IONITY, the rapid EV charging specialist company, has just opened two rapid-charging hubs in Northern Ireland. These are not just two-plugs-on-one-pylon setups either - the newly-opened charging hub at the Kennedy Centre shopping mall has 11 connectors delivering up to 350kW, while the hub at Toome has six connectors.
17 additional high-speed chargers
The addition of 17 extra high-speed charging points dramatically changes the landscape of fast-EV charging in Northern Ireland. So far, Northern Ireland has been at the bottom of the UK charts when it comes to charging provision and has been slipping well behind the Republic of Ireland in the same metric.
The chargers are located just off major primary routes. The Kennedy Centre is in the suburbs of Belfast, on the Falls Road and is only a few minutes' drive from the M1 motorway. The charging point at Toome, meanwhile, is just off the Belfast-Derry A6 main road and is also close to Belfast International Airport.
Just the tip of the iceberg
The two new hubs are said to be 'just the tip of the iceberg' by IONITY, which plans to roll out yet more charging stations across the island of Ireland. IONITY's Country Manager of the UK and Ireland, Andreas Atkins, commented: "Our mission is to build a comprehensive charging infrastructure throughout the UK and Europe to enable a fast and seamless charging experience for EV drivers. The investment in Northern Ireland's EV charging infrastructure is a key milestone for us. As well as helping the EV community to access conveniently rapid charging based renewable energy, we will also help to increase both businesses day to day with new customers at both sites.
"The openings of both sites in Toome and Belfast are just the tip of the iceberg as we continue to help the EV drivers of Northern Ireland access long-distance travel without the concerns of queues whilst they charge their vehicles."
Collaboration between EV car makers
IONITY already has charging hubs on the M7 motorway just outside Dublin, on the M1 motorway at City North, near Balbriggan, at Cashel just off the M8, and at Gorey in Co. Wexford, just off the M11. The company is a dedicated charging service provider, originally created through a collaboration between major electric car manufacturers including BMW, Mercedes, Ford, VW Group, Kia, and Hyundai.
The Kennedy Centre itself is a sprawling shopping complex home to more than 45 shops and services, ranging from fashion and beauty to entertainment and dining. The complex also houses an 8-screen digital cinema operated by Omniplex on its first floor. So there's no lack of things to do while you wait for your car to charge up (which at 350kW won't be very long, vehicle allowing...).
Kennedy Centre Belfast Manager John Jones, said: "We are delighted to be partnering with IONITY on this project to install the new 350kW ultra-fast electric vehicle charging hubs at our popular The Kennedy Centre. This partnership fits in perfectly with our long-term environmental strategy we have at the Centre. It will most certainly improve the service to our ever-growing number of EV customers that visit the Centre today and, in the future."