April 17, 2024
The Swedish dealer holding Hedin, which has been active in Belux since 2018, will start to import the Chinese brand XPeng. The first units of the momentarily available P7 sedan and the large G9 SUV should be delivered before the end of summer. The prices in Belgium aren’t known yet, but normally, they will be […]
April 17, 2024
The latest analysis from Transport & Environment reveals that the roll-out of charging infrastructure is proceeding as planned. Last month, several car makers complained about insufficiencies hampering EV adoption, but the numbers show that the EU countries live up to their promises. The deployment of charging infrastructure in the EU has been successful, according to […]
April 17, 2024
Dutch fast-charging company Fastned has launched its first-ever charging hub where customers can shop or visit a restaurant. The new facility is situated at a key charging station along the E19 motorway between Antwerp and Breda, near Brecht. In Belgium, opening a highway shop without offering fossil fuels is complicated. The debut of this retail […]
April 17, 2024
Chinese car brand Denza, a joint venture between BYD and Mercedes-Benz, recently revealed the first glimpse of a new model. The registration application in China has now provided unveiled images and initial information, such as the model’s name. It is mandatory to be included in the Chinese Ministry of Industry and Information Technology (MIIT) vehicle […]
April 16, 2024
Renault seems to be considering a purely electric edition of the Espace. The car would be an MPV again, like the original one, and it would also have a retro look like some of the manufacturer’s new EV products lately. Renault could offer a competitor to the VW ID.Buzz and others with an electric, seven-seater […]
April 16, 2024
Deemed illegal, Alfa Romeo is removing the Milano name from its youngest crossover. After an intervention from the Italian government, which threatened legal action over the use of the original name, the car model will be named Junior. The relationship between Alfa’s parent company and the Italian government is at an all-time low. The next […]
April 16, 2024
More bad news for Tesla. After its worst quarter results since the pandemic, the EV maker is cutting its workforce by roughly 10%, or about 14,000 people. The company cites “hiring inefficiencies over rapid growth”, but heads are rolling over some key projects as well. The worldwide headcount of Tesla is 140,473 people. Citing the […]
April 16, 2024
Yin Tongyue, chairman of China’s Chery Auto, said the Wuhu-based car manufacturer is planning to sign a deal with a premium European brand through platform cooperation. “Two premium European brands want to use our platform, and a deal will be signed with one of them, which is a more premium brand than us,” Yin said. […]
April 16, 2024
For the first time in the Belux, more electrified vehicles (BEV, PHEV, and HEV) were registered in the first quarter of 2024 than cars with only a combustion engine (ICE). According to the data of the importers federation, Febiac, 135,140 cars were registered in Q1 2024, the best result since 2020. 52.8% of them were […]
April 15, 2024
The Pininfarina Battista is already one of the most exclusive EVs on the planet, but the one-off Reversario ups the stakes. This bespoke all-electric hypercar was commissioned by a customer who wanted to add a stablemate to the one he already had. As typical for the hyper exclusive category, it can never be exclusive enough, […]
April 15, 2024
Sales of EV brand Polestar took a big hit during the first quarter of this year. With only 7,200 units delivered, the figures slid by 40% in a year-on-year comparison. Most automakers managed to grow their EV deliveries compared to the same period last year (but reported strong declines compared to the final quarter of […]
April 15, 2024
Sales of electric models from the Volkswagen Group showed strong regional differences in the first quarter of 2024. While sales fell significantly in Europe and the US, the Chinese market stood for outstanding growth. To further cement its position in China, the brand Volkswagen has announced an investment of 2.5 billion euro to expand its […]
April 15, 2024
Last Friday, Belgian Prime Minister Alexander De Croo and other members of the federal and regional governments met with Audi’s top managers to try to save Audi Brussels. “The Factory of the Future” (award title in 2020) is fighting for its survival. Dark clouds are gathering on the horizon. A few months ago, Brussels was […]
April 12, 2024
Volvo Cars’ Taizhou manufacturing plant has switched to biogas, making it Volvo’s first plant in China to achieve climate-neutral status. The plant’s switch from natural gas will result in a reduction of more than 7,000 tonnes of CO2 per year. “Despite being a small share of our total Scope 1-3 emissions of 43 million tons, […]
April 12, 2024
Charging stations installed as of tomorrow must be in rule with Europe’s latest standards. Just like conventional fuel forecourts, they will display real-time prices and allow payment through bank cards. The regulations take effect as Europe has finalized its fifth funding round for AFIR (Alternative Fuels Infrastructure Regulations), largely expanding the continent’s charging infrastructure. The […]
April 12, 2024
Mercedes-Benz is recalling 341,000 of its cars worldwide because of a fire risk. GLE and GLS models built from 2017 to 2023 are concerned. Meanwhile, the Stuttgarters are upgrading their electric flagship EQS. The recall has been announced by the German transport authority Kraftfahrt-Bundesamt (KBA). The cause for the possible fire risk is a possibly […]
April 12, 2024
In selected European markets, including Belgium, Tesla is extending its Model Y offering. The new rear-wheel drive version can travel exactly 600 kilometers between charges. It bears the badge Long Range for a good reason. As the American automaker comes to terms with a sales slowdown, it is counteracting the trend with a new version […]
April 12, 2024
Officials failed to reach on agreement on EV subsidies for cars exported from the EU to the US. The recent negotiations were considered a last chance before presidential elections might turn the tables. However, negotiations will continue. The EU and the US have held talks for some time to reach a bilateral agreement over EV […]
April 12, 2024
As an aside in a press release about the king of Spain visiting the Martorell production facility, Seat has announced that the Cupra Raval will become the first of the VW Group’s small EVs to be produced at the renewed factory. Production will kick off in late 2025 and will be supplied directly by the […]
April 11, 2024
Last year, 569,605 new bikes were delivered in Belgium, down one-fifth compared to the peak year 2022. Mobility Federation Traxio says the fewer new bicycles purchased are due to large stocks at bicycle dealers. Yet a historic milestone has also been rounded in the meantime: the e-bike achieves a market share of more than half […]
April 11, 2024
Italian carmaker Alfa Romeo has lifted the veil on the new Milano. The small crossover is the brand’s first-ever EV, and it’s offered in two guises with power ranging from 156 to 240 hp. Both versions share the same 54-kWh battery, offering 410 km of range. That being said, like its numerous brothers from the […]
April 11, 2024
In a tough market, sales of all-electric BMWs have grown significantly. During the first three months of the year, the Bavarian automaker witnessed a global growth of 27.8%, while competitors like Mercedes and Tesla faced substantial drops. BMW’s solid performance was epitomized by the delivery of its one-millionth electric car. It took the automaker roughly […]
April 11, 2024
On Wednesday evening, two days after Van Hool had been declared bankrupt by the Court in Mechelen, the curators finally chose the initial bids of VDL (for the bus section) and Schmitz Cargobull (for the trailer section). The curators thoroughly investigated the bids of the Dutch VDL Group and the South African GRW company (a […]
April 10, 2024
Western European ports, particularly Zeebrugge and Antwerp, face unprecedented challenges as they morph into vast car storage facilities. The influx of vehicles, especially from Asia and America, has outpaced the outflow, leading to significant congestion. The bottleneck has several automakers scouting for inland parking lots to keep up with the pace of factory output. The large […]
April 10, 2024
American automaker Ford is upgrading its electric Mustang Mach-E crossover. All versions are equipped with a new rear e-motor, which produces more torque. The batteries don’t change, but the range is increased on all versions, and fast charging times are cut by almost 20%. The high-performance Mach-E GT is now faster than both the Tesla […]
April 10, 2024
American EV startup Canoo paid $1.7 million for CEO Tony Aquila’s private jet bills, twice its total revenue last year. According to its earnings report released this week, Canoo lost $302 million in 2023 and is urgently looking for new investors. Aquila, who is also the company’s chairman, owns about 14% of Canoo. In 2022, […]
April 10, 2024
Paolo Pininfarina, Chairman of the Pininfarina Group and son of famous designer, Sergio Pininfarina, passed away yesterday in Turin surrounded by his family. The 65-year-old worked for Cadillac, Honda, and GM before taking the lead of Pininfarina Group in 2008, after the death of his brother. His grandfather, Battista Pininfarina, founded the Carrozzeria Pinin Farina […]
April 10, 2024
After an accident in San Francisco caused Cruise to suspend its operations with its robotaxi fleet nationwide, it announced that it would restart driving on public roads. However, GM’s subsidiary is straightening its back carefully, as this first batch of vehicles is equipped with a driver on board. Cruise has chosen Phoenix as the gateway […]
April 10, 2024
Last month, the last units of the Smart ForTwo came off the line at the plant in Hambach, France. There are rumors that Smart is brooding on a successor but has difficulties finding partners to join forces for the project. Smart Europe CEO Dirk Adelmann recently announced that the company is developing a new platform […]
April 09, 2024
The BMW Group and Rimac Technology, headquartered near Zagreb, Croatia, officially announced a long-term partnership. The aim of the collaboration is to co-develop and co-produce innovative solutions in the field of high-voltage battery technology for battery-electric vehicles. The results will be used in the BMW Group’s future product range, more specifically, in model generations slated […]
April 09, 2024
DS Automobiles has introduced two non-plug-in hybrids to its model range: the DS 3 and DS 4 Hybrid, which make use of Stellantis’ new mild hybrid 1.2 three-cylinder engine, offering a nearly 20% reduction in fuel consumption. But more electric news is coming later this year. The new 1.2 PureTech Hybrid engine was introduced last […]
April 09, 2024
Opel has resurrected the Frontera nameplate for the successor of the Crossland. The new compact SUV focuses on practicality, clever technology and a high degree of electrification thanks to the choice between a (mild) hybrid or a fully electric drivetrain – although not every detail is yet known. The first Opel Frontera was a fully-fledged […]
April 09, 2024
The French provider of DC fast-charging infrastructure, Electra, is entering the Dutch market and will compete with Dutch charging network provider Fastned on its home turf. The plan is to install 100 fast-charging stations and 600 charging points for EVs before 2030. Electra is already present in France, Germany, Switzerland, Austria, Belgium, Luxembourg, Italy, and […]
April 09, 2024
Yesterday, the commercial court of Malines officially adjudicated Belgian bus builder Van Hool in Koninghooikt (Lier). Last Friday, news broke that only one candidate was left for a takeover and quick restart: the combination of competitor Dutch VDL, which saw itself a challenging year in 2023, and German truck builder Schmitz Cargobull. The latest news […]
April 08, 2024
Like other car brands, such as Skoda and DS, Nio is integrating artificial intelligence into its cars. Nio’s voice assistant, Nomi, recently received a GPT update. GPT stands for Generative Pretrained Transformer, a form of artificial intelligence. We first ‘met’ Nio in the Nio ET7 sedan we drove in May 2023. Nomi is the little […]
April 08, 2024
ALD Automotive/LeasePlan and Smart Europe GmbH have come to an agreement to offer the two recent Smart models, the #1 and the #3, to companies and individual buyers in a private or operational leasing formula. Both individual and professional clients are now able to lease the Smart #1 and its somewhat larger brother, the Smart […]
April 08, 2024
Tesla was caught in a whirlwind last week when Reuters reported that the carmaker had axed the development of its affordable compact car. But after the news broke, CEO Elon Musk lashed back on his social media platform X: “Reuters is lying (again).” He countered by claiming his company would reveal its Robotaxi, based on […]
April 05, 2024
According to the specialized website H2mobile, the Italian sports car manufacturer Ferrari seems interested in using a hybrid hydrogen-burning internal combustion engine (HICE) in its sports cars. Ferrari has apparently filed a patent to protect this idea. A number of manufacturers are still investigating the possibility of using hydrogen as a cleaner fuel for internal […]
April 05, 2024
Volvo Cars achieved a record-breaking sales performance last month, with figures reaching an all-time high. The surge in sales was notably propelled by the enthusiastic market reception of its new all-electric model, the EX30, and robust sales across its diversified portfolio in Europe and the United States. The Swedish automaker disclosed an impressive tally of […]
April 05, 2024
Chinese electric car manufacturer Xpeng has announced the launch of its third model in Europe. The coupé-like electric SUV Xpeng G6, which has been available in China since last year, can be ordered in Europe from May and will hit the road in Q3/2024. In China, Xpeng launched the G6 last summer as a competitor […]
April 04, 2024
The page is officially turned. After over 25 years, the Hambach, France, plant has churned out its last Smart ForTwo. It’s the end for the small 2.5-m car that was seen as a revolution in urban transport. The Hambach plant, often nicknamed ‘Smartville,’ has produced up to 140,000 cars yearly. However, the plant, which benefited […]
April 04, 2024
Today, Renault presented an update on its popular B-Segment SUV, the Renault Captur. Renault calls the category urban SUVs and points out that this is a market accounting for half of all sales in the B-segment, which itself makes up 30% of the total market. “Captur is the B-segment “voiture à vivre” (car for living). […]
April 04, 2024
On Wednesday, BMW Group started the building works for the new battery assembly plant in Straßkirchen, Germany. According to a German media report, the manufacturer submitted an application to the local district office for an early start of construction. It was approved last week. According to the Bayerischer Rundfunk (BR), the first construction machinery has […]
April 03, 2024
The upcoming entry-level Mercedes-Benz EV was finally caught out in the wild. The electric Mercedes CLA was spotted testing near the Arctic Circle. The new EV is seen as Mercedes-Benz’s answer to the Tesla Model 3 and will be the most affordable EV from Stuttgart. The new CLA is also dubbed the ‘electric hypermiler’ or […]
April 03, 2024
Tesla’s first quarter 2024 results ended up being a wake-up call. Deliveries have declined for the first time since the pandemic compared to the previous year. A small consolation is that the carmaker has recaptured the crown from China’s rival BYD, which is the world’s largest EV maker. Car deliveries, in particular, were disappointing. Analysts […]
April 03, 2024
According to the data provided by the federal government service Mobility & Transport and the car manufacturers federation Febiac, 44,751 cars were registered in March 2024, 13.5% less than in the same month last year. Febiac explains this regress by saying that March 2024 counted two working days less than March 2023, but that can’t […]
April 02, 2024
Windrose Tech, the Chinese manufacturer of EV trucks, is considering coming to Antwerp to install its European headquarters, an R&D center, and an assembly plant. That’s what founder Han Wen declared in an interview with the French newspaper Le Monde. Windrose’s full electric trucks are supposed to have a range of some 600 km and […]
April 02, 2024
Alliance partners Nissan and Mitsubishi have been collaborating since 2016 in their home market of Japan. Still, a plan has been formed to extend this pooling of resources to North America. A Mexico-built 1-ton pickup truck and a plug-in hybrid vehicle for Nissan are first on the agenda to strengthen both brands in the US. […]
April 02, 2024
The granting of Brussels Airport Company’s new environmental permit is provoking opposed reactions. According to the citizen forum Burgerforum Luchthavenregio, the Flemish government has let down the residents of the surrounding municipalities around the airport. The Federal Ombudsman also feels that health and pollution have not been sufficiently considered. The Flemish liberal political party Open […]
April 02, 2024
On Friday, March 29th, 1974, the first Golf rolled off the line in Volkswagen’s home plant in Wolfsburg. Fifty years later, golf is still being produced, and over 37 million units have already been made. But the icon is not ready to die yet. Back in 1974, the new Golf was a gamble for Volkswagen. […]
April 01, 2024
Civil engineering company Jan De Nul, energy provider Engie, and worldwide expert in technical service Equans have launched a pilot project focusing on using Vanadium Redox Flow batteries on an industrial scale as an alternative to lithium-ion batteries. Belgian Energy Minister Tinne Van der Straeten (Groen), the CEOs of Engie Belgium, Equans Belux, and Jan […]
April 01, 2024
China has escalated its confrontation with the United States over electric vehicle (EV) subsidies by filing a complaint with the World Trade Organization (WTO). Beijing deems the practices under the US Inflation Reduction Act (IRA) “discriminatory”. It feels targeted in particular and believes they are a form of unfair competition in the changing automotive market. […]
March 29, 2024
After twelve years and over 420,000 units produced, the pioneering Renault Zoé electric subcompact hatchback will end its production run on Friday, March 30th, in the Flins factory. It will be replaced by the new, cheaper, and prettier Renault 5 E-Tech. The Zoé was Renault’s first production electric car. Based on the Clio platform, it […]
March 29, 2024
Ford has signed an agreement with Dutch charging infrastructure specialist Allego to equip its European dealerships with fast-charging points, providing up to 400 kW of power and offering lower prices for FordPass Charging customers. The rollout of these chargers will begin this year. The way to get customers back into dealerships? Why not offer a […]
March 28, 2024
While many are still skeptical about the plausibility of 100% autonomous vehicles, Geely Auto is showing that its new AI ‘digital’ chassis can not only safely operate on snow and ice without a driver but can also pull off fully autonomous drifting. Geely Auto sits under the larger umbrella of Zhejiang Geely Holding Group Co., […]
March 28, 2024
After coming second in the European Car of the Year (COTY) contest, the new BMW 5 Series has been named the World Luxury Car 2024. For the members of the World Car Awards jury, it was the standout new arrival in the field of luxury vehicles that celebrated their debuts in the world’s car markets […]
March 28, 2024
A Denim Blue XC90 was bestowed with the honor of being Volvo’s last diesel car. After promising to end production of diesel-powered passenger cars back in September 2023 at the NYC Climate Week, the Swedish manufacturer has put its money where its mouth is, ending on a V60 in Ghent and an XC90 in Torslanda. […]
March 28, 2024
With the comfortable certainty of 30 billion yuan (€3,83 billion) profit made in 2023, the top Chinese EV maker BYD can afford to fuel further the price war it initiated to prove electric cars can be sold even cheaper than their ICE siblings. Next in a long row, seeing its price lowered by 5%, is […]
March 28, 2024
South Korean car manufacturing group Hyundai announced a massive $50 billion (68 trillion won) investment to secure its position as the auto market transitions to EVs. The Korean automaker will hire 80,000 people in Korea to help it become one of the top three EV makers in the world by 2030. Hyundai’s new investment is […]
March 28, 2024
For the first time since the outbreak of the Ukrainian war, a Russian factory has rebooted the manufacture of a Western car model. The automotive plant in Kaluga has officially started churning out Citroën C5 Aircross models for the local market. Citroën-owner Stellantis admits having lost control in the region. The PSMA Rus facility, as […]
