January 28, 2025
Cadillac is launching the Lyriq-V, a sporty version of its Lyriq electric model. The 459 kW all-wheel drive variant will launch primarily in Anglo-Saxon markets such as the US, Canada, Australia, and New Zealand. It is not known yet which other markets could follow. The Lyriq-V is the first all-electric vehicle in Cadillac’s Performance Series, […]
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 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
At the Brussels Motor Show, we spoke with a couple of top managers at Stellantis. The group caused a small earthquake at the end of last year when CEO Tavares was suddenly ousted. It was the last devastating event in a very incidental 2024, resulting in fewer sales, loss of market share, and dwindling profits. […]
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
Renault could introduce two electric cars in India in the next two years. After evaluating an EV akin to Dacia’s Spring for several years, the company is considering larger models. According to a report from the Indian website Autocar Professional, Renault will resume launching new cars in India in 2026 after a five-year hiatus. In […]
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
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 […]
January 20, 2025
More than 300,000 people visited the Brussels Motor Show between 10 and 19 January this year. The organizers consider this a great success and are already speculating on a new edition in 2026. With these visitor numbers, the BMS is the largest indoor event in Belgium. Frank Van Gool, the CEO of the organizer federation […]
January 17, 2025
On Thursday, the car manufacturing group Stellantis announced that it delivered 12% fewer vehicles in 2024. This was mainly caused by a 25% decline in shipments in North America. In the last quarter of 2024, Stellantis shipped 9% fewer vehicles to its dealers, distributors, or directly to clients. In the third quarter, the figure was […]
January 17, 2025
In a letter to EU leaders, the newly appointed European Automobile Manufacturers’ Association (ACEA) President, Ola Källenius (also CEO of Mercedes-Benz), outlines the automotive sector priorities to ensure future competitiveness and drive decarbonization. The Mercedes boss came to the Brussels Motor Show to clarify his views on the matter and explain the challenges the European […]
January 15, 2025
Febelauto will celebrate its 25th anniversary in 2025. It is a Belgian organization committed to the sustainable recycling of cars and high-voltage batteries from electrified vehicles. Since its start in 1999, Febelauto has organized the recycling of some 2.6 million vehicles in Belgium, recuperating 2.5 million tons of (raw) materials. In 2023, 6,662 end-of-live HEV […]
January 15, 2025
Toyota, the world’s number one car manufacturer, has been revealed as the most prominent auto industry funder of climate deniers in the US Congress, according to a report released last week by Public Citizen. Meanwhile, it is spending a lot of money and influence lobbying against EV regulations. Public Citizen’s report, “Driving Denial: How Toyota’s […]
January 14, 2025
Despite all negative coverage in recent times, worldwide sales of electric vehicles grew by 25% in 2024. According to data from the British company Rho Motion, an electric vehicle research consultancy, 17.1 million battery-electric vehicles were sold last year. There’s a noticeable difference between regions. The progress in China was evident (11 million electric vehicles, […]
January 14, 2025
The BMW Group maintained its position in 2024 with 426,594 all-electric vehicles delivered and BEV sales growth of 13.5%. The BMW brand also achieved serious BEV growth with 368,523 electric cars (+11.6%). Meanwhile, the Group is launching a closed-loop battery recycling ecosystem with SK tes, a leading innovative technology lifecycle solutions provider. Even though the […]
January 13, 2025
The Brussels Motor Show (BMS) saw a blitz start regarding visitors this weekend. Almost 80,000 visitors assembled in the Brussels Expo exhibition halls at the Heysel on Saturday and Sunday. It is already clear that the disappearance of the Geneva Motor Show has a positive effect on the Brussels Motor Show. Last Friday was press […]
January 10, 2025
With the Geneva Motor Show disappearing, the jury of the European Car of the Year (COTY) has once again decided to announce the winner at the Brussels Motor Show, as it did in 2023. This year, there were not seven but eight finalist cars to choose from by the 60 jury members, all European car […]
January 10, 2025
At the Brussels Motor Show, Japanese independent car manufacturer Mazda reintroduces its 6 Sedan on the European market with electric drive only. The car has a sedan look but offers a large tailgate. It is rear-wheel-driven and will initially be provided in a standard and a longer-range version. The car has been co-developed with Chinese […]
January 09, 2025
We recently gave you an overview of the December registrations in the Belux and the success of the EVs; today, we received the entire market overview for 2024. The most popular new car in 2024 was the BMW X1, and the best seller on the second-hand market is still the Volkswagen Golf. Here’s a quick […]
January 08, 2025
Total Volvo sales across all drive types rose by 8% in 2024, from 708,716 to 763,389 vehicles, an all-time record. This is primarily due to the positive development (+33%) in electrified vehicles – with BEVs growing more strongly than plug-in hybrids. By contrast, sales of mild hybrids/combustion engines fell by 7% to 410,602 vehicles. If […]
January 08, 2025
At the Consumer Electronics Show (CES) in Las Vegas, BMW shows the close-to-production version of the new BMW iDrive, its future display and operating concept that will be introduced across all new BMW models from the end of 2025. The software underpinning it all is the new BMW Operating System X, the intelligence hub behind […]
January 07, 2025
In 2024, 127,922 new EVs were registered in Belgium and Luxembourg, which is 37.3% more than the year before and a new record. Individual buyers more than doubled their EV purchase: +104.7%. On the second-hand market, however, an oversupply of EVs results in residual values that are too low. Filip Rylant, spokesperson of sector federation […]
January 07, 2025
Car manufacturers Volkswagen and Xpeng are extending their partnership. In addition to offering a joint platform for electric cars, they now want to “jointly build one of the largest super-fast charging networks in China.” The two parties have now signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU), giving each other access to their respective charging networks. According […]
January 06, 2025
According to the latest annual ‘Most Searched Cars report‘ from Australian insurer Compare the Market AU, Toyota is the most sought-after brand on the internet. Tesla slowly closes in on the number one spot, narrowing the gap to Toyota, while BMW stays in third position. Toyota was the most searched car brand in 64 nations, […]
January 03, 2025
In the Netherlands, car sales slightly increased (+3.1%) in 2024 thanks to a final sprint. In France, the market is receding, and sales of electric cars are stagnating, in stark contrast to hybrid ones. Denmark continues its progress toward electrification, and Norway remains the absolute champion for electric cars worldwide. The Netherlands In 2024, 381,227 […]
January 03, 2025
According to Febiac and the federal government service Mobility & Transport data, 23,437 new cars were registered in Belgium and Luxembourg in December. That’s 8,9% less than last year. The cumulated registrations for 2024 resulted in 448,277 cars, and that’s 6.0% less than in 2023, when 476,675 units were registered. Other noticeable facts: the ratio […]
December 31, 2024
The Dodge Charger Daytona EV will try to live up to its name as the ‘World’s first and only electric muscle car’ as it hits new markets outside North America. Dodge’s new electric Charger is officially headed overseas, aiming for a more significant global market share. In March, Dodge finally took the sheets off the […]
December 31, 2024
In 2026, the most important federations and associations in the Belgian automotive and mobility sector will move to a building in Diegem, on the Flemish outskirts of Brussels, under a single roof. The building, offering more than 7,000 square meters of space, was acquired by the importer federation Febiac (bought from building contractor Ghelamco). All […]
December 30, 2024
Japanese business tycoon and former chairman of Suzuki Motor Corporation Osamu Suzuki died at 94, the company announced on Friday. He had been president, chairman, or chief executive of Suzuki Motor Corporation since 1978. Suzuki died on Christmas day due to malignant lymphoma, according to a statement from the company. In February 2021, the company […]
December 30, 2024
If you could put a price on how much valuable time you lose in traffic, every Dublin driver would be €6,351 poorer each year, the most of 25 European capitals. And that is only during rush hour. Paris ranked second, losing €5,064 worth of traffic time. Brussels trails closely behind, where rush hour traffic costs […]
December 26, 2024
The Government has invited the UK automotive and charging industries to shape the UK’s transition to zero-emission vehicles. On Tuesday, 24 December, Transport Secretary Heidi Alexander launched a consultation to ask industry views on the 2030 phase-out date for new purely gasoline and diesel cars and make the transition to zero-emission vehicles a success. The […]
December 23, 2024
BMW M, the company’s dedicated sports motoring department, is widely known for its powerful gas-powered sports cars. Now, there are rumors about an upcoming all-electric model that could pack an even bigger punch. Since 2018, a team at BMW Motorsport GmbH has been testing a secret EV prototype, dubbed “the Beast. ” BMW’s high-performance unit […]
December 23, 2024
On the eve of Christmas, Volkswagen and the labor union IG Metall reached a compromise, ending the ongoing wage dispute. By 2030, 35,000 jobs will be cut, and VW will reduce production capacity in Germany by more than 700,000 vehicles, including its electric cars. The compromise presented by Volkswagen and labor union IG Metall on […]
December 20, 2024
According to data from the Association of European Car Manufacturers ACEA, new EU car registrations fell by 1.9% in November 2024. France led the way with a sharp 12.7% decline, followed by Italy (-10.8%), while the German market stagnated slightly (-0.5%). Only Spain recorded positive growth among the four most significant EU markets (+6.4%). Eleven […]
December 19, 2024
With the self-confident slogan ‘Leadership in Motion’, BMW Group Belux has presented its vision of what happened last year for the BMW Group in Belgium and its plans for 2025. Apart from being number one in Belgium and Luxembourg for the fourth consecutive year, the most noticeable fact is that Mini distribution’s switch to the […]
December 19, 2024
According to Japan’s Nikkei business newspaper, Honda Motor Co. and Nissan Motor Co. are preparing to start negotiations on a possible merger, which could ultimately be expanded to include Mitsubishi Motors Co. The talks have been encouraged because the Taiwanese electronics giant Foxconn has also shown some interest in becoming Nissan’s main shareholder. Such a […]
December 18, 2024
The environmental NGO Transport & Environment (T&E) has responded to the increasing pressure of the car manufacturers’ lobby regarding the 2025 EU CO2 emission targets with an analysis proving that the industry can achieve the goals and avoid the fines pending for 2025. The European Commission seems to be on the same line. Last week, […]
December 16, 2024
Almost a year after launching its retro-looking electric compact car R5, Renault has announced that it will also revive the R5 Turbo sports car as an electric car next year. Its drive system is expected to produce 368 kW or just over 500 hp. Renault continues on its retro-car course. The regular R5 E-Tech Electric […]
December 13, 2024
BMW has replaced its old wind tunnel at the Group’s Research and Innovation Center (FIZ) in Munich. The new Aeroacoustics and Electric Drive Center (AEC) is said to house a 100-meter wind tunnel, supposedly the largest vertical acoustic wind tunnel in the world and also the quietest. The building consists of two halves: in addition […]
December 13, 2024
Stellantis brand DS Automobiles has finally unveiled its new flagship DS N°8. The SUV/crossover coupé will be the carmaker’s latest flagship and the first DS model to launch exclusively with an electric drive. The Stellantis daughter had already teased with partial press releases and pictures of the car, with big numbers on the side panels […]
December 12, 2024
Today, Toyota released information on its brand new EV, the Urban Cruiser. Its public world premiere will be at the Brussels Motor Show in January. The car is likely to be the sister model of the upcoming Suzuki eVX, but Toyota doesn’t hint at this collaboration in any way. With the Urban Cruiser, developed from […]
December 12, 2024
The Board of Directors of the European Automobile Manufacturers’ Association (ACEA) has elected Ola Källenius, Chairman of the Board of Management of the Mercedes-Benz Group, as its new President, who will assume this function from 1 January 2025. Ola Källenius will take over the presidency from Renault Group’s CEO, Luca de Meo, who has held […]
December 11, 2024
The Brussels Motor Show (BMS) will be held from 10 to 19 January 2025 in the Brussels event halls at the Heysel. After skipping 2024, the 101st edition wants to return with a bang. At least 63 exhibitors have signed up to be present, and organizer Febiac hopes that more than 300,000 visitors will also […]
December 10, 2024
BMW CEO Oliver Zipse has spoken out against delaying the EU’s CO2 targets for 2025. At the same time, he continues to argue in favor of remaining open to different technologies but sees electric cars as having the most significant growth potential. In an interview with the German specialized magazine Automobilwoche, Zipse advocates remaining open […]
December 06, 2024
Safety Institute Euro NCAP (New Car Assessment Program) recently assessed 14 new cars on safety issues. Eleven of them got the highest 5-star ranking, and three of them only got four. One is the MG ZS Hybrid +, and two are from the same stable: the Renault 5 E-Tech Electric and its sporty nephew, the […]
December 06, 2024
For the second time in four years, Subaru ranked first in Consumer Reports’ annual brand report card, which measures vehicle performance, safety, and reliability. The 2025 report card is part of an updated data set released by Consumer Reports that packages all its automotive rankings in one spot. Consumer Reports also found that Subaru was […]
December 05, 2024
The Stellantis brand DS plans to unveil its first all-electric sedan soon and is gradually releasing the first details. The new electric car will not be called the DS 8 E-Tense but the DS N°8, a sort of crossover coupé style sedan positioned in the luxury segment. A few weeks ago, DS published a teaser […]
December 04, 2024
Ford has unveiled the electric version of its best-selling model in Europe. The Cologne-based manufacturer emphasizes its dynamic acceleration and efficiency. However, the battery and its price make it unclear whether the Puma Gen-E will be well received and also sell well. One thing is clear: Like many other manufacturers, Ford is not in an […]
December 04, 2024
The BMW plant in Steyr has started pre-series production of the new electric motor for the ‘Neue Klasse’. This phase should lead to series production in around a year. The debut model of BMW’s next generation of electric cars, probably the iX3 successor, has been announced for 2025. The BMW plant in Steyr has now […]
December 03, 2024
Ampere, Renault’s subsidiary for intelligent electric vehicles, has opened a software research and development center in Sophia Antipolis near Nice, France. The goal is to drive the development of Software Defined Vehicles (SDVs). With almost 200 software engineers, Ampere intends to tackle R&D topics such as AI, connectivity, Over The Air (OTA) functionalities, driving aids, […]
December 03, 2024
On Sunday, the multinational automotive group Stellantis said that its chief executive officer, Carlos Tavares, has resigned, forcing the company to expedite its leadership transition amid a turbulent market environment. Stellantis Group, like other European players, is severely suffering from the dire market conditions in the automotive industry. Not so long ago, CEO Carlos Tavares […]
December 03, 2024
According to the sector federation Febiac and the Federal Government service Mobility and Transport, the car registrations for November were 15.2% down compared to last year in the same month. For the first eleven months of 2024, this results in -5.8% compared to 2023: 424,840 registrations instead of 450,960. Light commercial vehicle (LCV) registrations also […]
November 29, 2024
Toyota’s production plans for next-generation electric cars appear to be further delayed in the EU and the US. The new Lexus brand battery-electric model, for example, scheduled for 2026, will not go into production until mid-2027. As the Japanese broadcaster NHK writes, Toyota seeks a longer development period to “incorporate the latest technologies” in the […]
November 28, 2024
The BMW Group is building a competence center for battery cell recycling (CRCC) in Kirchroth, Lower Bavaria. There, the company will implement the so-called direct recycling process. The German automobile manufacturer has announced plans to open a new battery cell recycling center in Kirchroth, a town in the Straubing-Bogen district of Lower Bavaria. There, the […]
November 28, 2024
Volkswagen and SAIC have extended their cooperation until 2040 to mark the 40th anniversary of their joint venture agreement. At the same time, the German manufacturer wants to stop its activities in the Xinjiang region, where it was criticized for being a partner in what is considered a violation of human rights. The partners are […]
November 27, 2024
Car manufacturing group Stellantis plans to close its plant in Luton, north of London in the UK. Company sources said that it wants to concentrate the entire production of electric light commercial vehicles (LCVs) in the Ellesmere Port site in Cheshire. The Italian-French-American carmaker explained that the aim is to create a new hub to […]
November 27, 2024
Northvolt’s number one and two shareholders, the Volkswagen Group and Goldman Sachs bank will write down their stake in the battery maker. This is another blow for the cash-strapped company. Northvolt filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection in the US last week. The Swedish factory has a new CEO, and Peter Carlsson has stepped down. […]
November 25, 2024
German automotive supplier Bosch plans to cut 5,500 jobs amid a growing crisis in the automotive industry, a spokeswoman said on Friday. She said that more than two-thirds of these, some 3,800 jobs, will be in Germany, as the company sees a further “need for adjustment.” The figures are based on plans, but exact numbers […]
November 25, 2024
Battery manufacturer Northvolt has appointed restructuring expert Paul O’Donnell as head of the Northvolt Ett factory. The company’s only active cell factory is lagging behind its production targets. Meanwhile, Northvolt founder Peter Carlsson stepped down as CEO, and the company has filed for Chapter 11 in the US. Northvolt Ett (based in Skelleftea in the […]
