How Shell is Reimagining the Future of the Forecourt
Whilst the number of electric vehicles (EVs) across the globe will rise significantly over the coming decade, vehicles with internal combustion engines are expected to continue dominating roads until adequate and affordable EV charging infrastructure is available for customers to switch.
By 2030, it鈥檚 likely that no single fuel type will dominate road transport globally. That鈥檚 why, as part of the transition to cleaner mobility, we are reimagining our Shell service stations across the world to ensure we can continue to meet the needs of customers in a multi-fuel and multi-modal world.
At our recently opened Panlong Integrated Service Station in China, we have brought to life one example of how forecourts may look in future. The site offers at least ten different energy products and services for customers, all selected based on our insights into Chinese customers鈥� various and evolving needs while they are on the go.
At Panlong station, we aim to support all our customers on the road regardless of whether they drive an electric, petrol or diesel car, or even, a hydrogen truck. That is why the Panlong station also includes a wide range of fuel offers, including Shell V-Power Racing petrol and diesel, plus Shell China鈥檚 very first Hydrogen refuelling site.
With China continuing to be the frontrunner in EV adoption 鈥� accounting for around 60% of global electric car sales in 2022 [1] 鈥� we have equipped the site with 12 fast and superfast charge points, capable of charging electric cars designed to help customers recharge and continue their journeys as quickly as possible.
The site also has a Lube Bay and Shell Car Wash, because we know that drivers want their vehicle to be in great condition when they leave for their next journey.
To help our customers recharge themselves while they refuel, the site also includes a variety of food and beverage offerings including Shell Select, Shell Caf茅 and KFC, as well as the 鈥淒rivers鈥� 麻豆传媒鈥� 鈥� a place for drivers to rest, eat, shower, do laundry and connect.
The customer experience at the Panlong station is underpinned with an advanced digitalization offering. Through the Shell Recharge smart phone application, customers can reserve their EV charging bay, pre-order food and drink for collection, and even receive personalized offers tailored to their needs. With customers increasingly looking for a seamless retail and charging experience, frictionless payment is available across our fueling and convenience areas.
Sustainability is at the core of Panlong station, with features such as rainwater recycling, insulating glass, energy-saving lighting and roof-top solar power systems, embedded in the design. Better still, while customer needs evolve, so will Panlong! The station has been designed in a way that it can be easily updated to new offers, by switching, for example, from fuel to EV, or from diesel to hydrogen!
However, the Panlong station is not the only innovative forecourt format that Shell is exploring.
In 2021, we unveiled the first 鈥淪ite of the Future鈥� in the Philippines, which notably features an alfresco area for cyclists, specially designed with stop-and-go bicycle racks that encourages Filipinos to use active transportation.
Launch of Shell "Site of the Future鈥� in the Philippines
The site鈥檚 design is also energy-efficient and lowers carbon emissions of operations through solar panels integrated in the forecourt canopy; eco-bricks upcycled from used plastics that make up the walls and outdoor chairs and tables; as well as rain catchers that harvest water for watering plants and flushing toilets.
We are also exploring EV-only Mobility hubs without liquid fuels. Last year, we launched our first converted site in London that caters solely for EV drivers. The site features nine high-powered, ultra-rapid 175kW charge points.
In the Netherlands, we converted a former service station into a Mobility Hub that includes a location for customers, who prefer to move sustainably but do not have their own electric means of transport, to rent electric bicycles, scooters and cars.
But why is Shell exploring these different formats?
At Shell Mobility, we are best known for our trusted retail experience at our service stations that aim to offer customers convenience, quality and choice. However, we are also evolving with our customers and developing the way we support them in line with their changing needs and expectations.
The combination of integrated offers available at our Panlong station and our other innovative sites around the world are just some of the examples of how we are evolving our business so that we can continue to meet the needs of customers today, and tomorrow.
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