March 28, 2024
The Dutch ‘flying car’ will take a high flight in Dubai, where local business aviation company Aviterra has ordered a fleet of a hundred PAL-V Liberty aircraft. Loggia Investment, the investment arm of Aviterra, has made a strategic investment in PAL-V as one of the 220 contributors to the startup and established partnerships for the […]
March 28, 2024
While many are still skeptical about the plausibility of 100% autonomous vehicles, Geely Auto is showing that its new AI ‘digital’ chassis can not only safely operate on snow and ice without a driver but can also pull off fully autonomous drifting. Geely Auto sits under the larger umbrella of Zhejiang Geely Holding Group Co., […]
March 28, 2024
After coming second in the European Car of the Year (COTY) contest, the new BMW 5 Series has been named the World Luxury Car 2024. For the members of the World Car Awards jury, it was the standout new arrival in the field of luxury vehicles that celebrated their debuts in the world’s car markets […]
March 28, 2024
A Denim Blue XC90 was bestowed with the honor of being Volvo’s last diesel car. After promising to end production of diesel-powered passenger cars back in September 2023 at the NYC Climate Week, the Swedish manufacturer has put its money where its mouth is, ending on a V60 in Ghent and an XC90 in Torslanda. […]
March 28, 2024
With the comfortable certainty of 30 billion yuan (€3,83 billion) profit made in 2023, the top Chinese EV maker BYD can afford to fuel further the price war it initiated to prove electric cars can be sold even cheaper than their ICE siblings. Next in a long row, seeing its price lowered by 5%, is […]
March 28, 2024
South Korean car manufacturing group Hyundai announced a massive $50 billion (68 trillion won) investment to secure its position as the auto market transitions to EVs. The Korean automaker will hire 80,000 people in Korea to help it become one of the top three EV makers in the world by 2030. Hyundai’s new investment is […]
March 28, 2024
For the first time since the outbreak of the Ukrainian war, a Russian factory has rebooted the manufacture of a Western car model. The automotive plant in Kaluga has officially started churning out Citroën C5 Aircross models for the local market. Citroën-owner Stellantis admits having lost control in the region. The PSMA Rus facility, as […]
March 27, 2024
UK-based Motability Operations and Callum Designs are ready to launch an electric wheelchair-accessible vehicle concept called eVITA. The companies stress that special solutions are necessary for everyone to go electric. The electric wheelchair-accessible vehicle (eWAV) has a 50 kWh battery pack and two charging ports at the “nearside rear, and a lower front-mounted option for […]
March 27, 2024
Korean premium brand Genesis has revealed the Neolun Concept and GV60 Magma Concept. The first design study is a large luxury SUV with coach doors and a plush interior. What could become the future GV90 aims to rival the Mercedes-Maybach GLS with Royal Blue leather and a concert-hall sound system. The second concept hints at […]
March 27, 2024
With more than 60,000 boarding passengers, Brussels-North railway station was again the busiest station in Belgium on weekdays in 2023, a title it had to leave to Brussels-Midi/South a year before. Brussels-Central, Brussels-Midi, and Ghent-Sint-Pieters followed it. The first Walloon station is Ottignies, followed by Namur. Incidentally, in Wallonia, ticket machines of the public railway […]
March 27, 2024
Mercedes-Benz intends to trial humanoid robots to automate “low-skill, physically challenging, manual labor”. Austin-based robotic company Apptronik recently announced it had entered into a commercial agreement with Mercedes-Benz to pilot “highly advanced robotics” like Apollo – Apptronik’s 160-pound bipedal robot – in manufacturing. The news follows a similar pilot announced by BMW in January. BMW […]
March 27, 2024
After encountering delays, the Ford Explorer is finally here. Ford celebrates the introduction to the market at the end of the Explorer’s World Tour. The Explorer was driven around the globe over 30,000 km, crossing six continents and 27 countries, with adventurer Lexie Alford at the wheel. The electric Ford Explorer will start at €48,950 […]
March 27, 2024
Fisker’s insolvency is becoming more likely. As California-based electric car manufacturer Fisker announced in a stock exchange listing, talks with a major car manufacturer about an investment have failed. As a precautionary measure, the shares have already been suspended from trading. Just recently, Fisker announced that talks with an unnamed car manufacturer about a strategic […]
March 27, 2024
Italo-Franco-US carmaker Stellantis has agreed with Italian unions that provide for 1,520 voluntary departures in Turin at the historic headquarters of the car brand Fiat. The Turin plant has been running on reduced production volumes for some time. Those departures include 733 administrative and middle managers and 300 in the bodywork department at the Mirafiori […]
March 27, 2024
Aston Martin has appointed the boss of luxury car rival Bentley its next CEO. The British luxury sports car producer stipulates that Adrian Hallmark will replace current CEO Amedeo Felisa by October 1st this year. The new boss joins the London-listed carmaker from high-end luxury rival Bentley Motors, where he has led an improvement in […]
March 26, 2024
From March 31st, the start of the summer season, Brussels Airport will offer nine new destinations. Six new airlines will also make their appearance. More importantly, by Friday, a decision on the new environmental permit for the airport is expected. Brussels Airport and residents will then know whether the annual number of flight movements will […]
March 26, 2024
The newly reshaped Korean brand KG Mobility (KGM, in short) has announced the prices of its electric SUV. The Torres EVX will start in Belgium at €43,990. However, with a ‘launch reduction’ of €4,700, it will dive under the €40K threshold, the limit for the €5,000 Flemish EV incentive. All versions of the Torres EVX […]
March 26, 2024
Germany is starting to build the country’s largest battery factory for electric vehicles. The project will cost 4.5 billion euros and is led by Sweden’s Northvolt, one of Europe’s newly started companies specializing in the construction and development of batteries for electric cars. The factory will be built near Heide, a city of more than […]
March 26, 2024
Mobility organization Touring is calling for a moratorium on the Euro 5 ban in Brussels from January 2025. Tightening the allowable emissions standard in the Brussels Region would exclude 850,000 vehicles, including 700,000 passenger cars and 150,000 vans. Touring says a moratorium would encourage a smoother transition to EVs, pending a more diverse and affordable […]
March 26, 2024
Nissan has presented its new business plan, The Arc. The aim is to sell an additional 1 million cars per year by the end of 2026 while boosting the profit margin to 6% to prepare for an accelerated EV transition by 2030. To achieve this, 30 new models will be released globally in the next […]
March 26, 2024
Electric motorcycle maker LiveWire has unveiled its new S2 Mulholland. Like its mother brand, Harley Davidson, the new electric motorcycle is aimed at cruising on long and straight American roads. The new LiveWire S2 Mulholland follows the S2 Del Mar and is built around the same platform. It uses the same 84-hp electric motor and […]
March 26, 2024
On Tuesday morning, 2,400 Van Hool employees wanted to start working again in Koningshooikt (Lier) to keep the Belgian bus builder factory going. Still, management sent them home for the next two weeks, awaiting the bankruptcy verdict. They are left with a resigned mood and uncertainty after hearing on Monday that going belly-up is unavoidable, […]
March 25, 2024
The new eTruck range from MAN is compatible with the Megawatt Charging System (MCS), making quick charging stops during mandatory breaks much more helpful. To demonstrate this, an eTruck was equipped with a prototype MCS charger from infrastructure expert ABB, which reached a charging speed of 700 kW. ABB and MAN still consider this a […]
March 25, 2024
Almost a year after the model was unveiled, Mercedes-Maybach’s first electric model is now available to order in Europe after its debut in the US. But of course, the privilege doesn’t come cheap… The Mercedes-Maybach EQS 680 SUV tries to combine Maybach’s experience in extreme luxury with some sustainable touches to match the model’s all-electric […]
March 25, 2024
The Flemish public transport company De Lijn wants to recruit 800 drivers and 100 technicians this year. To this end, it will organize 14 job days, four for drivers and ten for technicians. “During the job days, everyone can get a taste of a job at De Lijn, learn about the terms of employment and […]
March 25, 2024
Last year, Car-Pass identified 1,640 cases of odometer fraud in selling second-hand cars, 300 more than in 2022. In 2021, 1,578 cases of ‘reverted’ counters were revealed. A Mercedes E200 from 2012 led the top ten: its odometer was turned back by 560,000 kilometers. Of the 1,640 fraud cases, 1,055 cars involved domestic sales. On […]
March 25, 2024
When BMW’s next-generation electric cars hit the showroom, customers can charge the lights, the oven, or the washing machines in their houses through their car’s battery. The Neue Klasse will be equipped with bidirectional charging when it arrives in 2025. BMW CEO Oliver broke at the Annual Conference 2024: “With the Neue Klasse, we are […]
March 25, 2024
Citroën, Tesla, and Volvo are the top three in the applications for a Flemish premium for an electric car. So, reports Mobility Minister Lydia Peeters (Open VLD). Meanwhile, there are already 2,006 completed applications, and almost half of the premiums have already been distributed. A total of 2,006 completed applications have now been received. These […]
March 25, 2024
The Renault Group and the Volvo Group have finalized their previously announced joint venture, heralding the birth of Flexis. This new brand aims to break a mould in the electric van market by developing and producing models built on an advanced, software-driven 800-volt platform—a first in this segment. Both companies announced their intent to join […]
March 24, 2024
According to ACEA data, the EU car market surged 10.1% in February 2024 compared to the same month last year, reaching 883,608 units. Among the four major EU markets, France (+13%) and Italy (+12.8%) grew by double-digits, with Spain (+9.9%) and Germany (+5.4%) following. In February, battery-electric cars held a market share of 12% (stable […]
March 22, 2024
The Belgian Court of Audit is very critical of, among other things, the preparation and elaboration of the Basic Accessibility Decree. With that decree, postponed several times and now being rolled out in phases, the Flemish government wanted to replace supply-driven essential mobility with a demand-driven transport model with several transport layers, including customized transport. […]
March 22, 2024
Volvo Buses, the sister brand of Volvo Trucks, launched the new Volvo 8900 Electric intercity bus, the successor to the 8900, in 2010. This electric-only bus is built on the brand-new modular BZR platform, allowing more shared parts to be used, which cuts costs and increases spare parts availability. Volvo Buses’ new BZR Electric platform […]
March 22, 2024
A new spring announces itself; a such-and-such new ‘mobility barometer’ is showing up. For just over half of all Belgians (51%), there is little to no belief in a new dawn the electric car could provide by 2035. 36% even think it won’t happen before 2045-2050, and 17% say ‘never for me’. Still, 48% (+7% […]
March 22, 2024
On Sunday, March 24th, AutoTechnica – the leading trade fair for automotive professionals in the Benelux – opens its doors on the Brussels Heizel. State Secretary for Budget and Consumer Affairs Alexia Bertrand (Open Vld/MR) will officially inaugurate the event on Sunday morning. Following the fair’s opening, she will present the European ambitions of Car-Pass, […]
March 22, 2024
Last week, Volkswagen unveiled the GTX members of the ID.3 and ID.7 Tourer and announced the upcoming arrival of a similar version in an ID. Buzz package. Here it is. Pepped with the same vitamin treatment, the iconic Bulli turns into a rocket for delivery couriers or German fathers with daily access to the Autobahn. […]
March 22, 2024
At its annual investor conference, BMW Group revealed a robust financial result for the past year and sketched a positive operational outlook for 2024. This year, the carmaker will spend a peak budget on new energy R&D before its next-generation electric vehicles hit the factory floor. CEO of BMW, Oliver Zipse, looks back at a […]
March 21, 2024
The court in Amsterdam has condemned KLM for various misleading green claims in advertisements. According to the judges, the Dutch airline painted too rosy a picture of the beneficial effects of, for example, forest projects as CO2 compensation and the use of more sustainable aviation fuel (SAF). The ruling states that such measures only marginally […]
March 21, 2024
Pickup truck specialist Isuzu has beaten compatriot Toyota to the game of launching its first battery-powered light truck. The D-Max BEV will be unveiled at the Bangkok International Motor Show on March 27th, and the Japanese niche vehicle maker will be piloted into the electric transition. Isuzu Motors, which has built up a solid reputation […]
March 21, 2024
Since its peak in 2007, the transport sector has decarbonized three times slower than the rest of the economy, and emissions continue to grow. European transport emissions have increased by over a quarter since 1990, while emissions across the wider economy are declining. A new study by Transport & Environment (T&E) shows that transport alone […]
March 21, 2024
BMW will launch an all-new X3 this year, but the car model everybody is focusing on is the Vision Neue Klasse X. This is the north star for the brand’s next-generation battery-powered SUVs, lifting electrification, digitization, and sustainability to a new level. Following a leak earlier this week, BMW has revealed the BMW Vision Neue […]
March 21, 2024
After Paris, Berlin, and New York, Upway, a French chain that sells used electric bicycles, is now opening a depot in Mechelen (Belgium). The new branch will create 65 new jobs. About 2,000 e-bikes will be refurbished monthly, and customers can buy them exclusively online. Research by Upway and iVOX shows that 29% of Belgian […]
March 21, 2024
French carmaker Peugeot presents the new e-5008. Using the same recipe as its predecessor, this is a more extended version of the e-3008 with seats for up to seven passengers. Based on the same STLA Medium platform, the electric Peugeot offers up to 320 hp and 660 km of range thanks to a large 98 […]
March 21, 2024
President Joe Biden is pushing the American car industry toward reducing CO2 emissions by 50% in 2032 compared to 2026, as first announced last year in April. However, under pressure from carmakers and unions, he has allowed a more ‘lenient’ path to achieving that in the 2027-2030 period, with no longer stringent quotas for the […]
March 21, 2024
A previously announced four-day strike by Brussels Airlines pilots was first postponed, but the unions reinitiated it for 27 to 30 March at the last minute on Wednesday evening as negotiating with the employer for higher wages was ‘close’ but ‘not sufficient’. The management proposal to compensate higher wages by less weekend rest days, was […]
March 21, 2024
Belgian e-bike manufacturer Cowboy is launching Cross, the brand’s first all-road bike. With the launch of the third, more robust long-distance model, the Brussels-based company specializing in electric city bikes also wants to target the more adventurous cyclist and consequently reach a wider audience. At 3,999 euros, the price is hefty, so it remains to […]
March 20, 2024
The period 2014-2023 was the warmest decade on record, exceeding the 1850-1900 average by 1.20°C. UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres said, “Earth’s issuing a distress call. Fossil fuel pollution is sending climate chaos off the charts.” The planet is on the brink of the abyss, the United Nations warns. Last year, in particular, was the hottest […]
March 20, 2024
Renault Group CEO (and current ACEA President) Luca de Meo has addressed a ‘Letter to Europe‘ to “all key decision-makers and stakeholders across Europe”. It’s an “Advocacy for a sustainable, inclusive, and competitive automotive industry.” With just a few months to go before the European elections, this twenty-page document calls for European mobilization “to succeed […]
March 20, 2024
Tesla is hiring a ‘Senior Manager Zero Service’, Elektrec.co spotted a few days ago online. The candidate will join Tesla’s Service Operations organization “and lead the team responsible for identifying and eliminating the reasons our cars require service”. Is that possible? Do electric cars need no servicing at all? You will often hear that EVs […]
March 20, 2024
BMW will also produce its ‘Neue Klasse’ (New Class) electric cars at its Regensburg plant. The car manufacturer confirmed this but has not yet provided further details about possible models. As BMW states in a current press release, the initial preparatory work for producing the new platform at the Regensburg plant has already been completed. […]
March 20, 2024
The clock is ticking even faster for Belgian bus maker Van Hool, which can go bankrupt as soon as the following Monday if the descendants of the eight sons and two daughters of founder Bernard Van Hool don’t manage to burry the hatch among themselves in a heritage question that jeopardizes a take-over by a […]
March 19, 2024
Bolt, an Estonian mobility company that offers ride-hailing, micro-mobility rental, and car-sharing services, among other things, expands its service range in Brussels with the launch of a category dedicated to Persons with Reduced Mobility (PRM), underscoring its commitment to more inclusive urban mobility. The new category includes 30 vehicles specially equipped to meet accessibility needs, […]
March 19, 2024
Mercedes-AMG is preparing its first fully electric car, and to illustrate its progress, the company has released some photos of a vehicle prototype on the icy expanses of a Swedish lake. The scene looks playful, but according to the official reading, the prototype of Mercedes-AMG’s battery-powered sports car is undergoing rigorous tests under severe winter […]
March 19, 2024
The Holy Grail of the EV market is currently the sub-25,000 dollar or euro model, a goal that every prominent manufacturer envisions. Ford’s CEO Jim Farley has announced that the company is working on a new, low-cost EV platform to bring a sub-$25,000 electric SUV and pickup truck to market, but the question remains: when? […]
March 19, 2024
Brussels Airport accounts for 5.41 billion in added value and more than 64,000 jobs. According to a study on the economic impact commissioned by Zaventem Airport, the Universities UAntwerpen and UCLouvain presented these results on Monday. Meanwhile, management and unions at Brussels Airlines also reached an agreement on Monday regarding better pay for cabin crew. […]
March 19, 2024
Renault Trucks closed 2023 with 69,859 trucks delivered, the best result in recent years and an 18% year-on-year growth. The French manufacturer also delivered 1,636 electric trucks, an increase of 153% compared to 2022, giving it a market share of 22.4% in Europe. There are positive figures all around at Renault Trucks, as the 2023 […]
March 19, 2024
Belgian telecom and cable TV provider Telenet is diversifying: the company plans to provide smart home charging stations for electric cars. From April 1st, the telecom company will install charging stations under the brand name Blossom. Blossom will become a separate company within the group and will initially focus on installing and activating smart charging […]
March 19, 2024
Audi has taken the wraps from the much-anticipated Q6 e-tron, poised to challenge the best-sellers with the cutting-edge architecture it shares with the Porsche Macan EV. The zero-emission model must mirror the success of its combustion-engined sibling, the globally acclaimed Q5. After a prototype reveal last year, Audi has released the full specs and final […]
March 18, 2024
The European Parliament voted last week for the revision of the European Weights and Dimensions Directive, which would allow 44-ton combinations to cross the borders of member states more easily. This would increase efficiency and lower emissions per cargo unit, but it might also give diesel trucks a more significant advantage. The door has also […]
March 18, 2024
According to a recent survey by HR service provider Acerta Consult, more companies – one out of three business leaders – would like to reduce working from home. On the other hand, employees have a different opinion: four out of ten want to go to the office less often. The survey is based on data […]
March 18, 2024
In a few days, BMW will show the concept of its first SUV variant of the ‘Neue Klasse’, called Vision Neue Klasse X. Rumors have it that this iX3 successor will be the first car of BMW’s new EV class range to appear on the market by the end of next year, before the sedan […]
