Expert answer

Hi Frank,

In general we like it, so long as you're on board with the premium pricing - as you are getting a premium car. It's spacious, has an excellent interior, is good to drive and decent to look at.

Read our reviews of the Renault Austral here, but come back to us if you have another specific question about the car.

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Hi Pat,

It can indeed, as can all EVs, so long as you have the proper cable to do so - usually called a "granny cable". However, this is an excruciatingly slow way to charge an EV and really only of use if you have no other option.

Expert answer

Hi William,

There are plenty of good new EVs on the market within budget to consider, though most are crossover or SUV-style vehicles. That's a good thing in terms of ease of access, as their door openings are usually large and the roofs are not too low. It also usually means a relatively high-set seating position, to the benefit of comfort and visibility.

We prefer to drive regular car-shaped vehicles, but there just aren't enough all-electric options, unfortunately. While there's some negativity towards SUVs in general, we reckon a compact electric SUV ticks a lot of boxes for a lot of buyers, while not being completely inefficient.

Before giving you a few potential EVs to book test drives for, I'd urge you not to focus on the range too much. Assuming you can get a home charger installed, then going by your usage as described, you'll do the vast majority of your charging at home.

Prioritising a longer-range car means getting one with a bigger - i.e. heavier - battery, which will cost more up front and result in worse efficiency day to day. Relying on the public network a few times a year is no reason to compromise your car for the rest of the time.

The first car to come to mind is the excellent Renault Scenic E-Tech electric. It's probably bigger than you need, but the long wheelbase helps with comfort, and it sits somewhere between a hatchback and an SUV in terms of design and shape. With your budget, you could probably get the larger (87kWh) battery pack or choose the smaller one and a higher specification.

Sticking with Renault for a moment, another cool option is the new Renault 4 E-Tech, launching in Ireland imminently, though it doesn't have as long a range as the Scenic.

If you can wait a little, then it's also worth considering the new Nissan Leaf. This is a really excellent car that will certainly be in budget. It's quiet and comfortable to drive and efficient, too. The Nissan Ariya is already available, but I suspect it's larger than what you were looking for. It is comfortable, though, so no harm test-driving it for yourself.

The Hyundai Ioniq 5 is another great option, with a fantastically comfortable interior, good efficiency and a decent range for the money.

I could go on and on, so let us know what you think of these by submitting another question and we'll try to narrow things down for you.

Expert answer

Hi Eduardas,

There is VRT relief on EVs with an Open Market Selling Price (OMSP) below €50,000, which that car will be comfortably below. Hence you should have no VRT at all to pay.

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Hi Ciara,

Out of those options, we'd likely choose the Renault Clio or the MG, as both are comfortable even at higher speeds on larger roads, while also being quite economical - more so than the other cars mentioned.

You really should try to get a proper test drive on such roads as you'll be spending all your time on them.

Expert answer

Hi Charlie,

There's a bit to consider there, including the lower total costs if you went for an electric van instead of an SUV. Businesses get an SEAI grant if buying an electric van, but not an SUV. And the VAT on a van should be fully recoverable, while it may not be for the SUV.

As you probably know, there is no VRT relief on an EV costing over €50,000.

There's a wide range of good electric SUVs available in and around this price bracket, including the Volkswagen ID.4, Peugeot E-5008, Toyota bZ4X, Renault Scenic and Nissan Ariya.

Come back to us if you have other criteria to narrow down the search with as these all have decent boots and range.

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Hi Ronnie,

On the face of it, that's not difficult. You just buy a van you like the look of and inform your motor tax office that it will be used privately. The motor tax then changes to a rate defined by the van's engine size (regardless of how new it is).

Your bigger challenge could be finding insurance, and I urge you to check that out before committing to buying any vehicle.

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Hi Brian,

That is a slightly unusual situation we've not come across before and we'd urge you contact Revenue yourself for clarification.

With that in mind, my belief would be that you should not be liable for VRT so long as the van was converted properly to a crew cab vehicle and certified as such. It's important that it was not converted to what may be construed by Revenue to be a regular passenger vehicle - unless, of course, the owner that did the conversion already paid VRT to do that (which is highly unlikely).

In short, you're not changing the vehicle; you're just using a commercial vehicle for private use. If you yourself converted a van in this manner, then it may be a different situation.

But as I said at the top, this isn't a common situation and getting official clarification is advised.

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Hi Brona,

That's a pretty open-ended brief to be honest. If you're looking a the MGS5 EV then we can assume your budget is in and around €30,000-€35,000. Even the entry-level model – Excite Standard Range – officially manages up to 340km on a charge.

Given your low daily mileage, that should be more than sufficient for your needs, even if the real-world figure drops a little in winter. That is of course if you are planning on getting a home charger. We'd recommend buyers only consider an EV if they can charge up at home or work.

Another good option for your needs is the Volkswagen ID.3 if you're not set on an SUV and, if space isn't a priority, maybe even the fantastic new Renault 5.

Come back to us with your opinion on the above and we'll try to help you narrow things down further.

Expert answer

Hi David,

With an engine capacity of 2,499cc, that falls into the 2,401-2,500cc band, costing €1,080 a year to tax for private use.