Shell Turning London Petrol Station Into EV Hub
Shell is continuing its transition into cleantech. True, it is only inches into the transition at this point, but each step (or inch) is interesting and seems worth highlighting. As many now know, Shell bought a major EV charging company, New Motion, in October 2017, and then also bought Greenlots in January 2019. Shell’s EV network is now called Shell Recharge.
In late 2019, Shell announced that it was going to transform a petrol (gas) station into a 100% EV charging station hub in Fulham, West London, UK. Now, Shell has a webpage up indicating that it is getting ready to open this initial EV charging hub.
Shell words it well and provides good context, so I’ll quote extensively from that page here:
“The number of pure-electric vehicles on UK roads is steadily increasing. According to the UK Government, in early 2010 there were around 9,000 ultra-low emissions vehicles, or ULEVs, in the UK. By early 2020, ten years later, this number had risen to 317,000. That is an increase of over 3,000%.
“But, for electric vehicle use to continue to grow, drivers need to feel confident that there are convenient and reliable means of recharging their vehicles. That’s why we’ve been steadily growing our network of EV charging points since 2017. In the UK, Shell currently provides customers with access to a public charging network of nearly 8,000 EV charging points, including our rapid and ultra-rapid Shell Recharge points on Shell forecourts.
“And now, we are pleased to announce that we’ll soon be opening our very first EV hub in the UK.
“In Fulham, central London, we’re currently converting one of our conventional fuel service stations into an electric vehicle charging hub that will feature 10 high powered, 175kW charge points. These ultra-rapid charge points can deliver power up to three times faster than rapid 50kW chargers, which typically charge from 0-80% in 30 minutes.
“To ensure that customers can use the time they spend charging more effectively, the hub will also offer a comfortable seating area for waiting EV drivers. We’ll have a Costa Coffee store and an extensive Little Waitrose & Partners shop offer so that our customers can enjoy a cup of their favourite crafted coffee, grab a snack, pick up dinner or stock up on essentials while they wait.
“The hub will also feature a sustainable design with solar panels built into the roof that will generate renewable electricity for the site, and the chargers will all run on 100% certified renewable electricity as well. The hub’s canopy will be constructed from sheets of timber glued together which use much less energy to produce and transport than steel.
“Planning permission for the hub was received in early 2021 and we aim to open it later this year or in early 2022.”
Stay tuned for the big opening.
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