Vehicles will be interconnected through the Internet of Things (IoT), which will optimise traffic flow and improve transport efficiency. Shared mobility models will also further develop, and all of these developments will help reduce carbon emissions and lessen the impact of ongoing climate change. Data from the International Energy Agency shows that road transport accounts for around one-sixth of global emissions.

In an exclusive interview with Lianhe Zaobao, Tan Min Yih, Senior Vice President for Shell Mobility Asia, said that Shell’s experience as a major energy company in the mobility sector has shown that supporting the development of low-carbon mobility in various regions not only requires customised solutions but also strategies tailored to local circumstances. Then only will customers in every market experience convenience, have options and feel confident.

As more countries and regions promote the use of electric vehicles (EVs), Shell is progressively expanding its network of approximately 46,000 service stations in more than 80 countries to include charging stations as well. Considering the time required for charging, service stations are also expanding to become one-stop retail destinations for everyday goods and snacks.

“When you come to our service stations in Singapore… you can enjoy a cup of coffee while you’re charging your car. If you go to Malaysia… you can buy nasi lemak at the same time and enjoy it. And if you go to Thailand, you can also enjoy Thai iced tea and at the same time have your car washed after you finish charging it,” he said.

Through its digital app, the company enables customers to quickly locate Shell service stations and nearby charging stations in Singapore. About a year ago, the company also won a Housing and Development Board (HDB) tender, allowing it to deliver around 5,000 charging points to the northern and northeastern parts of Singapore over the coming years.

Shell has also partnered with Porsche to install over 50 high-speed charging points along the route connecting Singapore, Malaysia and Thailand, enabling EV drivers in these three countries to travel at ease between them. It was reported that these charging stations, which include food and beverage services, have an average charging time of less than 25 minutes, demonstrating the feasibility of long-distance, cross-border EV travel, offering both speed and convenience.

Tan believes that finding the right balance hinges on progressing at a pace that governments and citizens are ready for.

Since 2010, the World Energy Council has published the World Energy Trilemma Report, which evaluates and reports on how well approximately 130 countries balance the three dimensions of the Energy Trilemma.

“Singapore is in a relatively good position,” Tan opined, citing Singapore’s EV policy as an example. “We are doing this at pace and not rushing also too quickly because we need to look at how technology evolves and also have the right policies that support the basic, essential needs of the citizens, which is about the mobility of goods and people and is about affordability. And that to me is a very important point because once we have achieved a certain level of energy security… then we need to ensure that there is affordability and at the same time, don’t wait too late to tackle sustainability.”

The International Energy Agency predicts that globally, number of EVs will reach over 300 million by 2030. Major markets such as China, Europe and the US are actively promoting the development of the EV industry, and introducing corresponding supportive policies and infrastructure development plans.

Among them, China has become the world’s largest EV market, selling over 6.8 million new energy vehicles (including battery electric and plug-in hybrid EVs) in 2022. Europe plans to ban the sales of traditional petrol and diesel vehicles by 2035.

At the 2024 China Automotive Forum held last July, the China Association of Automobile Manufacturers said that China has become the main battleground for global new energy vehicle competition, with production and sales leading the world for nine consecutive years. In 2023, China sold 9.5 million new energy vehicles, accounting for over 60% of the global market share.

Tan noticed that China has had a very deliberate EV policy since 2016.

Some countries are exploring diversified energy transition channels, including hydrogen power generation and hydrogen fuel cell vehicles, as well as biofuels produced from renewable resources, to reduce carbon emissions in the transportation sector.

Singapore has announced an investment of about S$1 billion (US$728 million) to build a hydrogen-ready combined cycle gas turbine (CCGT) on Jurong Island. Slated to be operational in 2029, this facility will be the largest of its kind, with a generating capacity of at least 600 megawatts, enough to power approximately 864,000 four-room HDB flats for a year.

Meanwhile, Malaysia unveiled its Hydrogen Economy and Technology Roadmap in 2023, with a focus on helping local companies develop the country’s hydrogen economy. It aims to become a main export hub of green hydrogen by 2027 and a leading hydrogen economy by 2050. China-made hydrogen energy buses are already operating in Kuching, the capital of Sarawak, East Malaysia.

Tan said that hydrogen energy is also a field that Shell continues to monitor and evaluate. However, in terms of the mobility applications, this new energy source is currently more for heavier vehicles and it is not as ready as EVs in most places.

Globally, around 50% of charging sessions take place at home or at work. Another 35% occurs at public charging points, and 15% utilises charging equipment at fleet companies. Tan predicts that in about 10 or 20 years, public charging will reach about 45%, home charging will come down to about 30%, while the rest would be fleet charging.

In some European countries, lamppost EV charging is already available. For example, Shell’s recent acquisition, ubitricity, provides lamppost charging services Shell acquisition of ubitricity in 2021, this UK company provides lamppost charging services in European markets such as the UK, Germany, France and the Netherlands.

Tan said, "We recognise that many customers do not have home charging, so the most convenient way in the UK is actually to park the car next to a lamppost and make use of the electricity from the lamppost for charging. A customer can leave his car overnight, charge it, pay some parking and electricity fees, and drive off. These are some innovative solutions that we are trying to offer, while also working very closely with our partners to learn from their charging technologies and service experience."

Notwithstanding, batteries themselves present environmental concerns, and solar power offers a viable solution for green charging.

The pursuit of battery convenience in various regions has also catalysed the development of battery swapping solutions, especially for two-wheeled EVs.

Shell is currently working with various OEMs including BYD from China, Hyundai from South Korea and Mercedes-Benz from Germany, and learning from them about charging techniques such as battery swapping.

Recently, the company partnered with Cycle & Carriage and Taiwanese electric scooter battery supplier Gogoro to launch its first battery swapping station for electric bikes and scooters at Shell‘s Yio Chu Kang service station in Singapore. It plans to set up more battery swapping stations at other Shell service stations across the island over the next year.

Tan stated that it will require space and require efficiency in making the change, which means need to think about queues for the vehicles if they want to do battery swapping in stations. This is quite a challenge. The key is that every option or solution must be adapted to local conditions and specific local and market requirements.

Speaking about the impact of geopolitics on energy transition partnership, Tan said that decarbonisation is a topic that is larger than any company and country. Regardless of the political climate, he and the company firmly supports it.

In May 2024, the former Joe Biden administration slapped on China a rise from 25% to 100% on EV tariffs. Before stepping down on 20 January, the Biden administration reportedly planned new restrictions on the export of AI chips from companies like Nvidia to prevent advanced technology from falling into the hands of China and Russia. This also aims to keep AI development within a network of friendly countries and drive global adoption of American standards.

At the same time, energy transition has also spurred international cooperation. Many countries and enterprises have actively engaged in cross-border cooperation, jointly developing new energy technologies, constructing charging infrastructure and forming a green supply chain. The EU and Asian countries are increasingly collaborating on battery technology and EVs.

In Singapore, Nanyang Technological University has also partnered with Hyundai to develop manufacturing solutions for EVs and is also conducting research in new energy and smart manufacturing technologies.

Apart from its partnership with Porsche, Shell also partnered with BYD in 2023 to build and operate its largest EV charging station in Shenzhen. Besides charging, this one-stop charging station also offers customers retail, dining and lounge services.