January 21, 2026
In an earlier contribution, we already discussed the relatively good sales figures of the Renault brand and the Renault Group in a challenging environment. Today, we put the spotlight on Renault’s daughters Dacia and Alpine. There are also persistent, indirectly confirmed rumors that the Renault Group will produce drones for the French Army. Dacia: 10 […]
January 20, 2026
Smart has named Germany head Wolfgang Ufer as its next Europe chief. Ufer is a long-serving insider who has now been tasked with stabilizing a brand under pressure from tariffs, falling registrations, and an increasingly crowded electric vehicle market. Smart said Ufer will take over leadership of its European operations in March. He succeeds Dirk […]
January 20, 2026
The Renault brand delivered a strong performance in 2025, with 1,628,030 vehicles sold worldwide (+3.2% increase PC+LCV vs 2024), driven by a 10% increase in global passenger car sales (1,292,000 units). “This marks the third consecutive year of growth for the Renault brand, confirming the consistency and success of its commercial strategy, with steady and […]
January 19, 2026
Military vehicle manufacturer Arquus and German truck manufacturer Daimler Trucks have secured a contract to supply 7,000 trucks to the French Army. This was announced by Belgian engineering group John Cockerill, which has owned French company Arquus since 2024. According to several French media outlets, the contract is worth approximately 2 billion euros. The order is […]
January 19, 2026
Porsche closed 2025 with its steepest global sales decline since the financial crisis era. The main scapegoat? Another year of falling deliveries in China. The slide erased gains elsewhere and forces the sports car brand to seriously rethink how it competes in the world’s largest auto market. Porsche delivered 279,449 vehicles worldwide last year, down […]
January 19, 2026
According to the Financial Times, automotive glass repair group Belron has started preparatory talks for a potential stock market flotation, possibly as early as late 2026. While no formal decision has been taken, the move would mark a major moment for the most valuable industrial asset of its majority shareholder, Belgium’s major car importer, D’Ieteren Group. […]
January 19, 2026
The European Union is weighing whether hybrid vehicles from China should face the same penalties as battery electric models made in the region. Just as Brussels and Beijing are attempting to steady their relationship with price floors, the debate has been reopened. Chinese brands are heavily mediatized for their competitive electric cars, but hybrids account […]
January 19, 2026
In just nine days (and a press day), the Brussels Motor Show drew almost 350,000 visitors to the Heyzel expo halls. That’s over 42,000 more than the year before (nearly +14%) and proof that the BMS has achieved a status that inevitably leads to the title of the most crucial motor show event in Europe. […]
January 19, 2026
Spanish train manufacturer CAF wants to collaborate with Alstom in Bruges to build trainsets for NMBS/SNCB. Alstom lost the contract and unsuccessfully challenged that decision before the Council of State. Trade unions at Alstom Bruges feared that losing the contract would spell the end of the factory. The collaboration between CAF and Alstom Bruges comes […]
January 16, 2026
Toyota Motor Europe (TME) sold a record 1,229,038 Toyota and Lexus vehicles in 2025 (+1%). TME’s mix of electrified vehicles grew to 77%, an increase of 5%, with sales of battery electric vehicles up 46%, plug-in hybrids up 76%, and hybrids up 3%. Toyota Professional’s range of commercial vehicles also achieved an all-time sales record […]
January 16, 2026
Nissan’s newest SUV, developed and launched first in China, signals a clear break from the product playbook that has defined the brand’s global lineup for the past decade. The NX8, a car from the Dongfeng Nissan subsidiary, is a reminder that much of Nissan’s zero-emission innovation is now emerging from its Chinese joint venture rather than […]
January 15, 2026
Tesla is closing the door on a long-standing sales tactic for its most controversial software feature, Full Self-Driving (FSD). Starting next month, buyers will no longer be able to purchase it outright, but will need to chose a monthly subscription. CEO Elon Musk, who pitched FSD as one of the company’s major income assets, confirmed […]
January 15, 2026
To be an electric leader over the long term, BMW also needs to electrify the emotional core of its brand: high-performance sports sedans like the M3 and M5. And it needs to do that with products that enthusiasts will accept as authentic. “BMW M’s high-performance vehicles will soon deliver the ‘Ultimate Driving Machine’ experience in […]
January 14, 2026
Renault has lifted the curtain on its new Filante crossover with an unmistakable message. The French carmaker is no longer satisfied with its role as a producer of sensible, mid-market vehicles. Instead, it is placing a costly bet on wealthier customers. But its ambition has no place on European roads. The Filante is Renault’s largest […]
January 14, 2026
Stellantis has officially discontinued all plug-in hybrid electric vehicles (PHEVs) sold under its Jeep and Chrysler brands in North America. The CEO of Stellantis’ biggest competitor, GM, is somewhat surprised by this decision. Although GM has also slowed EV production, Mary Barra remains convinced that EVs will be the endgame. It will only take longer. […]
January 14, 2026
The Volkswagen Group delivered 983,100 electric vehicles worldwide across all brands in 2025, nearly a third more than in 2024. In Europe, deliveries increased by 66%. With a 32% increase compared to the 744,800 battery-electric vehicles delivered in 2024, the VW Group has returned to its growth trajectory. In 2024, global electric vehicle sales had declined […]
January 14, 2026
The Brussels Motor Show has quietly grown into one of Europe’s most relevant automotive stages, and for Mazda, it has taken on a particular symbolic value. With Belgium lacking a domestic car brand, Brussels functions, as Mazda Europe CEO Martijn ten Brink put it in an interview with newmobility. news, like the “Switzerland of the automotive […]
January 13, 2026
Volvo Car Ghent has released its 2025 production figures, with a total of 212,177 vehicles produced in the Belgian factory. That’s 14% more than the year before, but not quite at the same level as in 2023 or in previous record years. The EX30 is part of the positive picture, but the XC40 remains by […]
January 13, 2026
At the Brussels Motor Show, gaining in international importance, we were able to meet an increasing number of company representatives. One of them was Katrin Adt, the recently appointed new CEO of Dacia. Her message was clear: “We want our offer to be simple and affordable. Expanding into the fleet/leasing market is certainly not one […]
January 13, 2026
The European Union has opened a narrow path for Chinese electric vehicle makers to sidestep punitive import duties. Detailed guidance shows how minimum prices could substitute for tariffs that have caused trade tensions between the two blocs since 2024. But why does Brussels want to hand over its extra income from punitive tariffs to the […]
January 11, 2026
At the press day of the Brussels Motor Show last Friday, the organizers of the annual European Car of the Year election announced that the new Mercedes-Benz CLA can now call itself COTY 2026. In this 63rd edition of the election, the 59 members of the Jury, all car journalists from more than 20 European […]
January 10, 2026
Air quality in Beijing is better than ever. In 2025, the city reported more than 340 days of ‘good’ or ‘moderate’ air quality, attributable to strict emission regulations and the growing number of electric vehicles in Chinese cities. Heavy pollution days dropped from dozens per year in the early 2010s to almost zero. Over the […]
January 10, 2026
There has been unrest for some time at the Dumarey factory in Strasbourg, which manufactures car gearboxes. The union protest is set to grow now that West Flemish businessman Guido Dumarey has announced plans to close the factory in Alsace, France, before the end of this year. The closure could result in the loss of […]
January 09, 2026
Volvo Cars is raising the stakes in the crowded compact electric SUV market with its upcoming EX60. The battery-powered successor to its bestselling XC60 will travel farther and charge faster than any electric Volvo before. The EX60, set for full disclosure on January 21, is positioned as a critical model for Volvo as it tries […]
January 09, 2026
Volkswagen Commercial Vehicles has refreshed its electric Transporter and Caravelle with a larger usable battery, faster charging, and an all-wheel-drive option. This should align the vans better with the needs of fleet buyers who demand electric light commercial vehicles to move beyond city-only duties. A lack of incentives and demanding use cases are hampering the […]
January 08, 2026
Reinforced by its recent sales successes, Alpine is substantially enlarging its dealer network in Belgium. “This strategic enlargement follows the dynamic growth curve of Alpine and shows that Alpine wants to be even closer to its customers to deploy its electric portfolio progressively,” says the importer, Renault Belgium. Alpine already has ‘Alpine Stores’ in Antwerp, […]
January 08, 2026
Volvo Cars announces the appointment of Thomas Ingenlath as Chief Design Officer, effective 1 February 2026. Meanwhile, Volvo also reported its December sales and 2025 results. “The appointment of Thomas Ingenlath marks the return of one of the most influential designers in the company’s recent history and reinforces Volvo Cars’ leadership in design,” Volvo proudly […]
January 07, 2026
Bosch eBike Systems is making its e-bikes less attractive to thieves. At CES 2026 in Las Vegas, the company is presenting an additional protection mechanism that allows e-bikes to be marked as stolen via an app, making them visible as such across Bosch eBike Systems’ entire digital ecosystem. Bosch has added an extra layer of […]
January 07, 2026
Last year, the BMW Group once again produced more than one million vehicles at its German plants. This means that one in four cars built in Germany comes from a BMW Group plant. According to the German Association of the Automotive Industry (VDA), a total of 4.15 million vehicles were manufactured in Germany during the […]
January 07, 2026
The Dutch charging provider Fastned expanded its European fast-charging network to over 400 locations by the end of 2025. A total of 406 Fastned locations are now present in the Netherlands, France, Belgium, Germany, the United Kingdom, Switzerland, Denmark, Spain, and Italy. In its announcement of this milestone, Fastned reflected on its journey to date: […]
January 07, 2026
At the Consumer Electronics Show (CES) in Las Vegas, the German premium car manufacturers BMW and Mercedes-Benz are taking their intense rivalry to the technology show, showcasing digital AI innovations in their latest-generation vehicles. On the one hand, there’s the BMW Group with AI assistant technology via a collaboration with Amazon Alexa; on the other […]
January 06, 2026
Chinese start-up Leapmotor is rocketing toward the big leagues. The brand became China’s No. 1 NEV start-up car brand, with a 103% year-on-year increase in sales, bringing its total to over 600,000 vehicles sold. And to add to the tally, the company has unveiled its first MPV, the D99. Leapmotor was founded in 2015 and […]
January 06, 2026
Lucid and Uber make a high-profile entrance into the robotaxi race with the unveiling of a six-seat version based on the Gravity SUV. Its upmarket positioning pits it against the driverless S-Class, which Mercedes launched in the Emirates. Still, the Gravity will kick-start its services in San Francisco, challenging Waymo, before its global rollout. The […]
January 06, 2026
BMW has started trial production of its Neue Klasse electric vehicles at its factory in Shenyang. With the ongoing pre-series of the long-wheelbase BMW iX3, the company considers itself prepared for the start of series production in 2026. According to the Chinese news agency Xinhua, the first pre-series units of the long-wheelbase iX3 have been […]
January 06, 2026
In a French car market that decreases by another 5% in 2025 (YOY), Renault Group has sold more cars than Stellantis in the hexagon: it has reached almost 26.4% market share selling Renaults, Dacias, and Alpines, against 25.8% of share for the 14 Stellantis brands. If one counts LCVs into the equation, Stellantis is still […]
January 05, 2026
Alpina was formerly a separate manufacturer that upgraded existing BMW models, but BMW acquired the brand and will now be called ‘BMW Alpina’. The rights were officially transferred on 1 January 2026, and with that, a new logo. But for now, BMW is keeping things as they are… mostly. Alpina was founded in 1965, when […]
January 05, 2026
According to data from the sector federation Febiac and the federal public service Mobility & Transport, December was a very good month (+23.2%) for new car registrations, limiting the decrease for the whole year compared to 2024 to -7.5%. In 2025, 414,770 new cars were registered in Belgium and Luxembourg, 33,507 fewer than last year, […]
December 31, 2025
The Californian Monarch Tractor, a pioneer in self-driving and ‘smart’ electric tractors, must shelve its ambitious plans. Despite a record round of funding from PMV and other Belgian investors (Belgian industrial families, such as Colruyt, Toye, Adriaenssen-de Spoelberch, Thermote), the American tractor company is imploding from a promising producer of fully electric, autonomous tractors that can plough, […]
December 31, 2025
On Monday, sports car manufacturer Maserati, part of the Stellantis Group, appointed Van Mossel Automotive Group as sales and service partner for the Netherlands. Van Mossel will open two new Maserati showrooms in 2026. Earlier this year, there was already a collaboration between Van Mossel and Maserati about the import and service of the brand […]
December 30, 2025
The world’s largest-ever electric vehicle winter test just concluded in China, and the results show how extreme cold punishes driving range. Chinese EVs dominated the rankings, but one American and one Japanese model still cracked the top ten. The test was conducted by Autohome, China’s largest automotive media outlet, which drove roughly 67 new EVs […]
December 30, 2025
The ID. Polo is arriving in 2026 as the first of a new family of entry-level Volkswagen EVs. It was initially expected to start at €25,000, but that may take longer. The German automaker may still make electric mobility more affordable, but it likely won’t be as soon as expected. “With an entry-level price starting […]
December 29, 2025
It’s no secret that the Alliance of Renault with its two Japanese partners, Nissan and Mitsubishi, has been under pressure in recent years. At the same time, collaborations with the Chinese car manufacturing group Geely have multiplied. Is Renault steadily preferring Geely over its Japanese partners? Renault started collaborating with Geely in 2021. First in […]
December 29, 2025
BMW Group has once again been named the most attractive German employer in the Trendence Professionals Barometer 2025. It marks the fourteenth consecutive year that the Munich-based carmaker has topped the influential survey among highly educated professionals in Germany. In doing so, BMW once again ranks ahead of domestic automotive rivals such as Mercedes-Benz Group […]
December 29, 2025
Volkswagen has confirmed that there will be no 2026 model year for the ID. Buzz in the US. However, US plans for the MEB van have not been completely canceled; a revised model is expected to follow in 2027. Back in July, Volkswagen temporarily suspended deliveries of the ID. Buzz to the US. At the […]
December 24, 2025
Korean car manufacturer Kia, part of the Hyundai Group, will get a new leader for its European division in the new year. Soohang Chang, the current head of the Middle East and Africa region, is set to take over as President and CEO of Kia Europe from January 1, 2026, with a focus on rapid […]
December 23, 2025
Volkswagen is discontinuing direct sales through the agency model for private customers across Europe. This means the distribution of electric vehicles will gradually return to the traditional dealership model. Almost exactly a year ago, VW decided that, from January 2026, battery-electric vehicles (BEVs) for private customers would return to the traditional dealer model in Germany […]
December 23, 2025
A widespread power outage in San Francisco over the weekend halted dozens of driverless Waymo vehicles at busy intersections. The utility failure was turned into a stress test for autonomous ride services, re-opening the debate about how prepared the technology is for large-scale urban disruptions. Tesla’s Elon Musk was quick to respond to how unaffected […]
December 23, 2025
In November, EU car registrations rose 2.1% according to data from the European Car Manufacturers Association (ACEA). For the year to date (YTD), the rise is 1.4%. With the EFTA countries and the UK included, the increase is 2.4% and 1.9%, respectively. Despite the recent positive momentum, overall volumes remain well below pre-pandemic levels. The […]
December 22, 2025
The Volkswagen Group has completed its planning round for the next five years, although with a delay, but has not yet presented any results. This is likely also due to the situation at Audi, where CEO Gernot Döllner is said to have abandoned plans for a standalone US plant, but not for Audis built in […]
December 22, 2025
Is it a victory for perseverance or high-profile influence? After two court rejections, Elon Musk has finally won his long-disputed pay-check of $56 billion (€47 billion), which was confirmed to him seven years ago by his majority shareholders. The Delaware Supreme Court has reinstated one of the highest awards for a CEO in automotive history, […]
December 22, 2025
Ford just introduced the Bronco New Energy in China, a fully battery-electric version and an extended-range electric variant, at a starting price of just over 32,000 US dollars. It quietly confirms a fundamental shift in how the company has, for some time now, treated several of its most recognizable nameplates. In the US, it remains […]
December 22, 2025
The Dutch leasing company MisterGreen, which built its entire business around Tesla vehicles, is winding down. Betting everything on one car manufacturer is a risk. The decline in car values has eroded the company’s financial health. MisterGreen is set to close after failing to survive a sharp drop in the value of its Tesla fleet, […]
December 22, 2025
Chinese automaker Leapmotor, partner of Stellantis, plans to produce up to four models at Stellantis’ Spanish plant in Figueruelas near Zaragoza. As expected, production will start with the B10, followed by three additional models by 2027. The news was reported by the Spanish portal Forococheseléctricos, citing statements from Ding Yongfei, Leapmotor’s Global Quality Director. “We […]
December 22, 2025
Mercedes-Benz is preparing for a design reset after nearly three decades under one of its most influential creative leaders. Gorden Wagener, the company’s chief design officer and a key figure in shaping modern Mercedes styling, will leave the automaker early next year. Reportedly, internal friction was growing, even though Wagener decided for himself to bite […]
December 19, 2025
BMW has crossed a crucial industrial threshold at its Munich home plant. The carmaker has completed what it calls the ‘functional checks’ or ‘warm up’ of newly installed production equipment for the Neue Klasse, effectively dry-running the entire production process without vehicles or components. For Munich, this milestone carries symbolic and strategic weight. The Bavarian […]
December 19, 2025
The promise of solid-state batteries is not waning, even as electric-vehicle adoption faces more headwinds now that the EU has revised its 2035 ban. In both China and the US, progress is tangible, as evidenced by the latest results from companies like QuantumScape and WeLion. Hongqi, a car manufacturer, has committed to bringing the technology […]
December 19, 2025
For the 5th year in a row, BMW is the undisputed market leader in Belgium, a unique feat worldwide. BMW Belux CEO Alexander Wehr was, of course, thrilled with this result at the traditional yearly overview. When it comes to the future of BMW and Mini in our countries (and abroad), BMW’s top manager remains […]
December 19, 2025
Chinese automaker BYD announced this week that cumulative output of its electric and plug-in hybrid models has reached 15 million units, a figure that now exceeds the combined lifetime electric-vehicle production of Tesla (8.1 million) and the Volkswagen Group (under 3 million). That acceleration mirrors what is happening across the global market. Recent analysis shows […]
December 19, 2025
Ahead of the market launch of the ID. Polo next year, Volkswagen has released further details about its electric compact car. This includes performance data for the four drivetrains and two battery variants. In an interview with the German car magazine, VW boss Thomas Schäfer emphasized that the future is electric, especially for smaller cars. […]
December 18, 2025
Elon Musk oversees Tesla and Starlink, the company that provides internet access through its satellite system. What if the two were combined to provide Tesla cars with connectivity everywhere they roam? A new patent points exactly in that direction. Tesla has filed a patent application for a vehicle roof assembly constructed from radio-frequency-permeable materials. This […]
