January 12, 2026
Former Energy Minister Tinne Van der Straeten (Green) is leaving politics and becoming CEO of the green interest group WindEurope. Van der Straeten resigns from parliament and will start working at WindEurope on February 2nd. “Wind energy is crucial for the continent’s electricity supply, economic competitiveness, and climate goals. It provides Europe with affordable electricity, strengthens […]
January 12, 2026
Engie must set aside an additional 3 billion euros to finance the dismantling of nuclear power plants. This is according to a report by Niras, the national institution for radioactive waste, as reported by De Tijd and L’Echo. The French energy company, which operates the seven nuclear power plants in Belgium, has agreed with the […]
January 12, 2026
The French-speaking liberal MR faction in the Brussels Parliament has proposed a measure to significantly reduce fines for violations of the low-emission zone (LEZ) in the capital. The MR strongly opposes what it calls ‘punitive ecology’. It wants to reduce LEZ fines from €350 to €15. This would immediately remove the big stick for owners […]
January 12, 2026
Four years after the launch of Hyundai’s futuristic minivan, and two years after rumors of an electric version, Hyundai has unveiled the Staria Electric at the Brussels Motor Show (BMS) 2026. It features the 800V drivetrain of its Ioniq siblings, while the revamped interior will also make its way to the rest of the range. […]
January 12, 2026
New motorcycle registrations fell by 12.2% in 2025 (to 24,872 units) compared to 2024. However, 2024 was the best year of the past 15 years. The sector expects a strong start to 2026, thanks in part to the Brussels Auto Show, where nearly 20 motorcycle brands will be represented this year and at least 310 […]
January 12, 2026
Kia kicks off the new year with the unveiling of the EV2, its affordable electric car designed to drive adoption among the broadest audience. At the Brussels Motor Show, the world premiere was a key driver of its international appeal. Unveiled to the public in Brussels during the press day last Friday, the Kia EV2 […]
January 12, 2026
With +100,000 or more than 20% extra visitors during the opening weekend compared with last year, the 102nd edition of the Brussels Motor Show has made one thing immediately clear: Brussels has become a genuine barometer of confidence. It’s a reality check: it is still a ‘sales’ show, not just an exhibition. If private buyers […]
January 11, 2026
At the press day of the Brussels Motor Show last Friday, the organizers of the annual European Car of the Year election announced that the new Mercedes-Benz CLA can now call itself COTY 2026. In this 63rd edition of the election, the 59 members of the Jury, all car journalists from more than 20 European […]
January 10, 2026
Belgian railway network operator Infrabel is launching Impulse Belgium, a start-up laboratory, according to the business newspaper De Tijd. Through this internal innovation unit, Infrabel aims to focus on projects that enhance the network’s efficiency and safety. Two projects are being put forward: opening their electricity grid to third parties and using AI for railway maintenance. […]
January 10, 2026
Air quality in Beijing is better than ever. In 2025, the city reported more than 340 days of ‘good’ or ‘moderate’ air quality, attributable to strict emission regulations and the growing number of electric vehicles in Chinese cities. Heavy pollution days dropped from dozens per year in the early 2010s to almost zero. Over the […]
January 10, 2026
Company managers and employers often prefer to extend their current contracts by one year rather than purchase a new company car to keep the old, more favourable corporate tax deduction rules in place for longer. And if a new company car is purchased, it is greener but more expensive. By the end of 2024, 8 out […]
January 10, 2026
There has been unrest for some time at the Dumarey factory in Strasbourg, which manufactures car gearboxes. The union protest is set to grow now that West Flemish businessman Guido Dumarey has announced plans to close the factory in Alsace, France, before the end of this year. The closure could result in the loss of […]
January 09, 2026
Volvo Cars is raising the stakes in the crowded compact electric SUV market with its upcoming EX60. The battery-powered successor to its bestselling XC60 will travel farther and charge faster than any electric Volvo before. The EX60, set for full disclosure on January 21, is positioned as a critical model for Volvo as it tries […]
January 09, 2026
Volkswagen Commercial Vehicles has refreshed its electric Transporter and Caravelle with a larger usable battery, faster charging, and an all-wheel-drive option. This should align the vans better with the needs of fleet buyers who demand electric light commercial vehicles to move beyond city-only duties. A lack of incentives and demanding use cases are hampering the […]
January 08, 2026
The French energy company Engie, which also operates in Belgium, has obtained a permit to demolish the cooling tower of the Tihange 1 nuclear power plant. It wants to start dismantling it in September. This undermines the plans of Energy Minister Mathieu Bihet (MR), who wants to restart the plant and negotiate an additional 10-year […]
January 08, 2026
The kilometer charge for trucks in Belgium once again generated more than a billion euros last year – €1,060 billion to be precise. This is evident from statistics compiled by Viapass, the interregional entity that coordinates and monitors the kilometer charge in Belgium. In concrete terms, the toll generated €691.8 million in Flanders, €357.4 million […]
January 08, 2026
Now that many long-term unemployed people in Belgium are losing their allowance, the bus and coach sector is calling on them to become bus drivers. The industry is facing a severe staff shortage and has 530 vacancies. The 374 companies in the sector, united in the FBAA sector federation, are even willing to finance the training. […]
January 08, 2026
According to the German Hydrographic and Maritime Transport Office (BSH), the temperature of the North Sea in 2025 was the hottest ever recorded. Compared to the long-term average from 1997 to 2021, it was 0.9°C warmer. The BSH examines the surface temperatures of the North Sea and the Baltic Sea weekly, combining satellite data with […]
January 08, 2026
Chinese appliance maker Dreame, stepping onto the CES 2026 stage in Las Vegas, clearly hadn’t come to talk about better suction power alone. Next to robot vacuums and cordless cleaners, the company unveiled three dramatic electric sports car concepts. An idea that it has been playing with for some time now, coming true in Vegas, […]
January 08, 2026
Reinforced by its recent sales successes, Alpine is substantially enlarging its dealer network in Belgium. “This strategic enlargement follows the dynamic growth curve of Alpine and shows that Alpine wants to be even closer to its customers to deploy its electric portfolio progressively,” says the importer, Renault Belgium. Alpine already has ‘Alpine Stores’ in Antwerp, […]
January 08, 2026
Volvo Cars announces the appointment of Thomas Ingenlath as Chief Design Officer, effective 1 February 2026. Meanwhile, Volvo also reported its December sales and 2025 results. “The appointment of Thomas Ingenlath marks the return of one of the most influential designers in the company’s recent history and reinforces Volvo Cars’ leadership in design,” Volvo proudly […]
January 08, 2026
Smartphone maker Xiaomi has given its SU7 electric sedan a significant mid-cycle update in China, underscoring that its ambitions in the automotive sector extend beyond a one-off debut. And Europe should pay attention. The refreshed model, now open for pre-orders ahead of an April 2026 launch, brings higher-end hardware, longer range, and more advanced driver-assistance […]
January 07, 2026
Bosch eBike Systems is making its e-bikes less attractive to thieves. At CES 2026 in Las Vegas, the company is presenting an additional protection mechanism that allows e-bikes to be marked as stolen via an app, making them visible as such across Bosch eBike Systems’ entire digital ecosystem. Bosch has added an extra layer of […]
January 07, 2026
Lufthansa, founded on January 6, 1926, as “Luft Hansa,” celebrates its 100th anniversary today. The history of the German airline is almost as turbulent as aviation itself. From a technological pioneer in the 1920s to an active role during the Nazi regime, Lufthansa grew into Europe’s largest airline group, at least in terms of revenue. […]
January 07, 2026
Car-sharing operator Cambio saw its user base increase by 15% last year, from 71,500 in 2024 to 82,000 in 2025. The shared-mobility provider has about 3,000 cars available – including more than 400 electric vehicles – in 147 cities and municipalities across Belgium. The cambio cars are used intensively, ensuring that cambio users (80% of […]
January 07, 2026
Last year, the BMW Group once again produced more than one million vehicles at its German plants. This means that one in four cars built in Germany comes from a BMW Group plant. According to the German Association of the Automotive Industry (VDA), a total of 4.15 million vehicles were manufactured in Germany during the […]
January 07, 2026
The Dutch charging provider Fastned expanded its European fast-charging network to over 400 locations by the end of 2025. A total of 406 Fastned locations are now present in the Netherlands, France, Belgium, Germany, the United Kingdom, Switzerland, Denmark, Spain, and Italy. In its announcement of this milestone, Fastned reflected on its journey to date: […]
January 07, 2026
At its annual press conference, EV Belgium, the umbrella federation representing the business ecosystem behind zero-emission mobility, delivered impressive figures: 2025 ended with more than 145,000 newly sold electric vehicles, a market share of 35 percent, and nearly 450,000 EVs on Belgian roads. Much of that success, however, is driven by the continued dominance of […]
January 07, 2026
At the Consumer Electronics Show (CES) in Las Vegas, the German premium car manufacturers BMW and Mercedes-Benz are taking their intense rivalry to the technology show, showcasing digital AI innovations in their latest-generation vehicles. On the one hand, there’s the BMW Group with AI assistant technology via a collaboration with Amazon Alexa; on the other […]
January 07, 2026
Brussels is set to reclaim center stage in the European automotive calendar this winter, as the 102nd Brussels Motor Show opens from 9 to 18 January 2026 at Brussels Expo in Heysel. After drawing more than 307,000 visitors at the previous edition, organizers once again expect comparable numbers, confirming the Belgian show’s remarkable resurgence at […]
January 06, 2026
Chinese start-up Leapmotor is rocketing toward the big leagues. The brand became China’s No. 1 NEV start-up car brand, with a 103% year-on-year increase in sales, bringing its total to over 600,000 vehicles sold. And to add to the tally, the company has unveiled its first MPV, the D99. Leapmotor was founded in 2015 and […]
January 06, 2026
Norway closed out 2025 with a milestone: nearly 100% of electric car registrations. The country has officially reached its long-standing target: a new car fleet free of tailpipe emissions. Simultaneously, the share of electric cars on Norwegian roads now overshadows that of diesel cars. Norway’s new-car market shattered records in 2025, both in total sales […]
January 06, 2026
According to the usually well-informed news site CarNewsChina (CNC), the profit margin of China’s auto industry was 4.4% in 2025 (January to November), at some $2,000 per vehicle (€1,700), the second lowest in history. The lowest in history was 2024, with 4.3%. Obviously, Chinese car manufacturers have some work to do if they want to […]
January 06, 2026
During the first six months of last year, 5,028,562 traffic violations were recorded by the federal police in Belgium. This is an absolute record, as it is more than 436,000 more than in the same period two years ago. Compared to 2017, this is even double the number. Almost 4.2 million of the traffic violations […]
January 06, 2026
Last year, the Belgian second-hand car market achieved its best results since 2006. While the new car market continues to decline, the volume of used cars remains stable at a historically high level. Registrations increased by 0.9% (+6,194 units) after consecutive years of growth and a very strong 2024. In December alone, 59,090 used cars were registered, […]
January 06, 2026
Lucid and Uber make a high-profile entrance into the robotaxi race with the unveiling of a six-seat version based on the Gravity SUV. Its upmarket positioning pits it against the driverless S-Class, which Mercedes launched in the Emirates. Still, the Gravity will kick-start its services in San Francisco, challenging Waymo, before its global rollout. The […]
January 06, 2026
Nearly one in five Belgian households now report considering a switch to a fully electric car within the next two years, while almost a quarter already drive some form of electrified vehicle. These are some of the figures BNP Paribas Fortis presents prominently in its latest mobility survey, released ahead of the opening of the […]
January 06, 2026
BMW has started trial production of its Neue Klasse electric vehicles at its factory in Shenyang. With the ongoing pre-series of the long-wheelbase BMW iX3, the company considers itself prepared for the start of series production in 2026. According to the Chinese news agency Xinhua, the first pre-series units of the long-wheelbase iX3 have been […]
January 06, 2026
Brussels Airport has experienced substantial growth in the intercontinental segment over the past few years. According to the business newspaper L’Echo, the share of so-called ‘long-haul’ flights rose by more than 11%. This growth is the result of a deliberate strategy to strengthen Brussels as an international hub. From Africa to North and Latin America […]
January 06, 2026
In a French car market that decreases by another 5% in 2025 (YOY), Renault Group has sold more cars than Stellantis in the hexagon: it has reached almost 26.4% market share selling Renaults, Dacias, and Alpines, against 25.8% of share for the 14 Stellantis brands. If one counts LCVs into the equation, Stellantis is still […]
January 05, 2026
According to the most optimistic scenario, the construction of new large nuclear power plants in Belgium will not be completed until the end of 2039 at the earliest. That is what a new study by the engineering firm Tractebel, part of the energy group Engie (which conducted a survey commissioned by the high-voltage grid operator […]
January 05, 2026
Volkswagen has unveiled the interior of the all-new ID. Polo, its future entry-level electric model, is priced from €25,000—the ID. Polo reintroduces physical switchgear on board, complemented by retro-inspired graphics to enhance its appeal. Volkswagen started a new interior design philosophy with the advent of its electric ID model range, beginning with the ID.3 in […]
January 05, 2026
Alpina was formerly a separate manufacturer that upgraded existing BMW models, but BMW acquired the brand and will now be called ‘BMW Alpina’. The rights were officially transferred on 1 January 2026, and with that, a new logo. But for now, BMW is keeping things as they are… mostly. Alpina was founded in 1965, when […]
January 05, 2026
Belgians are increasingly using bicycles for their journeys, including commuting. This trend is confirmed by various mobility barometers and surveys in both Flanders and Wallonia. For the first time, more than half of Flemish people regularly cycle to work. Wallonia lags in this area, but even there, we observe that, for the first time, 6% […]
January 05, 2026
At the start of this year, fuel prices in Belgium are at their lowest level since the peak prices of 2022. The official maximum prices for fuel have become a lot cheaper than they were a year ago. The fact that prices at the pump in Belgium are so low has not gone unnoticed by […]
January 05, 2026
When the doors of the Brussels Motor Show open next Friday, the spotlight in Hall 7 will fall on two names that are still unfamiliar to most Belgian car buyers: NIO and Firefly. Their presence is more than just another brand launch at a crowded auto show. It marks Belgium’s official entry point into a […]
January 05, 2026
According to data from the sector federation Febiac and the federal public service Mobility & Transport, December was a very good month (+23.2%) for new car registrations, limiting the decrease for the whole year compared to 2024 to -7.5%. In 2025, 414,770 new cars were registered in Belgium and Luxembourg, 33,507 fewer than last year, […]
January 05, 2026
Starting the new year with fireworks? For many people, it is a tradition they would like to maintain. From next year, consumer fireworks will no longer be allowed in the Netherlands, and many Belgian municipalities and cities are also banning them. Every year, there are hundreds of victims, and the damage to houses and cars […]
December 31, 2025
The world’s largest battery maker, Chinese CATL, expects sodium-ion batteries to enter large-scale deployment from 2026. The technology will not replace lithium, but it could play a decisive role in making electric mobility more affordable, safer, and less reliant on scarce raw materials, particularly in Europe. When CATL outlines a new technological direction, it usually […]
December 31, 2025
The Californian Monarch Tractor, a pioneer in self-driving and ‘smart’ electric tractors, must shelve its ambitious plans. Despite a record round of funding from PMV and other Belgian investors (Belgian industrial families, such as Colruyt, Toye, Adriaenssen-de Spoelberch, Thermote), the American tractor company is imploding from a promising producer of fully electric, autonomous tractors that can plough, […]
December 31, 2025
On Monday, sports car manufacturer Maserati, part of the Stellantis Group, appointed Van Mossel Automotive Group as sales and service partner for the Netherlands. Van Mossel will open two new Maserati showrooms in 2026. Earlier this year, there was already a collaboration between Van Mossel and Maserati about the import and service of the brand […]
December 31, 2025
From 1 January 2026, companies in Flanders will no longer be able to apply for purchase support when buying a battery-electric truck. The Flemish Government has decided to remove electric trucks from the so-called ‘Ecologiepremie+’, the main regional investment support scheme for environmentally friendly technologies. The decision comes at a time when the electrification of […]
December 30, 2025
The world’s largest-ever electric vehicle winter test just concluded in China, and the results show how extreme cold punishes driving range. Chinese EVs dominated the rankings, but one American and one Japanese model still cracked the top ten. The test was conducted by Autohome, China’s largest automotive media outlet, which drove roughly 67 new EVs […]
December 30, 2025
From now on, anyone in France who exceeds the speed limit by 50 km/h or more will no longer receive a simple fine but will be immediately summoned to appear before the criminal court. Just as they would for driving under the influence of drugs or alcohol, they could face a fine of up to […]
December 30, 2025
Almost 30% of drivers caught driving under the influence of drugs had taken more than one substance at the same time, the latest figures from Belgium’s National Institute for Criminalistics and Criminology (NICC) show. Drivers are increasingly testing for multiple drugs simultaneously. The party drug ketamine is also appearing more frequently in drunk driving. Last year, […]
December 30, 2025
From 2026 onward, the Netherlands will tighten the fiscal screws on electric cars, steadily dismantling the generous incentives that once made it one of Europe’s most EV-friendly markets and shifting the balance toward countries such as Belgium. The most tangible change affects the motor vehicle tax (MRB). Fully electric passenger cars, which enjoyed a full […]
December 30, 2025
The ID. Polo is arriving in 2026 as the first of a new family of entry-level Volkswagen EVs. It was initially expected to start at €25,000, but that may take longer. The German automaker may still make electric mobility more affordable, but it likely won’t be as soon as expected. “With an entry-level price starting […]
December 29, 2025
2025 has seen a slew of announcements for high-speed electric vehicle (EV) motors, with several exceeding 30,000 rpm. What is behind this sudden need for speed? A report from IDTechEx discusses the benefits, challenges, and solutions for taking this approach. In an internal combustion engine (ICE) vehicle, a higher maximum rpm has been associated with […]
December 29, 2025
The first batch of Deepal electric SUVs has officially left Thailand for Europe, marking a concrete new phase in the expansion of another Chinese carmaker on the European market. The shipment concerns the Deepal S05, produced at Changan Automobile’s newly opened factory in Rayong, Thailand. It is the group’s first overseas production site dedicated entirely […]
December 29, 2025
In 2025, 2,395 flights were canceled due to strikes at Brussels Airport. The seven-day national union action affected more than 330,000 travelers. According to the airport, these actions cost the Belgian economy approximately 175 million euros. Brussels Airlines says that these seven days of national union action “should not be repeated” in 2026. “We call […]
