Shell has opened eight fast chargers for electrified cars at one of its services south of Paris in France, which are just the first of 500 chargers, which Shell plans to introduce across 80 stations in Europe by 2020.
Shell will use the charging stations, which were developed by Ionity, a joint venture between BMW Group, Daimler AG, Ford Motor Company and Volkswagen Group. Ionity was formed to create a network of 350 kW chargers for electrified vehicles along major European highways.
The Shell-Ionity chargers are not Shell's firt veture into electric charging infrastructure. Shell already acquired NewMotions charging solutions in the past and started introducing its own Recharge in the UK, The Netherlands and China, which makes it owner of around 170 charging stations globally.
David Bunch, Shell’s vice president of retail in Europe, commented: “EV drivers should be able to travel long distances confidently and with ease. Creating a convenient network of reliable, powerful chargers is vital for getting many more EVs on the road. We are one of IONITY’s major partners because we share that vision.”
Dr Michael Hajesch, chief executive of IONITY, added: “Back in November last year, Shell and IONITY announced a common goal – to enable convenient, long-distance travel with EVs across Europe by providing reliable fast-charging infrastructure. One year on, the first IONITY stations operating in partnership with Shell represent a significant step in achieving that goal.”