Dede Sophie

Volkswagen ID.4 top selling electric car. New car sales are up 16.5pc for the first quarter of 2023 compared to the same period last year, writes Brian Byrne, and within that sales of electric cars are up by 49pc. The figures follow the release by the Society of the Irish Motor Industry of March car sales, which increased by 37pc compared to March 2022. Electric car sales of 9,303 for the quarter bring the market share to 16pc, against 32pc for petrol, 22.8pc diesel, 20.6pc hybrid and 8pc plug-in hybrid. Toyota remains the top-selling brand for the quarter, followed by Volkswagen, Hyundai, Skoda and Kia. The best selling EV brand is Volkswagen, followed by Hyundai, Kia, Tesla and BMW.  The Hyundai Tuscon is the best selling car model year to date, while the top selling EV is the Volkswagen ID.4. The Nissan Qashqai e-Power was the best selling model in March.

Today I’m happy to welcome Karleen Koen , the New York Times bestselling author of Through a Glass Darkly, Now Face to Face, and Dark Angels, who’s guest blogging here today. Her latest book, Before Versailles focuses on four intense months of King Louis’s young life. It’s the summer of 1661, and after the death of his prime minister, twenty-two-year-old Louis steps into governing France. He’s still a young man, and in a way quite inexperienced and shy, but also very determined, intelligent and headstrong. He’s used to having anything and everything his heart desires—land, women—including his brother’s wife. Why did I write “Before Versailles”? by Karleen Koen Read more »