June 26, 2024
According to a study by HR service provider Acerta, the average CO2 emissions from leasing cars have fallen by almost 20% in one year and 40% in ten years. The study analyzed a database listing more than 270,000 workers and employees in Belgium. Tax deductibility for fossil fuel cars purchased between July 1, 2023, and […]
June 25, 2024
Mobility organization Touring is calling on the new Brussels government, which has yet to be formed, to include in its policy plan the tightening of the low-emission zone (LEZ) on its territory, which usually takes effect in January 2025. Touring is thus calling for a relaxation of the LEZ. According to the organization, if the […]
June 25, 2024
Electra, a French startup in fast charging stations, will open and operate 23 fast charging stations over the next two years at the Belgian fast-food chain Quick’s existing and future restaurant locations. The charging stations will have a fast charging capacity of 400 kW and will be accessible to everyone at any time of the […]
June 25, 2024
BloombergNEF’s Electric Vehicle Outlook 2024 shows that EV adoption is still growing worldwide. With advances in EV technology and battery prices further falling, the future is bright despite an apparent slowdown in some countries and car manufacturers revising their EV policies. EVs are still the most cost-effective and commercially viable route to fully decarbonizing transport. […]
June 21, 2024
Flemish public transport operator De Lijn’s flex transport, vans on demand, is not operating efficiently. That’s according to the business newspaper De Tijd, based on figures the newspaper requested from De Lijn. According to the newspaper, 56% of all kilometers traveled have only the driver on board. In other words, minibusses drive around without passengers […]
June 20, 2024
80% of the world’s population is increasingly concerned about the devastating effects of climate change and wants more action on climate. This is according to a major survey, the biggest ever standalone public opinion survey on climate change, by the UN development agency UNDP and Oxford University. The call is especially strongest in the poorest […]
June 19, 2024
Boeing CEO Dave Calhoun has acknowledged the seriousness of the situation in a US Senate hearing on the quality of Boeing production and apologized for the grief that Boeing has caused. At the same time, he added that progress has since been made. Behind the top man were relatives of people killed in Boeing aircraft […]
June 18, 2024
Infrabel has pushed a new bicycle and pedestrian tunnel under the Leuven-Aarschot-Hasselt railway line in Langdorp. Final work on the tunnel still needs to be finished, but cyclists and pedestrians will be able to use it by the end of this year. This weekend, the tunnel was moved into place using a unique sliding system, […]
June 17, 2024
The SNCF will increase the supply of seats on the TGV or HST by 15% in France and 10% internationally over the next ten years. Thanks to an increase in Ouigo’s low-cost trains, the expansion of that offer is possible. The SNCF in France is under strong pressure because different companies will launch regional high-speed […]
June 17, 2024
The first new electric buses ordered by Brussels public transport operator MIVB/STIB from German manufacturer Daimler Buses will be in service from July. This is reported by the newspapers La Capital and Le Soir. A total of 106 e-buses are involved. With this order, MIVB/STIB intends to replace its diesel models under the Euro-5 and […]
June 14, 2024
One year after Bpost put its thousandth electric delivery van into use, the Belgian postal company surpassed the 2,000 electric vehicle mark. This means that Bpost has doubled its fleet of environmentally friendly vehicles in just one year. These figures underline the company’s commitment to further reducing emissions and delivering CO2-free mail and parcels throughout […]
June 14, 2024
Petrochemical analysis samples can now be transported by drone from the Antwerp port area to a laboratory. The innovative project by SGS, German chemical giant BASF, and ADLC was launched to make port operations more efficient and reduce the environmental impact of transporting analysis samples. According to SGS, a Swiss multinational specializing in inspections and […]
June 14, 2024
Mercedes-Benz is accelerating its electric vehicle infrastructure plans with a new deployment of cutting-edge charging technology from supplier Alpitronic. The German carmaker already collaborates with the provider for its branded high power charging (HPC) network, but the announced charging points offer up to 400 kW peak power. Alpitronic is Mercedes’ partner for the rollout of […]
June 14, 2024
The Walloon public transport company TEC transported more than 150 million passengers last year. As far as passenger numbers are concerned, they are back to the level before the COVID-19 health crisis. At the same time, TEC’s turnover increased by 22% compared to 2022, to 122 million euros. In doing so, it surpassed 2019 for […]
June 13, 2024
The International Energy Agency (IEA) expects an ‘unprecedented’ oil surplus of 8 million barrels daily by 2030. According to the Agency’s latest report, oil demand worldwide will slow down, driven by the energy transition. Several aspects, including the increasing number of electric cars, better fuel efficiency in cars with combustion engines, and decreasing use of […]
June 13, 2024
With the stalemate between the liberal MR party and Groen, the two big winners in the French and Dutch language groups in Brussels of the national elections, it looks like the Good Move mobility plan will become the topic of the municipal elections in October. MR president Georges-Louis Bouchez is determined that Good Move must […]
June 12, 2024
Flibco.com, a provider of transport services to airports in Belgium, is launching an international shuttle line between Maastricht and Charleroi Airport via Liège from 4 July. The bus company reckons the journey time will be around two hours for the 127 km separating the Dutch city from the Walloon one. Flibco.com promises ten daily departures […]
June 12, 2024
At Brussels Airport, the new building of Safran Aircraft Engine Services, a French aircraft engine maintenance company, has been officially inaugurated. The building, which cost 24 million euros to build, measures 8,500 m² and is carbon-neutral thanks to its use of 100% renewable energy. By 2027, the site will employ 220 new workers. The new […]
June 12, 2024
Chinese Gotion High Tech, one of the ten leading global players in battery technology with sites in the USA, Japan, Germany, and Singapore, has signed an investment agreement with the Moroccan government to build North Africa’s first EV battery gigafactory. The Kenitra city project will cost 1.3 billion US dollars (12.8 dirhams). The first phase […]
June 11, 2024
According to Singapore’s Nanyang Technological University (NTU), air pollution can be linked to about 135 million premature deaths between 1980 and 2020. This is according to a study published in the journal Environment International. These deaths would be caused by airborne PM2.5, particulate matter from vehicles, industrial emissions, and natural sources such as fires or […]
June 10, 2024
According to a new study by Vias Institute, failure to correctly give the right of way is involved in one in three serious cycling accidents in Flanders. Responsibility for the accident lies as often with the cyclist as with the other road user. And two-thirds of accidents are largely due to human error. Still, according […]
June 10, 2024
Citroën has announced a plan for the future to streamline its model line-up, focusing on Europe’s primary market segments. CEO Thierry Koskas confirmed in an interview with Autocar that the brand will prioritize the B- and C-segments, phasing out smaller and larger models. Citroën’s future range will start with the B-segment C3, including its electric […]
June 10, 2024
Last Sunday was election day in Belgium. Citizens had to vote for three (Flanders, Wallonia) or four (Brussels) different parliaments: European, federal, and regional (an additional one in Brussels). The respective mobility ministers saw different faiths. Federal Mobility Minister Georges Gilkinet (Ecolo) has not been re-elected in the federal parliament. Flemish Mobility Minister Lydia Peeters […]
June 07, 2024
The Manhattan congestion charge, planned for activation in late June this year, has been axed. New York State Governor Kathy Hochul announced the “indefinite suspension” of the controversial charge, which was modeled after similar low-emission zones in London, Stockholm, and Singapore. “I’ve made a tough decision: implementing the traffic tax puts too much at risk […]
June 06, 2024
France’s national rail operator, SNCF, is going to get an extra competitor. Backed by an investment fund, the new company Proxima plans to acquire 12 high-speed trains by the decade’s end to link Paris with Angers, Rennes, Nantes, and Bordeaux. Rachel Picard, co-founder and chief executive of Proxima, is well-known in the railway world. Until […]
June 06, 2024
In full transition to a mobility provider, D’Ieteren is taking a pioneering step by introducing tele-driving on Belgian roads. Partnering with Ush, the driverless vehicle arm of the company, and Poppy, Benelux’s largest car-share provider, operations are scheduled for later this year. The service must boost the efficiency and customer experience of car sharing. Ush […]
June 06, 2024
Between 2015 and 2022, the number of reported bicycle thefts in the Brussels Region increased by more than 70%. This is according to a study by safe.brussels, the security management organization for the capital region. The rapidly increasing use of bicycles in the capital and region is undoubtedly making bicycles hip to thieves. 5,000 theft […]
June 05, 2024
The target of 5% sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) by 2030 is extremely ambitious, according to IATA, the International Airline Association. Nevertheless, IATA remains committed to its target of net zero emissions by 2050, although its chairman, Willie Walsh, clearly states that it “is not going to promise to achieve something that does not seem possible […]
June 05, 2024
The current Belgian road code, which is some half a century old, will be modernized from 1 September 2026. This news was already known, but with the king signing the text yesterday, the new traffic rules are now officially in place. The new modern code gives everyone a fairer place on public roads – read: […]
June 04, 2024
The European Football Championship is coming up, but whether the football tournament will also be ‘Wunderbar’ from an ecological point of view remains to be seen. Although Euro 2024 bills itself as ‘the greenest ever’, football teams could also set a good example by, for example, traveling more sustainably and avoiding flying whenever possible. Greenest […]
June 04, 2024
A direct flight to the Kenyan capital, Nairobi, took off from Brussels Airport yesterday morning. Brussels Airlines is offering the route again for the first time in just under a decade. “Brussels Airlines is Lufthansa Group’s Africa expert,” said Dorothea von Boxberg, CEO of Brussels Airlines, at the launch. “Except for Washington and New York, […]
June 03, 2024
On a former Ford site in Blanquefort, near Bordeaux, Hydrogène de France (HDF Energy) has opened the world’s first high-power fuel cell plant. HDF Energy has developed an innovative renewable electricity storage solution combining hydrogen production and fuel cells to transform it into electricity and batteries. The site covers 7,000 m² – another 5,000m² can […]
May 31, 2024
The five Flemish provincial governments have launched ‘fietsbarometer.be’, a website offering all information on cycling data. With the site, they want to map all existing and future cycling initiatives and gain better insight into the cost of investments in cycling infrastructure and road safety. Four themes On the website, you can choose from four themes: […]
May 31, 2024
Over a quarter of fatal road accidents in Flanders and Wallonia are due to off-road obstacles such as trees, traffic poles, and crash barriers, according to an annual analysis by mobility organization Touring reported by the newspaper Het Laatste Nieuws. In 2022, it was 77 out of 282 road deaths in Flanders and 77 out […]
May 30, 2024
Rail freight company Lineas is getting a new 46 million euro bailout. It is striking that the regional governments in Flanders and Wallonia are now also going to help save the company, reports the business newspaper De Tijd. Earlier, the federal government supported Lineas financially twice. The company, the largest private rail freight operator in […]
May 30, 2024
At the Terhills tourist site in Dilsen-Stokkem and Maasmechelen in Limburg, five instead of two self-driving shuttles will now drive around to take tourists and guests there to the various hotspots. It is the first and, so far, only fully autonomous transport system in Europe, i.e., without a safety steward on board. The shuttles can […]
May 30, 2024
Toyota’s APM, or ‘Accessible People Mover,’ is an electric vehicle designed to transport persons or goods and can also be used as an emergency vehicle. It was developed in Toyota’s R&D center in Zaventem, Belgium, and will be produced at Toyota Caetano in Portugal. For years already, Toyota has been the worldwide mobility partner of […]
May 29, 2024
High-speed train operator Eurostar has concentrated the management of its entire network and incident handling in one place: Brussels. The new operations center, which operates 24 hours a day, employs some 100 people managing around 100 trains and 50,000 passengers a day. Previously, there were two operational centers: one in Brussels for the former Thalys […]
May 29, 2024
Customer satisfaction at Flemish public transport operator De Lijn is declining, even though it carried 17% more passengers last year. The ageing bus fleet and staff shortages continue to hamper De Lijn. The Brussels public transport company MIVB/STIB also carried more passengers last year (+11%), but a more attractive offer and better punctuality ensure higher […]
May 29, 2024
Despite much political debate about governmental subsidising, Belgium has witnessed a major transformation in its employee salary car fleet. The number of electric payroll cars has grown fivefold from early 2022 to the end of 2023. This shift, reported by the National Office of Social Security (RSZ), may not be to the liking of public […]
May 29, 2024
The German automaker Volkswagen is putting the rumours to rest and has officially announced the arrival of an entry-level electric car to compete with the Dacia Spring and the Citroën ë-C3. The successor to – remember? -the e-Up will arrive in 2027 and will be dubbed ID.1. In recent weeks, it became apparent that the […]
May 28, 2024
The Brussels city council wants the Brussels Region to take measures against noise from amplified engines and exhaust pipes in the capital’s streets. To this end, the city council approved a resolution by Councilor Mathias Vanden Borre (N-VA) on the issue. According to the World Health Organization, noise is the second biggest environmental cause of […]
May 28, 2024
Those planning an electrified car holiday for the upcoming summer must plan their trip when visiting Greek islands. The European Maritime Safety Agency (EMSA) and the International Union of Marine Insurance (IUMI) have imposed new safety guidelines on electric and hybrid vehicles traveling on ferries, which Greece has adopted as restrictions. For safety reasons, electric […]
May 27, 2024
Software République, an open innovation ecosystem for intelligent, safe, and sustainable mobility in which Renault is involved, has now presented the ‘U1st Vision’ concept vehicle. It is intended for neighborhood services and can, for example, be equipped as a doctor’s surgery on wheels. The ‘U1st’ demonstrator consists of two parts: a self-contained multi-service module (‘pop-up’) […]
May 27, 2024
Last year, 59 accidents were caused by ignoring red lights in Brussels. From 1 June, Brussels will launch a new awareness campaign, “Do you think 1 minute before the red light is too long?” to call on motorists, cyclists, steppers, and pedestrians alike to obey traffic rules and respect traffic lights. Vulnerable road users are […]
May 24, 2024
By the end of next year, EV drivers will be able to access 130 (ultra) fast-charging points on Flemish motorways. Actually, there are already 95 of them available. “With this, the Flemish government will meet its target of installing every 25 km charging infrastructure along or close to motorways by the end of 2025,” says […]
May 24, 2024
Despite more checks, the number of fare dodgers at Flemish public transport company De Lijn has increased by more than 70% in five years. Moreover, De Lijn is losing a lot of money because half do not pay their fines. Last year, for example, 4,1 million euros out of a total of 8,2 million euros […]
May 23, 2024
The Brussels public transport company MIVB/STIB will start operating the new tram line 10 from Churchill to the Military Hospital on 23 September. The new line should mainly increase the accessibility of Neder-Over-Heembeek, a borough of the city of Brussels. Residents of that borough currently must do a lot to get to the center of […]
May 23, 2024
Electra, one of Europe’s experts in fast-charging stations, announces a collaboration with the Colmar Group, a renowned restaurant chain, to enhance the electric vehicle charging infrastructure in Belgium and France. By the end of 2025, all six Belgian sites under the Colmar Restaurant brand will feature fast-charging stations managed by Electra. This collaboration aims to […]
May 23, 2024
Since the Flemish Traffic Center started measuring in 2011, April was the second heaviest month for congestion. The record for the heaviest congestion month ever remains June 2019 for now. Moreover, traffic jams in February, March, and April – with 167 km of traffic jams per working day that month – were never as heavy […]
May 22, 2024
Belgium will probably not achieve the agreed European environmental targets for CO2 emissions and green energy, although there are differences per sector. The transport sector, in particular, is finding it difficult to transition away from fossil fuels. These are the conclusions of research by the Federal Planning Bureau. The European Commission imposes targets for 2030 […]
May 21, 2024
Over 100 vehicles have been donated to Ukraine through London’s ultra-low emission zone (ULEZ) scrappage program. Twenty of those vehicles have already arrived in the war-torn country this weekend, and another thirteen are en route. Transportation is vital for saving lives during the war. Once Londoners are accepted to the Ulez scrappage scheme and donate […]
May 20, 2024
Track runners and incidents at level crossings cause more than 12 hours of delays every day on the entire Belgian rail network. To improve safety at level crossings and train punctuality, rail network manager Infrabel is now using artificial intelligence (AI). By the end of this year, 70-level crossings will be equipped with AI cameras […]
May 17, 2024
Retail group Colruyt has launched an experiment with a self-driving tractor in Deinze (East Flanders). The vehicle will mow, spray, and transport fruit in an orchard. Self-driving tractors are already common in the US, but there is not yet a good legal framework in Europe. That’s why the experiment is organized on private property. The […]
May 16, 2024
High-speed train operator Eurostar is to thoroughly renew and expand its fleet by ordering up to 50 new trains. It expects to put the first new trains into service in 2030. The HST operator also reached a turnover of 2 billion euros for the first time in 2023, a quarter more than in 2022. It […]
May 16, 2024
Lantis and contractor consortium TM Roco have started the construction of the channel tunnels between the future Oosterweel junction, located on the right bank of Antwerp near the Noordkasteel, and the Antwerp Ring Road. The tunnels, which start at the America Dock and run under the Albert Canal, should be ready by 2030 and form […]
May 16, 2024
With the start of the holiday season in sight, the Flemish mobility organization VAB traditionally probes the Belgian’s intentions about the means he intends to use to go on holiday. Almost 60% are going to use a vehicle on four wheels somehow. And although it’s already double the number of the year before, only 4.2% […]
May 15, 2024
Renault is adjusting its strategy toward autonomous vehicles. Regarding individual vehicles, Renault Group concentrates on the L2 or L2+ level for the moment. However, when it comes to public transportation, Renault Group sees the relevance of offering real autonomous vehicles. CTO Gilles Le Borgne said Renault Group would not aim for so-called SAE Level 3 […]
May 15, 2024
In collaboration with Brussels public transport operator MIVB/STIB, Brussels Mobility has applied for planning permission to construct tram line 15, a new line to link Belgica metro station and the Thurn & Taxis neighborhood with the North Station and later with Central Station. The public space along the approximately 2 km route will also be […]
May 15, 2024
Several dozens of buses are idle at De Lijn because the right spare parts are unavailable. These should normally come from Van Hool, but due to the bankruptcy, the bus manufacturer cannot supply them to the Flemish public transport company. De Lijn expects it will not stop at these dozens of buses and has set […]
