October 16, 2023
The Belgian driver still has a foot that is too heavy. For example, over half (55%) drive too fast in built-up areas at least once a month. One Belgian in four also uses his cell phone behind the wheel. E-step users are also indifferent. Half of Belgians (49%) say they have driven two on such […]
October 16, 2023
Belgian bus manufacturer Van Hool has joined forces with Kiepe Electric from Germany and Alstom from France to create the fully electric 24-meter Exqui-City double-articulated bus for Île-de-France Mobilités. The project was first announced in 2022 and is now revealed at Busworld in Brussels, with deliveries scheduled for the end of 2023. The new 24-meter […]
October 16, 2023
Public transport company De Lijn recently opened a new type of store where passengers can obtain travel info and buy bus and tram tickets. The store is located in the gallery of the Antwerp Central Station, in the Pelikaanstraat. Later, similar shops will follow in Brussels, Louvain, and Ostend. Compared to the previous generation of […]
October 16, 2023
The merger between ALD Automotive and LeasePlan continues under the new name of Ayvens. The company, owned by Société Générale, will start rolling out its revamped identity in major markets at the start of 2024. Belgium is scheduled for the second quarter of next year. “This new brand identity not only ensures that 15 700 […]
October 16, 2023
Chinese-owned electric Smart, co-developed by Geely with Mercedes-Benz, is targeting a new (private) potential buyer public by introducing a new basic variant called Pro with a 49 kWh battery at a price €5 000 lower than the Pro + with a 66 kWh battery. It will be available in Belgium from 2024 at €36 495 […]
October 16, 2023
The Volkswagen Group disclosed its electric car statistics for the third quarter. They show that sales of battery-electric vehicles are increasing by 45% for the first nine months of 2023 but also that the manufacturer’s increase is slower than expected. Furthermore, there’s a noticeable difference between the performances of the distinctive brands inside the group. […]
October 13, 2023
On December 10th, Belgian public railroad company NMBS/SNCB will start the first phase of its plan to expand its train offer significantly. In the first phase, however, the expansions remain limited. The extensions are part of the 2023-32 public service contract that NMBS/SNCB signed with the federal government at the end of last year, aiming […]
October 13, 2023
According to the highest European Court, an e-bike is not a motorized vehicle. Speed pedelecs and other electric bicycles are, therefore, not covered by compulsory insurance for motor vehicles because they are not driven exclusively by mechanical power. That is what the European Court of Justice states in a judgment in a Belgian case. The […]
October 13, 2023
At its EV Day in Seoul, South Korean carmaker Kia has taken the wraps off the production version of its new compact SUV, the EV5. It’s a ‘scaled-down’ version of the big EV9 and will be positioned as a forerunner of a series of affordable EVs. A taste of what’s to come is seen with […]
October 13, 2023
The world’s number one car manufacturer, Toyota, and the Japanese energy company, Idemitsu Kosan, are teaming up on solid-state battery development. The two Japanese companies aim to reach commercialization by 2028. Toyota is joining forces with Idemitsu Kosan to advance the development and production of solid-state batteries for its future electric cars. The collaboration focuses […]
October 12, 2023
European airports think that starting next year, they will regain the volume of passenger traffic they had before the coronavirus crisis. That is a year ahead of schedule. ACI Europe even foresees a slight increase compared to before the Covid-19 disruption, according to their updated Airport Traffic Forecast 2023-2027. The International Association of European Airports […]
October 12, 2023
Volkswagen will discontinue the production of its small Up!, which is also offered with an electric drive. That means the tiny VW has been discontinued earlier than initially announced and will leave a gap in the VW model range for several years. Production will end much earlier than previously planned. In May 2022, Hildegard Wortmann, […]
October 12, 2023
Chairman of the Vingroup, Pham Nhat Vuong, announced a present for his automotive brand VinFast. It was gifted the battery-making arm of the group, VinES, at no extra cost. This must leverage the group’s competitiveness in the wake of current market challenges. VinFast Auto is set to acquire 99,8% of the shares of VinES but […]
October 12, 2023
Following the introduction of VW’s new 210 kW (286 hp) electric motor on the ID.7, more and more MEB platform-based models are getting this more efficient and powerful drivetrain. The Volkswagen ID.4 and ID.5 SUVs are next in line, raising their driving range up to 556 km, while the price remains the same. More power […]
October 12, 2023
The Flemish entrepreneur Guido Dumarey has bought the ZF transmission plant near Lyon, which produces transmissions for buses and trucks and industrial vehicles, with a yearly turnover of € 110 million. The amount of the investment has not been disclosed. ZF Bouthéon employs more than 300 people and will now be called Dumarey Powerglide Bouthéon. […]
October 12, 2023
After a concept version, two prototypes, and a camouflaged test model, Mercedes-Benz Truck has finally lifted the cover off its production-ready long-haul battery-electric truck. Somewhat surprisingly, Mercedes has opted for a futuristic look that references the GenH2 truck concept. We’ve known about the Mercedes eActros 600 for a while. Daimler Truck first showed a concept […]
October 12, 2023
It all started with one street three years ago. But by 2025, the low-emission zone in Stockholm that will ban all vehicles on gasoline and diesel will expand to twenty living zones and cover 180 000 square meters in the heart of the Swedish capital. The ruling parties call it one of the most ambitious […]
October 12, 2023
Evolyn, which plans to rival Eurostar’s high-speed trains between Paris and London, has ordered its first 12 trains from French train builder Alstom. Plans for a competitor to Eurostar’s high-speed trains via the Channel Tunnel became public in July. Behind Evolyn are French and British companies, which reportedly include British transport operator Monica, the former […]
October 12, 2023
The Dutch contract car manufacturer VDL Nedcar has finally disclosed who is the first new client after the BMW Group will have left Born (south of the Netherlands), where Mini’s were assembled, in 2024. And the first ‘new’ client is… BMW. VDL Nedcar struck a deal with BMW to assemble 125 000 battery packs between […]
October 11, 2023
Liège’s new tramway has successfully completed its first run through the city streets. A first track was completed on a six-kilometer stretch between the Droixhe depot and Coronmeuse station. Meanwhile, the works in Liège, which suffered several setbacks and delays, are moving ahead, and the first commercial run is expected to take place in 2025. […]
October 11, 2023
There have been different signs lately about the EV market. Of course, sales are usually still rising, and the growth percentages can be impressive, but the real booming seems already over, and in absolute figures, there’s still a long way to go. One has to be careful when the emphasis is on percentages and the […]
October 11, 2023
German battery start-up High-Performance Battery (HPB) claims to have reached a breakthrough in battery technology by lifting its solid-state technology to production readiness. It’s one of the biggest hurdles of these promising battery packs. While nothing technological seems to be holding back solid-state, ramping them up from laboratory prototypes to commercial level is particularly challenging. […]
October 11, 2023
BMW has lifted the veil on its new smaller SUV-Coupé – or Sports Activity Coupé, as Munich refers to it. The new X2 changes from a smaller, stubbier version of the X1 to a literal coupé version of the new X1. Like its brother, it also comes as an all-electric version, under the name of […]
October 11, 2023
Hydrogen gas (H2) can be used as fuel for cabs and other cars in Brussels without any problems. That is the conclusion reached by D’Ieteren’s Taxis Verts and Colruyt’s Virya Energy after a one-year pilot project involving more than 55 000 km of driving. According to the two initiators, the zero-emission technology could, in the […]
October 10, 2023
In a works council on Monday morning, the direction of the Audi Brussels plant communicated that the Audi Q4 e-tron production, planned to start soon, has been postponed. For the moment, there is no additional production capacity needed. The smallest electric Audi was already in production in VW’s biggest EV factory in Zwickau (Germany), with […]
October 10, 2023
Antwerp-based tanker shipping company Euronav remains in Belgian hands. Compagnie Maritime Belge (CMB) and the Norwegian Frontline, Euronav’s two major shareholders, have reached an agreement on the matter. The agreement is described as one of the largest deals in the shipping industry in recent decades. “A huge milestone”, says CMB CEO Alexander Saverys, who is […]
October 10, 2023
BYD has brought a whole fleet of new electric buses to Busworld in Brussels, which runs from 7 to 12 October. The highlights include a new B12 model with a Blade battery within the chassis and a BYD-UNVI DD13 double-decker bus. Chinese manufacturer BYD is not only present in the European car market, with models […]
October 10, 2023
More than a thousand employees of Tesla’s Brandenburg factory, near Berlin, are asking for better working conditions. Labor union IG Metall says that many employees complain about short production cycles, excessive production targets, and staff shortages. It’s not the first time that Tesla’s German factory is in the news, and not only for appalling work […]
October 10, 2023
Giant Chinese battery cell producer CALB has unveiled a new battery with an impressive estimated lifecycle at RE+ 2023, the energy solution exhibition in Las Vegas. Named 314Ah, referencing its capacity, the new cell can withstand 15 000 full charge cycles. According to CALB, it’s the equivalent of 25 years. Moreover, the Chinese battery expert […]
October 10, 2023
Nearly 10 major European cities, including Paris, Brussels, and Rome, have petitioned the European Parliament, demanding stricter standards for air quality and exhaust emissions. The 27 EU member states approved in September a watered-down regulation. This has yet to be negotiated with the European Parliament, which has not yet determined its position. The 27 do […]
October 10, 2023
Iveco and Hyundai have unveiled their first collaboration for the bus market: the Iveco Bus E-Way H2, which runs on a hybrid fuel cell and battery-electric powertrain and is meant for city use. The new zero-emission bus was unveiled at the Busworld show in Brussels. Hyundai and Iveco first announced their partnership for zero-emission drivetrains […]
October 10, 2023
Following the contract extension for Group CEO Oliver Zipse, the BMW Group has made several new appointments at the management level below the Board of Management. This includes management changes at the BMW, BMW Motorrad, and Rolls-Royce brands. The BMW Group thus fills several top management positions directly below the Management Board. The changes will […]
October 10, 2023
The Volkswagen Group’s new battery subsidiary PowerCo and the Belgian materials technology group Umicore have established a joint venture for cathode and pre-material production in Europe. The JV is called Ionway. From 2025, it will supply PowerCo’s European battery cell factories with key materials from the Ionway factory in Poland. By the decade’s end, the […]
October 09, 2023
Ford is running out of options in the search for a new investor in its Saarlouis plant in Germany, where it produces the compact Focus model, which is set to retire in 2025. The only potential investor remaining has pulled out, leaving 4 400 jobs threatened. It has been widely reported that Ford’s switch to […]
October 09, 2023
Volvo Group and Renault Group have signed a binding agreement to create a joint venture with the goal of creating a new generation of electric vans. These will be built on a modular platform with 800 V batteries, with production expected to start in 2026. Logistics company CMA CGM is also planning to join the […]
October 09, 2023
The Federal Minister of Mobility, Georges Gilkinet (Ecolo), has a preliminary draft ready for a framework law to provide a legal basis for all decisions regarding the operation of Brussels Airport. According to the minister, the text is essential to avoid new legal proceedings over noise pollution, in which the State sometimes has to pay […]
October 09, 2023
Volvo Cars global sales reached 61 666 cars in September, up 25% compared to the same period last year, as Europe, the US, and China all reported sales growth for the month. Electrified cars represented 34% of all sales, an increase of 37%. For the first nine months of 2023, the company sold 509 158 […]
October 09, 2023
Polestar, Geely’s ‘Scandinavian inspired’ BEV daughter, aims to reach profitability in 2025. This can only be achieved by increasing the number of deliveries. In the third quarter, the Swedish-Chinese brand achieved a 50% jump compared to Q3/2022. Polestar delivered around 13 900 electric cars to customers in the third quarter, 50,4% more than in the […]
October 06, 2023
If it were up to Brussels Mobility Minister Elke Van den Brandt (Groen), too-loud cars and motorbikes in the Brussels Region could be sent directly to a testing station for a technical inspection. According to her party colleague and MP Lotte Stoops, the effect of noise on our health is still too often underestimated. “Noise […]
October 06, 2023
It’s cute without being a genuine showstopper, compact and still reasonably spacious inside, quiet and luxurious, and blessed with more power than one usually needs. We’re talking about the Swedish-Chinese Zeekr X, the twin brother of the much anticipated smallest Volvo EV, the EX30. So we were curious to actually drive it on Swedish roads […]
October 06, 2023
Rolls-Royce Motor Cars has announced today that its CEO, Torsten Müller-Ötvös, will retire on 30 November 2023. He will be succeeded by Chris Brownridge, currently CEO of BMW UK. With 14 years as CEO, the German leaves BMW Group’s British high luxury brand as its longest-serving CEO since Claude Johnson brought Charles Rolls and Henry […]
October 06, 2023
Skoda has updated its electric Enyaq iV, specifically the sporty RS version. The SUV now gets a boost in power from 299 to 340 hp, thanks to a revised and higher-output electric motor on the rear axle. The Czechs have also upgraded the energy management software, meaning that despite the power increase and the same […]
October 06, 2023
A loaded near-production prototype of the Mercedes-Benz eActros 600, Daimler Truck’s long-haul battery-electric truck, has completed a round trip from Stuttgart to South Tyrol and back on one charge. The distance of 530 km each way confirms Mercedes’ promised 500 km range for the model. The Mercedes-Benz eActros 600 is launching soon, with the world […]
October 06, 2023
Sales of new speed pedelecs fell 31,4% in Belgium in September compared to the same month last year. This is reported by sector federation Traxio. In September, 1 212 speed pedelecs were sold, compared to 1 767 in the same month last year. However, on the second-hand market for speed pedelecs, a clear increase of […]
October 06, 2023
The end of government subsidies for electric company cars is causing a significant slump in sales of EVs in Germany. Their market share in September has fallen from 32% to 14% one month earlier. Overall, the automotive market is regressing only slightly, but this year’s negative trend is a first. The Kraftfahrt Bundesamt (KBA) results […]
October 05, 2023
British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak is scrapping part of the HS2 high-speed rail line construction. At a Conservative Party conference, he announced to give up the link between Birmingham and Manchester. The 36 billion pounds it will release will be spent on “hundreds of new transport projects in the North and Midlands, across the country.” […]
October 05, 2023
Today, the Dutch Coalition of Car-sharing Providers (Coalitie van Deelauto-aanbieders, CvD), launches its collaboration. The five coalition members – GreenMobility, MyWheels, Share Now, Sixt share, and SnappCar – want to promote car sharing and stimulate conversation between the sector, civil servants, politicians, and experts. According to CvD, car sharing is a practical, affordable, and more […]
October 05, 2023
The second-generation Skodia Kodiaq is a decisive step up. The car has become even bigger, carries premium looks, features hybrid technology for the first time, and introduces sustainable interior materials. Twinned to the recently unveiled Volkswagen Tiguan, the model paves the way for a more modern Skoda. The dimensions and styling make clear that Kodiaq […]
October 05, 2023
It’s a growing problem on fully booked short flights in Europe: passengers carrying (too much) hand luggage to be stowed in the airplane’s overhead bins as rules differ among airlines, and some of them charge extras. The European Parliament wants to end these confusing rules and urges to review the EU laws on aviation passenger […]
October 05, 2023
The Brussels Region is planning 1 200 new charging points for EVs next year. Brussels Energy and Environment Minister Alain Maron (Ecolo) has announced a public contract. Sixty of these charging points will be exclusively for car sharing. By 2035, the Brussels Region aims to have 22 000 publicly accessible charging points for electric cars. […]
October 05, 2023
As a key sponsor of the Paris Olympic Games next year, Toyota is deploying a fleet of zero-emission mobility solutions that must support athletes and auxiliary services. The aim is to reduce carbon emissions from transport at the Games by 50% compared to the previous edition in Tokyo, where the Japanese brand also attended as […]
October 04, 2023
Flemish Minister of the North Sea, Vincent Van Quickenborne (Open Vld), has granted an environmental permit for Princess Elisabeth Island, which that will be built off the Belgian coast in the coming years. That is what high-voltage grid operator Elia announced on Tuesday. According to Elia, obtaining a permit is crucial for constructing the artificial […]
October 04, 2023
Air France-KLM is buying into Scandinavian airline SAS. The Franco-Dutch airline group is acquiring 19,9% of Danish-Swedish SAS, which has been struggling for several years, for 144,5 million dollars. The deal also includes SAS’s exit from Star Alliance, the airline alliance that includes Germany’s Lufthansa (and its Belgian subsidiary Brussels Airlines) and US-based United Airlines. […]
October 04, 2023
According to Filip Rylant, spokesperson for mobility federation Traxio, second-hand car market growth cooled considerably in September after three months of double-digit growth. Interest in used cars remains high, and although the increase is moderate, the market is still developing favorably. The good news is that second-hand car availability is increasing, and prices are stabilizing. […]
October 04, 2023
Volvo Cars has signed a multi-year agreement with the Israeli developer of fast-charging technology StoreDot. The car brand will work with the latter’s experts to develop and test XFC cells. The first fruit of the collaboration is scheduled for next year. Storedot has been continuously working on its XFC cells (the abbreviation for ‘extreme fast […]
October 04, 2023
In a striking opinion piece, William Todts, Executive Director of the NGO Transport & Environment (T&E), points at the mess the German car industry has made these recent decades and the efforts from the European Union to tackle the problem. “Earlier this month, Ursula von der Leyen sent shockwaves through the European and Chinese car […]
October 03, 2023
Last week, under Prime Minister Rishi Sunak, the UK government announced a pushback to 2035 from its earlier defined net-zero policies from 2024 to 2030, in line with most EU countries like France, Germany, or Sweden. This mandate regulates the number of ICE cars and vans that can still be sold yearly until the sales […]
October 03, 2023
Omoda is the name of a new Chinese brand, part of the Chinese car manufacturer Chery Automobile. The brand will first be introduced in Belgium and Luxembourg at the beginning of 2024. The first car introduced is the Omoda 5, a fully electric SUV that will be sold at just under €40 000 for the […]
October 03, 2023
Antonio Filosa, a veteran executive within the Stellantis constellation, is taking over from Christian Meunier as head of Jeep. The new appointment must draw the brand from its negative spiral, as sales since the beginning of the year have dwindled further, even in its core market in the US. Despite acting as a niche player […]
October 03, 2023
With the ‘Green Deal Inclusive Car Sharing’, the Brussels Region wants to encourage as many Brussels residents as possible to share cars. Launched by Brussels Environment Minister Alain Maron (Ecolo) and his Mobility colleague Elke Van den Brandt (Groen), the project aims to make car sharing in Brussels more significant, sustainable, and inclusive. The project […]
