NIO’s new swap station welcomes Firefly, but Europe is left out

August 17, 2026

NIO has opened the first of its fifth-generation battery-swap stations in China, finally giving the compact Firefly access to the company’s swapping network. It is an important step for NIO’s technology, but one European Firefly owners should not get too excited about. In Belgium and the Netherlands, swapping is unlikely to become part of the […]

DAF sources Einride for Level 4 autonomy into its electric line-up

August 14, 2026

Einride has been running autonomous freight for years, but always on its own hardware. That changes now. The Swedish operator is partnering with DAF to integrate its Einride Driver software into the Dutch manufacturer’s electric truck production. It’s the first time Einride’s autonomous technology is climbing into somebody else’s cab rather than building its own. […]

Chinese C199 aims to break the Airbus/Boeing duopoly

August 13, 2026

A C919 aircraft from the Chinese state-owned company Comac made its first international flight yesterday between Beijing and Mongolia. The flight marks an important milestone for China: after all, the C919 is set to compete with the Airbus A320 and the Boeing 737 MAX, medium-sized aircraft that have dominated the market for decades. Yet this […]

How do you keep a hydrogen car on the ground at 654 km/h?

August 13, 2026

At 654 km/h, most aircraft would already have been airborne long before. Andy Green’s job was the opposite: keep four wheels firmly on the Bonneville Salt Flats while pushing a hydrogen-powered machine to a new world speed record. The 64-year-old Briton, who in 1997 became the first and so far only person to break the […]

Too drunk to drive? Renault wants your finger to tell

August 12, 2026

Renault is testing a new way of stopping drunk drivers before they even move: putting a finger on a sensor could be enough to determine whether someone has had too much to drink. The idea sounds futuristic, but it is not entirely new. Car makers and researchers have been experimenting with alternatives to the traditional […]

Belgian army dumps China-built DS 9 over spying fears

August 12, 2026

The Belgian army will stop buying Chinese-built service cars for its top brass from September, citing growing concerns over espionage and cybersecurity. The decision means the DS 9, a French-branded luxury saloon built exclusively in China, will no longer be procured for the general staff. The case illustrates how quickly the security debate around connected […]

Car owner’s manual is dying. Your next mechanic may have blinking eyes

August 11, 2026

The thick owner’s manual buried somewhere in the glovebox may finally have met its natural predator: artificial intelligence. Ford now wants an AI assistant that knows your car, explains what is wrong, and eventually lives in the dashboard like a virtual mechanic. There is just one awkward comparison. Chinese premium EV brand NIO’s little round-headed […]

American students show a ‘surplus energy producing’ solar vehicle

August 11, 2026

Students at Clemson University in Greenville, South Carolina, US, have unveiled the Deep Orange 17 electric car prototype. The solar-powered research vehicle can generate more energy than it consumes. BMW and the Fraunhofer Institute for Solar Energy Systems ISE supported its development. Sixteen students of Clemson University who recently completed their Master of Science in […]

Mitsubishi turns engine factory into humanoid robot plant

August 10, 2026

Mitsubishi Motors is preparing to enter the humanoid robot race on an unusually ambitious scale. Together with University of Tokyo spin-off Highlanders, the Japanese carmaker plans to develop and mass-produce humanoid robots at its Kyoto plant, with production targeted for early 2027 and capacity eventually reaching up to 1,000 units a month. The project goes […]

BMW’s new i3 cuts 600 meters of wiring with four central brains

August 10, 2026

BMW is starting production of the new i3 this month with a claim that is less spectacular than range, acceleration, or charging speed, but potentially more important for the future of the car industry. Its Neue Klasse electronics architecture cuts around 600 meters of wiring and concentrates much of the car’s computing power in just […]

Sister act in black: Hyundai and Kia launch flagship EV editions

August 07, 2026

At 11:00 on Friday morning, Hyundai Belux announced a new blacked-out flagship version of the Ioniq 9. At 11:02, Kia Belux followed with a Black Edition of the EV9. Two minutes apart, two large three-row electric SUVs, two black editions, and two brands belonging to the same Hyundai Motor Group. Coincidence? The interesting part is […]

Ford prices Fathom EV pickup at $28,350, eyes global potential

August 07, 2026

Ford has put a name and a price on the first model from its radically simplified new electric-car platform. The Ford Fathom, a compact-to-midsize electric pickup, will start at $28,350 in the United States, or $29,945 including destination charges, when deliveries begin in the fall of 2027. That makes the five-seat Fathom almost as cheap […]

China filing unmasks Smart #2 nine weeks before Paris premiere

August 07, 2026

Just over nine weeks before its official premiere at the Paris Motor Show, the new Smart #2 has been exposed by Chinese regulatory filings. The virtually undisguised production car appears six weeks after Smart Europe CEO Wolfgang Ufer told Newmobility.news that it would initially be built in China, but European production will definitely be discussed. […]

London clears Wayve and Uber for supervised robotaxi rides

August 06, 2026

Wayve, a British artificial intelligence start-up, specializing in autonomous driving and a partner of the Uber platform, has been granted Private Hire Vehicle licenses by Transport for London (TfL). This is an important step toward launching autonomous rides on the Uber platform in the British capital. The permits are for several Wayve’s autonomous, all-electric Ford […]

New Audi A2 e-tron turns efficiency into its main weapon

August 05, 2026

Audi has removed most of the camouflage from the upcoming A2 e-tron, but the bigger news is beneath the skin. The manufacturer has released its first detailed technical dossier on the compact EV, confirming that the 140 kW version with an optional efficiency package consumes just 12.8 kWh per 100 kilometers according to preliminary WLTP […]

TU Eindhoven students build solar mobile clinic for remote regions

August 04, 2026

A team of students from Eindhoven University of Technology has unveiled a solar-powered mobile clinic designed to bring medical care to remote regions where roads are poor and electricity supplies unreliable. Called ‘Stella Juva’, the vehicle is presented by Solar Team Eindhoven as the world’s first solar-powered ambulance, although it functions more like a self-sufficient […]

Innoptus Solar Team: ‘Less than 500 km to the finish in Amarillo, Texas’

July 31, 2026

On Wednesday, the Belgian Innoptus Solar Team grabbed first place in the American Solar Challenge, and one day later, it maintained that position despite a significant change in weather conditions. On Thursday, the Belgian team finished 38 kilometers ahead of their Dutch rivals from Delft. Today, two days before the end of the American Solar Challenge, […]

Innoptus Solar Team still in the lead in US after strategic choices

July 30, 2026

On Wednesday, we reported that the Belgian Innoptus Solar Team grabbed first place on the fourth day of the American Solar Challenge. Today, the team announced that its position in the race remained unchanged, despite a significant change in weather conditions. Calculated risk The grey sky and thick fog – far from ideal for charging […]

Hyundai-Kia wants EVs to power homes, but Belgium is not ready yet

July 30, 2026

Hyundai Motor Group is bringing its smart and bidirectional charging activities together under the new global AllDayEnergy brand. In the future, the platform could allow Hyundai and Kia owners to charge when electricity is cheapest, store surplus solar power in their cars, supply part of that energy back to their homes, and potentially earn money […]

Belgians grab first place in American Solar Challenge

July 29, 2026

On the fourth day of the American Solar Challenge, the Belgian Innoptus Solar Team took first place. What began as a major setback turned into a surprising turnaround. Once the team was on the road, it faced several challenges. The route was full of hills, which really put both the vehicle – Infinite Apollo – […]

Zeekr launches 9X in Belgium, but China keeps the ‘wildest’ versions

July 29, 2026

Zeekr has confirmed the European and Belgian launch of the 9X, a 5.24-meter luxury SUV that marks a major change of direction for the Geely-owned brand. Until now, Zeekr has presented itself in Europe as an electric-only premium brand. Its new flagship is a plug-in hybrid combining a 55.1 kWh battery, two electric motors, and […]

BYD’s flagship sedan Da Han targets EQS and i7, but will Europe get it?

July 28, 2026

BYD has released the first official production images of the Da Han, a huge electric flagship saloon that moves the Chinese manufacturer into territory occupied in Europe by the Mercedes EQS, BMW i7, and Lucid Air. The model will make its public debut at the Chengdu Motor Show in August and sits above the existing […]

Toyota, Daimler and Volvo unite to keep hydrogen trucks alive

July 27, 2026

Toyota has signed a binding agreement to acquire a 33% stake in Cellcentric, the fuel-cell joint venture formed by Daimler Truck and Volvo Group. The deal turns the non-binding memorandum announced in March into a firm transaction and underlines that three of the world’s largest vehicle manufacturers still see a future for hydrogen in heavy […]

Tesla’s European FSD rollout hits French resistance over safety risks

July 27, 2026

France has publicly opposed the approval of Tesla’s Full Self-Driving Supervised system in its current form, complicating the company’s attempt to secure EU-wide recognition for its most advanced driver-assistance software. French Transport Minister Philippe Tabarot said the technology offers progress, but the remaining safety risks remain too significant. His comments mark the first open rejection […]

BMW develops the ‘brains’ for humanoid factory robots

July 24, 2026

BMW is developing its own software platform for future humanoid factory workers. At its Landshut component plant, the carmaker is developing a modular software stack that connects production data, artificial intelligence, and robots from different suppliers. Rather than building a BMW-branded rival to Tesla’s Optimus or XPeng’s IRON, it wants to control how humanoid robots […]

Denza Z9S takes aim at Taycan as Porsche weighs EV future

July 23, 2026

BYD’s premium Denza brand has revealed the cabin of the new Z9S, a 1,194 hp electric sports saloon positioned against the Porsche Taycan, Lucid Air, and Audi e-tron GT. Closely related to the Denza Z9GT, now available to order in Belgium from €101,000 as a plug-in hybrid and €115,000 as an EV, the Z9S is […]

Range Rover adds all-electric GT as fifth model in luxury line-up

July 23, 2026

Range Rover is adding an all-electric grand tourer to its line-up, creating a fifth model alongside the Range Rover, Range Rover Sport, Velar, and Evoque. The new Range Rover GT is being positioned as the most road-focused and car-like model in the brand’s history and is expected to reach European markets during 2027. More streamlined […]

Indian start-up claims rare earth-free electric motor breakthrough

July 23, 2026

A Bengaluru, India, start-up called Vimag Labs just secured its fifth Indian patent for an electric motor that runs without any rare-earth magnets, using software and power electronics to generate its magnetic field instead. It’s a small, $5-million company taking a swing at a problem that has stumped Tesla, GM, and every major automaker for […]

Renault 5 Turbo 3E storms Goodwood with 555 hp

July 22, 2026

Renault has unleashed the near-production version of its 5 Turbo 3E at the Goodwood Festival of Speed. The electric “mini-supercar” completed repeated runs up the famous hill climb between 9 and 12 July, marking its first public dynamic appearance in the United Kingdom. The 5 Turbo 3E is Renault’s most powerful road-going model to date. […]

Geely’s 16-in-1 drive promises lighter, leaner EVs

July 22, 2026

Geely has unveiled what it calls the world’s first 16-in-1 intelligent electric drive, promising lower weight, reduced energy losses, and tighter control of almost every major electric powertrain function. The updated Lynk & Co 02 will be the first production model to use the technology, although a European launch has not yet been confirmed. In […]

Tesla finally delivers your bike, if you’re aged two to five

July 22, 2026

Tesla has finally launched the bicycle that many fans have been asking for. There is only one small catch. You need to be between two and five years old, and you will have to provide all the power yourself. The new Tesla Balance Bike for Kids has no battery, no electric motor, and not even […]

Volvo Cars commits to the future of its Ghent factory (update)

July 21, 2026

Volvo Cars commits to the future of its Ghent factory, the Swedish car manufacturer’s headquarters announced on Wednesday. The company has reached an agreement with the Belgian federal and Flemish governments for support and financing measures totaling up to €119 million. The arrangements are documented in a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU). The package aims to […]

Honda unveils autonomous EV, but it only drives on grass

July 20, 2026

Honda is finally ready to deliver a fully electric vehicle that can drive itself, avoid obstacles, and work for hours without human supervision. There is only one small catch: it is a lawnmower. The Japanese manufacturer has launched its new ProZision range of battery-powered commercial mowing machines in the United States. Alongside two conventional ride-on […]

Lamborghini kicks its ‘not mature’ EV further down the road

July 16, 2026

Lamborghini has again defended its decision to turn the electric Lanzador into a plug-in hybrid. This time, the argument is no longer only about weak demand or poor returns. Product director Stefano Cossalter says EV technology is not mature enough to deliver the emotion Lamborghini owners expect. Cossalter, responsible for the Urus and Lanzador, told […]

Colruyt sells 70% of its autonomous forklift division to KION

July 15, 2026

The Belgian retail group Colruyt is selling a majority stake in its in-house developed autonomous pallet trucks. The buyer of 70% of Colruyt’s research and development activities related to autonomous pallet trucks is KION, a German forklift specialist that was already partially involved in the project. In fact, this is a strategic partnership in which […]

Belgian John Cockerill unveils first French-built electrolyzer stack

July 14, 2026

The Belgian company John Cockerill Hydrogen has unveiled its first hydrogen electrolyzer designed and manufactured entirely in France. The unveiling took place in Belfort at McPhy’s industrial site, which John Cockerill Hydrogen acquired last year, along with some of its staff and patents. The 30-metric-ton unit enables the production of decarbonized hydrogen from water. Push […]

Dutch Vantrack turns Kia PV5 into €65,000 electric camper

July 14, 2026

Dutch camper specialist Vantrack will open reservations in September for a modular camping conversion of the electric Kia PV5 Passenger. Priced from €65,000 including the vehicle, the LightCamp promises to undercut most complete electric campervans currently offered in Europe. Its public debut is scheduled for the Kampeer & Caravan Jaarbeurs in Utrecht from 30 September […]

Mercedes’ two-sided EV push: from core C-Class to extreme AMG CLA

July 14, 2026

Mercedes-Benz has begun production of its new electric C-Class at its heavily expanded factory in Kecskemét, Hungary. At the same time, AMG is showcasing the 500 kW electric CLA 45, a far more extreme interpretation of the same transition. Together, the two models reveal the breadth of Mercedes’ EV strategy: one is a core-volume saloon […]

BYD officially launches Denza Z, its first sports car for Europe, at Goodwood

July 13, 2026

BYD has officially unveiled the European version of the Denza Z at the Goodwood Festival of Speed. CEO of BYD, Stella Li, and former F1 champion Jenson Button took the wraps off the sports car that intends to go head-to-head with the Porsche 911. Or rather, the Maserati GranTurismo Folgore. Because the driveline is fully […]

Could satellite speed control become EU’s next road-safety battle?

July 10, 2026

“EU’s drive to let satellite technology force your car to slow down to 20 mph?” The British tabloid headline sounds like the perfect culture-war story. Yet behind the Daily Mail’s framing lies a serious question for Europe’s car industry and regulators. Now that vehicles can read speed limits, know where they are, and control their […]

Airbus and MTU to jointly develop hydrogen propulsion for aviation

July 09, 2026

The European aerospace corporation Airbus plans to establish a joint venture with aircraft engine manufacturer MTU Aero Engines to produce hydrogen-powered engines. These engines are intended to eventually serve as an alternative to fossil-fuel-powered internal combustion engines, thereby reducing CO2 emissions from aviation. Fuel cells Through the joint venture, which is expected to become operational […]

Level 4 autonomous driving Maserati gets Belgian highway permit

July 09, 2026

A fully autonomous driving Maserati Granturismo from AIdoptation has been granted permission to legally cruise the E313 and E314 at 120 km/h. At the same time, the person in the driver’s seat does something else entirely. This is the first time that Level 4 driving has been permitted on public roads anywhere in Europe.   […]

PET bottles to become battery graphite for EVs?

July 08, 2026

Researchers at Penn State University, Pennsylvania, U.S., claim to have developed a process that converts PET plastic from beverage bottles into high-quality synthetic graphite. According to the researchers, the material could serve as an anode material for lithium-ion batteries in the future, simultaneously recycling plastic waste and meeting the demand for battery graphite. A research […]

Subaru’s new EV trio turns Toyota hardware into an outdoor proposition

July 08, 2026

At Château-Ferme de Moriensart in Céroux-Mousty, Subaru Benelux made its point quite clearly. The brand’s new electric models may share their core engineering with Toyota, but they are intended to be more than badge-engineered cousins; a ‘go-anywhere family car’. On the short off-road course prepared for the press drive, the Solterra, Uncharted, and E-Outback showed […]

Cambridge scientists find physical pressure can double battery lifespan

July 07, 2026

If you want to boost battery life, it seems only logical to look to the periodic table for a breakthrough. But maybe the solution is much simpler. Researchers at the University of Cambridge applied pressure and witnessed significant progress in cell lifespan. Better performance under pressure? It seems that batteries, too, benefit from the equation. The […]

Californian school buses saved the grid during heatwave 

July 06, 2026

A blistering heat dome in the eastern US has pushed the power system to the brink of a widespread emergency, raising the risk of a major blackout. But the vehicles that critics love to blame for grid strain managed to feed their stored power back into the grid via their V2G capability. A record number […]

Fiat bets big on the city with new small car strategy

July 03, 2026

At a dedicated event in Rome, Fiat CEO Olivier François unveiled what the company calls its “micromobility vision.” The lineup consists of a threesome running on batteries: the existing Topolino, the earlier announced three-wheeler Tris, and the new Multiplina Concept. In these retro-crazy times, the Italian brand is reinterpreting the classic Fiat 600 Multipla.  Highest […]

Ford Ranger PHEV takes on petrol generators, but EVs have more juice

July 02, 2026

Ford is presenting its Ranger Plug-in Hybrid equipped with ‘Power Onboard’ as a cleaner, cheaper, and more convenient alternative to a genuine portable petrol generator for contractors working on site. The claim has a solid practical basis, but the striking emissions ratios in Ford’s new study need careful reading. More importantly, the comparison becomes less […]

Toyota’s hydrogen obsession just got a turbine spin

July 01, 2026

Toyota filed a patent last month for a hydrogen-powered gas turbine combustor. It’s a compact spinner designed to produce between 13 and 130 horsepower, but to what use? And is it feasible or just a quirky engineering idea? Back to the sixties As a strong – and increasingly isolated – believer in hydrogen for passenger […]

Chinese lifeline must help refresh Jeep’s lineup in Europe

June 30, 2026

Stellantis is betting on Chinese Dongfeng to get Jeep back on track in Europe. In addition to greenlighting the import of the American Recon, the lineup will be completed in 2028 with a Chinese-built plug-in hybrid SUV. But Brussels is already drafting tariffs on the exact type of vehicle this partnership produces. Jeep’s European portfolio […]

Renault 4 and 5 set for power and efficiency upgrade in 2027

June 30, 2026

Renault is preparing a technical upgrade for the electric Renault 4 and Renault 5, promising more power and improved efficiency for its two retro-inspired small EVs from late 2026 or early 2027. The information comes from Marianne Bataillon, Renault’s director of electric motor and battery development, who told Autocar that work is continuing on the […]

Shell presents a small EV that could be a big deal

June 29, 2026

In the wake of the new European E-car rules, a similar concept from an unexpected name has surfaced. Shell has unveiled a small urban EV called the Triple10 Challenge, which shows some interesting features for a car of its size. This is more than oil supermajor window dressing for green credentials. Shell still pumps roughly […]

Light that cleans: Hyundai bets on germ-killing vans

June 26, 2026

Hyundai, together with sister brand Kia, believes it can develop and bring to market vehicles that clean themselves. The only thing that’s needed is… light. Imagine this: you are a shuttle driver for a big hotel in Brussels. After the morning shift, you pull into the depot at 7 a.m., toss the empty coffee cups […]

China wants millions of EVs to balance its grid, but mass V2G is distant

June 26, 2026

China wants its vast electric-car fleet to become more than a transport revolution. Under its newly unveiled 15th five-year energy plan, Beijing aims to have EVs play a role in balancing a power system increasingly dominated by wind and solar. The plan, covering 2026 to 2030, targets a 50% share for non-fossil sources in electricity […]

Daimler Truck revives H₂ combustion as batteries keep the lead

June 25, 2026

Daimler Truck is adding hydrogen combustion to its zero-emission truck portfolio through a partnership with German specialist KEYOU. A move that gives the technology a high-profile industrial endorsement while underlining its likely role as a niche solution rather than the future default for heavy-duty transport. Under the agreement announced this week, Daimler Truck will supply […]

Ford hasn’t admitted it yet, but new Mustang Mach-E is shelved

June 25, 2026

No, the Mach-E is not canceled today. Ford is still building it in Mexico and shipping it to dealers. But a second-generation Mach-E built on Ford’s new Universal EV architecture isn’t going to happen. A dead end seems ahead for the battery-powered vehicle that galloped the Blue Oval into the EV era, despite its unfortunate […]

Europe on final straight-line for tariffs on PHEVs made in China

June 22, 2026

According to German newspaper Handelsblatt, the European Commission has finalized a proposal for punitive tariffs on plug-in hybrids made in China. These bread-and-butter models could face a similar fate to their counterparts with full-electric drivelines. However, the percentages would be lower. Europe set out to punish Chinese electric cars. Instead, it created a market for […]

Smart #2 lands in Europe to reclaim lost ground

June 22, 2026

At the Beijing Motor Show, Smart unveiled the concept that matters most to its renaissance under new German-Chinese ownership: the #2. Will the successor make an impact just as quirky, revolutionary, and safe as the legendary original, or has modern reality overruled the formula? We find out in Rome, where the concept version hit European […]

New iX5 will carry largest battery ever fitted in a BMW

June 19, 2026

In August, the first all-electric BMW X5 will roll off the production line at Spartanburg, South Carolina. The SUV is expected to weigh roughly three thousand kilograms, as it carries a battery larger than any BMW has ever fitted to a production car. That’s because it sits on a platform that was never designed to […]

Maserati bets on sharper nose and a partner to boost sales

June 19, 2026

Maserati has had a rough few years. Sales are down. The brand’s EV pivot has moved more slowly than planned, and the Grecale, its core volume model, has quietly fallen behind the competition on the one metric that matters most for electric cars: range. Revised Folgore versions of the Grecale and GranTurismo must help fix […]

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