Neil Briscoe

1 day ago | completecar.ie | Neil Briscoe

Polestar has opened its first Irish dealership, with the official opening of the doors at the brand's new home in Sandyford, south County Dublin. Hang on, hasn't Polestar been on sale in Ireland for a few years now? It certainly has been, but up till now, Polestar - a brand spun off from Volvo as a performance and electric marque, and owned by Chinese car maker Geely - had been operating on a largely internet-based sales model, with only a single Polestar location.

2 days ago | irishtimes.com | Neil Briscoe

Q: Given the current trend in both EV and ICE cars to move away from animal interiors, the premium offering is often a “piled” fabric such as microfleece or even wool. Will these materials retain their looks or would traditional woven fabrics prove more durable? – Peter C, Co WexfordA: While this is not specifically a question on electric vehicles, it is relevant to the wider attempts by car firms to reduce their environmental impact.

2 days ago | completecar.ie | Neil Briscoe

Mercedes' AMG high-performance division has been recently promising that it's going to start making models more overtly different to conventional Mercedes cars. While the brand has become famous for offering fast, tuned versions of regular Mercs, this new Concept AMG GT XX is a clear step in a more bespoke direction for AMG. Is this based on any other Mercedes? Not really, or at least not yet.

2 days ago | completecar.ie | Neil Briscoe

Nissan has updated its e-Power hybrid engine setup for the Qashqai, promising lower emissions and improved fuel economy. How does e-Power work? Unlike most hybrid systems, which use a petrol engine and an electric motor working together, in a Nissan e-Power, the electric motor does all of the driving, while the 1.5-litre petrol engine is only there to act as a generator, constantly topping up the compact lithium-ion battery which powers the motor.

2 days ago | completecar.ie | Neil Briscoe

All of Ireland's electric cars (and buses, motorbikes, trucks, and vans) can, from July, wear a numberplate with a green flash at one end. The Department of Transport has confirmed that anew new EV can avail of one of the new plates (although they're not compulsory) and any existing EV can get a replacement plate from a suitable supplier. What's the point of a green flash plate? Good question.