03

One in three Irish motorists are prepared to consider an electric vehicle when looking for a new car, writes Trish Whelan . This is a conclusion from an AA Rescue survey of 5,000 motorists. But follow-up questions found that only 2.4pc of respondents were actually committed to buying an electric car. More than four in ten respondents said they were definitely staying with petrol or diesel power, though among these, 20pc were looking at going hybrid.

Spanish carmaker SEAT has introduced a pilot car-sharing project in Barcelona with a fleet of Mii electric cars, writes Brian Byrne . The system is being tried out amongst 1,000 employees of SEAT and people working at Pier 01 Barcelona Tech City. An app is used by any participant to reserve a car, which can be accessed by a digital key. Those behind the project are working on the basis that an estimated 36m people will be using carsharing services by 2025.

The new Citroen C4 Cactus has arrived in Ireland at a starting price of €19,999, writes Brian Byrne . The car has been moved from the B-SUV segment to the mainstream C-segment in a shift which gives the model access to 19pc more of the market. In the move it replaces the long-serving C4 hatchback with a car arguably more in tune to the preferences of today's motorists. Retaining the essential shape of the first generation Cactus, the car's sheetmetal is 80pc new. It is also the first of Citroen's cars to get an innovative suspension which the company calls 'hydraulic cushion', originally developed for the company's World Rally Car vehicles. Over coming years it will be added to every Citroen model, both new and those coming for refresh. Citroen Ireland's Product Manager Ed Kelleher says the target for the C4 Cactus is to be 'the most comfortable compact hatch on the Irish market', in line with the overall thrust of the brand's 'Adva...

This is the latest concept car from DS, the PSA Group's premium car division, writes Brian Byrne . It is billed as a 'dream for 2035'. The DS X-TENSE is a look at some of the style and technology that will appear in future cars from the brand, as far out as 18 years' time. Apart from the very futuristic and stunning looks, the car is designed to cocoon its occupants in a mix of leather, carbon fibre, and design details already evident in patterns in the current DS cars. Two electric motors located one in each of the front wheels will power the car with the equivalent of 540hp. A special movie featuring the car will be aired on the five continents where DS is most active.

Volvo says it is aiming for 50pc of its cars sales to be fully electric by 2025, writes Trish Whelan . This reflects the company's ownership by Chinese interests, as China is the world's biggest market for electrified cars. China is also Volvo Cars’ largest individual market, with 2017 sales passing 100,000 units for the first time. Last year, Volvo said that all new models released from 2019 will be available as either a mild hybrid, plug-in hybrid or battery electric vehicle. Pictured is the new T5 XC40, debuting the plug-in hybrid powertrain for the car.

BMW is debuting a concept iX3 sports activity vehicle with an all-electric powertrain at the Beijing Auto Show, writes Brian Byrne . The car has an official range rating of more than 400km, and the capacity to be fast-charged fully in just 30 minutes at suitable charging stations. The motor offers an equivalent of 270hp, and the concept showcases the fifth generation of BMW's eDrive technology. The production version of the car will be the first BMW to be powered only by electric power (the current i3 is offered with a range-extender petrol engine).

Pushing an electrified option strongly, Kia Ireland is rolling out fast chargers throughout its dealer network, writes Trish Whelan . The Irish distributor has partnered with Wallbox for the initiative, which also offers customers the opportunity to buy their own home Wallbox charger, which can provide a full charge in as little as 2.5 hours. Kia already sells the plug-in hybrid Niro compact SUV here, and further hybrid and fully-electric models will be available from the brand in due course. Pictured are Moises Barea, Commercial Director, Wallbox; James Brooks, Managing Director, Kia Motors Ireland; Gerry Cash, Director, Car Chargers.ie and David O’ Connor, Head of Aftersales, Kia Motors Ireland.

Continuing with cars by major European manufacturers that we won't see here, this is the third generation Volkswagen Lavida, debuting at the Beijing Auto Show, writes Brian Byrne . Based on the same platform and running gear as the Golf, Jetta and Bora (remember that one?), it's a C segment saloon and VW says it is the segment market leader in China. Volkswagen sold almost 3.2m vehicles in China last year, making it the most successful auto brand in the country. The company, which in China is a joint venture with Shanghai's SAIC since 1985, also debuts the CC at Beijing, the locally-built version of the European Arteon.

Here's another car debuting in China which we're not going to see in Europe, writes Brian Byrne . It's a long-wheelbase version of the new generation A-Class saloon, designed and built for China preferences for more rear room. The standard wheelbase hatchback A-Class will be reaching first customers in Europe in May, and a standard saloon will come in the second half of the year. The car will feature the latest driving assistance and connectivity functions rolled out already in many Mercedes-Benz models from the S-Class to the new Sprinter van. China is the biggest individual market for Mercedes-Benz and Smart cars, and 430,000 of the 610,000 sold last year were manufactured locally.

The Crosscare social support agency has received a second €20,000 donation from the Enterprise Rent-a-Car Foundation to help fight food poverty in Ireland, writes Trish Whelan . The donation is one of six which will be provided over a six-year period, as part of a global $60m programme by the Foundation to alleviate hunger on North America and Europe. To mark the occasion, employees from across the Enterprise Rent-A-Car branch network spent a day at Crosscare’s Dublin Food Bank packing donated goods ranging from frozen and canned food, to household products and personal care items on behalf of the charity. Eight pallets of food and other items were sorted by the volunteer group in total. Ciara Elliot and Gary Killeen of Enterprise Rent-A-Car are pictured above helping Michael McDonagh, Senior Manager of Crosscare, to load up another van with food with at Crosscare’s Dublin Food Bank.

The Face it Down mobile phone road safety campaign by Toyota and the Road Safety Authority has led to the creation of a new 'national week', the National Face It Down Awareness Week, writes Brian Byrne . During this week, from 23-27 April, motorists using the Face it Down app will earn double points for every journey, which can be redeemed at Topaz service stations for coffee, and for insurance discounts from FBD Insurance. The app was launched by Toyota last year, and some 12m kilometres have been travelled by motorists using it. It has been downloaded more than 42,000 times.

A new Skoda SUV has been unveiled which is exclusively for China, writes Brian Byrne . The Kamiq sits below the Karoq in the brand's range and is distinctive by having its own lights and grille design compared to the Karoq and Kodiaq we are familiar with in Europe. Skoda has been selling cars in China since the 1930s, and the third SUV is aimed at helping the company achieve 600,000 unit sales per year in that country by 2020.

Volkswagen has unveiled an electrically-powered sports car, the ID R Pikes Peak, writes Brian Byrne . Faster than Formula 1 and Formula E cars in a sprint, the new car has 680hp on tap and is the vehicle by which VW hopes to set a new record for an electric car at the Pikes Peak hillclimb event in Colorado, USA, in June. The ID R Pikes Peak has a 0-100km/h sprint capability of 2.25s. It weighs less than 1,100kg. The powertrain features two electric motors, and is designed to provide speed rather than range, as the hillclimb distance is just under 20km.

Pic: JLR. Jaguar Land Rover is leading a car-to-car communications project which will help vehicles and their operators to 'see' what's around them even if the elements are out of line of sight, writes Brian Byrne . The 'Autoplex' project will use connectivity with other cars, and with roads infrastructure, to develop real-time maps of current traffic and obstruction situations. It will also be useful for autonomous cars, which JLR has also been working on with cars under test in the UK. To be useful, the system will require the big-bandwidth 5G mobile phone technology. JLR will also be providing up to 20,000 I-Pace electric SUVs to autonomous cars company Waymo.

This is the new Ford Focus sedan as envisaged for Asian markets, which demonstrates more clearly the 'coke bottle' shape which the car has, reflecting a style theme of the 1960s and 1970s in the US, writes Brian Byrne . 1973 Buick Riviera. Photo: Patrick Bommer. Introduced originally in Pontiac, Buick and Studebaker cars, the style quickly swept through all major carmakers on the other side of the Atlantic and into Asia and Australia in the 1970s, and to a lesser extent in Europe with the Ford Cortina Mk III, Opel Commodore A and Rekord C models. Ford Cortina Mk III. Opel Rekord C. The shape returned in a limited way in recent years with the 2008 Dodge Charger in the US. Meanwhile, the new Focus also debuts a brand new modular platform for Ford which will be adaptable for a range of models between Fiesta and Edge.

For the second time in a fortnight, defending champion Derek Tohill was the driver to beat in round two of the Parts for Cars National Rallycross Championship at Mondello Park, writes Richard Burke . He won both the Supercar Final and the main race of the day, the Super Final, with his main rival, Noel Greene, taking runner up position each time. In the Super Final, Greene got a better start than Tohill and led the race for the opening lap, but the double title holder then squeezed his way in front and pulled away to another comfortable win. Peter McGarry narrowly beat Lloyd Spendlove in the Modified Final, with Ciaran Murphy taking the Production race ahead of Derek Lenehan, who climbed through the field from the back of the grid. In a thrilling finish, Donagh Kelly snatched a late victory in the Monaghan Four Seasons Hotel Stages Rally, taking the lead from local hero Sam Moffett on the final stage to win by just two seconds after nine stages. Donegal man Kelly was fourt...

An appeal for 'biking safe' through the summer has been made to motorcyclists by the Road Safety Authority, writes Brian Byrne . In conjunction with An Garda, the RSA is asking bikers to 'ease off the throttle' and keep within speed limits, and never to drink and drive. Summer is high risk for motorcyclists, according to the Authority, especially at weekends. Since 2010, 168 motorcyclists and been killed on Irish roads, and 629 seriously injured.