"Affordable, Convenient and Globally Accessible" Charging with Shell Recharge Solutions' Euan Moir

As the world moves towards electric cars, it's essential that appropriate charging infrastructure is in place to help drivers get around.

However, rather than simply replacing petrol pumps with electric chargers, Shell Recharge Solutions has a more rounded vision for the future of driving and charging. 

Auto Futures spoke to Euan Moir, Regional Manager UK & Nordics, Shell Recharge Solutions Europe, to find out more about the company's expansive vision and why it feels a more innovative approach is necessary.

Shell Recharge Solutions is promising to build an EV charging ecosystem, rather than simply charge points. Can you explain this distinction and what it will look like in practice?

With Shell Recharge Solutions, customers will have access to EV charging on-the-go, at home and at work. In practical terms, this translates into a global portfolio of charging solutions, from installation to maintenance, which will help meet the needs of EV drivers and businesses in different stages of their transition to zero-emission transport.

Shell Recharge Solutions is focused on offering EV drivers what they need for a seamless EV driving experience. An ecosystem of charging solutions that is affordable, convenient and globally accessible. What's more, our customers will only need one charge card to access our network of public charge points, including through the Shell Recharge forecourt charge points and many roaming networks, making the charging experience streamlined and convenient for drivers.

Can you explain how SRS will work with businesses to provide them the software to charge their fleets?

Fleets need special consideration in terms of charging, as each fleet can have different purposes and needs. Although pricing can initially be perceived as one of the biggest barriers for adopting EVs, total cost of ownership is a considerable advantage of EVs for fleets. For example, because EVs have lower maintenance costs compared to ICE vehicles.

Companies should be confident they can charge their vehicles easily and reliably, know exactly where fleets can access charge points on-the-go, and not worry about charging all their vehicles simultaneously. Shell Recharge Solutions can support businesses by installing charging infrastructure at depots, for example, and providing access to charge points while on-the-go through one charge card or charging app.

Shell Recharge Solutions can also provide insights in usage and availability of the fleet’s charging infrastructure across multiple locations to increase visibility, and therefore simplicity, for fleet managers. This makes it easier to manage the cost of charging and maintenance of vehicles.  Additionally, smart charging solutions can be implemented to charge vehicles at certain times of the day and so make use of cheaper overnight electricity rates, helping to cut overall running costs and support the use of more renewable energy for EV charging. 

What smart capabilities can drivers expect to see from the Shell Recharge Solutions ecosystem?

Using Shell Recharge Solutions, drivers can expect the latest charging technology. For example, we are currently piloting vehicle-to-everything (V2X) technology, which can significantly improve how flexibly drivers utilise the stored energy in vehicle batteries by enabling two-way transmission of power between the battery and the charge point. Once this technology starts to get rolled out more widely, we should expect to see a real variety of use cases being found for it.

In national power networks which are heavily reliant on renewable energy, large scale V2X implementation will enable the option of using small amounts of power from many vehicles across the country to help meet demand on the grid at times when variable wind and solar supply falls short. Effectively, this is a route which could allow us to go significantly further and faster in terms of scaling down power generation based on more traditional resources.

V2X will also empower solutions on a more local scale, such as supplying power back to a home during periods of peak electricity costs to save money, or even acting as distributed backup power for commercial buildings.

How will growing EV adoption help us, as a society, move towards more sustainable energy solutions?

Of course sustainability is a key concern for EV drivers, and our latest EV Driver Survey found that 70% of drivers would choose a battery electric vehicle (BEV) over a hybrid due to environmental benefits. Additionally, the survey found that 57% of drivers would be willing to accept slower charging to help maximise national renewable energy usage. For charging, sustainability means both directly employing renewables and using charging to support the grid. This is happening today, for example at the Shell Recharge Fulham Hub, where all electricity supplied to the EV charge points and the station are from 100% certified renewable sources.¹

These innovations are supporting our move towards sustainable energy solutions, and as the charging experience becomes more accessible and convenient, drivers will be further motivated to adopt EVs. Driving and charging come hand-in-hand, so the focus on growing and developing both aspects, and becoming increasingly sustainable with how we choose to charge, will support our transition to a lower carbon future.

Why is it important for SRS to offer a more joined-up EV charging ecosystem?

Different types of charging solutions are needed in different situations for different drivers, which is why it’s critical to have a full ecosystem. Convenience is key for mass EV adoption. For those who have the opportunity to charge at home, charging is easy and convenient, but not all drivers can install at-home charging. The EV Driver Survey also found that 77% of those who had private parking also had a personal charge point. This was compared to 28% of those without private parking having access to a personal charge point. This highlights the importance of both on-street and on-the-go charging. 

The UK government recently announced its EV Infrastructure Strategy. This includes plans to build a network of 300,000 chargers in the UK by 2030 – a tenfold growth in the country’s public charging infrastructure. It’s great to see a commitment at government level to meet this demand for on-the-go charging, but it’s also important for those in the industry to continue focusing on convenience, and enhancing the charging experience through taking an interoperable approach to charging.

Do you believe that the rest of the industry and drivers recognise why having a complete ecosystem is so important – rather than simply pulling up and filling up as drivers currently do with ICE vehicles?

The difference in user experience between charging and refuelling creates an urgent need to make charging as fluid and simple as possible – which is something the industry is focusing on. This is where charge cards come in. Our EV Driver Survey found that the number of drivers with multiple charge cards has increased, with 36% of drivers owning 4+ charge cards, up from 15% in 2021. Out of the 55% of EV drivers that have 4+ charge cards in the UK, almost 40% want a single charge card. 

Directly addressing those challenges of managing multiple charge cards will improve the overall driving experience and expand both EV infrastructure and access to charging networks. This will help the industry overcome range anxiety and charge point availability concerns among all drivers – which will make charging a similar experience to refuelling.

How is SRS collaborating and partnering with other organisations to deliver its charging ecosystem?

Through improved interoperability, drivers can access multiple charge points with one charge card – a significant step forward in the ownership experience. Roaming partnerships are key here, which can even extend across Europe giving drivers access to a larger charging network using just one card. For example, Shell Recharge Solutions’ customers can access approximately 12,000 charge points, a third of the UK total, with access to over 300,000 in Europe. While that number continues to grow, Shell Recharge Solutions recognises that collaboration is at the heart of increasing charger availability for all EV drivers, across both public networks and private infrastructure.

In addition, customers will know they have access to charge points throughout their journey and by improving digital infrastructure drivers can utilise apps to plan their journey and locate the nearest charge point with increasing ease.

What will need to change in the automotive and charging landscape for SRS to meet its goal of operating half a million charging points by the middle of the decade?

While charging once meant just installing a specialised connection to the grid, it’s now a much broader proposition. There is a need for serious investment from players in the industry to tackle the complexities surrounding charging and expanding its accessibility for all EV drivers. Government ambitions do help highlight the urgency, but this focus needs to continue in the future.

Ultimately, having access to charging infrastructure is a make-or-break factor for sustainable transport. EV charging infrastructure cannot fall behind EV adoption and it’s the responsibility of the industry to focus on interoperability and enhancing availability of charging infrastructure to improve the EV experience. With a great EV driver experience, there is no doubt that mass EV adoption will thrive.

^{1 The renewable electricity at the Shell Recharge Fulham Hub is certified by Renewable Energy Guarantees of Origin (REGOs), which means that all of the electricity Shell purchases to supply our Shell Recharge sites is matched with the equivalent amount of units from 100% renewable sources in the UK.}