1 2025. The numbers affirm the ongoing trend of low interest in zero-emission cars on the secondhand market. As the mismatch between supply and demand grows, leasing companies seek to reassess their residual value strategies. Will corporate vehicles become increasingly more expensive? […]
May 06, 2025
South Korean management reads Julius Caesar. As attack is the best defense, the Hyundai group plans to launch a major product push to combat the economic cooldown and Trump tariffs. Most particularly in the lower regions of the electric category. What’s coming, as the fifth largest carmaker retools its strategy to stay competitive in a […]
May 06, 2025
Stellantis President John Elkann and Renault CEO Luca De Meo said in an interview with Le Figaro on Monday that the fate of the European automotive industry is being played out this year. Both are pleading for Europe to rediscover its origins: the popular and affordable car. They say that a radical and fast simplification […]
May 05, 2025
Uber Technologies has announced a strategic partnership with Chinese autonomous driving start-up Momenta to launch self-driving taxi services in Europe. The project is planned to start in early 2026. The collaboration marks Uber’s first venture with a Chinese developer of robotaxis, and beyond its home markets in the US and China. While Waymo already offers […]
May 05, 2025
Mercedes has officially opened the online configurator for its groundbreaking all-new CLA. As for now, only the 250+ and 350 4Matic can be ordered in Belgium, with a starting price of 56.870 euros. Entry-level versions – set to lower the price considerably thanks to the integration of a cheaper LFP battery -, will be added by […]
April 25, 2025
Volkswagen is stepping deeper into the autonomous driving race, announcing plans to bring a fleet of self-driving ID to market. Buzz electric vans through a new partnership with Uber. The German automaker aims to supply thousands of autonomous vehicles for Uber’s ride-hailing platform across the U.S. over the next decade, beginning with Los Angeles in […]
April 24, 2025
How can Belgium become climate-neutral by 2050 without driving industry out? Research institute VITO/EnergyVille formulated an answer: “The most expensive option is to do nothing.” Vito/EnergyVille launched a study and joined forces with several major players in the Belgian energy market: grid operators Elia and Fluxys, major consumers such as BASF and ArcelorMittal, and producer Luminus. With […]
April 24, 2025
According to data from the European car manufacturers’ association ACEA, new EU car registrations declined by 1.9% in the first quarter of 2025 compared to Q1 2024, with March 2025 figures showing a slight 0.2% year-on-year (YOY) decline as the global economic context remains particularly challenging and unpredictable for auto makers. In Q1 2025, the […]
April 24, 2025
The Chery Group, one of China’s most important car exporters, didn’t fail to wow at the Shanghai Auto Show. As it stunned the local market with a flood of models, it also announced that it would bring two additional brands to Europe, aside from Jaecoo and Omoda. Lepas will compete with Dacia, while Jetour aims […]
April 24, 2025
Despite disappointing sales in the Old Continent, Chinese premium EV startup NIO stays committed to Europe. It now opens a second offensive with its Firefly sub-brand, a more affordable range of models. It will start with a compact full-electric city car launched in the Netherlands at €29,900. Belgium will be next. NIO’s founder and CEO […]
April 23, 2025
Antwerp-based maritime group CMB.TECH, formerly Euronav, wants to merge with Norwegian dry bulk carrier Golden Ocean Group. The merger would create one of the world’s largest diversified listed maritime groups with a combined fleet of more than 250 vessels. A final agreement would be concluded this quarter, with the merger to be completed in the […]
April 23, 2025
Confirming expectations, Tesla’s finances have fared poorly at the start of 2025. The pioneering EV maker saw net income fall by 71% to just $409 million during the first quarter. If it weren’t for regulatory credits, the company would report losses, which means that its car-making business is currently in the red. Musk wants to […]
April 23, 2025
Volkswagen Group’s premium Audi brand is fighting back with a range of new, more extended versions of its models designed for the Chinese market, where wealthier consumers with chauffeurs often sit in the back of their cars. It also showcased the first vehicle of a new model line with a different logo from its famous […]
April 22, 2025
Brussels Airport will invest half a billion euros in infrastructure to accommodate the passenger growth expected in the coming years. The project involves the construction of a new intermodal hub, an expansion of the departure and arrival hall, a new hotel, a new drop-off zone, and a green boulevard with a park. The investment is […]
April 22, 2025
The world leader in EV batteries, Chinese CATL, which provides more than a third of the global needs, announced three innovations for the following months, with one that could change the industry drastically: it will be the first to start mass production of sodium-ion (Na+) batteries by the end of this year. Sodium is abundant […]
April 18, 2025
The US government has stopped the construction of the Empire 1 wind farm on New York’s coast, even though the $5 billion project has the necessary permits. The Trump administration strongly opposes offshore wind farms. According to Donald Trump, “They are dangerous to birds and whales.” Norwegian Equinor’s project The Empire 1 wind farm is […]
April 17, 2025
American ride-hailing platform Lyft is buying the taxi app FreeNow from German luxury car brands BMW and Mercedes-Benz. The Uber competitor is paying 175 million euros for this and wants to use it as a lever to enter Europe under its own name. Lyft is primarily a ride-hailing platform that connects passengers with drivers through […]
