November 21, 2024
The first (pre-series) cars of the Neue Klasse have rolled off the production line at the new BMW plant in Debrecen, Hungary. These are not production models but test vehicles of the all-electric X SUV model of the Neue Klasse. As the validation of production processes is “progressing according to plan” with the assembly of […]
November 21, 2024
Once again, Ford has announced plans to reduce its European workforce by around 4,000 employees in 2027. There are 2,900 of them in Germany, 800 in the UK, and some 300 elsewhere in Europe. The car manufacturer hopes to increase its competitiveness in this way. At the beginning of 2023, Ford announced a job cut […]
November 14, 2024
Renault opened the order books for the first two Renault 5 E-Tech electric versions in May. The Techno version costs €32,900, while the Iconic Cinq version costs €2,000 more. Both versions have the 52 kWh battery in the ‘Comfort Range’. Some additional versions have now been added. However, you will still have to wait until […]
November 13, 2024
Tesla CEO Elon Musk is to officially join Trump’s administration as the co-head of the new US Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE), a second federal department designed to improve government spending. Throughout the elections, Musk, already CEO of Tesla and SpaceX and the de facto head of X, xAI, Neuralink, and the Boring Company, has […]
November 13, 2024
After extensive upgrades at the beginning of the year, the Taycan lineup is growing to offer buyers even more ways to get one in 2025. Three additional versions complete the family, now counting 16 different variants. Porsche announced on Tuesday that three new members of the updated Taycan family will be in the showrooms in […]
November 12, 2024
Nissan is adopting a harsh cost-cutting course. Global production capacities will be reduced by 20%, and 9,000 jobs will disappear. Nissan also plans to sell about one-third of its Mitsubishi shares, representing approximately 10% of the total MMC shares. The changes are motivated by the company’s consolidated net value decreasing by 79.1 billion yen (approx. […]
November 12, 2024
In November 2020, Bentley announced as part of its ‘Beyond100’ strategy that the entire model range would be converted to fully electric vehicles by 2030. The VW luxury brand has now postponed this target to 2035. The schedule change is part of the revised corporate strategy ‘Beyond100+’, which the new Bentley CEO Frank-Steffen Walliser, who […]
November 11, 2024
Mercedes-Benz’s sporty subdivision Mercedes-AMG wants to develop a full-size electric SUV from the ground up. The model will be the second vehicle based on the all-electric AMG.EA platform. Development vehicles are due to start their first test drives this winter. The AMG.EA platform, short for AMG Electric Architecture, is designed for Mercedes-AMG’s future performance models. […]
November 08, 2024
At their annual press conference, the Belgian Association of Vehicle Rental Companies Renta urgently appealed for help. Renta Chairman and Ayvens CEO Johan Portier made it clear that the second-hand market needs structural support, now. “The Belgian market is now like an island in Europe. With its heavy emphasis on company cars (B2B market) and […]
November 08, 2024
German premium car manufacturer Mercedes-Benz says its upcoming entry-level CLA will set the bar for EV range, charging speed, and efficiency with advanced new tech. Ahead of its arrival in 2025, Mercedes is giving us a slightly closer look at its new generation of electric cars. “With the CLA, we are ushering in a new […]
November 07, 2024
The election of Donald Trump as the next American president is terrible news for the climate, says KU Leuven professor Katja Biedenkopf, an expert on climate negotiations. “Trump has already announced that he will support the oil and gas industry and reduce or abolish Biden’s climate-friendly actions.” The stock market also reacted to the election. […]
November 07, 2024
The new Flemish Mobility Minister Annick De Ridder warned that the number of EV premium requests has already surpassed 11,700, doubling the budget initially foreseen by predecessor Lydia Peeters (Open Vld). De Ridder (N-VA) wanted to take a decretional decision to abolish the premium as soon as possible. This decision was voted positively on Wednesday […]
November 06, 2024
Kia has already delisted the Niro EV from its German-language website. This is likely due to the new Kia EV3, which is hitting the market with remarkably similar specifications but stands better in every category, from charging to pricing. Meanwhile, Kia is testing rigorously its even smaller EV, the Kia EV2. There are even talks […]
November 06, 2024
On Sunday, the new French Economy Minister Antoine Armand pleaded to postpone the fines for car manufacturers exceeding the EU CO2 targets. A spokesman for the European Commission responded on Monday that such initiatives are premature. “Talking already about a change in the Commission’s position on these matters is really premature,” he said in Brussels. […]
November 05, 2024
According to the data from the federal government service Mobility and Transport and the sector federation Febiac, car registrations in October 2024 were 5.5% less than last year. 36,447 cars were registered. Added to the total for the first nine months, 393,015 units were sold in 2024, or 4.9% less. Three-fifths (60.9%) of the market […]
November 04, 2024
Because of weak demand, the US automotive group Ford has decided to suspend production of its F-150 Lightning electric pickup truck for six weeks. Ford’s electric car division has been making massive losses for a long time. The combustion version of the F-150 has long been a cult car in the USA and an important […]
November 04, 2024
One year after its creation, Renault’s electric subsidiary Ampere seems to flourish. Renault Group CEO Luca de Meo said this in a press gathering last week in Douai at one of the manufacturer’s ‘Electricity’ plants in France. According to the CEO, Ampere was the right decision to respond to the energy transition and for Renault […]
November 01, 2024
Yesterday, Hyundai Motor Company unveiled its Initium hydrogen fuel cell electric vehicle (FCEV) concept at its ‘Clearly Committed’ event at Hyundai Motorstudio Goyang. Initium provides a preview of a new production FCEV that Hyundai Motor plans to unveil in the first half of next year. Initium is a Latin word meaning ‘beginning’ or ‘first’. “It […]
October 31, 2024
In the third quarter of 2024, Volkswagen Group saw its operating result shrink by 41.7% and its earnings after taxes by 63.7%. The core brand Volkswagen was barely profitable. Against this backdrop, VW and IG Metall have started the next round of negotiations on the company’s collective labor agreement. VW CFO Arno Antlitz insists on […]
October 30, 2024
The European Commission has made the higher import tariffs on Chinese EVs effective ‘by law’ from Thursday after the official publication of it. Negotiations with Chinese government failed so far, but the Commission is aiming for deals with individual manufacturers now on a minimum price for cars and quotas for their imports. In return, the […]
October 29, 2024
Works Council Chairwoman Daniela Cavallo has provided further details on the planned savings in the Volkswagen Group ahead of the next round of negotiations. The Board of Management allegedly wants to close up to three plants, downsize all others, divest core areas, and implement massive salary cuts. This would also affect electric car production. “This […]
October 28, 2024
According to sector federation Febiac, the market share of pure electric cars in Belgium and Luxembourg is still growing. During the first nine months of this year, 27% of registrations were purely electric, a 7.4% increase compared to 2023. Of course, the most significant factor in this positive electric result is the company car segment, […]
October 25, 2024
With a turnover of €10.7 billion (+1.8%), Renault Group is swimming against the tide in automotive land. Thanks to many new models, sales decreased less than the market average. That’s why it maintains its forecast for 2024, with an operational margin of 7.5% and a free cash flow of over € 2.5 billion. “Our third-quarter […]
October 24, 2024
Despite good Q3 sales results, Volvo is warning of a ‘cold winter’ in sales for the last quarter of this year and even deep into 2025. Meanwhile, the sales of electrified vehicles almost reach half of the total sales, and pure electric sales represent one-quarter of these total sales. Volvo Cars reported a core operating […]
October 23, 2024
To mark the 25th anniversary of the original A2, Audi is showcasing an A2 e-tron, an A2 that has been converted into an electric vehicle by a bunch of Audi apprentices. Although this is a one-off created for the anniversary, Audi is planning a new entry-level electric model below the Q4 e-tron, likely to be […]
October 23, 2024
The Swiss manufacturer Softcar has unveiled a lightweight L7e electric car with four seats. It weighs 640 kilograms, including the battery, and is said to have a range of 200 kilometers. Prices start from €23,000. All vehicles in the L7e class have one thing in common: they can travel at a maximum speed of 90 […]
October 22, 2024
According to a new study by the green group Transport & Environment (T&E), subsidies for gasoline and diesel company cars cost taxpayers €42 billion every year in the five biggest EU countries alone. The study by ERM, commissioned by T&E, calculates the effects of the four tax benefits traditionally given to company cars: benefit-in-kind, depreciation […]
October 22, 2024
The European Car Manufacturers Association (ACEA) data show that in September 2024, new EU car registrations continued their downward trajectory (-6.1%), with negative results across three of the region’s four major markets. France declined by -11.1%, Italy by -10.7%, and the German market regressed by 7%. On the other hand, Spain experienced a rebound (+6.3%). […]
October 21, 2024
At the Paris Motor Show, Renault also presented an entire EV ecosystem. It has shown up with a fleet of electric vehicles covering everything from the road to the sea and even the sky. The concept vehicles were showcased with the Renault 4 E-Tech launch. Renault not only presented the R4 E-Tech for the first […]
October 21, 2024
Specialized news magazine Automotive News communicated this week that the fate of the Audi factory in Brussels was sealed. The factory will be closed, and all 3,000 employees will be laid off. Maybe the spectacular message comes a bit too early. A recent statement by Audi COO Gerd Walker has fueled it. Until now, Volkswagen […]
October 18, 2024
The Dutch mobility organization ANWB has studied the charging habits of its members all across Europe this summer. They researched the data of their members’ charging passes (ANWB laadpas), which have been charged 63,000 times abroad this summer. Most charging sessions were in France (24,615), Germany (17,202), Belgium (5,179), and Italy (4,278). Still, some Dutchmen […]
October 17, 2024
Stellantis said on Wednesday that its consolidated global shipments in the third quarter have dropped to 1.148 million units, a 20% decrease compared to the same period in 2023. The Franco-Italian automaker said in a note that the fall in deliveries was higher than underlying sales, which are estimated to have dropped by 15%. This […]
October 17, 2024
South Korean car manufacturer Hyundai wanted to present something new at the Paris Motor Show, so this week, it premiered the Inster Cross in the French metropolis. Hyundai says it’s a version of the small city dweller “with a more outdoor look”. The regular Inster, based on the little Casper with a combustion engine available […]
October 16, 2024
The International Council on Clean Transportation (ICCT) has published a study on the CO2 reduction requirements of the ten largest car manufacturers to comply with the EU’s fleet limits for 2025. On average, manufacturers must increase their BEV share by a maximum of twelve percentage points, from 16% in 2023 to around 28% by 2025. […]
October 16, 2024
Stellantis brand Citroën presented the upcoming C5 Aircross as a concept car at the Paris Motor Show. The carmaker will also launch it with a purely electric drive. The revised ë-C4 and ë-C4 X were also on display. The C5 Aircross Concept shown in Paris features several design elements common to show cars of this […]
October 15, 2024
Stellantis CEO Carlos Tavares said on Monday at the Paris Motor Show that he is not ruling out future job cuts. “I am not ruling out anything,” Tavares told French radio station RTL when asked whether he intended to cut jobs. Tavares was in the French capital for the Paris Motor Show, which runs until […]
October 15, 2024
Leapmotor International entered the Paris Motor Show today with the global debut of the B10, the first model in its new B-series. “This launch marks a critical milestone in Leapmotor’s global expansion, as the company accelerates its efforts to provide accessible, high-tech electric vehicles (EVs) across Europe and beyond,” says the press release from partner […]
October 14, 2024
Renault is also showing the production version of its new R4 at the Paris Motor Show. The press release says the Renault 4 E-Tech electric “takes up a natural position in the B segment, just above Renault 5 E-Tech electric. ” Slightly bigger and roomier than the Renault 5 E-Tech electric, its positioning is similar […]
October 14, 2024
Just before the start of this year’s Paris Motor Show, Renault’s sports car subsidiary, Alpine, invited guests to the presentation of the A390_β. Without the Greek letter in its name, the production version is scheduled for market launch next year. We were allowed to look at this ‘beta version’ and gain insight into Alpine’s electrification […]
October 11, 2024
As of now, the Stellantis group is definitely and officially in search of a new CEO. Its creator and current CEO, Carlos Tavares, will end his mandate in early 2026, and it will not be renewed. Meanwhile, the current boss has reshuffled his management in the wake of the group’s receding sales and profit figures […]
October 11, 2024
The BMW Group increased its deliveries of all-electric vehicles in the third quarter by 10.1% compared to the same quarter last year. Across all BMW brands, the manufacturer delivered a total of 103,440 electric vehicles. In total, for the first nine months of 2024, BMW Group delivered 1,754,158 units, 4.5% less than the year. “This […]
October 10, 2024
In seven years, Volvo Cars’ factory in Ghent, Belgium, has produced one million XC40s (and derivatives). The car was Volvo’s first compact premium SUV and also became the first EV for the Swedes with a fully electric version. In 2025, it will be joined by Volvo’s latest small EV to date, the EX30, which is […]
October 10, 2024
Ratan Tata, the businessman who inherited one of India’s oldest conglomerates and transformed it through a string of eye-catching deals into a global empire, has died. He was 86. In 2008, he bought Jaguar Land Rover from Ford. Tata Group Chairman Natarajan Chandrasekaran announced his death in a statement, calling Tata “a truly uncommon leader […]
October 10, 2024
Dacia, already Europe’s leading B-segment brand, is entering the C-SUV segment with Bigster. This all-new vehicle illustrates Dacia’s core values: essential, eco-smart, robust, and outdoor. It will also be a lot cheaper than its main rivals. The all-new Bigster is tailored to the specific requirements of a still-growing SUV market. “Spiraling costs are an issue […]
October 09, 2024
Another Toyota and Subaru co-developed electric SUV is coming to the US, Europe, and Japan. The new electric SUV will join the current bZ4X and Solterra in the Japanese automaker’s global lineup. Toyota and Subaru worked together to launch the bZ4X and Solterra models in May 2022. These electric SUVs are based on the e-TNGA […]
October 08, 2024
Last Friday, the 27 EU member states voted on the Commission’s proposal to seriously increase the import tariffs on EVs produced in China. We already commented on this last week. Meanwhile, the Chinese have reacted, and the NGO T&E has commented interestingly. China’s Ministry of Commerce (MOFCOM) has opposed the European Union’s additional tariffs on […]
October 08, 2024
Jeep’s commercial results in Europe at the end of September 2024 show a volume of registrations of 100,700 units, an increase of 3.5%, and a market share of 1%. “We are thrilled to announce that Jeep sales in Europe have surpassed 100,000 vehicles, demonstrating that our commitment to delivering a brand that embodies freedom and […]
October 07, 2024
This weekend, the 15th edition of the Zoute Grand Prix (ZGP) took place in Knokke on the Belgian coast. The (cristal) jubilee edition was also the first of a new era. After serious financial problems, the organization was taken over, and the event wanted to start on a clean sheet. That worked well, apparently, with […]
October 04, 2024
A week before its official premiere at the Paris Motor Show, Peugeot has already revealed the e-408, an electric variant of its mid-size crossover that will try to compete with the Tesla Model 3 and Polestar 2, among others. This addition means that almost every car available to order in Peugeot’s line-up now offers a […]
October 04, 2024
Skoda has presented the Elroq, its second EV after the Enyaq. When the Skoda comes onto the market in the first quarter of 2025, it will offer much for the money asked. The price for Belux has just been released: €33,990. According to Skoda, it’s the first time a fully electric vehicle is available at […]
October 02, 2024
According to the latest data from the sector federation Febiac and the federal service Mobility & Transport, the registrations of new cars in September decreased by 18.6% compared to last year. Thirty-one thousand six hundred seventy-six (31,676) new vehicles were registered. The cumulated data for the first three quarters show 356,568 registrations, 4.9% less than […]
October 01, 2024
Car manufacturing group Stellantis is undoubtedly not the first to lower its expectations, but the stock market’s reaction has been the most brutal. Stellantis shares have fallen by more than 10%. It seems that shareholders and speculators wanted to punish Stellantis for its impressive successes in the last years now that the car industry, in […]
October 01, 2024
Chinese car manufacturer BYD has filed a recall of nearly 100,000 vehicles due to a manufacturing fault in the electric power steering column assembly (CEPS) controller. According to China’s State Administration for Market Regulation (SAMR), due to fire risks, the automaker will recall 96,714 Dolphin and Yuan Plus vehicles in China starting September 30th, 2024. […]
September 27, 2024
Jaguar Land Rover is getting its 61-year-old factory in Halewood near Liverpool ready for EV production. Here, the carmaker will manufacture mid-size electric SUVs based on the new Electric Modular Architecture (EMA) platform. The first half of the £500 million investment (€600 million) has already been used to modernize production lines and machinery, train staff, […]
September 27, 2024
The Dutch non-profit research organization TNO (Toegepast Natuurwetenschappelijk Onderzoek) survey shows that 48% of potential second-hand car buyers prefer an EV. The survey asked 1,512 respondents which type of car they would buy on the second-hand market in the five years to come. Almost half (48%) preferred an electric car, and 59% thought it feasible […]
September 26, 2024
According to the mobility organization Touring, the average EV driver in Belgium is highly educated, has a higher-than-average income, and has a private parking spot for his car. Touring has realized the latest European Alternative Fuels Observatory (EAFO) survey in Belgium in cooperation with the Brussels VUB University and interrogated 1,356 Belgian drivers. 96 of […]
September 25, 2024
The first European Media Drive for the Leapmotor C10 and T03 models is currently taking place in Milan. The event marks Leapmotor International’s official debut in Europe. Meanwhile, the Chinese carmaker is already readying other models to enter the market. In October 2023, Leapmotor and Stellantis announced that Stellantis would invest around 1.5 billion euros […]
September 25, 2024
BMW just released more information about its model offer update for the autumn and winter of 2024. Just a few weeks after the new BMW 1 Series launches, another two model variants will be available from November 2024. At the same time, the line-up of drive systems for the BMW i5 Touring and BMW 5 […]
September 24, 2024
On Monday, due to national security concerns, the US Commerce Department proposed prohibiting essential Chinese software and hardware in connected vehicles on American roads. This move would effectively ban Chinese cars and trucks from the US market. The planned regulation, first reported by Reuters, would also force American and other major automakers to remove critical […]
September 23, 2024
After 40 years, Volkswagen is no longer building Polo models in Europe. VW has ended its Polo production in Europe as it shifts its focus to smaller, more affordable EVs. Volkswagen has been building Polo models in Pamplona, Spain, since 1984. Over 8.4 million Polos have been assembled at the Pamplona plant as one of […]
