Shell Station Converted to EV Charging Is a Glimpse of the Future

Energy giant demonstrates how gas stations can change to EV stations, but when will we see these here?

2022 shell fulham london ev station
Shell
  • Shell converts UK gas stations to EV charging, featuring nine 175-kW chargers, demonstrating a way for stations to adapt to the EV age.
  • The 175-kW chargers can charge most EVs from 0% to 80% state of charge in 10 minutes.
  • A significant percentage of EV charging locations in the US are still being built as standalone stations, without a convenience store nearby, while gas stations are not yet buying chargers for EVs in large numbers.

    At the moment there are not that many gas stations in the US that feature a large number of EV chargers, with the exceptions of a few well-traveled service areas on the two coasts. Likewise, there are not too many examples of gas stations that no longer sell fuel and have been converted to EV stations.

    A few days ago, however, Shell opened just such an EV station, converting one of its gas stations in the UK entirely to EV charging. The station in the area of Fulham in London now features nine 175-kW chargers made by Tritium, giving the world a preview of EV stations of the future.

    The Fulham EV station has been designed with two rows under canopies for EVs to enter nose-in, as if entering a parking spot, with a single one-way lane leading up to the cafe and convenience store and a seating area inside, featuring Wi-Fi and other amenities. The overhead canopy features built-in solar panels, which are a nice addition even though the vast majority of the electricity will still come directly from the grid.

    The 175-kW chargers at the station are said to be able to charge most EVs from 0% to 80% state of charge in 10 minutes, making average visits about as brief as brief as to gas stations.

    2022 shell fulham london ev station
    The Fulham station features solar panels overhead for extra power generation, but these are still UK skies overhead.
    Shell

    "EV drivers are looking for a charging experience that is as fast, convenient, and comfortable as possible," said Shell Global Executive Vice President for Mobility, István Kapitány. "This is exactly what Shell Fulham aims to offer. It joins our growing network of Shell Recharge sites at forecourts and other locations, our Ubitricity on-street charging network, and our Shell Recharge Solutions for homes and businesses as we increasingly help EV drivers to charge wherever they need it. It also gives us all a glimpse into the future of mobility."

    Among other things, the Shell Fulham station also serves as a model for how gas stations of the future could be planned out, with rows of nose-in spaces to maximize the number of available spots. This layout reflects the fact that EV stations of the future may likely strive to offer a greater number of individual charging spots than they currently do when it comes to fuel pumps, to avoid wait times.

    One of the main questions this Shell station perhaps raises with EV owners in the US is why most EV stations in the US are still often built completely apart from any other infrastructure, like convenience stores or cafes. Often times EV stations will be found in parking lots of big box stores, which may not necessarily have hot food or waiting areas inside.

    Another issue that's not clear is just when we can expect to see similar transformations of gas stations in the US. It's safe to say that right now the US is not even in an intermediate period of EV adoption, with annual EV sales being where they are, so it'll be a while until we see even 10% of gas stations feature a charger or two. Depending on location, it's expected to take quite some time for a business case for a complete switchover to appear in some high-traffic locations, though we'll likely see more of such stations in California first than elsewhere in the country.

    Should more US gas stations host EV chargers, or is it still too early for them to invest in such infrastructure? Let us know in the comments below.

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