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Crisis at Tesla? MG’s S5 Irish Launch & The Reality of Car Journalism
336 Plays19 days ago
This week on the Driver's Republic Podcast:
We dive into the headlines as Trump and Musk stir controversy with their latest online antics, and a ship carrying EVs goes up in flames. Natasha Maher from MG Ireland joins us to share the brand’s journey so far, while we unpack big news on the rollout of new public fast chargers across Ireland.
In the drives of the week, Paddy gets to grips with the hot new Cupra Born VZ, and Mark takes a spin in the all-new €80,000 BMW X3.
Finally, ever wondered what life is really like for a motoring journalist? In part three, Paddy puts Mark under the spotlight—covering everything from glamorous European launches to the grind behind the Instagram stories.
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Transcript
Introduction to Drivers Republic Podcast
00:00:00
Speaker
Welcome to the Drivers Republic podcast brought to you in association with Dundeele Motors where more Irish drivers find their next car from a trusted dealership than anywhere else. Why? Because Dundeele's Trusted Dealer Programme means verified dealerships and the kind of backup that matters like warranties and history checks giving you confidence from your very first click.
Elon Musk vs. Donald Trump: Impact on Tesla
00:00:20
Speaker
Mark Noble, how are you? hello paddy carman i'm all rice we are recording on fresh friday today um so to give you a little background sometimes sometimes we get to record on the thursday we're hot off the press this week because so much stuff is happening this elon and donald are fighting it out on well they're probably both to sleep now but they're fighting it out It's affecting Tesla shares.
00:00:42
Speaker
ah People last night were going, what? What's going on? um It's been a wild week in motoring. Yeah, it really has. i mean, and and you know, even even the last couple of days, it's been and ah ah one where a ship has gone down as well. And there's currently a cargo ship, the Morning Midas, bobbling off the coast of Alaska on fire with 3,000 vehicles in it, 800 of which are EVs. And people are saying that it could burn for days.
00:01:10
Speaker
as well So, yeah, it's it's been a topsy-turvy couple of days, hasn't it? Yes, it has. So the captain of
The Morning Midas Fire: EVs at Risk
00:01:15
Speaker
that ship decided to abandon ship, essentially. So I think it's technically a ghost ship now. I don't know.
00:01:21
Speaker
Do people go back to it? I've seen a couple of, you know, decent enough sources saying what brand of of car were on it. The ship was going from China or one of brands.
00:01:31
Speaker
ah So that might give you ah ah somewhat of a clue, but I still don't want to speculate. What I did find interesting was there was some people who are a lot more qualified in marine stuff than I am. And um so people were saying, oh, you know, but why why can't ships contain fires to individual decks?
00:01:48
Speaker
Well, if you've ever brought your car on ah on a ship, you'll know that they all can be strapped down if needs be. And all those straps have holes in the metal of each floor. And that is one of that's one of the areas and in which fires can spread through ships because you've got airflow wrapping around the decks, coming up through those holes.
00:02:07
Speaker
The fire can literally spread that way as well, up through those metal, would you call them rivets? I mean, they're huge rivets. and So yeah, it's it's not it's not not a thing you want is a ship on fire. No, and and and especially with EVs as well. Now, I don't want to get all tin-hattie on it, but there are some facts around that. The fire that comes from an EV is is very hard to extinguish because the the heat is incredible and it can reignite as well. So, there is a real danger that this ship could burn for days. it's you know Obviously, people have to be very careful when you're
00:02:40
Speaker
when and one EV goes on fire, but 800 of them and potentially at once, that's ah that's quite a fire. That's not what you want. No, not exactly. It's another song for Kings of Leon get working on.
Tesla's Market Challenges and Innovations
00:02:52
Speaker
we Sorry, we we did we didn't talk about Trump and Musk. um the The two guys are having a spot. And obviously, you know, we've we've wondered would that relationship last. It doesn't look like it has.
00:03:03
Speaker
and What is the offshoot of that in terms of of of motoring? Well, Trump is claiming that he's been telling Elon for months he was going to do this with the subsidies for for electric cars. He's tweeting that, you know, no one even wants these cars. And, you know, maybe some people would would agree would agree with that.
00:03:23
Speaker
am And then there was accusations towards Elon last night of, you know, things that he's been maybe getting up to that he shouldn't be getting up to. ah the end result was Tesla share prices slid. But look, you know, buy on the dip.
00:03:37
Speaker
ah which is always good advice, although I don't know where the dip is with with Tesla just right now. and it's It's probably a fragile enough time for the company. Only a few weeks ago, you know, they were, I think, with Elon's son, they were both walking around the front of the White House and there was a nice red new um Juniper Model y and they were, you know, rubbing the car and it all looked very, very amicable and friendly. And that now seems to be a car that, well, by its nature, any new car launch can sometimes mean supply is limited.
00:04:07
Speaker
and it it does seem to be looking like sales are being affected. Last month was the first month That BYD had overtaken Tesla now for for sales figures. So they're now essentially a bigger brand.
00:04:22
Speaker
Maybe that was going to happen anyway, but it maybe has probably exact accelerated the whole thing. and But I still think it's too early to say with a new model in the pipeline to say that sales are falling. If if you can't physically get a car the car,
00:04:34
Speaker
Yes, those sales figures haven't transpired. That doesn't mean people don't have Model Ys on order. It's you know it's been the best-selling car in the world last year. So why would why the new model be any different?
00:04:45
Speaker
like If you look at the breadth of BYD models, though, I mean, it feels like if you know you just sit around long enough, another BYD model is going to pop up before the end of the week. there' there's so There's so many and so much variation.
00:04:58
Speaker
And you know compared to Tesla, which are now effectively of in Europe running off two models, Really? Yeah. and And, you know, you've driven both of the new versions. of Did you see in your own experience a significant jump? like do I suppose what I'm asking is, are they trying very hard?
00:05:17
Speaker
I think they are trying very hard. I think the the engineers and and people who kind of get to build these cars were very aware that there was ah suspension issue with the last Model Y and they wanted to correct that. And, you know, they started from literally from the tire upwards into the car to make it ah a better driving car.
00:05:36
Speaker
I think they have achieved that. um Having watched some interviews with people who
Tesla's Brand Image and Global Perception
00:05:40
Speaker
who work in Tesla, because it's very easy to remember, you know, it's it's not a one man company. There's all these other people who who who make it work. um And with how much time he's been spending in the White House over the last few months, you kind of wonder, is he even running Tesla?
00:05:52
Speaker
um So, yeah, I was impressed by it. Have they got a brand image in certain markets? Absolutely. You know, UK and Ireland are two markets where actually people don't really seem to care. But and certainly, you know, when you look at German history,
00:06:08
Speaker
ah German people are are very, very keen to not forget their past. They they acknowledge it. But equally, you can see why if there were any reasons for them to go, hang on a second here, what what the hell is he doing on that stage?
00:06:21
Speaker
You can see why they turn around, which might seem rich, but ah you know having you know been to Berlin many times and you don't have to go far in the city center to see memorials of World War II and how they're saying you know this should never, ever happen again. so Maybe they're entitled to be more sensitive than any market, but certainly in in Germany, it has affected sales.
00:06:43
Speaker
And, you know, obviously there's been a bit of a you know a hit in terms of this latest spot with Donald Trump, but you you have to imagine in the long run and possibly, okay, fighting with Donald Trump is necessarily a bad thing for your image, Right.
00:06:56
Speaker
but So on the European market, you could see bounce. In its domestic market, you know there's a potential for a bounce as well. The people who have distanced themselves from Musk and Tesla might sort of decide, okay, these cars are are actually okay because we've seen a change of heart.
00:07:14
Speaker
Yeah, it could definitely benefit you because... ah Not that there's two sides, but there's probably many sides. But yeah, there's definitely a growing number of people who don't want to be associated with. and they're I'm sure some owners are like, oh, God, yeah, I know. But like, I'm kind of married to this car for a while.
00:07:31
Speaker
I'd rather it wasn't connected who it's connected to. and I only saw a report this morning, 2,000 people were surveyed. And even in in Chinese markets, and there seems to be a lot more trust for German brands. There's a perceived reliability increase from German brands, brands like Porsche, Audi, Volkswagen, and which have been very dominant in Chinese markets in the past, maybe not as much now.
00:07:55
Speaker
But I just thought that was that was interesting. US s cars were kind of half of what the German trust figures seem to be or German or trust ratings. And then Chinese stuff was was further down below. Now, it was from IA Mobility, which will happen again in Germany later on this year. So maybe a pinch of salt in that it's it's maybe somewhat pro-European, pro-German.
00:08:17
Speaker
ah propaganda. But I just thought it was interesting that even in in other markets that don't really need to have loyalty to Germany, they seem to have
Tesla's Driving Experience and Software
00:08:26
Speaker
better post ratings. The thing that we're, suppose, forgetting in all of this is that the the actual cars themselves are really, really good.
00:08:33
Speaker
but I mean, ah you know, the 3 and the Y, you know, obviously, yeah, there was a suspension issue. Some of the build but might have been a bit flaky at some stages, but as EVs and as, you know, even as driver's cars,
00:08:44
Speaker
They're really good. yeah And this has kind of been lost in the in the conversation, I think. I totally agree with you. Like you can sling a Model Y around a fast B-road into corners and it will respond well. It's got good steering. It's got it's got heavy enough steering. You can change that little bit.
00:09:00
Speaker
and Plenty of power. You know, yeah, they like they are good cars to drive. The software seems to be overall pretty reliable. Yes, there were build quality issues when over the last year is no doubt a about it.
00:09:11
Speaker
and They certainly do seem to have gotten better with with time. And the only thing I suppose two things. One, is is it not very difficult to essentially just be a two model car brand in 2025?
00:09:24
Speaker
um And also they haven't really like the Model Y driving wise is better. But in many other ways, it's the same car, it's the same software. You're not getting into that car and being like, oh, this is the new model. What what you're seeing as a day to day driver hasn't really changed. So that was the thing that struck me. I thought maybe, you know, make it look a bit different on the screens, make it have
Paddy's Cupra Born VZ Experience
00:09:45
Speaker
some new things. But it's all it's the same games. It's the fireplace that still lights up.
00:09:49
Speaker
None of that stuff has changed. Yeah, and and, you know, for as a family car, room kids love them and, you know, that yeah it still has that that attraction. So, yeah but maybe yeah, maybe this is the renaissance of Tesla again. We'll we'll watch this space.
00:10:02
Speaker
Speaking of cars that, well, speaking cars that are very, very good, I've been driving something this week that I didn't, that has caught me a little bit by surprise. I knew that, you know, and I'd spoken to you about it before and I knew that you had liked it, but and I got the Cooper Bourne VZ,
00:10:19
Speaker
ah earlier in the week. And holy moly, that thing ticks an awful lot of boxes. It really is very, very good. And, and and you know, i knew i knew i knew the car, but I hadn't hadn't been in this one in particular.
00:10:33
Speaker
And for what it's offering for the price and and everything else, it's It's definitely one of the most complete packages that I've driven in quite a while. So Born is the performance version of the of the of the Born.
00:10:48
Speaker
I'm not sure what VZ means. I can't remember. i think you know. It's something in Spanish, isn't it? it's No, I think it's... I thought it was to signify velocity. Oh, maybe that's it. Yeah. Speed. Need to check that one before. check Or watch it now. be encourage if you and And the stats are pretty impressive. 326 horsepower, 545 newton meters of torque, 0 to 60, 5.6 seconds, 79 kilowatt hour battery range. I'm seeing over 500 kilometers on this comfortably.
00:11:19
Speaker
I've been up and down to Cork. ah I've been, I've been spent a lot of time in Dublin this week and I will be up again and I'm, As a car to do that trip trip, it's one of the best I've come across. Massive, massive gripe though.
00:11:32
Speaker
is The adaptive cruise control is insanely sensitive. As in, i don't know how to not have it scream at me to keep my hands on the wheel.
00:11:43
Speaker
like And I amm hands on the wheel, but it's it's i've kept about every 30 seconds it tells me to to keep my hands on the wheel. like I mean, I'm steering straight the wheel.
00:11:54
Speaker
the motorway, and I nearly have to flick the wheel every few seconds to stop it from screaming at me. I know. So you're saying you're ah you're you're a handsy guy, but it's still not enough for the Bourne. Yeah, exactly. It's a passionate span you Spanish beauty. It just wants your attention.
00:12:11
Speaker
Yeah, i I have noticed that quite a bit with the Volkswagen group cars. You know, I thought that kind of stuff had... been bettered because there was a lot of drive in the centre lane keep your hands on on the wheel that kind of stuff I also so someone pulls out in front of you at ACC it really does kind of hammer on the brakes and then when there is a gap it takes a little bit too long to realise oh there's a gap again now I'm going to hammer the car off um but like look a minor like sorry minor gripe might be a software issue but but look otherwise 20 inch arrow wheels bucket seats 13 inch screen
00:12:47
Speaker
you know, it looks good. The green paint on this one I have is really, really good. And yeah it's not a fortune. Like, look, cars are expensive, but it's not fortune. When I reviewed that car in November last year, it was not far off 60 grand, maybe even a little over 60 grand. Now, it's hovering in low 40s. And I did check with Cooper at the time. Cooper Arden was a mistake.
00:13:10
Speaker
Any chance this car is going to come down at price in the new year? They're like, not at the moment, no. And I was like, okay. Yeah. And I think, was this the same time as GTX ID.3 was making us go, is that a mistake?
00:13:23
Speaker
So that's why even more I was confident asking the question, is this car going to reduce value? and The other thing is, the bucket seats are very firm, no? Yeah, they are very firm, but I kind of like that. um You know, I like that. I just think the field, they hold you up really, really well.
00:13:38
Speaker
i'm just I'm just a bit, I'm fanboying a bit over this thing because I just actually think it just ticks a lot of boxes. But interestingly enough, I am bringing that back on Monday and I'm getting the ID.3 GTX.
00:13:51
Speaker
So it's a back-to-back Now, I am trying to see if we can hold on to one or the other and so that we you and I could go and compare them. But okay you have driven both, though, Mark. so Yeah, the Boren still, look much like the normal ID.3 versus the Boren, the Boren has something else done to it. There's a little bit of Cooper magic in the treatment of it. I remember when the first Bourne came and and at the time I was, no, I wasn't working for them anymore, but I had been there when the ID3 was launched.
00:14:23
Speaker
I just think they got more time with the Bourne and it's, it's maybe not, I know that there is probably something that they've added, but I feel like the Bourne was a sort of finished
Cupra Born vs. Competitors
00:14:35
Speaker
ID3.
00:14:35
Speaker
The ID3 was pretty rushed and when it came out first, it was a bit buggy. And by the time the Bourne came, I think they had just said, okay, they had had more time. It was just like, okay, we can... spend more time on your homework. it But you're right. I agree. It is, it has better steering. It feels a little more, more poised. It's much, it is a bit more sporty.
00:14:55
Speaker
I haven't driven the GTX yet to see whether there's that in it. But, um but yeah, I would, yeah I would agree for now. I think the Volt, the the g i t three GTX, which again is beautiful, looks good, would have to do a lot to be better.
00:15:07
Speaker
Exactly. Exactly. And it probably is a slightly softer car and, you know, it's still, It doesn't look maybe, it's not that they're too drastically different looking cars, but the wheels on the Bourne, the bucket seats obviously do make a big change as well.
00:15:21
Speaker
and I think that has the more, for for it it it looks and it matches the looks of of the car with the performance, maybe a little bit more than the Volkswagen does, but maybe that's the point. you know If you want something that's a bit more abrasive in the styling, you're going to get the Bourne.
00:15:36
Speaker
Yeah, but look, I would encourage anyone who's, firstly, stop buying SUVs if you don't need them. I mean, and so this is a proper car. It's a driver's car. i Like I think with the GTX, ah the GTX badging gives them the get out of jail clause that it doesn't have to be a GTI.
00:15:53
Speaker
I think it's it can be a little bit softer. Interestingly, your um your your good old pal Thomas Schaefer was out this week saying that m that we are going to be very surprised by the ID.2 GTI. he Which still won't be the actual Golf GTI replacement.
Future of Electric Sports Models
00:16:12
Speaker
No, but he's he's saying, and i think he was speaking to Autocar, he said that we can that we're going to be quite a blown away by what these will be able to do.
00:16:22
Speaker
So and watch this space on that. One, they're taking too long to get that car out. ah But two, yes, that I'm sure they know when you're and but taking so long, it has to be so good. and And you know, you made a good point there. Maybe they have actually held back the GTX ID.3 because Cupra don't really have anything else in that segment.
00:16:40
Speaker
Volkswagen do have to produce a Golf GTI and it's going to have to better that car. Otherwise, you know, It's kind of ah it's a dead duck. I really it's one of those cars a bit like an M3 maybe can't see how Golf GTI can exist in a purely electric world. I really and and I think the fan base the core fan base of them.
00:17:02
Speaker
will really struggle to have a purely electric GTI. Yeah, I suppose it's going to have to though. I mean, we're looking at fully electric Porsche Boxster's coming, Porsche Cayman's coming. You know, I know there's going to be ah a bit of a pause for a while until we get those ones. So, so yeah, maybe we're going to have to use them. I think the sound is going to become and into play. I think we'll start seeing a few more of those synthetic sounds. You know, like if you think about it, a Hyundai,
00:17:24
Speaker
pretty much nailed it with the Ioniq 5N. No one bats an eye at that car, how good it is. It's great it's a brilliant bloody car. So, um you know, I think I would imagine that there is ah an Ioniq 5N littered around many development and centers and in Germany for for for lots of reasons, because I think they if if anyone wants to see a brand that said, okay, we can make an EV that's a patch of proper petrol head is not going to but ah turn away from, then and then that's that's a real one.
00:17:55
Speaker
A couple more things I want to talk about and before we get to the
BMW X3 and Bold Design Choices
00:17:59
Speaker
MG. You've been to the MG S5 launch, and we'll we'll talk a bit bit that more about that soon. But you've been you've been in the new BMW X3.
00:18:08
Speaker
to it's it For me, it looks like it's changed quite a lot. It really has grown up, hasn't it? It's quite a baby looking X5 now. and That was my first impression of it last year when I got to drive it first in in Germany. And I get the whole, that looks a bit weird.
00:18:26
Speaker
And time ah after time, BMW have had that reaction. And then maybe 12 months later, people go, God, that car is really after growing on me. theres there's a There is a sort of theory out there that BMW's current styling is it's just so ahead of its time that ah eventually the penny is going to drop with us and we're going to go, oh yeah, get it.
00:18:46
Speaker
Yeah, well, I don't know if I will ever get that huge, huge Bugs Bunny grill, but, and the rear is a little bit weird, but what I will say is, and my car has adaptive suspension in it.
00:18:59
Speaker
It's so good. Like, so i don't mean it. You sound like Pep Cardiola. and So, so good. It's not that it's, you know, look, it it is an SUV. I'm not going to get carried away here. It's it's a diesel. It hasn't even got 200 brake horsepower.
00:19:13
Speaker
But I can remove myself from the car person. And I'm like, if that was a normal person who was buying that as their daily commute, the car that was going to bring the dog to the vets bring the kids to school get you into work it is so good it's ah and that this is the m sport one so it should be it at the firmer it's not but it still handles well it's got larger wheels it's still not uncomfortable the suspension is brilliant what's and what's the power train what are we looking at now So it's it's the diesel, it's the 194 brake horsepower, it's got enough torque, it's rear wheel drive, it's not an X drive.
00:19:54
Speaker
and The X3 has been one of the most successful BMW cars they've ever made and I learned this when I was at the launch because in America in particular, And it's it's a huge market for them with this car. And and I'd imagine, you you know, like I know a few X5 owners, few them are on my road and they all kind of need that car. But I just wonder when you get to a stage in life, if you're doing all right for yourself and you don't need an X5 anymore, now maybe more than ever, the X3 is a kind of a downsizing car that will still not make you feel like you've kind of.
00:20:24
Speaker
But I guess we're not talking about a small car anymore. I mean, the X3, I presume, is is it the same size as the original X5, if not bigger? it's It's not as tall as it, but I'm just looking at the window in there. It's width. Yeah, exactly. Yeah.
00:20:39
Speaker
I mean, there's loads of interior space. and There's loads of room for people in the back and, you know, you're not cramped in the front. Like, you know, sometimes BMW coupés kind of tend to wrap themselves around you. That's the point. Yeah.
00:20:52
Speaker
Yeah, the interior is definitely not what they used to be. there there are There's definitely more plastic exposed right the way up towards your elbow and and above. um And some people will like and and some people will dislike the new steering wheel and all that. But just ah as a vehicle tool, and it's good. Now, that car outside has 24,000 euros worth of extras.
00:21:13
Speaker
The M Sport version starts at 80,000 euros. Whoa, an X, you know, an X3 in my head, I know, was, is a sort of a 40, 50 grand car. Those days are well and truly gone.
00:21:25
Speaker
Gone. so ah so you So you're starting, you're what are you starting off with for an X3 now of these days? ah For the M Sport is... Yeah, a basic enough one. So you're still 75, 80 grand, right? So X1, I guess, is now your entry point.
00:21:42
Speaker
So they they start with the X7 on the configurator and they they go downwards. I don't know why that is. Hoping you might accidentally buy an X7. Yeah, so it's 79, 595.
00:21:56
Speaker
the m ah I will say one thing, and maybe it's because the prices are so expensive these days. The jump to an M Sport used to be bigger. The jump to ah from an X-Lion to an M Sport now is barely two grand.
00:22:10
Speaker
But still. But still. So and put this thing in context first, if you would. that like What are we looking at alternatives-wise for that car.
00:22:22
Speaker
You could have the new Audi Q5. Yeah. yeah yeah um Does it light your You could have, deuwa does what? Does it light your fire, the Q5? Nah.
00:22:33
Speaker
the It's just one of those cars. It's like, it's perfectly brilliant at everything, but you're just like, Yeah. Yeah. I mean, you could the Porsche Macan, the turbo version. You would get a Macan now, wouldn't you? Definitely get coming up to one year old one for similar, probably better residuals.
00:22:56
Speaker
um Yeah, there's a nice Volvo, wouldn't you? Well, you'd get an XC60. Yeah. Which would be a good comparison. Yeah.
00:23:09
Speaker
Anyway, but look, it looks good-ish. I know it looks, it's diversive and, you know. there's The rear overhang is a little bit clunky. The rear of the car in general, as I spin it around here in the configurator. Your configurator is quite good, actually, BMW.
00:23:24
Speaker
ah yeah it's it's It actually looks There's a bit of a Cooper look off it when you look straight on For Mentor mentor Yeah Kind of kind of nice and So look at least we've established cars We're definitely not getting any cheaper But b the BMW X3 is a very good car to drive If people want to watch or review of this vehicle haven't filmed it yet There is there is a video from Munich last year al re I was filming it in a retired German airbase Which even had bunkers in it But by the time people are listening to this, there may well be.
00:23:57
Speaker
Well, that's true. and Go have a look. It's ah it's black and it's, ah yeah. When I got into it i had like 1,200 kilometers in the in the range, which is always nice. Right.
00:24:09
Speaker
Yeah. So yesterday you were in Dublin and i was well, but I wasn't there at the launch of the new MGS5. I've just watched your video review on Nobian cars and um Yeah. Interestingly, you started off saying, you know game changer is not a word that we, that it's a word that we hear a lot of and it's thrown around like tea and coffee, but MG are on a good run, aren't they? I mean, you've, you've said to me before, you said, look, you've always thought that MG, um you know, nearly made a brilliant car, that they they would have something that was really good at lots of things, but maybe just not quite there yet.
00:24:49
Speaker
This looks like and they might be nearly there though, right? Yeah, well and I'd say the same for the the new HS, which you have also tried and tested. um i just Two cars that spring to mind, like the Cyberster, I suppose your expectations of that car are purely based on looks alone or so high. Yeah, it's theatre. There's a few shortcomings, but it's still, I mean, look, I still wouldn't say don't buy one. like if if you If you like that kind of car, there's nothing else out there in the market with a brand new plate on it ah like that. no and
00:25:20
Speaker
Equally, the MG4 X-Power has... It just wasn't... was like, oh, I don't know. Like, you know, again, the standard car is absolutely brilliant for what it does, price and everything. They've even thrown in a rear wiper now on the newer versions of it. um It's a nice looking car as well.
00:25:37
Speaker
Yeah, yeah, I think it lays reasonably well. You see a lot of them as taxis, which is always, you know, always a good litmus test. But no, the new MG S5, which is kind of a clunky name, I believe ah that Audi owned the S5 combination of letter and number. So I think that's where the MG S5 has to be in that sequence. Oh, okay, okay.
00:25:58
Speaker
So size-wise, are we, yeah, like well similar to the HS, big enough? Yeah. Eh, maybe not quite as big, but they are calling it a B-segment car, which...
00:26:10
Speaker
Yeah. So Hyundai Kona sized. Yeah. Yeah. That was one of the comparisons yesterday. EV3, obviously, and Skoda Elrock. Which Elrock seems to be absolutely flying for Skoda looking at sales figures. I've seen them everywhere. I've been up and down to Dublin a couple of times this week and stopped at various charging points and just they're in the wild everywhere.
00:26:32
Speaker
Yeah. And but even like in in European terms, it seems to be doing really Skoda. Yeah. it Was it best-selling EV Europe? Yeah, which yeah just when you think, is there not enough of these types of cars? Something goes and launches a new one and it takes off again. So, you know, when people say, why are everyone buying SUVs? Well, they're, Scott obviously knows something we don't.
00:26:52
Speaker
and But the thing about the MG S5 is it pretty much undercuts all of these cars. So it's £29,995 for the smaller battery. Which is 49 kilowatt hours, range of 340. Yeah.
00:27:05
Speaker
um And the bigger battery is what, 64 with a range of 480. Yeah. Now, will you 480? Everyone knows, sorry, at this stage. Minus the battery. 28 minutes charging time, 10 80. There's a 170 brake and a 230 brake, both rear wheel drive. Yeah. twenty eight minutes charging time tend to eighty there's a one seventy break and a two thirty break bolt rear wheelel drive and You can only get the top trim in one battery, but you can get the entry trim in either battery.
00:27:31
Speaker
um An exclusive $34,995. So is that the most you can spend on one? That's, yeah, if you want, the white paint is included. Anything else is €700 and delivery charge, I think is either the same or is €800.
00:27:46
Speaker
you You said you said in the video 139 kilowatt ah DC charging on the larger battery, 120 kilowatt on the smaller battery. So even on the smaller battery, that's really fast charging. It is. Now, I would like to see again with MG, I haven't ever really seen the yeah the top charging speeds as claimed, but look, there's lots of terms ignitions there. Could be on my part as well.
00:28:07
Speaker
temperature, state of charge, all that stuff. That website, EV database. Have you ever been on that? yeah Yeah. That's a great one for showing charging curves. So it'll give you an idea of what it peaks and when it peaks at.
00:28:18
Speaker
Charge coefficient 0.27, which is a good CD figure and for that. but Space in the back. How's that? Great, great. i I haven't, I didn't bring, I had a measure tape in my bag, i probably should have done it, but um just for seat of the pants feeling, I don't think there's much in it between the LROC and the the MG for rear space. It's 2730mm wheelbase, which is very good. Boot space is decent.
00:28:45
Speaker
Boot space, yeah, it's mid 400s. There's a drop of floor. No frunk in it, but you know still spaces to put your cables. there I like that there's and underneath the the floor that can drop.
00:28:56
Speaker
There's a kind of a tool area and it just says tools. I saw that, yeah. ah narrow And you said they've given us physical buttons because the European market wants that, but then China, they don't have them. So they're listening to to to us over here as well, which is good.
00:29:10
Speaker
I thought, yeah, i thought it was interesting. They can physically adapt the the interior slightly. um You can see why maybe Chinese people are light years ahead of us when it comes to gadgets and they're over the whole physical button thing. um They have enough in stock apparently to get us through the next, to whatever's left of the month, six or year, six months. And, um,
00:29:30
Speaker
Yeah, like £29,995. Yeah. yeah That's an interesting price. So when you were there, you spoke to an Natasha Marr, who's um in charge of marketing PR for MG Motor Ireland. And what does she have to say?
00:29:43
Speaker
and Well, we'll have a little chat with her now. She's basically been with MG since they relaunched, I suppose, is the way to describe it in Ireland. So we caught up with her inside an MG S5. Well, I'm here sitting in the brand new MG S5 because we're talking to the lady who is MG in Ireland. Her name is Natasha Marr. She is marketing and PR manager, crisis manager, that there would be a crisis. How are you Welcome to podcast.
00:30:06
Speaker
I'm good. Thank you very much for having me. So we're sitting in this car today which has been described as a competitor to the Hyundai Kona, the Skoda Elrock, the key EV3. How does that feel?
00:30:17
Speaker
Yeah, look, it's a nice feeling. It's obviously a very competitive segment, but we're pretty confident in what we're offering in the MGS5 that we can still stand to those competitors with a very good price point.
00:30:28
Speaker
To kind of describe the car, how would you, because obviously this is a podcast, how how does how does the car look in your opinion? Look, ah from our point of view, it is a huge step forward in design and quality um from our first generation vehicles. So we really feel that we can rival those competitors while keeping an impressive price. Speaking of the price, so there's two ah two different trims, two different battery sizes. yeah when you're When you're negotiating or you're talking in the office about the price of of a car like this and you realise you kind of have a ah good entry point in the market, how excited does that make you feel? Yeah. I'm actually generally quite conflicted with it because I feel there's a perception around me ah sorry excuse me around MG that we're the bargain brand or the cheaper version, which from my point of view, trying to build a brand, I'm always nervous about. So when they come in with these amazing entry points, which are great to have, I always have that little bit of a feeling like, oh, is it a little bit too low? Are people just going to assume it's missing something?
00:31:28
Speaker
Which they're not. may In some ways, it's a fair, maybe, or unfair assumption. You know, you have cars in the market that continually undercut the competition. So, does that you're saying that doesn't always mean you're you're skimping on the driving dynamics, the tech that you get in the car, the safety equipment.
00:31:44
Speaker
Exactly. And, like, I'm only speaking from an MG point of view here, obviously, but we certainly think our cars are very well spec'd. And that is something that we aim to while keeping that price point. How long now since MG, it's obviously a name that people will be familiar with. There's a lot of heritage there. Obviously, they're now a Chinese owned company. They have offices in London and amongst other places. But you kind of had to yeah to relaunch MG as a brand in Ireland. How hard or easy was it to do do? You know, it was incredibly fun, to be fair, and we got a lot of freedom with the brand, which is great, which often doesn't happen um in terms of creative and stuff. Usually you're very restricted. It was, look, launching a brand is always difficult.
00:32:24
Speaker
And we launched in the middle of COVID, if you remember, 2020. So we had vehicles land into showrooms about 10 days before we went into a full lockdown.
00:32:35
Speaker
which is far from ideal. So, I mean, we're trying to get people to trust this new brand, although be it there is a heritage there, it is essentially new, now Chinese owned. um And trying to get people to trust a new brand is difficult, never mind if they can't see, touch or drive the vehicle. So that was obviously challenging. So we did as much as we could on socials and videos and all that kind of stuff. And actually the press were one of the key...
00:32:59
Speaker
reasons we were able to advertise the brand in that because you were still able to work and we were able to get it out and that's how people were able to interact with this with the brand at the time. Then once we came out of COVID and we launched, we hit the global semiconductor shortage like everybody else.
00:33:14
Speaker
So we had this massive buzz around the launch of the ZSEV and then we had no cars. So like as a new brand The key thing is to have cars on the road, to have people seeing them everywhere. That's how people get to know the cars, get to trust the brand. And we did have orders and it was piling up, but we just couldn't deliver.
00:33:33
Speaker
So I suppose the real kind of success story for us probably came then with MG4 because finally everything aligned in terms of orders, stock. um And look, that car has been incredibly successful. It's really helped the brand establish itself in Ireland.
00:33:48
Speaker
um And then i suppose last year, ev sales obviously kind of started to dwindle. We very quickly pivoted towards introducing hybrids to our lineups. And now we offer a little bit of something for everybody. And you're talking about the MG3 there?
00:34:00
Speaker
MG3 ZS. In particular, I suppose. ZS hybrid as well, obviously, and our new HS plug-in hybrid. So those days when ah you were probably on Zoom and you you know you heard from other places, okay, we're just about to launch car.
00:34:11
Speaker
Oh, ah right, we no semiconductors. ah How testing for you as an individual were those days? I mean, you can't really... You did your job interviewing it out for MG. They couldn't have foresaw that stuff.
00:34:22
Speaker
You don't know how you're going to react to No. Look, it's like it's every job has its ups and downs and it it is tough, particularly we're a very small team. So we really do live and breed And it means a lot to us. We're all very passionate. And myself in particular, I'm a bit of a perfectionist. So, I mean, if something doesn't go my or doesn't go the brand's way, obviously I blame it myself. It's my fault, um even though it's stuff that you can't control. And at the time it was like.
00:34:46
Speaker
it was long long days when you're trying to establish a brand we were given it everything so yeah it was hard but I mean everything kind of settles down and you get to it and we're really happy with ah where we are now so it all worked out I remember a car of the year refresher day last year, you drove in in an MG Cyberster.
00:35:04
Speaker
No one, I mean, I'd seen the car in the flesh in London. It was a prototype, essentially car. Nothing in it was was for a function. It was all just a look at it. You rocked in. a load of journalists came running out saying, give us a look. um You know, to have that kind of car in your back pocket. How does how does that work out?
00:35:24
Speaker
ah Look, it's great. It's such a showstopper. It's so much fun to have. And like, you know, obviously from driving it, you can't go 10 foot down the road and someone's stopping you to see what it is or taking pictures and those doors. Like it's it's cool. And it gives, as suppose, as a real confidence boost in terms of what the brand can do and where we can bring the vehicles. And it's always a nod to the heritage, but it's just great fun. Let's be honest. I mean, what's not to like about two door convertible?
00:35:48
Speaker
The BMW Z4, there's the Mazda MX-5, there are, obviously this is Porsche Boxster, there are cars in the atmosphere that that serves that similar purpose. But to have a fully electric car that does all those things, as you say, it is a showstopper. You've got two motor options, so loads and loads of power, proper roadster.
00:36:08
Speaker
um Why do you think MG made that car? Look, I suppose the brand answer, the official answer is it was always to show what they can do because I suppose the last couple of years, if you look at the cars they produce, it's family SUVs, it's your runarounds, it's your urban city cars. So I think they particularly the design side of the company, they just wanted to show like we're still here, we're still able to do this.
00:36:31
Speaker
And obviously it was a hundred years anniversary. So it's very much bringing back that sporting heritage and that true MG DNA that people, suppose, older generations are familiar with. So just back to this car now that we're in now, the MGS5. Yes.
00:36:44
Speaker
Which is quite a long model name. It is. It is. um Our model names, it can be a little bit funny. It's letters, it's numbers, then it's a middle of both. I'd love if there was a little bit more consistency, but unfortunately, that's not something we're in charge of. um It has a five star NCAP safety to rating. It has a seven year warranty. For someone who's maybe, you know, they they probably are again aware of of the name MG because for so many reasons.
00:37:07
Speaker
But an Irish customer who maybe hasn't tried them before, maybe hasn't gone into a showroom, you know, this feels like a car that you're really putting your your best foot forward. What would you say to that person who's maybe driving a Toyota for years, driving a Skoda for years?
00:37:21
Speaker
Well, you know, how how would what would you say to them if you had their ears now? I just ask them to test drive it. Just give it a chance and be open to it Look, Irish customers are incredibly brand loyal. And if they're loyal to your brand, that's great for you. But there's so many more alternatives out there now.
00:37:36
Speaker
And we really do deliver as much spec for nowhere near the price point. And often actually our dealers will say to us, if I can just get someone into the car, the deal is done. And i think that speaks for itself in a way that once people drive the cars, they can really see the quality and the value that's there.
00:37:51
Speaker
Okay, so are your days less, well, I'm not going to say less hectic. are Are there less problems that come down these days compared to when you started an MG? I mean, there's always problems, but they're never really that big, are they? Like, look, from our point of view, like from my point of view, I should say, like I always want more videos, more imagery, more assets. That's always what I'm screaming out for. A lot of the times the European central assets aren't great. So then we're trying to create our own, which is time consuming. um but no, I think it's definitely less hectic. But this year coming, so for the next five months, we're looking at launching a number of vehicles. So I would imagine that's not going to last very long.
00:38:29
Speaker
OK, just plenty of semiconductors and yeah you'll be happy. OK, Natasha, good luck with the, what's the name of the car again? MGS5 EV. Thank you very much for talking to us. No problem, thank you.
00:38:40
Speaker
Let's take a quick break and we will be back to discuss the SIMI figures for May and the rollout of new EV charging points. Welcome back to the Drivers Republic podcast, which is brought to you by Dundeele Motors, home of the Trusted Dealer Programme, helping you buy with confidence from verified dealerships.
00:38:56
Speaker
ah Welcome back to part two of this week's podcast. I'm always interested in the SIMI or SIMI sales figures because they they paint a picture and they paint trajectories or maybe not, as the case can be. And you you love numbers, Paddy. You're a nerd. I love a SIMI figure. Yeah, absolutely. So yeah, it's it's been a sort of a shaky enough start to the year. Like, I mean, it's fine-ish, but the registrations are down nearly 9% compared to this time last year. and
00:39:28
Speaker
Very much business as usual at the business end. Toyota are still out in front, 14.82% of the market, fending off strong competition from Hyundai and Volkswagen, second third.
00:39:41
Speaker
Again, and we've talked about this before, the Hyundai Tucson continues its reign as the best-selling model so far this year, staying ahead of the Toyota RAV4 and the Yaris Cross.
00:39:51
Speaker
Mark, people kiss deep keep buying the Hyundai Tucson. Like, still. I was behind a very smelly 2018 one yesterday, diesel one. Oh, my God, the amount of smoke went out the bag of it. had to turn my aircon off to stop breathing in.
00:40:04
Speaker
fumes. The fumes. Yeah, look, it's one of those cars that, you know, you just he'd get another one. One of my neighbors had a white one a few years ago. This year, she changed to a gray, green one.
00:40:14
Speaker
um But it's a remarkable story, though, because, I mean, it's it is. Sorry, it's a very good car, but Hyundai seem to be able to master getting people back and back and back again.
00:40:27
Speaker
into their cars and it must be ah obviously a measure of of their aftercare, their dealer network, because, you know, this is it's still a fresh enough car, but it's not a new car and it's it's fending off a lot of competition, especially from, you know, from other paratrains. I wonder, is it the fact as well that this is not an EV and that it's one of the sort of last few remaining that gives you various options in paratrains?
00:40:51
Speaker
Yeah, well, you can get a plug-in hybrid version of it if if you like. um One of my other neighbours who just got one, i look over at the car every night, it's charged and charging. And ah reliability, you get roadside assistance.
00:41:04
Speaker
I'm sure the the dealers are ringing you to go, look, I have someone ready to buy your her used one when you're coming in to pick a new colour. Again, styling. Like, as you say, that car was first unveiled in 2020 and first landed in, I think, sort of 2021. It was very radical looking at the time. And I think it's yeah just, it's managed to just balance out then because it was, it was really radical when it came out and so different from the one before.
00:41:31
Speaker
But angel wing face, which is kind of the the cascading lights that are daytime running lights and headlights, you know, it still looks very, very fresh. It's ridiculous how, and and I don't know how they got it approved and still got the end cap right and they did. The indicators are...
00:41:47
Speaker
buried in the lower bumper and if if if you're a tailgater or you're right up at Tucson's bum bum in traffic you can't see what way it's indicating now that says more about you as a driver I i get it but it's weird how low they are and the sportage from Kia is the same and Nice interior.
00:42:05
Speaker
um Like, yeah, it's it's... You can see why. Same with the Cachcoy. Well, the Cachcoy maybe isn't as popular as it used to be, but people just bought them again and again. it is It's the Toyota Yaris of midsize SUVs, in my opinion.
00:42:21
Speaker
And um I think it's going to be a tough job replacing the design of it It's going to be one of those ones where you're like... Don't to do anything too drastic. People really like that one. Yeah, yeah, you're right. You're right. bam good Good for EVs. They are booking the trend, I suppose. a Electric vehicles registrations, I should underline, are up 23% year and year. Even as petrol is down 13%, diesel is taking a 22% hit. So you could sort of crudely say the drop off in diesel down 22%.
00:42:51
Speaker
ah EVs up 23% is sort of balancing the books there. and ah Lots of people have since sort of said to me, oh, you know, is it are these genuine figures? I think we would imagine that, right, there's a bit of both going on. the lot There will be pre-region, always happens.
00:43:05
Speaker
But we've lots of new entrants, you know, Insta, Renault 5, lots of new smaller EVs and more affordable EVs. And I think that can account for some of these registrations, right? Yeah, I'd imagine so. um And probably more so when we see June and ah obviously July will probably have ah have a bit of a boost, but bit of a boost in terms of Insta definitely, because that car seems to be doing quite well anyway.
00:43:29
Speaker
But I know people have been waiting for them. So ah I'm sure not everyone who's who's looking for an Insta in Ireland right now actually has it on their driveway just yet. um Same with the Renault 5. The Renault 4 is going to come on stream.
00:43:41
Speaker
So I think this will probably be a decent enough year. Will it be a hard year to replicate in 2026? Maybe depends when it comes to EV sales, at least. Maybe not overall car sales.
00:43:53
Speaker
um Yeah, and again, and maybe those kind of cars just are being a bit of fun, yeah capturing the imagination, a bit of personality. So, but yeah, more more of them, please. More, exactly, yeah. and Gearbox choices are changing too. 73.5% of all new cars registered this year so far automatic. manually Manual gearboxes are now officially automated.
00:44:18
Speaker
on the endangered list, which is sad to see, really, isn't it It is. um For the purists, but I suppose for people who sit in traffic all day, they couldn't care less. I did the school run today in my own car, wearing flip-flops with a manual gearbox. I'm still able to... Living your best life.
00:44:33
Speaker
ah Will there be a day, though, where it'll be removed from the driving test? That's... Well, I know some driving instructors, and I know... to haven't spoken to them that they've had to change their cars because the young folk coming don't, aren't bothered with the manual.
00:44:50
Speaker
So they've said that you know, they're under pressure because people are coming on and saying, you know, the smaller operators are saying, You know, I want to, I don't want to drive manual. I want to drive automatic. So, um, that is, is, is the manual gearbox now the algebra of the leaving cert. You're never they're never going to use it, but it's good to, well, it's good to I keep saying even to my, to my own young fella, you know, I said, look, you're going to have to learn because you could be going on holidays.
00:45:14
Speaker
You go to, you know, a rental car and you'll be handed a six-year-old Citroen C1 from the manual gearbox. You know you don't want to be stuck. But yeah, it's a good skill to have. And look for someone like, you know, you've, you've, I like a manual, you know, the fun of an MX five on a, on a Sunday morning or, or, or an I 11, but a manual gearbox is, is, know, it's, it's beautiful.
00:45:36
Speaker
Some of the other highlights, interestingly enough, looking at the figures, Alpine nine Alpine, Alpine this, there this, this, ah this period so far. So I think it's, it's obviously the smaller model, which you are driving on Monday coming, right?
00:45:52
Speaker
Yeah, but I did see an freshly off a truck a few weeks ago. I wonder, has that been registered? Yeah, maybe friend of the show, Wayne McCarthy, might have had something to do with that. We'll be talking to Wayne in a few weeks and he he has delivered some of these to some customers down in this direction, I know. um But there is the there's no doubt some of them will be the A290, which are being i road tested by Alpine slash Renault slash Dacia people.
00:46:19
Speaker
As we speak. I'm really looking forward to hearing your thoughts on that now. I'm very jealous I'm not there, but it ah it will be a a fun little car. It looks really, really good. um And yeah, you gave me a figure. um I don't actually have it here. I was trying to look it up.
00:46:32
Speaker
You saw some amazing figure about BMW M5, didn't you? Yeah, I checked there only two weeks ago. It's kind of my, it's my go-to thing once a week. i think we're at 90 something now for M5s registered this year.
00:46:44
Speaker
That is crazy. And poor old Subaru. Six Subarus this year. Down 45% from the same period last year. There's a dealership in Bray as you come down the hill into the start of Bray Town Centre.
00:46:56
Speaker
And ah I think they sell Hondas as well. and And every week I have a little look in as I drive by in the darkness and same cars just sit in the showroom. And I do like, it's not like they're not, not, you can't even say they're not even trying. They're beyond not even trying to sell cars.
00:47:14
Speaker
I for now, 28 cars down 22%, despite the fact that the new junior, um, saw one of them last week. Yeah, good looking car. And Jaguar obviously haven't have stopped making new cars.
00:47:25
Speaker
and So they are down 86%. percent They've done six units this year. So they have 0.01% of the market. Ferrari have two though.
00:47:36
Speaker
Two cars registered this year. 100% more than last year when there was one. Anecdotally heard but from someone in BMW that BMW are taking some sales away from Porsche this year.
00:47:47
Speaker
and Particular segments of cars, obviously. Porsche having a decent year. 29%, sorry, almost 30% increase, 289 units versus 223. So they sell more than Honda, Jeep, DS, Polestar, Sang Young, Alfa Romeo. Since i last spoke to you, I was driving the Macan Turbo.
00:48:06
Speaker
Yuck, yeah, which fun. About 140,000 euro car carbon packs, every kind of thing. Some people miffed by the fact that it's a turbo badge in the back. ah But what it can definitely tell you is... It goes like turbo. Yeah.
00:48:19
Speaker
It is unbelievably quick. Unbelievably. and So it's like 580 brake horsepower normally, but then if you launch it, you've got 629, I think.
00:48:30
Speaker
i'm just I'm just looking at the top 10 and sort of going looking a little beyond the top 10. So the top 13 vehicles include the Toyota RAV4, the Toyota Yaris Cross, the Toyota Corolla, the Toyota CH-R, the Toyota Yaris, and the Toyota Corolla Cross.
00:48:48
Speaker
They have one, two, three, four, or five, six cars in the top 13 vehicles. Unbelievable. That is hor unbelievable. and Any Land Cruisers in there yet? No?
00:49:01
Speaker
Don't think so? No, not not quite yet. But but yeah, top the top 10 for anyone who wants them. of vehicles right remains Tucson RAV4 Toyota Yaris Cross Kia Sportage Skoda Octavia Toyota Corolla Skoda Kodiak Hyundai Kona Volkswagen Tiguan Volkswagen Golf and then you have a load more Toyotas after that so that's the top 10 in Ireland but I'm kind of surprised the Golf that it's in there so I just don't see as many anymore no but I'm speaking to Martin Cardiff who's coming on to the show
00:49:35
Speaker
who's head of sales for Volkswagen recently, and he says they've just had a bit of a research of those recently. It's actually, you know, they're about the same units as they saw last year, but, you know, there's no such thing really as an entry-level Golf now. You can't go in and get a, you know, a bulk basic small engine comfort line. They're fairly high-end things, but there's still a big demand for them. So, yeah, not bad at all. And, you know, it's outselling the CH-O, which very popular at Toyota.
00:50:04
Speaker
It's one of those you could just, you're only man. Well, look, I mean, they're so universal. you you get yeah You get into it, it's going to feel comfortable. You know where everything's going to be. It feels great. And, you know, you know and and and it's going to hold its value as well. So what a car, you know.
00:50:16
Speaker
And hatchbacks are better to drive. Well, they just are, yeah. and Other big news this week. For EV drivers in particular, 53 new high-power recharging hubs are being rolled out across Ireland's National Road Network.
00:50:29
Speaker
That's 175 new fast and ultra-fast chargers backed by nearly €8 million euro in grant funding, all of them expected to be in place by the end of the year. None in Dublin, none in Laod, none in Mead.
00:50:40
Speaker
and Not in Carlow, but ah lot in lots of other areas, particularly and where they've been elected before. Lots in Donegal. Huge, huge investment there in Donegal. Some down here as well in Cork, which is good as well. If you want to see the full list, TII have the full list of where they are. and You and I were talking about this offline. like they they There seem to be a fair few in Apple Green outlets.
00:51:05
Speaker
and Look, we welcome this. people You and I use this network quite a lot. There's still a lot of gaps, right? ah Yeah, so like Waterford getting some is definitely welcome because that seemed to be a black spot. and Wexford, I think, is reasonably okay, sir. There are some ionities in Wexford, for example. um So is this part of the one Eamon Rhine launched few years ago where it was like every 65 kilometres? Yeah, kind of less than 60 kilometres. It was rolled out by Minister Dara Cleary this week.
00:51:35
Speaker
um Sorry, Dara or Brian this week. And yes um it was, ah it's part of Zevi. and No word on cost yet. You know, hopefully they're not super expensive like some of them. Like I charged the other day at Fota in the ID Buzz on an e-Power one and it was 40 odd quid.
00:51:57
Speaker
That's big battery and expensive kilowatts. But you're kind of going, okay, you know, I got... That was diesel pricing basically because, you know, for the range, because that's the heavy car, not particularly efficient.
00:52:12
Speaker
and And, um you know, if if it was a diesel transporter, I would have got probably 700 kilometers from from that equivalent amount, you know. So you have to be careful and on that. So hopefully these aren't overly expensive because it will sort of defeat the point.
00:52:28
Speaker
Well, if you're getting government subsidies, it doesn't really he seem fair that you can then go and rinse the motorist. No. um But when when does anyone care about min rinsing the motorist in this country? and Yeah, I mean, the Circle K, the Apple Greens, they're all about 75.
00:52:45
Speaker
Five. seventy Some of them I've seen are 75. Yeah, sorry, I could i can be stand corrected on that, the but yeah, you're they're in and around that ballpark anyway. One thing, one gripe, sort of gripe have, and i don't know if you've noticed it is, some of them vary on what they will take as a security deposit.
00:53:00
Speaker
So I e was at Ionity the other day and there was a, ah in cash and was a bit of a fault with the machine. So it kept taking 40 euro from my account. um And I was, I think I i was down sort of 160 or more after a couple of seconds because of the fault.
00:53:20
Speaker
So, and you know, you're waiting for that to come back then, but, um, apple green takes a euro, a circle K I think is 40 or 50 euro. Um, like if I like can apple green take a euro, uh, and, and, you know, another has taken such a huge, huge difference in price, you know? So, cause often if it's the, it can be just that there's a bit of an issue and it just keeps taking, taking, taking, taking and then you're suddenly you're, you're, you know, you're down a few hundred quid.
00:53:46
Speaker
I think it's because Apple Green sell Mr. Beast chocolate bars and Circle K don't. Right. Okay. That could be part of it. Do I need to do that? Oh, they're worth a try. So you're saying if if, let's say you need 40 euro worth of juice, metaphorically speaking, on top of that, they will take 50 quid?
00:54:04
Speaker
No, it's it's a deposit. So... But so it takes it and then the theory is obviously it subtracts that and you get charged. But like on, if you're on a bank holiday, for example, like, so I was, I was using a bank of Ireland card.
00:54:18
Speaker
It was a bank holiday Saturday. and And I didn't see that money till Tuesday returned. So. Might be worth for those who have things like Revolut using that kind of company. Because I know from. Revolut does it immediately.
00:54:34
Speaker
Yeah. That's the difference. Yeah. Yeah, and like you can see why that's another... So you were 160 quid down at one point. You know, if someone is choosing between feeding their kids until Tuesday or, oh, well, you know, I was trying to be green and my money's somewhere in this ah huge multi...
00:54:51
Speaker
national oil company's bank account. No, sorry, it would be Ionity's, but in yeah in the case Circular Care or whatever, I think it was the ah of fault was with the Ionity machine, so that was the one that was tripping itself up.
00:55:03
Speaker
So it was it was taking the deposit, I put it in, and it was so showing a fault. You try again, but each time it was taking that amount of money and then it takes a few days for it to just go, oh, sorry, you didn't charge. Here you go.
00:55:15
Speaker
Whereas if you use something like Revolut, it seems to return it pretty much immediately. So and so interesting on that, you know. and But yeah, look, good news all around. And and then look, you know, in terms of of charging, we want we need to see better charging. We need to see more of it. We're getting to the point now and I'm noticing it. I'm sure you are as well, Mark, with the increase in the number of EVs, bigger, you know, bigger footprint of these around the charging points are starting to get clogged up.
00:55:44
Speaker
Yeah, it depends where you're where you're going, I think. But yeah, um and I've seen all kinds of people, you know, whether they're doing loops at car parks, waiting for a spot, and then the next person pulls in, doesn't realize this person's been doing loops for the last half an hour. I've seen Charger rage firsthand. I've, yeah, it's...
00:56:01
Speaker
We still need, you know, it's great putting three and four chargers into a super value car park, but that ah is also a very congested super value car park with Biddy, who's also trying to do a weekly shop and, you know, is reversing her Nissan Micra badly sideways or or Tom, let's not be sexist about um So, yeah.
00:56:20
Speaker
yeah I'd love us to just have some more hubs I'd love us to have some like they do in the UK where you just go to a place either where there's not even a toilet but there's just loads of charges or there is a kind of a toilet I mean it's the area have a picnic whatever whatever you want in a couple of food trucks a barber shop you know and things like because if you're able to go and do you know have a bit of grub and you know, get a haircut or whatever, or whatever, you know, I think that would be useful enough. so It is. i think you'd probably want to be Richard Branson or Alan Sugar to be in that headspace just now.
00:56:56
Speaker
If I was, if I was, and what I mean by that, I suppose, two things. One, to have the entrepreneurial foresight, but also the the cash reserves, because you'd be kind of thinking on the one hand, what you just said there going, oh God, like there's someone who's, you know, getting, waiting for days to get their money back. Do I really want to be,
00:57:12
Speaker
investing money in something connected with electric cars. The other side is, well, look, they're not going away. So, yeah, first in gets to charge the most money first. and Yeah, I, you know, I think I've discussed before, I've been to Norway where Circle K moved all the fossil fuel pumps to the back of the forecourt and the main forecourt is, with a shelter, is ah is electric chargers.
00:57:35
Speaker
You know, if someone could do that first and then others would go, oh, did you see the one they have there Junction 14, whatever it is. You know, Junction 14, in fairness, isn't a bad setup. No, it's very, very, very decent. ah You know, probably even still today, but certainly when it launched. and we need We need more of that. And, you know, this is this is definitely good. Just how long will it take?
00:57:56
Speaker
Will we be looking at more cases of Circle K chargers covered up for six months and beyond because they haven't spoken to yeah ESB or vice versa? and Yes, the one in Middleton, which is still, I think that's been covered up since about September last year. I'd say we're not far off a year of that being coming soon. Like they should just not put the coming soon sign up. Just make cover them up in black stuff.
00:58:19
Speaker
I think the ones in Circle Hay at the port are now uncovered. I think I was there a few weeks ago. and So, yeah, I mean, look, I will also say there's electric car looking at me here in the driveway.
00:58:32
Speaker
It's only ever used public charger once in 12 months of ownership. And that's only because there was a last minute decision that there was a long round trip needed and I just drove down to actually that Super Value car park got a spot was back again half an hour later but you know the huge amount of the charging is done at home yeah that's very convenient and it's very low cost and it's the cheapest chip yeah Right, so have you ever wondered what it's actually like to be a car journalist? From driving the latest models before anyone else to early start, at press launches, long hours editing videos and the occasional airport dash. It's not all glamour, but it's definitely not boring. In this next segment after the break, we're lifting the curtain on the world of motoring journalism, how it works, what goes on behind the scenes and what makes it one of the best and sometimes strange jobs out there.
00:59:18
Speaker
Whether imagining track days and supercars or long days in a diesel SUV in the rain, This one's for you and that's coming up next. Welcome back to the Drivers Republic podcast brought to you in association with Dundee Motors, where more Irish drivers find their next car from a trusted dealership than anywhere else. Why?
00:59:35
Speaker
Because Dundee's Trusted Dealer program means verified dealerships and the kind of backup that matters like warranties and history checks, giving you confidence from your very first click.
00:59:45
Speaker
So, Mark, you're in the hot seat. I'm sure when you go to a dinner party and a discussion comes up, you know, so what do you do when you say that you're a car journalist, content creator in general, YouTube superstar?
00:59:58
Speaker
There must be the usual question of, oh, that must be the best job in the world, which of course it is. But I thought it'd be a good idea to give the listeners an idea of just how it actually is. We've both done the job at various stages and I've been on both sides of the journalist and PR side. So I think it might be interesting to give an idea of what. is involved so mark tell us firstly how did you get into car journalism was it something you always wanted to do or did you start to fall into it wasn't necessarily something i always wanted to do i've always had an interest in cars i was only reminded of photographs there the other day where i was in a little tykes car maybe one and somewhere somehow i had taken the volkswagen a sticker and put it on the front to make it a volkswagen little tykes car great good
01:00:39
Speaker
My mother also worked in Motor Distributors Limited many, many years ago and had things like Mark 1 Golfs as company cars, a yellow one that had a flashing light on the dashboard to tell you when to change gear to save fuel.
01:00:52
Speaker
Amazing. Right in the middle of an oil crisis, I suspect. Yeah, and that car was a bit of a Monday morning car. And ah Stephen LaFlaherty's son, Michael, who my mother worked for, sent it back to Volkswagen. He said, that car is not up to the challenge.
01:01:10
Speaker
Right. And they took it. Yeah, I think they did. But probably MDL, these were at the time people who had recently built Beetles and stuff in Dublin. So they maybe had a bit of clout.
01:01:21
Speaker
Yeah, of course. and So, no, the love for cars was all always there. Obviously, I worked in radio for a long time and that was all taken along fine. And it was just one day where actually Skoda came to the radio show because they were doing something to do with the Pope.
01:01:39
Speaker
Pope Francis at the time, they gave him a... Skoda Rapid. That was it. And Honda were doing something similar. They wanted us to do a challenge and i didn't have any cameras or anything like that. But, you know, I had a little bit of presenting in my time and ah it just kind of went from there. And i spotted the gap. There it was only really sort of Bob Flavin and a couple of others doing video in Ireland.
01:02:02
Speaker
um Bob by far had had the biggest channel still does. Sinead McCann was doing a few as well. Yes. Sinead was doing it for for Cars Ireland. Still is.
01:02:14
Speaker
and And still is. I only pumped into her at a filming spot there two weeks ago. We need to get Sinead on the show, by the way. Sidebar. Definitely. Yes. she's She's a lovely lady. um Very good at what she does.
01:02:25
Speaker
um I don't think realises how good she is. No, definitely not. and So, yeah, it just it just went from there. And, you know, the the the grind was hard because, as so some people put it in brands, you know, they get lots of requests from people looking to just drive cars for free.
01:02:43
Speaker
So they have they have to weed out those people. And look, the radio background probably helped that I wasn't just a randomer looking for... For cars, um I didn't necessarily have an audience or anything then, but had a radio audience, so maybe that helps. and So just it just went from there. I was continually saying no to press trips because I was working full time, and any time I did go on a press trip, had to use annual leave. Do you remember what your first press car was?
01:03:07
Speaker
First press car was, suppose technically it was a Skoda Elrock. It wasn't an Elrock. Sorry, I'm confusing so many names.
01:03:18
Speaker
What's the other one? What's the... Enyak? What's the... What's the petrol? What's the petrol, Alrock? The pet... The Carock. Carock, that was it. I was thinking this. I only started last week.
01:03:32
Speaker
I knew it ended with... ah ah Very good. so and Right. So look, what's a typical week actually look like for a motoring journalist or for for for you? Is it sort of all car launches and or, you know, talk us through what is ah as an average week?
01:03:47
Speaker
It does change some weeks. There are local launches some weeks. There's international launches. Sometimes there's multiple cars to be reviewed in that one week because I've probably taken on too much or there's just loads of new cars coming on stream last minute.
01:04:02
Speaker
So... so The one constant is it will involve cars, but how the week looks from one end of the week to the next can kind of differ. So Monday morning is right. You're you're returning a car. You're returning your car to our good friends, generally an automotive team, Gordon, Scott, Fergus, et cetera. and And we so so that's so that's a bit of hanging around. That's sort of dropping one car back, waiting for the next one, chatting to you.
01:04:30
Speaker
the the the the colleagues, if you like. Not that you work with them, you work to sort of just see them a lot. and And then from there, you take the car. Do you immediately go and film it? Do you get to know it? You know, at this stage, you're doing it a while now. Do you have that sort of muscle memory of getting in and knowing exactly what feels right and what doesn't? I would never film the day I collected the car because you do want to get to know it. By the fact that it's actually clean as it's going to be, but still.
01:04:58
Speaker
Yes, well, there's, yeah, summertime's a little bit easier to deal with that, but there's oftentimes, even only last week, where you drive a totally spanking new car, freshly washed, prepared, and you're on the n fifty and a truck goes by you and it's destroyed.
01:05:12
Speaker
um So sometimes I do wash the cars again, depends how bad they are. Sometimes do it by hand, sometimes I'll bring to a car wash, just depends. So, ah yeah, you do you do get a sense quite pretty quickly now of you jump into a car and you notice straight away. Like with the X3 this week, it was like, oh yeah, yeah, no, this is this is good. um So you do get that very quick initial test of how do the brakes feel? What's the suspension like? Is it sluggish?
01:05:38
Speaker
um How clunky is the screen to try and find just, you know, every week? Imagine when you're setting up your car, when you buy a new car, you go and hopefully the dealer helps you connect your phone and do all this. So if you've got to do that once...
01:05:50
Speaker
And you do it once. You do every few weeks. to go through my phone and delete all the cars, press cars off my Bluetooth because I've got so many. So um you've got to do it every time. And then it's like, oh, where's all the bings and the bongs to turn off? So anyway, then you're on the way home and then it's probably school collection time and you park the car literally for...
01:06:08
Speaker
For the day, or maybe you're driving that evening to go to swimming lessons and the kids actually help subconsciously because they'll complain about, you know, the windows too high. Can't see out. Yeah, exactly. Can't see Can't reach the handle. There's no rear leg room. Can you move your seat forward? Although it's not, you know, asked that politely. It's more someone's boot in the back of the park and you see, I've no leg room.
01:06:29
Speaker
Yeah. So, yeah, you kind of, you get to know the car a little bit. You do that your daily stuff. You try and put your your head and shoes in the typical customer for that car.
01:06:40
Speaker
and You're noticing fuel efficiency. You're noticing range. You're noticing what's the boot like. And, yeah. All those. But one thing I've always liked about your videos in particular is that you seem to have a very good eye for detail. You seem to notice the smaller bits. Does that, is that a real concerted effort or yeah is that just what you're like? You just take in those details?
01:07:02
Speaker
and I think it's it's part of doing that job and you have to, I mean, look, there are times I will, particularly at a local launch, I'll miss something. And i think it's really important part of the job. You know, if you are calling yourself a motoring journalist, any type of journalism is about details. It's about facts. It's about fact checking. It's about, you know, going above and beyond details.
01:07:24
Speaker
the extra points that a normal person could see like even if you know we were talking about reading about Elon and Musk okay everyone can talk about Elon and Musk but like give me eight individual facts that I haven't heard of today about Elon versus Musk sorry Trump versus Elon m you know because yeah everyone can read the Sky News headlines so like it's your job to be in the thick of it to notice okay there's underneath the armrest in this particular car, they've put a little slider for you to keep a car park ticket. Or, you know, ah my own dad only a few weeks ago, he bought an Elrock and the neighbor has an Octavia.
01:07:59
Speaker
And he said to me, um I noticed the thing on my car.
Overlooked Car Features and Honest Reviews
01:08:03
Speaker
It's like as if they didn't finish it in the factory. And then I had a look at the neighbor's car and she has it as well. It's like this is plastic thing sticking out of the windscreen.
01:08:12
Speaker
Yeah. And I said, that's for a car park ticket. And he was like, I could tell he was like, mind blown. was like, geez, like he didn't say Jesus, that's good, but I could see he was like, all right. right So, you know, no matter how many times you've told someone there's an ice scraper in the ah fuel flap of a Skoda, maybe not everyone has heard about it or there's a dash cam port in your BYD.
01:08:34
Speaker
um so yeah it's it's really important to find those little bits and then to shoot them as well like i'm not going to start naming names but there are people in this business on film who will just tell you because they're looking at the thing but don't show you the thing they're talking about yeah and yes that does take more time filming it uh you know but that's that's the difference i'm giving my secrets now how do you like this is a a charge that comes you know to a lot of a lot of us sometimes, how do you stay honest when reviewing cars that are being loaned to you by a manufacturer? You know, and it's often been said, or okay, well, you're brought to a launch, a nice hotel. There's, you know, you know, we'll get onto the foreign ones later, but even domestically, you know, you're, you're giving your lunch, there there's, you know, nice person talking to you, you do your press conference and then, you know, you're, here's a car for a week.
01:09:24
Speaker
You know, it's an obvious question, but how people will ask it, like, how do you stay honest when and ah neutral when reviewing a new car? All of the car people I've encountered really in Ireland, they're they're all lovely people, you know. yes you You're going to have to spend time with them, which isn't a chore because they are Their company is usually very, very good. They're very kind people. They want to make sure you're, you know,
01:09:45
Speaker
And sometimes embarrassing. So, you know, look, I'm just here to do my job. Don't, you know, you're as important as I am. Stop making out that, you know, I get that PR people are, and probably it depends on the person as well. Some people are probably a bit more like, that person's grand, so don't be worrying about. But there are people, you know, I've overheard conversations who they'll be bit wary of, depending on who they write for and make sure they're happy. And, oh, you know,
01:10:11
Speaker
they couldn't fly at that time. They'll need to get a better flight because, you know, so that stuff does go on. And, you know, I remember asking on an international trip recently, there was a guy who who was an ex-journalist and he's working on the Renault side. And I said, how is um how important is it that, you know, these cars are are checked for journalists? And he goes,
01:10:29
Speaker
You wouldn't believe. He said every time a car comes back to the hotel, doesn't matter if we're three weeks into the wave of testing with different countries, that car will be driven for at least 20 minutes by member of the team to make sure that everything's still fine with it.
01:10:44
Speaker
So, yeah, it's it's hugely important. and And, you know, you respect that as well, because, look, if someone's taking what you do seriously, great. So then in turn, you have to respect them. And, you know, i've I've no time for people that are doing stuff to sensationalize themselves. You have to, again, I know ah now someone who once made a point about a sun visor in a Seaturaco feeling cheap.
01:11:12
Speaker
and compared to a Volkswagen. And it was pointed out to this person who no longer reviews cars that it's the so exact same Sun Visor. You know, and brands are more than entitled to pull you up on that if you do that carry on. um You know, because that's just trying to, that's that's not reviewing a car.
01:11:31
Speaker
and a Reviewing a car is going through the facts this the stuff that everyone can tell you about and then adding your opinion on it. And the more cars you do, the longer you're doing it, the more that opinion is based on a wider range of cars.
01:11:46
Speaker
No one has ever said to me, you know, oh, go easy on us or, you know, and I could count on less than one hand anytime I've had any sort of correspondence with a brand about something that was said that maybe they didn't like.
01:12:00
Speaker
Oh, it's changed then. Because ah in my day, yeah it used to be a little different with the correspondence. But there you go. It's another story. Well, maybe maybe you were even more harsh. ah Well, no, think it was a different time. there wasn't There wasn't so much video around. I would have been writing mainly for the Irish Times. And and there was a lot of focus on what you were saying.
01:12:22
Speaker
And they were very touchy. um Certain brands in particular were very, very touchy and you would have to remind them, I don't work for you. yeah I'm employed by Irish Times to give my honest opinion on a vehicle and whether I think someone should put their money down for it.
01:12:39
Speaker
And if, you know, ah you're not, to you know, it's not for you to say that my opinion is incorrect. If it's a fact, fine, we change it. But not ah if it's, if it's a matter of opinion, that's a matter of opinion.
01:12:52
Speaker
And I think if you always have the potential customer in mind, which is which is really important, like in radio, you're taught you're talking to one person and you can apply the same logic to reviewing a car, really. um put this imaginary person, like in radio, they have these cut out caricatures of the ideal typical listener.
01:13:10
Speaker
Here's Debbie. She's 42. She's got 2.5 kids and she drives Renault Kajar. It helps you focus the mind and it's the same. And, you know, and maybe it's different if you're reviewing supercars, you know, which I never have and never will do.
01:13:24
Speaker
and But it's the basic stuff. It's like, you know, you know, it's noticing something is missing from the new model of X car because the brand has clearly started to cut corners somewhere and costs to to save a few quid. and And it's noticing that stuff. And again, having that range, if that's the,
01:13:43
Speaker
best word for it to be able to compare and contrast with cars. That's what adds clout. and And I suppose the the whole point of of being honest is if you want people to be able to trust and believe what you're saying, um then when when i when I say your car is really good, that means it is really good. You know, yeah like yeah let's let's take a MG. I was you know pretty impressed with the MG S5 this week.
01:14:07
Speaker
and Was I as impressed with the MG power? No. no But, you know, there's a reason I said what I said for both cars. So, you know, ah and that's the whole point of being able to to trust. Yeah, I mean, look, this this there's ah there's two sides to as well. there's one side, which is now that there are lots of journalists who are in the game, that game, who will say everything's great and nothing's wrong.
01:14:31
Speaker
And they're not really doing a service to anyone who's consuming their media, however big or small their audiences may be. but And then we have a new situation where there are... so-called influencers who are paid now by manufacturers to produce content, um which is marked or sometimes isn't marked.
01:14:53
Speaker
And that also that is not serving anyone at the other end either. Is that a tricky world to to navigate? I don't think it's tricky in the sense that they don't, for the most part, brands don't mix journalists and what you call theirs as
Influencers vs. Journalists in Car Reviews
01:15:10
Speaker
influencers. So influencers will be someone who'll take a car for the weekend or, you know, they might have a long term deal and you'll see and ah post on Instagram. This person probably has lots of followers and they'll be talking about the fact that the car has sunroof that opens and it's got heated seats for those really cold mornings when you're coming back in from a surf area.
01:15:26
Speaker
You know, and i look, I can't answer for brands. Does that give them a value, I suppose, in one sense? of an audience yeah It gives them an audience. It's going to give them a very positive response to their car.
01:15:38
Speaker
So for them, it's it's a no-brainer. It's probably a marketing budget. They have to give someone a car for a weekend or a week or three months, whatever it is, cost them nothing, and they get to push their car. And it's no different to what, you know,
01:15:52
Speaker
20 years ago, would have been a full page ad in the newspaper. It's just, it's, it's the way you do it today. So I totally get why they exist. I totally get why they're valuable to brands. Um, I spoke to brands a little bit about it. They, they say there's, you know, a car review is definitely a more valuable asset to them, but you know, it's, it's advertising for the modern social media world. And and that's all, that's all it is. What do they think are the biggest means misconceptions people would have about the job that you do?
01:16:22
Speaker
and One that you get paid a fortune. I mean, motoring journalism by its nature, unless you're people like Jeremy Clarkson and Chris Harris and stuff, it's never been a massively no well-paid job. I mean, again, it depends who you're writing for. And if you're writing for someone who's paying your wages every week...
01:16:41
Speaker
you know, probably better than someone who's doing it for themselves. You know, I i am at the mercy of YouTube's algorithms and algorithm. And, you know, April every year for some reason is so bad. i don't know if it's Easter holidays, what it is, but it's revenue just dies in April.
01:16:57
Speaker
Revenue dies in August. And I have to kind of build that into... Well, I still have the same expenses every month. and So that's one, two, that you get paid by the brands and to say things about their car. that Literally, literally like if that was the case, I could never say anything negative about a car. of course you do.
01:17:19
Speaker
Because you couldn't. No. Like, you know, if someone's paying you to, and you know, there there are people who will do sort of paid editorial. um So there's still kind review in the car, just pointing out the good things about it.
01:17:35
Speaker
Have I been asked to do those things in the past? Yes. Have I done them? No. um Have I ever done anything paid for with brands? Yes, sometimes, but it's very clearly, you know, if it's a reel or something, it's not really a YouTube video.
01:17:48
Speaker
and So, yeah, I think the big, big misconception is that, look, obviously you have to have relationships with people in these brands, but, you know, they're doing a job, you're doing a job. And if everyone's fair, then there aren't really any issues. But yeah, the idea that, you know, BMW are giving me...
01:18:06
Speaker
An X3 this week and they're paying me €3,000 to drive it. I wish. Now, there probably is some, you know, they BMW do have ambassadors and they have people who do stuff with them and they are absolutely getting paid. and I was in a recent press trip with BMW ah in the UK and the next day,
01:18:24
Speaker
the influencers were coming out and they were also talking about BMW in a different way. And but then the manufacturer knows what's going to be said at that at that point. Exactly. So, yeah. In fact, probably, you know, they will probably get ah plan as to what they want you to say. Yeah, script.
01:18:41
Speaker
um You know, Talk to us about the the foreign press trip, because, you know, often we see you do reviews and, and you know, I've been there before myself where you're standing in a sunny climate side of the road, beautiful beautiful sunshine, or then the lobby of a hotel doing a review.
01:18:59
Speaker
is it as glamorous as it looks from the outside? don't want to say it's a chore because it's definitely not a chore. You're going to a lovely hotel. You're going usually somewhere sunnier than home.
01:19:12
Speaker
You know, you're getting some lovely food. Scenery's nice. You literally can't buy a bottle of water without someone saying, I'll get that for you. And I suppose that might be ah also somewhere where it plays into people's minds that, oh, sure, the brand's...
01:19:27
Speaker
Again, that the it's like any work trip. If you're on someone's time at that moment, you're you're kind of their responsibility. That that doesn't mean that because someone bought you a hotel room for the night, you're going to you're going
Challenges and Realities of Car Journalism
01:19:39
Speaker
to say huge things. In fact, Audi are one brand who will ask you in your piece to write the fact that they have paid for your flights and accommodation and it has no bearing whatsoever on your review.
01:19:51
Speaker
I don't know why Audi do that. And I literally haven't seen it from any other the brand. um it's it's just out it's a good line it is good line so you so you it's an early start though right often yeah often yeah I mean like 10% of the time it's a nice half 10 flight out to Barcelona and everyone's delighted because you're not up at the crack now I live reasonably close to Dublin Airport it's not too bad I can get there in sort of 10-15 minutes if it's silly clock um But yeah, you can be up at, you know, 10 past five, half four. You don't really sleep the night before because you wake up a few times worried that you've missed the flight.
01:20:23
Speaker
Then you'll get there. ah You know, you're you've you may have been on a cramped Ryanair for a few hours. You're tired. and Then it's, bra you know, so you're eating at different times. You're trying to be reasonably healthy. A lot of these events have like...
01:20:38
Speaker
Everything is pastry. Everything is sausage rolls. um It is has been getting better over the last maybe year or so, I've noticed. Were you there with me when i tracked one day's press launch on MyFitnessPal? No, but you have you have told me about this. So this is like one of these calorie trackers. Yeah, I just decided for the for the crack and to track literally everything that I'd eaten in a day. And i was it was about eight and a half thousand calories.
01:21:02
Speaker
Oh, God. and You know, between glasses of wine, dessert, ah the those, that every time you stop, there's some Parma Ham somewhere. um Yes. Or something wrapped in bacon.
01:21:15
Speaker
and But no one else does ham like the Spanish do ham. No, they don't. They don't. It's just like... So, right, you've arrived, you've been given 18 meals. It's the thing, and of course, the thing that you never have had to experience, which was a road book and a map. You're in the car, sat in the av and away you go. So the drive tends to be, what, about a couple of hours? Yeah.
01:21:37
Speaker
It can be or it can be if you're just getting to location and the driving is the next day, it's sort of maybe half an hour to an hour to the hotel location. ah Hopefully on the flight out, your PR person has given you a press release about the car.
01:21:49
Speaker
So you can kind of prep go through this and kind of reviewing a car at an international launch is a bit like doing an exam. You get this huge chunk of information. You that in the back of your head. You're then trying to give your own opinion as you would.
01:22:01
Speaker
You're trying to film it. You mightn't have a location because you're in somewhere you don't know. um I've actually now started leaving favorites on Google Maps where id go back to, I know, Nice now. If I was to go to Nice right now, I can tell you four different places I know I could film. So do you to have youve to film them that video within the time of the route?
01:22:19
Speaker
Or do you, because that's, I mean, they can be quite tight, I remember. The only limitations really will be if it's wintertime and and darkness. Now, sometimes they do say, oh, we need the car back by half four. And there has been few times where I've sort of said, listen, I'm going to skip the presentation because I really need to get this car filmed.
01:22:36
Speaker
And that that happens a lot as well, where the presentation is on the first evening, which is fine for people who write. But if you're filming, chances are you've already filmed the car. So that's that's another aspect that should change, really. And also these embargoes that are at midnight when everyone on YouTube is asleep. But I get it from a printing point of view. But again, they're kind of legacy traits that maybe should change. and So, yeah, what sometimes will happen is the video, the brand will provide you with, or the international brand will provide you with a video team on location. So that there'll be a camera crew who can film you out at the hotel. It does take the pressure off a little bit.
01:23:10
Speaker
They just send you everything you've said in the footage. Never, ever, ever has anyone edited that footage and sent it to me or taken something I said out. Never happened. and And then that kind of will help. They also will provide you with footage of that car in that location, in that color, doing drive-bys and stuff. And again, it takes the pressure off. You don't have to do the same level of filming that you would if you're filming car in Ireland.
01:23:33
Speaker
Is it a lot more advanced and from that perspective than it was, say, five, ten years ago in terms of ah being prepared for you for as a videographer? Yeah, it can still be hit and miss depending on brands. um But yeah. Who does it well?
01:23:48
Speaker
Volkswagen do it well. Ford do it very well. ah Volvo do it well. Lexus do it incredibly well. Lexus will shoot 17 different colours ah in 16 different backgrounds in rain and sun. It's like the cars, the overar and overengineer apps. So they'll have a cameraman and you just have to just present.
01:24:11
Speaker
You can focus on the presenting only. Yeah. Wow. That's got to help, right? It does help. and You can go off and do it. You see the problem as well now is because more and more people are doing video, the brand might only have one, maybe two max videographers.
01:24:24
Speaker
So then you're waiting and the weather might be good now or might be getting dark two hours and you're like, ah. So I'll always bring my camera gear with me as well just in case I need, because especially if I'm traveling with a group of Irish guys and I know two of them also want to do video and maybe they don't normally.
01:24:42
Speaker
We can either help each other out or they don't always film themselves. And I know if I have my gear, I still get the same video. And actually, you know what? i And I think it's true for all video.
01:24:53
Speaker
The more polished ah video is in terms of if it looks too corporate and that's the only danger with using the best videographer's Maybe in one sense, it nearly looks too, not contrived, but just it's too polished. It looks too commercial. well i imagine the algorithm doesn't like a video that looks the same as the next one either, does it?
01:25:14
Speaker
there Possibly a bit of that as well. Yeah. You know, I heard Shmi talk about this recently where he was saying, you know, I'll actually wait three months to put out a video. It's easy for him to say so many followers, but he's like, we'll all be in the same car and the same location. And what's the point?
01:25:29
Speaker
m I work off the basis of, well, if it's a new car launch, just get it out there because people want to see it. I think that's the case as well with a lot of those, you know, those sort of first reveals of cars in the studio. You just, every video looks the same. yeah It's just remove presenter, input other presenter.
01:25:47
Speaker
Yeah, but they can from my perspective and I know print guys kind of don't bother with them as much because it's a point. But they don't It's big for you now though, yeah? For me, you can have a video blow up because it's a first look. Like ah did the Dacia Bigster last quarter of 2024 in Berlin, I think. And like it's done 160,000 views. And, you know, for me, that's huge. there's There's a decent, you know, that's probably well over a thousand euros worth of YouTube ads on that video now. So...
01:26:16
Speaker
you know, that, that does help. um Is there a lot of pressure to be first with a review or is it just more about doing it well? I'd rather be right and second than first. I mean, yeah, first, first is in your mind, but, you know, I'm lucky enough now that I've digs in enough subscriber following and stuff for that. So even if I'm not first, as long as within a day or two of everyone else, it'll,
01:26:42
Speaker
possibly do all right. so It's no guarantee, but yeah, and you know, i'd I'd rather make sure it looks right, it's edited right, you've got all the facts correct.
Memorable Car Events and Industry Evolution
01:26:52
Speaker
um and And that you haven't missed stuff because you can you can miss stuff rushing. Of all the places you've been, what has been the one sort of country or car event that's stood out in your mind?
01:27:04
Speaker
and I'm going to Iceland in a few weeks. I've never been to Iceland. it's amazing. And because it's summertime, the sun doesn't really set. So I think we're driving at midnight. Yeah, that bit is very strange. Trying to sleep.
01:27:15
Speaker
i've done I've been there a couple of times Excellent place. so Sweden. ah Beautiful. we've Been to Finland. Driven on frozen lakes. I've been to Slovenia twice. Have you only done any of those epic Mazda journeys?
01:27:29
Speaker
Did an epic Mazda journey around Morocco that was... 1200 kilometers in two days um yeah there's look you get to you get to see some lovely places i haven't been to america yet on press trips haven't been to places like china um i'd i'd certainly be interested in america but self understand and and they look they they are the nice parts of it you get to see a lot but it you know it is it is high pressure as I said it is there is an exam vibe about it and then even when you get back to the hotel after filming chances are there's a presentation half an hour you need to grab a shower you're trying to ring home see everyone's okay you're then going for dinner you're talking more about the car depending on who else from Ireland is there there would be more beers and less beers and ah you know look everyone is
01:28:18
Speaker
is it responsible adults? You can say no, but, you know, us Irish, you know, sometimes one slips and falls into us on some stage. Yes. so If there's one thing you could change about the job, what would it be?
01:28:29
Speaker
More time on events? Yeah. More geared towards video? more yeah more more people to to film you on at these events definitely maybe more time I you know i would rather skip a coffee like the there's so many stops on these events they're trying to cater for a lot of audiences there's a coffee stop there's a cake stop and you're kind of going look can we just I'll just crack on by myself and see it back at the hotel i have four I think you know especially if you're if you're doing a freelance way of working you're very used to kind of working on your own steam and having to
01:29:04
Speaker
kind of be at different times and places when you go to these things that someone else telling you where you you can and can't film is a bit weird. What else? What else? What else? I'd love, I'd love um um the Irish and this is, this is nothing in the brands can really do about it but sometimes, you know, the HQ brand will say, oh well, we won't have art the Irish on this trip because sure, you know, they only sell x amount of that model in this country or you know, they don't sell a Basat at all anymore so we won't bother having them.
01:29:33
Speaker
What I find is I'm lucky enough that I get a significant proportion of my views from the UK. So I'd kind of like to be treated sometimes like a UK YouTube person.
01:29:44
Speaker
And because people aren't going to not watch me because I have an Irish accent. No. It might be a draw. And if if I get if it's coming out of a local budget here in Ireland, well, why would they pay for you to go to UK event? I do get that as well.
01:29:59
Speaker
um But I think the boundaries of motoring content has changed with video and it doesn't really, like not only that, you can, you can now watch me in Japanese if you like. There's a dope feature on YouTube.
Advice for Aspiring Car Journalists
01:30:13
Speaker
Wouldn't recommend. It looks weird. That I have to see. or Mandarin or German or whatever. And like, it's pretty good. Like the, the transcription is, and the voice is pretty good. Um, so I think we need, yeah, we need to kind of, or, you know, HQ brands need to kind of realize that maybe things have changed with YouTube.
01:30:32
Speaker
Finally, what advice would you give to someone who wants to do this for a living? Not that you need more competition. I suppose just, I can help you there a little bit is that don't, don't ask for the fat, for the, for the best car straight away.
01:30:44
Speaker
ah From someone who's been been a journalist and who has also been a PR person, and go in and ask for the Clio or the Dacia Spring. Don't go in and ask for the 911.
01:30:56
Speaker
and Because, you know... The more the start small, you're like most likely to get a start. ah definitely agree with that. And be honest with you, you know, for all the M5s and cars of that have driven Audi RS7s and stuff, they're they're only a tiny proportion of of what the job is and what the views count for. And yeah, a Skoda Fabia will get you just as many views, probably more actually. m So yeah, just be humble, be humble, ah get to know people, and respect people that are doing the job longer than you.
01:31:27
Speaker
Don't see them as, you know, dinosaurs, whatever way you want to describe them. Because one day will be the dinosaur. Well, that's it. You will one day be the dinosaur. And certainly, you know, I'm only in my early 40s, but I worked on radio for a long time and I saw people come and go with the exact same sort of attitude. And some people that you just knew by day two, was like, I'll give them six months.
01:31:46
Speaker
Yeah. And it's the same thing. So yeah, just be respectful of people who, you know, may may be looking at you as, oh, who's this newcomer now coming in, trying to rattle the cage a bit and um be willing to learn and listen.
01:32:00
Speaker
And work hard. and work hard. Yeah. Yeah, it is hard work. Exactly. It is hard work. Well, Mark, that's good. Thank you for that. Thank you for that for interesting insight into the into the to world and behind the curtain a little bit. But it ah it is it is the best job in the world, really, though. It's one of the best.
01:32:16
Speaker
Yeah, no, it's look it's a lot of crack. It's a lot of fun. Doesn't really feel like you're doing a you know ah real job. Radio is like that as well. So it's nice to be able to kind of compare them that way. am I have never had food poisoning, unlike you. Oh, which would yes, I have.
01:32:28
Speaker
Yeah, um I remember that Peugeot launch back in Portugal. and I don't eat so shellfish at all. It's not that I'm allergic to it. It just doesn't like me.
01:32:39
Speaker
And we were at a Peugeot event and was one of those ones and where there was a time where Peugeot used to, it almost was like some sort of endurance test that you were, we got there, hadn't just straight into the cars, driving some unfeasible length of time through mountains and hills and stuff. And I got back and I was starving and sat down and they'd given, they'd brought us to this very fancy hotel. It specialized in seafood.
01:33:06
Speaker
So everything was seafood. Seafood platters, seafood, bloody smoothies, God, you name it. And I edit and um I went back to my room sort of.
01:33:21
Speaker
And then suddenly, you know, you know, and you know. was this like, was this middle of the day? No, is night time now. So I'd eaten the dinner, went went back. I was tired, so I didn't do the sort of.
01:33:34
Speaker
8,000 pints or the like. So I just went back to the room and it started. started and I mean say no more I don't want to go into details but suffice to say that and every place that it could exit was covered yeah and and and I had to be yeah I pretty much didn't didn't remove myself in the room for for the whole rest of the event and it it was good in terms of weight loss
01:34:05
Speaker
I'll give it that, but yeah, I cannot look at it as a muscle, a pro brawn or anything. Or a Peugeot. Or a Peugeot, exactly. But like, sorry, there is, we would probably, we probably need to create some sort of and whatever the podcast equivalent of OnlyFans is to ah do a set of ah versions of for some of the other stories I could relay and about events over the years, but we we we might need to have some sort of subscription service for that.
01:34:33
Speaker
Oh, God. Well, a picture or a voice story can paint a thousand words. Exactly. Well, look, that's it for this week's Drivers Public podcast. Do join us again next week. Do subscribe to us wherever you get your podcast. Leave us a review because that does help.
01:34:47
Speaker
Reach out to us if you have a question. Driversreviewpodcast at gmail.com. And from myself, Paddy, and from Mark. We'll see you next time.