December 13, 2023
Three years after the initial announcement, the world’s first hydrogen-powered tugboat, baptized appositely ‘Hydrotug 1’, has arrived at its workstation in the Antwerp Port to start its real-world testing from mid-January. It features BeHydro V12 dual fuel medium speed engines, each providing 2 megawatts, that can run on hydrogen or diesel fuel. The idea is […]
December 12, 2023
German carmaker Volkswagen announced that bi-directional charging is finally available with the ID. Software 3.5 version or higher to all new electric models with the 77 kWh battery (net). With the ‘Vehicle to Home’ (V2H) function, people can store excess solar power in the car’s battery or use it to power the home over several […]
December 12, 2023
Zeekr, the Chinese-Swedish sister brand of Volvo and Lynk & Co, has delivered its first electric car in Europe, an Electric Blue Zeekr 001 AWD Privilege, to a Dutch client in Amsterdam, where the company has its headquarters. It was European boss Spiros Fotinos who handed over the keys. Pre-orders opened in the Netherlands and […]
December 08, 2023
Since the Brussels Capital Region introduced a low-emission zone (LEZ) in 2018, there has been a 30% reduction in nitrogen dioxide along Brussels’ main roads. Brussels Environment has also observed similar and more significant reductions for other pollutants. Air quality in Antwerp has also improved significantly over the past decade. However, traffic remains the primary […]
December 08, 2023
Italo-French-US carmaker Stellantis embraces battery-swapping technology from Californian start-up Ample to equip a Free2Move car-sharing fleet of a hundred Fiat 500e cars in Madrid next year. The Fiat 500e is Stellantis’ highest-selling electric vehicle sold globally. Ample’s fully automated battery swapping stations allow EV drivers with a compatible Ample battery pack to replace the OEM […]
December 07, 2023
Belgian start-up Solhyd, a spin-off of KU Leuven University, announced securing six million euros of seed capital from ‘a group of experienced entrepreneurs’ to optimize further the basic technology of ‘distilling’ pure hydrogen directly from the air using a particular solar-H2 panel and deploy it in pilot applications. After assembling earlier prototypes of their Gen1 […]
December 07, 2023
In a meeting on Wednesday at the Renault headquarters, the four Alliance leaders tried to reassure the outside world of their determination to create a future for the Alliance between Mitsubishi, Nissan, and Renault. “The future of the Alliance is ‘exciting’, ‘resilient’, and ‘innovative’,” the four stressed. “This Alliance is more flexible, open, eager, and […]
December 07, 2023
Before Christmas, Volkswagen wants to be in the clear about its restructuring plans, seeking savings of 10 billion euros. The company aims to cut one-fifth of its administrative staff, save 20% on payroll, and has abandoned plans for a new R&D site. The cost-cutting measures apply exclusively to the brand Volkswagen, which is suffering the […]
December 07, 2023
Renault Group is launching a plan to transform its industrial base fundamentally. Between now and 2027, it is seeking to cut production costs per vehicle by 30% for internal combustion vehicles (ICE) and 50% for electric vehicles (BEV). Renault Group’s Industrial Metaverse will play a vital role in the transformation, enabling the Group to accelerate […]
December 06, 2023
Growth in the second-hand car market got another boost in November. Last month, 57 519 used cars were registered, 6,5% more than in 2022. The increase is 7,8% over the first eleven months of the year (46 231 units more than in 2022), but there is a deficit of 18 030 units compared to 2021. […]
December 06, 2023
The current (and re-elected) president of the European Car Manufacturers Association (ACEA), Luca de Meo, has called for European ‘Kei Cars’ as one of the solutions to boost electric car sales and solve acute urban mobility problems. De Meo did so in his speech at the ACEA headquarters in Brussels while presenting the lobbying group’s […]
December 05, 2023
The initial goal for Norway was to achieve a 50 percent market share for zero-emission trucks by 2030. Still, the Norwegian parliament (Storting) has asked the government to go for the full 100 percent in the 2024 budget agreement. This makes Norway the first country to set a concrete deadline for combustion-powered trucks. Whereas the […]
December 05, 2023
Toyota wants to expand its range of electric cars in Europe to six models by 2026. That’s what we wrote on Monday, talking about the brand’s two concepts unveiled at its annual Kenshiki event in Brussels. But the Japanese company is also providing more details on its battery roadmap and hydrogen plans. With the presentation […]
December 04, 2023
At last week’s Toyota Motor Europe (TME) 2023 Kenshiki event, a team of global and European executives presented the company’s latest electrified products and technologies. Today, we’re paying attention to two new BEV concepts arriving in Europe reasonably soon. Toyota provided a preview of its future battery electric vehicle (BEV) strategy for Europe by unveiling […]
December 04, 2023
The world’s biggest battery maker today, Chinese CATL, just announced it has finished testing its own EV skateboard platform to be used by third-party carmakers, achieving an amazingly low 10.5 kWh/100 km energy consumption. That’s good for a range of 1 000 km for EVs built on it. The first car to use CIIC, a […]
December 04, 2023
With 37 552 new cars registered in Belgium and Luxembourg, November was the best since 2017 and scored 26,1% higher than in 2022. For the first eleven months of the year, this means a total of 450 960 new cars registered, 32% more than last year for the same period. More than 47% of them […]
December 01, 2023
Hyundai and Kia have presented a new wheel drive system called the Universal Wheel Drive System (‘Uni Wheel’ for short), designed for taxis, shuttle buses, and other special purpose vehicles of all sizes. The Uni Wheel creates extra space in electric vehicles by moving the reduction gear to the wheel hub. The Uni Wheel relocates […]
December 01, 2023
Geely, one of China’s top four-passenger car manufacturers and parent company to Volvo, is joining forces with Chinese NIO to co-develop swappable battery standards. That was unveiled by the two partners just a week after NIO signed a similar deal with another giant, Changan Automobile. In China, battery swapping is quite hot compared to the […]
December 01, 2023
After two years of delays and anticipation, Tesla’s digital showroom offers the highly controversial Cybertruck. CEO Elon Musk handed over the first customers’ vehicles during a special event on Thursday at the company’s headquarters in Austin, Texas. Though the looks and specs are spectacular, the Cybertruck also puts dark accolades around its promised range and […]
November 30, 2023
Orders for the Honda e have stalled in Europe. Due to slow sales and a strong customer preference for all-electric SUVs, the Japanese carmaker is readdressing its strategy for battery-powered mobility. In the lower categories, it is prioritizing zero-emission scooters and motorbikes. In 2020, Honda boldly entered the electric vehicle market with a small but […]
November 30, 2023
From December 1st, 2023, the Flemish government won’t allow a tolerance period of one year anymore for replacing defective diesel particle filters but will shorten that period to three months. The two other Belgian Regions – Brussels and Wallonia – that agreed to the same one-year tolerance will return to a limited 15-day tolerance period […]
November 30, 2023
Introducing the next generation Duster, Dacia is venturing into new territory with the third generation of its popular SUV that has dominated European sales since 2010. For the first time in its lineage, the driveline features assistance from a battery pack in the form of a hybrid version (HEV). The cladding on the bodywork is […]
November 30, 2023
On the eve of the COP 28 climate conference, and in the run-up to EU elections next year, the President of the European Automobile Manufacturers’ Association (ACEA), Luca de Meo, unveiled a manifesto and roadmap for a competitive mobility ecosystem, co-signed by the CEOs of Europe’s major vehicle manufacturers. “Our sector is in the midst […]
November 29, 2023
The 37th edition of Belgian mobility organization VAB’s ‘Family Car of the Year’ was dominated this year by the Chinese, with two out of three titles for the full-electric BYD Dolphin and the LPG-fueled BAIC X55. The Romanian Dacia Jogger 1.0 ECOG seven-seater grabbed gold in the ICE category below €25 000, again proving budget […]
November 28, 2023
Mercedes-Benz opened its first European Charging Hub in Mannheim, Germany, after opening one in the US and two in China earlier this year. The hub offers 300 kW charging for up to six vehicles and is near a Mercedes dealership. Over 200 Mercedes-branded charging points are coming in Europe by the end of 2024. Earlier […]
November 27, 2023
The new fiscal rules for pickups, making them no longer exempt from registration taxes and losing the low annual road tax prerogative, have significantly affected their registrations this year. In Belgium, their popularity among private customers has dropped to a historically low level. In the first ten months of 2023, only 969 pickups were registered […]
November 27, 2023
Porsche has revamped its four-door sports sedan’s appearance with a more expressive sporting look and is to offer four variants of the E-Hybrid powertrain, the most popular version. The new Panamera Turbo E-Hybrid, ready at market launch in April 2024, will boost power to 500 kW (680 hp) with a new 140 kW electric motor […]
November 23, 2023
The Belgian real estate developer VGP has bought more than half of the 100-year-old production site of Adam Opel AG in Rüsselsheim. VGP wants to transform the site near the Frankfurt Airport into a huge business park. VGP buys three parcels of terrain totaling 700 000 square meters or 70 hectares from Stellantis, the mother […]
November 23, 2023
The EU Parliament has voted on new CO2 standards for trucks and buses and is now ready for negotiations with the EU member states. The Parliament has largely adopted the positions of the EU Commission but added a loophole for e-fuels in trucks. The MEPs agree with the Commission’s proposal presented in February that only […]
November 22, 2023
Van Mossel Group, already the biggest car retailer in the Belux, expands its brand portfolio for the first time with VW Group brands by overtaking Garage Mertens, a renowned car dealer in Eastern Flanders with dealerships in Sint-Niklaas, Lokeren, and Dendermonde. Van Mossel is already selling 25 car brands in Belgium. Exceptions were the Toyota/Lexus […]
November 22, 2023
Renault has unveiled the fourth-generation Master. The large van gets an all-new look with improved aerodynamics, a completely revamped interior with the latest tech and safety features, and a second all-electric variant with up to 410 km of range. The all-new Master is available from spring 2024. After over 13 years on the road, the […]
November 22, 2023
European-American carmaker Stellantis and the world’s biggest battery manufacturer, Chinese CATL, announced on Tuesday the signing of a non-binding Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) for the local supply of LFP battery cells and modules to power Stellantis’ B and C-segment electric vehicles in Europe. Lithium-iron-phosphate batteries have a long service life and higher thermal stability and […]
November 22, 2023
Swedish battery maker Northvolt claims a technological breakthrough by developing a low-cost sodium-ion battery that no longer depends on scarce materials like lithium, nickel, cobalt, and graphite. Utilizing abundant minerals like iron and sodium found locally offers an environmentally friendly alternative to lithium-ion. The first generation of this new battery has a density of up […]
November 21, 2023
BYD has expanded its Ocean line-up of vehicles even further with the Sea Lion 07, a new electric coupé-SUV that kicks off a new subcategory within the Ocean series. The mid-size SUV is set to compete with the Tesla Model Y in size but with a much more affordable price tag. The BYD Sea Lion […]
November 21, 2023
A 70 km/hour speed limit will now apply on the middle or central lane on roads in Wallonia with markings for bicycle paths on both sides. So, reports Sudinfo and La Libre Belgique. The Walloon government’s decree, which sets the speed limit, was published in the Belgian Bulletin of Acts. The rule was already in […]
November 21, 2023
With a 14% share in new car sales from January to October 2023, battery electric vehicles (BEVs) have overtaken diesel cars’ cumulative share (13,9%) in the European Union for the first time. Registration of BEVs increased by 36,3% in October to reach 121 808 units. Belgium (+143%) and Denmark (+100,7%) contributed quite a bit to […]
November 20, 2023
Zhejiang Geely Holding Group (Geely Holding), China’s largest private-owned automotive group, has decided to release more shareholdings in Volvo Car Group. Geely offered some 100 million shares of Volvo Car Group at a list price of 37 Swedish crowns, resulting in a sales transaction of some €322 million. Thirty-seven crowns are 9% under the closing […]
November 17, 2023
Amazon has announced its foray into the online vehicle sales arena, initiating a partnership with Hyundai, which is set to start in 2024. Customers will be able to browse and purchase Hyundai vehicles directly on Amazon.com. The service is restricted to the US for the time being. On the opening day of the LA Auto […]
November 17, 2023
The Flemish government has released final details on the conditions for its planned EV subsidy scheme. One of the more remarkable rules is that discounted cars are eligible, which could affect the price cap of 40 000 euros for some models. Savvy dealers, granting targeted discounts, might shift more EVs than expected under the new […]
November 17, 2023
Candela Technology’s P-12 Shuttle, the world’s first 30-passenger electric hydrofoil boat, has finally taken off in Stockholm waters. After successful test runs at up to 30 knots top speed (55,5 km/h), it is now going into serial production at Candela’s Rotebro factory in Sweden. The first P-12 Shuttle will enter Stockholm city’s fleet of public […]
November 16, 2023
As a prequel to its Capital Market Day around Ampere, organized on Wednesday, November 15th, in the afternoon by the Renault Group, Renault’s electric arm is already uncovering its plans for the years to come. These include seven EVs on the market by 2031, one of them a small EV, called the Twingo ‘Legend’, to […]
November 15, 2023
The Belgian federal energy regulator CREG has approved the new transmission rates grid manager Elia will charge for electricity distribution via the high-voltage network. The energy price will be significantly increased because the energy transition and expected EV boom will require a lot of heavy investments in the coming years. For consumers, higher rates mean […]
November 15, 2023
Lynk & Co subscribers in Europe lending their 01 plug-in hybrid to other users have earned themselves back some 850 000 euros in the last twelve months, sharing the car some 18 000 times or approximately for 1,5 million hours. By setting the rental price themselves, some of them even make a revenue of over […]
November 15, 2023
Geely’s daughter and exclusive EV manufacturer, Polestar, confirmed on Wednesday the successful start of production of Polestar 4, with first deliveries to customers in China expected before the end of 2023. The official launch in all other Polestar markets is planned for early 2024, with customer deliveries in these markets expected within the same year. […]
November 14, 2023
In 2022, 540 people died in Belgian traffic – one out of three fatalities was a cyclist or pedestrian. This score is far from the target of 320 road deaths by 2030. “Not enough has happened in road safety in the last ten years,” says Karin Genoe, CEO of Traffic Safety Institute Vias. “Many measures […]
November 14, 2023
BMW has ended the production of internal combustion engines at its main plant in Munich. The long-announced step was taken to make room for the production of electric cars at their biggest Bavarian plant. The manufacturer has wholly relocated the production of combustion engines to Steyr in Austria and Hams Hall in the UK. BMW […]
November 13, 2023
Stellantis’s daughter Lancia confirms its return to Belgium and Luxembourg on the occasion of the presentation of Lancia Pu+Ra HPE at the Residence of the Italian Ambassador in Brussels. Other European countries to return to are the Netherlands, Germany, France, Spain, and Portugal. The iconic Italian brand has a history of 117 years but disappeared […]
November 10, 2023
More than half of all Belgians (55%) and 62% of French don’t believe the electric car (EV) will replace the combustion engine (ICE) entirely in the long term. Austrians (65%) are even more skeptical. The opposite is true in the US or China, where 62 and 65% believe they will, not to mention the Turks, […]
November 10, 2023
Polestar, Volvo and Geely’s luxury electric vehicle subsidiary, has released its latest financial results and unveiled new strategic initiatives during the much-anticipated Polestar Day event in Santa Monica, California. Guess who’s building Polestar’s latest model, the 4? Polestar Day is a platform for the company to present its technology strategy and innovations to media, investors, […]
November 10, 2023
Denver-based start-up Solid Power announced it had shipped its first solid-state battery cell ‘A-samples’ to German carmaker BMW for formal automotive validation. BMW is to produce solid-state battery cells in its own pilot plant in Germany based on the design of technology partner Solid Power. A first prototype car with these batteries is expected by […]
November 09, 2023
Chinese car manufacturer Chery is launching one of its electric brands in Europe starting in late 2024. The two Exlantix models, a sedan (ES) and an SUV (ET) were already presented at the Geneva Motor Show a while ago. At the moment, the Exlantix models are still under the Exeed brand. Exeed is a high-end […]
November 09, 2023
The third chapter in Renault Group’s strategic plan Revolution: the ‘electric arm’ Ampere was launched on November 1st. Meanwhile, Renault and the Alliance partners Nissan and Mitsubishi struggle to get the ‘new’ Alliance going. Renault Group created Ampere, “a new model of an automotive company”, aiming to become the European leader in the high-growth market […]
November 08, 2023
The NGO Transport & Environment (T&E) is furious. The European car manufacturers (ACEA) are fiercely contesting the future Euro 7 standard because it would cost too much. Still, they’ve hiked the prices of their cars substantially, especially of the smaller ones, says a new T&E analysis. “Europe’s five biggest carmakers have raised the prices of […]
November 07, 2023
German discounter Aldi plans to install charging infrastructure for electric cars on its shopping sites in Belgium. By the end of 2024, the supermarket chain’s 440 stores will have charging points – both slow (11 to 22 kW) and fast chargers (60 to 120 kW). Aldi will, therefore, join forces with the Belgian start-up Pluon, […]
November 07, 2023
According to sources quoted by the Reuters press agency, Tesla CEO Elon Musk has told employees at the Grünheide gigafactory near Berlin (Germany) that he plans to install a second production line, aside from that of the Model Y, to build the long-expected ‘affordable’ Tesla under €25 000. Tesla declined to comment, and the ‘source […]
November 07, 2023
According to the data of the car and two-wheeler federation, Febiac, the new car market in Belgium and Luxembourg rose again by 26,6% in October compared to the year before. The cumulative result is 413 308 new cars for the first ten months (+32,5%); the expectation is to land at around 475 000 new registrations […]
November 06, 2023
It’s a sign of the times. Besides the iron-strong profits of the third quarter, Ferrari’s results unveiled that 51% of sales have a plug-in hybrid driveline. It’s the first time in the brand’s history that electrification has outperformed gasoline-only versions. Ferrari further acknowledged that development work on its all-electric model is progressing ahead of schedule. […]
November 03, 2023
Hedin Automotive, the Swedish multi-brand retailer and recent importer of the Chinese brand Hongqi in Belgium offers 50 hours of chauffeur service to clients buying a Hongqi E-HS9. The owner of a new Hongqi receives a voucher after purchasing a E-HS9 with a personal code to be used in an application of Get Driven, a […]
November 03, 2023
The all-new Skoda Superb has finally been revealed after months of teasers, and most of the technical data are already out in the open. The new model builds on the Superb’s strengths, with more space, practical details, and a more capable plug-in hybrid version. In terms of powertrains, customers can choose between five ICE options […]
November 03, 2023
The Belgian car and two-wheeler federation Febiac will organize a new event in February 2024 to spotlight the Belgian car sector. This ‘Automotive eMotion Summit’ wants to “shape car policies and fleet innovations”, says the press release. A few months ago, Febiac decided not to organize a Brussels Motor Show in January 2024. “When we […]
