Shell has announced plans to dramatically increase its ‘Ubitricity’ on-street chargers from 3,600 to 50,000, saying it will offer financing to local authorities to drive the rollout. It said its ambition is to reach the target by the end of 2025.
The Ubitricity chargers use existing street furniture such as lamp posts. The UK government’s Office for Zero Emission Vehicles (OZEV) currently meets 75% of the cost of installing on-street chargers through the On-Street Residential Charging Scheme (ORCS). Shell said it will cover the remaining costs for local authorities on commercial terms.
“It’s vital to speed up the pace of EV charger installation across the UK and this aim and financing offer is designed to help achieve that,” said David Bunch, Shell’s UK country chair.
Globally, Shell wants to grow its electric vehicle network from more than 60,000 charge points today to around 500,000 by 2025. It acquired Ubitricity in February 2021 and its 3,600 UK charge points represent over 14% market share, the company says.