A visit to Dubrovnik’s Old Town, and the Adriatic Sea, is the perfect way to escape from the ever-changing Irish weather. Concorde Travel offer breaks this May to this stunning UNESCO heritage city with temperatures averaging early twenties in May. The Old Town of Dubrovnik lies within medieval walls and boasts a stunning main marble […]
Yeti ‘most satisfying car to own’The Skoda Yeti has been named ‘the most satisfying car to own by UK drivers for the second year running. The result marks a hat trick for the brand, having recorded first place finishes in 2011 and 2012, in the annual Auto Express Driver Power customer satisfaction survey. The Czech-built […]
GM funds faith in Opel futureGeneral Motors is investing €230m in new and upgraded facilities at its European Product Development Centre in Russelsheim, Germany, and at its proving ground at Dudenhofen, writes Brian Byrne. It’s part of a €4bn investment which the American carmaker will make in its struggling European subsidiary over the next four […]
First 3-phase onboard fast chargerA collaborative development between Siemens and Volvo has resulted in a new on-board charging unit that can fully recharge a Volvo C30 EV in one and a half hours, writes Brian Byrne. The unit uses a 3-phase power supply where available, and Volvo says the shorter time makes EVs both more […]
Electric Focus to be used for testsResearchers at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology have developed a prototype system that will eliminate the need for an electric vehicle’s powertrain to be used for heating or cooling the car, writes Brian Byrne. The system uses a well-known principle where the heat of a large building can be […]
Electric cars for EU delegatesEU Environment Commissioner Janez Potocnik is pictured in a 100 percent electric Nissan Leaf car at Dublin airport. As part of ESB’s sponsorship of Ireland’s Presidency of the EU, the company is facilitating the provision of electric cars which are being used to transport some visiting delegates for the duration of […]
Companies struggle to refresh fleetsThe average age of a commercial vehicle in Ireland is now 9.28 years – 1 year more than the average age for a private vehicle in Ireland, according to vehicle history experts Cartell.ie Currently there are 400,000 commercial vehicles in the Irish fleet. As the impact of the recession takes its […]
Concept shows Mercedes futureMercedes-Benz have revealed a compact premium-class SUV at the Auto Shanghai motor show this week in the form of its Concept GLA, writes Trish Whelan. It marks a new approach for the brand in the compact SUV segment as this is a sporty and more coupe-like evolution of this category of car. […]
Kia and Hyundai are the only two car brands in Ireland bucking the trend in a market that is down by 20 percent compared to the first four months of last year. Hyundai is standing at No. 4 after Volkswagen, Toyota and Ford, with an 8.4 percent increase in units sold and at No. 9 […]
Safer calls on all VolvosFrom Model Year 2014 onwards, Bluetooth will be part of the standard equipment across all Volvo Cars here. This feature is part of the High Performance Audio system on all models (excluding the XC90) which includes USB connectivity, AUX-input, eight speakers and steering wheel audio controls. Bluetooth technology allows safe hands-free […]
