July 05, 2023
While registrations of new vehicles (51 760 units) almost doubled in June (+48,7%), the second-hand market started to regenerate by growing 15,8% in June to 67 528 units. Cumulated over the first six months, the increase is 5,8% (18 999 units more than in the first six months of 2022), but there is a backlog […]
July 04, 2023
According to the latest Clean Cities Campaign, comparing emission-free mobility in 42 European cities, Brussels (11th place), Antwerp (12th), and Ghent (18th) have achieved a place in the top twenty rankings. Liège, on the other hand, sits in 36th place. Still, all four Belgian cities could step up their game toward a zero-emission future, especially […]
July 03, 2023
BMW has joined forces with long-established Italian bicycle manufacturer 3T to create three types of bikes for various use cases. Customers can choose from a gravel bike, road bike, or urban bike; each of which can also be ordered with an electric motor. All models offer a unique combination of state-of-the-art technology and progressive design. […]
July 03, 2023
The number of accidents involving e-scooters has exploded in recent years. To gain insight into the exact causes, the Vias traffic safety institute analyzed a hundred e-scooter accidents with injured people in Brussels in 2020. Most occurred with users under the influence of alcohol and drugs, causing them to lose control. Vias pleads for the […]
June 30, 2023
Primary school ‘De Wieken’ in Kinrooi (Limburg, Belgium) wants to make the bicycle helmet compulsory next school year. The reason for it is a recent accident in which a 10-year-old boy suffered a severe brain injury. The boy, who did not wear a helmet, was hit by a car while crossing the road and landed […]
June 29, 2023
Denmark will review the energy island project in the North Sea because of the high costs. That is what the Danish government announced on Wednesday. “The project is challenging, the costs are too high, and the risks are too great,” the Danish Ministry of Energy explains in a press release. “The island would cost the […]
June 29, 2023
The European Commission will invest 20 million euros in a hydrogen project off the Belgian coast by 2026. It will build and operate hydrogen facilities off the coast of Ostend, in an offshore testing zone intended to be the nerve center of the green hydrogen industry in Belgium. The HOPE project as it is called […]
June 28, 2023
On Tuesday, the BMW Group took a significant step toward building electric vehicles in the United States as it broke ground for a new high-voltage battery assembly plant in Woodruff, South Carolina. The Woodruff plant will produce sixth-generation batteries to supply fully electric vehicles at nearby BMW Manufacturing in Spartanburg. More than 300 jobs will […]
June 28, 2023
Avesta Battery and Energy Engineering (ABEE), a Brussels-based start-up specializing in battery and energy technologies for e-mobility, plans to build a large-scale battery factory for electric vehicles in the Romanian city of Galați. That is what the ABEE founder and CEO Noshin Omar announced on Tuesday during a press conference in Ninove (Belgium), where Prime […]
June 27, 2023
It is by no means certain that the European Union will achieve its ambitious climate and energy targets for 2030 with the current measures, warns the European Court of Auditors in a new report. Moreover, the foundations of the member states’ climate plans are not transparent, so it’s unclear whether they are feasible. The Auditors […]
June 23, 2023
Last year, the number of road fatalities in Flanders fell by 9%. However, the Flemish Region still had the most accidents (62%), compared to Brussels (11%), and Wallonia (27%). The figures come from Flanders Statistics (Statistiek Vlaanderen). Among the victims is a growing percentage of vulnerable road users, mainly cyclists. In addition, there are still […]
June 22, 2023
Belgian Energy Minister Tinne Van der Straeten (Groen) wants more large battery farms to store energy temporarily. The minister also plans to provide subsidies for it. With the growing amount of energy from solar panels and wind farms, she expects much storage capacity will be needed to maintain balance on the grid. Solar and wind […]
June 21, 2023
On Tuesday, June 20th, global materials technology and recycling group Umicore inaugurated one of the world’s most advanced solid-state battery material prototyping facilities in Olen (Belgium). Solid-state batteries are expected to propel electric mobility and complement Umicore’s world-leading portfolio of battery materials technologies. The new 600 m² facilities with state-of-the-art installations and equipment support the […]
June 20, 2023
The Netherlands has passed the milestone of 500 000 charging stations. The vast majority (384 200) are private points at home. The country is one of the forerunners in Europe regarding charging infrastructure. For comparison, Belgium has an estimated 150 000 charging points. At the end of March, there were more than 30 000 public […]
June 19, 2023
The Court of Appeal in Antwerp has decided that Tesla must repay a Belgian customer his Model S P100D, worth 158 600 euros. According to experts, there were severe shortcomings in driving comfort and safety. On top of that, the company has obstructed the investigation, the newspaper Het Laatste Nieuws writes. Four years ago, the […]
June 09, 2023
According to Viapass’ latest annual report, the number of trucks on Belgian toll roads has decreased by 800 000 in one year, from 41,10 million vehicles to 40,28. Viapass is the governmental organization that monitors the kilometer tax for trucks in Belgium. The decrease has economic reasons: the high energy prices reduced people’s purchasing power, […]
June 08, 2023
Twelve nurses of the ‘Wit-Gele Kruis’ in Hasselt (Limburg) use leased electric bicycles to visit and take care of their patients in the city center. This way, they can avoid the hustle and bustle of the city and their eternal search for a parking space. The home nursing service has decided to invest 20 000 […]
June 08, 2023
Amsterdam has decided to ban all polluting traffic from a large part of the city center. From 2025, only emission-free vehicles – cabs, vans, trucks, scooters, motorbikes, and boats, running on electricity or hydrogen – will be allowed. The Netherlands’s capital and most populous city will introduce this measure to improve the air quality and […]
June 07, 2023
Specter, a Belgian start-up with a production unit in Wondelgem (East Flanders), designs and builds unique, high-end, lightweight, and connected speed pedelecs. On Tuesday, the company introduced a ‘long-range’ version of its Specter 1 speed pedelec, launched end of 2022. The vehicle has an increased driving range of up to 170 kilometers. It is equipped […]
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 transition to a carbon-neutral economy could create tens of thousands of jobs in Belgium, especially in the construction sector, despite its staff shortage. That is one of the conclusions of the recent report ‘Implications of the Climate Transition on Employment, Skills, and Training in Belgium’, published by the Federal Public Service for Health, Food […]
June 06, 2023
Dutch industrial group VDL is going to produce bicycle frames for the Dutch manufacturer of electric bicycles Qwic and the Limburg bicycle manufacturer Belgian Cycling Factory (BCF), among others. The latter is known for its Ridley and Eddy Merckx products. VDL will also produce carbon front forks for a new BCF cyclo-cross bike model. The […]
May 30, 2023
Fastned has opened its newest fast charging station – with eight charging points – in Vielsalm. These are the very first chargers from Fastned in the Walloon Region. For Fastned, the newest station in Vielsalm is their 21st in Belgium. Like the other Fastned stations, it is recognizable by the typical yellow roof covered with […]
May 26, 2023
One out of ten (10%) Walloon car drivers admit having taken the wheel after taking medication that could have consequences on driving behavior. That is what a new study by the Walloon Agency for Road Safety (L’Agence Wallonne pour la Sécurité Routière, AWSR) revealed on Thursday. Each year, about 25 fatal road accidents are medicine […]
May 22, 2023
Volvo Trucks has signed a letter of intent to sell 1 000 electric trucks between now and 2030 to Holcim, one of the world’s largest building solution providers. The deal is the largest commercial order to date for the company’s electric rate. The first 130 electric Volvo FH and FM trucks will be delivered to […]
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 10, 2023
The Dutch asphalt sector can reduce emissions by 30% to 60% by using biobased asphalt, in which the fossil bitumen has been replaced by lignin and other components from residual vegetable flows. That is what figures from Wageningen University indicate. The potential savings are enormous because, in the Netherlands alone, 10 million tons of asphalt […]
May 10, 2023
Poppy Mobility, D’Ieteren’s shared mobility service, has invested significantly in recent months. The company doubled its offer and now has a fleet of 1 000 vehicles in the 19 Brussels municipalities and 2 000 in Antwerp, Ghent, Mechelen, Lier, Liège, and Belgian airports. Since January 1st, the company also uses a system based on facial […]
May 09, 2023
The province of Limburg (Belgium) has applied for an environmental permit to construct the ‘Kolenspoor’ (coal track) bicycle highway between Genk and As. The project represents a €13 million investment. The old coal track connects Maasmechelen with Beringen and runs via Heusden-Zolder, Houthalen-Helchteren, Zonhoven, Genk, and As. The construction of the first 12-km-long stretch, from […]
May 08, 2023
Flemish public transport company De Lijn is looking for about 600 drivers for all of Flanders. Last Saturday’s job day in Destelbergen (East Flanders) attracted some 30 people who were interested in a job. The job day has been organized now so that the new drivers can start their new job this summer. A bus […]
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
The Walloon engineering company John Cockerill has created a joint venture with French Technip Energies. Rely, as the joint venture is called, will be “a unique provider of integrated and competitive green hydrogen solutions”, the press release says. Together, they intend to build large-scale hydrogen plants. The two industry leaders share a common objective of […]
May 03, 2023
On Tuesday, the Dutch railway company NS announced that traveling by Benelux train between Brussels and Amsterdam or trains to Germany will become less flexible during summer. Passengers will no longer have the choice of which train to board; they will only be able to take the train for which they bought a ticket. According […]
May 03, 2023
Centrica Business Solutions, a British multinational energy and services company headquartered in Windsor, Berkshire, has started the construction of its first 24 MW battery storage facility outside the UK. The first installation will be built in Ostend. The site is set to be at full capacity by early 2024. Later, the company plans more similar […]
May 02, 2023
Flemish Minister for Mobility Lydia Peeters (Open Vld) would like to reintroduce a premium for electric or zero-emission cars. This premium is only part of the proposals the minister is putting on the table within the Flemish government during the discussion about the climate objectives. In 2020, the Flemish government decided to scrap the premiums […]
May 02, 2023
Parking in Antwerp’s historic city center will be mainly reserved for residents and permit holders from August 1st. Visitors will have to go to parking buildings and underground parking garages or park-and-ride zones, often situated at the edge of the city. Never before has Antwerp taken such a drastic measure to discourage motorists from entering […]
May 02, 2023
Poppy Mobility, D’Ieteren’s shared mobility service, has decided to give its users a choice to pay per kilometer or minute. Until now, the mobility provider only offered a price per minute. Now it is also possible to choose to pay per kilometer. The new formula, with a well-thought-out rate of 0,95 euro/km, reduces the stress […]
April 28, 2023
In Flanders, speed pedelecs are only allowed on towpaths being part of a bicycle highway. However, according to the new policy vision on towpaths, Flemish Mobility Minister Lydia Peeters Open Vld) has agreed with the Flemish Waterway (Vlaamse Waterweg), those fast-riding e-bikes will get access to all towpaths in Flanders, provided they respect the maximum […]
April 27, 2023
Last year, for the first time since its existence, the ombudsperson office for train passengers reported more complaints about international train traffic than domestic traffic. That is what the 2022 annual report of Ombudsrail indicates. In 2022, Ombudsrail received 3 395 files for which it is responsible, compared to 2 665 one year before. Almost […]
April 26, 2023
On Tuesday, waste processing company Renewi officially inaugurated its new plastics sorting line in the port of Ghent (Belgium). A 20-million-euros investment to increase European recycling rates and accelerate the transition to a circular economy. Present at the inauguration were, among others, Federal Prime Minister Alexander De Croo (Open Vld) and Ghent Mayor Mathias De […]
April 26, 2023
Maritime contractor Jan De Nul has been indicated to pull the cables for the Thor project, Denmark’s largest offshore wind farm. The company announced the news on Tuesday. Jan De Nul was awarded the contract together with partner Hellenic Cables. The latter will design and manufacture all cables in Greece; Jan De Nul will perform […]
April 25, 2023
The Belgian government wants to conclude an agreement with Norway on a CO2 pipeline that connects Belgium to the Norwegian CO2 storage facilities. That is what the Belgian Prime Minister Alexander De Croo (Open Vld) discussed with his Norwegian colleague Jonas Gahr Støre during their visit to the ArcelorMittal steel plant in Ghent. Ghent already […]
April 24, 2023
Every year, air pollution causes more than 1 200 premature deaths among minors in Europe. That is what the European Environmental Agency (EEA) states in its latest report. The report relates to about 30 countries on the continent, including the 27 member states of the European Union. The results show that the still high air […]
April 21, 2023
The self-driving shuttles riding around on the domain of the Terhills Resort in Maasmechelen are now completely autonomous. The presence of a safety steward is no longer needed. The shuttle project is unique in Belgium and exceptional in Europe. The vehicles were officially introduced in May last year in the presence of the Flemish Ministers […]
April 20, 2023
Employer and employee representatives within the Belgian National Labor Council have agreed on a mandatory bicycle allowance of €0,27/km, with a maximum of 40 kilometers per day. The new regulation will take effect from May 1st, although last year, one in three employers already paid a bicycle allowance. In 2022, 29% of Belgian employers paid […]
April 19, 2023
Fitness center chain Basic-Fit and PowerGo have joined forces to realize charging solutions at about 450 Basic-Fit locations in Belgium and the Netherlands. PowerGo will install standard and fast chargers, where drivers of electric cars can charge their vehicles with 100% green electricity. The first location in Belgium will be Basic-Fit Brussels in Jette; in […]
April 19, 2023
The number of people killed in traffic in the Netherlands has increased by more than one-quarter, despite the growing number of safety systems in cars. According to the Dutch Central Bureau of Statistics (Centraal Bureau voor de Statistiek, CBS), the number of traffic deaths is the highest since 2008. Last year, 737 road deaths were […]
April 17, 2023
Last year, more than 4 700 serious or fatal accidents ended with a hit-and-run. A record number in ten years. According to the Belgian traffic safety institute Vias, most victims were cyclists (21%) and pedestrians ‘14%). Fortunately, the vast majority of perpetrators were identified. Vias pleads to step up the fight against drunk driving and […]
April 14, 2023
Saturday, April 15th, will be a historical day for Germany. After more than sixty years, the nuclear era will come to an end. Precisely at midnight, the last three nuclear reactors in the country will shut down. Isar 2 in Bavaria, Emsland in Lower Saxony, and Neckarwestheim 2 in Baden-Württembergare are the last three reactors […]
April 13, 2023
On Wednesday, the US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) proposed new tailpipe emission limits that could require as much as 67% of all new vehicles sold in the US by 2023 to be fully electric. “A very ambitious proposal,” EPA Administrator Michael Regan called it. The proposed limits are considered the country’s most aggressive climate regulations, […]
April 12, 2023
Last year, wind and solar energy generated 12% of electricity worldwide – a new record. Still, the share of renewables remains smaller than that of coal. That is the conclusion of the global energy think tank Ember. The organization recently published its fourth ‘Global Electricity Review’ based on the open data of the electricity sector […]
April 12, 2023
Nine years after the closure of the Ford automobile factory, vehicles are being assembled again in Genk (Limburg). In November, Rhenus Automotive will start assembling John Deere agricultural vehicles: tractors, riding mowers, and off-road vehicles. In the coming months, several million will be invested in infrastructure and assembly lines. Precise figures are not mentioned yet, […]
April 11, 2023
The greening of the van fleet is progressing slowly. That is why Deputy Prime Minister Petra De Sutter (Groen) wants to make electric vans more tax-efficient. De Sutter pleads for a temporary increase of the tax deductibility from 8 to 40 percent. In other words, a self-employed person or SME buying an environmentally friendly van […]
April 06, 2023
Dredging and marine engineering companies DEME and Jan De Nul, and Aertssen Group in JV Terranova, specialized in infrastructure works, join forces with energy providers Luminus and Nippon Gases to build and exploit a production unit for green hydrogen in Zelzate. The companies have established a new partnership Terranova Hydrogen NV. The three companies will […]
April 05, 2023
Flemish Minister of Mobility, Lydia Peeters (Open Vld), has ambitious plans. In her most recent bicycle policy plan, she expects Flemish citizens to hop on the bike for more than 30% of their daily journeys. To achieve that goal, Peeters is willing to invest at least 300 million euros a year. Peeters’ previous bicycle policy […]
April 04, 2023
Flemish Mobility Minister Lydia Peeters (Open Vld) is fed up with the problems at the technical car inspection centers. That is why she wants to engage certified garages for the re-inspection of passenger cars. Today, these re-inspections take place in the 43 accredited inspection centers. In the summer of 2022, Minister Peeters decided to organize […]
April 03, 2023
D’Ieteren’s shared mobility service, Poppy Mobility, will double its fleet in Antwerp to meet growing demand. By the end of spring, 450 new red cars will be driving around in the city of Antwerp, on top of the 450 shared cars that are already available now. “The expansion of our fleet will allow us to […]
March 31, 2023
Last year, a record number of drivers in Belgium were fined for speeding. The number of fines went up from 4,9 million in 2021 to 6,2 million in 2022 (+27%) – that is no less than 16 980 per day or 707 per hour. An explanation for this spectacular increase is to be found in […]
March 30, 2023
Private jet flights in Europe reached record levels last year – most of which were ultra-short journeys. As a result, the number of private jet flights increased by 64% last year, reaching a record high of 572 806. Together, they emitted 3,4 million tons of greenhouse gas emissions. In Belgium alone, private flights more than […]
