Nice read
We are approaching the end of the year and that means we can also look back on the year we almost kissed goodbye. We will have written thousands of news articles again in 2023. From extensive articles about new models to price changes and from patent plates of new models that have not yet been unveiled to stories about interesting cars elsewhere in the world. These are the most read news items on AutoWeek.nl in 2023.
1. Denmark: all hydrogen stations closed
Not only do electric cars keep people busy, but electric cars that you don’t have to charge for hours also arouse interest. We are talking about cars with a fuel cell on board. Some manufacturers see more of a future in this complex and currently expensive technology than others. The decision of the Danish hydrogen station operator Everfuel to close all hydrogen stations in the country before the end of this year managed to attract considerable attention.
2. Fuel price differences with neighboring countries are no longer possible
2023 was, among other things, the year of intense inflation. Many a car enthusiast was wiping his or her soaking wet eyes after a visit to the gas station. For those who live or work near the border, it often pays off to travel extra kilometers to save a handful of euros for a full tank. This has caused great dissatisfaction among gas station owners in the Dutch border region. Interest group BETA indicated in August that action had to be taken for a more level playing field. “Something needs to be done about the difference in excise duties between the Netherlands and the countries around us. We are going to make it clear to The Hague that this can no longer continue.”
3. Volvo EX30: Smallest electric Volvo cheaper than Opel Corsa
Few cars ran as fast digitally as the Volvo EX30. With the EX30, Volvo presented a compact electric crossover this year that should translate the success of the more expensive XC40 to a more affordable segment. The Volvo EX30 will finally come to the Netherlands in early 2024 and will have a starting price of €36,795. When Volvo communicated that starting price, the electric Opel Corsa Electric was more expensive. The Corsa Electric is now in the order books for just under 35 grand, but that does not detract from the interesting positioning of the EX30. After all, it is more of a car and it has a Volvo badge on its snout. This is very important for some Dutch (lease) drivers.
4. Beware: toxic windshield fluid in circulation
Few things are as important as safety. That is of course the reason why car manufacturers – more or less imposed by the EU and NCAP – are increasingly packing their latest models with extensive software and hardware, but also why AutoWeek warned you in January about potentially dangerous windshield fluid. The liquid in question would have too high a methanol content. The danger has now passed.
5. Abu Dhabi introduces significant minimum speed limits on left lanes
Are you bothered by people who don’t drive fast enough on the highway? Then Abu Dhabi might be your ideal holiday destination from now on. It was announced in April this year that a minimum speed of 120 km/h applies on the left lane on a 60 kilometer stretch of highway between Abu Dhabi and Dubai. The maximum speed – regardless of the lane – is 140 km/h. Good for consumption? No, but according to the local police it improves safety.
6. Car sales in Norway have all but collapsed
Norway, like the Netherlands, is one of the European countries where electric cars play a relatively larger role than in most other European countries. That makes Norway’s car market an interesting one to keep an eye on. The news that car sales in Norway had almost completely collapsed in January this year was devastating. In December 2022, 40,000 new cars were registered, in January this year there were only 2,000. The cause: tax changes. Tax rules also have a huge impact on registrations in the Netherlands.
7. GroenLinks-PvdA is targeting private cars
In the run-up to the House of Representatives elections, we took a look in September at what the joint GroenLinks-PvdA faction had in mind for Dutch motorists. The faction indicated that it sees a smaller role for the car in the mobility issue. “More emphasis on walking, cycling, public transport and shared mobility and less on the use of private cars is essential,” said GroenLinks-PvdA.
8. Volvo EX30: For the younger target group – Preview
Wait a second. The Volvo EX30 again? Certainly. On the first day of 2023, we looked ahead to the car that Volvo would present later this year with a digital drawing that turned out to be quite accurate. We gave our illustrator important tools and the result was a set of illustrations that gave a good indication of what you could expect from the EX30. Of course, we have to wait until 2024 to see whether the Volvo EX30 will actually live up to the high expectations.
9. Outrage over Stellantis’ timing belt 1.2 PureTech engines
Television program Kassa stated in March that Stellantis in the Netherlands had not sufficiently informed owners of a Stellantis product with a 1.2 PureTech petrol engine about a recall that would, among other things, examine the condition of the timing belt. Stellantis, in turn, stated that it had correctly informed owners of cars involved in the recall. The timing belt of cars with these 1.2-cylinder engines could wear out because it is lubricated by engine oil, oil that can contain metal particles as a result of premature oil aging or the use of non-prescribed engine oil. There are quite a few Stellantis products with this 1.2 petrol engine.
10. Elon Musk: We dug our own grave with Tesla Cybertruck
In November, Tesla finally pulled the curtain on the Tesla Cybertruck. Tesla’s electric pickup, which is equally angular and equipped with intense technical specifications, was already announced in 2019, but it would take a long time before the production version arrived. So long in fact that Tesla CEO Elon Musk – who is not averse to making special statements – indicated that Tesla had dug its own grave with the Cybertruck. It turned out to be no easy task to translate the Cybertruck from the fantasy Musk world into reality.
Above you can see the absolute stunners within the more than 4,000 articles we published this year. Other standouts include the new Dacia Duster, the Volkswagen ID2 all Concept, the Renault 5 and the reports about the significant price reductions that Tesla implemented on its models this year.
Which car news from this year do you still remember? Please note: above we are only talking about news items. Not about background stories, tests and reports. Because indeed: we still make them and we will continue to do so with passion and pleasure next year.
– Thanks for information from Autoweek.nl