After the year we’ve been through one thing is certain – this summer is going to be electric.
For Audi ambassadors Garry Ringrose, Sonya Lennon and Robbie Henshaw, it means revisiting favourite holiday haunts and discovering new ones all over Ireland.
Wherever they go they’ll be treading lightly on the planet, thanks to Audi’s growing range of sleek new plug-in hybrid and all electric vehicles.
Garry Ringrose is setting the satnav for Kerry
Leinster and Ireland rugby player Garry Ringrose, known for his speed and agility, is planning a quick escape.
“Our schedule is pretty last minute so you don’t get to plan too far in advance,” he explains.
“My girlfriend and I have booked a few days in Tralee. We found a cool hotel down there, Barrow House, so I’m really looking forward to it. The hotel is a 45-minute drive from Dingle which I haven’t been to since I was a child. I loved it so I’m really looking forward to getting back. The hotel is right next door to Tralee Golf Club, so I’ll be able to get a few rounds in too.”
It's my first hybrid ... I have decisions to make that have an impact on the environment
For Ringrose, the drive down is all part of the pleasure. “I love driving, it’s my happy place. I put on a podcast, play some music or listen to the radio but best of all is good conversation,” he says.
This summer he’ll be hitting the road in an Audi A3 PHEV, a plug-in hybrid electric vehicle. “It’s my first hybrid but I’m 26 now and I have decisions to make that have an impact on the environment.”
He’s particularly pleased with its acceleration – “It’s so nippy” – and with the space, including the boot. “My gear has a way of building up in the car so there’s plenty of room for that, and my clubs too.”
As an ambassador, Ringrose has driven a number of Audi models. “I’ve driven the A3 - this is an A3 PHEV - and the Q3 and Q5. What I love about all of them is that they feel incredibly nice to sit in. They’re all so premium and the technology is top notch right across the range, as are the comfort levels.”
Sonya Lennon has designs on Doolin
Fashion designer and entrepreneur Sonya Lennon is heading west. The co-founder of Lennon Courtney, and founder of Dress for Success, a not-for-profit, was an Audi driver long before becoming a brand ambassador.
“Design is always a consideration for me and Audi has an underplayed confidence to its design. It’s never showy and it feels like a stylish hug when you get into one.”
For me it's about being part of the sustainability journey
She’s heading to Clare in her Audi Q5 PHEV. “The west of Ireland is one of the places I missed most during the lockdowns. To me it’s the great exhale – as soon as you get there, it calms you.”
She’ll be staying in Doolin with her partner and their twin teens. “We have very good friends in Lisdoonvarna so my kids think of that part of the world as their home from home, whether it’s pizza at the Storehouse, posh dinners at Gregans Castle, surfing at Fanore or ice-creams at Lahinch,” she explains.
Lennon has also booked a stay on the Aran Islands, at Inis Meáin Suites. “The island is like landing on the moon, it’s so quiet and calm. The hospitality hits the perfect notes too. Breakfast is delivered in a bento box, along with a rucksack with a thermos flask of soup, water and fruit, with bicycles outside your door to explore. You might not see another person for the whole day.”
The environment is important to Lennon, which is why she has chosen a PHEV. “For me it’s about being part of the sustainability journey. We all have a responsibility to make the right choices with our purse and pocket.”
The Q5 PHEV is the perfect choice. “It’s a gorgeous size. You don’t feel like you are dominating the road yet it’s perfect for all the wetsuits, rucksacks, gear and – as a family that’s very food oriented – all the cooking kit that travels with us too.”
Robbie Henshaw is going wherever the road takes him
Leinster and Ireland centre Robbie Henshaw is known for physicality and strength. Because of the South Africa Lions Tour, it will be August before he heads off, something he’s looking forward to enormously.
“One of my favourite places to go is Enniscrone in Sligo, where we went when I was growing up, because it has a gorgeous beach,” he says.
“I also love that coastline out towards Spiddal in Galway and my other favourite place is Killarney,” he says.
The longer the drive the better. “I love driving. I find it relaxing,” he says.
I'm seeing more and more electric vehicles on the road now – it's the way the world is going
“At the moment I’m listening to the High Performance podcast. It’s about leadership and it’s good to hear how people from different spheres excel.”
Wherever he goes, he’ll be heading off in his Audi e-tron Sport 50 quattro. “It is a gorgeous car with loads of space and is a little bit high off the ground, which I really like. It’s also a fully electric four-wheel drive, which surprises people,” he says.
“I’m seeing more and more electric vehicles on the road now – it’s the way the world is going. The charging is really handy now too. I bought a new house on an estate with charging points in each house, which was a great bonus, but there are loads of places you can charge now so there’s no issue.”
He particularly loves the cabin. “Everything is digital and very futuristic. I love the reaction when a passenger gets in. They’re always amazed by the interior. I need a big boot for work and it has that too. If we’re going to a camp we have to bring a big wheelie and two sports bags, and I put my clubs in as well.”
After the Lions Tour, he’ll be more than ready for a home holiday. “I really enjoyed the staycation we had last year. My girlfriend and I went to AirBnBs around Wicklow and just loved it, so now I’m really curious to explore all the other places around Ireland that I haven’t been to before.”
Discover the Audi range of electric and hybrid cars at audi.ie