Business

Maxol opens north’s first dedicated ultra-rapid EV charging hub at Kinnegar

Maxol has opened Northern Ireland's first dedicated ultra-rapid EV charging hub at Kinnegar service station. Pictured (from left) are Maxol Group's Ciaran McNally (chief retail officer), Kevin Paterson (retail manager NI) and Brian Donaldson (chief executive). Picture: Matt Mackey/PressEye
Maxol has opened Northern Ireland's first dedicated ultra-rapid EV charging hub at Kinnegar service station. Pictured (from left) are Maxol Group's Ciaran McNally (chief retail officer), Kevin Paterson (retail manager NI) and Brian Donaldson (chie Maxol has opened Northern Ireland's first dedicated ultra-rapid EV charging hub at Kinnegar service station. Pictured (from left) are Maxol Group's Ciaran McNally (chief retail officer), Kevin Paterson (retail manager NI) and Brian Donaldson (chief executive). Picture: Matt Mackey/PressEye

FORECOURT and convenience retailer Maxol has opened the north’s first ultra-rapid electric vehicle (EV) charging hub at Kinnegar service station in Holywood.

It features four high-powered rapid and ultra-rapid chargers including a 200kw charge point that can charge a single vehicle in as little as 15 minutes.

There are a further two 150kw charge points that service four vehicles at any one time and a single 50KW rapid charge point.

Up to six vehicles can be charged at one time and the chargers are powered using renewable electricity.

Users will pay an initial 50p parking fee and the power is priced at between 55p and 65p per kilowatt hour - and drivrs will be warned there'll be a 50p penalty for every minute they overstay.

The hub launch coincides with the opening of a new EuroSpar offering a range of locally produced food, including an expanded grocery offer and dedicated butchery section as well as a Delish food to go concept with a first-ever self-serve chicken bar included.

And a total of 20 new jobs have been created in the community as a result of the expansion and development.

Maxol Group chief executive Brian Donaldson said: "This is a landmark moment for us, delivering the first dedicated ultra rapid EV charging hub in Northern Ireland. building on the charging points we already have at Townparks in Antrim and Mallusk, and later this month we'll unveil another charge point at our newly refurbished site at Edenderry.

"Maxol continues to invest in and develop the right infrastructure across our service station network to support the move to electric. At all these developments we worked closely with the team in NI Electric Networks to provide the necessary grid capacity to power the chargers and additional requirements for each location.

"More importantly for our customers, Kinnegar has been developed to offer the ultimate in convenience. While customers charge their car, they can visit the brand new EuroSpar with is extensive range, grab a Barista Bar coffee or a bite to eat at the new Delish hot food bar or stock up on essentials for all their daily needs.

"We are a hub in every sense – meeting the needs of our local community, right here on their doorstep."

The sustainably-designed new flagship development, part of a broader five-year investment programme, has used cutting-edge technology to create a measurably different service station that will enable Maxol to reduce the site’s existing carbon footprint by up to 40 per cent.

Features include photovoltaic (solar) panels to reduce the site’s electrical import requirements; low energy Co2 refrigeration systems; heat pump technology to reduce heating loads; and an energy management system to monitor and control the overall energy usage on the site.

Mark McCammond, retail director of Henderson Retail, licensee for Maxol, said: “The completion of the Kinnegar site brings a premium offering for the area, a one-stop-shop and supermarket experience for the local community that has been built with their needs as a top priority.”