Shell Canada has laid out its plans for a major expansion of its electric vehicle (EV) charging network across its network of service stations. The company has announced it will install 79 Recharge fast charging points at 37 of its forecourts located along major corridors from British Columbia to Ontario by the end of the year.
“We do have very ambitious targets. We really want to accelerate the transition in Canada and around the world. We are planning to have over 500 chargers by 2025, and globally we are hoping to have well over one million by 2030,” stated Kent Martin, General Manager of Mobility for Shell Canada in a press release published by local news site CBC.
Currently, the firm has a total of 25 charging locations across the nation, which is expected to be extended as part of the company’s global strategy to boost its EV services throughout the world. This strategy is supported locally by a $3.9-million federal grant from Natural Resources Canada and is part of its plan to build upon its alternative infrastructure with the support of local authorities as well as its own investment to reach net-zero emissions status by 2050. In a recent report by Statistics Canada, EV sales registered a 60% growth in the country during the last year. A total of 86,000 new battery-electric and plug-in hybrid vehicles were registered in 2021. The nation currently has nearly 16,000 charging points in 6,800 locations, almost 90% of them focused in Quebec, Ontario and British Columbia.
“We’re getting ready for accelerated demand, that’s for sure. Our strategy is basically to move in sync with the consumer. We will move as quickly as consumers are willing to adopt EV cars, and that is happening at a rapid pace right now,” added the Shell representative.
