Charging three times faster in Europe: accelerating net zero transport
Our multidisciplinary team helped Shell on its journey to a net zero future by delivering 200 ultra-fast electric vehicle (EV) chargers across the Netherlands.
How Shell is speeding up net zero transport
We helped Shell on its journey to a net zero future by delivering 200 ultra-fast electric vehicle (EV) chargers at its Shell Retail fuel sites across the Netherlands – the first in a much larger ambition to deploy 50,000 such chargers across Europe. Enabling vehicles to charge up to three times faster than previously, in just 15 minutes, the Shell Recharge-branded network increases both the attractiveness and viability of EVs for drivers looking to transition away from fossil fuels.
We were chosen to manage the project through every stage, in an end-to-end process that would help fulfil the transport element of Shell’s growing vision for delivering cleaner energy around the world.
Addressing challenges through consensus
Through our multidisciplinary team, we worked with a variety of stakeholders to support the entire project from start to finish, covering permitting, engineering, procurement, construction management, design, consultancy, and delivery – and through some significant challenges.
Securing adequate capacity from the electricity grid for these high-speed, high-output chargers, for example, was key, and so we needed to work closely with utility companies and supply chain partners over an extended period to find a solution that worked for all parties.
Procurement of the chargers became especially challenging during the pandemic because of lead time issues, combined with already demanding project delivery timeframes. To ensure we stayed on schedule and met customer expectations, we bulk-bought the chargers and placed them in storage so that we had stock readily available.
New technology, fit for the future
The project also came with some other interesting technical challenges. Faster charging time is a key factor that will drive the adoption of EVs now and in the future, but we had to ensure the higher-powered chargers were in balance with the vehicle batteries’ ability to deal with increased current, and prevent the charging from becoming energy-inefficient.
At the same time, we wanted to ensure that the charging infrastructure could evolve to work with changing developments over time, so we had to ensure the designs for hardware and fittings were future-proofed – that is, flexible enough to accommodate and adapt to tomorrow’s net zero innovations, as well as the far heavier use that charging stations are set to receive.
This was all new technology that had to be fully understood before it was implemented, so we involved our subject matter experts in the design discussions and stakeholder dialogues early on, to help us make better decisions for the customer, faster.
Charge, pay, go
The initial 200 chargers we delivered to Shell Retail operate at 150 kilowatts, ensuring charging that is compatible with current battery technology but completes three times faster.
Understanding that convenience smooths the adoption of any technical innovation, we also made sure the design of the chargers was simple to use, and that they were set up to work with easy, rapid payments methods, including contactless and charge cards.
All-renewable and Europe-wide
All Shell Recharge locations, including those we have delivered the ultra-fast chargers to, are supplied by 100 percent certified renewable energy sources, and are part of a much wider Shell commitment to support electric transport that give drivers access to a network of over 395 charge point operators across Europe.