Shell opens a large electric car charging station in China alongside BYD

The British oil company Shell has just inaugurated a large electric car charging station, built in collaboration with the Chinese brand BYD. This large charging station will be able to charge the batteries of more than 3,000 vehicles every day. A service that will ensure users in the region can keep their cars running without having to travel too far.

This is not the largest in the world, but it is the largest operated by Shell. It has been opened just 2.5 kilometres from the terminal of Shenzhen International Airport. This is significant, because it is the country’s third-largest airport. Around 40 million passengers pass through it each year on average, so the service becomes essential for serving the vehicles that will be moving through that area.

The airport is undergoing a redevelopment, with the construction of a new runway and terminal, with which they expect to reach 80 million passengers by 2026. With this number of passengers, there is expected to be a lot of electric vehicle traffic, which can be charged at this new facility.

More than 3,000 vehicles charged per day

The charging station has 258 fast chargers, which during the trial period charged the batteries of 3,300 vehicles per day. Part of the energy used to charge the batteries comes from the solar panels installed on the canopy above each charging point. These provide the system with 300,000 kWh per year.

Electric car users who are charging can enjoy cafeteria services, vending machines and a rest area where they can comfortably wait for their vehicle to charge.

At present, Shell manages around 800 charging points across China, either through the company itself or in partnership with a Chinese company.