January 20, 2023
The supply shortage crisis keeps troubling carmakers, also in the new year. The all-electric ID. models from Volkswagen currently leave the factory without the option of a heat pump. It is unknown whether sister models from Seat and Skoda, using the same architecture, are affected. But it seems likely, as the Audi Q4 e-tron suffers […]
January 20, 2023
Vanwall, a former English Formula 1 racing team, is revived and has presented an electric compact production model to be built in Germany. The Vandervell stands out with its sporty look and performance and will be delivered in the third quarter of 2023 at a (hefty) price tag of around €150 000. Vanwall was a […]
January 19, 2023
After leaving the European Automobile Manufacturers’ Association (ACEA) last year, Stellantis has just announced they will stop all European lobbying efforts. CEO Carlos Tavares made the decision as a way to be more proactive than reactive in terms of future mobility strategies. “We no longer have lobbyists. We do not negotiate anymore,” Tavares says. “We […]
January 19, 2023
VDL Bus & Coach has received an order of 193 electric buses from Dutch public transport company EBS, which will use these new-gen Citea buses in the region Zaanstreek-Waterland (the Netherlands). These buses will be built in Valkenswaard and in the new Belgian e-bus factory in Roeselare, which is opening soon. EBS was founded in […]
January 19, 2023
The European Investment Bank (EIB) has granted the Belgian Punch Group a €40 million finance contract for further developing hydrogen propulsion systems, like fuel cells and the H2 burning engine, as an environmentally friendly successor for the diesel engine. The investments will be made mainly at the company’s headquarters in Turin (Italy), Punch Group says, […]
January 18, 2023
At the Brussels Motor Show, we met Jon Williams, European Vice-President and General Manager of Ford Blue, the ICE part of Ford Europe’s business. He talked about the different specialisms inside Ford Motor Company now. “Recently, we’ve made clear that electrification and sustainability are the main priorities for our company, certainly in Europe,” Williams started. […]
January 18, 2023
Xpeng is steadfastly forging its road into the European market. The Chinese EV maker has announced that it will open four service and delivery centers across Europe in 2023 as part of its expansion plans. The centers will be opened during the first half of the year in the four markets where the brand operates. […]
January 18, 2023
At the Delhi Auto Show 2023, Suzuki unveiled the EVx, a concept car announcing the brand’s first all-electric SUV. The first specs seem to point to in-house development. Though the unveiling took place in India, the brand intends to sell it worldwide. “Strong 4×4 DNA with the advanced features of the latest BEVs.” Those words […]
January 18, 2023
Volvo has presented its Chinese roadmap for 2023 during a press conference, revealing three new electric models coming this year. Next to a more luxurious version of the EX90 and the compact EX30 SUV, a yet-to-be-announced MPV is shown in a slideshow. And it should have some Zeekr DNA. Last year, Zeekr launched its luxury […]
January 18, 2023
Britishvolt, the UK’s hope of constructing a 30 GWh Gigafactory in Blyth, in the northeast of England, is going belly-up as attempts to find last-minute investors failed. The startup collapsed into administration on Tuesday, and most of the 232 employees were made redundant immediately. Britishvolt had asked the government last year for an advance payment […]
January 18, 2023
In December 2022, new car registrations in the EU expanded by 12,8%, marking the fifth consecutive month of growth this year. However, in 2022, the European Union passenger car market contracted by 4,6%, mainly due to component shortages in the first half of the year. Although the market improved from August to December 2022, cumulative […]
January 17, 2023
As part of a new package of product updates, Volvo has improved both the range (WLTP) and charging for the XC40 Recharge and C40 Recharge, increasing range by as much as 60 kilometers on some variants. Furthermore, three new powertrains are offered on the C40 Recharge and XC40 Recharge. These include two rear-wheel-drive variants – […]
January 17, 2023
With EV and battery technology gradually lowering in cost, more manufacturers are introducing cheap electric city cars. For example, the Chinese manufacturer BYD, the fourth largest EV company in the world, is set to introduce the Seagull, a new electric city car, as shown by Chinese regulatory filings. The Chinese Ministry of Industry and Information […]
January 17, 2023
Last week, BMW Group CEO Oliver Zipse previewed some of the technology on its ‘Neue Klasse’ EV platform at the CES in Las Vegas. He was also very outspoken regarding the group’s future in the EV market. Zipse boldly said that BMW’s next wave of EVs will be the industry benchmark in range, charging speeds, […]
January 16, 2023
Facing stiff opposition from customers and criticism in its home country after lowering its prices in China twice in three months, Tesla has decided to make the price cut global. Depending on the model and the region a discount of up to 20% is now on the table in a bid to keep output at […]
January 16, 2023
As we were already hinting at a few weeks ago, Mazda revealed a new car at the Brussels Motor Show. The independent Japanese manufacturer is adding a plug-in hybrid version to its battery-electric MX-30. The MX-30 e-Skyactiv R-EV is the announced new variant with a rotary engine acting as a range extender. It’s sold at […]
January 16, 2023
The Euro 7 ruling keeps throwing oil on the fire. According to the Association of European Auto manufacturers (ACEA), the proposed norm demands a considerable investment for a small ecological trade-off. With practically no impact on the NOx emissions of road transport, the organization pleads that it better should be skipped. However, the Commission put […]
January 16, 2023
The American-Chinese manufacturer Seres, from the same group as DFSK, has launched its second model for Europe at the Brussels Motor Show. The Seres 5 is a midsize electric SUV with up to 585 hp and a driving range of around 500 km. Seres was first introduced to Belgium and other European markets with the […]
January 16, 2023
For the first time, the award-winning Car of the Year (COTY) ceremony was at the Brussels Motor Show. Fifty-seven car journalists from 23 countries have finally voted for the fully electric Jeep Avenger as COTY 2023. Before the voting, there was no great rival this year, although the VW ID. Buzz was the most noticed […]
January 13, 2023
Astara Western Europe, the former Belgian Alcomotive group and importer of Hyundai, Suzuki, MG, SsangYong, and Maxus, also becomes the BeLux distributor for the Spanish Silence scooters and micro-mobility EV, the so-called ‘nanocars’. The latter share an interesting ‘swapping battery’ technology. At the opening of the Brussels Motor Show, Belgian prices were communicated with the […]
January 13, 2023
According to internal sources quoted by the German Handelsblatt, Mercedes-Benz intends to drop its EQ-label it uses to differentiate its electric models from regular ICE cars. As the premium brand plans to go full electric by the end of the decade, it might start doctoring with the labels from 2024 and return to its old […]
January 12, 2023
Where VW Group importer D’Ieteren had decided not to be present at the 2022 BMS (which was finally canceled), it’s again present with an entire exposition hall (11) at the BMS 2023. But the importer will not only show the novelties of its VW Group brands. Apart from that, all ‘new mobility’ proposals will also […]
January 12, 2023
The organizers of the Brussels Motor Show are announcing the presence of 95% of the market at the motor show opening its doors (for the press and VIP guests) tomorrow. However, it’s only 85% considering that Mercedes-Benz and Jaguar Land Rover will only be ‘symbolically’ present. Volvo and Mercedes explain that they prefer organizing their […]
January 12, 2023
Volvo Car Gent, the Belgian production site pioneering the electric models of the XC40 and the C40 Recharge, is readying the factory to gear up production of fully electric cars (BEVs) to 150 000, compared to just over 70 000 last year. In 2040, this should be 200 000 in an utterly carbon-neutral plant. Volvo […]
January 12, 2023
According to the NGO Transport & Environment, the ‘big bet’ of Europe’s major oil companies on hydrogen as the transport fuel for the future is not so big in reality. A new study on behalf of T&E shows that investments in biofuel refining are eight times bigger. T&E accuses oil producers of not being serious […]
January 11, 2023
For the second consecutive year, the BMW Group has beaten Mercedes-Benz in total sales for 2022. The number three, Audi, follows at arm’s length. Also noticeable: all three have sold consistently more electric and electrified cars than in 2021. With 2,4 million vehicles sold by the BMW Group (BMW, Mini, and Rolls-Royce) and 2,1 million […]
January 11, 2023
In 2022, the high-luxury daughter of BMW, Rolls-Royce, sold 6021 cars. Never before has the illustrious company sold so many cars: 8% more than the previous record year, and that was 2021. Bentley sold more than 15 000 cars, also a record. So the Ukrainian war, the energy prices, etc., don’t affect the buying habits […]
January 10, 2023
When one follows the car market and the manufacturers’ policies, one of the ever-recurring words is ‘premium’. There’s almost no manufacturer anymore that doesn’t want to be –be it partly – premium, at the same time neglecting a (big) part of its former sales base. It’s becoming very crowdy in this premium part of the […]
January 10, 2023
Sony Honda Mobility Inc. (SHM) is planning to launch as soon as possible two other models besides the sedan – an SUV and probably an MPV – under the new Afeela EV brand, announced at CES in Las Vegas last week. It would make no sense to limit the brand to one model for the […]
January 09, 2023
Andretti Global, a spin-off of the American racing squad competing in IndyCar and Formula E, has clinched Cadillac as a partner in its bid to enter the Formula 1 World Championship. Andretti-Cadillac hopes to enter F1 as new engine regulations boost sustainability in the series, but the existing teams don’t seem to want to share […]
January 09, 2023
VinFast, Vietnam’s electric car manufacturer, is lining up its following two models after the VF 8 and VF 9 that were previously presented. At CES, VinFast specified the VF 6 and VF 7, their new B and C segment electric cars. Vinfast expects to open reservations this coming March. Meanwhile, the brand’s launch in Europe […]
January 09, 2023
The Automotive Parts Manufacturers’ Association (APMA) has kept its word and unveiled its first running prototype, including the interior, at the Consumers Electronic Show (CES) in Las Vegas. However, there’s a but. No mass production is on the agenda. The rather brick-like looking Arrow is a showcase which demonstrates what the Canadian suppliers in the automotive […]
January 09, 2023
In an interview with the German specialized magazine Automobilwoche at the Computer Electronics Show (CES) in Las Vegas, Stellantis boss Carlos Tavares warns the industry that many European middle-class customers will buy Chinese in the future. “The price difference between European and Chinese cars is considerable,” he says. “If we do nothing about this, consumers […]
January 06, 2023
The Peugeot Inception Concept looks like a wild idea on wheels, born to grab attention, but underneath its razor-edged surface sits a guideline for the future EVs of the French brand. Peugeot’s planned entry into the US was ditched a few years ago. With no current models on offer over the Atlantic Ocean, it came […]
January 06, 2023
The German automotive supplier ZF is looking to save range as much as possible for EVs. The latest attempt is a heated seat belt that claims somewhat surprising range improvements. At the same time, ZF is showing its next self-driving shuttle at the Consumer Electronics Show (CES) in Las Vegas. The ZF ‘Heat Belt’ for […]
January 06, 2023
The electric Ram 1500 pickup Stellantis showed at the CES today is still a concept vehicle. Unlike what was rumored a few weeks ago, the production vehicle will not appear before 2024. Instead, the Ram 1500 Revolution BEV wants to give an idea of what Ram will be doing a year from now, “redefining the […]
January 05, 2023
A few days ago, we gave the final results of the Belux market. Today, we go for some analysis and pay attention to foreign markets. We see that the market trends quickly evolve as the energy transition comes under steam and other evolutions manifest themselves. The influence of the company car market is still growing […]
January 05, 2023
Mercedes-Benz has struck a deal with American silicon carbide (SiC) specialist Wolfspeed, the first company to introduce the more efficient SiC technology in semiconductors. These more efficient drivetrain parts will play a relatively important role as Mercedes gears up to introduce its new-gen electric architectures in 2025. Wolfspeed was a pioneer in silicon carbide technology […]
January 05, 2023
In 2022, 642 669 second-hand cars were registered in Belgium, a decrease of 9,4% (66 936 units) compared to the year before (709 605 registrations). Even compared to ‘corona year’ 2020, mobility federation Traxio registered a decline of 2,6%. In December 2022, a regression of 5% was listed, with 50 950 registrations compared to 53 […]
January 05, 2023
The Belgian, Seraing-based company, John Cockerill, a well-known hydrogen electrolysis specialist, will invest in Morocco’s green hydrogen production sector. This reports the newspaper L’Echo and is confirmed by a press release from the company. The main point of the investment is the creation of a gigafactory dedicated to manufacturing electrolyzers, the first of its kind […]
January 05, 2023
The BMW Group shows its vision of ‘the future digital experience’, at the Consumer Electronics Show (CES) 2023 in Las Vegas. The BMW i Vision Dee is a futuristic mid-size sedan with a new, pared-down design language. ‘Dee’ stands for Digital Emotional Experience, aiming to create an even stronger bond between people and their cars. […]
January 04, 2023
The Korean Fair Trade Commission (KFTC) has fined Tesla 2,85 billion won (around 2,1 million euros) for exaggerating its range figures by not disclosing range drops in cold weather. The KFTC also wasn’t pleased with the promised charging speeds and fuel savings that Tesla advertised on its website. Tesla has received a slap on the […]
January 04, 2023
The Renault Zoe, first released in 2012, will not be replaced. Renault’s second-in-command, Fabrice Cambolive, has confirmed this to the English car magazine Autocar. Instead, Zoe will end its life as one of the best-selling electric cars in its home country and one of the EV best-sellers in Europe. A final date for the end […]
January 04, 2023
Volkswagen will showcase its first fully electric sedan based on the modular electric drive matrix (MEB) at the Consumer Electronics Show (CES) in Las Vegas (from 5 to 8 January). Following on from ID.4, the new sedan is Volkswagen’s next global electric vehicle and will be offered on three continents in the future. The world […]
January 03, 2023
In 2022, almost 80% of all newly registered cars in Norway were electric, a world record. Tesla is the overall market leader, with a 12,2% market share. As the government wants to build down incentives and the Norwegian consumer is having trouble recharging, it could be that this was the highest sales figure in a […]
January 03, 2023
The EV battle for record drag has spawned a new self-declared winner. Chinese brand Aion, a subsidiary of GAC, has unveiled the hyper GT featuring a Cd value of just 0.19. It’s worth mentioning that the car is still in concept. It remains to be seen whether the production version can uphold those record-breaking aerodynamics. […]
January 03, 2023
About a month after the first delivery event of the Tesla Semi, where it proved its 500-mile range, technical images have emerged of the long-haul electric truck revealing its battery location and more details about its weight. Tesla data miner @greentheonly on Twitter has shared a series of technical images of the Semi, revealing its […]
January 03, 2023
Despite an excellent December month (+20,6% compared to last year), the Belgian car market regressed by 4,4% compared to 2021. This was due to significant deficits in sales in the first seven months, which couldn’t be compensated by the progress in the last five months. As the Belgian market stays dominated by company cars, BMW […]
January 03, 2023
Ram’s electric pickup is set to debut in less than a week, and up until recently, it wasn’t exactly clear what it would be called. However, a new trademark filed with the United States Patent and Trademark Office indicates it could go by the name of Ram 1500 REV. On January 5, Ram will reveal […]
December 30, 2022
From now on, Hyundai Motors has decided to sell only pure electric vehicles in Norway. The Hyundai Group has invested a lot lately in developing electric cars. It is already benefitting from it as it has become the third biggest car manufacturer in the world. Hyundai imported the first electric Ioniq in Norway in 2016, […]
December 30, 2022
The 100th-anniversary edition of the Brussels Motor Show (BMS, 14 to 22 January 2023) will show at least 14 world or European premieres and 48 Belgian ones. Of course, this has to do with the absence of the (live) show for a couple of years, but also with the painful exit of some of its […]
December 29, 2022
The era of the original Smart two-seater has gone. In came the new Smart, a completely different approach and the fruit of a collaboration between Mercedes and Geely. The new #1 is also a completely electric car, like the latest ‘old’ Smarts, but every other similarity halts here. The newcomer is a crossover that tries […]
December 29, 2022
The Hyundai Group is officially the third-largest automaker globally, behind only Volkswagen and Toyota. However, the South Korean automaker may have an advantage as the auto industry transitions to electric vehicles. Especially as the number one, Toyota, seems to hesitate to go for EVs at full speed. According to Bloomberg, the Hyundai Motor Company, including […]
December 28, 2022
The world’s largest EV battery supplier with a market share of 33% in 2022, Contemporary Amperex Technology Co. Limited (CATL), has kicked off serial production at its new lithium-ion battery cell plant in Thuringia, Germany. It’s the first battery factory of CATL operational outside of China, with an initial manufacturing capacity estimated at 8 Gigawatt […]
December 28, 2022
Since the end of last month, the first units of the new electric SUV Fisker Ocean have been coming of the line in the Magna-Steyr factory in Austria. This is a perfect moment to ask CEO and owner Henrik Fisker about his views on the car business and its recent evolutions. Henrik Fisker is Danish […]
December 28, 2022
Retrofit, the transformation of an existing, sometimes old car into an electrically driven one, is becoming increasingly popular. But many countries have legal obstacles to such a conversion. Federal Mobility Minister Georges Gilkinet (Ecolo) wants to solve these problems by creating a legal canvas for the proceedings. In France, Retrofit is already popular. One of […]
December 27, 2022
Swedish engineer and researcher in motor vehicle safety, Astrid Linder, has developed the world’s first female crash test dummy. Linder and her team are convinced that this research can help shape the way cars will be built in the future by highlighting key differences between men and women. Some of them include females being shorter […]
December 27, 2022
Chinese premium electric carmaker NIO has launched two new flagship SUV models – a Coupe-SUV EC7 and a new version of the bigger six-seat ES8 – at its traditional NIO Days event in Hefei, Anhui province, where the company builds its cars in two factories. It claims the EC7 has the industry’s lowest aerodynamic profile […]
December 27, 2022
Scania and the transportation company Girteka from Lithuania announce an extensive new partnership. Girteka expects Scania to deliver up to 600 battery-electric trucks over the next four years. The companies will also collaborate on establishing charging infrastructure. The aim is to help reduce Girteka’s customers’ climate emissions at competitive costs. Girteka Logistics was founded in […]
December 27, 2022
Umicore, the Belgian materials technology group, and the Canadian battery developer Nano One announce the signing of a non-exclusive agreement to jointly develop production process technologies for lithium-ion battery active cathode materials. Both companies intend to share their technologies for high nickel NMC active cathode materials to increase throughput further while reducing the cost and […]
