Mobility news - Oct 9-15

1. Probe into Yango due to concerns that Russian secret service uses data of ride-hailing appThe Dutch Data Protection Authority will start an investigation into Russian ride-hailing app Yango under the data protection rules of the European Union. The probe is the result of concerns that the Russian secret service is gathering data of European customers. Finland and Norway have also highlighted similar concerns.?
2. Arval BNP Paribas closes partnership with ZeekrCar leasing company Arval BNP Paribas Group is collaborating with EV manufacturer Zeekr Europe , a subsidiary of Chinese car manufacturer Geely, in the Netherlands and in Sweden since September 2023. The two companies will expand their collaboration to Germany in 2024. Alain van Groenendael , Chairman and CEO at Arval BNP Paribas, says that the new partnership with Zeekr is “another step towards realising our ambition to have 700,000 EVs as part of our global fleet by 2025.”
3. Ionway to invest EUR 1.35 billion in EV battery material factory in Poland IONWAY , a joint venture of Belgian materials technology company Umicore and German car manufacturer 大众 , aims to invest EUR 1.35 billion in a new factory for EV battery materials in Poland. The investment shows again that Umicore has got the ambition to become a ‘crucial’ global player in the EV market.
4. IRS will provide purchase subsidies for EVs right at the car dealerThe US Internal Revenue Service (IRS) has announced that new EV buyers will receive a purchase subsidiary of USD 7,500 right at the car dealer from January 1, 2024, instead of waiting for months after filing their tax return to get the credit. The US government aims to accelerate the transition to electric mobility due to the new rules.
5. Polestar will sell shares to raise more cash Polestar aims to raise USD 1 billion, according to a filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). Polestar will sell different types of shares to be able to raise the capital. The EV manufacturer, which is owned by Volvo Group and an investment company owned by Chinese billionaire Li Shufu's, has posted an operating loss of USD 304 million in Q2 due to software delays and intensifying competition from Tesla and Chinese manufacturers.
6. Stockholm will ban diesel and petrol cars to accelerate transition to electric mobilityStockholm will introduce a ban on petrol and diesel cars in parts of the city centre in 2025. The municipality aims to improve air quality, reduce traffic noise and accelerate the transition to electric mobility due to the ban.
7. Fastned reports increased revenue from charging sessions? Dutch electric vehicle charging company Fastned reported a 51 percent increase in revenue from charging sessions in the third quarter compared to the same period last year. The company recorded 998,000 charging sessions, a 68 percent increase from last year. Total revenue for the quarter was EUR 15.2 million, up from EUR 10.1 million last year, and gross profit increased by 141 percent to EUR 11.4 million. The number of active customers grew by 73 percent to 329,000. Fastned aims to build at least 60 new charging stations this year and plans to operate at least 1,000 stations in Europe by 2030.
8. Volkswagen has to pay EUR 4,000 to Dutch customer due to dieselgate The Dutch court has ruled that Volkswagen has to pay EUR 4,440, ten percent of the purchase price, to a customer due to Dieselgate, which started in 2015. Car manufacturers such as Volkswagen, Mercedes, Stellantis and Renault admitted at that time that they had manipulated diesel cars with cheated software which made them cleaner than they were. The court case was the last of four cases brought by the Volkswagen Group Diesel Efficiency Foundation (VGDES) and the Consumers' Association on behalf of consumers misled by Volkswagen. The other three cases have also been won by VGDES and the Consumers’ Association.
9. European Court rules that an electric bike is not a motor vehicle The European Court has ruled that an electric bike is not a motor vehicle. The result of the ruling is that an electric cyclist is also automatically entitled to compensation when, for example, the driver collides with a car. The status of the bike has been unclear so far. Insurers disagreed on who should pay for the damage after a fatal accident in Bruges in Belgium where the cyclist died after a crash with a car. The case ended up at the European Court, which ruled that an electric bicycle with pedal assistance only starts with muscle power. This distinguishes a bike from motor vehicles, which are only mechanically driven. Electric cyclists will also not be required to have a motor vehicle insurance, according to the ruling.

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