Shell Mobility India aims to strengthen its focus on traditional fossil fuels alongside its cutting-edge electric vehicle (EV) solutions at a time of growing demand for automotive fuels and increasing EV adoption, a top company said.
“It will depend on the market… both (conventional fuels and electric mobility) are growing, so we have to serve both customers and it will be part of our 2050 commitment, making sure we meet Shell emissions standards globally. So, we will continue to both and will ensure that we are available to customers as we follow through on our power progress and emissions commitments,” Sanjay Varkey, director of Shell Mobility India, said in an interview.
The company plans to unveil a more efficient diesel option by the end of this fiscal year. The oil and gas major recently launched an improved variant of regular petrol and Shell V-Power super petrol, touted to offer more efficiency, enabling vehicles to run an additional 15 km on a full tank compared to other petrol variants. The new fuel variants would also act as a cleaning agent for system components.
Demand for liquid fuel vehicles, mainly petrol, continues to rise, along with the increasing penetration of EVs, offering robust potential for both liquid fuels and EV charging infrastructure in India, he added.
India has witnessed strong growth in demand for petrol and diesel over the past two years following a covid-led slowdown. Beginning in mid-October, oil product demand increased by 80,000 barrels per day during the month due to increased mobility and consumption during the festive season. According to the Petroleum Planning and Analysis Cell, India’s refined petroleum product demand in FY24 is expected to grow by 5.17%, registering a new high of 233.80 million tonnes from 222.30 million tonnes in FY23.
“What we find now is a ‘both-and’ situation with both growing. There is a demand for liquid fuel vehicles, that is, gasoline vehicles are growing, as are EVs. For us, it’s about being there with the fuel of choice—what customers prefer to use. If customers want EVs, we have to have it. If the customer wants liquid fuels, we would also be there because both are growing,” he added.
“EVs are really growing. The adoption we’re seeing is very encouraging because it’s starting to move from two-wheelers to four-wheelers, fleets to buses and the infrastructure, the ecosystem is building. These are promising times for both, and EVs specifically are always encouraging. People make a choice and both are available.”
Last year, Shell launched its first electric vehicle charger in India, for both four- and two-wheeler segments in Bengaluru. India is the first market for Shell to launch two-wheeler chargers. Then it said it plans to establish more than 10,000 charging points across India by 2030 and beyond its existing retail markets of Karnataka, Tamil Nadu, Gujarat, Telangana, Assam, Andhra Pradesh and Maharashtra.
Among its electric mobility solutions the company offers Shell E-Fluids and E-Greases range for high-tech powertrains of electrified vehicles.
The company is present in southern and western India, and has around 350 stations. It offers EV battery charging services with over 200 charging points across Karnataka, Maharashtra, Tamil Nadu and Gujarat. Under the company’s integrated mobility offering, it offers fuel, charging facilities, vehicle maintenance services, beverages, fresh food and convenience items.
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Updated: 20 Nov 2023, 00:24 IST
(tagsTo Translate)Shell Mobility India