US court filings allege that Casper Benteler, heir to a German manufacturing dynasty, made false claims to fraudulently borrow $30 million from a US company to pay off relatives as part of a deal to assume control of the family business. Casper Benteler then assumed control of the multibillion-euro Benteler Group in March, just months after he was accused by former partner Beep of diverting $30 million from their business collaboration to pay off relatives.   Beep's September

Conflict in the Middle East is redrawing the map of long-haul aviation — and European carriers are moving fast to capitalise The suspension of scheduled services through Gulf hubs has triggered one of the most significant reconfigurations of long-haul aviation in years, forcing European carriers to expand direct Asia-Europe capacity at speed and reshaping a competitive landscape that had long been defined by Dubai, Doha and Abu Dhabi. With operations at Emirates, Qatar Airway

The de facto closure of the world's most critical oil chokepoint is reviving memories of 2022 for European policymakers and energy traders alike Commercial shipping through the Strait of Hormuz has collapsed to near-zero, with Maersk, Hapag-Lloyd and CMA CGM all suspending operations through the waterway following US and Israeli strikes on Iran that began on 28 February. The effective closure — enforced not by physical blockade but by the withdrawal of war-risk insurance, whi

Brussels unveiled a €1.8 billion battery strategy this month as European automakers grapple with declining internal combustion engine sales and intensifying competition from Chinese manufacturers, even as the new Trump administration signals a dramatic reversal of America's electric vehicle transition. The European Commission's automotive omnibus package introduces a new "small affordable cars" category and proposes revised car labelling rules, part of a broader industrial pl

As the legal dispute between Beep and Benteler family princeling Casper Benteler escalates, Benteler's companies are using legal technicalities in Liechtenstein in an attempt to have the lawsuit thrown out - despite Beep acting in line with the Guarantee Agreement that Benteler previously signed.   The current flashpoint is part of a New York lawsuit that American autonomous vehicle software company Beep has brought against two companies controlled by Casper Benteler, Bentele

The European Union has escalated its trade measures against Chinese electric vehicles as the Carbon Border Adjustment Mechanism enters full implementation from January 1, 2026, with plans to expand coverage to automobiles and auto parts from 2028. China's Ministry of Commerce responded this week to the EU's latest legislative proposals and implementation rules for the controversial policy, which aims to align the carbon cost of imported products with the bloc's internal prici

Benteler's electric shuttle subsidiary has missed key delivery milestones and failed to establish its promised U.S. manufacturing facility, raising questions about the automotive supplier's ability to execute its ambitious autonomous vehicle strategy ahead of planned 2026 deployments. Court documents filed in New York reveal that Holon Motors failed to deliver prototype vehicles by their May 2025 deadline and has yet to break ground on the Jacksonville, Florida production sit

The European Union's ReFuelEU Aviation regulation represents one of the bloc's most ambitious attempts to decarbonise a notoriously difficult sector. From January 2025, fuel suppliers at EU airports must blend at least 2% alternative aviation fuels into their kerosene mix, rising to 70% by 2050. It's a bold policy signal that should catalyse billions in clean fuel investment. But recent modelling suggests Brussels may be setting itself up for a climate reckoning. The arithmet

The European Commission could announce a package to support the local automotive sector, including a possible watered down version of its 2035 combustion engine phase-out, on December 16, an industry source briefed on the matter said. Brussels is so far planning to announce the package on December 10, but EU transport commissioner Apostolos Tzitzikostas said earlier this week that the package could be delayed until January. The source said that December 16 was a target but c

Lyft’s recently announced collaboration with Benteler has been thrown into doubt after a legal claim from former Benteler partner Beep. Beep allege that Casper Benteler, a young heir to the Benteler Group, defaulted on repaying Beep’s $30 million loan on a similar autonomous EV project and that Benteler are violating an exclusivity agreement by going ahead with their plans with Lyft.   In July, Lyft and Benteler Mobility announced plans to bring Holon’s self-driving shuttles