EV charger availability in Belfast city centre

Qboot

Hi All,

I am going to Belsonic on Monday and I was wondering what the story is like with EV charger availability in Belfast. We plan to arrive in Belfast (driving from Westmeath) before 6:00 pm, and I reckon it won't be until 12:00 am when we are ready to head back home. Do you think finding an available type 2 charger to leave the car at for a few hours would be an issue in the city centre? Or would I better plan to charge up on a rapid charger before I arrive in and after I leave Belfast? What is your experience with the city? Any advice would be greatly appreciated.

Thank you!

mfceiling

Castlecourt shopping centre. Loads on the 5th floor. I was there last Tuesday and most of them were free.

markpb

There’s a 50kW Gridserv in Ikea that might be helpful if you can’t get AC.

graememk

There's ones on level 4 I think of value car parks on grovsner road.. it used to be called mc causlands I think before they built the multistory.

zg3409

All chargers are listed on plugshare app. In terms of lkea Belfast apparently chademo may not work on that charger. I would highly recommend charging in way up and getting as much as possibly before crossing the border. Many of the 50kW chargers in NI are crazy busy and only single units. Many of the 22kW are in constant use as all ESB units are free of cost with no overstay fees.

You don't mention where you are coming from, what car and what size battery it's hard to give specific advice, and also exactly where the event you are going to is located.

Genghis

Best advice is as above: try to avoid needing a charge in NI. It's a chronic situation, last 2 visits I was unable to use chargers due to long stay PHEVs.

If you think you will need a charge in Belfast, no getting around it, then U would say look for a paid charger.

There is a Chargepoint near Ormeau Park with an eye watering 60p/kWh but you can assume they will be available. (I did the same last time when in Lisburn, it cost me a few quid (buying just enough to get me to Dundalk) but having wasted an hour a Sprucefield I had a choice of 8 Chargepoints 1 mile down the road.

https://eu.chargepoint.com/charge_point?id=1:6514315&action=view

Qboot

Thank you all for very sound advice — especially to zg3409 and Genghis for the Ikea and ChargePoint tips.

I am driving a 38kwh Ioniq EV and I will be driving from Westmeath in Ireland, with up to 1-hour stop on the M1 for a charge. I was hoping to get to Belfast on that single top up and then leave the car charging in the city for the return trip for the 6 hours Belsonic will take place.

The Castlecourt shopping centre won't work, sadly, as I will arrive around 6:00 pm, which is closing time for the site (and I assume - the car park). If I can't find an ESB charger available, I may actually go for the ChargePoint — costly, for sure, but I agree it would probably be available, so many thanks for the suggestion! It is also close enough to Ormeau Park, where Belsonic is taking place. Either that or the Ikea option should be a good last resort.