Anyone who stops off to browse new or used cars at one prominent dealership in Waterford City might instantly recognise one of the salespeople who greets them.<\/p>\n
Harry Dineen took up a new position as sales executive with T&C Motors on the Inner Ring Road just under a month ago.<\/p>\n
However, if he seems to be a familiar face to some, that\u2019s because he also appeared on RT\u00c9\u2019s, First Dates Ireland programme earlier this year.<\/p>\n
The episode in which Harry, and his sister, Ava, appeared on the popular programme aired in March and viewers got to see them go on a double-date.<\/p>\n
Very popular characters on the show, Harry said it was a great experience and something he really enjoyed doing.<\/p>\n
The whole experience of being on the show was something he enjoyed immensely, commenting to Waterford News & Star: \u201cI really enjoyed the whole experience.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cThe feedback from it was great, and it was a bit of fun, and something different,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n
A graduate of University College Cork, Harry entered the motor trade through a graduate programme with Autoboland and quickly found his feet in what he describes as a fast-paced and constantly evolving environment.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt\u2019s such a dynamic industry,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n
\u201cI\u2019m someone who enjoys a challenge and no two days are the same, which really appealed to me,\u201d he added, outlining what attracted him to the graduate programme.<\/p>\n
Harry was also quick to acknowledge the welcoming environment that greeted him when he took up his new role.<\/p>\n
\u201cEveryone has been very friendly and knowledgeable, and that makes a big difference, both for staff and for customers coming in,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n
\u201cThat\u2019s a big help because it puts everyone at ease,\u201d he added.<\/p>\n
The world is changing at an alarming rate and just like every industry the motor trade is not immune from the effects of the world affairs and the current turmoil in the Middle East has had a knock-on effect.<\/p>\n
He said interest in electric vehicles has increased significantly in recent months, and that\u2019s something he has experienced first-hand on the showroom floor.<\/p>\n
\u201cFrom earlier this year, we\u2019ve noticed more and more people coming in asking about EVs,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n
\u201cThere\u2019s definitely a growing awareness of them as a real option,\u201d he added.\u00a0<\/p>\n
He agreed with the suggestion that rising fuel costs and broader global factors such as the war in Iran have contributed to that shift in interest.<\/p>\n
\u201cPeople are becoming more conscious of running costs,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n
However, he said that while some people\u2019s interest in electric vehicles might be borne from ever-rising fuel prices, he commented that the relatively short journeys most people do in their day-to-day lives is also a factor because it\u2019s more cost-efficient to look at electric vehicles as the principal mode of transport.<\/p>\n
\u201cElectric vehicles can offer benefits not just environmentally, but financially too, especially for people doing shorter journeys, which is very common in Ireland,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n
While acknowledging that electric cars may not yet suit everyone, he expressed belief that improvements in infrastructure and increasing familiarity will continue to drive demand.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt\u2019s a big change, but it\u2019s one people are getting used to, just like anything else,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n
People\u2019s attitude towards electric vehicles is changing and Harry said that brings about its own challenges, albeit enjoyable ones.<\/p>\n
A significant part of his role is helping people transition from traditional combustion engines to embracing EV technology.<\/p>\n
Harry believes it\u2019s one of the biggest challenges currently facing the motor industry.<\/p>\n
\u201cIn the past, people would have come into a dealership with a strong understanding of petrol and diesel cars because that\u2019s what they would have always driven,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n
\u201cWith hybrid and electric vehicles, it\u2019s completely different, because you\u2019re not just showing them a new car but you\u2019re also explaining the benefits of something they might not be familiar with,\u201d he added.<\/p>\n
He said that transition, from traditional combustion engines to EV, can be challenging, especially for people who have only ever had experience with the former.<\/p>\n
\u201cPeople are used to what they know,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n
However, he also said people can adapt to change relatively quickly.<\/p>\n
\u201cPeople adapt quicker than they realise when they have the right information,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n
Perhaps unsurprisingly, he said hybrid vehicles are proving very popular as a bridge or stepping stone between traditional engines and fully electric vehicles.<\/p>\n
\u201cThey don\u2019t require a complete change in habits, and that makes them quite appealing for a lot of people,\u201d said Harry.<\/p>\n
\u201cSelf-charging hybrids, in particular, are a very easy option for people who might be unsure about going fully electric,\u201d he added.<\/p>\n
Harry also said that people who do choose electric vehicles rarely, if ever, regret their decision.<\/p>\n
\u201cOnce people have driven an electric vehicle, they tend to stick with them,\u201d he said.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cIt\u2019s rare that someone comes back and says it didn\u2019t suit them.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
Harry said that while younger customers, particularly those buying their first cars, are showing a lot of interest in electric vehicles, many of them are also opting for more traditional options.<\/p>\n
\u201cThat\u2019s usually just because it\u2019s what they\u2019re familiar with,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n
\u201cA lot of the time, the people who are giving them advice, whether it\u2019s their parents or whoever, are people who are only familiar with traditional engines, so that\u2019s one reason for that,\u201d he added.<\/p>\n
\u201cBut the awareness is definitely growing.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
Among the most popular models at present are the Peugeot 208 and 2008 ranges, which are available in petrol, hybrid and fully electric versions.<\/p>\n
\u201cThey give people options, and that\u2019s important,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n
\u00a0Harry is very much enjoying his new role and while he readily admitted there are challenges ahead for the motoring industry he said it\u2019s an exciting time be involved.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe motor trade has been around a long time and continues to evolve,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n
\u201cI think it will keep adapting and growing,\u201d he added.<\/p>\n
He said working with the Peugeot brand is something he is excited about, in particular, given its expanding range of hybrid and electric vehicles.<\/p>\n
\u201cI\u2019m really looking forward to developing here,\u201d he said, referring to his role with T&C Motors.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt\u2019s an exciting time to be involved in the industry,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n
As for First Dates Ireland, while he admitted that he and his date didn\u2019t meet up after, he thoroughly enjoyed the experience.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt was great and definitely a new experience for me,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n
However, for now, he\u2019s just concentrating on his career in the automotive industry and that\u2019s something he is truly passionate about.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"Anyone who stops off to browse new or used cars at one prominent dealership in Waterford City might…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":466556,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[29],"tags":[93,61,60,282],"class_list":["post-466555","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-tv","tag-entertainment","tag-ie","tag-ireland","tag-tv"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/466555","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=466555"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/466555\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/466556"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=466555"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=466555"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=466555"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}