October 31, 2023
For almost seven weeks already, strikes have been paralyzing America’s ‘big three’ automakers. Now, the United Auto Workers (UAW) union has announced that an agreement in principle with the ‘big three’ has been reached. Overall, the agreement still has to be ratified by the workers, but that can last a few weeks. According to the […]
October 30, 2023
Scientists from Chalmers University in Gothenburg have developed a breakthrough method for recycling used battery packs, not by complex and dangerous chemical additives but by activating a substance found in rhubarb, white beans, or paprika. The researchers have ties with Volvo and Northvolt. “Until now, no one has succeeded in finding the right formula for […]
October 30, 2023
British oil giant BP’s EV-charging division Pulse has ordered $100 million worth of Superchagers from Tesla to intall across the US under its own brand-name, including at TravelCenters of America, Amoco and Thorton stations, and EV fleet customers. It’s the first time Tesla fast-charging hardware is sold and deployed by third parties. The first installations […]
October 30, 2023
The board of directors of Belgian railway company NMBS/SNCB will soon consider a possible 5 to 6% fare increase early next year. The Rail Passenger Advisory Committee is already recommending that the indexation be postponed, mainly because of deteriorating services. Until now, NMBS/SNCB has traditionally raised fares every year at the beginning of February. Last […]
October 30, 2023
Hyundai Motor Group has decided to put all its design activities under one Global Design Division. The Belgian designer Luc Donckerwolke, already President at Hyundai Motor group and Chief Creative Officer, has been asked to lead the Global Design Division as Chief Design Officer (CDO). The new division has to streamline all design activities, not […]
October 30, 2023
Cruise, the robotaxi subsidiary of General Motors, has lost its permit to deploy its self-driving cars in California with immediate effect. The decision from the California Department of Motor Vehicles (DMV) follows after investigating a pedestrian accident. Waymo, the competitor to Cruises, can still operate paid driverless rides. To re-install public faith in self-driving technology, […]
October 30, 2023
Australian hydrogen vehicle start-up H2X has partnered with Austrian motorcycle and sports car manufacturer KTM to develop lightweight body and chassis elements for H2X’s hydrogen fuel cell van. The ‘Origami’ modular chassis allows the H2X ‘Darling’ to have multiple body options. We first heard from H2X in October 2022, when it tried to homologate its […]
October 30, 2023
Airline Air France-KLM posted its best quarter ever this summer. From the period from July to September, the French-Dutch airline group retains an operating profit of 1,3 billion euros, which is an improvement on the record set six years ago. Profits rose by almost a third in the third quarter compared to last year and […]
October 30, 2023
Flemish Minister for Mobility Lydia Peeters (Open Vld) plans to install a new Bicycle Chair at Ghent University from December 1st, with financial and substantive support from the Flemish government. Mobility experts who want to contribute to cycling policy in Flanders with their academic work can apply for the vacancy of part-time guest professor. The […]
October 30, 2023
The Innoptus Solar Team of the Belgian University of Louvain has won the Bridgestone World Solar Challenge for the second time. On top of that, the team also won the innovation award for the rotating fin on the top of the solar vehicle. The ‘Infinite’ three-wheeler accomplished the race from Darwin to Adelaide in Australia […]
October 27, 2023
At the Japan Mobility Show, alongside the premiere of the updated 2024 MX-5, Mazda unveiled the Iconic SP. This concept car marries a dual rotary powertrain with an EV platform, a powertrain approach Mazda recently debuted in the Mazda MX-30 R-EV, an EV with a range extender. “The Mazda Iconic SP is a compact sports […]
October 27, 2023
Belgian courts may force people who commit serious traffic offenses to take a reintegration course from 2024. The aim is to reduce the risk of recidivism, which is currently very high. “It is necessary to take effective long-term measures to correct this dangerous behavior behind the wheel,” says federal Mobility Minister Georges Gilkinet (Ecolo). He […]
October 27, 2023
The Roads and Traffic Agency (Agentschap Wegen en Verkeer, AWV) will renew approximately 250 traffic signs along the Flemish highways in the coming weeks. The signs are intended to announce where owners of electric cars can charge their vehicles. The signs will be updated, and a loading icon will be added. The first new traffic […]
October 27, 2023
Stellantis has bought a stake of 20% in the Chinese start-up for electric vehicles Leapmotor. Beyond reinforcing its grip on the Chinese market, the car giant has also stepped into a joint venture for export to nearby Asian countries and Europe. The deal is worth 1,5 billion euros. The news was rumored already since summer. […]
October 27, 2023
British – but Indian Tata-owned – carmaker JLR Group (former Jaguar Land Rover) announced on Thursday it is going to prep its Defender plant in Nitra, Slovakia, like the factories of Halewood and Solihull to produce electric vehicles. JLR wants to launch nine new EVs by 2030 as part of the company’s Reimagine Strategy. In […]
October 27, 2023
BMW is now producing the first battery cell samples, which it will use in the New Class models from 2025. Production occurs at the manufacturer’s new Cell Manufacturing Competence Center (CMCC) in Parsdorf, Germany. Operations at BMW’s competence center for battery cell manufacturing east of Munich have been underway since May. The facility spans an […]
October 26, 2023
The ministerial cabinets of the federal government and the various federated entities have already traveled around the world 66 times since coming to power. This carried a price tag of over 33 million euros, and the trips generated 1 500 tons of CO2 emissions. So write the IPM Group newspapers, including La Libre Belgique. By […]
October 26, 2023
To boost profitability outside Europe, Renault announced the launch of eight new models by 2027. Spearheading the new strategy is the already unveiled Kardian, a compact urban crossover based on the platform of the Clio and the Sandero from its budget brand Dacia. After rewriting its alliance with Nissan and Mitsubishi, which divided the global […]
October 26, 2023
Things are at odds between Flemish Mobility Minister Lydia Peeters (Open Vld) and Ann Schoubs, director general of public transport company De Lijn. Schoubs had made some critical statements in the media about the company’s inadequate financing. She called the outdated buses ‘cadavers’ and the underfunding ‘a rotting strategy’. In response, Peeters lashed out strongly […]
October 26, 2023
Responding to strong demand for the car, Volvo Cars has decided to start building the new fully electric Volvo EX30 in its Ghent plant in Belgium in 2025, expanding production capacity for its small SUV. The EX30 was revealed to almost universal acclaim earlier this year and has already won several major awards. Production of […]
October 26, 2023
The ‘love affair’ between Japanese carmaker Honda and American General Motors for developing together a line of ‘affordable’ electric cars under $30 000 ends abruptly. Honda CEO Toshihiro Mibe said the automaker scraps the plans after a year-long evaluation proving a ‘changing business environment’ makes them unviable. “After extensive studies and analysis, we have come […]
October 25, 2023
Taxes on EVs should be reviewed soon. If not, the Belgian state will miss out on €1,5 billion yearly tax revenues by 2030. So argue economists Bruno De Borger and Stef Proost, attached to the universities of Antwerp and Leuven, respectively. After all, EVs also create congestion costs, and by taxing them less, they indirectly […]
October 25, 2023
Last Tuesday, British multinational oil and gas company Shell opened its largest solar farm in Europe in Terneuzen (Zeeland, the Netherlands). The park has more than 128 000 solar panels and can produce 71,1 megawatts of power. “The new solar park will contribute significantly to achieving the climate goals in Zeeland,” Shell says. However, it […]
October 25, 2023
According to reports in the media, the next generation of the Audi A4 will also be launched purely electrically from the end of 2025. The A4 e-tron should be available as a saloon and estate – with a similar orientation to the current combustion engine model, which will remain in the range for the time […]
October 25, 2023
On Tuesday, the European Commission presented new measures to boost the European wind power industry to achieve the European Union’s targets for renewable energy generation by 2030. The European Union aims to reach its climate goal of generating 42,5% of the EU’s total energy consumption from renewable sources by 2030. Wind energy, which accounted for […]
October 25, 2023
Rail operator Lineas, Europe’s largest private freight operator headquartered in Belgium, lacks funds. Without an additional injection of at least 50 million euros, bankruptcy is looming for the company, of which the Belgian government is a shareholder, so write business newspapers De Tijd and L’Echo. Belgian federal Mobility Minister Georges Gilkinet (Ecolo) wants the government […]
October 25, 2023
In Kasterlee, Delhaize and French fast-charging provider Electra have plugged in the first six of 1 200 fast charging points to be installed at the group’s supermarkets throughout Belgium. The chargers are open to Delhaize clients during shopping hours but also 24/7 to the general EV driver at €0,65 per kWh. That’s 20% lower than […]
October 25, 2023
After Nissan, the other Japanese Alliance partner, Mitsubishi Motors, also announced its participation in Renault’s electric car division Ampere. The Japanese will invest a maximum of €200 million. Mitsubishi Motors calls it “an ambitious step forward” in its EV strategy. Nissan previously announced that it would invest up to 600 million euros in Ampere. As […]
October 25, 2023
At the Japan Mobility Show 2023, the successor of the Tokyo Motor Show after four years of absence, Lexus introduced concept models under the theme ‘Pushing the Boundaries of the Electrified Experience’, envisioning new possibilities for mobility through electric cars. The Lexus booth hosted the global debut of the next-generation Battery Electric Vehicle (BEV) concept […]
October 25, 2023
At the Japan Mobility Show, Honda and Isuzu are showcasing their jointly developed longe range hydrogen truck, called ‘Giga Fuel Cell’, for the first time. It’s a low deck 8×4 rigid truck, 12 meters long and with 25 tons capacity for intercity transports with a range of up to 800 kilometers, on one tank filled […]
October 24, 2023
The Belgian edition of the free newspaper Metro, distributed mainly through public transport, will cease publication because it is no longer viable. Rossel Group, the owner of Metro, has announced this. As the last printed free newspaper in the country, Metro is also entirely dependent on advertising revenue. And those remain structurally too low to […]
October 24, 2023
After presenting it over a year ago, Harley Davidson finally revealed the full specs of its LiveWire S2 Del Mar electric motorcycle. Smaller and nimbler than the LiveWire One, this S2 is even faster than expected, with a 0-100 km/hour of only 3,0 seconds. It’s powered by a 63 kW (84 hp) electric motor fed […]
October 24, 2023
In its latest edition of the ‘World Energy Outlook 2023’, released on Tuesday, the International Energy Agency (IEA) says that “as things stand, demand for fossil fuels is likely to remain far too high” to maintain the most ambitious climate goal of the 2015 Paris Climate Agreement: to limit the rise in average global temperatures […]
October 24, 2023
Brussels transport company MIVB/STIB’s fares are likely to be indexed from September 2024 and consequently increase by 6,9%, except for preferential fares. So reports the business newspaper L’Echo. For the past ten years, all MIVB/STIB fares have been frozen, and no indexations have been implemented, precisely to make Brussels public transport more accessible. At the […]
October 24, 2023
On Monday, energy infrastructure group Fluxys Belgium launched its pilot project ‘BE-HyStore’ in Loenhout (Belgium). The project is intended to investigate the feasibility of hydrogen storage in the Loenhout subsurface. With 40 years of underground natural gas storage expertise, Fluxys will explore the possibilities of storing hydrogen in an underground aquifer. Federal Minister of Economy […]
October 24, 2023
Japan has had something with hybrid cars for over twenty years, with Toyota being the world’s most prominent technology advocate. So it’s pretty surprising it took the Japanese motorcycle industry so long to produce the world’s first hybrid motorcycle, the Kawasaki Ninja 7 Hybrid, which is to arrive in 2024. Kawasaki calls it a ‘strong […]
October 24, 2023
Volvo Cars opened its largest software test center in Gothenburg, Sweden. The site is also set to expand further, more than doubling its capacity over time. The center measures 22 000 m2. Volvo says it is “the new flagship in our network of development centers and tech hubs worldwide”. Volvo Cars also operates software test […]
October 23, 2023
Cupra, the sportier arm of Spanish car manufacturer Seat (part of the VW Group), is bound to take over all car activities in the future. To prepare for this, it tries to be innovative with so-called city garages in major cities worldwide. From now on, Brussels will also have its Cupra Garage. With the opening […]
October 23, 2023
Low-emission zones (LEZ), which prohibit access to certain major cities for heavily polluting vehicles, have been successfully introduced in six European countries, including Belgium. This is according to a French report. In Belgium, the cities Brussels, Ghent, and Antwerp, among others, introduced such an LEZ. The report aims to draw lessons for France from the […]
October 23, 2023
As of 2025, Toyota will equip its battery-powered electric cars with the NACS charging port in the US. The news follows in the slipstream of BMW’s announced switch, putting increasingly more pressure on the remaining automakers sticking to CCS. The list of carmakers joining the standard introduced and used by Tesla keeps growing. After Rivian, […]
October 23, 2023
For the first time in 130 years, the powerful German trade union IG Metall will have a woman at the top starting this Monday. Christiane Benner (55) sees her fight for workers’ rights as a political mission. During the weekend, the newly appointed head of Germany’s most significant union called on the federal government to […]
October 23, 2023
Electra has concluded a contract with services company Spie to expand its fast-charging network in Belgium. The collaboration will install fast chargers at 21 locations across Belgium, and preparatory works have started since September. Electra is turning to the energy transition know-how of Spie to grow its activities in the fast-charger market. It aims to […]
October 23, 2023
Volkswagen, the second most important car company in Norway, will stop selling new cars with an internal combustion engine (ICE) at the end of the year. “As a farewell to cars burning fossil fuel, the last Golf will be ordered at the end of the year,” declared Ulf Tore Hekneby, CEO of the group Møller, […]
October 20, 2023
Renault Group realized a turnover for Q3 2023 of €10,5 billion, an increase of 7,6%. Noticeably, the sales increase in cars of 6% in total is mainly due to electrified vehicles, which climbed 22%. The figures for the year’s first three quarters are even more eloquent, with a turnover of €37,4 billion (+21,1%) and almost […]
October 20, 2023
Flemish Minister of Mobility and Public Works Lydia Peeters has completed her draft investment program for 2024. Almost 700 projects will be supported, accounting for an investment of 2,2 billion euros. Most investments fall within cycling, road safety, and sustainability. According to Peeters (Open VLD), never has so much been invested in cycling infrastructure in […]
October 20, 2023
Swedish truck maker Scania has ‘rejuvenated’ its urban battery truck range in line with the regional range, with a new e-chassis, auxiliary systems, and batteries from Northvolt assembled in packs in Scania’s new battery assembly plant in Södertälje. It also adds a new electric machine called EM C1-4, combining a single permanent magnet motor with […]
October 20, 2023
Stellantis has revealed the outline of the commercial vehicle part of its Dare Forward 2030 strategy. The conglomerate wants to deliver next-gen zero-emission light commercial vehicles (LCVs), offer its customers a 360-degree service, and generate €5 billion from connected services. Stellantis is currently on top of the light commercial vehicle market in Europe and South […]
October 20, 2023
Grey clouds are overshadowing Tesla’s long-lasting winning streak. During the presentation of Q3 earnings, the company announced crumbling margins, a delay for its Mexican factory, and worries about the profitability of its highly anticipated Cybertruck. Tesla’s chase for more volume, fueled by price drops, is eating away at the company’s margins. When the company realized […]
October 20, 2023
German railway group Deutsche Bahn (DB) is selling its British subsidiary Arriva, which operates bus and train lines in ten European countries, to US infrastructure investor I Squared Capital. DB, which acquired Arriva for 3 billion euros in 2010, wants to focus on its core market in Germany. According to the German press, I Squared […]
October 20, 2023
New figures from the European Car Manufacturers Association ACEA indicate that the European car market has seen a 14th consecutive month of growth and that electrification continues. In September 2023, new car registrations increased by 9,2%, reaching 861 062 units. Two of the EU’s most significant markets saw substantial gains: Italy (+22,7%) and France (+10,7%). […]
October 20, 2023
EV truck start-up Volta has filed for bankruptcy in its home country, Sweden. The company’s subsidiaries in other countries, like the UK, will follow suit. The fall-out is linked to Volta’s battery manufacturer, which filed for Chapter 11 in the US. In an official statement, the company said: “The recent news that our battery supplier […]
October 19, 2023
Tesla has finally fixed the date of November 30, 2023, for the first customer deliveries of its long-awaited Cybertruck electric pickup truck, which was initially scheduled for a 2021 launch. CEO Elon Musk has, however, tempered expectations regarding mass production ramp-up and profitability. Just under a year ago, Tesla CEO Elon Musk promised analysts that […]
October 19, 2023
Porthos, the Rotterdam carbon-dioxide-capturing project given the green light in August, has entered a new phase. The final investment decision has been made, and in 2024, the construction of the first large CO2 transport and storage system in the Netherlands will start. The project will cost 1,3 billion euros and is expected to be ready […]
October 19, 2023
Air France will virtually disappear from Orly Airport by 2026. The French airline plans to concentrate its flights at Charles de Gaulle Airport. The decision comes as domestic flights from Orly are becoming less popular, as people more often video-conferee or travel by train. Sister carrier Transavia will now become Group Air France’s reference carrier […]
October 19, 2023
2024 will see the BMW Group launch its new agency model rollout for sales. It will be introduced across Europe in several stages, starting with Mini in Italy, Poland, and Sweden on 1 January 2024. The remaining European countries will gradually follow, with the BMW brand scheduled to transition in 2026. “The upcoming rollout represents […]
October 19, 2023
General Motors and Honda are deepening their collaboration. Through its subsidiary for robotaxis, Cruise, both partners will start offering commercial driverless taxi rides in Tokyo as of early 2026, the first of its kind on the island. The news comes at a moment when the American Association for Highway Safety (NHTSA) started investigating pedestrian accidents […]
October 19, 2023
BMW joins the list of automakers that will adopt the Tesla-developed NACS charging standard in the US and Canada. The technical switch is adopted cross-brand, so Mini and Rolls-Royce are also joining. The connector will be built in as from 2025. Over the past weeks, several automakers agreed to synchronize with the NACS standard in […]
October 18, 2023
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. We’re talking about the Frauscher x Porsche 850 eFantom Air that was presented at the beginning of this […]
October 18, 2023
Guerrilla climate activists Tyre Extinguishers deflated tires of 55 SUVs in Ghent during the night from Monday to Tuesday. This was a coordinated action, as that same night activists also struck in cities in Germany, the Czech Republic, and Latvia – a first. In total, the tires of more than 200 SUVs were deflated. The […]
October 18, 2023
Citroën has presented “the first affordable European electric car.” With its technical specifications, a range of 320 kilometers, and a price of € 23 300, the ë-C3 will indeed set standards. In Flanders, considering the premium of € 5 000 for individual buyers, the car will cost € 18 300 in 2024. The model could […]
