March 04, 2025
According to EU Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, Brussels could weaken the CO2 target for car manufacturers in 2025. It is also holding out the prospect of a new battery subsidy. She explained that she wanted manufacturers to achieve the CO2 target over the next three years instead of this year, as initially planned, […]
March 04, 2025
As Volvo gears up for the full release of its new flagship sedan, ES90, tomorrow, the Belgian division accidentally uploaded an image of the latest model on its web page. The electric sedan, which is bound to break the brand’s barriers in charging and autonomy, unveils itself as a mix between the Polestar 2 and […]
March 04, 2025
In February 2025, 40,161 cars were registered in Belgium and Luxembourg, a decrease of 8.1%. Importer federation Febiac and the federal service Mobility & Transport point out that for the first time since 2014, the market of individual buyers is again slightly more significant than the professional market. BEVs increased their share to one-third of […]
February 28, 2025
While European carmakers one after another slink off with their tail between their legs, abandoning their fully electric goals and pushing hybrid ICE instead, South Korean Kia goes straight ahead with its electric flagging zeal. At the brand’s 2025 Kia EV Day in Tarragona, Spain, it unveiled its latest weapons to conquer that part of […]
February 28, 2025
On Tuesday, February 25th, the last Audi Q8 e-tron rolled off the line at Audi Brussels. Today, the factory closes its doors. Although the factory’s closure was announced a while ago, it symbolizes the upheaval in the car industry just a few days before the EU Commission’s action plan. Rumors had already emerged at the […]
February 27, 2025
The European Commission proposed a significant action plan on Wednesday to accelerate the decarbonization of European industry. The Commission believes that EU countries must act now. The climate crisis, weak economic growth, declining business competitiveness, and significant geopolitical tensions (with Moscow, Washington, and Beijing) require a comprehensive transition plan. Various supporting measures should help with […]
February 26, 2025
The BMW Group has halted its plan to manufacture electric Mini cars at the Oxford plant in England. Two all-electric models were due to roll off the production line at Oxford next year, but this has now been postponed. The BMW Group announced in 2023 that it would build two new all-electric Mini models in […]
February 26, 2025
Milence, the joint venture between Europe’s largest truckmakers created to develop the fast-charging network for battery-electric trucks, has deployed its first two chargers using the Megawatt Charging System (MCS) standard. Belgium has the honor, as these MCS chargers can be found at the Ketenis truck stop in the port of Antwerp. The Megawatt Charging System […]
February 26, 2025
Tesla’s dominance in the European electric vehicle market took a significant hit in January 2025, as the company saw a staggering 45.2% drop in sales compared to the same period in 2024. New data from the European Automobile Manufacturers Association (ACEA) reveal that Tesla sold just under 10,000 units in the region last month, down […]
February 25, 2025
Is Europe’s ban on combustion engines a curse or a blessing for its industry? Dwindling profits, plant closures, and firm reliance on global outsourcing seem to point to the first, but a study from the University of Sussex claims the opposite. “Changing gears (or acting as Trump does in the US, ed.) would be a […]
February 25, 2025
CALB, after CATL and BYD, is China’s third-biggest battery maker. It has broken ground for a brand new factory in the Portuguese deepwater port of Sines, halfway on the Atlantic coast between Lisbon and Lagos. All three invest heavily in European battery factories, while the old continent is lagging with its own trumpeted ‘Airbus of […]
February 25, 2025
Mercedes-Benz has started testing a solid-state battery from partner Factorial Energy in a modified EQS this month. In the coming weeks, the Stuttgart-based company wants to collect data on the battery’s efficiency, durability, and performance. Road tests with the new solid-state battery in a ‘1,000 km’ EQS test car started in February 2025. According to […]
February 25, 2025
In January 2025, new EU car registrations declined by -2.6%. Notably, the bloc’s major markets saw declines, with France (-6.2%), Italy (-5.8%), and Germany (-2.8%). Spain conversely recorded a 5.3% increase. The data comes from ACEA, the Association of European Car Manufacturers. Battery electric vehicles (BEVs) made up 15% of the market share, up from […]
February 24, 2025
Following the failed merger talks between Nissan and Honda, a Japanese initiative hopes that Tesla will invest in Nissan. However, it’s not very clear what the long-term benefits for Tesla could be, and Elon Musk seems reluctant. According to a report in the Financial Times, a Japanese advisory group led by former Tesla board member […]
February 14, 2025
After the BMW Group had already switched Mini sales to the agency model in 2024, the plan was to introduce it for the core BMW brand at the beginning of 2026. However, this timetable has been pushed back, but BMW, unlike VW, is sticking to the move. The agency model is a hot and even […]
February 14, 2025
The Walloon government has ratified an adaptation to its road tax reform that will take effect in July this year. The adaptation will ease the burden on households and promote green mobility. Installed under the previous government, the new taxation scheme primarily targets larger and heavier cars. This move impairs families and individual buyers who […]
February 14, 2025
Porsche plans to cut 1,900 jobs in Germany as part of cost-cutting measures to reverse sliding profitability amid weak electric vehicle demand and “challenging geopolitical and economic conditions.” The job losses will affect workers at Porsche’s main plant in Stuttgart-Zuffenhausen and its R&D site in Weissach. A year ago, Porsche CEO Oliver Blume lauded his […]
February 14, 2025
Ahead of its official world premiere on March 5th, Volkswagen already teased further with two sketches on LinkedIn of how the €20.000 budget EV of the brand, the ID.1, will look like. And it inherits some of the straight lines of that other budget VW, the Up! This successor to the VW Lupo and Up!, […]
February 13, 2025
Honda Motor Co. and Nissan Motor Co. are set to scrap their plan to merge into what would have become the world’s third-biggest auto group by volume as negotiations collapsed less than two months after its announcement. Meanwhile, Chinese Foxconn is lurking around the corner, not to take over Nissan but to cooperate with them. […]
February 13, 2025
As automakers continue to push the boundaries of the electric vehicle range, two industry namesakes – Lucid Motors and BMW – are advocating for a different approach. Both companies argue that more miniature battery packs, increased efficiency, and improved charging infrastructure are the future of sustainable EV adoption. Can less really be more? Lucid Motors, […]
February 13, 2025
Kia is holding its second EV Day on February 27, 2025, where it will showcase its newest electric models and its electric strategy for the coming years. Already announced to be present are the production-ready EV4, the PV5 electric light commercial vehicle, and the EV2 Concept, a preview of a more compact electric model within […]
February 12, 2025
According to Deloitte’s Global Automotive Consumer Study 2025, four key trends will impact the Belgian automotive market most in the coming year. The most important is the hesitation to switch to electric cars. The study surveyed more than 31,000 consumers in 30 countries, including 999 Belgians, from October through December 2024 to explore opinions regarding […]
February 11, 2025
According to a report in the newspaper De Tijd, the number of public EV charging points in Flanders nearly doubled in 2024, significantly surpassing government targets. This further cements Belgium’s position as a frontrunner in the adoption of electric mobility, as new registrations of EVs last year surged to the highest rate of any European […]
February 11, 2025
Volvo Cars has added a ‘Cross Country’ version to its EX30 electric model portfolio. The new version uses the same all-wheel drive as the top model but comes with unique accessories and more ground clearance. The Volvo EX30 Cross Country is based on the top-of-the-range Ultra equipment line and features the familiar all-wheel drive with […]
February 10, 2025
Renault has unveiled its new generation of electric light commercial vehicles (LCVs), which will be called Estafette, Goelette, and Trafic. The names are new, but the cars were already presented under the Flexis name in January due to the joint venture between Renault Group, Volvo Group, and CMA CGM. A couple of weeks ago, Flexis […]
February 10, 2025
It looks like it is further going downhill with American hydrogen truckmaker Nicola, following a The Wall Street Journal and Bloomberg report that the company is considering Chapter 11 to propose a plan of reorganization to keep its business alive and pay creditors over time. Last week, Nicola (NASDAQ: NKLA) shares tumbled as much as […]
February 10, 2025
Leasing company Arval Belgium has published new data from its Arval Mobility Observatory indicating that the smaller EV is now seriously breaking through in the company car market. The number of PHEVs has fallen back to 10% of new registrations in this market. Nine of ten company cars ordered in 2024 through Arval have a […]
February 07, 2025
Ford, the North American car manufacturer, made good profits in 2024 but once again recorded a hefty loss in its Model e division. At $5.1 billion, it was even higher than in 2023. Ford now wants to get the division back on track with a change of personnel at the very top and proposes extended-range […]
February 06, 2025
The European Commission is revising its plan to remedy the ongoing EV crisis. Green lobby group Transport & Environment has reflected upon the impact of the upcoming proposal, clarifying that a well-chosen scheme for electrifying company cars could create market demand of 2.2 million EVs by the decade’s end. The study reveals that this would […]
February 06, 2025
Volvo Cars had a second consecutive record-breaking year in 2024 and reports the highest full-year retail sales, revenues and core operating profit in its 98-year history. However, the company anticipates a turbulent 2025 due to challenging market conditions. Full-year revenues exceeded SEK 400 billion (€35.2 billion) for the first time in the company’s history due […]
February 05, 2025
To improve safety on Belgian roads, the new De Wever I government plans to introduce a driver’s license system with points–without describing it in those words. Anyone who accumulates violations in the future will no longer slip through the net but will automatically be summoned to the police court. For example, the coalition agreement states that […]
February 05, 2025
In a significant move for the electric vehicle (EV) industry, Avere, Europe’s leading e-mobility association, has officially rebranded itself as E-Mobility Europe. The new identity was unveiled on Monday during a launch event at Autoworld in Brussels. Chris Heron, Secretary General of E-Mobility Europe, emphasized the importance of 2025 for Europe’s EV transition. “This year […]
February 05, 2025
In January 2025, 63,008 second-hand cars were registered, 1,100 units more than in January 2024 and 5,873 units more than in January 2023. According to Filip Rylant, spokesperson for mobility federation Traxio, this indicates a continued growth trend thanks to a gradual price decline and abundant supply. The total figure for January 2023 was 57,135 […]
February 05, 2025
It sounds like a ‘contradictio in terminis,’ an exhaust system for fully electric vehicles that are supposed to have no emissions at all. Still, Stellantis Group, parent company to Peugeot, Jeep, and Fiat, among others, has filed a patent with the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) for a system that would evacuate dangerous […]
February 05, 2025
At the end of December, we informed you of a merger between Honda and Nissan, with Mitsubishi possibly joining in. Meanwhile, Mitsubishi hesitates, and now there seems to be a problem between the two main protagonists. Sources familiar with the matter said Tuesday that Honda Motor Co. has sounded out Nissan Motor Co. about becoming […]
February 05, 2025
On Tuesday, Ferrari raised its targets for 2025 after a bumper 2024 and announced six new models this year, including its first BEV. The iconic sports car manufacturer said it is revising its 2025 targets upward, with revenues above €7 billion, up at least 5% compared to 2024. 2024 was a fantastic year for Ferrari, […]
February 04, 2025
According to the manufacturer’s name-giving logic introduced in 2023, Audi models with even numbers are electric, while those with combustion engines have odd numbers in their names. However, this nomenclature is history again. In March, there will be another new A6 with a combustion engine. In 2023, the now deposed CEO Markus Duesmann announced a […]
February 04, 2025
The year 2024 wasn’t the best for the European car market, with a slowdown in growth that the industry began to see signs of in 2022, resulting in only a 0.9% growth, where this still was 28% in 2023. New detailed figures from JATO Dynamics show a clear trend toward ‘cheaper’ hybrids driven by Toyota’s […]
February 04, 2025
The number of car registrations in Belgium and Luxembourg was down 13% in January compared to last year. According to data from the Federal Service Mobility and Transport and Importer Federation Febiac, this decrease is due to a 23.8% regress in company car registrations. Individual buyers bought 11.7% more cars. This means the Belgian car […]
January 31, 2025
Alfa Romeo is reversing course on its ambitious all-electric plans, opting instead for a multi-energy strategy as it battles declining sales and a shifting global EV market. The Italian automaker, which initially aimed to be fully electric by 2027, will now offer a mix of gasoline, hybrid, and electric powertrains in its future lineup. The […]
January 31, 2025
The European Commission is concerned about the future of the European Industry and has created a ‘Competivity Compass’ to address all related challenges. Meanwhile, Commission President Ursula von der Leyen has made the problems of the EU car industry a ‘Chefsache,’ a ‘chief concern’ that she will handle personally. She has already sat around the […]
January 30, 2025
Renault Filante Record 2025 is an electric demo car developed to maximize energy efficiency and set a new record for power consumption and range with an 87 kWh battery, i.e., the same capacity as the Scenic E-Tech electric. We’re talking about a single-seater with a streamlined body design for aerodynamic efficiency. The Renault Filante Record […]
January 30, 2025
Tesla reported a sharp decline in profitability for 2024, missing key financial expectations and experiencing its first annual sales drop in over a decade. Despite CEO Elon Musk’s optimistic projections for future growth, the company’s latest earnings report has raised concerns among investors and industry analysts. Tesla’s fourth-quarter net income fell by as much as […]
January 29, 2025
While 2,900 employees will lose their jobs on February 28th, 2025, when the last Audi Q8 e-tron will be made at Audi Brussels, Belgium’s only remaining car factory, Volvo Car Gent is looking for 350 new people to start building the EX30 in Europe. Volvo announced in October last year its intention to build the […]
January 29, 2025
Persistent rumors exist that Mitsubishi Motors, partly owned by Nissan, will not join the new holding Nissan-Honda. Mitsubishi seems to be planning to relaunch an EV in North America. Meanwhile, the Honda-Nissan deal faces serious problems in China. Although Nissan is still Mitsubishi Motors’ biggest shareholder, it seems the company is not ready to join […]
January 28, 2025
According to a recent study by consulting company PwC, global sales of battery electric vehicles climbed to 10.4 million units in 2024, a 14% increase from the previous year. Despite this growth, regional variations highlight the uneven adoption of electric vehicles worldwide, with China firmly in the lead in absolute numbers. However, Belgium beats China […]
January 28, 2025
Rumors have it that Volkswagen could enter into a joint venture with a Chinese car manufacturer in Europe to produce the latter’s cars in its underutilized plants. Two top managers have spoken out in favor of such a move. Audi boss Gernot Döllner is apparently open to offering surplus capacity in VW plants to Chinese […]
January 27, 2025
After unveiling the Chinese version, Tesla officially introduced the new Model Y Juniper in Belgium. A series of upgrades are introduced to safeguard the SUV’s leading position in sales. Deliveries are set to begin in March, as the Grünheide factory in Germany has already commenced production. But Belgian prices show a steep 9,000 euros increase […]
January 24, 2025
BMW Group CEO Oliver Zipse will not extend his contract beyond the summer of next year when it expires. The German Manager Magazin reported that he will stop mid-next year, citing a source familiar with the matter. “There will be no further contract extension,” the source is quoted. Zipse, who will be 62 by then […]
January 24, 2025
According to the Belgian business newspaper De Tijd, Austrian energy and chemical giant OMV has advanced plans to build a refinery in the port of Antwerp. At the Kallo plant, waste streams such as used frying oil and other vegetable or animal fats from the food and agricultural sectors could be converted into sustainable aviation […]
January 24, 2025
Dutch U-Boat Worx launched its upgraded ‘Super Sub,’ a luxury three-passenger electric submarine water toy it claims is now faster than a dolphin. According to Wikipedia, the company, based in Breda (Netherlands), is recognized as the foremost manufacturer of private submersibles globally, with over 60 submarines in operation. The Super Sub resembles an ultra-streamlined, suppository-like […]
January 23, 2025
According to formateur Bart De Wever (N-VA), the so-called ‘Arizona coalition’ is gradually entering the final straight line for forming a new federal government. One notable mobility measure on the table is that Charleroi Airport would get a connection to the rail network. This is according to a leak to the newspaper La Libre Belgique, […]
January 23, 2025
The die is cast. The Californian Monarch Tractor, a pioneer in self-driving electric tractors, wants to conquer the European market from Belgium and has founded Monarch Tractor Europe NV, based in Antwerp, Belgium. Monarch Tractor is famous for its ‘smart’ tractors. The brand produces the world’s first fully electric tractor, for which the driver is […]
January 23, 2025
Citroën allegedly wants to give the classic 2CV model a second life. Initial design work for a new electric edition of the 2CV is probably already underway, but the project is still at an early stage. Read: It has not yet been fully decided. Citroën also seems to be reacting to its competitor Renault, who […]
January 22, 2025
With the stroke of a pen, new US President Donald Trump has withdrawn the US from the Paris climate agreement. In doing so, Trump is responding to the concern among many Americans and Western citizens that the international promise to keep global warming well below 2 degrees Celsius will mainly disrupt current prosperity. “The United […]
January 22, 2025
Citroën is expanding its recall of vehicles equipped with defective Takata airbags to cover 869,000 units across Europe. The massive recall affects popular models like the Citroën C3 and DS3, manufactured between 2009 and 2017, and will be rolled out in phases. The first phase, targeting 98,000 vehicles, kicks off at the end of this […]
January 22, 2025
In 2024, new car registrations rose slightly, increasing by 0.8% to around 10.6 million units. Spain continued to show resilience with a solid 7.1% growth rate. In contrast, declines were observed in France (-3.2%), Germany (-1%), and Italy, with a slight drop of 0.5%. In December 2024, new EU car registrations rose by 5.1%. Spain […]
January 21, 2025
The European Union has lodged a formal complaint with the World Trade Organization against China over what it calls “unfair and illegal” practices involving intellectual property rights. The complaint escalates ongoing trade tensions between the two economic giants following disputes over electric vehicle import tariffs and Chinese investigations into European industries. At the heart of […]
January 21, 2025
Upon returning to office Monday, President Donald Trump wasted no time moving against one of his most frequent targets on the campaign trail: electric vehicles and the Biden administration policies that contributed to their rise. On the first day, he had already signed many executive orders to reverse course from his predecessor. The future will […]
January 20, 2025
Both Renault and its low-cost daughter, Dacia, have increased their sales in 2024. The Renault Group sold 2,264 million cars worldwide (+1.3%), and two-thirds of these 1,59 million) were sold in Europe. Dacia sold 676,340 cars, 2.7% more than last year. Meanwhile, the brand has announced its first EV for 2027. Those growth percentages may […]
