Shell to start installing EV chargers in UK petrol stations
We're told the first chargers will be switched on before the summer.
The UK's EV charging infrastructure continues to grow thanks to a few dedicated players, but the likes of Tesla and nemesis Ecotricity will be joined by an unlikely newcomer later this year. Petrol pusher Shell has confirmed plans to add EV charging points to some UK filling stations -- a move the company has been thinking about since last year. Speaking to the Financial Times, Shell director John Abbott implied denser, urban areas were highest on the to-do list, and a spokesperson told us specific info on sites will be shared ahead of the first installations, which are expected before summer this year.
With these first steps towards creating an EV charging network of its own, Shell is preparing for a future where emissions-free vehicles outnumber today's gas-guzzlers -- quite the statement for the oil giant and one of the world's biggest companies. Shell will still make money from filling cars up with electricity instead of petrol, of course, but savvy Abbott has spotted a bonus revenue stream: Selling coffee and sandwiches to drivers waiting around for enough juice to get home.
