By 2030, Shell UK aims to have 100,000 public EV charge points across the country. About 11,000 of these will be rapid chargers at locations such as charging hubs, forecourts, and supermarkets. This means that 90% of all UK drivers will be within a 10-minute drive of a Shell rapid charger.

Rapid chargers allow many cars to reach 80% within approximately 30 minutes, subject to the specification of the car battery. The remaining new chargers in the updated target will be on-street charge points or integrated into street infrastructure such as lampposts, which charge vehicles over longer periods.

In addition to the public charge points, Shell’s installation of EV chargers at private locations, such as homes and workplaces, will also continue to grow. Shell estimates that by the end of 2030 it could have installed 500,000 such chargers.

David Bunch, Shell UK country chair, said: “Whether at home, at work or on the go, we want to give drivers charging options so that more can switch to an EV. Access to public charging needs to be made available to everyone, no matter where you live.

“This expansion is part of our planned investment of up to £25bn in UK energy infrastructure over the next decade, 75% of which will be in low and zero carbon projects. This is a huge investment in the UK energy system of the future.”

Grant Shapps, UK secretary of state for transport, said: “The UK’s network of electric vehicle chargepoints is rapidly growing and we’re making it easier than ever for drivers to join the green transport revolution. It’s crucial that government and industry join forces on this transition and Shell’s announcement today will provide a huge boost for drivers, making charging quick and convenient no matter where they are in the UK.

“This step forward supports the government’s recently published £1.6bn Electric Vehicle Infrastructure Strategy where we committed to making the charging network more affordable and accessible and I hope this news encourages more motorists to take the step towards zero-emission driving.”

Shell announced in September 2021 that it planned to install 50,000 on-street chargers by 2025 through its Ubitricity subsidiary.

Globally, Shell aims to operate 2.5 million electric vehicle charge points by 2030 as part of a broader target to be a net zero emissions energy business by 2050.