March 08, 2024
European vehicle safety non-profit Euro NCAP has unveiled plans for a new safety score 2026 that will include an assessment of the ease of use of essential controls. Cars that force drivers to use touch controls for features like wipers and indicators will be punished and risk the all-important five-star safety rating. The auto industry […]
March 08, 2024
People often say that women are lousy drivers, but statistics show just the opposite: almost eight in ten road deaths are men. Women are less likely to be involved in serious accidents than men and are generally also less likely to be severely injured in accidents (40% compared to 60% of men). However, it is […]
March 07, 2024
The fire on the cargo ship Felicity Ace, which caused the loss of several thousand vehicles, is finding its way to court. A probe points to a Porsche EV aboard with a defective battery having ignited the fire. That kept the ship burning for two weeks before it sank. The Volkswagen Group is facing lawsuits […]
March 07, 2024
Ford has updated the full-size E-Transit in the US, boosting the range by 26 to 32 percent thanks to a new 89 kWh battery. The electric van also gets 49 percent faster charging while the price only increases slightly for the American market. A European launch has not yet been announced. The 2022 E-Transit was […]
March 06, 2024
Brussels-based holding company D’Ieteren, best known for car glass repairer Carglass and as an importer of VW vehicles, posted sharply higher profits in 2023. Last year, that adjusted consolidated profit before tax came to 970.8 million euros or a 28.1% increase compared to 2022. Things look rosy for D’Ieteren for this year, too: It expects […]
March 06, 2024
According to a document published on Tuesday and cited by the Reuters news agency, the EU Commission says it has sufficient evidence ‘tending’ to show Chinese EVs were being subsidized, and it will start ‘customs registrations’ on Thursday to prepare for possible retroactive tariffs. That means that import tariffs could be imposed retrospectively if the […]
March 05, 2024
After announcing new price cuts every day last week for nearly every model in its lineup, BYD announced a 12% price reduction for its best-selling compact SUV, the Yuan Plus, better known in Europe as the Atto 3. In China, the Yuan Plus Glory Edition has a starting price of 119,800 yuan (€15,338). In Belgium, […]
March 05, 2024
The French car manufacturer Renault is hoping it has a winner on its hands with the upcoming Renault 5 BEV. The company says it already has 50,000 orders on the waiting list just a few days after its official debut at the Geneva Motor Show. “We have a waiting list of 50,000 people,” Renault brand […]
March 04, 2024
The electric car manufacturer Fisker warns in its latest annual report that it may be unable to continue operations. The current resources are not sufficient to cover the next twelve months. Such warnings occur from time to time and do not necessarily result in the insolvency of a company. In this way, Fisker’s management draws […]
March 04, 2024
Nissan bids farewell to an era as it halted production of the iconic all-electric Leaf MkII at its Sunderland plant in the UK last week. In a following move, the automaker readies its next-generation electric vehicles at the factory. Since its inception in 2010, the Leaf has been a trailblazer in the electric vehicle market, […]
March 01, 2024
The European Parliament has agreed on a new set of regulations concerning driver’s licenses. One of the plans is to increase the weight limit of electric light commercial vehicles to 4.25 tons to compensate for the loss of payload due to heavy battery packs. But new exam rules, digital licenses, and stricter rules for young […]
March 01, 2024
Beherman Motors has signed an agreement with the Chinese brand Farizon to import and distribute in the Benelux region. The well-known family importer, tied to Mitsubishi, Mazda, Saab, and BMW in the past, taps further into the opportunity of the nascent eLCV market and aims at a share of 5%. Farizon, a subsidiary of the […]
March 01, 2024
While in the Netherlands, at VDL Nedcar in Born, for the 2,000 employees, the curtain fell in February for the production of the MINI, BMW shows it is capable of keeping production within its own factories. The first fully electric MINI Countryman models are rolling off the line in Leipzig. Leipzig is the birthplace of […]
March 01, 2024
German carmaker Volkswagen has inked a Master Agreement with Chinese partner Xpeng on strategic technical collaboration to develop two ‘smart e-car’ models in the Chinese market’s mid-size (B) segment. These two first models should hit the market in 2026. For the time being, the collaboration is only for the Chinese market. Still, earlier in July […]
February 29, 2024
The European Parliament rejects limiting the validity period of driving licenses for older drivers. Earlier, European Mobility Ministers also agreed that there would be no specific validity restriction on driving licenses for the over-70s. The legislation, which also introduces a digital driving license on smartphones, has yet to be negotiated with members; it emerged on […]
February 29, 2024
Volvo Cars’ connected safety technology can now alert drivers of accidents ahead. You’re driving down a winding country road. It’s impossible to see beyond the bends in front of you. Suddenly, your Volvo car alerts you: there’s been an accident ahead, just around the bend. “With our new ‘Accident Ahead Alert’, we introduce another pioneering […]
February 29, 2024
The Italian government has approached the booming Chinese car manufacturer BYD to build a car plant in the country and confirmed having contact with Tesla and other carmakers. The Meloni government wants to halt the monopoly of Stellantis in that field and has contacted several other manufacturers to come and produce in Italy. “Several carmakers […]
February 28, 2024
European automakers could collaborate to share development and production costs, suggests Renault Group CEO Luca de Meo. At the considerably smaller Geneva International Motor Show, the Renault Group was one of the highlights, besides the Chinese manufacturers BYD and SAIC), presenting its all-important new electric R5. Europe’s automakers, facing a stiff challenge from Chinese automakers […]
February 28, 2024
The Dutch grid operator Stedin calls charging station operators to switch off charging stations for electric cars between 4 p.m. and 9 p.m., especially in urban areas. The Netherlands has more than half a million charging stations, two-thirds of which are on the street. If they are all switched on simultaneously at full power, the […]
February 28, 2024
For the approximately 2,000 employees working for nearly a decade on the ‘Apple Car,’ the news came as a bombshell on Tuesday: the billion-dollar project will be shuttered, and people will be relocated to other projects like AI, if possible. The message was delivered to the team internally by Apple’s Chief Operating Officer, Jeff Williams, […]
February 27, 2024
After Swiss and Swedish customers had already the opportunity to order a Cadillac Lyriq electric SUV online in October, GM’s luxury brand will launch the car in France on the 23rd of March. Deliveries will begin in the first half of 2024. Germany and the UK are following a little bit later. After years of losses, […]
February 27, 2024
Ayvens, the result of the merger between ALD Automotive and Leaseplan, has concluded a framework agreement with Stellantis to purchase up to half a million vehicles by 2026. The deal with Ayvens includes several Stellantis brands and cars with different drives, including electric. First significant delivery volumes are expected to begin in the first half […]
February 26, 2024
Pictures of the production-ready Renault R5 had already leaked on Instagram, but Renault subsequently launched the model officially on the press day of the Geneva Motor Show. The final design stays remarkably close to the concept version, which debuted three years ago. The 5 replaces the Zoe and will accompany the 4 later this year. […]
February 26, 2024
At the Geneva Motor Show, Swiss-Italian electric micro-carmaker Microlino unveiled the ‘Lite’ or L6e version of the Microlina L7e, which is the fully electric lightweight quadricycle. This one has a limited maximum speed of 45 km/hour, half of its older brother, with a basic range of approximately 100 km that can be extended up to […]
February 26, 2024
Volvo Cars will reduce its stake in Polestar to 18%. To this end, the Swedish firm aims to sell shares worth 9.5 billion crowns (± €850 million) to its shareholders. In other words, first and foremost, it is to the mother company, Geely. The transaction is scheduled to be finalized this spring. The fact that […]
February 26, 2024
The new Renault Scenic E-Tech Electric has been proclaimed the Car of the Year 2024 in a ceremony that took place at the Geneva International Motor Show (GIMS). The Renault Scenic E-Tech has achieved first place thanks to 329 points from 58 journalists and COTY members. For 22 jurors, this SUV was the best of […]
February 16, 2024
More than ten years ago, BMW shook the car world with its first i-cars, the i3 and the i8. In 2019, it showed a concept for a successor of the PHEV i8 sports car called Vision M Next. The canceled production version of this car, called I16, has now been revealed by BMW’s chief designer, […]
February 16, 2024
Officially, VDL Nedcar’s contract with BMW ends on March 1st, 2024. Still, the curtain drops definitively this Friday with the last MINI, a silver-grey cabrio, rolling off the production line in Born (Netherlands). On Thursday, the main assembly line came to a halt; on Friday, on three smaller lines, the finishing touch on the last […]
February 15, 2024
Renault is doing well again these days. Its turnover has grown by 17,9% to €52.5 billion, with a net benefit of €2.3 billion. Its free cash flow has turned around €3 billion now and has grown by €905 million last year. More interestingly, the operational margin has increased to 7,9%, a record figure for the […]
February 15, 2024
According to the European Automobile Manufacturers’ Association (ACEA) latest ‘Vehicles on European Roads’ report, there were 252 million cars on European roads in 2022, a 1% increase from the previous year. But despite battery-electric sales reaching ‘all-time highs’ in 2022, only 1.2% of cars on EU roads are battery-electric. Only six countries had a share […]
February 15, 2024
On Wednesday, the revived Lancia brand launched its first car of the new era, a successor to the current Ypsilon that will be available as a pure electric car or (somewhat later) as a hybrid. It starts with a limited series of 1,906 cars (the founding date of Lancia) designed in collaboration with the famous […]
February 14, 2024
Today, the resurrected Italian car brand Lancia launches the first car in its new product portfolio, the successor to the current Ypsilon. We presented the car in another article and talked to Lancia’s brand CEO, Luca Napolitano. Napolitano studied Business Administration in Rome and began his automotive career at Ford. In 2000, he started working […]
February 13, 2024
It isn’t a car, and it isn’t a moped on four wheels. Still, it can reach a top speed of 90 km/hour, and you need a driver’s license B for it in Belgium. Officially, it is a fully electric lightweight quadricycle (L7e) that looks like the direct reincarnation of the ultimate bubble car of the […]
February 13, 2024
Ford has handed over the first F-150 Lightning outside of the US. The electric version of the best-selling pickup truck has arrived in Norway and will be sold in a limited run. Meanwhile, demand has slowed down in the US after the first rush by early adopters. In April last year, Ford announced it would […]
February 13, 2024
A leak reveals that the future EV8 will be equipped with an impressive 113,2 kWh battery giving it up to 800 km of range. Two electric motors will give it an all-wheel-drive and 450 kW (603 hp). The leak comes from Kia’s Union New Car Production Schedule and it shows a glimpse of the future […]
February 13, 2024
A few months ago, Volvo Cars announced that it would withdraw its interests in its sister company, Polestar. Today, Volvo confirms that it won’t be the major investor in Polestar anymore, but a total withdrawal seems out of the question. In an interview with the German newspaper Handelsblatt, Volvo CEO Jim Rowan (59) declared: “We […]
February 12, 2024
The European Council confirmed on Friday an agreement with the EU Parliament on a 90% CO2 emission reduction by 2040 for heavy-duty vehicles and a 100% reduction for buses by 2035. It came after a last-minute debate within Germany’s coalition over the proposal, with the liberal Free Democrats (FDP), the smallest party in the three-party […]
February 09, 2024
As the German magazine Automobilwoche reports, Audi will focus more on software in future vehicle development. Döllner wants to set up a ‘Software Defined Vehicle’ hub to focus on new vehicle concepts across the Group’s brands. Volkswagen and the much-criticized VW software subsidiary Cariad will also participate in the hub. That means other Group brands […]
February 08, 2024
CAKE, the nifty Swedish maker of premium lightweight, electric motorcycles and mopeds, has unexpectedly filed for bankruptcy on February 1st. The lawyer’s office, Fylgia, says attorney Jakob Callmander was appointed as the bankruptcy administrator, and tender documents are being prepared for the sale of the business. Its Swedish compatriot Polestar, Volvo’s electric sister brand, launched […]
February 07, 2024
After announcing the Touring version at the new 5 Series sedan presentation and sending teaser images, BMW has officially revealed its estate version. Meanwhile, spy pictures had already leaked from a studio shoot. Now, BMW comes with the full story of the car. A flexible drive architecture allows model variants with gasoline and diesel engines, […]
February 07, 2024
According to the plans presented on Tuesday, the European Commission wants to cut greenhouse gas emissions in the European Union by 90% by 2040 compared to 1990 levels. “There’s no other way,” says Wopke Hoekstra, European Commissioner for Climate Action. “The longer the EU waits to take difficult measures, the harder and more expensive it […]
February 07, 2024
Porsche has given its electric flagship, the Taycan, an ‘extensive update’ with more power, more range, faster acceleration, and faster charging with greater stability. It will arrive at dealerships in Spring 2024. Although the next generation looks pretty much like the first one, Porsche says it sharpened the design and more strongly differentiated the Turbo […]
February 07, 2024
On Monday, Stellantis Chairman John Elkann dismissed speculation that the Italian-US-French group plans to merge with Renault. “‘No plans are being examined for Stellantis mergers with other manufacturers,’ Elkann said when asked about the rumors. On Tuesday, he also tried to appease the Italian government about Stellantis’ commitment to Italy. Renault, for its part, said […]
February 07, 2024
This week the first fully electric Volvo EM90 minivans are rolling of the production lines at Geely’s Hangzhou Bay plant in China. Volvo launched its EM90 in November last year, a close brother to the Zeekr 009. It gets a 200-kW electric motor on the rear axle powered by a 116-kWh battery for 738 km […]
February 06, 2024
At the Netherlands’ only car production plant in Born, VDL Nedcar, unions see the last gleam of hope vanish of starting up again in 2026, as the British Gordon Murray Automotive Group is pulling out the so-called L60 project. Details were never given, but it was assumed Nedcar would build two electric premium SUVs with […]
February 06, 2024
The car rental giant Hertz freezes its mega-deal with Polestar. After deciding to sell off one-third of its existing EV fleet (mostly Teslas) in January, the company now puts a temporary hold on the agreement to purchase 65 000 Polestar 2 vehicles. That’s another big blow for Geely’s daughter Polestar, which recently announced the dismissal […]
February 05, 2024
In a decisive move to combat escalating fuel import costs and worsening air pollution in its cities, Ethiopia has announced a groundbreaking shift in its automotive policies. Transport Minister Alemu Sime calls for an immediate ban on buying fossil-fueled vehicles. What’s 2035 for Europe is today for Ethiopia. Minister Sime revealed that the nation spent […]
February 05, 2024
In China, the world’s currently biggest EV maker, BYD (Build Your Dreams), has started to deliver the first batches of its new Yuan Up, an affordable compact electric crossover, to dealerships, preparing for the official sales launch in March 2024. It’s expected to retail there for 100,000 to 130,000 yuan or some 12,900 to 16,800 […]
February 02, 2024
The car market in Belgium and Luxembourg starts the same way it ended last year: in January 2024, 46,667 new cars were registered, which is 17.1% more than in the same month last year. These are deliveries of cars ordered last year, so it’s too early to see an influence of the ‘salon conditions’ almost […]
February 01, 2024
Industry data show that in 2023, China became the world’s biggest car exporter for the first time, dethroning Japan with overseas solid sales of electric vehicles. Data from a Japanese trade organization, released Wednesday, showed the country’s car exports in 2023 rose 16% from a year earlier to 4,42 million vehicles, falling behind China, which […]
January 31, 2024
The delivery of Europe’s cheapest China-built Volvo, the EX30, is getting behind schedule due to a necessary update of the car’s software based on Google’s Android Automotive operating system. A few glitches must be solved before software version 1.2 can be installed, as it “does not yet meet all the requirements necessary to be released”. […]
January 31, 2024
Launched in its home market with a gasoline engine, the Hyundai Casper should arrive in Europe in late 2024. However, for us, it’ll be electric only. Rumors talk of an affordable, small crossover with a 35-kWh battery and a range of about 200 km. Playing in the same ballpark as the recently unveiled Citroen ë-C3 […]
January 31, 2024
South Korean media report that Kia is delaying the launch of its future electric sedan, the EV4. Originally planned to be on the road before the end of 2024, the production version of the Kia EV4 Concept should be launched by early 2025. Kia didn’t mention any specific reason. The future Kia EV3, presented in […]
January 31, 2024
The fully electric BMW i5 sedan and BMW iX2 SUV Coupé will each be available with an additional drive system variant from March 2024. The drive system offerings for the BMW X2 and BMW XM have also been expanded. New features in the area of digital services will also be introduced in spring 2024. These […]
January 30, 2024
Belgium will not have a sharp increase in taxes on fossil company cars. After much wrangling, the federal government has agreed on the benefit in kind for diesel and gasoline company cars. The government reached a deal by linking other dossiers to that of company cars. Thus, the annual ceiling of the bicycle allowance will […]
January 30, 2024
BYD (Build Your Dreams), the Chinese car manufacturing giant that dethroned Tesla as the world’s biggest EV maker, expects to be on a bed of roses with a profit growth of 86.5%. That’s up to between 29 billion and 31 billion yuan (€3,98 billion) for 2023 compared to the previous year, driven by solid sales […]
January 29, 2024
The Flemish government has approved the Regional Spatial Implementation Plan for the northern part of the Ring Road around Brussels, bringing a 550-million-euro remodeling a step closer. Flanders wants to make the R0-North between Sint-Stevens-Woluwe and Groot-Bijgaarden more traffic-safe and increase the area’s livability. In the spring of 2023, a public inquiry on the provisional […]
January 26, 2024
Porsche has (finally) unveiled its first electric SUV. After a couple of years of delay, the carmaker has high hopes for its second electric model after the Taycan. After all, the Macan is not only Porsche’s best-selling model, but with the new Premium Platform Electric, it is also a trailblazer for the upcoming electric models. […]
January 25, 2024
“Despite lofty ambitions and strict requirements, most passenger cars on EU roads still emit the same quantity of CO2 as 12 years ago,” the European Court of Auditors (ECA) said in a statement. A top EU auditor reported on Wednesday that sales of electric cars in the European Union are not growing fast enough to […]
January 25, 2024
After the Stellantis Group, Renault, and Hyundai, Volkswagen will also offer cars in the French ‘social leasing’ project, President Emmanuel Macron’s plan to provide electric vehicles for less than 150 euros a month through a lease with purchase option. Four models will be offered by the end of January, from the small Volkswagen E-UP (€89/month) […]
