December 16, 2025
According to a newly released statement from Smart Europe, the fully electric #2, to be launched at the end of 2026, has entered an intensive real-world validation phase on its entirely new Electric Compact Architecture (ECA). The #2, expected to become the spiritual successor to the original Smart Fortwo, arrives at a moment when the […]
December 15, 2025
Toyota takes another step in the gradual expansion of its European electric vehicle range with the unveiling of the final all-new Urban Cruiser, a compact battery-electric SUV designed to compete in one of the continent’s fastest-growing segments. The model made its world premiere at the Brussels Motor Show earlier this year. Positioned below the bZ4X […]
December 15, 2025
BMW has quietly drawn a strategic line in the fast-evolving battle over electric-vehicle batteries. With the commissioning of its new battery cell recycling facility in Bavaria, operated with circular-economy specialist Encory, the German carmaker is not only closing the loop on its electric drivetrains but also making a clear statement about which battery chemistry it […]
December 10, 2025
VAB, Belgium’s largest mobility organisation, will undergo a leadership transition in mid-2026. Outgoing CEO Geert Markey has announced on LinkedIn that he will retire on 1 July 2026, with Werner Eetezonne to succeed him. The move marks a significant shift at the top of a company that plays a central role in roadside assistance, insurance […]
December 10, 2025
When the doors of the Brussels Motor Show open in January 2026, all eyes will turn to several ‘world premieres’, and one of them is Opel. The German brand is preparing the fully updated Opel Astra range, including the Astra Electric and the Astra Sports Tourer Electric. And fittingly, Brussels itself has grown in strategic […]
December 09, 2025
When Chinese battery giant CATL announced last week that fully electric vessels capable of open-ocean voyages could be commercially viable within three years, the claim sent a jolt through the maritime world. Batteries have already reshaped personal mobility and are rapidly gaining ground in Europe’s leisure boating market, but scaling them to the demands of […]
December 08, 2025
Smart has unveiled the first official images of its new #6 sedan via China’s MIIT filings, confirming a significant shift in direction for the brand — one that points to a different trajectory than the one Smart follows in Europe. The #6 mirrors the plug-in hybrid approach of the Smart #5, underscoring how Smart China […]
December 05, 2025
It begins with a thud that shouldn’t be survivable. In a video ricocheting across Chinese social media and picked up by YouTube channel Planet Car News, a two-ton palm tree with a trunk thicker than a man’s torso is dropped on a gleaming BYD Yangwang U8L luxury SUV. The impact is violent, the shockwave rippling […]
December 05, 2025
Despite the (mostly German) carmakers’ lobbying to hit the brakes and give ICE another chance, Europe’s electric-vehicle landscape is shifting fast, and a new analysis from TradingPedia offers an unusually detailed snapshot of which brands and models are winning the race in 2025. TradingPedia, a Bulgarian financial analysis platform that frequently works with industry datasets, […]
December 03, 2025
A new analysis of end-of-lease EVs by Belgian mobility organisation VAB confirms what international research has long indicated: battery reliability is far better than many early predictions, and the second-hand electric car market has matured much faster than most consumers realize. With high battery health, falling purchase prices, and ownership costs that increasingly rival or […]
December 02, 2025
Kia officially confirmed on Tuesday that its all-new EV2 will make its world debut at the 2026 Brussels Motor Show in January 2026, a decision that places Europe firmly at the center of the brand’s electric ambitions. The EV2 has been designed from the start as a European car. It will be the smallest member […]
December 02, 2025
When the Croatian repair network EV Clinic posted an unusually blunt warning on X about ‘catastrophic’ failure rates in Tesla Model 3 and Model Y NMC battery packs built by LG Energy Solution in Nanjing (China), the message rippled quickly across the EV community, picked up by sites like Electrek, ArenaEV, and others. But it […]
December 01, 2025
When the Swedish-Chinese brand Lynk & Co was launched in Europe by its Belgian CEO, Alain Visser, it presented itself not simply as a new car brand, but as a corrective to everything outdated in the automotive world. Its message was evangelical: the age of car ownership was over, the future belonged to mobility, and […]
November 28, 2025
When Leapmotor first unveiled the B05 at the IAA Mobility show in Munich last September, it was clear that the compact electric hatchback was conceived with Europe in mind. What was less clear then was how aggressively the Chinese newcomer, backed by Stellantis, intended to position itself. Now, following the official launch of the model […]
November 28, 2025
A survey commissioned by Belgian service chain Auto5 found that half of young drivers postpone essential car maintenance, even when it compromises safety or shortens the life of their vehicle. At first glance, the claim raises the question of whether it reveals a genuine societal trend or serves the interests of a company built on […]
November 27, 2025
Horse Powertrain, the Renault-Geely joint venture backed by Saudi Aramco, has unveiled the production-bound version of its ‘Future Hybrid System,’ signalling a decisive shift from an intriguing idea shown earlier this year to a fully industrialised technology aimed at mass-market deployment by 2027. It’s more than yet another powertrain technology. It signals a shift in […]
November 27, 2025
In the hypercar world, the sky is the limit, yet even in this rarified space, the debut of the Aspark Owl Roadster lands with unusual force as one of the world’s fastest EV roadsters on sale. The Japanese company Aspark has unveiled a convertible version of its extreme electric hypercar, already famed for its 1,900-plus […]
November 26, 2025
On the Belgian car market, where company cars account for more than 60% of registrations, no electric model has made a louder entrance this year than the Kia EV3. With 39% of its cars sold being purely EVs, Kia scores higher than the Belgian market average of 33%. And by launching a new EV4, EV5, […]
November 26, 2025
When Renault unveiled its new Twingo E-Tech, the surprise wasn’t just the cute, legendary car itself. It was also the story behind it: how the French carmaker had to rewrite European car design rules to fight back and develop a strong alternative to the Chinese competition. A really affordable car in a segment that other […]
November 25, 2025
Ford Trucks is preparing to enter a new chapter in its history with the launch of the F-LINE E, the company’s first fully electric heavy truck, first unveiled to the public at the Solutrans commercial vehicle show in Lyon in late 2025. The choice of the Netherlands, Belgium, and Luxembourg as pioneers reflects both strategic […]
November 24, 2025
BYD has moved decisively into the global lead in battery-electric vehicle sales, widening the gap with Tesla and signalling a shift in the balance of power in the world’s largest and most contested segment of the auto market. New data for the third quarter of 2025 shows BYD selling more than 582,000 BEVs worldwide, comfortably […]
November 24, 2025
Antwerp has taken another step toward cleaner and quieter waste collection. The city officially put its first fully electric refuse truck into service, expanding its zero-emission ‘fleet’ of two hydrogen-powered vehicles. Across Europe and beyond, several recent case studies show that electric waste collection trucks are becoming increasingly competitive with their diesel counterparts. While the […]
November 21, 2025
With the new Mokka GSe, which we drove on the roads north of Madrid and on the Jarama race circuit, Opel is doing something unusual in today’s EV market. Instead of chasing maximum range, fleet efficiency, or price-optimised urban mobility, the brand is deliberately injecting emotion and performance into one of its smallest electric SUVs. […]
November 20, 2025
LEAP24, a Dutch provider of fast-charging stations, is causing a stir in the Netherlands by announcing weekend fast charging at just €0.24 per kWh, essentially the price of home charging. To compare, data shows that DC chargers over 50 kW average around €0.79 per kWh, with a typical range of €0.67 to €0.86 in 2025. […]
November 20, 2025
South Korean Kia’s PV5 has clinched the International Van of the Year 2026 title, an achievement that marks more than just another trophy in the light-commercial segment. It signals a generational shift in the European van market, one that has long been dominated by established European players and incremental updates rather than step-changes. What makes […]
November 19, 2025
Leapmotor, the only 10-year-old Chinese electric carmaker backed by Stellantis, is about to launch a new compact crossover, the A10, with an all-electric powertrain. It will be positioned to directly compete with BYD’s Atto 2, with an expected price between 80,000 and 100,000 yuan (9,710 and 12,137 euros). This could be an essential player in […]
November 14, 2025
As Chinese carmakers accelerate their push into global markets, Chery’s youth-oriented Omoda brand is preparing a two-pronged assault on Europe, strengthening its presence with two new electrified models. The company announced that the Omoda 5 will receive a new SHS-H hybrid variant later this year. At the same time, the all-new Omoda 4, unveiled at Chery’s […]
November 14, 2025
A new study by the French Institut Mobilités en Transition (IMT) casts fresh doubt on the future of plug-in hybrid vehicles (PHEVs), arguing that prolonging their sale in Europe beyond 2035 would harm both household budgets and the continent’s climate ambitions. The study finds that for buyers of new vehicles, plug-in hybrids cost about 7% […]
November 13, 2025
EVs are increasingly showing supercar performance, but this might hit a ceiling soon. China is preparing to introduce a sweeping new rule that would cap how quickly cars can accelerate when started, for instance. A new draft issued by the Ministry of Public Security proposes that all passenger vehicles be, by default, unable to accelerate […]
November 12, 2025
Chinese carmaker XPeng has taken another step in the electrification race with the unveiling of the G6 EREV, an extended-range version of its midsize SUV featuring a 55.8 kWh battery that delivers a pure-electric range of over 400 km (CLTC) or 325 km (WTLP). That’s roughly the distance from De Panne to Eupen on pure electricity. […]
November 10, 2025
When Chinese electric carmaker XPeng Motors unveiled its new humanoid robot Iron last week, the audience at a Guangzhou tech fair couldn’t believe their eyes. The tall, silver-skinned figure glided across the stage with slow, deliberate female movements — so human that murmurs rippled through the crowd. “It’s just a woman in a suit.” But […]
November 07, 2025
More than half of all electric cars on Belgian roads are leased or rented. According to new figures from the vehicle rental federation Renta, its members alone operate 195,990 fully electric cars, representing 51% of Belgium’s total EV fleet. The data highlight the crucial role of corporate leasing in driving the country’s vehicle electrification. Renta […]
November 06, 2025
Four companies are joining forces to realize a world first in green hydrogen. On a site in Namur, Belgium, they will build in 2026 the world’s first ‘commercial’ solar hydrogen park based on Belgian Solhyd technology, catching ‘green hydrogen’ directly from the air with sunlight. By choosing Namur, not a sunnier spot like the desert, […]
November 05, 2025
After nearly two years of delay, ICO in Zeebrugge has broken ground on what will become Europe’s first fully automated multilevel parking system for finished vehicles. This €50-million-plus project marks a new chapter for the continent’s automotive logistics, ICO’s Japanese parent company NYK announced. The installation, a collaboration between ICO and Belgian partners Stow Group and […]
November 05, 2025
Geely’s Swedish-Chinese subbrand Zeekr has just rolled out a refreshed version with more power, more range, and a surprisingly long list of luxury features of its compact electric SUV, the Zeekr X, a sibling to the Volvo EX30 (Belgium-built )and the Smart #1. It packs a 61.47 kWh LFP battery, offering up to 530 km […]
November 04, 2025
A large-scale analysis by German automobile club ADAC has provided new real-world insight into the ageing of plug-in hybrid vehicle (PHEV) batteries, confirming a pattern already observed in international studies: smaller batteries, such as those in plug-in hybrids, tend to degrade faster than the larger packs used in fully electric vehicles (BEVs). The ADAC study, […]
November 03, 2025
Chinese EV giant Xpeng has begun mass production of a ‘real flying car’ with the first flying body rolling of the assembly line. It’s the first time a major automaker, not a start-up, has crossed that line. Xpeng’s flying-car division, recently rebranded Aridge, announced this week that the first model rolled off the line at […]
November 03, 2025
Solid Power, the U.S.-based battery developer, has made a new step to accelerate the commercialization of its all-solid-state battery technology, joining forces with Samsung SDI and BMW Group in a move that could signal a new phase in the industry’s long quest to move beyond conventional lithium-ion cells. The partnership, announced in late October, brings […]
October 31, 2025
Four years after the Japanese carmaker virtually disappeared from the Belgian market, Mitsubishi is back, as we wrote earlier. Test-driving on Spanish roads, the two latest additions to the lineup—the hybrid Grandis and the fully electric Eclipse Cross—there’s one thing that’s immediately apparent. Driving electric is so much more fun. And it makes sense for […]
October 30, 2025
The mandatory technical inspection for second-hand motorcycles in Flanders will be abolished in mid-2026, barely three years after its introduction. Pretty unpopular among bike riders, it resulted in 21,000 fewer second-hand motorcycles sold in 2024. Motorcycles will no longer have to be inspected when sold or after an accident, and no periodic inspection will replace […]
October 29, 2025
Around 300 employees at Opel’s vehicle testing facilities near Frankfurt are set to lose their jobs as French engineering firm Segula Technologies, which operates the sites, winds down its activities following insolvency. The two affected facilities, in Rodgau-Dudenhofen and Rüsselsheim, which have long been central to Opel’s engineering heritage, are among the most significant test […]
October 24, 2025
Starting next year, Belgian consumers buying a used electric vehicle will, for the first time, be able to check the battery’s condition on the official Car-Pass, the document that certifies a vehicle’s history and which is mandatory in this country. Still, the battery’s condition health state mention will remain optional until Europe’s digital battery passport […]
October 23, 2025
Born from a skunkworks team at Rivian, the electric carmaker best known for its pickup trucks and SUVs, a group of engineers is now applying that same magic DNA to smaller wheels. An e-bike like a futuristic promise: sleek, software-driven, and distinctly Rivian in spirit. Their new spinoff, called Also, has unveiled the TM-B, a […]
October 22, 2025
The new Mercedes-Benz GLC Electric and the upcoming BMW iX3 are poised to compete directly in the premium mid-size electric SUV segment. The GLC, from today on available in Belgium for ordering at €72,479, combines a luxurious interior, spacious design, and a WLTP range of up to 715 km. Priced at a similar level to […]
October 22, 2025
The GTS name goes electric as Porsche adds more power and precision to its best-selling EV SUV. The dual-motor GTS delivers 571 hp and almost 1,000 Nm of torque, and sharper dynamics, making Porsche’s electric SUV the sportiest Macan yet. The Macan GTS EV is clearly positioned as a high-performance variant within the Macan EV […]
October 21, 2025
“Nissan intends to CO₂-pool with BYD across the EU during 2025 to meet more challenging emissions targets.” That’s what Schmidt Automotive Research, a UK-established, Germany-based independent consultancy and publishing firm that specializes in the automotive market, predicts. However, neither Nissan nor BYD has confirmed this so far. Nissan’s intention to pool its European fleet CO₂ […]
October 20, 2025
The Flemish government has approved a measure allowing heavier zero- and low-emission trucks to operate on its roads. On a proposal from Mobility Minister Annick De Ridder, the maximum permitted weight for five-axle zero-emission trucks will rise from 44 to 46 tonnes, while low-emission vehicles will be allowed up to 45 tonnes. Zero-emission trucks are […]
October 20, 2025
“Developed to bring the Joy of driving to gliding.” German premium carmaker is pushing its brand beyond traditional vehicles into electrified leisure mobility and new uncharted waters: an electric stand-up paddleboard (SUP). And it’s premium too, as the €3,990 price tag suggests. BMW is doing this with the help of Slovenian SipaBoards, a company founded in […]
October 17, 2025
How about this: a pedalable trike vehicle with a top speed of up to 120 km/h? Something for you? It’s not entirely a crackpot idea, as there actually is a startup in France called Cixi working on a vehicle called the Vigoz that roughly matches that. That said, there are several caveats, and it has […]
October 16, 2025
The end of the EV paradise? Norway’s 25% VAT exemption for electric vehicles has been in place for over 20 years, making it one of the earliest and longest-running EV incentives in the world, but now it’s thinking about scrapping it from 2027. Alongside, the government proposes increasing the registration tax on fossil fuel (ICE) […]
October 15, 2025
According to a new report from UK-based research, analytics, and data company Rho Motion, global EV sales—battery electric (BEVs) and plug-in hybrids (PHEVs) combined —passed the 2.1 million mark for the first time in September 2025, up 26% YoY. The Reuters press agency adds a regional snapshot detailing that China contributes the most with 1.3 […]
October 15, 2025
Mercedes-Benz is unveiling a new concept vehicle—a Batmobile-like, sleek, two-door SL—that blends classic design elements from its golden age in automotive design with advanced electric and digital technologies. The concept is not to be seen on the roads soon, as it is rather a ‘vision’ that pays homage to historic Mercedes styling cues, especially from […]
October 14, 2025
Ahead of the upcoming Japan Mobility Show (JMS) 2025, which will take place from October 30 to November 9, Toyota is teasing a Corolla-branded concept car that is reportedly chargeable. Meaning it is either fully electric or a plug-in hybrid, a bridge between the traditional Corolla and the carmaker’s fully electric future, as it is […]
October 10, 2025
The ultimate electric Ferrari, the Elettrica, is here, at least in part, with the chassis and underlying technology revealed in the first step. How it will look inside and out is still a well-kept secret, reserved by Ferrari for Spring 2026. This won’t be a mix-and-match of borrowed EV technology as it’s a pure Ferrari […]
October 09, 2025
Starting January 1, 2026, Flanders will end its full exemption from registration and annual road taxes for fully electric (BEVs) and hydrogen-powered vehicles (FCEVs). Until then, all electric cars remain completely tax-free, and new owners of second-hand EVs registered earlier will still benefit. From 2026, new EVs registered in Flanders will pay a fixed one-time […]
October 08, 2025
After launching an upgraded “Premium” version of the Model 3 sedan and Model Y SUV, Tesla has also introduced a stripped-down “Standard” version of its two core models. They now list at $5,000 less in the US: $36,990 for the Model 3 Standard and $39,990 for the Model Y Standard. Prices for Europe have not […]
September 29, 2025
Smart has officially launched pre-sales in China for its first plug-in hybrid (PHEV), the #5 EHD (Electric Hybrid Drive). It marks a significant shift for a brand once committed to being BEV-only. Prices start at 189,900 yuan (some €24,000), and deliveries are expected before year’s end. The Smart #5 EHD had already been listed in […]
September 29, 2025
Last week, BMW was one of the few major carmakers present at Climate Week NYC, attempting to convince the audience of the automotive industry’s efforts toward a sustainable future by spotlighting its Neue Klasse iX3 as a milestone in circularity, efficiency, and lifecycle CO2 reduction. At the same time, on the opposite side of New […]
September 26, 2025
German Bosch, one of the largest automotive suppliers worldwide, announced that it has to axe 13,000 jobs, mainly in Germany, as “structural and personnel adjustment measures are unavoidable” to close a structural cost gap of €2.5 billion globally. Bosch states that “particularly its Mobility locations in Germany” will be affected by these cuts, which are […]
September 26, 2025
Today, we all rely heavily on our mobile phones in an emergency. It’s the first thing you reach for to call for help. But what if, in a total blackout, all the cell towers go down as well? Then even a small EV like the Renault R5 E-Tech Electric can be a guardian angel. Austrian […]
