Shell is to acquire Ubitricity, a European provider of electric vehicle (EV) chargers, in a bid to support drivers making the switch to low-carbon transport.
Shell says Ubitricity has a network of more than 2,700 EV charge points in the UK and has also installed more than 1,500 private charge points for fleet customers in Europe.
István Kapitány, executive vice president at Shell Global Mobility, says: “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.”
Ubitricity provides these on-street options in collaboration with local authorities.
According to Shell, this results in EV charging that is affordable, accessible and convenient for anyone who wants to charge their EV while it is parked on the street.
This solution is particularly useful for people who lack a private driveway but want to charge their EV overnight, the company adds.
The deal is also expected to help Shell build its EV charging offering which it says already includes more than 1,000 ultra-fast and fast charging points at approximately 430 Shell retail sites plus worldwide access to more than 185,000 third party EV charging points at public locations.
Shell expects the deal to be completed later this year and for Ubitricity to become a wholly-owned subsidiary.
