Shell

Nov 16, 2023

Credit | Photographic Services, Shell International Limited EV drivers are looking for a fast, convenient and comfortable charging experience — this is reflected in our Chinese sites, says István Kapitány, Shell EVP Shell has opened its largest electric vehicle (EV) charging station globally in Shenzhen, China. The charging station is located about 2.5 kilometres from the Shenzhen Airport Terminal and features 258 public fast-charging points. Shell and BYD partnered to bring 258 public fast-charging points to the station, located about 2.5 km from the Shenzhen Airport Terminal in Shenzhen, China. During its trial operation, the Shell Recharge Shenzhen Airport EV Station served more than 3,300 EVs every day. The vehicles will be charged by the rooftop solar panels installed at the station, which have a generation capacity of around 300,000 kilowatt-hour of renewable electricity per year. “The opening of this new site is part of our ongoing commitment to meet the evolving needs of our customers in China,” shares István Kapitány , Shell’s Global Executive Vice President for Mobility. Kapitány has been working at Shell since 1987, across multiple areas of the business and multiple countries. He has been in his current role since 2014, in which he oversees a network of over 46,000 retail outlets across close to 80 countries, where half a million employees serve 30 million customers every day. “We know that EV drivers are looking for a charging experience that is fast, convenient and comfortable and this is reflected in the utilisation rates of our sites in China, which are two to three times the local industry average. China is one of the most important growth markets for Shell Mobility. We look forward to offering pleasant mobility experiences to more customers in China in the future.” While the number of EVs grows rapidly, Shell remains committed to meeting the different energy and mobility needs of drivers. The largest EV charging station in the world — in China or Germany? At a train station in Merklingen, in the Alb-Donau district of Germany, an EV charging park with 259 covered stations has opened. The charge comes from solar panels on the roof of the charging spots, with excess electricity fed back into the grid. The park’s investor, Swabian Alb Region Association, believes that electrification is inevitable, and that infrastructure creates demand. The charging park for electric cars at Merklingen train station cost more than five million euros, with the state of Baden-Württemberg covering three quarters of the sum. This station has one more charger than the Shell EV charging station in Shenzhen, thus technically is the larger one. Shell’s park, however, contains entirely fast chargers whereas charging at the German site could take hours. This difference is design — the German site is designed for commuters to leave their cars all day, whereas the Shell site accommodates for any need. ********************************************* EV Magazine is dedicated to creating a global community of businesses, experts, and EV enthusiasts with comprehensive insights into automotive and the surrounding sectors. For more EV insights check out the latest edition of EV Magazine and be sure to follow us on LinkedIn & Twitter .