Belgian rail’s Innovation Lab involves travelers in testing app

April 21, 2023

Starting in June, anyone who wants can participate via an app in the ongoing initiatives that Belgian railroad company NMBS/SNCB is trying out through its Innovation Lab to make rail travel more attractive to travelers. So write several newspapers, including La Capital and Het Laatste Nieuws. RecThis content has been archived. Log in or Subscribe […]

Scania’s long haul Northvolt battery to last 1,5 million km

April 20, 2023

Scania is starting production of its regional long-haul electric heavy-duty trucks later this year, with a range of about 350 km. Powering these trucks is a new battery from Northvolt, with prismatic cells, a 1,5 million km lifespan, and a much smaller carbon footprint compared to the industry averaThis content has been archived. Log in […]

Chips Act to double EU’s share in global semiconductor production

April 19, 2023

The European Parliament and EU member states have agreed on a plan to produce more chips in Europe and become less dependent on Asia. “Europe is taking control of its destiny”, is how Internal Market Commissioner Thierry Breton hailed the breakthrough. With the so-called Chips Act, the EU aims toThis content has been archived. Log […]

VW Group invests €1 billion in Chinese R&D Center for EVs

April 19, 2023

Volkswagen will invest around one billion euros to establish a new R&D center for fully connected electric cars in Hefei, China, named ‘100%TechCo’. The Group announced the project at the Shanghai Auto Show on Tuesday and set ambitious targets for the unit charged with accelerating innovatioThis content has been archived. Log in or Subscribe to […]

Meet BMW’s all-electric spearhead: the i7 M70 xDrive

April 18, 2023

Clinging onto its dynamic reputation, BMW has unveiled its fastest zero-emission car of the range. Out of a completely overhauled dual-motor powertrain, the model is called i7 M70 xDrive. This topliner can hit 100 km/hour from a standstill in 3,7 seconds with launch control, propelled by a combined This content has been archived. Log in […]

Germany and the Netherlands start cross-border battery development

April 17, 2023

Germany and the Netherlands are starting a cooperation on battery development for the European industry, by collaboration between two of their development nerve centers. The Dutch TNO Holst Center and the German Zentrum für Sonnenenergie un Wasserstoff-Forschung (ZSW) will join forces to remedy somThis content has been archived. Log in or Subscribe to a level […]

Lancia Pu+Ra HPE brings Italian design into electric era

April 17, 2023

After more than ten years, Lancia has come out with a newly-designed car. The Pu+Ra HPE is not meant for production, but it shows the way for the next decade as Lancia embarks on its renaissance in the electric era. And it’s very much a designer’s car, with countless new materials, classic inspiratiThis content has […]

Sweden’s new car brand Luvly is about tiny but safe

April 17, 2023

The Luvly brand is near to producing its microcar O, which can ship as a flatpack and puts a strong accent on safety. With a length of 2,7 meters and a weight of five times less than a regular battery-powered car, the Luvly O joins the growing ‘cuddly’ category of tiny cars like the Citroën […]

Toyota teams up with Exxon Mobile to test ‘low-carbon fuels’

April 14, 2023

Japanese carmaker Toyota takes a further step in its global multi-tech strategy for decarbonizing conventional drivelines. With oil giant Exxon Mobile, it has partnered to test so-called low-carbon fuels in some ICE models. According to the official statement, the potential is to reduce the greenhouThis content has been archived. Log in or Subscribe to a […]

VW gives details of new APP550 EV drive for MEB platform

April 13, 2023

Volkswagen has unveiled a new generation of drive units for its Modular Electric Building platform (MEB). The rear-axle drive APP550 comprises a newly developed power unit that is supposed to offer more power and improved efficiency simultaneously. We already talked recently about the APP550: thiThis content has been archived. Log in or Subscribe to a […]

Hyundai Group guns for top three place in global EV market

April 12, 2023

By the decade’s end, the Hyundai Group wants to be one of the top three global EV makers. So the Korean carmaker is piling up sales from its three house brands (Hyundai, Kia, and Genesis) to bolster that ambition. It targets an annual production of 3,64 million all-electric cars spread over 31 modelThis content has […]

Mini’s new in-car digital companion has four paws and is called Spike

April 11, 2023

Man’s best friend is getting a promotion to a digital assistant. Mini debuts the English Bulldog Spike in its Concept Aceman for the Auto Shanghai show, starting next week on April 18th. It’s still a design concept for now, but Spike will make its way into Mini’s digital ecosystem in the future. This content has […]

‘AI will make BEV batteries better and cleaner,’ says German researcher

April 11, 2023

Ralf Herbrich is a German computer scientist at the Hasso Plattner Institute in Potsdam just outside Berlin. He previously investigated the role of artificial intelligence in the daily operations of big companies like Microsoft, Amazon, Facebook, and Zalando. Herbrich now wants to use his experienceThis content has been archived. Log in or Subscribe to a […]

FreeWire to target Belgium and EU with Boost Chargers

April 07, 2023

American FreeWire Technologies is bringing its unique take on fast charging to Belgium and other European countries under its own name. Its chargers with integrated battery storage have the advantage that they can be rolled out quickly. Later this month, the company is opening its European HeadquartThis content has been archived. Log in or Subscribe […]

Hopium, France’s dream hydrogen car refocuses on fuel cells

April 07, 2023

The hydrogen dream car of the 32-year-old French racing driver Olivier Lombard, the Hopium Māchina, is one step further away from becoming a reality by 2025, as the start-up is forced to find new money first by focussing on selling its state-of-the-art fuel cell technology to third parties. HopiThis content has been archived. Log in […]

Ford Pro CEO : ‘Software-based vehicle is much harder to design than EV’

April 06, 2023

Just before the presentation of the new Ford E-Transit Courier, we got a chance to sit down with the CEO of Ford’s commercial vehicle operation Ted Cannis. He offered some insight on what’s next for Ford Pro, and how he would like to see some support from the Belgian government for electric commerciThis content has […]

Ford launches new E-Transit Courier compact electric van

April 06, 2023

Ford has revealed a new generation of its most compact commercial vehicle, the Transit Courier. This new model improves its practicality with a larger cargo area and will also get an electric version. In contrast to its bigger brothers, Transit Connect and Transit Custom, this model was not built inThis content has been archived. Log […]

GM scraps Apple CarPlay and Android Auto to sell more subscriptions

April 03, 2023

General Motors has revealed its plan to scrap Android Auto and Apple CarPlay smartphone connectivity from its electric vehicles. However, Google will be providing its Android Automotive infotainment system to GM. The General wants to gather more data from its users and also aims to sell them subscriThis content has been archived. Log in or […]

Automotic charging gets more real with Chinese Naas charging bot

March 31, 2023

Carmakers and suppliers are looking into several innovations to meet the growing demand for convenient and more accessible charging infrastructure. For example, Chinese charging service provider NaaS is joining the likes of Volkswagen and announcing the development – and launch – of a self-develThis content has been archived. Log in or Subscribe to a level […]

Lamborghini’s Revuelto first 12-cylinder with a plug

March 31, 2023

Italian sports car icon Lamborghini is making its first steps into the world of electric cars by adding a plug to the successor of the Aventador, the Revuelto. The small 3,8 kWh battery is hardly sufficient for 10 km of full-electric autonomy. Still, it feeds three extra motors to boost the power ofThis content has […]

Volkswagen bets on kites to power mobile charging stations

March 30, 2023

Volkswagen is partnering with EnerKite to develop flexible, grid-independent e-charging stations. These will be powered by electricity generated from wide-winged kites – also called ‘airborne wind turbines’. The technology must help facilitate the switch to a suited infrastructure for e-mobility This content has been archived. Log in or Subscribe to a level that has access […]

Toyota partners with Electreon to wirelessly charge its EVs

March 28, 2023

Toyota and component supplier Denso have signed an agreement with Israeli wireless EV charging specialist Electreon to develop a wireless charging solution for the electric vehicles of the Japanese car manufacturer. This includes integrating wireless charging in new vehicles, an aftermarket solutionThis content has been archived. Log in or Subscribe to a level that has […]

Schaeffler’s hub motors electrify street sweepers and snowplows

March 27, 2023

German drivetrain parts specialist Schaeffler has developed a compact electric hub motor suited for municipal utility vehicles, with manufacturers of street sweepers, snowplows, and garbage collectors already showing interest. This innovation represents a new step in eliminating air and noise pollutThis content has been archived. Log in or Subscribe to a level that has access […]

Tests confirm performance of Amprius’ revolutionary airplane battery

March 24, 2023

It’s light. It packs a lot of energy. And it could make electric planes a reality. So when Amprius first announced its revolutionary lithium-ion battery pack, there were reasons to be enthusiastic. And cautious. The sector of battery developers is famous for making promises that it finds difficultThis content has been archived. Log in or […]

Colruyt sells offshore wind turbines for €1,5 billion to Japanese

March 23, 2023

Colruyt Group is selling Parkwind, a company that builds offshore wind turbines, to Japanese energy company JERA. The Japanese will pay around 1,55 billion euros for the company. Parkwind currently participates in, among others, four of the nine wind farms off the Belgian coast in the North Sea. This content has been archived. Log in […]

Ford wants ‘smoking EVs’ without the fires

March 23, 2023

The new Ford is all about electric vehicles and American roots. And with the latter come thrilling gimmicks like a burnout mode. A patent filing reveals that the brand wants a performance mode for its electric models that enables intentional wheel spin to heat or smoke the tires. The patent includThis content has been archived. Log in […]

CATL starts mass production of disruptive Qilin battery

March 23, 2023

According to local media outlet The Paper, Chinese power battery giant CATL has achieved mass production of its Qilin Battery. The battery is a stepping stone for the manufacturer, outperforming the latest 4680 generation packs from Tesla and promising ranges up to 1 000 kilometers. The pack will deThis content has been archived. Log in […]

Air Liquide to convert ammonia into hydrogen in new Antwerp cracker

March 23, 2023

French Air Liquide announces it will construct an industrial-scale pilot cracker in the Port of Antwerp to convert ammonia (NH3) into hydrogen (H2). The new plant, scheduled to be operational by 2024, will be a crucial stepstone transporting green energy from sunny regions worldwide over the oceans This content has been archived. Log in or […]

BMW backs up dual-rotor electric motor startup DeepDrive

March 22, 2023

BMW’s venture capital unit i Ventures has co-led a series A investment round for DeepDrive, a German start-up producing dual-rotor electric motors, which promise more range, less material use, and a lower production cost than current state-of-the-art motors. With the investment, DeepDrive wants to sThis content has been archived. Log in or Subscribe to a […]

Turkish-Cypriotic EV brand Günsel ready to start producing B9

March 22, 2023

They have been working silently since 2016 in the Turkish part of Cyprus on their own electric car, named after the professor whose dream was to become a car manufacturer: the Günsel brand. On February 20, 2020, the first prototypes of the fully electric Günsel B9, a two-door hatchback, were laThis content has been archived. […]

New Explorer is Ford’s take on the Volkswagen ID.4

March 21, 2023

Forget the Explorer as you know it, Ford is replacing it with a new zero-emission version. Its first volume all-electric passenger vehicle to be built in Cologne, Germany, spawns from an agreement with Volkswagen. Bottom line? The medium crossover is the technical twin to the Volkswagen ID.4. So,This content has been archived. Log in or […]

VUB examines Brussels mobility anno 2050

March 20, 2023

How could urban mobility in Brussels evolve by 2050? That is the million-dollar question of Remobilise, a research project of the Vrije Universiteit Brussel (VUB). The researchers drew four possible future scenarios and are now considering policy recommendations in workshops to tackle everyday mobilThis content has been archived. Log in or Subscribe to a level […]

BMW’s ‘New Class’ will generate six BEVs in the first two years

March 16, 2023

BMW plans at least six model launches within 24 months for the ‘New Class’ electric cars from 2025 onward. To this end, additional plants are to be converted for the production of these electric cars. More concrete information on the platform and the first models will be available in September. This content has been archived. […]

World’s first Tesla Supercharger V4 launched in the Netherlands

March 16, 2023

Tesla has implemented the first batch of V4 Superchargers in Harderwijk, the Netherlands, which offers improved compatibility with a wider range of vehicles thanks to a longer charging cable and the ability to offer up to 1 000 V and a theoretical 615 kW of electricity. Tesla has been gradually iThis content has been archived. […]

BMW Panoramic Vision is HUD for the ‘Neue Klasse’

March 15, 2023

The new BMW head-up display is called BMW Panoramic Vision and represents the reinterpretation of the BMW driver orientation “eyes on the road, hands on the wheel” in the ‘Neue Klasse’. BMW is developing an entirely new technological platform for the ‘Neue Klasse’, whose name refers to the company’This content has been archived. Log in […]

This is Kia’s all-electric super-SUV EV9

March 15, 2023

Kia is joining the category of luxurious seven-seater SUVs with the EV9, set to debut later this month. In the wake of the full release, the Korean carmaker shared the first model pictures and some info. Though Kia already has a few battery-powered models, like the Niro EV and the Soul EV, the EV9 This […]

BMW confirms all-electric i5 in both estate and M guise

March 15, 2023

With still a few months before its official launch, BMW has released more details on the all-new 5 Series. As a segment first, the all-electric i5 will be available as an estate. And the brand’s performance department will also have its take on the battery-powered version. In an official statemenThis content has been archived. Log […]

Mercedes to roll out its own ‘supercharger’ network (update)

March 13, 2023

Mercedes plans the rollout of its own high-speed charging network. Called HiPower, North American customers will be served first with 20 fast charging plazas, but other major markets, like Europe and China, will follow. The first charging plazas in Europe will be built in Germany and France startingThis content has been archived. Log in or […]

Can magic of white hydrogen be game changer for FCEVs?

March 10, 2023

The energy-intensive process of producing green hydrogen (made from renewable electricity) is one obstacle hampering fuel cell vehicles’ development. But according to the German newspaper Der Spiegel, scientists are collaborating to exploit white hydrogen. Under this label, the energy carrier is souThis content has been archived. Log in or Subscribe to a level that has […]

EU allows member states to subsidize green tech in reaction to US

March 10, 2023

The European Commission decided on Thursday that individual member states are temporarily allowed to support local industries developing green technologies. The move answers protectionist measures in the United States and China. Among other carmakers, the Volkswagen Group awaited this approval to deThis content has been archived. Log in or Subscribe to a level that has […]

Belgian dredgers to jointly test offshore floating solar park in Ostend

March 09, 2023

The Belgian marine engineering companies DEME and Jan De Nul and engineering office Tractebel have jointly developed new floating solar technology capable of operating in harsh marine conditions. This summer, they will set up a test installation off the Belgian coast for experiments. SEAVOLT, as This content has been archived. Log in or Subscribe to […]

Almost 70% of Germans don’t want to ban combustion engine

March 09, 2023

A survey from RTL/N-TV is throwing more oil on the fire in Germany, as the country is currently obstructing the final vote on the de facto ban for combustion engines as of 2035. With only 14% in favor, national enthusiasm for the European deal is low. The probe unveiled that 68% of the German populThis […]

First Belgian ship load of CO2 arrives in Denmark for undersea storage

March 08, 2023

In the port of Esbjerg, the first ship with captured CO2 from Belgium arrived to store the carbons in a depleted oil field in the Danish part of the North Sea. Called the Greensand project, this is considered the first cross-border offshore CO2 storage project in the world. With the incoming CO2 frThis content has […]

Onsemi supplier of semiconductors for BMW Group

March 08, 2023

Automotive supplier Onsemi will also use its silicon carbide technology in BMW electric cars in the future. The US semiconductor manufacturer has signed a long-term supply agreement (LTSA) with BMW to use its EliteSiC silicon carbide power module in the manufacturer’s future electric cars. The This content has been archived. Log in or Subscribe to […]

NDM pleads for abolition company car and mobility premium of €400 for every Belgian

March 07, 2023

In its Memorandum 2024, a series of recommendations ahead of next year’s elections, Network Sustainable Mobility (Netwerk Duurzame Mobiliteit, NDM) advocates the abolition of the company car and the introduction of an annual ‘proximity budget’ of 400 euros for every Belgian. “As long as the compaThis content has been archived. Log in or Subscribe to […]

Mercedes starts construction of first battery recycling plant

March 06, 2023

Following its plan to start recycling electric vehicle lithium-ion battery systems this year, Mercedes has laid the first brick of its dedicated plant in Kuppenheim. If the works keep to the schedule, the first packs from its electrified vehicles, so plug-ins included, will be dismantled by the end This content has been archived. Log in […]

Scandinavians to ship cars over the oceans by wind power

March 03, 2023

Wouldn’t it be a great idea to have today’s giant car carriers sailing the world’s oceans on merely wind power like the square-rigged sailings ships of centuries ago? The modern descendants of the Vikings, with Wallenius Wilhelmsen, a global ro-ro shipping company from Norway, and Swedish carmaker VThis content has been archived. Log in or […]

Tesla teases but fails to excite at Investor Day

March 03, 2023

“Tesla to show 25 000 dollar car.” “Musk will ready a hydrogen model as of this year.” Before this year’s Investor Day, rumors were plenty of what the famous EV maker would unveil. But news hunters came back with not much more than some souvenir photos for their social media, as Elon Musk This content […]

Polestar is confirming its success as an EV manufacturer

March 03, 2023

A growing number of companies is producing EVs, but not all are comparably successful. You have the start-ups, and you have the more traditional car companies trying to catch up. Among the start-ups, Geely-daughter Polestar seems to be heading for success. Others, like Nio, are accumulating sales buThis content has been archived. Log in or […]

BMW CEO: ‘Openness to all technologies is best for climate’

March 03, 2023

During a round table, BMW Group CEO Oliver Zipse told car magazine Motor.at and others about his view on hydrogen and the plans to ban ICE cars in the EU by 2035. In his view, “hydrogen-fueled cars don’t stand a chance against BEVs except for customers who do not have access to charging infrastruThis content […]

A breakthrough for solid-state lithium-air battery in the US?

February 28, 2023

US researchers have developed a lithium-air battery with a solid electrolyte, of which the energy density could be increased fourfold compared to today’s lithium-ion batteries. The team said it achieved 1 000 charge and discharge cycles in test cells. Researchers drive the project at the IllinoThis content has been archived. Log in or Subscribe to […]

More sustainable materials for Volkswagen ID family

February 28, 2023

Volkswagen’s ID. Family is becoming more circular as the German car maker transfers some of its ecological materials used in the ID. Buzz. The latter was the most sustainable of the electric family and will now serve as a technology donor. The additional recycling materials will be introduced on This content has been archived. Log […]

Tesla pulls back on full self-driving, gears up for Investor Day

February 28, 2023

Some buzz ahead of Investor Day, a keynote held by Tesla CEO Elon Musk on the 1st of March 2023, has American media reporting on a cheap electric model and maybe even a hydrogen version. That’s quite a U-turn for Musk, who depicted fuel cells in the past as ‘fool cells’ because of their lack […]

BMW iX5 Hydrogen begins world tour in Belgium

February 27, 2023

In March 2022, several demo cars of the BMW iX5 Hydrogen were traveling around Europe to gather merely political support. In the next phase of its road map for the iX5 Hydrogen, BMW now presented the prototype to the press and fleet customers, who could test and refill the car in the region of AntweThis […]

Delorean halves production slots for Alpha 5

February 27, 2023

In a mail to potential customers, Delorean Motor Company urges to secure reservations as its production slots have been slashed in half. Supply chain bottlenecks have affected the original output of 9 351 units, reducing them to no more than 4 000. With much fewer building slots available, the resThis content has been archived. Log in […]

Sono Motors finaly pulls the plug on Sion solar car

February 27, 2023

While the Dutch still struggle to keep their Lightyear solar car project on life support, Sion, the affordable German solar electric vehicle (SEV), is dead. Sono Motors decided to pull the plug on the Sion program just before entering pre-series production. It couldn’t convince new investors despiteThis content has been archived. Log in or Subscribe […]

Ford tests improved electric efficiency with surface heaters in EVs

February 23, 2023

As part of the EU project CEVOLVER (Connected Electric Vehicle Optimized for Life, Value, Efficiency, and Range), Ford engineers have shown that heating surfaces can reduce energy consumption in the interior of an electric vehicle by 13%. This can improve the range of that vehicle by 5%. The testThis content has been archived. Log in […]

Belgian high-tech joins forces in aviation solid-state battery

February 22, 2023

Belgian aerospace company Sonaca joins the Limburg-based start-up SOLiTHOR to develop solid-state batteries for regional aviation and future air taxis (VTOLs). Solid-state batteries are lighter, have more energy density, and are considered safer than current lithium-ion batteries with a fluid electrThis content has been archived. Log in or Subscribe to a level that has access […]

VW to develop its own key electric components

February 21, 2023

In addition to the battery and the electric drive, Volkswagen Group Technology is now also developing the pulse inverter and the thermal management itself for its electric drives. This was announced at the company’s Tech Day 2023. As with other components, the VW developers have opted for a modular This content has been archived. Log […]

Dacia VP: ‘Excessive weight is not acceptable’

February 21, 2023

In an interview with the British car magazine Autocar, Dacia Vice-President for Sales, Marketing, and Operations Xavier Martinet says that a much greater emphasis needs to be put on weight efficiency when designing (EV) cars. “If we’re serious about collectively reducing emissions, then excessive weThis content has been archived. Log in or Subscribe to a […]