January 03, 2025
In the Netherlands, car sales slightly increased (+3.1%) in 2024 thanks to a final sprint. In France, the market is receding, and sales of electric cars are stagnating, in stark contrast to hybrid ones. Denmark continues its progress toward electrification, and Norway remains the absolute champion for electric cars worldwide. The Netherlands In 2024, 381,227 […]
January 03, 2025
According to newspapers L’Echo and De Tijd, last year, for the first time since 2016, less renewable energy was produced than in the previous year. Because nuclear energy was scaled back and gas-fired power stations operated minimally, total power production in Belgium fell to the lowest level in six years. 2024 was also a year […]
January 03, 2025
Last year, used car registrations increased by 5.6% (to 727,650 units) – 38,480 more than last year, 84,981 more than in 2022, and the highest number since 2015. Expectations are that the second-hand car market will remain high in the coming years. The number of new cars fell in 2024, but the decline was only […]
January 03, 2025
The world’s number one EV carmaker, Elon Musk’s Tesla, delivered 1,789,226 cars in 2024. That is 1% less than the 1,808,581 in 2023, and it is the first time that Tesla’s growth has stalled in a decade. In 2023, growth was still 38% compared to 2022. That’s a huge difference. On the other hand, Chinese […]
January 03, 2025
According to Febiac and the federal government service Mobility & Transport data, 23,437 new cars were registered in Belgium and Luxembourg in December. That’s 8,9% less than last year. The cumulated registrations for 2024 resulted in 448,277 cars, and that’s 6.0% less than in 2023, when 476,675 units were registered. Other noticeable facts: the ratio […]
January 03, 2025
By temporarily switching off wind turbines and solar panels, approximately three terawatt hours of green energy was lost last year, three times as much as a year earlier. The Dutch Energy Generation platform (Energieopwek) calculated this in its annual overview for 2024. The lost sustainable power amounts to about 2.5 percent of the country’s total […]
December 31, 2024
From January 1st, drivers in Flanders will lose their driver’s licenses when caught using their cell phones while driving. The measure was already in force in some parts of Flanders – East and West Flanders, Limburg, and the Halle-Vilvoorde region – but it now applies throughout the Flemish part of the country. “Given the many […]
December 31, 2024
8,4 million. That is the number of traffic offenses committed by motorists on Belgian roads in 2023. So reports Sudpresse newspapers, based on figures from the FPS Finance. Most of those violations were speeding violations (6,8 million). In most cases, these were not major speeding offenses but involved driving between 0 and 10 km too […]
December 31, 2024
The Dodge Charger Daytona EV will try to live up to its name as the ‘World’s first and only electric muscle car’ as it hits new markets outside North America. Dodge’s new electric Charger is officially headed overseas, aiming for a more significant global market share. In March, Dodge finally took the sheets off the […]
December 31, 2024
In 2026, the most important federations and associations in the Belgian automotive and mobility sector will move to a building in Diegem, on the Flemish outskirts of Brussels, under a single roof. The building, offering more than 7,000 square meters of space, was acquired by the importer federation Febiac (bought from building contractor Ghelamco). All […]
December 30, 2024
Japanese business tycoon and former chairman of Suzuki Motor Corporation Osamu Suzuki died at 94, the company announced on Friday. He had been president, chairman, or chief executive of Suzuki Motor Corporation since 1978. Suzuki died on Christmas day due to malignant lymphoma, according to a statement from the company. In February 2021, the company […]
December 30, 2024
Belgium’s air quality in 2024 was comparable to that in 2023. Nitrogen dioxide and particulate matter concentrations decreased slightly, and there were fewer ozone days in 2024. In the long term, air quality has improved significantly. However, achieving the WHO health advice values in all Belgian areas is still far out of reach. According to […]
December 30, 2024
Irish low-cost airline Ryanair expects to put 29 new Boeing 737 aircraft into service next year. That 3-billion-dollar investment should create 2,000 new jobs in Europe. Ryanair’s ambition is to increase passenger numbers to 300 million over the next ten years. Its fleet would increase from nearly 600 to 800 aircraft over that period. The […]
December 30, 2024
Mirai (未来 or 未來) is a Japanese given name. It means ‘future,’ but in the case of Toyota’s pioneering fuel cell (FCEV) passenger car on hydrogen, a gloomy one as global sales plunged to a record low of 134 units in November and only 1,702 since January 2024, of which 661 in Japan. That’s a […]
December 30, 2024
Fewer and fewer Belgian citizens are getting their driver’s licenses. Last year, about 120,000 people got their driver’s license, 9 percent less than in 2000. In Brussels, there is even a decrease of almost 27 percent. The average age at which someone obtains his driver’s license has also increased by several months: from 21 years […]
December 30, 2024
If you could put a price on how much valuable time you lose in traffic, every Dublin driver would be €6,351 poorer each year, the most of 25 European capitals. And that is only during rush hour. Paris ranked second, losing €5,064 worth of traffic time. Brussels trails closely behind, where rush hour traffic costs […]
December 27, 2024
Leapmotor plans to make waves at the 101st Brussels Motor Show in January 2025 by unveiling its latest innovation: the C10 REEV (Range Extender Electric Vehicle). This marks the first introduction of Leapmotor’s REEV technology in Europe as the company seeks to expand its presence in the growing EV and hybrid markets. Leapmotor enlarges its […]
December 27, 2024
China is firmly on track to sell more ‘electric’ cars—that is, EVs and plug-in hybrids—than pure traditional gas cars with internal combustion engines (ICE) in 2025, reaching its 50% electric target a decade before the deadline the government had set by 2035. According to The Financial Times (FT) analysis, so-called New Energy Vehicle (NEV) sales […]
December 27, 2024
Starting January 1, Lufthansa will impose an environmental surcharge on flights departing from Europe. The surcharge ranges from 1 to 72 euros, depending on distance and travel class. For subsidiary Brussels Airlines, the environmental surcharge will be a maximum of 36 euros. “This surcharge is intended to cover part of the ever-increasing additional costs resulting […]
December 27, 2024
Construction at BYD’s highly anticipated EV manufacturing plant in Salvador, Brazil, was abruptly stopped this week following alarming allegations from Brazilian authorities. According to the Public Ministry of Labor (MPT), 163 Chinese workers were found laboring in “slavery-like conditions” at the site. The workers are not direct employees of the Chinese carmaker but belong to […]
December 27, 2024
From January 1st, the Western Scheldt Tunnel will be partially toll-free. Motorists and motorcyclists will no longer have to pay to pass through the 6.6-kilometer-long tunnel under the Western Scheldt between Terneuzen in Zeeuws-Vlaanderen and Zuid-Beveland. However, vehicles higher than three meters will continue to pay tolls. A standard ticket for small buses and vans […]
December 27, 2024
Chinese battery maker CATL (Contemporary Amperex Technology Co Ltd) launched a new skateboard called ‘Bedrock’ the day before Christmas that should be as hard to crush as the name suggests, the safest EV chassis so far. What’s more, is that it promises a range of over 1,000 kilometers and supports Level 3 and 4 autonomous […]
December 26, 2024
The Government has invited the UK automotive and charging industries to shape the UK’s transition to zero-emission vehicles. On Tuesday, 24 December, Transport Secretary Heidi Alexander launched a consultation to ask industry views on the 2030 phase-out date for new purely gasoline and diesel cars and make the transition to zero-emission vehicles a success. The […]
December 24, 2024
An analysis by business newspaper De Tijd/L’Echo, based on figures from Fedris, the Belgian Federal Agency for Occupational Risks, shows that the number of commuting accidents in Belgium is climbing rapidly. The figure has risen to the third highest ever, and it exposes once again one of the pain points: inadequately adapted infrastructure, such as […]
December 23, 2024
Mistletoe, jingle bells, good food, and drinks… but unfortunately, for some of us, duty calls. That is the sad fate of Rudy the Robot, JanguarLandRover’s automated colleague who must work hard this Christmas. Rudy was tasked with subjecting vehicle doors to intensive tests in extreme weather conditions. Before a vehicle is approved, Rudy carries out […]
December 23, 2024
The long-awaited project around electric flying cabs in Paris will not happen this year. The French Council of State annulled the ministerial decree authorizing the creation of an aircraft take-off and landing platform of 740 m² on the Seine in Paris. French airport operator Aéroports de Paris (ADP), along with Volocopter, the German manufacturer of […]
December 23, 2024
BMW M, the company’s dedicated sports motoring department, is widely known for its powerful gas-powered sports cars. Now, there are rumors about an upcoming all-electric model that could pack an even bigger punch. Since 2018, a team at BMW Motorsport GmbH has been testing a secret EV prototype, dubbed “the Beast. ” BMW’s high-performance unit […]
December 23, 2024
Swedish freight technology company Einride, specializing in sustainable and autonomous vehicle solutions, has achieved a European milestone by launching the continent’s first daily commercial autonomous freight operation. Partnering with online pharmacy Apotea, Einride’s autonomous trucks now transport goods between the retailer’s warehouses in Morgongåva, Sweden, and so officially move to the road network. The operation […]
December 23, 2024
Chinese EV maker Nio has unveiled the Firefly at Nio Day 2024. It is the first model under its new budget-oriented brand, aiming to capture young buyers with its compact size, innovative features, and affordability. Priced from 148,800 yuan (approximately €19,750), the Firefly is set to compete with established players like BMW’s Mini, the BYD […]
December 23, 2024
On the eve of Christmas, Volkswagen and the labor union IG Metall reached a compromise, ending the ongoing wage dispute. By 2030, 35,000 jobs will be cut, and VW will reduce production capacity in Germany by more than 700,000 vehicles, including its electric cars. The compromise presented by Volkswagen and labor union IG Metall on […]
December 23, 2024
China’s top EV seller, BYD (Build Your Dreams), is on track to sell 4.25 million cars this year. It has never masked its high ambitions to become a top-ten carmaker worldwide. According to the Belgian importer Inchcape, BYD is preparing an essential European first for the Brussels Motor Show in January. Eventually, there were no […]
December 23, 2024
The day before Christmas, at Nio Day 2023, the Chinese premium EV maker took off the wraps of its new ‘executive flagship sedan,’ the ET9, which has to play in the highest luxury car segment like the Mercedes-Maybach or EQS, or the BMW i7. Exactly a year later, the ET9 launches in China for 788,000 […]
December 20, 2024
The Belgian and French railroads have inaugurated the first run of a new conventional train connection between Brussels and Paris. The journey will take three hours with the new connection, operated by OUIGO, SNCF’s low-cost brand, compared to 1h22 with Eurostar. A ticket is available for 10 euros one way. With this new connection, NMBS/SNCB […]
December 20, 2024
Virya Energy, the energy holding company of the Colruyt family and the retail group of the same name, will receive a 25 million euro subsidy from the Walloon government for a green hydrogen project in Engis, Liège. The project is called Vallhyège, referring to “une vallée de l’hydrogène vert” (a valley of green hydrogen) in […]
December 20, 2024
Air Belgium will continue cargo operations under the name Air One Belgium. So reports CEO Niky Terzakis. The 64-year-old aviation entrepreneur will remain at the helm of his brainchild. However, following financial troubles, the company has now been acquired by a Dutch PESA Aviation Management consortium and British Air One Holding International. “The bidder has […]
December 20, 2024
According to a Chinese media outlet, Tesla will begin mass production of its refreshed Model Y at its Giga Shanghai factory next month. The updated Model Y, codenamed ‘Juniper,’ is the world’s best-selling car. It will feature a range of design and performance enhancements aimed at keeping the popular SUV ahead of the competition. The […]
December 20, 2024
The European Commission announced on Thursday that the European Union will launch a strategic dialogue on the future of its automotive industry in January. The initiative aims to develop rapid support measures for the auto sector as it grapples with the accelerated shift toward electric cars and the regulatory standards on average fleet emissions. The […]
December 20, 2024
According to data from the Association of European Car Manufacturers ACEA, new EU car registrations fell by 1.9% in November 2024. France led the way with a sharp 12.7% decline, followed by Italy (-10.8%), while the German market stagnated slightly (-0.5%). Only Spain recorded positive growth among the four most significant EU markets (+6.4%). Eleven […]
December 19, 2024
Brussels Airport expects to handle a record number of passengers this Christmas vacation. According to the airport in Zaventem, that number would fly above the million for the first time. The start of the vacation, Friday, December 20th, will be the busiest day with 72,000 passengers, according to the airport. This will involve some 40,000 […]
December 19, 2024
Global use of coal to generate electricity rose to a record high of 8.77 billion tons this year. According to a report by the International Energy Agency, almost one-third was burned in Chinese power plants. Due to the energy transition, electricity use is proliferating in many countries. Electricity is increasingly used for applications such as […]
December 19, 2024
As President Biden’s last days in office approach, his administration has granted California and eleven other states permission to ban the sale of new gasoline-powered cars by 2035. This marks one of the most ambitious climate policies in the US, but President-elect Donald Trump has vowed to lift the ban. This has now been made […]
December 19, 2024
With the self-confident slogan ‘Leadership in Motion’, BMW Group Belux has presented its vision of what happened last year for the BMW Group in Belgium and its plans for 2025. Apart from being number one in Belgium and Luxembourg for the fourth consecutive year, the most noticeable fact is that Mini distribution’s switch to the […]
December 19, 2024
Alfa Romeo is bringing a world premiere to the Brussels Motor Show next January. The Italian brand will unveil the four-wheel driven version of its small SUV Junior, based on the hybrid driveline. It seems Stellantis is keen on making a grand entrance in the capital of Europe. With the demise of motor shows worldwide, […]
December 19, 2024
According to Japan’s Nikkei business newspaper, Honda Motor Co. and Nissan Motor Co. are preparing to start negotiations on a possible merger, which could ultimately be expanded to include Mitsubishi Motors Co. The talks have been encouraged because the Taiwanese electronics giant Foxconn has also shown some interest in becoming Nissan’s main shareholder. Such a […]
December 18, 2024
Fietsberaad Vlaanderen, the Flemish knowledge center for cycling policy in Flanders, recently presented five measures for local authorities to improve bicycle traffic safety on their territory. Among the measures are lowering speed in built-up areas from 50 to 30 km/hour, introducing a circulation plan, or creating separate cycle paths. The study’s results are helpful for […]
December 18, 2024
The non-profit International Council on Clean Transportation (ICCT) has published a study about the European heavy-duty vehicle (HDV) market in the first three quarters of 2024, specifically the development of electric vehicle market share. Even with a slow Q3 in the overall market, the growth of electric heavy commercial vehicles continues. The European truck market […]
December 18, 2024
The Flemish energy regulator VREG has approved the new distribution network rates for the Flemish electricity and natural gas invoice. On average, electricity rates will increase by 120 euros (+33%), and for natural gas, by around 15 euros (+6%). A revision of the grid rates will increase electricity costs for an average family by one-third. […]
December 18, 2024
Lamborghini’s first EV, likely a production version of the Lanzador concept car, won’t show up in 2028. According to remarks from CEO Stephan Winkelmann, the Italian manufacturer will release its first fully electric model in 2029 at the earliest, citing low market interest in electric sports cars. Although Lamborghini has partly embraced the electrification of […]
December 18, 2024
More than one in four Brussels motorists (27%) could do without a car. This is the finding of a survey conducted by Brussels Mobility. Through the sample of 1,900 Brussels residents with a car, Brussels Mobility aims to better understand car use and which alternatives to the car could be made more attractive. On average, […]
December 18, 2024
With Carlos Tavares pushed out, the Stellantis car group is burying the hatchet and soothing the Italian right-wing Meloni government with new models to keep all Italian factories open until 2032. It won’t apply for government support, but it has committed to investing 2 billion euros next year and purchasing 6 billion euros from Italian […]
December 18, 2024
The German Federal Motor Transport Authority (KBA) has given Mercedes the green light to launch an updated version of its conditionally automated driving system, Drive Pilot, in 2025. This system allows the driver to watch a movie or read the newspaper while driving on highways at up to 95 km/hour. Mercedes was the first to […]
December 18, 2024
The environmental NGO Transport & Environment (T&E) has responded to the increasing pressure of the car manufacturers’ lobby regarding the 2025 EU CO2 emission targets with an analysis proving that the industry can achieve the goals and avoid the fines pending for 2025. The European Commission seems to be on the same line. Last week, […]
December 17, 2024
For the first time, on Monday, high-speed trains connected Paris and Berlin. Deutsche Bahn’s ICE high-speed trains, which have 444 seats, make the daily connection, which will take about eight hours. The new line is not the first direct connection between Berlin and Paris. Since the end of 2023, there has also been a night […]
December 17, 2024
MG Motor, a Chinese state-owned SAIC Motor subsidiary, has announced plans to launch an electric vehicle in 2025 powered by a semi-solid state battery. This move comes after earlier statements suggested MG would be the first to deploy a fully solid-state battery. The hybrid solution implies the car brand is backtracking on its earlier full […]
December 17, 2024
Zeekr, part of the Chinese Geely group, has launched its flagship electric SUV in Europe. The Zeekr 7X offers a range of up to 615 km, with ultra-fast charging thanks to an 800V architecture and a roomy, premium interior for a starting price of €52,990 in the Netherlands. The Zeekr 7X is the third electric […]
December 17, 2024
Electric vehicles are widely regarded as a cost-effective alternative to gasoline-powered cars, but that trend has officially reversed in the Netherlands. According to the latest Elektrisch Rijden Monitor by the Dutch motorists’ association ANWB, it’s now more expensive to drive an EV than a combustion-engined car. The report highlights growing concerns over rising operating costs, […]
December 17, 2024
Tomorrow, the first train will enter Mons’ renovated station with its new ‘Gare-Passerelle,’ or walkway station. The new footbridge, an 182-meter-long metal structure weighing 5,200 tons, is the eye-catcher of the building designed by the famous Spanish architect Calatrava. The official inauguration, in turn, is scheduled for January 31, 2025. The imposing project was delayed […]
December 17, 2024
From the beginning of next year, BMW will fill all newly built diesel cars leaving the factory in Germany with HVO100, a hydrotreated vegetable oil made from rapeseed oil or waste-based feedstock such as used cooking oil, residues, and other renewable raw materials. HVO100 has a higher cetane number (c80) than standard diesel and has […]
December 17, 2024
Last year in October, we wrote that it “sits and feels like a Porsche, is utterly powerful, and blazing fast on the water, yet silent as a sailing boat, but it will cost you more than twice the price of the most expensive Taycan”: the Frauscher x Porsche 850 ‘eFantom’ Air. Now it gets a […]
December 16, 2024
Embattled hydrogen truck maker Nikola is grappling with severe financial strain as it scrambles to secure funds and stave off bankruptcy. The company has confirmed another round of layoffs this month while warning in filings with the US Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) that it does not have enough cash to sustain operations through the […]
