Flanders allows Tesla’s FSD Supervised on public roads

May 13, 2026

Following the regulatory approval in the Netherlands, Tesla is officially allowed to expand its Full Self-Driving (Supervised) to Belgian roads. However, as regulatory barriers across Europe are being lowered, the automaker is simultaneously overhauling the pricing model for its assisted-driving package. The Netherlands has triggered the regulatory domino effect under EU law, and it is […]

Is Mazda pivoting to hybrids in the near future?

May 13, 2026

Japanese car manufacturer Mazda will delay the launch of its first dedicated electric vehicle by two years to 2029, reduce EV investment by nearly half, and pivot to hybrids and China-made electrified products as changing US and European regulatory policies reshape automaker strategies. But unlike other carmakers that booked billions in charges for switching course, […]

Renault adds a ‘beach adventurer’ to its R4 Electric portfolio

May 13, 2026

Following the Savane 4×4 Concept last year, Renault is unveiling a new variation of the Renault 4 Electric at the 2026 Roland-Garros French Open: Renault 4 JP4x4 Concept. A fresh take on the Plein Air and JP4 versions of the original Renault 4, ‘Renault 4 JP4x4 Concept’ is a modern beach car, an adventure-seeking leisure […]

The robotaxi has arrived in Europe… if you live in Zagreb

May 12, 2026

Verne, the Zagreb startup backed by Mate Rimac, has launched the continent’s first commercial self-driving ride service. The dream of joining the United States and China is European. But don’t be mistaken: the underlying tech is Chinese. Since last April, citizens of Zagreb have had an interesting option for their morning commute. The Croatian autonomous […]

Europe’s battery dream dies even more as Morrow capitulates

May 12, 2026

Battery cell maker Morrow has filed for bankruptcy. The collapse of another promising cell manufacturer exposes how Europe talks about industrial sovereignty but refuses to guarantee the conditions for it. Green mobility group Transport & Environment takes notice and warns that the continent could lose 34 companies the size of Northvolt if political action remains […]

American LanzaTech to build first SAF plant for Europe in Ghent

May 12, 2026

American company LanzaTech has chosen North Sea Port in Ghent as the site for its first European plant to produce sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) using alcohol-to-jet technology. The project involves an investment of 500 million euros. The plant is expected to create 50 permanent jobs, in addition to approximately 300 jobs during the three-year construction […]

The VinFast trilogy (2): Vietnam’s electric bus gamble rolls toward Europe

May 12, 2026

After building artificial lagoons, universities, hospitals, shopping malls, and entire private cities across Vietnam, Vingroup is now attempting something even more ambitious: exporting Vietnamese-built electric buses to Europe. Just a short drive from the monumental Vinhomes developments outside Hanoi, VinFast’s sprawling industrial complex in Hải Phòng reveals another side of the conglomerate’s ambitions. Next to […]

Honda’s first loss in history makes CEO Mibe change his entire strategy

May 12, 2026

Honda’s automotive strategy is unraveling worldwide as CEO Toshihiro Mibe tears up his old plan and draws up a new one in the face of the company’s first-ever full-year loss. Honda Motor Co.’s recent retreats on several fronts will be in the spotlight May 14, when Mibe announces a new roadmap focused on hybrid vehicles […]

Van Mossel is largest car sales group in Belgium

May 11, 2026

Last year, the car dealer group Van Mossel became the biggest car seller in Belgium. The group overtook importer D’Ieteren, which had been the most important car seller in this country for years. According to data from dealer data analyst Aumacon, requested by De Tijd, Van Mossel recorded 32,500 new-car registrations in 2025, while D’ieteren […]

Opel develops electric SUV with Leapmotor technology

May 11, 2026

The German Stellantis brand Opel has now officially confirmed the joint development of a new electric SUV with Leapmotor. The new model will use key components from Leapmotor and is set to roll off the production line at the Spanish plant in Zaragoza alongside the Opel Corsa from 2028. From the second half of this […]

EV retreat: Porsche shuts down battery, e-bike and software subsidiaries 

May 11, 2026

Porsche has decided to wind down three non-core divisions, resulting in the loss of over 500 jobs. The closures are part of a sweeping strategic reversal that is stripping Porsche of the electromobility ventures it spent years building. The way forward seems to be the backview mirror for the German sports car maker. Germany’s most […]

Stellantis and Leapmotor tighten their collaboration

May 11, 2026

Last Friday, Stellantis and Leapmotor announced they are exploring expanding their strategic partnership through a series of initiatives to build on the early success of their collaboration. Meanwhile,  Stellantis’ German brand, Opel, has now officially confirmed the joint development of a new electric SUV with Leapmotor. We’ll report on that in detail in a separate […]

The VinFast trilogy (1): building a private imperium in communist Vietnam

May 11, 2026

Vietnam does not usually come to mind when discussing global industrial powerhouses. Yet on the eastern outskirts of Hanoi, an empire has emerged that increasingly shapes how modern Vietnam lives, moves, studies, shops, and dreams. VinFast, the new EV brand with a whole lineup of cars and its own electric buses, is now trying to […]

Is Geely choosing Valencia over Ghent for European production?

May 08, 2026

While its subsidiary Volvo is struggling with overcapacity, and the Ghent factory needs relevance through the production of Chinese models, the Spanish outlet La Tribuna de Automocion reports that the mother company Geely is in talks to buy a part of Ford’s plant in Spain. Chinese brands are boosting their manufacturing ambitions in Europe to […]

Europe makes tachographs mandatory for cross-border vans

May 08, 2026

From July, the delivery van’s dashboard enters a new era. Europe has issued a regulatory requirement that forces millions of light commercial vehicles to comply with the same standard as trucks: a tachograph. The new law, coming soon, is likely to cause a bottleneck at aftermarket equipment firms. Picture a plumber from Ghent. He crosses […]

MG leads the trend of Chinese car makers to import their cars themselves

May 08, 2026

Chinese brand MG (part of SAIC Motor) and the Belgian importer Astara have reached an agreement under which MG Europe will import its cars itself as of the first of July. Meanwhile, the second-largest Chinese car brand in Belgium, BYD, is considering doing the same. The distribution of MG in Belgium and Luxembourg will be […]

BMW Group produces its two-millionth BEV, iX3 demand soars

May 08, 2026

A BMW i5 M60 xDrive sedan assembled at Plant Dingolfing is the BMW Group’s two-millionth all-electric vehicle. The anniversary vehicle is going to a customer in Spain. Meanwhile, Group CEO Oliver Zipse revealed that there are already more than 50,000 pre-orders for the iX3 ‘Neue Klasse’. Plant Dingolfing began series production of all-electric automobiles in […]

Lexus unveils the TZ, a full- electric six-seater SUV

May 07, 2026

Lexus today presents the world premiere of the all-new TZ, a six-seat, fully electric premium SUV “that explores new horizons in traveling comfort and pleasure”. The Lexus TZ is revealed today ahead of its market launch in Europe in 2027. “The TZ is designed around the concept of the Driving Lounge, a seamless blending of […]

No driver, no excuse: robotaxis no longer escape fines

May 07, 2026

California is closing a years-old legal loophole that made driverless cars effectively untouchable by traffic police. Starting this summer, autonomous vehicle manufacturers can be fined directly for moving violations committed by their vehicles. The question is: aren’t robotaxis built to behave under all conditions?  For years, driverless cars in California operated in a gray zone. […]

Opel Corsa GSE joins other Stellantis hot EV hatches

May 06, 2026

In the ‘hot hatches’ category at Stellantis, the Opel Corsa GSE will join the Lancia Ypsilon HF and the Peugeot e-208 GTI in October, when it celebrates its official premiere at the Paris Motor Show. It will also be the smaller brother of the Mokka GSE in the Opel portfolio. The Corsa GSE will use […]

Is the BMW iX3 the new champion in long-distance driving?

May 06, 2026

Long-distance driving in an electric car has been a challenge for a long time. However, modern EVs have largely eliminated range anxiety for many people, thanks to larger batteries, more efficient drivetrains, faster charging, and range figures unheard of a decade ago. We’re now reaching a point where driving a latest-generation EV doesn’t come with […]

Amazon becomes a full-fledged logistics company

May 06, 2026

For two decades, the story of Amazon was about what it sold. From now on, the story is about how it moves its own and others’ goods, and for whom. Companies like DHL, FedEx, and UPS have a new, very serious concern. Amazon pulled back a curtain that few in the logistics industry wanted to […]

IEA warns: ‘Methane remains at very high levels’

May 06, 2026

Emissions of methane, a greenhouse gas that contributes to global warming, remain very high. The International Environment Agency (IEA) reported this on Monday during an international meeting in Paris, where its annual Global Methane Tracker report was presented. In 2025, record production from the fossil fuel sector (oil, coal, gas) was responsible for 35% of […]

Denso targets 2029 for inductive charging on public roads

May 05, 2026

Japan’s largest automotive supplier, Denso, is developing an inductive charging technology that could hit public roads by 2029. It could upend Japan’s charging infrastructure headache and make the charging cable and oversized battery packs relics of the past. With its highly urbanized profile, symbolized by highways on the eleventh floor of high-rise buildings, Japan is […]

Leapmotor eyes the premium segment, with a little help from Maserati?

May 04, 2026

Europe’s fastest-growing Chinese EV brand is planning a second, higher-priced label for 2027. Like BYD has Denza, Leapmotor wants its own luxury brand. More out of a necessity than a technical ambition. But can a budget brand pull it off? Leapmotor, the Stellantis-backed Chinese EV maker that last year posted its first annual profit, is […]

Stellantis sees (small) benefits again in Q1 2026 but continues its cost-control measures

May 04, 2026

Stellantis CEO Antonio Filosa said the automaker will implement a global cost-cutting program as he seeks to build on his recovery plan, which delivered a €377 million first-quarter profit after a €387 million loss a year earlier. Filosa did not offer specifics about the cost-control measures, which he called the Value Creation Program, or VCP, […]

VW Group targets capacity reduction (Update)

May 04, 2026

At Volkswagen Group, underutilized and costly plants in Europe are under scrutiny. CEO Oliver Blume plans to reduce overcapacity in China and Europe while avoiding plant closures in Germany through ‘intelligent measures’. These measures can include selling plants to other industries or to (Chinese) competitors. Ex-Porsche boss and now VW Group CEO Oliver Blume describes […]

European auto industry back in the firing line as Trump reignites 25% tariff threat

May 04, 2026

The trade deal between the US and the EU, which was agreed just last summer, is already showing cracks. President Trump signals a return to the tariff playbook and proposes imposing a 25% duty on European cars and trucks. But this time the trigger is geopolitical as much as economic. Donald Trump’s tariff menace has […]

Is Volvo Ghent’s future at stake? (Update)

May 04, 2026

The fact that the Belgian federal government has set up a ‘task force’ to consider the future of Belgium’s only surviving large car assembly plant in Ghent, operated by Volvo, has set off several alarm bells. Despite the soothing words of Flemish Minister-President Mathias Diependaele, concerns are rising. The different rumors are also fed by […]

Welcome to China’s tech craze: these car headlights can play a movie

May 01, 2026

Huawei has unveiled its XPixel technology, which can turn a car’s front lamps into a full-color cinema projector. Chinese cars are increasingly becoming houses on wheels. While the drive-in movie theatre is a well-known romantic feature from American pop culture, it is now China that is trying to revive the concept by upgrading the technology. […]

Brake failure risk: Audi recalls nearly 100,000 e-tron and Q8 e-tron EVs

April 30, 2026

Nearly 100,000 units of the Audi e-tron and Q8 e-tron are being recalled worldwide over a potentially dangerous braking defect. The issue can render the conventional foot brake completely inoperative, leaving the electronic parking brake as the only fallback. The recall also applies in Belgium, where the model was manufactured. Audi has initiated a worldwide […]

Volkswagen’s ID. Polo officially launched, pricing starts at €24,990

April 30, 2026

Volkswagen is finally entering the compact EV segment with the ID. Polo, a name steeped in tradition. It is positioning the new model as an entry point into its electric lineup, priced just under €25,000. Next year, the even smaller ID. Up (name not confirmed yet) should become available at ± €20,000. The Polo first […]

‘Project Nightingale’: Rolls-Royce’s electric convertible

April 29, 2026

Rolls-Royce has announced ‘Project Nightingale’, a luxurious convertible with a pure electric drivetrain. The 5.76-meter-long two-seater is expected to be delivered from 2028 onward, though only by invitation and limited to 100 vehicles worldwide. With the Spectre, the British luxury marque already offers a battery-electric model. The electric coupé shares many components internally with the […]

Audi updates Q4 e-tron and stops A1 and Q2 production

April 29, 2026

The wave of updates for the MEB-based electric vehicles from the Volkswagen Group continues. Audi has now unveiled its comprehensively revised Q4 e-tron, featuring technology and design changes, some of which are Audi-specific innovations. Deliveries are expected to begin this summer. The Audi Q4 e-tron is transitioning from the MEB electric platform to the upgraded […]

Freelander is reborn as an electric 4×4 built in China (update)

April 29, 2026

Once upon a time, the Land Rover Freelander was the best-selling four-wheel-drive vehicle in Europe. It held that title for five consecutive years. Now, nearly three decades after its 1997 debut, the name returns, reborn as an independent electric brand built in China but coming to Europe. Together with Chery Jaguar Land Rover and Chinese […]

CATL turns sodium-ion into a grid reality with a 60 GWh landmark deal

April 29, 2026

One week after unveiling its Naxtra sodium-ion battery for electric vehicles, CATL has signed the largest sodium-ion battery order in history: 60 GWh for grid-scale energy storage over three years. The technology has crossed the line from lab breakthrough to industrial product. The ink on CATL’s Tech Day announcements was barely dry. The world’s largest […]

BYD’s Sealion 08 an electric alternative to the BMW X7?

April 28, 2026

At the Beijing Auto Show, BYD unveiled its Sealion 08, which has a good chance of arriving in Europe. The specs of its flagship SUV are a sample of where the technological evolution of the car manufacturer and battery maker stands today: 643 hp, 900 km of range, and nine-minute charging. But the story behind […]

Renault Group sees growth in Q1 2026

April 28, 2026

Renault Group’s revenue for Q1 2026 amounted to €12,530 million, up 7.3% compared to the same period last year. At constant exchange rates, Group revenue was up 8.8%. Automotive revenue reached €10,807 million, up 6.5% from Q1 2025. At constant exchange rates, it increased by 8.0%. “In the first quarter of 2026, despite a challenging […]

Hyundai hopes to reignite its China volumes with the Ioniq V

April 27, 2026

It looks like a concept car, but the Ioniq V, unveiled at the 2026 Beijing Auto Show, is definitely a production model. It looks like the lovechild of a Toyota Prius and a Tesla Cybertruck, but don’t let its appearance hide the real message: with its new subbrand Ioniq, Hyundai wants to start from scratch […]

BMW at Beijing Auto Show: i7 update and LWB versions of iX3 and i3

April 27, 2026

The BMW Group’s exhibition stand at Auto China 2026 is dedicated entirely to the ‘Neue Klasse’. In Beijing, the new BMW iX3 Long Wheelbase, the new BMW i3 Long Wheelbase, and the new BMW 7 Series featuring Neue Klasse technologies are celebrating their world premieres. “With the introduction of the new BMW iX3 for China, […]

Peugeot previews made in China strategy with two new concepts

April 27, 2026

At the 2026 Beijing Auto Show, Dongfeng’s two French joint ventures put four concept vehicles on the floor in a coordinated push that looks like more than a design exercise. Production starts in 2027, on Chinese platforms, in China, but export is on the agenda. Are these the successors to the famed Peugeot 508 and […]

Porsche unveils Cayenne Coupé Electric and exits Rimac Group

April 27, 2026

Porsche celebrated the world premiere of the new Cayenne Coupé Electric at Auto China in Beijing. The vehicle is now available for order and comes in all three drivetrain variants already known from the Cayenne Electric E-SUV. Meanwhile, Porsche has found a buyer for its stake in Croatian Rimac Group and the joint venture Bugatti […]

ChargePoint launches a 600kW charger that fits everywhere

April 24, 2026

After years of financial turbulence, the Californian charging giant ChargePoint is clawing back. Its return to form starts with a standalone post that redraws the boundaries of what a single-cabinet EV charger can do. The electric vehicle charging industry has a habit of measuring progress in numbers that rapidly become obsolete. A hundred kilowatts was […]

Windrose’s electric truck just leveled with its diesel rivals

April 24, 2026

As oil prices push fleet operators to despair, Windrose has slashed the price of its long-haul electric truck from €250,000 to €198,000. This basically puts it in the range of classic diesel trucks. Clearly, Chinese manufacturers are trying to disrupt the transportation industry, just as they did in the passenger car category. Is it schadenfreude […]

Volkswagen ID. Buzz gets practical Summer update

April 23, 2026

The ID. Buzz, Volkswagen’s funky electric minivan, is getting a Summer update that adds features introduced in other MEB platform models recently. The electric bus is set to gain V2L functionality, an updated Travel Assist system, one-pedal driving, a new infotainment system and a more comprehensive model range. Since its launch in 2022, the Volkswagen […]

Who’s the leader? CATL fires four new game-changing batteries at once

April 23, 2026

On the eve of the Beijing Auto Show, CATL held its annual Tech Day and unveiled four new battery systems at the same time. An innovation stretch that reached from a record-breaking LFP cell for mass-market EVs to a sodium-ion battery heading for production later this year. The salvo is a direct response to BYD’s […]

Seres joins BMW and Mercedes-Benz in Ionchi high-power charging

April 23, 2026

Chinese automaker Seres can apparently do more than install toilets in cars. It has joined the Ionchi fast-charging joint venture in China as an equal partner alongside BMW Group and Mercedes-Benz. Each of the three companies will hold a 33.3% stake in the venture going forward. With Seres, a major local player joins Ionchi. The […]

AI enhances battery cell test production at BMW

April 22, 2026

BMW and the Center of Excellence for Robotics at the University of Zagreb (CRTA) report progress on their project to optimize BMW’s internal battery cell testing production using AI. Both state that they can significantly reduce the duration and number of test cycles while maintaining or even improving quality. In the joint research project called […]

Porsche’s new Formula E car aims for Formula 1 appeal

April 22, 2026

After twelve years and a journey that started with drivers swapping cars mid-race because a single battery couldn’t last, the 975 RSE is Porsche’s answer to everyone who ever doubted that electric motorsport could be truly, viscerally fast. There is a detail buried in the history of Formula E that tells you everything about how […]

Volkswagen arrives in Beijing with three concepts to fence off Chinese dominance

April 22, 2026

On the eve of the world’s largest motor show, Europe’s biggest carmaker pulled the covers off three electric vehicles spread across the widest possible price spectrum. That is either a master plan or a sign of desperation,… possibly both. At the Group’s Media Night in Beijing, the Volkswagen brand presented three cars on stage that […]

Renault Group unveils ‘futuREady India’

April 22, 2026

At the end of a one-week visit to India, François Provost, CEO of Renault Group, presented ‘futuREady India’, an Indian rollout of the Group’s futuREady strategic plan unveiled last March. Renault Group is launching ‘futuREady India’, the local rollout of its new strategic plan to drive growth both locally and globally, while strengthening engineering and […]

Sunwoda presents a full charge in nine minutes: yes, but where?

April 21, 2026

Chinese battery manufacturer Sunwoda has revealed a new LFP pack on par with the best BYD has to offer and nudges ahead of CATL in the fast-charging arms race. Nine minutes is all it takes. But the real question is what that number actually means, and whether the infrastructure to use it exists anywhere outside […]

Hyundai Ioniq 3 debuts with striking look and all-new interior

April 21, 2026

Hyundai has unveiled the Ioniq 3, a compact electric hatchback positioned between the smaller Inster and the larger Ioniq 5. The Korean manufacturer calls it an ‘Aero Hatch’, with a look inspired by an older sports hatch. It is also the first Hyundai model with an all-new interior approach. Hyundai already announced the arrival of […]

Germany’s supplier giant Bosch goes in the red

April 20, 2026

Bosch is in crisis and is posting losses for the first time in years. The exorbitant costs of the planned job cuts and the impact of taxes are particularly burdensome. The billions in costs for job cuts, U.S. tariffs, and a high tax burden pushed the technology group Bosch deep into the red last year. […]

Alstom plummets almost 30% on the stock market after withdrawing targets

April 20, 2026

Because several major rolling stock projects are progressing more slowly than expected, French train manufacturer Alstom has withdrawn its financial targets. Investors reacted negatively to the poor results and punished Alstom severely: on Friday, the stock took a heavy hit, falling by as much as 27,15%. Profound operational changes on the horizon Last week, Alstom […]

Germany is ready for a new EV subsidy plan

April 20, 2026

Germany’s Bundestag has established the legal framework for a new electric vehicle subsidy aimed at low- and middle-income households. While applications are not yet open, the scheme will apply retroactively to EVs registered since the start of the year. The foundation for the new incentive scheme is Germany’s ‘Act on Promoting Climate-Neutral Mobility’, which the […]

BYD’s new Yuan Plus outdates the still fresh Atto 3 Evo

April 20, 2026

The next generation of BYD’s best-known compact SUV is preparing for launch in China. Important, as the Yuan Plus is sold in Europe under the Atto 3 moniker. The upgrades are substantial: a larger body, a rear-wheel-drive platform, second-generation Blade battery technology, and flash charging that delivers a near-full charge in under 10 minutes. Commercialization […]

Stellantis ends 80 years of carmaking in Paris and courts China to fill the gap

April 17, 2026

Stellantis gathered the 2,000 workers at its Poissy plant, just west of Paris, yesterday to deliver the news that few found surprising: the site will stop producing cars by the end of 2028. It marks the end of nearly eight decades of vehicle manufacturing in the French capital region. Meanwhile, the group is seeking new […]

BMW delivers 20% fewer BEVs in Q1 2026 due to the Chinese and US markets

April 17, 2026

BMW Group delivered 87,458 BEVs globally in the first quarter of 2026. This represents a 20.1% drop compared to the same period last year. The main reason is the declining sales in China and the US. The order intake for electric vehicles in Europe looks significantly better, thanks to the new iX3. BMW’s battery-electric vehicle […]

Create a free account, or log in.

Gain access to read this article, plus limited free content.

Yes! I would like to receive new content and updates.