CompleteCar
Ask Us Anything

To help readers get the most out of this free service, we ask those that wish to submit a question to first register their details using the registration form.

Thank you



Previously answered questions

Should I buy an Ocean Fisker?

Hi,

I'm looking to buy a second=hand electric car in the near future. I have been looking at the Ocean Fisker (good price second hand at present). There has been a lot of negative views/reviews on the car on YouTube. There seems to be a lot of issues with software updates and talk of the company going bankrupt. Do you think it would still be a good car (could it still be serviced and would it work/drive) or would it be a brick in the driveway?

Regards

Des Joyce (Galway)

Oct 2024 Filed under: electric cars

Read our answer...


Thinking of getting a BMW i3...

Hi,

Are EVs exempt from VRT if looking to import one? Having trouble with the Passat and if and when it gets sorted my wife wants it gone and to treat ourselves so started looking at used BMW 4 Series Gran Coupe but tow truck friend warning us away from the 2.0 diesels: "doesn't matter who had it, where or how often it's been serviced or easy life, they are all trouble." And 3.0 diesel harder to find here but still give timing chain trouble.

Son is 20 and learning to drive so depending on cost to fix may dictate keeping it so third car turning to a BMW i3. When I met my wife she drove a SEAT Arosa and we kept that and I used it for my backroad commute to work for years as economical second car runabout.

With fuel, both diesel and petrol rising it might tick a few boxes to look at small economical runabout, it's auto so will suit both wife and son and our first step into EV.

Earlier with the range extender seems lower on the recommend list compared to the later fully electric 2018 onwards or i3S model.

ROS VRT site looks like it has had an update and gave both i3 and i3S options but wasn't clever enough to blank out NOx and CO2 fields. When checking rates for i3S it auto filled a figure for NOx, which I just cancelled out.

Ideally I'd like to buy from a BMW or SIMI dealer with history and warranty and liked your article on importing from Northern Ireland.

Appreciate any advice on importing an i3 (or 4 Series Gran Coupe) from up North

Regards

Damien McGettrick (Lusk)

Sep 2024 Filed under: electric cars

Read our answer...


Can I switch to electric for €450 a month?

Hi.

What are the costs of running an EV per 100km? I'm thinking of buying the new Hyundai Kona or Ioniq 5. I spend an average of €450 per month and maybe I can replace this costs with monthly payment on a new car. Also what would be the costs of buying and installing a charging station at home. Kind regards Nelson

Nelson Lopes (Ballinasloe)

Mar 2022 Filed under: electric cars

Read our answer...


Is there a plan for EVs in apartments?

The government have a stated plan to phase out internal combustion engines. If they are serious, they must have a plan for how people living in apartment blocks, terraced housing and anywhere else without a driveway are going to charge their full or partly electric cars while at home.

The question is, do they have a plan?

Thanks

Philip

Philip Donegan (Ballina)

Aug 2021 Filed under: electric cars

Read our answer...


Can I buy a Citroen Ami here?

Hi there.

I have been reading about the Citroen AMI all electric vehicle and am very interested in purchasing one. Citroen Ireland tells me it has no plans to market the vehicle here. I am wondering how our department would treat this vehicle; as an electric car? Or quadricycle? Would Revenue want a cut for importing a vehicle? VAT and VRT? Purchase price is circa €6,000 in France and you can buy one online. I don't have the finances to buy a "Normal" electric vehicle where the cheapest seems to be in the €25K region. Would the Department of Transport want road tax, log book, registration fees etc?

Any pointers you might offer would be appreciated.

John Ryan. Dublin 12

John Ryan (Dublin 12)

Feb 2021 Filed under: electric cars

Read our answer...


Are electric cars subject to new import taxes?

Importing a fully electric car from the UK: are these still VRT and VAT exempt, as fully electric cars, up to the limit of €35k? Importing a fully electric car from NI: is this as above as well?

Regards, Donal

Donal Murphy (Cork)

Feb 2021 Filed under: electric cars

Read our answer...


Best electric car?

Best electric car?

John Meenan (Newbridge)

Jan 2021 Filed under: electric cars

Read our answer...


Can I have full VRT break down for the ID.3?

I'm trying to get my mother onto the disabled passenger scheme that means they'll give you a refund of VAT and VRT every second year.

Take the Volkswagen ID.3: your site quotes prices net of delivery, VRT and SEAI grant. Can you tell what an ID.3 would cost net of VRT as well? There's a limit on that scheme of €16k every two years on disabled passengers compared to €10k for driver scheme so taking max benefit of grant can I get breakdown of car with no grant list price maybe including other charges minus VAT minus VRT minus SEAI grant. Or is the SEAI grant part of VRT, ie one or the other?

Thanks

Tom Richardson (Tipperary)

Feb 2021 Filed under: electric cars

Read our answer...


Is a car's battery charged by the engine?

Can you tell me, if the battery is low on a journey can it be charged by the engine?

Jim Mctiernan (Sligo)

Oct 2020 Filed under: electric cars

Read our answer...


Can you give us 2021 pricing on these EVs?

Hi,

Curious to know what the difference will be on BEV pricing under the new VRT rules compared with current pricing (which has €5,000 VRT rebate). Would be interesting to see old vs new pricing on a few e.g. Mazda MX-30, Peugeot e-208, Honda e, Nissan Leaf, Tesla Model 3.

Thanks, Kieran Donnelly

Kieran Donnelly (Cork)

Oct 2020 Filed under: electric cars

Read our answer...


4,952 Irish motoring queries answered to date

On CompleteCar.ie there is no such thing as a silly question. No matter how small or complicated an issue seems, we'll do our best to help. Our experts will quickly answer your queries in a friendly and jargon-free manner.

Please remember that we offer advice, not gospel. We cannot be held responsible for recalls, a second hand car's history, 'acts of God', changes in car pricing or Government policy. We are here to help and offer independent, impartial and free advice. What you do with it is entirely up to you.

By submitting a question you are agreeing to this statement. Thank you.

CompleteCar.ie aims to be compliant with the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR), implemented on 25 May, 2018. At no stage shall we contact you without your express permission (by entering your email address, you are consenting for us to send you emails relating directly to your question).

Your data will never be shared with a third party and it is kept in a secure database on our servers, with limited personnel access.

You have the right to have your data deleted at any time and also to get a copy of your data on file. For any related queries, please send us a message using the form on the Who we are page.