OIL giant Shell is continuing its diversification into sustainability with the purchase of ubitricity.
ubitricity, which was founded in Berlin, Germany, is a leading provider of on-street charging for electric vehicles (EVs).
Using existing street infrastructure, such as lamp posts and bollards, ubitricty works with local councils to provide accessible charging facilities for EV drivers without the benefit of a private driveway.
István Kapitány, Executive Vice President of Shell Global Mobility, said about the acquisition of ubitricity:
“Working with local authorities, we want to support the growing number of Shell customers who want to switch to an EV by making it as convenient as possible for them. On-street options such as the lamp post charging offered by ubitricity will be key for those who live and work in cities or have limited access to off-street parking. Whether at home, at work or on-the-go, we want to provide our customers with accessible and affordable EV charging options so they can charge up no matter where they are.”
Shell already has a network of more than 1,000 ultra-fast and fast charging points at approximately 430 Shell retail sites. The purchase of ubitricity will help scale its EV charging offer.
In a recent survey of users by Zap-Map, a provider of EV charging locations, Shell’s Recharge sites ranked number six for customer satisfaction with an overall rating of 3.5, down one place from the year previously.
As part of the survey, EV drivers were also asked to rank the factors which were most important when choosing a charge point. According to Zap-Map, reliability remains the key factor, followed by ease of use, cost and finally the provision of amenities at the charging location.
Zap-map commented:
“These weightings demonstrate the continuing importance of reliability and ease of use for EV drivers when accessing charging services.”
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