November 03, 2023
The Belgian car and two-wheeler federation Febiac will organize a new event in February 2024 to spotlight the Belgian car sector. This ‘Automotive eMotion Summit’ wants to “shape car policies and fleet innovations”, says the press release. A few months ago, Febiac decided not to organize a Brussels Motor Show in January 2024. “When we […]
November 03, 2023
Volvo Cars is launching a new business unit for energy-related products and services. Under the umbrella of ‘Volvo Cars Energy Solutions’, the carmaker bundles technology and services for a comprehensive e-car ecosystem. At the start, there is a V2G pilot project in Gothenburg. ‘Volvo Cars Energy Solutions’ bundles technology and services for a comprehensive electric […]
November 03, 2023
Dutch contract builder VDL informed its employees on Thursday that 2 000 more will lose their jobs at Nedcar in Born (the Netherlands), leaving 450 of 2 500 today as ‘intellectual capital’ to preserve the car factory for future clients. Although Nedcar announced earlier that it signed a declaration of intent to build cars again […]
November 02, 2023
It made it into Time Magazine’s list of ‘Best Inventions of 2023’, the Moonwalkers ‘electric shoes’ of US startup Shift Robotics that enable you to walk almost three times faster than usual, up to 11,3 km/h without effort. It’s not gliding like on rollerskates, but actual walking with the speed assist – comparable to pedal […]
November 02, 2023
Hardly any other VW model is as synonymous with the company car as the Passat estate, often called Variant. Recently, the new ICE Passat was announced, and Volkswagen confirmed it would only bring it as an estate version because of its popularity in the professional car world. But just now, Volkswagen also showed the first […]
October 31, 2023
For almost seven weeks already, strikes have been paralyzing America’s ‘big three’ automakers. Now, the United Auto Workers (UAW) union has announced that an agreement in principle with the ‘big three’ has been reached. Overall, the agreement still has to be ratified by the workers, but that can last a few weeks. According to the […]
October 30, 2023
Hyundai Motor Group has decided to put all its design activities under one Global Design Division. The Belgian designer Luc Donckerwolke, already President at Hyundai Motor group and Chief Creative Officer, has been asked to lead the Global Design Division as Chief Design Officer (CDO). The new division has to streamline all design activities, not […]
October 30, 2023
The Innoptus Solar Team of the Belgian University of Louvain has won the Bridgestone World Solar Challenge for the second time. On top of that, the team also won the innovation award for the rotating fin on the top of the solar vehicle. The ‘Infinite’ three-wheeler accomplished the race from Darwin to Adelaide in Australia […]
October 27, 2023
BMW is now producing the first battery cell samples, which it will use in the New Class models from 2025. Production occurs at the manufacturer’s new Cell Manufacturing Competence Center (CMCC) in Parsdorf, Germany. Operations at BMW’s competence center for battery cell manufacturing east of Munich have been underway since May. The facility spans an […]
October 26, 2023
To boost profitability outside Europe, Renault announced the launch of eight new models by 2027. Spearheading the new strategy is the already unveiled Kardian, a compact urban crossover based on the platform of the Clio and the Sandero from its budget brand Dacia. After rewriting its alliance with Nissan and Mitsubishi, which divided the global […]
October 26, 2023
Responding to strong demand for the car, Volvo Cars has decided to start building the new fully electric Volvo EX30 in its Ghent plant in Belgium in 2025, expanding production capacity for its small SUV. The EX30 was revealed to almost universal acclaim earlier this year and has already won several major awards. Production of […]
October 26, 2023
The ‘love affair’ between Japanese carmaker Honda and American General Motors for developing together a line of ‘affordable’ electric cars under $30 000 ends abruptly. Honda CEO Toshihiro Mibe said the automaker scraps the plans after a year-long evaluation proving a ‘changing business environment’ makes them unviable. “After extensive studies and analysis, we have come […]
October 25, 2023
Taxes on EVs should be reviewed soon. If not, the Belgian state will miss out on €1,5 billion yearly tax revenues by 2030. So argue economists Bruno De Borger and Stef Proost, attached to the universities of Antwerp and Leuven, respectively. After all, EVs also create congestion costs, and by taxing them less, they indirectly […]
October 25, 2023
According to reports in the media, the next generation of the Audi A4 will also be launched purely electrically from the end of 2025. The A4 e-tron should be available as a saloon and estate – with a similar orientation to the current combustion engine model, which will remain in the range for the time […]
October 25, 2023
In Kasterlee, Delhaize and French fast-charging provider Electra have plugged in the first six of 1 200 fast charging points to be installed at the group’s supermarkets throughout Belgium. The chargers are open to Delhaize clients during shopping hours but also 24/7 to the general EV driver at €0,65 per kWh. That’s 20% lower than […]
October 25, 2023
At the Japan Mobility Show 2023, the successor of the Tokyo Motor Show after four years of absence, Lexus introduced concept models under the theme ‘Pushing the Boundaries of the Electrified Experience’, envisioning new possibilities for mobility through electric cars. The Lexus booth hosted the global debut of the next-generation Battery Electric Vehicle (BEV) concept […]
October 24, 2023
Japan has had something with hybrid cars for over twenty years, with Toyota being the world’s most prominent technology advocate. So it’s pretty surprising it took the Japanese motorcycle industry so long to produce the world’s first hybrid motorcycle, the Kawasaki Ninja 7 Hybrid, which is to arrive in 2024. Kawasaki calls it a ‘strong […]
October 23, 2023
For the first time in 130 years, the powerful German trade union IG Metall will have a woman at the top starting this Monday. Christiane Benner (55) sees her fight for workers’ rights as a political mission. During the weekend, the newly appointed head of Germany’s most significant union called on the federal government to […]
October 23, 2023
Electra has concluded a contract with services company Spie to expand its fast-charging network in Belgium. The collaboration will install fast chargers at 21 locations across Belgium, and preparatory works have started since September. Electra is turning to the energy transition know-how of Spie to grow its activities in the fast-charger market. It aims to […]
October 20, 2023
Flemish Minister of Mobility and Public Works Lydia Peeters has completed her draft investment program for 2024. Almost 700 projects will be supported, accounting for an investment of 2,2 billion euros. Most investments fall within cycling, road safety, and sustainability. According to Peeters (Open VLD), never has so much been invested in cycling infrastructure in […]
October 20, 2023
Stellantis has revealed the outline of the commercial vehicle part of its Dare Forward 2030 strategy. The conglomerate wants to deliver next-gen zero-emission light commercial vehicles (LCVs), offer its customers a 360-degree service, and generate €5 billion from connected services. Stellantis is currently on top of the light commercial vehicle market in Europe and South […]
October 20, 2023
New figures from the European Car Manufacturers Association ACEA indicate that the European car market has seen a 14th consecutive month of growth and that electrification continues. In September 2023, new car registrations increased by 9,2%, reaching 861 062 units. Two of the EU’s most significant markets saw substantial gains: Italy (+22,7%) and France (+10,7%). […]
October 19, 2023
2024 will see the BMW Group launch its new agency model rollout for sales. It will be introduced across Europe in several stages, starting with Mini in Italy, Poland, and Sweden on 1 January 2024. The remaining European countries will gradually follow, with the BMW brand scheduled to transition in 2026. “The upcoming rollout represents […]
October 18, 2023
It sits and feels like a Porsche, is utterly powerful, and blazing fast on the water, yet silent as a sailing boat, but it will cost you more than twice the price of the most expensive Taycan. We’re talking about the Frauscher x Porsche 850 eFantom Air that was presented at the beginning of this […]
October 18, 2023
Citroën has presented “the first affordable European electric car.” With its technical specifications, a range of 320 kilometers, and a price of € 23 300, the ë-C3 will indeed set standards. In Flanders, considering the premium of € 5 000 for individual buyers, the car will cost € 18 300 in 2024. The model could […]
October 18, 2023
For the Belgian car market, 2023 will probably be the year that electrified cars took over. A positive side-effect is that the average CO2 emission of these new cars landed under 90 g/km for the first time. Meanwhile, the split between individual buyers and company cars gets bigger and bigger. The same is true for […]
October 17, 2023
The European Union will defend eliminating fossil fuels well before 2050 at the November COP28 climate summit in Dubai. This is rated in the joint position adopted unanimously by the 27 member states. “The transition to a climate-neutral economy requires the elimination of ‘unabated’ fossil fuels at the global level,” meaning no CO2 is captured […]
October 17, 2023
The proposal of the EU to cut CO2 emissions of heavy trucks and buses by 90% from now until 2040 is getting a mixed response from the industry and environmentalists. European car manufacturers federation ACEA wants supporting targets for the infrastructure and transport companies, while Transport & Environment (T&E) feels the short-term targets are too […]
October 16, 2023
Europe’s most important motor show will finally make its comeback in 2024. That’s what the Geneva International Motor Show (GIMS) organizers have announced recently. The 100th-anniversary edition will open again between Monday, 26 February, and Sunday, 3 March 2024. After four years of cancellations caused by the Covid-19 pandemic and problems around the organizers (financial […]
October 16, 2023
The merger between ALD Automotive and LeasePlan continues under the new name of Ayvens. The company, owned by Société Générale, will start rolling out its revamped identity in major markets at the start of 2024. Belgium is scheduled for the second quarter of next year. “This new brand identity not only ensures that 15 700 […]
October 13, 2023
According to the highest European Court, an e-bike is not a motorized vehicle. Speed pedelecs and other electric bicycles are, therefore, not covered by compulsory insurance for motor vehicles because they are not driven exclusively by mechanical power. That is what the European Court of Justice states in a judgment in a Belgian case. The […]
October 13, 2023
At its EV Day in Seoul, South Korean carmaker Kia has taken the wraps off the production version of its new compact SUV, the EV5. It’s a ‘scaled-down’ version of the big EV9 and will be positioned as a forerunner of a series of affordable EVs. A taste of what’s to come is seen with […]
October 12, 2023
After a concept version, two prototypes, and a camouflaged test model, Mercedes-Benz Truck has finally lifted the cover off its production-ready long-haul battery-electric truck. Somewhat surprisingly, Mercedes has opted for a futuristic look that references the GenH2 truck concept. We’ve known about the Mercedes eActros 600 for a while. Daimler Truck first showed a concept […]
October 12, 2023
It all started with one street three years ago. But by 2025, the low-emission zone in Stockholm that will ban all vehicles on gasoline and diesel will expand to twenty living zones and cover 180 000 square meters in the heart of the Swedish capital. The ruling parties call it one of the most ambitious […]
October 12, 2023
The Dutch contract car manufacturer VDL Nedcar has finally disclosed who is the first new client after the BMW Group will have left Born (south of the Netherlands), where Mini’s were assembled, in 2024. And the first ‘new’ client is… BMW. VDL Nedcar struck a deal with BMW to assemble 125 000 battery packs between […]
October 11, 2023
There have been different signs lately about the EV market. Of course, sales are usually still rising, and the growth percentages can be impressive, but the real booming seems already over, and in absolute figures, there’s still a long way to go. One has to be careful when the emphasis is on percentages and the […]
October 10, 2023
In a works council on Monday morning, the direction of the Audi Brussels plant communicated that the Audi Q4 e-tron production, planned to start soon, has been postponed. For the moment, there is no additional production capacity needed. The smallest electric Audi was already in production in VW’s biggest EV factory in Zwickau (Germany), with […]
October 09, 2023
Flemish Mobility Minister Lydia Peeters (Open VLD) launched a ‘Flemish Task Force Autonomous Transport’, in view to coordinate and accelerate the development of autonomous transport in Flanders. “The aim of the task force is to lead the upswing of autonomous transport in Flanders and to support new pilot projects maximally,” says Peeters. “Autonomous mobility is […]
October 09, 2023
In the Antwerp port area, logistics company Wijngaard Natie is now driving around with four fully electric trucks, produced by Volvo Trucks. This would be the first all-electric port transport in Antwerp, although Katoen Natie is also using the Volvo FH Electric. The four trucks should mark a turning point in the transition to sustainable […]
October 06, 2023
It’s cute without being a genuine showstopper, compact and still reasonably spacious inside, quiet and luxurious, and blessed with more power than one usually needs. We’re talking about the Swedish-Chinese Zeekr X, the twin brother of the much anticipated smallest Volvo EV, the EX30. So we were curious to actually drive it on Swedish roads […]
October 06, 2023
Rolls-Royce Motor Cars has announced today that its CEO, Torsten Müller-Ötvös, will retire on 30 November 2023. He will be succeeded by Chris Brownridge, currently CEO of BMW UK. With 14 years as CEO, the German leaves BMW Group’s British high luxury brand as its longest-serving CEO since Claude Johnson brought Charles Rolls and Henry […]
October 06, 2023
A loaded near-production prototype of the Mercedes-Benz eActros 600, Daimler Truck’s long-haul battery-electric truck, has completed a round trip from Stuttgart to South Tyrol and back on one charge. The distance of 530 km each way confirms Mercedes’ promised 500 km range for the model. The Mercedes-Benz eActros 600 is launching soon, with the world […]
October 06, 2023
Sales of new speed pedelecs fell 31,4% in Belgium in September compared to the same month last year. This is reported by sector federation Traxio. In September, 1 212 speed pedelecs were sold, compared to 1 767 in the same month last year. However, on the second-hand market for speed pedelecs, a clear increase of […]
October 05, 2023
The second-generation Skodia Kodiaq is a decisive step up. The car has become even bigger, carries premium looks, features hybrid technology for the first time, and introduces sustainable interior materials. Twinned to the recently unveiled Volkswagen Tiguan, the model paves the way for a more modern Skoda. The dimensions and styling make clear that Kodiaq […]
October 05, 2023
The Brussels Region is planning 1 200 new charging points for EVs next year. Brussels Energy and Environment Minister Alain Maron (Ecolo) has announced a public contract. Sixty of these charging points will be exclusively for car sharing. By 2035, the Brussels Region aims to have 22 000 publicly accessible charging points for electric cars. […]
October 03, 2023
Last week, under Prime Minister Rishi Sunak, the UK government announced a pushback to 2035 from its earlier defined net-zero policies from 2024 to 2030, in line with most EU countries like France, Germany, or Sweden. This mandate regulates the number of ICE cars and vans that can still be sold yearly until the sales […]
October 03, 2023
Omoda is the name of a new Chinese brand, part of the Chinese car manufacturer Chery Automobile. The brand will first be introduced in Belgium and Luxembourg at the beginning of 2024. The first car introduced is the Omoda 5, a fully electric SUV that will be sold at just under €40 000 for the […]
October 02, 2023
Nikola has celebrated the commercial launch of its hydrogen fuel cell electric truck at its manufacturing facility in Arizona. The trucks are now ready to be built for customers, with Nikola also supplying the hydrogen refueling ecosystem. After a few tumultuous months, with the recall of all of its battery-electric Tre trucks and the separation […]
October 02, 2023
A small roadster with fifties styling and an electric drive is proposed on the market for a few months. The origin is Dutch, and the design inspiration is British, but the Porsche 356 reminiscence is not far away. Meet the Carice TC2. “With the Carice TC2, we want to create art on wheels,” Niels van […]
September 29, 2023
Daimler Truck announced with some pride it had a prototype of its Mercedes-Benz fuel cell truck GenH2 accomplish a journey of 1 047 km on hydrogen with only one filling session. The truck maker says this is another milestone within its dual-track strategy with hydrogen and battery-powered vehicles. The truck completed the run fully loaded […]
September 29, 2023
Belgian retail group Colruyt will roll out 10 000 new charging stations at its own network of supermarkets and other public venues like hospitals and shopping centers. It will combine ‘slow’ 10 to 20 kW AC chargers and ‘fast’ DC chargers up to 150 kW. Those fast-chargers installed by energy daughter DATS 24 will allow […]
September 28, 2023
Chinese state-owned carmaker Chery Automobile is coming to Germany in 2024 with three brands, offering a mix of models, price points, and even drive types, with both ICE and EV cars on offer. Should the launch succeed, a local production site is also considered. The report comes from the German business magazine WirtschaftsWoche, which says […]
September 28, 2023
Demand for electric vehicles is decreasing in South Korea due to a slowing economy and is forcing local manufacturers Hyundai and Kia to cut the prices of their electric models. This comes after the government decided to expand its subsidy to more expensive models. Whereas electric vehicles continue to become more popular in Europe due […]
September 28, 2023
Last Monday, the 27 EU member states substantially softened the Commission’s proposition for new Euro 7 emissions regulations by 2025. Led by France and Italy (amongst others), the member states feared that this would cost the EU car industry too much and even retard investments in electrification. The member states are hereby responding to the […]
September 28, 2023
Nissan’s plan to launch only electric cars and hybrids in Europe from 2023 lasted only a short time. From now on, the Japanese want to introduce only pure electric vehicles so that the last hybrid will be sold by 2030. According to the new plan, Nissan wants to sell only fully electric cars in Europe […]
September 27, 2023
Belgium will launch a call for projects worth 10 million euros next month to support the import of green hydrogen into ports. Energy Minister Tinne Van der Straeten (Groen) reports this. Belgium has ambitious plans for hydrogen. Besides making the country a leader in hydrogen technologies, Belgium also wants to be an import and transit […]
September 27, 2023
The widely spread ANPR cameras along Flemish roads in Belgium have caught 10 714 car drivers in traffic who didn’t pay the yearly road tax in 2022. They got an invoice for immediate payment and an additional €116 fine. Another 384 vehicles were towed away. That filled the Flemish government’s kitty with 5,4 million euros. […]
September 27, 2023
The Flemish government has (re-)installed a premium of €5 000 to purchase a new battery electric vehicle (BEV). For a second-hand one, there’s a subsidy of €3 000. There’s a significant restriction, however: the purchasing price of the BEV has to be less than €40 000, severely reducing the choice of electric cars on offer. […]
September 26, 2023
Dongfeng Honda, a joint venture between these Chinese and Japanese brands, has announced the creation of a whole new brand for the Chinese market. Lingxi has been unveiled at a special event showcasing the brand’s latest concept car, the Lingxi L. This study announces a range of new EVs, including a sedan, based on an […]
September 25, 2023
The Vietnamese electric car manufacturer VinFast has now set the fourth quarter of 2023 as the target for the start of deliveries in Europe. The introduction has been postponed several times. At the same time, VinFast presented its first official business figures after it went IPO in August. In the fourth quarter of 2023, the […]
