British-Dutch oil and gas company, Shell is making its foray into electric vehicle (EV) charging with Shell Recharge, which allows drivers to charge their cars on the go at its service stations. This is said to be the first of its kind in Singapore.

The Shell Recharge 50kW rapid direct current (DC) chargers claims to provide 0% to 80% charge in approximately 30 minutes, priced at SGD $0.55 per kWh (Rs 28), and are compatible with most electric vehicles in Singapore.

Shell Recharge will be available at 10 Shell stations starting with the Sengkang station in August 2019. By October 2019, it will be rolled out to nine more stations island-wide. These stations include Newton Hooper, Alexandra, Yishun, Ang Mo Kio, Paya Lebar PIE, Choa Chu Kang, Boon Lay, Havelock and Bukit Batok West. This represents close to 20 percent of Shell’s retail network in Singapore.

Aarti Nagarajan, General Manager, Shell Retail Singapore said, “Our insights show that Singaporeans worry about lack of sufficient and fast charging options for EVs. Which is why we are taking the first step to launch Shell Recharge and offering customers a rapid charging solution at convenient and strategic locations. With Shell Recharge, customers can easily charge their EVs while they enjoy our air-conditioned shops and pick up a coffee, a fresh pastry, a delicious ready-to-go meal or a quick snack.”

Since 2017, Shell has embarked on a transformational journey to meet Singaporean’s evolving demand for convenience and mobility solutions. It launched its own convenience retail store, Shell Select, and its own food label, deli by Shell. To date, close to 60 percent of its network has been upgraded and expected to be fully completed by end next year.

The Shell-commissioned study on electric vehicle consumer behaviour also highlighted:

• More than 1 in 2 Singaporeans (52%) are deterred to buy or use an electric car as they think there are not enough charging stations in Singapore.
• While waiting to charge their cars, Singaporeans would prefer to spend their time having a cup of coffee or grabbing a bite to eat.

Beyond private EV car owners, Singapore’s growing fleet sector, which is increasingly adopting the electric vehicles, stand to benefit as they now have access to reliable rapid chargers. Shell Recharge can help them reduce their emissions in the process. Through the Shell Fleet Card, fleet customers also have an integrated solution, with the ability to pay for charging, fuel and other expenses – all with one card, one supplier and on one invoice. Shell City Solutions is also helping fleet owners on system level changes needed to enable this transition.

Aw Kah Peng, country chairman of Shell Companies in Singapore said, “Shell aims to make more of such low-carbon energy solutions available in Singapore in the months and years to come.”

Shell Recharge is powered by Greenlots’ EV charging network management software. Greenlots is a member of the Shell Group and has a network of more than 100 public and private charging stations island-wide in 50 locations. It also provides software and support services to enable businesses, such as property owners, fleet operators and major automotive OEMs (original equipment manufacturers), to install, operate, and optimise their networks of EV charging stations.