Northern Ireland EVI Roadshow
Our Roadshows are a series of in-person events that aim to engage, inform and equip local authorities involved in the planning and deployment of EV Infrastructure (EVI). There have been 14 successful roadshow events since 2022 involving over 500 attendees across Great Britain
First time in Northern Ireland
With the kind support of a selection of chargepoint operators, we were able to organise our very first Northern Ireland Roadshow on 16th May at Belfast City Hall to explore local EV infrastructure, public charging, fleet decarbonisation.
The day started with a welcome from Councillor Fiona McAteer, High Sheriff of Belfast on the council’s ambitions for low emission transport and EV charging.
Charging the Future: NI’s EV Journey
Mark McCall from the EV Association of NI gave a comprehensive update on the progress of electric vehicle ownership and charging in Northern Ireland. There has been real progress and growth on both fronts, and his presentation included some excellent case studies showing how Northern Irish drivers are seeing the benefit of going electric. With 84% of all miles travelled in NI being by private car, the transition to EV looks increasingly important in helping to achieve the country’s climate goals.
What is wanted from local EV infrastructure?
Donna Taggart from Motability Operations challenged the view of the typical EV driver, explaining how their scheme is at the vanguard of the EV transition. Their drivers represent almost half of all new car registrations in Northern Ireland, but need a range of both accessible and affordable local charging solutions to assist a just transition.
An Introduction to NIE
Chris Maguire from Northern Ireland Electricity then introduced NIE’s role as the local Distribution Network Operator, and explained how their largest ever investment plan through to 2031 will help to facilitate the expected growth in EV ownership and associated charging and appealed for engagement early on charging plans.
A Focus On: Public Charging
Next on the agenda was our CPO Pitches. We were joined by Anthony Boyd, Believ; David Fitzgerald, EasyGo; Michael Goulden, Kerbo Charge and Thomas O’Hagan, Weev who pitched their public charging solutions to the audience and participated in a Q&A session.
Something Different: Fleet Decarbonisation
After lunch, Carl Christie from Cenex presented best practice approach to fleet decarbonisation, and how understanding your fleet operations is critical to a successful decarbonisation strategy.
Roundtable Discussion: What’s next for EVI in Northern Ireland
The final item on the agenda was a round table discussion around the future of EVI in Northern Ireland with an introduction from Jacob Robert, Cenex, where event attendees were given the opportunity to discuss their experiences, plans for the future, challenges, opportunities and concerns.
Wrap Up
The day was a constructive and positive gathering of key stakeholders in Northern Ireland and hopefully is the first of several as the charging landscape and wider transport decarbonisation plans for the country continue to develop and be implemented.