Shell Recharge has announced plans to build hundreds of electric vehicle charging points at Waitrose stores over the next few years. The supermarket chain specifically plans to host up to 800 charging stations at up to 100 Waitrose stores across the UK by 2025.
Effectively, the deal will see Shell Recharge equipping roughly a third of Waitrose locations with EV charging. Each location is expected to have six 22 kW and two 50 kW chargers. The total store network spans 331 shops in England, Scotland, Wales and the Channel Islands.
“We’re delighted to bring our customers 800 new charging points for electric vehicles, including new rapid charging capabilities, as the UK moves more and more towards a sustainable transport network,” said Waitrose Executive Director, James Bailey.
Shell expects electric vehicle charging to launch at the first Waitrose shop in early 2022. This will represent the first move from Shell Recharge into destination charging, with customers able to charge their vehicle while shopping.
The new cooperation deepens existing relations as some Shell forecourts also operate ‘Click& Collect’ points for retailer John Lewis, to which Waitrose belongs.
The companies have also reached an agreement in turn to increase the number of Shell Select stores offering Waitrose food by a further 68 across the UK, bringing the total to at least 125 by 2025.
Last year, John Lewis and Waitrose also announced plans to electrify their delivery van fleets. 1,300 electric vans will be integrated into the two companies’ fleets in 2021, accompanied by the necessary infrastructure installation at their shop car parks. By 2030, the partners aim to replace all 4,800 vehicles in their fleet with emissions-free transporters.
In February, Shell presented its strategy to become a net-zero emissions energy company by 2050, in line with the goals of the UN Paris Agreement. As part of this strategy, Shell pledged to increase the number of worldwide charging points for electric vehicles from 60,000 to 500,000 by 2025 – and has since revealed plans to install 5,000 charging stations across the UK by the same year.
The company will use its pit stops as a base for the network and says each of its 500 UK forecourts will see one to two DC charging stations within the next four years. The Dutch corporation also wants to grow the number and size of charging parks along motorways.
