Oil giant Shell has agreed to buy Ubitricity, a Germany-based provider of smart on-street charging for electric vehicles (EVs).

Shell has signed an agreement to buy 100% of Ubitricity. The move represents a step in Shell’s efforts to support drivers as they switch to lower-carbon transport. Subject to regulatory clearance, the deal is expected to be completed later this year.

Founded in Berlin, Ubitricity operates in a number of European countries, and is the largest public EV charging network in the UK with over 2700 charge points, currently over 13% market share. The company has also established emerging public charging positions in Germany and France and has installed over 1500 private charge points for fleet customers within Europe.

Ubitricity works with local authorities to integrate EV charging into existing street infrastructure such as lampposts and bollards. The result is EV charging that is affordable, accessible and convenient for anyone who wants to charge their EV while it is parked on the street. This is particularly useful for people who lack a private driveway but want to charge their EV overnight.

“Working with local authorities, we want to support the growing number of Shell customers who want to switch to an EV by making it as convenient as possible for them,” said István Kapitány, executive vice president of Shell. “On-street options such as the lamppost charging offered by Ubitricity will be key for those who live and work in cities or have limited access to off-street parking. Whether at home, at work or on-the-go, we want to provide our customers with accessible and affordable EV charging options so they can charge up no matter where they are.”

This acquisition marks Shell’s expansion into the fast-growing on-street EV charging market and will provide critical competencies, helping Shell scale its overall EV charging offer. This already includes more than 1000 ultra-fast and fast charging points at approximately 430 Shell retail sites plus worldwide access to over 185,000 third-party EV charging points at a range of public locations including forecourts, motorway service stations and destinations.

“What excites so many people about Ubitricity is that our integration of EV charge points into existing on-street infrastructure makes EV charging easy and accessible for everyone who needs it, where they need it,” said Lex Hartman, Ubitricity’s CEO. “Particularly in larger cities where there is limited access to off-street parking, this is the solution many people have been waiting for to allow them to transition to EV ownership. Combining this piece of the puzzle with Shell’s existing range of EV charging gives EV drivers access to a full range of charging options, making Shell and Ubitricity a perfect match.”

This is the latest move from Shell as it expands its low-carbon transport options for customers, helping them to reduce their carbon footprint. Shell’s own ambition is to become a net-zero emissions energy business by 2050, or sooner.

Siemens has partnered with Ubitricity since 2017, delivering charging infrastructure across London. Siemens installs and maintains the Ubitricity charging SimpleSocket in lampposts across London boroughs. This partnership supports Transport for London in a shared endeavour to make electric vehicle charging more accessible, helping improve air quality and uptake of EV cars.

Siemens acquired a minority stake in Ubitricity in 2017; the company has decided to sell this stake to Shell. Siemens plans to maintain its partnership with Ubitricity through Shell, and continue to service charging infrastructure across London boroughs, as well as work jointly on new projects if they arise.