March 24, 2023
Volkswagen plans to produce a total of three million fully electric small cars at its Spanish (Seat) plants in Martorell and Pamplona between 2025 and 2030. The total number can be even higher with the sub-20-000 euro entry-level model announced for 2027. But, probably, the latter won’t be built in Spain. This was announced by […]
March 23, 2023
Colruyt Group is selling Parkwind, a company that builds offshore wind turbines, to Japanese energy company JERA. The Japanese will pay around 1,55 billion euros for the company. Parkwind currently participates in, among others, four of the nine wind farms off the Belgian coast in the North Sea. Those four – Belwind, Northwind, Nobelwind, and […]
March 23, 2023
The German support for e-fuels in new cars could leave the average German driver paying €210 to fill up their tank, a new analysis by NGO Transport & Environment (T&E) shows. The German Chancellor Olaf Scholz is in a stand-off with the EU over his insistence that cars powered by e-fuel can be sold after […]
March 23, 2023
According to local media outlet The Paper, Chinese power battery giant CATL has achieved mass production of its Qilin Battery. The battery is a stepping stone for the manufacturer, outperforming the latest 4680 generation packs from Tesla and promising ranges up to 1 000 kilometers. The pack will debut at Volvo’s sister brand Zeekr. As […]
March 23, 2023
French Air Liquide announces it will construct an industrial-scale pilot cracker in the Port of Antwerp to convert ammonia (NH3) into hydrogen (H2). The new plant, scheduled to be operational by 2024, will be a crucial stepstone transporting green energy from sunny regions worldwide over the oceans to Europe, a key enabler of the energy […]
March 23, 2023
The Opel Grandland, a compact SUV from Opel also available as PHEV, will be succeeded by a fully electric model next year. Parent company Stellantis is investing € 130 million in the German plant in Eisenach to prepare it for the production of the e-SUV based on the new STLA Medium EV platform of the […]
March 22, 2023
Are affordable electric cars finally making their way into the market? A few days ago, we reported the wish of VW CEO Thomas Schäfer to have a sub € 20 000 BEV, the ID.1. In an interview with the British car magazine Autocar, car manufacturer Citroën’s chief designer Pierre Leclercq claims to be readying a […]
March 22, 2023
Morris Commercial, the UK-based automotive engineering and manufacturing start-up, has completed a funding round, securing new investment for producing the Morris J-Type, a small van initially produced in the 1950s. The tiny ID. Buzz’s rival was to hit the road in 2021 but has yet to make it to production. The new launch date is […]
March 21, 2023
To keep global warming below 1,5°C, greenhouse gas emissions must go down immediately. This means no more greenhouse gases may be released than can be restored or removed from the atmosphere. That is the alarming conclusion of the latest report of the IPCC, the climate panel of the United Nations. “The most important message is […]
March 21, 2023
In February 2023, the EU passenger car market continued to perform well, growing by 11,5% to 802 763 units, according to the data of the European car manufacturers association ACEA. However, it is essential to note the low base of comparison due to the semiconductor shortage crisis at the beginning of 2022. Most EU markets […]
March 21, 2023
Volkswagen has just given the details of its ID. 2 with a base price of € 25 000; now it seems that it is planning an even smaller and, more importantly, cheaper car, the ID.1, starting at under € 20 000 and coming in 2027. The German specialized car magazine Automobilwoche spoke to VW brand […]
March 20, 2023
The Mazda Motor Corporation announced last Friday that its Board of Directors has proposed that Masahiro Moro will become President and CEO. He succeeds Akira Marumoto, who has led the global Mazda business since 2018. Jeffrey Guyton will be the new CFO. Moro (62) joined the company in 1983. Before he took over his current […]
March 17, 2023
Suppose we want all new cars sold beyond 2035 in Europe to be zero-emission. In that case, it will be crucial for the EU to become more independent in mining, refining, and recycling critical raw materials like lithium, of which 21 times more will be needed. That’s only one out of a list of +30 […]
March 17, 2023
The French oil and gas concern TotalEnergies sells all its gas stations in Germany and the Netherlands – almost 1 600 – to Alimentation Couche-Tard, the Canadian multinational operator of convenience stores, offering a wide variety of products for people on the go. In Belgium and Luxembourg, TotalEnergies is the market leader with 619 gas […]
March 17, 2023
Lithium de France, a subsidiary of the French group Arverne, has raised 44 million in funds for the explorations to build its first well. The company, based in Bischwiller (Bas-Rhin), near Strasbourg, will develop two synergistic projects around geothermal heat and green lithium in northern Alsace. The two main investors in the fund Equinox Ventures, […]
March 17, 2023
At Audi AG’s annual media conference, CEO Markus Duesmann and CFO Jürgen Rittersberger addressed the key financials for the 2022 fiscal year and focused on strategic decision-making, holistic sustainability, and the upcoming model initiative. Markus Duesmann: “Even here in Germany, we are feeling the impact of the Russian war of aggression against Ukraine quite directly […]
March 16, 2023
BMW plans at least six model launches within 24 months for the ‘New Class’ electric cars from 2025 onward. To this end, additional plants are to be converted for the production of these electric cars. More concrete information on the platform and the first models will be available in September. Electric cars based on the […]
March 16, 2023
Tesla has implemented the first batch of V4 Superchargers in Harderwijk, the Netherlands, which offers improved compatibility with a wider range of vehicles thanks to a longer charging cable and the ability to offer up to 1 000 V and a theoretical 615 kW of electricity. Tesla has been gradually improving their Supercharger fast-charging stations, […]
March 16, 2023
Volkswagen has just presented the ID.2all concept. The long-expected low-cost ID.2 also previews VW’s new design language. The series ID.2. scheduled for 2025 will be “as spacious as a Golf, as inexpensive as a Polo”. The target price lies below €25 000. At the same time, VW announces it will further accelerate its electrification strategy. […]
March 15, 2023
The planned connection between the Belgian and Danish energy islands will be delayed. The Danish authorities estimate that the project will be finalized by 2033 and not in 2030. Nevertheless, Minister for Energy Tinne Van der Straeten (Groen) is planning a meeting with her (new) Danish colleague Lars Aagaard (Moderates) to shorten that period. Denmark […]
March 15, 2023
Dutch fast-charger company Fastned announced it has won a tender for building two large fast-charging plazas with 12 chargers each along the E17 highway in Gentbrugge (Belgium). As a first, Fastned will be able to equip the EV-charging-only resting area with coffee and sandwich shops, restrooms, and a child playground. The E17 is a crucial […]
March 15, 2023
In the next five years, two-thirds of VW Group’s investments will be turned to electric and connected cars. The Group foresees €122 billion in investments in electrification, 68% of its total investment portfolio of €180 billion. The latter is also heightened by 13% compared to earlier multi-annual plans of the Group. At the same time, […]
March 14, 2023
BMW and Volkswagen have reduced the prices of their EVs in China significantly. This comes after several carmakers (Mercedes and Tesla among them) have started offering their electric cars for less to increase sales and reduce inventory in the country. The Volkwagen joint ventures FAW-Volkswagen and SAIC Volkswagen are lowering the prices of their ID. […]
March 13, 2023
Flemish Mobility Minister, Lydia Peeters (Open Vld), wants to install solar panels on the unused land of The Agency for Roads and Traffic (Agentschap Wegen en Verkeer, AWV) to generate renewable energy and reduce AWV’s high electricity bill. The last invoice amounted to no less than 45 million euros. The energy will mainly be used […]
March 10, 2023
A new study by the Institute for Energy and Environmental Research (Institut für Energie- und Umweltforschung, IFEU), commissioned by Transport & Environment (T&E) reveals that the European Union wastes millions of hectares of fertile cropland for the production of biofuels. Crops for biofuels consumed in Europe require 9,6 Mha of land – an area larger […]
March 10, 2023
The energy-intensive process of producing green hydrogen (made from renewable electricity) is one obstacle hampering fuel cell vehicles’ development. But according to the German newspaper Der Spiegel, scientists are collaborating to exploit white hydrogen. Under this label, the energy carrier is sourced from underneath the earth’s crust. Naturally occurring hydrogen can be found in the […]
March 09, 2023
The Belgian marine engineering companies DEME and Jan De Nul and engineering office Tractebel have jointly developed new floating solar technology capable of operating in harsh marine conditions. This summer, they will set up a test installation off the Belgian coast for experiments. SEAVOLT, as the project is called, combines the expertise of solar, environmental, […]
March 08, 2023
VinGroup, the owner of the Vietnamese EV brand Vinfast, has kickstarted a new subsidiary focusing on renting electric cars and e-scooters and offering taxi services. Giving its own twist to the hype of mobility users, the holding claims it will be the first multi-platform green transport rental and taxi service. VinGroup Chairman Pham Nhat Vuong […]
March 08, 2023
A Republican senator from Florida has suggested limiting the use of electric vehicles during hurricane evacuations, arguing that the charging infrastructure is not ready yet and that EVs with empty batteries could become roadblocks in critical locations. However, others are not as worried or offer alternative solutions instead. Florida is a high-risk area for hurricanes, […]
March 08, 2023
The Egyptian manufacturer, Manufacturing Commercial Vehicles (MCV), is entering the continental European market. The OEM has developed a bus specifically for clients in Germany and has already founded a subsidiary, MCV Deutschland GmbH, for sales, after-sales, and services. The official presentation of the integral, fully electric twelve-meter low-floor bus will take place in March at […]
March 08, 2023
Automotive supplier Onsemi will also use its silicon carbide technology in BMW electric cars in the future. The US semiconductor manufacturer has signed a long-term supply agreement (LTSA) with BMW to use its EliteSiC silicon carbide power module in the manufacturer’s future electric cars. The US semiconductor specialist did not specify the exact number of […]
March 07, 2023
More than two-thirds (68%) of lithium-ion battery production planned for Europe is at risk of being delayed, scaled down, or canceled, a new analysis of Transport & Environment (T&E) shows. Tesla in Berlin, Northvolt in northern Germany, and Italvolt near Turin are among the projects that stand to lose the greatest volumes of their slated […]
March 07, 2023
On Monday, Hyundai Motor Company held a digital world premiere to unveil the all-new Kona, an upscaled multiplayer in the B-SUV segment, led by an all-electric variant (EV) that offers advanced safety and convenience features and class-leading range, according to the manufacturer. Potential customers can choose from EV (standard or long range), hybrid, internal combustion […]
March 07, 2023
The Mustang Mach-E, F-150 Lightning, and E-Transit all enjoy high customer demand in the US. That’s why manufacturer Ford is now stepping on the… stream pedal to boost production of its electric (and in some cases non-electric) models. Ford will also offer its Mustang Mach-E electric model in Europe with LFP battery cells before the […]
March 06, 2023
The Japanese car manufacturer Subaru announced a change in its top management last Friday at a Board of Directors meeting. Tomomi Nakamura, the Representative Director, President, and CEO will leave his position to Atsushi Nakamura, current EVP and Chief General Manager of the manufacturing division. Nakamura entered the presidency of the company in 2018. As […]
March 06, 2023
At the end of 2022, Germany’s national car fleet counted more than one million EVs. A meaningful milestone, but it’s still a far stretch to the 15 million full-electric vehicles that Germany eyes for 2030. In one year time, the German zero-emission fleet grew by 68%, so progress is encouraging. The KBA, or Kraftfahrt Bundesambt, […]
March 06, 2023
Following its plan to start recycling electric vehicle lithium-ion battery systems this year, Mercedes has laid the first brick of its dedicated plant in Kuppenheim. If the works keep to the schedule, the first packs from its electrified vehicles, so plug-ins included, will be dismantled by the end of 2023. “This foundation symbolizes the decisive […]
March 06, 2023
Volkswagen has now officially unveiled the revised ID.3, in which the quality of the interior, in particular, is to be significantly improved. The powertrains remain unchanged (for the time being). Already in December, VW changed the configurator of its compact electric car and added a note that the delivery deadline had already been extended into […]
March 03, 2023
Wouldn’t it be a great idea to have today’s giant car carriers sailing the world’s oceans on merely wind power like the square-rigged sailings ships of centuries ago? The modern descendants of the Vikings, with Wallenius Wilhelmsen, a global ro-ro shipping company from Norway, and Swedish carmaker Volvo among others, are dreaming of realizing this […]
March 03, 2023
“Tesla to show 25 000 dollar car.” “Musk will ready a hydrogen model as of this year.” Before this year’s Investor Day, rumors were plenty of what the famous EV maker would unveil. But news hunters came back with not much more than some souvenir photos for their social media, as Elon Musk kept himself […]
March 03, 2023
A growing number of companies is producing EVs, but not all are comparably successful. You have the start-ups, and you have the more traditional car companies trying to catch up. Among the start-ups, Geely-daughter Polestar seems to be heading for success. Others, like Nio, are accumulating sales but also losses. Polestar strengthened its financial position […]
March 03, 2023
During a round table, BMW Group CEO Oliver Zipse told car magazine Motor.at and others about his view on hydrogen and the plans to ban ICE cars in the EU by 2035. In his view, “hydrogen-fueled cars don’t stand a chance against BEVs except for customers who do not have access to charging infrastructure or […]
March 01, 2023
Dredging companies DEME and Jan De Nul, world leaders in dredging and constructing offshore wind farms, are joining forces to create the energy island that will be built off the Belgian coast. Both Belgian companies – eternal competitors but now united in a new consortium called TM Edison – have won the tender for constructing […]
March 01, 2023
In 2023, the new Mini Countryman production will begin at the BMW Group plant in Leipzig. The crossover model will be offered with pure electric drive and combustion engines. Preparations for the start of production of the first Mini ‘Made in Germany’ are already in full swing. According to BMW, Leipzig is one of the […]
February 28, 2023
US researchers have developed a lithium-air battery with a solid electrolyte, of which the energy density could be increased fourfold compared to today’s lithium-ion batteries. The team said it achieved 1 000 charge and discharge cycles in test cells. Researchers drive the project at the Illinois Institute of Technology (IIT) and the US Department of […]
February 28, 2023
The construction of new wind farms at sea risks being delayed, reports research company BloombergNEF. The reason for the delay is the shortage of large vessels used for the installation of wind turbine foundations on the ocean floor. Offshore energy is considered a crucial alternative to fossil fuels. It should help reduce CO2 emissions and […]
February 28, 2023
Nissan is accelerating its electrification strategy again. The Japanese automaker will launch 27 new electrified models by fiscal 2030, including 19 purely electric ones. That is four more pure electric vehicles than announced with the last strategic plan in November 2021. Nissan’s electrification mix worldwide is expected to increase to more than 55% by 2030, […]
February 28, 2023
There will be no new VW plant in Europe in the foreseeable future. VW CFO Arno Antlitz confirmed in an internal interview that the Trinity production version would be built in Wolfsburg. In the US, however, VW will build a new factory for its new EV brand Scout. The carmaker had considered a new factory […]
February 27, 2023
Audi CEO Markus Duesmann recently uttered that building a new EV plant in the US becomes highly attractive given the new IRA subvention plan for electric vehicles issued by the Biden administration. He added that it is not clear whether Audi will build its own plant or whether it will be part of the Volkswagen […]
February 27, 2023
Over the next two years, Chinese car manufacturer Geely wants to launch seven new premium electric cars under its new sub-brand Galaxy. That includes four long-range hybrids and three battery-electric vehicles. The first three models will hit the road this year. The new Geely Galaxy series will have two model lines – L for plug-in […]
February 27, 2023
BMW plans to build a large assembly plant for high-voltage batteries in Bavaria. The carmaker confirmed the plan but has not yet signed all the contracts. If all goes as planned, they can start building in 2024. An exact location for it has now finally been found. “All Bavarian plants, i.e., Munich, Regensburg, and Dingolfing, […]
February 24, 2023
The Netherlands remains the country with the highest share of EV-charging infrastructure, with 111 821 chargers or 23,3% of the total number in the EU on its territory. Germany comes in second, with 87 674 public chargers, 18,3% of the total. Together they stand for 41,6% of the EU’s total charging infrastructure today, scattered over […]
February 24, 2023
Ford agreed to form a joint venture with LG Energy Solution and Koç Holding to build a large battery cell plant for commercial electric vehicles in Turkey. The plant in Turkey had originally been planned with SK On, but that deal was canceled some time ago. According to the three companies, the groundbreaking ceremony for […]
February 23, 2023
As part of the EU project CEVOLVER (Connected Electric Vehicle Optimized for Life, Value, Efficiency, and Range), Ford engineers have shown that heating surfaces can reduce energy consumption in the interior of an electric vehicle by 13%. This can improve the range of that vehicle by 5%. The test was conducted in an electric delivery […]
February 22, 2023
For the first time since the European Union introduced the CO2 emission rights, the price of 100 euros per ton of CO2 was exceeded on Tuesday. The leading EU Allowance contract briefly peaked at 101,25 euros. A milestone reflecting the increased price factories and power plants have to pay when they pollute. The European Union […]
February 22, 2023
According to the figures of the European Car Manufacturers Association ACEA, in January, the European Union passenger car market grew by 11,3% to 760 041 units, starting the new year on a positive note. However, one must consider that this was mainly due to an unusually modest comparison base in 2022 when the lowest January […]
February 21, 2023
Less than a week after opening reservations for the electric 1500 REV pickup truck, RAM has closed the books again, citing high demand. No reservation numbers are given, however, and many of the REV’s specifications remain unclear. RAM presented the production version of the 1500 REV in a Superbowl ad, which shows a pickup truck […]
February 21, 2023
In addition to the battery and the electric drive, Volkswagen Group Technology is now also developing the pulse inverter and the thermal management itself for its electric drives. This was announced at the company’s Tech Day 2023. As with other components, the VW developers have opted for a modular system. The first application will be […]
February 21, 2023
In an interview with the British car magazine Autocar, Dacia Vice-President for Sales, Marketing, and Operations Xavier Martinet says that a much greater emphasis needs to be put on weight efficiency when designing (EV) cars. “If we’re serious about collectively reducing emissions, then excessive weight should not be acceptable.” Martinet made his statement when he […]
February 20, 2023
Chinese battery manufacturer CATL, the world’s largest, will offer decisive price reductions for its battery packs. But only the domestic brands benefit. Tesla, the supplier’s biggest customer, isn’t included in the deal. So are the international trade frictions between the US and China also showing up in the automotive industry? EV carmakers Nio, Zeekr, Huawei, […]
