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BMW is to start testing a solid-state battery this year for a prototype vehicle planned to be on the road before 2025, writes Brian Byrne. The Munich-based carmaker is developing the battery with US-based Solid Power, a company it has been working with since 2017. Solid state batteries are expected to provide longer ranges and faster charging times than the current lithium batteries in use for EVs.  Nissan and Volkswagen are also working to develop such batteries, and the date pencilled in for production vehicles by all three is around 2030. Toyota is investing heavily in the technology and has taken out a number of patents for their work. Manufacturing capacity to the level required for the global EV industry is a significant hurdle.   

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.