May 12, 2026
Honda’s automotive strategy is unraveling worldwide as CEO Toshihiro Mibe tears up his old plan and draws up a new one in the face of the company’s first-ever full-year loss. Honda Motor Co.’s recent retreats on several fronts will be in the spotlight May 14, when Mibe announces a new roadmap focused on hybrid vehicles […]
May 11, 2026
Last year, the car dealer group Van Mossel became the biggest car seller in Belgium. The group overtook importer D’Ieteren, which had been the most important car seller in this country for years. According to data from dealer data analyst Aumacon, requested by De Tijd, Van Mossel recorded 32,500 new-car registrations in 2025, while D’ieteren […]
May 11, 2026
Three months after Ghent introduced a financial penalty for drivers who hog public charging points, the numbers paint a clear picture: behavioral change. The number of long-stay sessions has decreased, charger availability has increased, and the city’s revenue amounted to €230,000. There is a particular frustration that unites EV drivers across Europe: arriving at a […]
May 11, 2026
The German Stellantis brand Opel has now officially confirmed the joint development of a new electric SUV with Leapmotor. The new model will use key components from Leapmotor and is set to roll off the production line at the Spanish plant in Zaragoza alongside the Opel Corsa from 2028. From the second half of this […]
May 11, 2026
Porsche has decided to wind down three non-core divisions, resulting in the loss of over 500 jobs. The closures are part of a sweeping strategic reversal that is stripping Porsche of the electromobility ventures it spent years building. The way forward seems to be the backview mirror for the German sports car maker. Germany’s most […]
May 11, 2026
Last Friday, Stellantis and Leapmotor announced they are exploring expanding their strategic partnership through a series of initiatives to build on the early success of their collaboration. Meanwhile, Stellantis’ German brand, Opel, has now officially confirmed the joint development of a new electric SUV with Leapmotor. We’ll report on that in detail in a separate […]
May 11, 2026
Sustainable travel in Europe is no longer a niche market; it’s a movement, just like slow travel. Not only are airfare and driving costs rising due to the crisis in the Middle East, but many people with vacation plans are looking for alternatives. In addition to a train trip or an active cycling or hiking […]
May 11, 2026
Vietnam does not usually come to mind when discussing global industrial powerhouses. Yet on the eastern outskirts of Hanoi, an empire has emerged that increasingly shapes how modern Vietnam lives, moves, studies, shops, and dreams. VinFast, the new EV brand with a whole lineup of cars and its own electric buses, is now trying to […]
May 08, 2026
While its subsidiary Volvo is struggling with overcapacity, and the Ghent factory needs relevance through the production of Chinese models, the Spanish outlet La Tribuna de Automocion reports that the mother company Geely is in talks to buy a part of Ford’s plant in Spain. Chinese brands are boosting their manufacturing ambitions in Europe to […]
May 08, 2026
Despite a substantial operating loss (EBIT) of 612 million euros for the first three months of the year, the Lufthansa Group has little cause for concern. Due to seasonally weaker demand in Europe, the first quarter is structurally loss-making for Europe’s largest airline group, the parent of Brussels Airlines. What’s more, the loss is 15% […]
May 08, 2026
From July, the delivery van’s dashboard enters a new era. Europe has issued a regulatory requirement that forces millions of light commercial vehicles to comply with the same standard as trucks: a tachograph. The new law, coming soon, is likely to cause a bottleneck at aftermarket equipment firms. Picture a plumber from Ghent. He crosses […]
May 08, 2026
Chinese brand MG (part of SAIC Motor) and the Belgian importer Astara have reached an agreement under which MG Europe will import its cars itself as of the first of July. Meanwhile, the second-largest Chinese car brand in Belgium, BYD, is considering doing the same. The distribution of MG in Belgium and Luxembourg will be […]
May 08, 2026
A BMW i5 M60 xDrive sedan assembled at Plant Dingolfing is the BMW Group’s two-millionth all-electric vehicle. The anniversary vehicle is going to a customer in Spain. Meanwhile, Group CEO Oliver Zipse revealed that there are already more than 50,000 pre-orders for the iX3 ‘Neue Klasse’. Plant Dingolfing began series production of all-electric automobiles in […]
May 07, 2026
Lexus today presents the world premiere of the all-new TZ, a six-seat, fully electric premium SUV “that explores new horizons in traveling comfort and pleasure”. The Lexus TZ is revealed today ahead of its market launch in Europe in 2027. “The TZ is designed around the concept of the Driving Lounge, a seamless blending of […]
May 07, 2026
Ryanair CEO Michael O’Leary wants to ban alcohol in airports in the morning, before regular restaurant and bar opening hours. The Irish low-cost airline reportedly has to divert a flight almost daily due to the behavior of some passengers. In addition to the morning ban on alcohol before 10 a.m., he also advocates limiting each […]
May 07, 2026
The half-millionth fully-electric passenger vehicle was registered in Belgium earlier this week. To celebrate this milestone, advocacy group EV Belgium held a small ceremony, handing over the keys to a new Polestar. It also reflected the positive market developments that enabled accelerated growth in EV adoption in Belgium. Three years ago, in early 2023, the […]
May 07, 2026
Mercedes has recently unveiled the first electric C-Class in its history. The model fills an important gap in the brand’s portfolio of battery-powered models, aiming at the heart of the market. Not with a range that defeats the BMW i3 Neue Klasse, but with speeds that lift the charging experience. In 10 minutes, the compact […]
May 07, 2026
California is closing a years-old legal loophole that made driverless cars effectively untouchable by traffic police. Starting this summer, autonomous vehicle manufacturers can be fined directly for moving violations committed by their vehicles. The question is: aren’t robotaxis built to behave under all conditions? For years, driverless cars in California operated in a gray zone. […]
May 06, 2026
Since Saturday, Antwerp’s main metro tunnel, connecting the Left Bank and the city center, has been completely closed for a large-scale renovation. If all goes well, the renovation will take approximately 11 months, expected to be completed by the end of March 2027. To avoid a traffic gridlock, the transport companies De Lijn and NMBS/SNCB, […]
May 06, 2026
In the ‘hot hatches’ category at Stellantis, the Opel Corsa GSE will join the Lancia Ypsilon HF and the Peugeot e-208 GTI in October, when it celebrates its official premiere at the Paris Motor Show. It will also be the smaller brother of the Mokka GSE in the Opel portfolio. The Corsa GSE will use […]
May 06, 2026
The Ghent-based software builder for charging stations, Optimile, has found a new breath. To expand its operations at a European level, the company has been fully acquired by the German fuel card giant DKV Mobility. The takeover fits into a broader scenario, as the latter has been buying similar companies over the past few years […]
May 06, 2026
Long-distance driving in an electric car has been a challenge for a long time. However, modern EVs have largely eliminated range anxiety for many people, thanks to larger batteries, more efficient drivetrains, faster charging, and range figures unheard of a decade ago. We’re now reaching a point where driving a latest-generation EV doesn’t come with […]
May 06, 2026
For two decades, the story of Amazon was about what it sold. From now on, the story is about how it moves its own and others’ goods, and for whom. Companies like DHL, FedEx, and UPS have a new, very serious concern. Amazon pulled back a curtain that few in the logistics industry wanted to […]
May 06, 2026
A total of 104,298 people living in the wider vicinity of Brussels Airport have their sleep severely disrupted by aircraft taking off and landing. This is according to the annual, mandatory study on the airport’s noise impact conducted by the Dutch firm To70. That represents a 2,5% increase compared to 2024. And whether by coincidence […]
May 06, 2026
Emissions of methane, a greenhouse gas that contributes to global warming, remain very high. The International Environment Agency (IEA) reported this on Monday during an international meeting in Paris, where its annual Global Methane Tracker report was presented. In 2025, record production from the fossil fuel sector (oil, coal, gas) was responsible for 35% of […]
May 06, 2026
The man who turned Ferrari into a cultural icon wants to do the same for German rail. His weapon: €3.6 billion, 26 Siemens Velaro trains, and a proven Italian playbook that cut ticket prices by 40 percent. Germany has a train problem. In 2025, Deutsche Bahn’s long-distance network posted its worst punctuality record in history: […]
May 05, 2026
The sudden surge in oil prices following the Iran conflict is beginning to reshape Europe’s car market in real time, with Renault Group among the first to report a tangible shift in consumer behavior. In the UK, Renault company’s managing director, Adam Wood, described a “seismic shift upwards” in interest in electric vehicles, as drivers […]
May 05, 2026
Japan’s largest automotive supplier, Denso, is developing an inductive charging technology that could hit public roads by 2029. It could upend Japan’s charging infrastructure headache and make the charging cable and oversized battery packs relics of the past. With its highly urbanized profile, symbolized by highways on the eleventh floor of high-rise buildings, Japan is […]
May 05, 2026
According to data from the sector federation Febiac and the Federal Public Service Mobility and Transport, 37,802 new cars were registered in April 2026, 10 units fewer than in 2025. According to Febiac, the results were influenced by the strike at BPost, with delays in number plate deliveries. Noticeable fact: Registrations of individually bought cars […]
May 05, 2026
The Belgian government wants to regain full control over energy policy and has secured a purchase option on Engie’s Belgian nuclear operations. Although the decision, a historic shift following the nuclear phase-out under the Verhofstadt 1 government, is generally welcomed, criticism is also growing. The costs remain a major question mark – even Prime Minister […]
May 04, 2026
Europe’s fastest-growing Chinese EV brand is planning a second, higher-priced label for 2027. Like BYD has Denza, Leapmotor wants its own luxury brand. More out of a necessity than a technical ambition. But can a budget brand pull it off? Leapmotor, the Stellantis-backed Chinese EV maker that last year posted its first annual profit, is […]
May 04, 2026
The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) of the United Nations scraps its gloomiest forecast: 4 to 6 degrees of global warming by 2100. The doomsday scenarios and ominous media reports about the future of the climate prove too bleak. Extreme global warming is not expected to progress that quickly, and the gloomy forecasts of sea […]
May 04, 2026
Stellantis CEO Antonio Filosa said the automaker will implement a global cost-cutting program as he seeks to build on his recovery plan, which delivered a €377 million first-quarter profit after a €387 million loss a year earlier. Filosa did not offer specifics about the cost-control measures, which he called the Value Creation Program, or VCP, […]
May 04, 2026
At Volkswagen Group, underutilized and costly plants in Europe are under scrutiny. CEO Oliver Blume plans to reduce overcapacity in China and Europe while avoiding plant closures in Germany through ‘intelligent measures’. These measures can include selling plants to other industries or to (Chinese) competitors. Ex-Porsche boss and now VW Group CEO Oliver Blume describes […]
May 04, 2026
The trade deal between the US and the EU, which was agreed just last summer, is already showing cracks. President Trump signals a return to the tariff playbook and proposes imposing a 25% duty on European cars and trucks. But this time the trigger is geopolitical as much as economic. Donald Trump’s tariff menace has […]
May 04, 2026
The fact that the Belgian federal government has set up a ‘task force’ to consider the future of Belgium’s only surviving large car assembly plant in Ghent, operated by Volvo, has set off several alarm bells. Despite the soothing words of Flemish Minister-President Mathias Diependaele, concerns are rising. The different rumors are also fed by […]
May 01, 2026
This Ford Mustang is not like the others. It’s Ford’s latest electric dragster, the Cobra Jet 2200. And yes, that number is based on the amount of horsepower it develops. Thanks to multiple upgrades, it ran a 6.76-second quarter-mile at the NHRA meeting in Charlotte, North Carolina, officially making it the fastest electric vehicle in […]
May 01, 2026
Huawei has unveiled its XPixel technology, which can turn a car’s front lamps into a full-color cinema projector. Chinese cars are increasingly becoming houses on wheels. While the drive-in movie theatre is a well-known romantic feature from American pop culture, it is now China that is trying to revive the concept by upgrading the technology. […]
May 01, 2026
Tesla has built its first Semi truck at the main production line in Nevada, hopefully kicking off series production for the long-awaited heavy electric truck. The Gigafactory has an annual production capacity of 50,000 Semi trucks, but it remains to be seen if Tesla is finally ready to produce its biggest vehicle yet at volume. […]
May 01, 2026
As costs rise and the budget remains unchanged, potential adjustments are on the horizon for De Lijn’s school transportation service for special education – most of these trips are operated by subcontractors. The Flemish public transportation company announced this in a letter to the schools. In the letter, De Lijn states that the Flemish government […]
May 01, 2026
The ‘mobility budget’ system must be simplified before it becomes mandatory. That is what the social partners think. “Today, it is still far too complex,” they say. The mobility budget is a system that allows employees to exchange their company car for a budget they can spend on various ‘greener’ mobility solutions, such as a smaller […]
April 30, 2026
With the announcement of the winners of the 12th edition of the VAB Bike of the Year (BOTY), Belgium’s evolving mobility landscape comes sharply into focus. What began as a consumer-oriented comparison test has grown into a barometer of a market in transition—one where the bicycle, and especially the e-bike, is rapidly becoming a fully-fledged […]
April 30, 2026
Nearly 100,000 units of the Audi e-tron and Q8 e-tron are being recalled worldwide over a potentially dangerous braking defect. The issue can render the conventional foot brake completely inoperative, leaving the electronic parking brake as the only fallback. The recall also applies in Belgium, where the model was manufactured. Audi has initiated a worldwide […]
April 29, 2026
Rolls-Royce has announced ‘Project Nightingale’, a luxurious convertible with a pure electric drivetrain. The 5.76-meter-long two-seater is expected to be delivered from 2028 onward, though only by invitation and limited to 100 vehicles worldwide. With the Spectre, the British luxury marque already offers a battery-electric model. The electric coupé shares many components internally with the […]
April 29, 2026
The Belgian Chamber’s Mobility Committee has unanimously approved a resolution by Vooruit to allow free bike use on trains. Whether this will ever actually happen, however, remains to be seen. A resolution is not legally binding. For the resolution to take effect, the government would need to amend the management contract with NMBS/SNCB. In an […]
April 29, 2026
The European State of the Climate 2025, a weighty annual report by the EU, confirms once again that Europe is the fastest-warming continent in the world. 2025 was extremely warm almost everywhere, and about 95% of Europe had above-average temperatures. Even near the Arctic Circle, temperatures exceeded 30°C. The average temperature on Earth is now […]
April 29, 2026
BYD, the Shenzhen-based carmaker, reported a 55% year-on-year fall in net profit for the first quarter, confirming analyst expectations and underscoring the pressure created by an ongoing price war in China’s hypercompetitive electric vehicle market. Revenues also declined, even as sales volumes remain robust, highlighting a widening gap between growth and profitability. The sharp drop […]
April 29, 2026
The United Arab Emirates’ decision to leave OPEC, effective 1 May, comes at a moment when the global oil market is already under severe strain—and when oil majors are reporting a new wave of exceptional profits. Taken together, experts highlight the two developments as a deeper shift underway: a market increasingly shaped by geopolitical shocks […]
April 29, 2026
The wave of updates for the MEB-based electric vehicles from the Volkswagen Group continues. Audi has now unveiled its comprehensively revised Q4 e-tron, featuring technology and design changes, some of which are Audi-specific innovations. Deliveries are expected to begin this summer. The Audi Q4 e-tron is transitioning from the MEB electric platform to the upgraded […]
April 29, 2026
Once upon a time, the Land Rover Freelander was the best-selling four-wheel-drive vehicle in Europe. It held that title for five consecutive years. Now, nearly three decades after its 1997 debut, the name returns, reborn as an independent electric brand built in China but coming to Europe. Together with Chery Jaguar Land Rover and Chinese […]
April 29, 2026
One week after unveiling its Naxtra sodium-ion battery for electric vehicles, CATL has signed the largest sodium-ion battery order in history: 60 GWh for grid-scale energy storage over three years. The technology has crossed the line from lab breakthrough to industrial product. The ink on CATL’s Tech Day announcements was barely dry. The world’s largest […]
April 28, 2026
Flemish Minister of the Environment, Jo Brouns (CD&V), has granted grid operator Elia an environmental permit for the long-awaited Ventilus project, he announced on Monday. The wind energy sector and environmental organizations are relieved; action groups and companies along the route are disappointed. “Minister Brouns is completely disregarding 3,000 objections,” opponents say. New high-voltage line Ventilus […]
April 28, 2026
Last year, 68 drivers at the Flemish public transportation company De Lijn were caught using alcohol or drugs. This marks another increase compared to previous years, when 62 and 57 drivers were caught during preventive checks, respectively. According to Flemish Member of Parliament and CD&V faction leader Peter Van Rompuy, who requested the figures, the […]
April 28, 2026
Chinese robot vacuum maker-turned-car-manufacturer Dreame has leveled up its Next 01 electric hypercar. The Jet Edition does as the name suggests, and adds rocket boosters to propel the Bugatti-lookalike to 100 km/h in less than a second. Or is it just a dream, and will it go the way of the similarly equipped Tesla Roadster? […]
April 28, 2026
At the Beijing Auto Show, BYD unveiled its Sealion 08, which has a good chance of arriving in Europe. The specs of its flagship SUV are a sample of where the technological evolution of the car manufacturer and battery maker stands today: 643 hp, 900 km of range, and nine-minute charging. But the story behind […]
April 28, 2026
For the first time, fully electric cars have become the largest group within Belgium’s company car fleet—and the shift is happening significantly faster than in neighboring countries such as the Netherlands, Germany, and France. New data from the National Social Security Office (RSZ) show that electric vehicles accounted for 37.2% of all salary cars in […]
April 28, 2026
Renault Group’s revenue for Q1 2026 amounted to €12,530 million, up 7.3% compared to the same period last year. At constant exchange rates, Group revenue was up 8.8%. Automotive revenue reached €10,807 million, up 6.5% from Q1 2025. At constant exchange rates, it increased by 8.0%. “In the first quarter of 2026, despite a challenging […]
April 27, 2026
Nissan took the stage at Auto China 2026 in Beijing to unveil two NEV SUVs: the Urban SUV PHEV and the Terrano PHEV Concept. The latter brings back the nameplate first used in 1999 for the large-terrain SUV, also known as the Pathfinder. Good news for fans: Nissan is promising a production version within one […]
April 27, 2026
It looks like a concept car, but the Ioniq V, unveiled at the 2026 Beijing Auto Show, is definitely a production model. It looks like the lovechild of a Toyota Prius and a Tesla Cybertruck, but don’t let its appearance hide the real message: with its new subbrand Ioniq, Hyundai wants to start from scratch […]
