June 09, 2023
The Belgian Federation of Automotive Manufacturers and Importers Febiac has a new president. Freddy De Mulder (67), after a long career in the automotive business, takes over from Philippe Dehennin as of 21 June. After a Ph.D. in Economy, Freddy De Mulder began his career at Ford, but very soon, he switched to General Motors/Opel, […]
June 08, 2023
Eneco, a Dutch energy supplier with its Belgian headquarter in Mechelen, will invest 90 million euros into a 50-megawatt battery power park in the Walloon town of Ville-sur-Haine. The battery park, which will be connected to the high-voltage grid as a backup, should be operational by the end of next year. The park, in the […]
June 08, 2023
The Antwerp car servicing group Beerens breathes new life into the former Opel plant at the Noorderlaan with a new site for its Belcar daughter to prepare some 100 000 new and second-hand leased cars a year for the market. Announced in February 2021, the site is reopening on Thursday after renovation, which included 20 […]
June 08, 2023
Volvo just launched its first entry-level electric car, and the Swedish (but now Chinese-owned) car maker surprises with a price setting a benchmark for customers and competitors. In Belgium, prices for this fully electric EV start from € 38 990. In other markets, the starting price can be as low as € 36 590. In […]
June 07, 2023
The new Renault Espace tries to combine the heritage of its name with today’s codes for a family car. Dead is the hyper-modular minivan: the Espace is now reborn as a long-wheelbase SUV with seven seats standard. That’s not the only transformation, as the Espace is now only offered as a full-hybrid. The name ‘Espace’ […]
June 07, 2023
According to several French-language newspapers, the Brussels Region will automate its metro network. These ‘driverless’ trains have been discussed for about a decade, but now the goals are becoming more concrete: the first route to run without a human driver will be line 5 Ceria-Erasmus in the summer of 2026. Eventually, all metros should run […]
June 07, 2023
Belgium-based gas transmission system operator Fluxys is working on the installation of 44 kilometers of new pipelines between Desteldonk and Opwijk. The new pipelines will transport gas and, in the future, green hydrogen. The first part of the so-called ‘hydrogen highway of the future’ has to be ready by the end of this year. The […]
June 06, 2023
The Fleming increasingly prefers to cycle and walk. This emerges from a study into the travel behavior of the Flemish population by the Department of Mobility. Although the car remains the most popular means of transport, the share of the car drops below 60% for the first time. It is the sixth time since 1994 […]
June 06, 2023
In May 2023, there were 57 807 second-hand cars registered in Belgium, meaning the market is dominated by 88% by private buyers and is keeping a steadily growing pace of 4,4%, says the automotive services federation Traxio. According to spokesperson Filip Rylant, this is due to more recent second-hand cars reaching the market as deliveries […]
June 05, 2023
While there still was 4% less traffic on Flemish highways in 2022 compared to the pre-pandemic era, the congestion rate is back at the former level. However, the congestion’s exact time and place play a more significant role than before. According to the yearly report for 2022 of the Flemish Traffic Center (Vlaams Verkeerscentrum), traffic […]
June 02, 2023
In May, 41 358 new cars were registered in Belgium and Luxemburg, a serious increase of 42,5% compared to the same month last year. Most of these registrations have been done by companies and independents, representing already two-thirds of the total Belux market last month. Looking at the first five months of the year, 212 […]
June 02, 2023
As of the 1st of November, 1 800 jobs will disappear at the Dutch car manufacturing plant Nedcar in Born. One of the two work shifts will completely disappear, almost halving the number of employees. Mother company VDL sent the message to the works council on Thursday, discussing “an unavoidable dismantling of fellow workers”. VDL […]
June 01, 2023
A new report by the International Council on Clean Transportation (ICCT) assesses how effectively the world’s 20 largest automakers are transitioning to electric vehicles. At the top of the ranking is Tesla, followed by Chinese manufacturer BYD, which is catching up fast. The manufacturer assessment on the electric drive system turnaround is the first of […]
June 01, 2023
Chinese car manufacturer Great Wall Motor is looking into acquiring a European EV plant in order to support its international expansion. Building a new plant in Germany, Hungary or the Czech Republic would be an option, but the company is also looking to buy an existing plant. Great Wall Motor, known in Europe for the […]
June 01, 2023
Automotive Cells Company (ACC), a joint venture by Stellantis, Total, and Mercedes-Benz, inaugurated its first factory in France. However, the “Grand Opening” is not synonymous with commissioning, which will occur later this year. ACC says the facility in Billy-Berclau/Douvrin in the Hauts-de-France region has a production area of more than 60 000 square meters. The […]
May 31, 2023
Around noon on Whit Monday, a record amount of electricity was generated by wind and sun, enough to cover just about all of Belgium’s electricity consumption for a while. This is according to preliminary figures from high-voltage manager Elia. This is the first time that solar and wind have been enough to cover just about […]
May 31, 2023
Japanese truck builders Hino Motors and Mitsubishi Fuso have announced a merger and intend to become a publicly listed company. Both brands revealed that the union is on equal footing. Though the new truck maker from Japan will operate globally, its prime focus will be on the Southeast Asian market. As Hino Motors is fully […]
May 30, 2023
In a short press release, Febiac, the car and two-wheeler importers federation for Belgium and Luxembourg, and the Brussels Motor Show (BMS) organizer, states that its board has decided to cancel the January 2024 edition of the show. “The aim of Febiac is always to deliver a qualitative and representative experience to visitors,” says the […]
May 30, 2023
The Model Y can parade itself as the best-sold car in the world. It took the title in Q1 of 2023 from the Toyota Corolla, which has held the top spot for many years. It’s the first time an electric car has won the gold medal. The Model Y also surges in Europe. Tesla’s price […]
May 30, 2023
Belgians most often traveled on foot (95%) and by car (94%) in 2022, according to a survey by FPS Mobility questioning 4 600 Belgians aged between 18 and 79. The two most popular alternatives are public transport and cycling, with 65% and 56%, respectively. However, sustainable mobility is gaining ground, partly because of environmental and […]
May 26, 2023
The Brussels government will ask the federal government for a budget increase for the planned works on the Metro 3 project in the capital. This is because the costs of constructing a tunnel and stations are piling up much higher than initially projected. According to a report in the business newspaper L’Echo, Beliris, the federal […]
May 25, 2023
BMW has unveiled the all-new G60 generation of the 5 Series, which gets a radical new look and, for the first time, a fully-electric version in the shape of the i5. Gasoline, diesel, and plug-in hybrid versions are still on the table, however. While its main rival, the Mercedes E-Class, went for a traditional look […]
May 25, 2023
Brussels Airport Company, the operator of Zaventem airport, posted a net profit of 16 million euros last year. It is the first time in three years that it’s back in the black. “The profit in 2022 was still limited, but it does shed light at the end of the tunnel,” said airport chief Arnaud Feist. […]
May 25, 2023
Alpine and Lotus will not be co-developing an all-electric sportscar. The sports car brands have axed their collaboration under “mutual agreement” and will go through the development process alone. The project was scheduled to spawn a successor to the Alpine A110 and the new Lotus Type 135. Developing electric cars is costly, particularly when the […]
May 25, 2023
Ridesharing company Uber is going to offer robotaxis in the US. Uber’s partner is Waymo, a subdivision of the Alphabet group, Google’s parent company. An initial collaboration is scheduled for later this year in Phoenix City. The exact number of self-driving taxis remains undisclosed. The association surprises as the two companies were entangled in a […]
May 25, 2023
The Swedish car glass specialist Cary group has announced the acquisition of both Autoglass Clinic and Touring Glass, which are the second and third most important glass repair players in Belgium after the undisputed market leader Car Glass. ‘We want to grow into a strong number two”, says Charline Leroi from AutoGlass Clinic, who remains […]
May 24, 2023
Flemish Minister of Mobility and Public Works Lydia Peeters (Open Vld) blows the whistle on her administration over the use of road signs that state ‘Liège’ instead of ‘Luik’, preferring the language of the destination instead of the location language of the signs. According to Peeters, the practice violates language laws. She wants the road […]
May 24, 2023
People living in Brussels take their cars less often than ten years ago and more often go by bike or on foot. These are the results of a new study by Brussels Mobility. Every day, the capital’s inhabitants make 3,3 million journeys, accounting for 25 million kilometers traveled. Most of these are done on foot […]
May 24, 2023
The lobby organisation for car manufacturers ACEA is flashing the lights again on the proposed Euro 7 rules, which are considered unnecessary and a waste of money by many car brands. A new survey has calculated that the price increase could be four to seven times higher than initially accounted for. “The effects on the […]
May 23, 2023
Cowboy, the Belgian manufacturer of city e-bikes, drops its online-only strategy. By the end of the year, the company wants a retail network of at least 300 independent bike shops in 60 Belgian and foreign cities. In Belgium, contracts will be closed with “some ten retail partners”. Names will follow later when their personnel has […]
May 19, 2023
In April 2023, the EU car market saw a significant increase in passenger car registrations, with 803 188 units sold, marking a 17,2% growth from the previous year. All the EU’s major markets grew solidly last month, with Italy (+29,2%) and France (+21,9%) leading the way. From January to April 2023, the EU car market […]
May 17, 2023
The Brussels MR has proposed a bill to ban bicycles and e-scooters in busy pedestrian zones in the capital. Currently, the maximum speed allowed there is officially 8 km/hour. Cyclists and e-scooter users who ride too fast through the pedestrian zones risk a fine of 174 euros. The MR justifies the ban by “the explosion […]
May 17, 2023
After a slight decrease in 2021, mainly due to delivery problems, the Belgian bicycle market has grown by a substantial 19% to almost 700 000 units (695 871 to be precise), or 110 958 more than in 2021. The corona problems are clearly behind us, and plenty of bicycles and spare parts are available. According […]
May 16, 2023
The French petroleum giant, TotalEneries, is planning to build a large battery park next to its Antwerp refinery. On Monday, the company announced its plans for constructing a 25 MW battery farm at its Antwerp oil refinery. With a storage capacity of 75 MWh, the battery can store enough energy to provide 10 000 families […]
May 16, 2023
French car manufacturer Renault is working on a €20 000 EV to make electric car ownership more mainstream and affordable in Europe. The carmaker is thus taking up the challenge with the Volkswagen Group (and probably a bunch of Chinese manufacturers to come) to serve the lowest segments of the car industry. The proposed EV, […]
May 16, 2023
French President Macron is accelerating his plans to put France at the forefront of the zero-emission transition in the automotive industry. After his CO2 tax favoring local-built EVs and announcing a battery plant in Northern France, Macron met with Elon Musk at the Choose France Summit to discuss an investment. After the summit, which took […]
May 15, 2023
The Flemish government has adopted the updated Flemish Energy and Climate Plan (VEKP). To meet the target of -40% greenhouse gas emissions by 2030, the government is taking additional measures, including extending the truck kilometer charge and a support mechanism for new and second-hand zero-emission vehicles. However, the Transport Federations regret that kilometer charging for […]
May 15, 2023
Honda is accelerating its electrified assault on the European market with the hybrid ZR-V, a compact SUV between the HR-V and the CR-V, and the e:Ny1, an electric SUV that looks strikingly similar to the current HR-V. While Honda has fallen a bit behind in terms of electrification, with currently only a few hybrids and […]
May 15, 2023
Volvo and Polestar’s new electric flagships are coming later than expected. Delays in the software development of the shared electric platform mean that both the Volvo EX90 and Polestar 3 are not expected before 2024, rather than the second half of 2023. The Volkswagen Group is not the only car manufacturer struggling with the software […]
May 15, 2023
During the first three months of this year, the number of on-site traffic fatalities on Belgian roads decreased by 18% compared to the same period last year. There were 89 road fatalities compared to 108 during the same period last year. One in three fatalities is a cyclist or pedestrian. This is according to Vias […]
May 12, 2023
French President, Emmanuel Macron, could announce a reform of the government’s EV bonus plan. The suggestion could be based on the vehicle’s carbon footprint, thus excluding cars produced in heavy-polluting countries such as China. However, it’s easier said than done. For a few months now, France has considered a way to exclude vehicles built far […]
May 12, 2023
The first parts of the new, more compact interchange Antwerp-West, where the E17 (Ghent) and the Antwerp ring road near the Kennedy tunnel meet, will open to motorists from Friday evening at 8 p.m. The interchange on Antwerp’s Left Bank is part of the Oosterweel project, a mega-project designed to complete the Antwerp ring road. […]
May 11, 2023
After a large consulting round, the Walloon government has approved an upgraded and comprehensively altered version of the Walloon car taxation scheme. The most important change is that the scheme only applies to the registration tax, not the yearly road tax. The new system will be introduced in July 2025. “This tax reform aims to […]
May 10, 2023
Energy Minister Tinne Van der Straeten (Groen) has given the green light to the federal development plan of high-voltage grid operator Elia. With that plan, Elia sets out its Belgian course for the next ten years to simultaneously strengthen its energy supply and keep it affordable. The federal development plan includes the realization of the […]
May 10, 2023
French sportscar manufacturer Alpine is at the dawn of a new era, that of electric sportscars. The new A290_β concept foresees the future A290 electric hot-hatch, with some design fantasies, such as the three-seat configuration inside. Whether we like it or not, Alpine is going full electric. That should be no surprise to anyone interested […]
May 10, 2023
Prime Minister Alexander De Croo (Open Vld) has inaugurated the first supercharger station from Sparki, a provider rooted in Belgium. The two superchargers in Deinze kickstart the first series of six ultra-fast charging stations capable of 300 kW, becoming operational in the following days. By the end of this year, the start-up company wants to […]
May 09, 2023
When picking up the NIO ET7 in Amsterdam for a week-long test drive, it was apparent right from the first moment we stepped into the 5,1-meter sleek sedan this is not your average Chinese low-budget electric car. This one is conceived to be a luxurious ‘second living room’ on wheels, playing in the highest categories […]
May 09, 2023
Belgian employees with flexible remuneration are increasingly opting for cycling. This emerges from an analysis by HR service provider SD Worx of so-called cafeteria plans, a personalized pay package with extralegal benefits that companies now offer. More than one in ten employees opt for a bicycle, for example. Individual pension savings and extra holidays also […]
May 09, 2023
The first electric car from the American manufacturer Fisker Inc. is allowed to roll on the roads in Europe. The Fisker Ocean has received sales approval for the European market. The first Fisker Ocean One Launch Edition was handed over to its owner at the recently opened Fisker Center in Copenhagen on Friday. “I’m super […]
May 09, 2023
The Volkswagen Group and car supplier giant Bosch will not realize their planned joint venture to equip battery cell factories. Volkswagen and its battery subsidiary PowerCo are now pursuing the plan without Bosch as a partner, but Bosch will remain on board as a supplier. At the same time, CEO Oliver Blume is getting fed […]
May 08, 2023
HySun, a joint venture between Spanish companies Nanogap et Tewer Engineering, claims to be able to produce ‘white’ or ‘green’ hydrogen for one euro per kilogram or less by 2030 just by using solar energy. That would enable it to go under the price of ‘grey’ hydrogen produced from natural gas and used for 95% […]
May 05, 2023
Car manufacturers are not allowed to extol the virtues of their products by using terms like ‘sustainable’ or ‘eco smart’. Greenwashing is forbidden. This is what the Belgian Federal Service for Economy says, following checks at the latest motor show in Brussels. During that motor show in January 2023, inspectors checked whether exhibitors at the […]
May 05, 2023
Volvo is the next car manufacturer to lay off staff in the wake of the electric transition challenging the automotive industry. To streamline its efficiency, the company is reducing its office-based national workforce by 6%, corresponding to 1 300 jobs. So, the cuts are made entirely in Sweden. In an official statement, CEO of Volvo […]
May 05, 2023
In the second year of the C40 Recharge’s existence, Volvo created a brand-new, compact e-motor for it… and we saw that it was good. Developed in-house in Sweden, it makes its entry in the new rear-wheel drive 2024 versions of the XC40 and C40 Recharge, both manufactured in Ghent, Belgium. Newmobility.news got the opportunity to […]
May 05, 2023
Mercedes-Benz has pushed back an interim goal on its way to becoming an electric car manufacturer. Specifically, it is about the target set almost two years ago that electric cars and plug-in hybrids should account for half of the sales in 2025. The manufacturer wants to continue to reach this interim goal by the middle […]
May 04, 2023
In Sint-Truiden, gearbox manufacturer Punch Powertrain has kickstarted the production of components for the eDCT transmission for Stellantis. The gearbox will be assembled in the car giant’s 1,2 million vehicles, providing substantial CO2 savings. “Our patented technology enables us to bring sustainable technologies to global markets at affordable cost,” said Jorge Solis, CEO of Punch […]
May 04, 2023
Following the unofficial leak of data and images a few weeks ago, Mini has announced the first official key data for the upcoming Cooper Electric. The fifth generation of the 3-door Mini will be available for purchase by the year’s end and will be produced in Leipzig from November. The fifth generation of the 3-door […]
May 04, 2023
After Wolfgang Hatz, a former top manager at VW Group car manufacturing daughters Audi and Porsche, changed his attitude in Court, former Audi CEO Rupert Stadler has finally given in, and now follows the same strategy, both pleading guilty to installing emissions-cheating software in cars to mislead official emission measurements (commonly known as ‘dieselgate‘). Until […]
May 03, 2023
Until now, Cupra has been absent in China because of the cost and the risk involved. But with the Tavascan being made in China, the VW Group is looking into launching a new EV sub-brand for its Chinese-built models, according to Automobilwoche. The Spanish SUV coupé would lead the charge for this unnamed sub-brand. The […]
May 03, 2023
The Belgian automotive sector is recovering, with new car registrations pushing the throttle by +40.38% compared to April last year. With 17 420 cars sold or 10,17% market share BWM is keeping its pursuers Volkswagen (14 681 or 8,57%) and Peugeot (12 897 or 7,36% ) in the rearview mirror. Mercedes hooks up fourth with […]
