Shell gives us a glimpse at the future, after opening its first electric vehicle charging station in the UK recently.
Converted from an old petrol station in Fulham, London, the EV charging station features nine 175-kW chargers made by Tritium.
The station is laid out with two rows of car parks under canopies for EVs to enter nose-in, as if entering a parking spot. There's a one-way lane down the centre, which leads to a cafe, convenience store, and a seating area with a range of amenities, including WiFi.
The overhead canopy has built-in solar panels, which is a nice touch, even though most of the electricity will still come straight from the grid.
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The 175-kW chargers will apparently take most electric vehicles from 0-80% within just 10 minutes. That makes visiting the charging station nice and brief, and probably gives customers enough time to pop inside for a coffee before getting back on the road.
"EV drivers are looking for a charging experience that is as fast, convenient, and comfortable as possible," says 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."
It's a good insight into what the future of EV charging may look like. Currently, most public chargers are attached to supermarkets or shopping outlets. If you needed to charge your EV at night or when these stores are closed, it can make for a bit of an awkward stop. Especially as most of these chargers aren't as fast as this one either.
With EV adoption increasing each year, infrastructure will only get better.
