Shell wants to make long-distance EV travel easier
From this year, according to Les Echos, oil company Shell will develop a large European network of ultra-fast charging stations for electric motorists. This will allow them to travel longer, which is currently difficult with this type of vehicle.
Pan-European project of ultra-fast charging stations
Currently, there are about 120.000 electric vehicle charging stations installed on the roads of Europe. Some companies like Engie and Eon have already taken good positions in this market. Shell intends to enter the circle of distributors of charging stations for electric vehicles with the help of the project invented with IONITY.
The implementation of the project was the signing of a partnership agreement between Shell and the joint venture of car manufacturers IONITY. The first step in this project is the installation of 80 ultra-fast charging stations on the highways of several European countries. Shell and IONITY plan to install about 2020 terminals of the same type at Shell stations by 400. In addition, this project is a logical continuation of the acquisition of the Dutch company NewMotion by the Royal Dutch Shell group. New Motion has one of the largest charging networks in Europe.
What problems arise when deploying charging stations?
The implementation of such a project is not accidental. He responds to key commercial challenges in the medium term. If the sale of electric vehicles currently accounts for 1% of the global vehicle fleet, then by 2025 this share will be up to 10%. An oil company, Shell, needs a shift in its stance on green energy distribution, in particular to cope with the expected decline in the use of fossil fuels for automobiles.
However, the development of the electric vehicle market is facing a major challenge. In most cases, the battery charging time is quite long. Moreover, the small number of charging stations on the road significantly limits the possibility of long-distance travel by electric vehicle. So with ultra-fast charging stations, this problem will have to be addressed. The Shell charging station can charge a 350 kilowatt battery in just 5-8 minutes.
