Shell to finance Ubitricity charge points in the UK

Shell is to install 50,000 Ubitricity charging points in the UK by 2025. The transitioning oil producer acquired the Berlin-based charging infrastructure specialist Ubitricity earlier this year. Shell says it will assume part of the costs for the new charging points.

Around 3,600 Ubitricity chargers are already installed in the UK. To reach the 50,000 charging point mark by 2025, Shell says it wants to support local authorities with a financing offer.

Shell will not fully finance the charging points but will pay for around a quarter of the total costs. The UK government’s Office for Zero-Emission Vehicles (OZEV) currently pays 75 per cent of the cost of installing on-street chargers through the On-Street Residential Charging Scheme (ORCS). “For local authorities wishing to install Ubitricity charging stations, Shell is prepared to cover the remaining costs in accordance with commercial terms,” the petroleum company says.

Shell also cites statistics showing that 60 per cent of households in UK cities and urban areas do not have their own parking spaces, meaning these EV owners must park and charge at the side of the road. “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 U.K. country chair. “Whether at home, at work or on-the-go, we want to give drivers across the UK accessible EV charging options, so that more drivers can switch to electric.”

Although the government is paying 75 per cent of the cost, Transport Minister Rachel Maclean is in favour of the group’s offer. “As more and more people make the switch to electric, this is a great example of how private investment is being used alongside Government support to ensure that our EV infrastructure is fit for the future,” she says.

Shell announced the acquisition of Ubitricity in January this year and completed the takeover in February. That same month, the energy giant also announced plans to expand its number of charging points from 60,000 to 500,000 by 2050. In April, a target of 5,000 charging stations was set for the UK – now, with the Ubitricity offer, this number is much higher. Ubitricity is best known for its on-street charging points integrated into lamp posts.