Shell plans to install 50,000 electric vehicle charging points across UK

Energy giant Shell has revealed plans to install 50,000 electric vehicle charging points across the UK by 2025.

It is part of a push to make more charging points available to drivers without private parking as the government targets a reduction in carbon emissions to net zero by 2050.

The UK plans to ban the sale of new petrol and diesel cars from 2030 – and the switch to electric will mean new infrastructure is needed to power the electric cars that replace them.

Shell will roll out its plans through ubitricity, an on-street charging point company it bought earlier this year that currently operates 3,600 such sites in Britain.

The company said it would support local authorities with a financing offer to install the charging points across the UK.

Shell said it would do this by topping up the remaining cost of installing on-street chargers not covered by a 75% central government subsidy.

It did not give details on the cost of the initiative – through which it will make money by selling energy at the charging points.

According to a recent report from the UK’s Competition and Markets Authority, forecasts suggest that 280,000-480,000 public charge points will be needed by 2030 – more than ten times the current number of 25,000.

More than 60% of households in city and urban areas do not have off-street parking, according to figures quoted in a National Audit Office report earlier this year that was cited by Shell in its latest announcement.

David Bunch, Shell’s UK chair, said: “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.”

Transport minister Rachel Maclean said: “Together with industry and local authorities, we can create cleaner, greener local communities – providing EV chargepoints for people without off-street parking across the country.”