Apk Usema

A scheme to provide licensed hauliers with support for their increased energy costs has been approved by the Cabinet, writes Brian Byrne . Under the initiative, the Licensed Haulage Support Scheme 2023 will target higher levels of support at smaller operators that are facing increased operating and fuel costs.  A graduated payment basis will see €1,200 each provided for the first five vehicles on a licence, €700 for vehicles six to 20, and €200 for each vehicle thereafter. The scheme will be administered by the Department of Transport and will cover eligible heavy goods vehicles authorised on the licence of a current road haulage operator as of 15 December 2022.  

An option for short breaks in Galway has come on stream thanks to the installation of 14 log cabins at an adventure centre just outside Galway city, writes Brian Byrne . They are located at Wildlands , operated on a 20-acres site by brother sister duo David and Faye Bohan at Moycullen, Co Galway.  The self-catering accommodation consists of studio cabins, two-bed family cabin, large studio cabins, large studio cabins with kids room, and a large accessible cabin for those with mobility issues. All have a fully fitted country style kitchen including a full suite of kitchen appliances. Wildlands offers a range of indoor and outdoor adventure activities. 

The Continental Irish Commercial SUV of the Year 2023 is the Land Rover Defender Commercial, writes Trish Whelan. The award was presented this morning by Tom Dennigan of Continental Tyres Ireland to Eddie Kavanagh of Jaguar Land Rover Ireland with Joe Reyfus, chairperson of the Motoring Media Association of Ireland. The presentation was at Harris Commercials during a function organised by the MMAI, whose Van Jury members voted on the category, part of the overall Irish Car of the Year and Irish Van of the Year annual awards organised by the MMAI in association with Continental.  A category award under the umbrella of the Irish Van of the Year awards, the Commercial SUV of the Year is voted upon by a jury of the most experienced light commercial vehicle journalists in Ireland, who took into account such attributes as load capacity, reliability, overall versatility, cost of ownership and driving comfort. The overall Irish Van of the Year award for 2023 was won by the VW ID. Buzz. Ger...

Audi’s Q4 e-tron is a battery-electric compact premium crossover SUV based on Volkswagen Group’s electric MEB platform and the fourth fully electric model in the brand’s e-tron series, writes Trish Whelan . It is offered as an all-rounder and family car and, as the model number suggests, sits between the brand’s smaller Q3 and larger Q5 model. Its length of 4.58m is slightly shorter than that of the Audi Q5 although Audi say it offers comparable interior space.  Two body styles are offered — the SUV version and a Sportback model. Both have the same length and width at 4588mm and 1865mm respectively but the SUV is slightly higher than the Sportback. By comparison the VW ID.5 from the Volkswagen Group is slightly longer but not as wide or as high as the Q4 e-tron but that said, there’s not much difference really. Other cars of a similar size include the Nissan Ariya, Mercedes-Benz GLB SUV, and Skoda Enyaq iV.  The car’s high front is dominated by the big black grill with the bra...

Mercedes-Benz has revised the electric version of its Sprinter large van series to meet the requirements of some 60 markets in North America and Europe, writes Brian Byrne . The main changes are the development of a modular system that allows for a wide range of conversion options, previously not available on the eSprinter. This system comprises a front module with all the high-voltage components which will be the same for all variations of the vehicle. A middle module carries the battery located in the underbody, while the rear module has the electrically-driven rear axle along with its motor. The van will be offered in two body styles and two lengths. There will be three different battery options of 56/81/113kWh, the largest one capable of being charged from 10pc-80pc in around 42 minutes with a suitable charge unit. An initial markets launch in the USA and Canada in the second half of this year will be followed by a Europe one towards the end of the year. 

Skoda's Enyaq Coupe EV has gone on sale in Ireland at a starting price of €56,710, writes Brian Byrne . With a rated range of up to 545km (real-life use may not achieve that) the car offers a model option to its SUV sibling, and a 570L boot capacity is only 15L less. Skoda Ireland says the Enyaq Coupe's launch here was delayed by 12 months because of demand worldwide, and demand for Skoda's EV still continues to outstrip supply. There is a choice of two battery sizes, rear- and all-wheel drive, plus power outputs ranging from 180hp to 265hp.