See all Motoring AdviceNeed a bit of retail therapy? Whether you are hitting the shops for back-to-school supplies, a wardrobe overhaul, or to do 'the big shop', if you drive an electric vehicle or plug-in hybrid (PHEV), being able to charge up while you browse the stores is a massive bonus. Running errands and not having to make a separate trip to a charging station is convenient and makes the charging process as easy as possible.
Of course, there is a lot in it for business owners too. Charging points in shopping centres create footfall, with retailers ideally placed to occupy drivers waiting for their batteries to top up.
There's another excellent reason to charge up in shopping centres: they are generally well-lit and secure, providing peace of mind for EV owners concerned about their safety charging up alone at night.
Ready to shop until you drop while your car tops up? Here are some shopping centres in Ireland with EV charging on site.
Dublin
Dundrum Town Centre - View Map
This large shopping centre has eight electric vehicle charging stations in its car park, which you can access with either the ESB ecar connect app or an RFID card. Customers need to pay for both charging and parking. Dundrum is a great shopping centre if you have kids as there are many family-friendly facilities, including a cinema and crazy golf.
Blanchardstown Centre - View Map
This shopping centre in north Dublin has multiple electric vehicle charging stations in the car park next to TGI Fridays. You have to pay for charging, but car parking is free. You could spend the entire day here as there are 180 stores, three retail parks and a cinema to enjoy.
Liffey Valley Shopping Centre - View Map
This west Dublin shopping centre has 20 EV charging points in the Red Car Park. Monta operates the hub, and shoppers must pay to use them and pay for parking. Liffey Valley is a great shopping centre to grab a bite to eat and catch a film in the cinema while you charge your car.
Cork
Mahon Point Shopping Centre - View Map
Need to top up your Tesla in Cork? You'll find four superchargers here in Munster's largest shopping destination. You can while away the hours in 60 stores, including Frasers, Tesco, Sports Direct, Zara and Rituals, and even watch the latest release in the Omniplex cinema.
Douglas Court Shopping Centre - View Map
Two Easygo chargers (22kW type 2) are in the shopping centre car park. You can plug in and then head to the centre, where you can shop in Dunnes Stores, Next, Kilkenny, Verso, Carraig Donn, Gerard, Boots, Sam McCauleys, Cummins Sports and New Look.
Galway
Galway Retail Park - View Map
This retail park on Headford Road has several EV charging stations. They are compatible with ESB ecars and Eneco passes. Parking here is free, and you can wander around Halfords, Smyths Toy Store, Currys and many more shops and grab a bite to eat at McDonald's.
Eyre Square Shopping Centre - View Map
This shopping centre in the heart of Galway City has four 22kW electric vehicle charging points operated by Blink Charging, which charges you on a pay-as-you-go basis. With over 70 stores, you'll easily fill the time whilst topping up.
Kilkenny
MacDonagh Junction Shopping Centre - View Map
You must pay for parking and topping up to use the chargers here. However, while your car battery charges, you can shop in Dunnes Stores, TK Maxx, Boots, River Island, Carraig Donn, Eason, Next and many more.
Westmeath
Athlone Towncentre - View Map
This shopping centre has several electric vehicle charging stations on Level A of the car park. You can top up whilst browsing in the many shops or having a cuppa in one of its cafes, such as Harvest Homemade, Jump Juice, Quigleys or O'Briens.
Carlow
Fairgreen Shopping Centre - View Map
This shopping centre in Carlow has two 22kW charging points. They are compatible with ESB ecars and Eneco passes. You can catch a flick in the centre's cinema if you have a few hours to spare.
Sligo
Quayside Shopping Centre - View Map
Three Type 2, 11kW electric vehicle charging points are available in the car park on the entry level. You have to pay for both charging and parking. You can fill up at Domino’s Pizza, Fabio's Ice Cream, Insomnia Coffee Company Sligo, Shake Dog Diner and The Bagel Bar Coffee inside the shopping centre if you are hungry.
Every day, more and more shopping centres in Ireland are installing electric vehicle charging stations. Use apps such as ecar connect or Zap-Map to find charging locations near you.