Is this the future of the 'petrol' station?
Shell is probably not the first name you’d associated with renewables, but the oil industry colossus has taken the surprising step of turning an existing fuel station into the UK’s first electric vehicle charging hub.
In a world first, the company has turned its fuel station in Fulham, West London, into an EV charging hub with nine ultra-rapid 175kW charge points. This will be music to the ears of the UK’s EV drivers, who have been crying out for an EV charging experience that is faster and more convenient.
The move, which is part of a global pilot scheme, is the first time that Shell has converted one of its existing sites into a hub that caters solely for electric vehicles. As well as the convenience of having more chargers, drivers will be delighted by the speed of the charging points.
The 175kW charge points are capable of charging most vehicles from 0-80% within just 10 minutes, which is three times faster than the more widely used 50kW chargers. That gives drivers just enough time to grab a coffee from the on-site Costa, pick up a sandwich from the Little Waitrose or take the weight off in the seating area while logging into the free WiFi.
As well as taking the convenience and comfort of EV drivers seriously, the hub is also not messing around when it comes to sustainability. The new chargers are run on 100% certified renewable electricity, while the hub itself features a timber canopy with in-built solar panels and a glazed roof made using double glazing with high insulating properties.
With more electric vehicles sold in 2021 than over the five previous years combined (2016-2020), and 18.5% of all the new cars registered over the last year capable of being plugged in, dedicated electric vehicle charging hubs of this kind could be the future of mobility.
With the 2030 ban on sales of new petrol and diesel cars on the horizon and the sale of EVs already booming, more traditional fuel retailers may have to make similar changes. That’s particularly the case in urban areas where the take up of electric vehicles is accelerating at a faster rate. They will be faced with the choice of modifying their existing filling stations to create EV charging hubs or selling the land to developers.
It’s good to see that serious steps are being taken to increase the UK’s charging infrastructure.
According to the Competition and Markets Authority (CMA), the UK could need ten times as many charge points as it currently has to meet demand by 2030. More also needs to be done to improve the availability and reliability of those charging points, with on-street charging and charging at motorway service stations particularly, still a long way behind.
This move by Shell is certainly a welcome step, but we think much more still needs to be done around the reliability of chargers and the pricing discrepancies between one charging network and the next.
At Bonnet, we standardise the pricing across more than 17 charging networks so you can charge your EV and make the payment using our simple charging app. So, rather than signing up for a dozen or more different accounts with each charging network, just download Bonnet on the App Store or Google Play to use any charge, on any network, anywhere.
*image courtesy of shell.co.uk
Is this the future of the 'petrol' station?
Shell is probably not the first name you’d associated with renewables, but the oil industry colossus has taken the surprising step of turning an existing fuel station into the UK’s first electric vehicle charging hub.
In a world first, the company has turned its fuel station in Fulham, West London, into an EV charging hub with nine ultra-rapid 175kW charge points. This will be music to the ears of the UK’s EV drivers, who have been crying out for an EV charging experience that is faster and more convenient.
The move, which is part of a global pilot scheme, is the first time that Shell has converted one of its existing sites into a hub that caters solely for electric vehicles. As well as the convenience of having more chargers, drivers will be delighted by the speed of the charging points.
The 175kW charge points are capable of charging most vehicles from 0-80% within just 10 minutes, which is three times faster than the more widely used 50kW chargers. That gives drivers just enough time to grab a coffee from the on-site Costa, pick up a sandwich from the Little Waitrose or take the weight off in the seating area while logging into the free WiFi.
As well as taking the convenience and comfort of EV drivers seriously, the hub is also not messing around when it comes to sustainability. The new chargers are run on 100% certified renewable electricity, while the hub itself features a timber canopy with in-built solar panels and a glazed roof made using double glazing with high insulating properties.
With more electric vehicles sold in 2021 than over the five previous years combined (2016-2020), and 18.5% of all the new cars registered over the last year capable of being plugged in, dedicated electric vehicle charging hubs of this kind could be the future of mobility.
With the 2030 ban on sales of new petrol and diesel cars on the horizon and the sale of EVs already booming, more traditional fuel retailers may have to make similar changes. That’s particularly the case in urban areas where the take up of electric vehicles is accelerating at a faster rate. They will be faced with the choice of modifying their existing filling stations to create EV charging hubs or selling the land to developers.
It’s good to see that serious steps are being taken to increase the UK’s charging infrastructure.
According to the Competition and Markets Authority (CMA), the UK could need ten times as many charge points as it currently has to meet demand by 2030. More also needs to be done to improve the availability and reliability of those charging points, with on-street charging and charging at motorway service stations particularly, still a long way behind.
This move by Shell is certainly a welcome step, but we think much more still needs to be done around the reliability of chargers and the pricing discrepancies between one charging network and the next.
At Bonnet, we standardise the pricing across more than 17 charging networks so you can charge your EV and make the payment using our simple charging app. So, rather than signing up for a dozen or more different accounts with each charging network, just download Bonnet on the App Store or Google Play to use any charge, on any network, anywhere.
*image courtesy of shell.co.uk
Is this the future of the 'petrol' station?
Shell is probably not the first name you’d associated with renewables, but the oil industry colossus has taken the surprising step of turning an existing fuel station into the UK’s first electric vehicle charging hub.
In a world first, the company has turned its fuel station in Fulham, West London, into an EV charging hub with nine ultra-rapid 175kW charge points. This will be music to the ears of the UK’s EV drivers, who have been crying out for an EV charging experience that is faster and more convenient.
The move, which is part of a global pilot scheme, is the first time that Shell has converted one of its existing sites into a hub that caters solely for electric vehicles. As well as the convenience of having more chargers, drivers will be delighted by the speed of the charging points.
The 175kW charge points are capable of charging most vehicles from 0-80% within just 10 minutes, which is three times faster than the more widely used 50kW chargers. That gives drivers just enough time to grab a coffee from the on-site Costa, pick up a sandwich from the Little Waitrose or take the weight off in the seating area while logging into the free WiFi.
As well as taking the convenience and comfort of EV drivers seriously, the hub is also not messing around when it comes to sustainability. The new chargers are run on 100% certified renewable electricity, while the hub itself features a timber canopy with in-built solar panels and a glazed roof made using double glazing with high insulating properties.
With more electric vehicles sold in 2021 than over the five previous years combined (2016-2020), and 18.5% of all the new cars registered over the last year capable of being plugged in, dedicated electric vehicle charging hubs of this kind could be the future of mobility.
With the 2030 ban on sales of new petrol and diesel cars on the horizon and the sale of EVs already booming, more traditional fuel retailers may have to make similar changes. That’s particularly the case in urban areas where the take up of electric vehicles is accelerating at a faster rate. They will be faced with the choice of modifying their existing filling stations to create EV charging hubs or selling the land to developers.
It’s good to see that serious steps are being taken to increase the UK’s charging infrastructure.
According to the Competition and Markets Authority (CMA), the UK could need ten times as many charge points as it currently has to meet demand by 2030. More also needs to be done to improve the availability and reliability of those charging points, with on-street charging and charging at motorway service stations particularly, still a long way behind.
This move by Shell is certainly a welcome step, but we think much more still needs to be done around the reliability of chargers and the pricing discrepancies between one charging network and the next.
At Bonnet, we standardise the pricing across more than 17 charging networks so you can charge your EV and make the payment using our simple charging app. So, rather than signing up for a dozen or more different accounts with each charging network, just download Bonnet on the App Store or Google Play to use any charge, on any network, anywhere.
*image courtesy of shell.co.uk
