Electric vehicles are becoming more prominent every year. You see charging stations pop up at grocery stores, hotel parking lots, and, more recently, entire stations dedicated to charging an EV. While most EVs come with a charging system to install at home, you rely on these stations to keep you going if you’re out on the road. Unfortunately, most of the chargers you see aren’t branded with the big gas station names. However, Shell is making a change with their Shell Recharge initiative.

What is Shell Recharge?

Shell Recharge is an electric vehicle charging network. A familiar name to nearly any driver on the road, Shell is a global brand that brings confidence when refueling. Primarily an international energy company that operates gas stations, Shell has entered the EV world. According to U.S. News, in 2019, the company acquired Greenlots, a charging company in the US and Canada. The Greenlots stations will be rebranded as Shell Recharge Solutions. Self-branded DC fast chargers are already in other countries like the United Kingdom. After the rebranding, US drivers will be more likely to find a Level 2 charger at these Shell stations.

How many Shell Recharge stations are there?

An abundance of Shell Recharge stations are located in Washinton, DC, Southern California, central Florida, and Washinton State. Although the company does not disclose the exact number of chargers that it operates, they claim it is around 10,000. With charging points available at Shell stations, destinations, and on the street, it is easy to rack up that number. Additionally, the company allows roaming on a network with other charging providers like ChargePoint. Roaming adds thousands of public chargers to the available network. Using the Shell charging map, roughly 3,000 Shell ports are open nationwide.

How do you use a Shell Recharge EV charging station?

The first step is finding the station, which is easiest by using the Shell Recharge App on your phone. The app lets you pull up a map with circles representing available charging ports. A number of available ports appear in the center of the circle, with green meaning open and orange meaning in use. App integration with Apple CarPlay and Android Auto makes it even easier to use while in the vehicle.

Once you find a charger, open the Shell Recharge app. Scan the QR code of the station or enter the station ID number, then press Go in the app. Selecting the connector number will bring up the price to charge at that port. Next, press Start Charge and the app tracks your charging progress and cost. When it is all finished, press Stop Charge and disconnect from the port. You are now on your way with a full charge.

Is Shell Recharge card free?

Shell offers the recharge card as a way to pre-load funds, just like a regular gas card. It is free to order and provides access to their entire network of chargers. Much like the gas cards you are used to seeing, you can add funds to the card and keep it in the car for ease of use. The card uses an RFID chip to scan into the system and charge you for your time at the station. Another option is to utilize the Shell Recharge app on your phone. Storing a card in the app, you can scan the QR code to charge the card stored in the app instead of worrying about where your recharge card may be.

Recharge stations are the way of the future

As we mentioned before, EVs are becoming more and more commonplace. Therefore, charging stations will become more usual to see in everyday life, just like a gas station. Shell has taken the initiative as a global energy company to brand itself at the front of EV stations. The Shell Recharge system is a streamlined way to make EV charging a breeze instead of a chore.