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
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 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 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
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 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
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
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
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 […]
August 23, 2023
Renault developed the Plug Inn app to bring electric car users from any brand together in the hope of a better and easier charging solution. The app allows users to open up their smart private charge point at home to other users and monetize it. This community-based app is available in France. In Belgium, there’s […]
August 22, 2023
German premium car manufacturer Mercedes-Benz will reportedly upgrade its EQE and EQS electric models to an 800-volt electrical system from 2025 onward, allowing charging capacities over 200 kW. According to media reports, the switch to 800-volt system voltage is part of a larger upgrade of the EVA2 platform, which will then be called EVA2M. EVA2 […]
August 21, 2023
Sales keep troubling the German automotive giant Volkswagen Group. Its latest results published on Friday report encouraging growth for the Western European market, but registrations are further decreasing in the crucial Chinese marketplace. In July, Volkswagen delivered 770 000 vehicles, an increase of 12,8% compared to 2022, which was particularly cumbersome because of supply chain […]
August 21, 2023
Premiered at the prestigious Monterey Car Week in California, Lamborghini has unveiled its first zero-emission family member. The new Lamborghini Lanzador is the company’s first-ever all-electric car. This cross-over will be offered as a limited run to a selection of trusted and loyal customers. It precedes a fully electric version of the Urus, scheduled for […]
August 18, 2023
Sports retailer group Decathlon presented an e-bike with variable transmission on Thursday. The automatic shifting has been developed by E2 Drives in Wavre, in the Brabant Wallon province. The heart of the LD920 e-bike is a newly developed all-in-one solution for the bike drive, which was developed for three years with the Belgian start-up E2 […]
August 17, 2023
Joachim Sas will lead the import of luxury brands like Automobili Pininfarina, McLaren, and Rolls-Royce as COO for the Belux market. Until last month, Jochim Sas was General Manager for Mini at BMW Group Belux, where he left to pursue other career opportunities and was succeeded by Gabriel Goffoy, returning to BMW after his job […]
August 17, 2023
In an effort to further stimulate the adoption of electric vans for goods transport, Belgian Federal Minister for Mobility Georges Gilkinet (Ecolo) has proposed to exempt e-vans with a maximum authorized mass of more than 3,5 tons of their tachograph obligation, the newspaper De Tijd writes. It means that their driving and rest times would […]
August 17, 2023
The KIA EV5 will normally be revealed at China’s AutoChengdu on August 25, but as usual, the very first official pictures of the production version are already leaked via the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology (MIIT), picked up by CarNewsChina. Pictures of the final version show that the newcomer is very similar to the […]
August 16, 2023
After two separate fire incidents, US-based e-truck manufacturer Nikola has issued a recall for all 209 of its currently produced Tre BEV trucks due to a faulty component in the battery pack of the trucks. The company has also decided to pause sales of its battery-electric trucks until the issue is resolved. Two “thermal incidents”, […]
August 16, 2023
Volvo Cars reported global sales of 54 165 cars in July, up 21% compared with the same month last year. This was the eleventh consecutive month of growth year-over-year. In the same period, fully electric car sales grew 248% to 5 504 units, just over 10% of the total, while plug-in hybrids increased 65% to […]
August 16, 2023
On Wednesday, the renovation works on the viaduct in Vilvoorde started. The restoration will take eight years, as announced in March, and the heaviest traffic disruption is expected between 2027 and 2031. The cost is estimated at over 500 million euros. The Viaduct Zeekanaal Brussel-Schelde, as the bridge is officially called, is one of the […]
August 16, 2023
After the fire on the car cargo ship ‘Fremantle Highway’ off the Dutch coast, many popular media hastily identified an electric car as the cause. Now it turns out that this is untrue. Many publications used the fire accident to highlight the (real) difficulties of extinguishing a fire on an EV. Still, they immediately concluded […]
August 11, 2023
Cadillac has unveiled the Escalade IQ, an all-electric ‘full-size SUV’, scheduled for production in the summer of 2024. Based on General Motors’ Ultium platform, the Cadillac Escalade IQ gets an enormous battery. The Escalade IQ, which will debut with the 2025 model year, has up to 559 kW of all-wheel drive with two engines. That’s […]
August 11, 2023
New global safety regulations that will soon come into effect reportedly force Ford to postpone its European-built all-electric Explorer SUV by about six months into 2024. Production of the new Explorer, unveiled in March 2023, was initially planned to start at the newly opened Electric Vehicle Center in Cologne (Germany) after the summer holidays. According […]
August 10, 2023
Belgium has had 19 938 accidents with injuries or fatalities over the past ten years due to failure to observe safe following distances. Two hundred nineteen people were killed in these accidents, and 31 502 others were injured. In Wallonia alone, as many as 4 122 accidents in such circumstances have occurred in ten years, […]
August 09, 2023
The BMW i7 Protection is the world’s first-ever protection berline with an all-electric drive system. It is driven by two powerful electric motors and meets all the requirements of class VR9 protection without any limitations. The new BMW i7 Protection integrated security concept was factored into developing the new BMW 7 Series range. It centers […]
August 08, 2023
Denza, BYD’s premium branch and joint venture with Mercedes-Benz, is launching two new SUVs back-to-back for the Chinese market. The first is an electric SUV called N7, which should fight against the Tesla Model Y thanks to a 91,4-kWh battery and up to 700 km of range (Chinese CLTC standard). The second is the N8, […]
August 08, 2023
In July, prices of second-hand cars in Europe fell slightly. According to the Auto1 Group Price Index, the European report on used car prices, the prices in July 2023 were 13,6% lower than in July 2022 but still 25,6% higher than before the corona pandemic in July 2019. One year ago, In July 2022, the […]
August 07, 2023
The listed company D’Ieteren, which is best known for importing and distributing cars of the Volkswagen Group and Carglass, is further expanding its bike chain, Lucien. Having already opened Lucien shops in Brussels, Antwerp, and Ghent, it is now also setting its eyes on Wallonia. It plans to open its first shop in the heart of […]
August 07, 2023
Car manufacturing group Stellantis has announced that it plans to launch a second EV next year, costing less than € 25 000 in the standard version. The first to be announced was the Citroën ëC3, which should arrive on the market in the Spring of next year. The second lower-priced EV from Stellantis will be […]
August 07, 2023
American electric and fuel cell truckmaker Nikola keeps on sailing through stormy waters. Its third CEO in a row, Michael Lohscheller, the ex-boss of Opel in a former life, is stepping down immediately ‘for family reasons’ and returning to Europe. From there, he will stay on as an ‘advisor’ to assist CEO number four, until […]
August 04, 2023
According to Swedish tech pioneer Phyron, the future for car sales representatives is looking bleak. In 2025, according to their latest insight, artificial intelligence will be able to sell cars as effectively as humans. The development speed of the technology and the eager adoption of it by retailers are the main drivers. As chatbots don’t […]
August 04, 2023
German railway company LNVG has decided to halt further investments in hydrogen trains to replace diesel engines. Claiming they are cheaper to run, the company’s latest order consists of battery-powered and catenary trains only. The strategic move is significant, as the company was famed for inaugurating the first commercial hydrogen train line. In the summer […]
August 03, 2023
Registrations of new cars increased over the last 12 consecutive months, but the second-hand car market is also doing well in Belgium, says mobility federation Traxio. After several strong months, the used car market grew in July, with no less than 16,6% to 57 594 units. Cumulated over the first seven months, the increase is […]
August 02, 2023
In May of this year, vehicle lease company ALD Automotive announced that it had successfully acquired 100% of LeasePlan, one of the world’s leading fleet management and mobility companies. More than enough reasons for us to talk with Johan Portier, the new Country Managing Director of ALD Automotive/LeasePlan in Belgium. This transformative acquisition represented a […]
August 02, 2023
Italian design house Pininfarina Automobili shows its latest design study, the PURA Vision, as a guideline for a so-called electric Luxury Utility Vehicle (LUV) of the future. It will be shown at the Monterey Car Week later in August, next to the Battista Edizione Nino Farina hyper GT. Still, any technical specifications or a commitment […]
August 02, 2023
Last year, 85 844 tons of used tires were collected in Belgium. This is according to the non-profit organization Recytyre, the Belgian organization responsible for collecting and recycling tires. More than 99,8% of tire waste was recovered, mainly in the form of pellets. This percentage exceeds the minimum target of 85% for material recovery. Flanders […]
August 02, 2023
For the 12th consecutive month, the manufacturer and importer association Febiac noticed a significant increase in car sales in Belgium and Luxembourg: 34 669 cars were newly registered in July, 32,5% more than in July last year. The cumulative result since January 2023 is 299 144 registered cars, the best since 2020. Company cars represented […]
August 01, 2023
Stellantis Group has completed its 33,3% purchase in entering the capital of French fuel cell specialist Symbio, already a supplier of hydrogen systems for the group’s utility vehicles. The current shareholders, automotive supplier Faurecia and tire giant Michelin announced in December last year the start of negotiations with Stellantis. “Acquiring an equal stake in Symbio […]
August 01, 2023
The spirit of Saab might prevail, finally. An unknown investor has probably purchased the NEVS Emily GT project; hope is glimmering for the ill-fabled manufacturer. There is now a slight chance that a purely electric Saab sedan will occupy the streets again. The mismanagement of owner General Motors and the horrendous fumbling of potential overtakers […]
July 31, 2023
After announcing the electric car cooperation between VW and Audi with the Chinese manufacturers Xpeng and SAIC, Group CEO Oliver Blume gave more details. He spoke about the opportunities for the VW brand with the Xpeng cooperation and what Audi plans to do with the SAIC technology. VW’s own PPE and SPP platforms are not […]
July 31, 2023
The Belgian manufacturers association Febiac has lost its communication director (again). Gabriel Goffoy, who came over from BMW Belux to succeed Joost Kaesemans in September 2021, is returning to its old barn to become General Manager of Mini Belux. Goffoy started his career at BMW in 2003 and introduced Mini (the newly created brand under […]
July 28, 2023
A Brussels Court of First Instance has ordered Volkswagen to pay damages to those affected by the cheating software scandal in which it is embroiled. The German carmaker must reimburse them 5% of the purchase price of their car. Consumer organization Test Aankoop/Test Achat (TA) had filed a class action or group claim for this, […]
July 27, 2023
Renault will cease production of its Zoe electric car on 30 March 2024. It was already clear that there would be no new Zoe generation, but now the date has been set for the end of production at the Flins plant. The electric Renault pioneer is making room for a new generation of Renault electric […]
July 27, 2023
The Belgian VUB University (Brussels) is developing a charging technology “to make electric driving more pleasant and efficient”. Researchers at EPOWERS, a research group that works at the VUB MOBI research center, have developed a technology that significantly extends the range of electric vehicles (up to 1 000 km) with a limited number of recharges. […]
July 27, 2023
The Volkswagen brand has concluded a technological framework agreement for long-term cooperation with the Chinese electric car start-up Xpeng. The Wolfsburg-based company is also taking a stake of about 5% in Xpeng, and the Audi deal with SAIC was also confirmed by the Group. With the new collaboration with Xpeng, Volkswagen wants to further advance […]
July 26, 2023
Stellantis posts strong growth again in the first half of 2023 and sets new records in net revenues, adjusted operational income (AOI), and net profit. Net revenues of €98,4 billion are up 12% compared to H1 2022, primarily due to higher shipments. The adjusted operating income of €14,1 billion is up 11% compared to H1 […]
July 26, 2023
Mercedes-Benz is trying to improve its sluggish BEV sales, especially in China, but also in other markets. The answer of CEO Ola Kälenius and his management team is to heighten the investments. “Sales may be slow for the moment; changing strategy would be really dangerous,” he says in an interview with the German Handelsblatt. According […]
July 25, 2023
Two months after it was introduced to the world, the newest generation of the BMW 5 Series started production in BMW’s Dingolfing factory. The combustion-powered model is produced alongside the all-electric i5 thanks to a flexible production process. With the i5, the Dingolfing plant is now producing three electric models, including the iX and i7. […]
July 25, 2023
For weeks already, there have been rumors that VW’s daughter Audi is considering buying an electric car platform from a competitor in China. This comes as the VW Group’s SSP platform accumulates delays, and Audi can’t (and does not want to) wait longer. The company Audi is talking to is the Chinese SAIC Motor Corp. […]
July 24, 2023
It’s going further downhill with the French hydrogen car fairy tale of racing pilot Olivier Lombard, the Hopium Māchina that once was called the ‘French Tesla of hydrogen’ by the former Transport Minister Jean-Baptiste Djebbari. The Paris court granted the start-up a judicial recovery procedure for six months, eventually to be extended to twelve. In […]
July 24, 2023
The German Federal Ministry of Economics and Climate Protection (Bundesministerium für Wirtschaft und Klimatschutz, or BMWK in German) will increase the budget for the environmental bonus this year. It had initially earmarked €2,1 billion for this purpose in 2023. That will now be increased to at least €2,5 billion. The information comes from a report […]
July 20, 2023
Volvo Cars reported a 39% increase in operating profits, excluding joint ventures and associates, and a corresponding EBIT margin of 6,3% for the second quarter of 2023. Regarding its operational performance during the second quarter, Volvo Cars recorded an increase of 43% versus the same period in 2022. It also saw a solid global sales […]
July 19, 2023
The Renault Group is recovering swiftly from the difficult years behind and the problems encountered. Its worldwide sales amounted to 1 133 667 vehicles in the first half of 2023, up 13% versus H1 of 2022. In Europe, Group sales were up 24% in a market up almost 18%. The Group’s sales policy, focused on […]
July 19, 2023
The Flemish government decided to slack off the future ban on Euro 2 gasoline cars and Euro 5 diesel cars in the Low-Emission Zones of Antwerp and Gent, the sole cities in Flanders that actually have a LEZ besides Brussels. Initially due to be effective from January 1st, 2025, the ban will be postponed by […]
July 19, 2023
“VanMoof on the verge of bankruptcy,” we wrote just a week ago. Last Wednesday, the company was granted a two-month payment postponement by the Amsterdam court, but, in the meantime, the court has declared the Dutch e-bike manufacturer VanMoof bankrupt. Despite their ambitious plans to develop the perfect city bike and “get as many people […]
July 19, 2023
Ford is slashing the price of its F-150 Lightning in the US. Depending on the variant, the electric pickup now costs up to 10 000 dollars less. The new base price for the F-150 Lightning is $49 995. According to the manufacturer, it is “taking advantage of increased plant capacity, continued work on scaling production […]
