Volvo Cars has introduced Accident Ahead Alert, a new connected safety feature. For the first time, cars can alert drivers of accidents ahead directly using real-time data from a traffic management center. It will be available in compatible Volvo cars in Europe, starting from Denmark. With the aim to help... Read more →

The United States was again the largest supplier of liquefied natural gas (LNG) to Europe (EU-27 and the UK) in 2023, accounting for nearly half of total LNG imports, according to data from CEDIGAZ. Last year marks the third consecutive year in which the United States supplied more LNG to... Read more →

In 2024 and 2025, MAN Truck & Bus will establish battery repair centers in Italy, Denmark/Norway, Austria, Belgium, Netherlands, France, Poland and UK, with further countries in Europe being planned. Millions will be invested in these centers over the next two years. Two battery repair centers are already in operation... Read more →

More than 200 battery factories are to be built worldwide over the coming ten years, most of them in Europe; production technology worth billions is needed for each of these factories. This marks an historic growth opportunity for German and European mechanical and plant engineering firms, according to a new... Read more →

Europe’s new vehicle registrations reached their highest level last year since the pandemic. Strong demand for battery electric vehicles (BEVs) and the growing influence of new market entrants sparked significant shifts in the continent’s automotive landscape with new passenger vehicle registrations totalling 12,792,151 units in Europe-28 in 2023, up 14%... Read more →

The ID.7 is the flagship among electric Volkswagen models. Volkswagen is now expanding the ID.7 portfolio in Europe with an estate car: the all-new ID.7 Tourer. It is one of the first all-electric estate cars in the upper mid-sized class. Volkswagen is also represented in this class with the new... Read more →

Just 17% of electric cars sold in Europe are compact vehicles in the cheaper B segment, compared to 37% of new combustion engines, a new analysis by environmental NGO Transport & Environment (T&E;) finds. Only 40 fully electric models were launched in the compact segments (A and B) between 2018... Read more →

HEULIEZ, the urban bus brand of Iveco Group has been selected by Régie des Transports Métropolitains (RTM, the public transport operator of Marseille) to supply 200 electric buses, with a contract worth €125 million. This significant order marks a major step forward in the large-scale electrification of Marseille’s public transport... Read more →

The authorities of the city of Galați, Romania, selected Solaris as the supplier of 40 modern electric buses through a tender procedure. Solaris will deliver 20 battery buses in a 9-meter version and another 20 with a length of 12 meters. The e-buses will be equipped with both plug-in charging... Read more →

ACC (Automotive Cells Company) closed a €4.4-billion debt raising, increasing the funding for the construction of three gigafactories for lithium-ion battery cell production in France, Germany, and Italy, and for R&D.; ACC is a joint venture between Stellantis, Mercedes-Benz and TotalEnergies, through its subsidiary Saft, behind the technology used by... Read more →

As reported by the CO2 refrigeration marketplace R744, the Volkswagen Group plans to convert all mobile air conditioning heat pumps in its battery electric vehicles (BEV) models to CO2 (R744) by 2030. The Group made the statement in a public comment submitted regarding the European PFAS Restriction Proposal. In 2023,... Read more →

Plug Power signed a contract to deliver a Basic Engineering and Design Package (BEDP) for a 500 megawatt (MW) electrolyzer project in Europe. The contract increases Plug’s total amount of BEDP contracts to 4.1 gigawatts (GW). Plug started offering a Basic Engineering Design Package (BEDP) to the market in 2022.... Read more →

A total of 45 e-kerosene projects could see the light in the European Economic Area (EEA), enabling sufficient supply of green fuels to meet the EU’s law on sustainable aviation fuels (SAFs). However, without final investment decisions, these projects are at risk as well as the targets stipulated by the... Read more →

Specialty chemicals company LANXESS and battery materials manufacturer IBU-tec advanced materials have entered into a research cooperation to develop innovative iron oxides for the production of cathode material for LFP batteries and thus increase the performance of this battery type. The companies aim to optimize the electrochemical properties of LFP... Read more →

POSCO International (earlier post) has received an order for 1.03 million drive motor cores to be mounted on Hyundai-Kia Motors’ electric vehicle (Seltos class) to be produced locally for the first time in Europe from 2025 to 2034. 550,000 units of drive motor core will be supplied to Hyundai Kia... Read more →

TECO 2030 is starting its second EU Horizon project, Zero Emission Adriatic Ship (ZEAS), together with 13 partners from various European countries. The overall project grant from EU Horizon is more than €13.5 million; more than €2.3 million is reserved to TECO 2030’s deliverable of 1.2 megawatts (MW) of fuel... Read more →

New cars in Europe are getting 1 cm wider every two years, on average, according to research by environmental NGO Transport & Environment (T&E;). T&E; says the trend will continue due to the rising sales of SUVs unless lawmakers take action. Around half of new cars sold are already too... Read more →

The European Parliament and Council reached a provisional agreement on new measures to strengthen CO2 emission reduction targets for new heavy-duty vehicles. Negotiators agreed on CO2 emissions reduction targets of 45% for the period 2030-2034; 65% for 2035-2039; and 90% as of 2040, applying for large trucks (including vocational vehicles,... Read more →

Lotus announced two new pan-European charging partnerships to support the growing number of customers taking delivery of its electric vehicles. The company’s Eletre owners will be able tap into Bosch’s and Mobilize Power Solutions’ charging capabilities, enabling them to charge their hyper-SUV at home or on the move, providing them... Read more →

BASF, a global battery materials producer and battery recycler, and Stena Recycling, one of Europe´s leading recycling companies, offering comprehensive solutions in recycling and circular services, have entered into a black mass purchase agreement. This agreement is part of a broader collaboration envisaged by BASF and Stena Recycling with the... Read more →

Norway’s Storting (Norwegian parliament) endorsed the Government’s proposal to open parts of the Norwegian continental shelf for exploration for and production of seabed minerals. Norway is the first country in Europe to approve such seabed mining plans. A section of a sulfide sample, obtained during an expedition to the Mohns... Read more →

Turkey-based TEMSA, a coach, bus, and light-truck manufacturer operating in 70 countries worldwide, is partnering with Minespider to collect key data, integrate Battery Passports and comply with the new EU Battery Regulation. Minespider is a technology company offering a blockchain-based platform for tracking supply chain data and creating more sustainable... Read more →

The board of De Lijn, the public transport authority and operator in Flanders, Belgium, has approved the purchase of 92 standard (12 m) electric buses from BYD Europe.The order represents an investment of more than €43 million. This order of 92 standard e-buses follows the awarding by De Lijn’s board... Read more →

The European Commission launched an investigation into allegations of dumping of biodiesel from China onto the EU market. The product specifically subject to this investigation is fatty-acid mono-alkyl esters and/or paraffinic gasoils obtained from synthesis and/or hydro-treatment, of non-fossil origin. If dumping is confirmed and is found to be harming... Read more →

Equinor will supply Germany’s state-owned energy company SEFE (Securing Energy for Europe) with 111 terrawatt hours (ca 10 billion cubic meters - bcm) of natural gas per year from 1 January 2024 until 2034, plus an option for another 5 years, at terms reflecting market prices. The annual volumes are... Read more →

In the first three quarters of 2023, BEV and PHEV market shares averaged 23% in Europe, according to the International Council on Clean Transportation’s (ICCT) latest market monitor. The average market share of battery electric vehicles (BEVs) in 2023 to date was about 15%, with a market share of 17%... Read more →

BYD will build a manufacturing and production center in Szeged, Hungary. The facility will be the first of its kind built by a Chinese automotive company in Europe. The factory will be built in phases and is expected to create thousands of local jobs, boost the local economy and support... Read more →

IVECO BUS, the urban, intercity and tourist bus brand of Iveco Group N.V., has signed a contract to supply 153 new electric buses to Azienda Trasporti Milanesi S.p.A. (ATM), Milan‘s public transport company. The E-WAY model selected by ATM is a night-time charging version equipped with the latest NMC battery... Read more →

The European Council and the European Parliament reached a provisional agreement on the Euro 7 regulation for the type-approval of motor vehicles and engines, and of the systems, components and separate technical units intended for such vehicles, with respect to their emissions and battery durability. The new regulation sets rules... Read more →

Westport Fuel Systems has been awarded a development program by a global heavy truck manufacturer to adapt Westport’s Next Generation LNG HPDI fuel system to meet the Euro 7 emissions requirements for heavy-duty vehicle applications. The value of the development program is estimated to be US$33 million and will be... Read more →

The Catalonia Institute for Energy Research (IREC), in collaboration with CIDETEC Energy Storage and seventeen European partners, has developed Spain’s first large-format cobalt-free lithium-ion battery prototype. The prototype has been developed through the COBRA (CObalt-free Batteries for FutuRe Automotive Applications) project (earlier post) and is currently in the pre-commercial phase.... Read more →

Solaris Bus & Coach and the Warsaw Public Transport Authority (ZTM) signed a contract for the delivery of 12 articulated Urbino 18 electric buses in 2024-2025, adding to the existing fleet of 150 electric buses from Solaris already serving the public transport network in the capital of Poland since 2015.... Read more →

LG Energy Solution and Impact Clean Power Technology (ICPT), a supplier of heavy-duty battery systems for public transportation, signed a supply agreement for NCM lithium-ion battery modules. Over the next three years, LG Energy Solution will deliver around 200,000 units of battery modules manufactured at its Wroclaw plant in Poland... Read more →

Toyota Motor Europe (TME) will establish a local business operation, the Hydrogen Factory Europe. It will ensure a co-ordinated approach to the commercialization of hydrogen technology and systems—spanning everything from development and production, through to sales and aftersales. The Hydrogen Factory will be responsible for producing an increasing number of... Read more →

Toyota is introducing its first entry into the large-size commercial van segment in Europe with the PROACE MAX. The PROACE MAX joins an expanded PROACE family of vehicles alongside the updated PROACE and PROACE CITY as part of a comprehensive Toyota Professional product portfolio of commercial vehicles. A new battery-electric... Read more →

At Toyota Motor Europe’s (TME) 2023 Kenshiki event, a team of executives presented the company’s latest electrified products and technologies. Kenshiki means “insight” in Japanese; this year’s edition, with an audience of more than 300 media, focused on the battery electric and hydrogen vehicles which will play a significant role... Read more →

Euro Manganese signed definitive agreements with OMRF (BK) LLC, which is managed by the Orion Resource Partners Group, for US$100 million in non-dilutive financing to advance the development of the Chvaletice Manganese Project in the Czech Republic. (Earlier post.) The US$100 million funding is split into two US$50-million components: A... Read more →

Altilium, a UK-based clean technology group, has secured more than £700,000 (US$889,000) in UK government innovation funding for two collaborative research projects focused on the recovery of copper and Rare Earth Elements (REE) from mine waste. Building on its work to recover lithium and other critical battery materials from end-of-life... Read more →

The European Investment Bank (EIB) will loan Iveco Group N.V. up to €500 million to contribute to the electrification, efficiency and safety of the transport sector through investments in research, development and innovation. A loan of €450 million represents the first tranche of the €500 million total approved by the... Read more →

Nissan has confirmed that all three models made at its UK plant will go 100% electric. The announcement means the EV36Zero hub in Sunderland, Nissan's blueprint for future manufacturing, will consist of three electric vehicles (EVs), three gigafactories and up to £3 billion investment. The transformational project includes future all-electric... Read more →

The city of Wałbrzych, Poland, has contracted for 20 Solaris Urbino 12 hydrogen buses, including an option to purchase an additional 25 vehicles. The first 14 units will be delivered to Wałbrzych in September next year. The contract is to be completed by the end of July 2025. The vehicles... Read more →

At the European Hydrogen Week event in Brussels, European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen announced the €2.2-billion second auction of the European Hydrogen Bank, as well as the signing of a major investment agreement with the Brazilian state of Piaui. The announcement came three days before the official launch... Read more →

Munich-based KEYOU, which specializes in retrofitting heavy-duty trucks for operateion on hydrogen (earlier post) and leading commercial vehicle specialist Paul Nutzfahrzeuge from Vilshofen in Lower Bavaria are further expanding their existing partnership.The aim of the intensified cooperation is to provide a nationwide service network and thus further advance the market... Read more →

MAHLE Powertrain, the specialist engineering services provider, has opened a new state-of-the-art battery development center in Stuttgart, Germany, specifically to cater for the needs of its European clients. The facility spans more than 1,300 m2 and it can accommodate all aspects of battery development, from initial prototyping through to small-scale... Read more →

US coal exports increased by 5.7 million short tons (MMst) in the 12 months after EU sanctions on coal from Russia went into full effect in August 2022, according to the US Energy Information Administration (EIA). The increase was driven almost exclusively by a 22% jump in U.S coal exports... Read more →

Through the first two months of Q3 2023, Chinese OEMs made up a record 37% of the nation’s EV exports to Europe (by GWh deployed), up from 22% in Q1 of this year, 8% in Q1 of last year, and just 6% in Q1 2021, according to data from Adamas... Read more →

Responding to strong demand for the car, Volvo Cars has decided that it will start building the new fully electric Volvo EX30 (earlier post) in its Ghent plant in Belgium from 2025, expanding production capacity for its celebrated small SUV. The EX30 was revealed earlier this year and has already... Read more →

The Swedish public transport operator Nobina Stockholm has ordered 55 Urbino 15 LE electric buses. The vehicles will be put into operation on suburban routes in the Stockholm region. Deliveries are scheduled for 2024. The Urbino 15 LE electric buses are low-entry, tri-axle electric vehicles that can be used both... Read more →

The newly-founded Brussels-based European EV battery materials producer IONWAY—a joint venture backed by Volkswagen Group-owned PowerCo SE and Umicore (earlier post)—will build its first cathode active material (CAM) production plant in Nysa, Poland, adjacent to Umicore’s existing CAM plant. The JV is scaling up the EU footprint in the e-mobility... Read more →

Iveco Group and Hyundai Motor Company unveiled the first IVECO BUS E-WAY H2 at Busworld 2023 in Brussels. This new hydrogen-powered fuel cell electric bus is another concrete result of the partnership the two companies announced in March 2022 and reflects their commitment to accelerate the transition towards net zero... Read more →