All posts by Francis Mitterrand

News

SUVs were the best-selling cars in Europe in 2024

Although the demand for SUVs has been slowing down in recent years, this type of vehicle remains the most sought after in Europe. According to sales data, 6.92 million SUVs were sold in Europe in 2024, which is four percent more than in 2023.

Compact SUVs (C-SUV segment) were the most popular type in the category, and the top seller was the Kia Sportage. This segment accounted for 42 percent of total SUV sales last year, followed by smaller models (B-SUVs), with a 36 percent market share. The biggest demand was for the VW T-Roc. However, the greatest growth was achieved by luxury SUVs, whose sales increased by 13 percent (56,300 units).

SUVs were significant for a number of carmakers last year, including Jaguar Land Rover, Geely, Honda and SAIC Motor, while the segment accounted for less than half of total sales at Stellantis, Renault Group, BMW Group, Mercedes-Benz and Mitsubishi.

If we look at individual manufacturers, the highest demand was for SUVs from the VW Group. They accounted for almost 1/4 of the total number of new SUVs sold in Europe last year, and the T-Roc and Tiguan are among the ten best-selling models in the category. Stellantis was the second best-seller with almost 800,000 units (-7% compared to 2023), while Hyundai and Kia finished third with more than 705,000 units sold (-1%).

Source: Reuters, Photo: VW

EV

2026 Audi Q4 40 e-tron

After announcing that it is discontinuing production of the Q8 e-tron, which is produced at its Belgian plant, Audi has some more positive news. The Ingolstadt-based manufacturer has announced a new version of its Q4 e-tron electric crossover, the Audi Q4 40 e-tron.

The Audi Q4 40 e-tron will replace the Q4 35 e-tron introduced last year and will come with a larger battery, 63 kWh (59 kWh usable), and a range of up to 423 kilometers for the Sportback and 412 kilometers for the standard version. A similar battery is already used in connected models based on the MEB platform such as the Volkswagen ID.3 Pro and the Škoda Elroq 60. As a reminder, the Q4 35 e-tron is equipped with a 55 kWh battery that allows a range of up to 365 kilometers for the Sportback and 355 kilometers for the standard version.

The new Q4 40 e-tron comes with a battery preheating function, which has previously been used for other models on the MEB platform. The preheating is activated via the MMI interface, which displays how many kW are currently available for quick charging of the battery and how much additional charging power is available thanks to the pre-prepared battery.

Audi has upgraded the myAudi mobile app with a predictive maintenance reminder function, which provides an overview of the status of key components. This includes information on the current status of the brake pads, the 12-volt battery and the expiration date of the first-aid kit.

When it comes to pricing, the Audi Q4 40 e-tron starts at 46,150 euros, while the Q4 Sportback 40 e-tron costs 48,150 euros.

Source: Audi

Gallery:

2026 Audi Q4 40 e-tron
News

Musk’s tunneling firm will build a tunnel network in Dubai

Several years ago, Elon Musk presented the idea of creating tunnels across the US, which would be a revolution for public transportation. The first Loop was built under Las Vegas, and now he has floated the idea of ​​building a tunnel in Dubai.

Dubai is home to the world’s tallest building (Burj Khalifa) and other construction projects, and is one of the richest countries that can realize huge infrastructure projects. One of them is certainly the Loop system that will be developed in cooperation with the Dubai Roads & Transport Authority (RTA), which will mark the first expansion of the Boring Company outside the United States.

The plan is for the first Loop to be 17 kilometers long and have 11 stations, with a capacity of more than 20,000 passengers per hour. According to Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, the Loop will eventually expand to the entire Emirate of Dubai, and when fully completed, the system will enable the transport of more than 100,000 passengers per hour.

There are still many unknowns about this project, and what we do know for now is that, like in Las Vegas, the Loop will use only electric vehicles. Although the Boring Company did not specify which models are involved, many believe that they will be the new Tesla Model 3, Model Y and Cybertruck. Some believe that the recently introduced Robovan could also be used. The vehicles will reach speeds of up to 160 km/h, and whether they will use a fully autonomous driving system or will rely on human operators like in Las Vegas is currently unknown.

Source: Reuters