September 05, 2023
While all eyes are focused on the IAA in Munich, Toyota’s Hilux hydrogen pickup was revealed on Tuesday at Toyota Manufacturing UK’s vehicle plant in Derby, England. As expected, the technology comes from the Toyota Mirai hydrogen fuel cell electric sedan. “Technology that has proved its quality in almost ten years of commercial production,” the […]
September 05, 2023
Mini plays big at the IAA 2023 in Munich with the public debut of the three-door Cooper and its SUV derivative, Countryman. Presented as battery-powered models, the new-generation Mini models come in two flavors but in an unmistakable recognizable design. However, one can’t help but notice that the Countryman is moving toward a more refreshed […]
September 04, 2023
At IAA Münich, Smart has revealed more details about its second model, the #3. Though it shares much of its technology with the boxier #1, the coupé cross-over is the largest car the brand has ever launched and is similarly sized to the Volkswagen ID.5. Smart’s compact crossover will be available to order in the […]
September 04, 2023
Passenger organization TreinTramBus complains about the ongoing uncertainty and lack of clarity about the number of rides De Lijn is cutting. According to TreinTramBus, the Flemish public transport company is cutting supply in some places more severely than the announced 0,75%. The organization also calls De Lijn’s communication “inferior”. Due to a lack of drivers, […]
September 04, 2023
Dutch industrial group VDL has seen turnover from its bus division fall 40% in the first six months, from 251 million euros a year ago to 153 million euros at the end of June. This is shown in the group’s income statement. The division is also loss-making, but for how much VDL does not share. […]
September 04, 2023
At the IAA in Münich, Mercedes has unveiled a future glimpse of how the revival of its smallest range will look like. The Concept CLA provides a new all-electric platform with an ample range of more than 750 kilometres on a single charge while boosting the use of sustainable materials on board. And, yes, there’s […]
September 04, 2023
This Monday, one of the biggest projects of this legislature is officially starting: the two-way layout of Avenue Van Praet, the northern gateway to the Belgian capital. The companies along the canal fear the worst. “Having a single entry lane to Brussels instead of three is impossible,” they say. The road works come on top […]
September 04, 2023
For BMW, the IAA in Münich is some home match and now is the time to show the world a glimpse of its (electric) future, with a wink to its heritage: the BMW Vision Neue Klasse. It shows how the successor of BMW’s most successful model, the 3-Series, might look when it arrives in 2025. […]
September 04, 2023
There’s something old and something new about the ID. GTI Concept that Volkswagen has brought to the spotlights of the IAA in Münich. The name combines the letters from the brand’s all-electric range with those from its hereditary sports badge. But weren’t all-electric go-faster models from Wolfsburg called GTX? Indeed, but it seems Volkswagen wants […]
September 04, 2023
At the beginning of August, Chinese Zeekr, the sister brand of Lynk & Co, announced that it would launch a hypercar version of its Zeekr 001, shooting brake at around one million Chinese yuan or 140.000 dollars. Now the curtain is lifted, it turns out to be pure muscles with 1 265 horsepower (943 kW) […]
September 01, 2023
Tesla has thoroughly updated its entry-level Model 3 with a new exterior look, an upgraded interior in terms of quality and equipment, and a more extended EV range thanks to improved aerodynamics. The new Model 3 will be delivered to the first European customers in the Fall of 2023. Tesla has previously said that it […]
September 01, 2023
On Thursday, the British e-scooter manufacturer Lavoie, backed by Formula 1 supplier McLaren Applied, announced that it will acquire the recently bankrupt VanMoof e-bike business. Lavoie intends to combine and integrate their capabilities “to create a next-generation e-mobility business and establish a world-leading premium e-mobility offering”. The move is part of Lavoie’s global growth strategy […]
September 01, 2023
Mobility Minister Georges Gilkinet (Ecolo) is to amend the existing breath test procedure. The possibility of requesting a 15-minute waiting period will be abolished, and the minimum volume of exhaled air will be reduced. Gilkinet has submitted the faster and more efficient measure to the regions and hopes it can come into effect by the […]
September 01, 2023
The Biden administration is making up to $12 billion available to the American car industry to fund the conversion of their factories for producing battery-electric, hydrogen fuel cell, and hybrid vehicles to comply with the goal of half of new cars sold being electric by 2030. “This funding will help existing workers keep their jobs […]
September 01, 2023
Ahead of its motor show debut, Volkswagen has lifted the veils of the new Passat. It’s exclusively available as a station wagon and is no longer assembled in Germany. With beefed-up plug-in hybrid versions, a revolutionary damping system, and return-to-button controls on the steering wheel, the old namesake must straighten its back in a fast-moving […]
September 01, 2023
Further details about Jaguar’s new start as an electric brand from 2025 start to trickle down. According to a portal report, the three models Jaguar plans, based on the new electric platform JEA (in an early stage named Panthera), will be a four-seater GT, a luxury SUV, and a large sedan. The usually well-informed British […]
August 31, 2023
In Paris, one of 15 000 shared e-scooters can be ridden for the last time today. From September 1st, they will be banned from the French capital, a result of the outcome of a binding referendum held in April. The rental e-scooters were said to cause too much chaos on pavements and unsafe traffic situations. […]
August 31, 2023
The so-called ‘ecozone’ introduced in Louvain in 2022 is a success and will be expanded. Since its introduction, parcels, newspapers, and letters have been delivered emission-free, reducing CO2 emissions by 88% per parcel compared to 2018. The ecozone in Louvain officially started in April 2022 as an initiative of the city and the Belgian Post […]
August 31, 2023
Alfa Romeo kills two birds with one stone by presenting its long-awaited ‘6C’ supercar and its first fully-electric model: the 33 Stradale, which harks back to the Tipo 33 from the Sixties. But this hyper-exclusive supercar has a trick up its sleeve, as the electric drivetrain is not the only option on offer… You could […]
August 31, 2023
South Korean carmaker Kia is launching its EV5 compact SUV in China at a record-low price of 159 800 yuan, some 20 000 euros, Korean media write. That’s way below Tesla’s budget Model Y, a ‘price breaker’ that starts at 263 900 yuan (€33 245). Kia said it would launch the EV5 first in China […]
August 31, 2023
Renault CEO Luca de Meo has given more details about when the electric car business will split from the rest of the company and its planned Initial Public offering (IPO). The split will take place on 1 November 2023. From then on, Ampere will be separated from the Renault Group, but the ownership structure will […]
August 31, 2023
In July 2023, the EU car market continued its growth trajectory, expanding by 15,2%, the twelfth consecutive month of growth, according to the European Car Manufacturers Association ACEA data. New car registrations reached 851 156 units as the market recovers from last year’s component shortages. Most markets posted solid growth, including the four largest: France […]
August 30, 2023
Designwerk, a Swiss company specializing in building custom electric trucks for specific use cases, entered the Benelux market after expanding to Germany. The company is mainly owned by Volvo Trucks and converts diesel-powered trucks into e-trucks with up to 1 000 kWh battery capacities. Designwerk (DW)’s origins trace back to 2008 when converting small vehicles […]
August 30, 2023
Brussels public transport operator MIVB/STIB has officially declared tram line 18 open. The tram line has Albert station in Forest as its terminus. That station should become a multimodal hub for Brussels public transport. By 2030, three tram lines should converge there, as should the future metro line 3. Albert station, located next to Forest […]
August 30, 2023
Next summer, Ghent wants to organize Velo-city, a significant cycling festival and congress. The city council has set aside 180 000 euros for it. The highlight should be a bike ride with 2 000 participants. From 18 to 21 June 2024, Ghent will briefly be the epicenter of international cycling. The major cycling conference Velo-city […]
August 30, 2023
All thirteen Provincial Education Flanders secondary technical schools will launch the training ‘charging station installer’ on the first of September. A Flanders’ first. Some manufacturers will support them. “Training will be the biggest challenge in the sector.” Flanders faces a significant energy transition, and we need a faster rollout of charging infrastructure in Flanders. There’s […]
August 30, 2023
Carpark specialist Interparking is testing two robots to move vehicles in and out of their underground facilities. These robots are better at dealing with precious cargo without damaging it and are safer for the staff operating them in case of fires. Interparking is looking into moving robots in case of uncontrollable electric car fires in […]
August 30, 2023
Several Flemish companies are getting 6,3 million euros in subsidies to install charging points for their light and heavy commercial vehicles. This should add 1 200 new charging points in Flanders for e-trucks and e-vans. Earlier in the year, the Flemish government opened a call for subsidies for commercial vehicle charging points as part of […]
August 30, 2023
Under the name Blue Plug Chargers, Hyundai will start building its own supercharger through its subsidiary, Hyundai Kefico. In its home market, the company wants to get to terms with the more successful rollout of Tesla, which also manufactures high-power chargers. In 2021, Hyundai announced the launch of its own supercharger network under the name […]
August 30, 2023
On Tuesday morning, Prime Minister Alexander De Croo (Open Vld) visited Volvo Car Gent. He saw the training center, was given a tour of the paint shop, and finally took a test drive in a fully electric Volvo. After the visit, he said he was impressed. “Ten years ago, we wondered whether we would still […]
August 30, 2023
Wallonia has almost finalized mapping out the EV stations needed for its 262 communities, Le Soir writes on Monday: 2.448 access points capable of at least two EVs charging simultaneously at 11 kW. The Walloon Region allocates €15 million in subsidies and prepares a tender to realize these public charging stations in the next two […]
August 30, 2023
More and more experts warn that European countries struggle to persuade people to switch from ICE cars to EVs. Europe sells ten times more electric cars today than it did six years ago (source: IEA), but its fleet is cleaning up too slowly to meet the agreed climate goals. “What we have learned is that […]
August 29, 2023
The California-based electric car manufacturer Fisker has announced that it has launched in three new European markets: Belgium, the Netherlands, and Switzerland. The company has already launched in Austria, Denmark, France, Germany, Norway, Sweden, and the United Kingdom, as well as in Canada and the United States. Deliveries of the first car, the Ocean SUV, […]
August 29, 2023
Mercedes is on track, building its own global fast-charging park. In Europe, where the brand aims at 200 charging points, the car brand announced that it will open its first hub in Mannheim in October 2023. The charging station must set new standards for fast, convenient, and sustainable charging. The rollout of its own charging […]
August 29, 2023
As earlier announced, London is expanding its environmental zone. Almost all of London will become an ultra-low-emission zone (ULEZ) as of today. The measure is intended to tackle pollution, reduce greenhouse gas emissions, and improve the air quality for residents and visitors. But not everybody is happy with the new ultra-low-emission zone because it will […]
August 29, 2023
In an interview with the Swiss newspaper Neue Zürcher Zeitung, the CEO of the Swedish/Swiss technology group ABB, Björn Rosengren, says that the time has definitely come to buy an electric car. The development of charging infrastructure is gaining momentum, so the biggest hurdle is disappearing. “Due to Covid-19, I’ve been unable to travel to […]
August 29, 2023
BYD Co Ltd (Build Your Dreams), China’s best-selling EV brand, has tripled its net profit for the third quarter with a 6.82 billion yuan total (€0,86 billion) or a 144.7% increase. That’s impressive again, thanks to record deliveries but less than the first quarter, where profits fivefolded. BYD sold 612 425 battery-only EVs in the […]
August 29, 2023
With over 700 hp of hybrid power on tap, the new Porsche Cayenne Turbo E-Hybrid slots in firmly at the top of the range. It also offers a consolation prize for the EU markets that missed out on the ICE-only Cayenne Turbo GT. The recently facelifted Porsche Cayenne gets a new hybrid top-of-the-range variant: the […]
August 29, 2023
Chinese electric car manufacturer Xpeng signed a strategic partnership with shared mobility provider Didi. The deal includes the development of a new small electric car brand (project name Mona) and an investment by Xpeng in Didi. Xpeng wants to launch a new EV brand in 2024. It is currently being developed under the project name […]
August 28, 2023
The number of road deaths in Belgium decreased by 21% in the first six months of the year compared to last year. Last year, 287 people died in traffic on Belgian roads, this year ‘only’ 227. Yet an average of nine people still die on Belgian roads every week, which remains far too many. The […]
August 28, 2023
A major police operation occurred Saturday in and around Brussels South railway station. Some 60 people were arrested, most of whom were migrants without legal residence. The action came after complaints in recent weeks about nuisance and insecurity and a cry for help from national railway company NMBS/SNCB and the Brussels Capital Region. As a […]
August 28, 2023
At the Mobility Summit in Münich, BMW will unveil the Vision Neue Klasse (Vision New Class), which is believed to sit close to the production model and marks a new chapter in the brand’s history as it embodies its new generation of electric vehicles. The platform will feature 800-volt technology for increased fast charging. It […]
August 28, 2023
The first batch of Zeekr 001s, one of the two models available yet for Europe, has set sail for the Netherlands from the port of Taicang, China, to be delivered to customers in Q4 of this year. The new Swedish-Chinese Zeekr, a sister brand of Lynk & Co and Volvo, can already be ordered in […]
August 28, 2023
Belgium’s fourth biggest insurer, Ethias, announced in June it is entering the volatile market of leasing electric cars with a helping hand from Spanish specialist Banco Santander. The European Competition Authority now gives the green light for the merger with the Dutch daughter of the Spanish bank, Santander Consumer Leasing BV, as it sees no […]
August 26, 2023
German carmaker BMW further invests in its production of electric vehicles and adds a new logistics center for handling high-voltage battery packs to its Leipzig factory, where its first electric vehicle, the BMW i3 is phased out in July 2022. The MINI Countryman crossover is the following fully electric model to be built there. Today, […]
August 25, 2023
The Walloon government has adopted a decree to regulate fleets of shared bicycles and e-scooters in cities and to ensure more sustainable management. The text provides for the Region to grant licenses only to operators who meet various technical requirements, such as vehicle characteristics, but also the sustainability of fleet management. The Walloon municipalities will […]
August 25, 2023
Swedish lithium-ion battery manufacturer Northvolt and world-leading metal recycler EMR have built a battery recycling facility in Hamburg (Germany). The brand-new site will recycle the vast number of EV batteries that will reach their end of life. The site was officially inaugurated on August 24 by the First Mayor of Hamburg, Peter Tschentscher. The 12 […]
August 25, 2023
Volvo has unveiled the first teasing pictures of what is believed to be an all-electric MPV. Dubbed EM90, the car wants to be a “Scandinavian living room on wheels”, as the brand calls it. The final version will be unveiled on the 12th of November. Though Volvo remains tight-lipped about the specifications, the moniker already unveils […]
August 25, 2023
raMercedes has updated its most compact electric cars, with the new versions prepared for a public premiere at the IAA Mobility in Münich. The minor revisions aim primarily at improving the range. First deliveries are scheduled for the beginning of 2024. The new star-clad black panel grille, borrowed from the bigger EQ models, makes the […]
August 25, 2023
Staff shortages continue to trouble the Flemish public transport company De Lijn. From 1 September, it will temporarily and structurally cancel certain rides across Flanders due to staff shortages. According to De Lijn, around 0,75% of all journeys are affected. The Flemish transport company stressed that bus lines and school rides will be safeguarded. “The […]
August 25, 2023
Volkswagen announced on Friday it opened pre-sales for its new flagship EV, the ID.7, at a price under 60k, that is €56 995 for the model in the Pro specification package with a range of up to 621 kilometers (WLTP). The first deliveries are expected before the end of the year. The ID.7 sedan is […]
August 24, 2023
Frank Energie, a new Dutch energy supplier, wants to conquer Belgium after the Netherlands, with dynamic hourly prices to allow EV owners to charge at home when prices are at their lowest, for instance. CEO Hans van der Woude does not hide his ambitions: After further growth in Belgium, Spain, and France, the start-up wants […]
August 24, 2023
On Wednesday, Norway opened the world’s first floating wind farm explicitly built to power offshore oil and gas installations and is now supplying electricity to oil and gas fields Snorre and Gullfaks in the Norwegian North Sea – 140 km off the Norwegian coast. Crown Prince Haakon of Norway gave the symbolic green light by […]
August 24, 2023
Volvo’s fully electric sister-brand Polestar has reached a ‘production milestone’ as it calls it, with the 150 000th car leaving the factory. The Polestar 2 is the brand’s first volume car, and now it has started to deliver the beefed-up 2024 version of it. Prices start at €51 200. Thomas Ingenlath, Polestar CEO, comments: “The […]
August 24, 2023
DAF has unveiled the new generation of their smallest distribution truck, which takes on a new name: XB, fitting in with the rest of the range. It gets new engines and an improved electric version – or rather, improved electric versions – with multiple options available. The DAF XB replaces the LF as the most […]
August 24, 2023
It’s official. Boosting more than 1 200 hp, Lucid’s top-of-the-line Sapphire model is the fastest all-electric sedan from 0-60 mph. Over a quarter mile, the all-electric supersedan strangles top names like the Tesla Model S Plaid and even a Ducati bike. It’s a dash of glimmer as the company was forced to roll out no […]
August 24, 2023
According to an analysis commissioned by Greenpeace, twelve of Europe’s leading fossil fuel companies are deceiving the public about their willingness to curb their climate-damaging impact by transitioning to renewable energy sources. Greenpeace calls for strict regulation of fossil fuel companies to prevent even more fossil-fuelled climate destruction. The report, titled “The Dirty Dozen: The […]
August 24, 2023
The all-new Hyundai Kona Electric has entered production. The second-gen model is aimed at the European market and produced in the Czech Republic, which should account for 15% of the plant’s total output. The new Hyundai Kona was first announced at the end of 2022 before its full reveal in March this year. The compact […]
August 24, 2023
China’s number one car brand, BYD, is bringing a sixth model to Europe. It is dubbed the Seal U and represents an SUV version of its compact sibling. The car must rival Europe’s best-selling EV, the Tesla Model Y, relying on cost-saving LFP batteries and an 800-volt onboard network for faster charging. The public premiere […]
August 24, 2023
Following sister-brand Lynk & Co’s wake, Volvo Car Belux and ALD/LeasePlan are giving the subscription model a tryout in Belgium by offering private individuals a personal lease contract for a popular Volvo XC40 – and only that one – which can be canceled after one month. More details are released after inquiry while Volvo Cars […]
