March 01, 2023
Car sharing has been on the rise in Belgium for a while, but new figures indicate a real boom. In 2022, for instance, the number of active car-sharing users in Belgium rose by 40% to 121 394, a record number. So reports non-profit organization Autodelen.net in its latest report. More than half of car-sharers are […]
March 01, 2023
Dredging companies DEME and Jan De Nul, world leaders in dredging and constructing offshore wind farms, are joining forces to create the energy island that will be built off the Belgian coast. Both Belgian companies – eternal competitors but now united in a new consortium called TM Edison – have won the tender for constructing […]
March 01, 2023
Flemish citizens lose fifteen months of healthy life due to exposure to fine particles in the air. That is the disturbing conclusion of Statistiek Vlaanderen, the Flemish governmental agency network that develops statistics. Due to air pollution, in 2021, 153 healthy life years were lost (per 10 000 inhabitants) in the Flemish region, 10 000 […]
March 01, 2023
Sophie Dutordoir will be the CEO of the Belgian public railway company NMBS/SNCB for another six years. That is what the newspapers De Tijd and Le Soir write. Mobility Minister Georges Gilkinet (Ecolo) will present the mandate extension to the government this Friday. In March 2017, Dutordoir was appointed managing director of the National Railway […]
March 01, 2023
In 2023, the new Mini Countryman production will begin at the BMW Group plant in Leipzig. The crossover model will be offered with pure electric drive and combustion engines. Preparations for the start of production of the first Mini ‘Made in Germany’ are already in full swing. According to BMW, Leipzig is one of the […]
February 28, 2023
US researchers have developed a lithium-air battery with a solid electrolyte, of which the energy density could be increased fourfold compared to today’s lithium-ion batteries. The team said it achieved 1 000 charge and discharge cycles in test cells. Researchers drive the project at the Illinois Institute of Technology (IIT) and the US Department of […]
February 28, 2023
Volkswagen’s ID. Family is becoming more circular as the German car maker transfers some of its ecological materials used in the ID. Buzz. The latter was the most sustainable of the electric family and will now serve as a technology donor. The additional recycling materials will be introduced on ID.3, ID.4, ID.5, and ID.7, but […]
February 28, 2023
The construction of new wind farms at sea risks being delayed, reports research company BloombergNEF. The reason for the delay is the shortage of large vessels used for the installation of wind turbine foundations on the ocean floor. Offshore energy is considered a crucial alternative to fossil fuels. It should help reduce CO2 emissions and […]
February 28, 2023
Some buzz ahead of Investor Day, a keynote held by Tesla CEO Elon Musk on the 1st of March 2023, has American media reporting on a cheap electric model and maybe even a hydrogen version. That’s quite a U-turn for Musk, who depicted fuel cells in the past as ‘fool cells’ because of their lack […]
February 28, 2023
Stellantis, the parent company of 14 automotive brands with Peugeot, Citroën, DS Automobiles, Opel -Vauxhall, Chrysler, Jeep, and Fiat as its most prominent names, wants to cut 2 000 jobs in Italy this year, some 4,3% of total Italian workforce of 47 000. The reorganization is linked to the transition to electric car production. It […]
February 28, 2023
Nissan is accelerating its electrification strategy again. The Japanese automaker will launch 27 new electrified models by fiscal 2030, including 19 purely electric ones. That is four more pure electric vehicles than announced with the last strategic plan in November 2021. Nissan’s electrification mix worldwide is expected to increase to more than 55% by 2030, […]
February 28, 2023
There will be no new VW plant in Europe in the foreseeable future. VW CFO Arno Antlitz confirmed in an internal interview that the Trinity production version would be built in Wolfsburg. In the US, however, VW will build a new factory for its new EV brand Scout. The carmaker had considered a new factory […]
February 27, 2023
Like humans, dogs can suffer from car sickness when traveling, even for short distances. But if your dog had the choice, he’d prefer a smooth-driving electric vehicle over a noisy diesel car. British website CarGurus did the scientific test with the help of Daniel Mills, professor of Veterinary Behavioural Medicine, and his team at the […]
February 27, 2023
Audi CEO Markus Duesmann recently uttered that building a new EV plant in the US becomes highly attractive given the new IRA subvention plan for electric vehicles issued by the Biden administration. He added that it is not clear whether Audi will build its own plant or whether it will be part of the Volkswagen […]
February 27, 2023
In March 2022, several demo cars of the BMW iX5 Hydrogen were traveling around Europe to gather merely political support. In the next phase of its road map for the iX5 Hydrogen, BMW now presented the prototype to the press and fleet customers, who could test and refill the car in the region of Antwerp. […]
February 27, 2023
Over the next two years, Chinese car manufacturer Geely wants to launch seven new premium electric cars under its new sub-brand Galaxy. That includes four long-range hybrids and three battery-electric vehicles. The first three models will hit the road this year. The new Geely Galaxy series will have two model lines – L for plug-in […]
February 27, 2023
Almost two-thirds of drivers (65%) in Britain believe aggressive cyclists and motorists are putting lives at risk. Of over 2 000 drivers surveyed, the majority of respondents claimed that both aggressive motorists (78%) and aggressive cyclists (65%) are a threat to their personal safety. That is the conclusion of a recent survey commissioned by road […]
February 27, 2023
In a mail to potential customers, Delorean Motor Company urges to secure reservations as its production slots have been slashed in half. Supply chain bottlenecks have affected the original output of 9 351 units, reducing them to no more than 4 000. With much fewer building slots available, the resurgence of the sports car, made famous […]
February 27, 2023
Brussels Mobility had to pay more than 270 000 euros in compensation to motorists in 2022 who considered that they had suffered vehicle damage due to poor road conditions. However, this is 50% less than in 2021, writes the newspaper La Capital. All road users can claim compensation from either the municipality or the Brussels […]
February 27, 2023
While the Dutch still struggle to keep their Lightyear solar car project on life support, Sion, the affordable German solar electric vehicle (SEV), is dead. Sono Motors decided to pull the plug on the Sion program just before entering pre-series production. It couldn’t convince new investors despite 45 000 reservations from potential clients. However, the […]
February 27, 2023
BMW plans to build a large assembly plant for high-voltage batteries in Bavaria. The carmaker confirmed the plan but has not yet signed all the contracts. If all goes as planned, they can start building in 2024. An exact location for it has now finally been found. “All Bavarian plants, i.e., Munich, Regensburg, and Dingolfing, […]
February 24, 2023
The staff shortage at Dutch railways NS, due to labor market shortages and absenteeism due to illness, is just not getting resolved. Of over 7 000 vacancies, NS now managed to fill almost 5 200, but the need for conductors and drivers remains high. Chief executive Wouter Koolmees, who has been in charge of the […]
February 24, 2023
Vincent Cobée, the current CEO of the Citroën brand, part of the Stellantis Group, will be replaced by Thierry Koskas as of March 1st. Cobée, recently cited in our articles, “has decided to pursue personal projects outside the company”, as it always sounds in official press releases. “In the light of the growing challenges related […]
February 24, 2023
Vattenfall, a state-owned Swedish multinational power company, and Stromma Group, a sightseeing bus and boat service provider operational in six countries, are investing in emission-free, electric sightseeing boats. They will kick off their project in Amsterdam, and electrify Stromma’s boat fleet to provide fossil-free transportation. Vattenfall will supply the battery system for the emission-free operation […]
February 24, 2023
Last year, more young candidate drivers (<20) in the Netherlands got their driver’s licenses than in 2021. Still, their number is smaller than before the corona outbreak. According to the Central Office for Statistics (Centraal Bureau voor de Statistiek, CBS), this is due to the corona measures. As a result, driving lessons could not take […]
February 24, 2023
The Netherlands remains the country with the highest share of EV-charging infrastructure, with 111 821 chargers or 23,3% of the total number in the EU on its territory. Germany comes in second, with 87 674 public chargers, 18,3% of the total. Together they stand for 41,6% of the EU’s total charging infrastructure today, scattered over […]
February 24, 2023
Ford agreed to form a joint venture with LG Energy Solution and Koç Holding to build a large battery cell plant for commercial electric vehicles in Turkey. The plant in Turkey had originally been planned with SK On, but that deal was canceled some time ago. According to the three companies, the groundbreaking ceremony for […]
February 23, 2023
Amsterdam Airport Schiphol and Axxicom Airport Caddy are launching an experiment with self-riding wheelchairs this week. The wheelchairs, equipped with smart technology from WHILL Autonomous Mobility, are already being used successfully at major airports such as Tokyo International Airport in Japan. The wheelchair service should improve customer satisfaction and contribute to Schiphol’s objective to make […]
February 23, 2023
As part of the EU project CEVOLVER (Connected Electric Vehicle Optimized for Life, Value, Efficiency, and Range), Ford engineers have shown that heating surfaces can reduce energy consumption in the interior of an electric vehicle by 13%. This can improve the range of that vehicle by 5%. The test was conducted in an electric delivery […]
February 23, 2023
Before the district court of Antwerp, 33 clients of a driving school with branches in Deurne and Merksem are being prosecuted. The driving school had assisted them in their theoretical exam for their driver’s license with earphones and hidden cameras to whisper the answers into their ears. “By committing fraud during the theoretical driving test, […]
February 23, 2023
Last year, traffic in Belgium killed 521 people, 8% more than in 2021. One out of three victims was a cyclist or pedestrian. The number of cyclists killed increased from 74 to 95, the highest figure ever. And people aged over 65, many of them driving an electric bicycle, accounted for half of the victims. […]
February 23, 2023
Despite having started expansion works for its Berlin factory, and already assembling battery components there, Tesla has announced it is pulling away from its initial building plans for the world’s biggest battery plant at its Grünheide factory in Berlin. Instead, it will refocus on local production in the United States because of subsidies. So the […]
February 23, 2023
For the second year in a row, Stellantis has registered a record benefit. The net profit for 2022 reached € 16,8 billion, 26% more than last year. The operating margin reached 13% of turnover in 2022, a figure almost as high as noticeable money-makers under the car manufacturers in 2022, like Mercedes-Benz and Tesla. In […]
February 23, 2023
Since its first fully electric trucks hit the road in 2019, Volvo Trucks has sold more than 4 300 electric trucks worldwide in 38 countries. It claims to be the European market leader in 2022, with a 32% share in the heavy electric truck market and an even greater share in the Americas (US and […]
February 22, 2023
Belgian aerospace company Sonaca joins the Limburg-based start-up SOLiTHOR to develop solid-state batteries for regional aviation and future air taxis (VTOLs). Solid-state batteries are lighter, have more energy density, and are considered safer than current lithium-ion batteries with a fluid electrolyte. SOLiTHOR will be responsible for cell research, development, testing characterization, format design, and production […]
February 22, 2023
Since car traffic in Europe started to get going again after the corona crisis, the number of road deaths went up again. Fortunately, the figures remain below those before the corona pandemic. Last year, there were three percent more deaths on European roads compared to 2021. In 2022, about 20 600 people died in traffic. […]
February 22, 2023
The American transport company Lime, known for its free-floating e-scooters and bikes, has posted strong growth of 33% in 2022. The San Francisco-based company recorded a turnover of 466 million dollars (+33% year-on-year), with a gross operating surplus of 4 million dollars at the end, a first for the company. “2022 was our best and […]
February 22, 2023
Alauda Aeronautics has unveiled its latest iteration of the Airspeeder. This Mk4 version is the first to be designed for manned operation, with previous Airspeeders being remote-controlled. A racing series is scheduled for 2024, but Alauda is still looking for support from OEMs and racing teams. The Airspeeder was first announced in 2019 with a […]
February 22, 2023
Porsche is set to release an electric variant of the Cayenne in 2026, two years after the launch of the Macan EV. The current combustion-based model is to receive significant updates to extend its lifespan until after the launch of its electric counterpart. But software issues may still spoil the party. The arrival of the […]
February 22, 2023
For the first time since the European Union introduced the CO2 emission rights, the price of 100 euros per ton of CO2 was exceeded on Tuesday. The leading EU Allowance contract briefly peaked at 101,25 euros. A milestone reflecting the increased price factories and power plants have to pay when they pollute. The European Union […]
February 22, 2023
The BMW Group intends to source aluminum with significantly reduced CO2 emissions from Rio Tinto’s hydro-powered operations in Canada starting in 2024. It has signed a memorandum of understanding to this effect. Aluminum accounts for a quarter of the CO2 emissions in the supply chain of a medium-sized electrified car, and a manufacturer like BMW […]
February 22, 2023
According to the figures of the European Car Manufacturers Association ACEA, in January, the European Union passenger car market grew by 11,3% to 760 041 units, starting the new year on a positive note. However, one must consider that this was mainly due to an unusually modest comparison base in 2022 when the lowest January […]
February 21, 2023
The top boss of Spanish railways Renfe, Isaías Táboas, has resigned. Following an order for trains that turned out to be too big to track through specific tunnels, he presented his resignation yesterday. The order has been controversial in Spain for a fortnight after the mistake was made public. At issue was a 248 million […]
February 21, 2023
Less than a week after opening reservations for the electric 1500 REV pickup truck, RAM has closed the books again, citing high demand. No reservation numbers are given, however, and many of the REV’s specifications remain unclear. RAM presented the production version of the 1500 REV in a Superbowl ad, which shows a pickup truck […]
February 21, 2023
Introducing a smart kilometer charge in the Brussels Region does not yet seem imminent for tomorrow. Because the PS continues to obstruct, and political discussions are going on, next to questions about technical operability. On the other hand, it’s getting clear the smart road pricing system on which €33,8 million already spent, will not be […]
February 21, 2023
In addition to the battery and the electric drive, Volkswagen Group Technology is now also developing the pulse inverter and the thermal management itself for its electric drives. This was announced at the company’s Tech Day 2023. As with other components, the VW developers have opted for a modular system. The first application will be […]
February 21, 2023
Ford is adding cheaper, more sustainable, and more durable LFP batteries to its EV line-up, starting with the Mustang Mach-E this year and expanding to the F-150 Lightning in 2024. The Blue Oval is also building a $3,5 billion LFP battery factory in Michigan by 2026 to reduce its dependence on external suppliers. Lithium-iron-phosphate batteries, […]
February 21, 2023
On Monday, February 20th, the preparational works for an important part of the bicycle highway between Ghent and Brussels started. The F2 bicycle highway runs from Ghent – via Melle, Wetteren, and Aalst, among others – to Brussels. The F2 passes various train stations, optimizing multi-mobility. Workers began by clearing shrubs and trees near the […]
February 21, 2023
In an interview with the British car magazine Autocar, Dacia Vice-President for Sales, Marketing, and Operations Xavier Martinet says that a much greater emphasis needs to be put on weight efficiency when designing (EV) cars. “If we’re serious about collectively reducing emissions, then excessive weight should not be acceptable.” Martinet made his statement when he […]
February 20, 2023
French technical study bureau H2 Motronics has developed a fuel cell racing motorbike on hydrogen, which they claim is a world first. The H2K, short for ‘H2 Kompact’, was shown at the Hyvolution exhibit in Paris and is meant as a live demonstrator for the bureau’s technical and innovative project management skills rather than for […]
February 20, 2023
Last year, the Flemish technical inspection centers wanted to raise the prices by 33%, but their proposal was immediately turned down by Flemish Mobility Minister Lydia Peeters (Open Vld). She suggested doing something about customer friendliness first, according to the newspaper Het Laatste Nieuws. Lately, there has been a flood of complaints about long waiting […]
February 20, 2023
Formula 1 CEO and ex-Scuderia Ferrari team boss Stefano Domenicali has responded to the EU banning combustion cars from 2035 onward, saying that his sport will never go fully electric. But how will the sport become sustainable and stay relevant, having justified its existence in the past as an R&D activity for future road car […]
February 20, 2023
Chinese battery manufacturer CATL, the world’s largest, will offer decisive price reductions for its battery packs. But only the domestic brands benefit. Tesla, the supplier’s biggest customer, isn’t included in the deal. So are the international trade frictions between the US and China also showing up in the automotive industry? EV carmakers Nio, Zeekr, Huawei, […]
February 20, 2023
Parisians will have to go to the polling stations in their arrondissements to vote for or against keeping shared e-scooters on April 2nd. Paris City Hall has announced this. Parisian e-scooter operators have denounced this decision and the organization by the city council of this unprecedented vote or referendum, in ballot boxes and not online. […]
February 20, 2023
Japanese carmaker Nissan and compatriot Hitachi’s Building Systems Co Ltd. subsidiary have demonstrated in Japan the possibility of keeping elevators running via V2H (vehicle-to-home) power from an electric car in a building during blackouts. In earthquake-prone Japan, the risk of getting stuck in an elevator is not uncommon. For the test, according to Reuters, both […]
February 20, 2023
Mercedes-Benz sold some 2 million vehicles last year, a 5% increase compared to 2021. Turnover increased by 12% and reached € 150 billion, while the benefice was more than a third higher, landing at almost € 15 billion. For 2023, anticipations are a bit subdued, due to delivery shortages, higher costs and an unsure overall […]
February 17, 2023
After identifying malfunctions in its driver assistance software, Tesla was forced to recall 362 758 cars in the United States. Models equipped with the Level 2 software of Full Self-Driving (FSD) can act in a potentially dangerous manner at intersections. In Europe, Tesla only tests FSD in the company cars of its staff. According to […]
February 17, 2023
More than eight out of ten Flemish drivers would flunk their theoretical driving test if they were to take it again. That is what mobility organization VAB discovered after organizing a large-scale ‘traffic quiz’. Almost five thousand people participated in the quiz; 86,1% failed. Although most of them have had their driver’s licenses for ten, […]
February 17, 2023
A fifth less traffic in the Pentagon, more space for pedestrians, and a lot more people choosing to cycle. Those are the provisional results of six months of ‘Good Move’, the new circulation plan to reduce transit traffic in the Brussels city center. Bart Dhondt (Groen), the Brussels Alderman for Mobility, calls the results encouraging […]
February 17, 2023
Chinese electric carmaker NIO has opened its fourth battery swap station in the Netherlands, on the outskirts of Utrecht on the A2 highway to Amsterdam. Swapping a 75 or 100-kWh battery underneath the car is a seamless, fully automated process, as we could experience ourselves test-driving the ET7 sedan at the NIO Power Swap station […]
