Shell has agreed to buy the UK’s largest public electric vehicle (EV) charging network for an undisclosed sum.
Ubitricity, which was founded in Berlin, operates in several European countries. It has more than 2,700 charge points in the UK, representing a market share of more than 13 per cent.
The company works with local authorities to integrate EV charging into existing street infrastructure such as lamp posts and bollards.
Shell, which already has more than 1,000 ultra-fast and fast charging points at around 430 of its own retail sites, says the acquisition marks its expansion into the fast-growing on-street EV charging market and will help it to scale its overall charging offer.
The company further has worldwide access to more than 185,000 third party EV charging points at places such as motorway services stations.
István Kapitány, executive vice president of Shell Global Mobility, said: “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.”
Lex Hartman, Ubitricity’s chief executive, said: “What excites so many people about Ubitricity is that our integration of EV charge points into existing on-street infrastructure makes EV charging easy and accessible for everyone who needs it, where they need it.
“Particularly in larger cities where there is limited access to off-street parking, this is the solution many people have been waiting for to allow them to transition to EV ownership.
“Combining this piece of the puzzle with Shell’s existing range of EV charging solutions gives EV drivers access to a full range of charging options, making Shell and Ubitricity a perfect match.”
The deal, subject to regulatory approval, is expected to be completed later this year.