Shell has claimed a UK first by installing a 150kW ultra-rapid electric vehicle charger on a petrol station forecourt in London.
The charger, which forms part of the energy giant’s Shell Recharge service, is now available for public use at Shell’s Battersea Service Station in Battersea, south London.
The 150kW charger, provided by European EV charging supplier Allego, has been installed alongside the station’s existing 50kW rapid chargers, bolstering the station’s options for EV drivers.
Allego will continue to manage the operation of both the 50kW and 150kW chargers which make up Shell Recharge, and Allego’s chief executive Anja van Niersen said the firm highly valued Shell’s initiative of integrating high-powered charging services at its portfolio of forecourts.
“We know that electric vehicle drivers want the right charging solution at the right place, to be always available and combined with excellent services. Shell Recharge shows how these wishes can be met,” she said.
Customers will be able to pay for their charge via contactless card payments, the NewMotion app card or app, or the SMOOV app, and there are no subscription or connection fees applied to the cost.
Bernie Williamson, general manager for UK retail at Shell, said that more of the oil and gas major’s customers are driving electric vehicles, leaving Shell with the need to cater for them on the road, at home and at work.
“This new 150kW charger is the latest addition to our Shell Recharge offering, joining the range of 50kW chargers we have already installed on our forecourts. Our aim is to make charging up as simple and stress-free as possible,” he added.
Shell has continued to ramp up its standing in the electric vehicle space over the last few years, including the purchase of domestic EV charging provider NewMotion. It has committed to installing EV chargers across its portfolio of forecourts and now has those facilities at 34 stations across the UK.
It also has an agreement in place with IONITY to install super-fast 350kW charging points across ten European countries, with IONITY having placed the UK firmly in its crosshairs in recent months.
