Shell Fully Transforms Gas Station Into EV Charging Hub In London

The face of oil is now fueled up with a different purpose. Last month, Shell opened its first UK-based electric vehicle charging hub to offer EV drivers more options to keep their cars running throughout the day. 

To accelerate into the future, the company converted one of its existing gas stations (with where the automotive industry is headed, there might be too many of them, anyway) into an electric-only charging station. The kiosk is located in Fulham, central London.

In place of gasoline pumps, the hub is fitted with nine high-powered 175kW “ultra-rapid” charging ports, which Shell says can juice up cars as much as three times faster than fast-charging 50kW chargers; the latter can already power vehicles from zero to 80% in just 30 minutes. The ports, which run on 100% certified renewable electricity, were built by Australia DC fast charger maker Tritium.

To mirror the station’s eco core, Shell enlisted William Gains of architecture firm Bowman Riley to redesign the location. Standing out from the rest is its canopy of timber sheets, glued together to create a more conscious structure than one designed with steel. The roof is also layered with solar panels.

While cars take a break, drivers can also recharge with a cuppa from Costa Coffee or pick up a snack from Little Waitrose & Partners, both of which are located in the hub. Comfortable seats invite them to steal a quick nap, or watch a flick using the free Wi-Fi connection, during the wait.

With this conversion, Shell hopes to appeal to drivers still on the fence about going electric due to the inaccessibility of charging ports both at home and on the road. The EV hub will also nudge it towards its goal of developing a global EV network of 500,000 charge points by 2025.

[via Charged EVs and The Driven, images via Shell UK]