Royal Dutch Shell (Shell), a renowned British-Dutch oil & gas firm, has reportedly announced that it would be deploying its first charging stations for Electric Vehicles (EV) across South Africa.
Reports cite, the total number of charging stations to be installed in the nation would depend upon the demand generated by the nation’s EV users. As the market for EVs grow, the company aims to play a crucial role in making the journey of its customers better.
According to reports, while, out of the one billion cars currently running on the roads today, only 2 million are electric. The International Energy Agency has estimated that there would be more than 2 billion cars on the roads by 2040 with more than 150 million of them being electric, creating a new market for energy providers.
Shell spokesperson, Dineo Pooe stated that this move is a part of the company’s roadmap to 2025. The company would be starting on a small scale in 2019 with plans to ramp up the charging stations as demands increase. The company, along with its strategic partners would be making the investment needed for amplifying their offerings.
GridCars, as a part of the JSE-listed ICT (Information & Communication Technology) products & services group, Alviva Holdings, is one of several firms leading the green e-mobility revolution in South Africa. The company anticipates getting approximately 200 EV charging stations across the nation by the next month.
Anticipating the growing market, Shell has become one of several oil & gas firms in South Africa that are adapting to the changes coming in to the automotive industry. The company has not unveiled any financial details related to the charging station installations yet.