Expert answer

Hi Philip,

Yes you’re right — the T8’s acceleration is a combination of the engine and the electric motor working in concert. When you run the battery down in electric-only mode, it will always keep a minimal charge on board, so that the car can then function in hybrid mode. If you use maximum acceleration repeatedly and in quick succession, you might well reach a point where the battery cries enough, but it will have charged up again — from both the engine and the regenerative braking system — to go again within a few minutes. 

Wall chargers generally cost around €900 to €1,000 fully installed, but there’s a grant from the Sustainable Energy Authority Ireland available that will cover up to €600 of that.

Finally, you’re absolutely right — a V60 only gives away a 31-litre advantage to the larger V90 when it comes to boot space.

Expert answer

Hi Robert,

The M50d has more peak power and torque and is quicker accelerating than the hybrid model, no question. However, the six-cylinder diesel engine is a lot louder and less smooth than the straight-six in the xDrive45e model and obviously, when the hybrid is running in electric mode it is far far quieter again. As you say, the PHEV comes with compromises, and may not be as economical over a long journey where the battery cannot be charged from an external source. 

Read our BMW X5 xDrive45e review

Read our BMW X5 M50d review

Expert answer

Hi Harry,

The most likely culprit is that there’s some electrical item draining the system as you’re driving. Or, possibly if you’re only driving for short hops, the engine is still in its warm-up phase and can’t be shut down by the stop/start. Or, and this is a wild guess, Land Rovers often have flakey electrics. 

Maybe read our Why won't my car's stop-start system work? feature for further understanding. We get a lot of questions like this.

Expert answer

Hi Robert.

Stop-start systems have a mind of their own — literally. They’re designed to only stop the engine when demand for electrical supply within the car falls low enough that it’s safe to do so. So if you’re running the air conditioning, for instance, or have the heat turned up, or if the engine is still in its warm-up phase, then it will either not shut the engine off at all, or will only shut it off briefly. Driving style also plays into it, as does where and when you’re driving. It also depends on the battery condition, so if you’re concerned about the short stop-start times, it’s worth having the health and charge level of the battery checked.

Finally, as we get so many questions on this subject, we put together a quick feature on it for your interest: Why won't my car's stop-start system work?

Expert answer

Hi Abdul,

Stop-start systems can stop working for a variety of reasons, usually to do with battery condition or load. We get so many questions about them that we've put together this feature that you may find of interest:

Why won't my car's stop-start system work?

Expert answer

Hi Stewart,

A lot of cars develop this 'fault' and it's usually to do with battery condition or load. We get so many queries about it that we put together a feature explaining it all that you may find of interest:

Why won't my car's stop-start system work?

Expert answer

Hi Cathy,

Many cars develop similar problems, usually because of battery condition or load. Our feature on the subject, Why won't my car's stop-start system work? may help you further.

Expert answer

Hi Brendan,

We do love a bit of car-related man-maths around the CompleteCar.ie office. Yes, in theory, you could save that €425 per week travelling cost with a Tesla Model 3, once we make a couple of assumptions, and bearing in mind that a Model 3 is not free — a basic Standard Range Plus model is quoted at €625 per month in repayments on Tesla’s Irish website. With a claimed one-charge range of 409km, your theoretical Model 3 should be able to get from Dublin to Monaghan and back in one charge, with a little left over for safety (assuming it’s around 135km door-to-door). If you can charge at home and charge in Monaghan, then each full charge will cost you around €8-10, depending on your electricity tariff and how low the battery gets before you plug it in. That should put a significant dent in your travelling costs. It would also be helpful if you could charge up at work, but that’s more for ensuring you have a full charge in case you need it — the shorter intra-Dublin commute wouldn’t put much strain on your battery.

So, that’s all good. Buying in the UK, though? Not worth it. We ran the maths on this a while back and working off the base model prices — £38,500 in the UK and €48,900 here, a quick conversion at today’s rates shows that the equivalent Euro price of a new Tesla Model 3 would be €45,069. A saving? No — although the VRT would cost you nothing at the point of import (thanks to the €5,000 rebate), you would have to pay VAT on entry, as it’s a new car, and so the price would go up by €10,350. You’re better off buying local in this instance.

Expert answer

Hi Daniele,

Lots of things can cause slow starting of a modern diesel engine, including issues with the fuel system or glow plugs, or indeed the battery. You'll need to get your car along to a good mechanic to have it checked over.

Expert answer

Hi Kieran,

We would expect most stop-start issues to be sorted by a new battery, but the installer is correct: auto stop won't always work. In fact, we get so many queries about the subject that we wrote this feature you may find of interest: Why won't my car's stop-start system work?