Shell agrees to buy on-street charging firm ubitricity
Energy firm Shell has purchased an on-street charge points provider in order to expand its reach into zero-emission transport solutions.
The firm has agreed to buy 100% of ubitricity with the deal due to be completed later this year, subject to regulatory clearance.
The German firm operates across a number of European countries with the largest public EV charging network in the UK, including 2,700 charge points – 13% of the current market share. It has also created more than 1,500 private charging points for fleet customers across the region.
Working with local authorities, ubitricity integrates EV charging into existing street infrastructure, such as lamp posts and bollards. This means EV charging is accessible for those without off-street parking and those wanting to charge vehicles overnight.
Shell currently has more than 1,000 ultra-fast and fast charging points at around 430 retail sites as well as worldwide access to more than 185,000 third party EV charging points at public locations such as forecourts and motorway service stations.
Commenting on the acquisition, István Kapitány, Executive Vice President of Shell Global Mobility, said, “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.”
- image from Shell