Shell buys leading provider of street EV chargers

ubitricity is the owner of the largest public charging network for electric vehicles in the UK.

Royal Dutch Shell has agreed to buy ubitricity, owner of the largest public charging network for electric vehicles in the UK, supporting the strategy to diversify its energy portfolio.

With the move, Shell will now offer EV drivers public on-street charge points integrated into existing street infrastructure.

Founded in Berlin, Germany, ubitricity operates in a number of European countries, and is the largest public EV charging network in the UK with over 2,700 charge points (around 13% of the market share). The company has also established public charging positions in Germany and France and has installed over 1,500 private charge points for European fleet customers.

This acquisition marks Shell’s expansion into the on-street EV charging. This already includes over 1,000 ultra-fast and fast charging points at approximately 430 Shell retail sites plus worldwide access to over 185,000 third-party EV charging points at a range of public locations including forecourts, motorway service stations, and destinations.

“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,” said István Kapitány, Executive Vice President of Shell Global Mobility.

Once the deal is completed, ubitricity is expected to become a wholly owned subsidiary of Shell.