02/06/2026
We are pleased to see our Erin featured in the Belfast Newsletter following her adventure in an eDELIVER 5. Here’s what she shared about her trip from Liverpool to the Balmoral Show....
Erin McCrea – My first long-distance journey in an EV
I’ll be honest – before setting off from Liverpool to Belfast in a MAXUS eDELIVER 5, I was pretty nervous. I work across lots of different areas within McCrea MAXUS, our family dealership business in Newtownabbey, so I’m used to driving vans and travelling for work. But this felt completely different. I’d never driven an electric vehicle long-distance before and, more importantly, I’d never even charged one myself.
Like a lot of people, my biggest worry was probably ending up stranded somewhere with no battery left and no idea what to do next. I also didn’t really know how straightforward charging would be, whether there would actually be enough charging points along the route or if the range shown on the dashboard would be accurate once I got out onto the motorway.
The trip involved collecting the eDELIVER 5 in Liverpool, driving up through England and Scotland, catching the ferry home to Northern Ireland and then delivering the van to the MAXUS stand at the Balmoral Show. Before leaving, I spent quite a bit of time planning my charging stops and double-checking the route because I honestly didn’t know what to expect.
What surprised me almost immediately was how easy everything actually was.
Using Apple Maps and Google Maps, I could quickly find charging stations along the way and there were far more available than I’d imagined. My first stop was at a motorway service station on the M6 where there were rows of rapid chargers. I’d been expecting queues or problems finding somewhere to charge, but there was nothing stressful about it at all.
Once I’d settled into the journey, I realised driving the eDELIVER 5 felt very natural. The van was smooth, quiet and comfortable, especially considering I was driving for more than five hours altogether. The controls were easy to understand and the dashboard was really clear, so even though I was completely new to EVs, nothing felt complicated. Charging was also much simpler than I expected because the van clearly tells you the battery percentage, charging status and everything else you need to know.
I think a lot of people, especially here in Northern Ireland where EVs still aren’t part of everyday life for everyone, probably have the same worries I had beforehand. If you’ve never driven or charged an electric vehicle before, it’s easy to assume it’s going to feel difficult or unfamiliar. But after doing the journey myself, I can honestly say the whole experience was much easier than I expected. For me, it proved that switching from diesel to electric really doesn’t have to feel intimidating. Once you actually experience it for yourself, it quickly starts to feel normal. I’m definitely an EV convert now!
