A new era for NewMotion: welcome to Shell Recharge Solutions

A lot has changed since NewMotion was founded in the Netherlands over a decade ago. Our business itself, of course, has grown remarkably.

From that initial start-up phase, NewMotion has become one of Europe’s leading charging solution providers, with its presence across the continent spanning a public roaming network of hundreds of thousands of charge points. From our early days of offering Europe’s first charging app for EV drivers, we now lead the way in developing and piloting smart, connected charging technology. From those first charge point installations, we now help partners with all sorts of needs, from businesses that need charging solutions for their fleet to retail locations that want to offer charging facilities to customers. And, of course, our acquisition by Shell in 2017 cemented our position as a long-term player in this sector.

It’s saying a lot, then, to point out that the EV market has evolved even more significantly over that time. When NewMotion was first starting out, it’s fair to say that electric vehicles were a possible future for mobility: a potential route forward for our ambition to combat climate change, and an outcome that many hoped would come about sooner rather than later, but far from a certainty.

Today, that picture has changed entirely. Around the world, governments are announcing legislation setting deadlines to end the sale of petrol and diesel vehicles. Almost every major automaker has now announced concrete plans to make the transition to electrified platforms. And, in turn, international businesses are taking action to replace existing fleet vehicles with zero-emissions battery-electric alternatives.

The question, in short, is no longer whether electric vehicles will supply the majority of our mobility needs, but how fast that transition will happen.

At NewMotion, we have always thought in terms of how we can accelerate EV adoption. This revolution in how vehicles are powered is meaningless without the infrastructure to power them, and making that infrastructure smarter and more cohesive makes a real positive impact. We know, for instance, from our annual EV Driver Survey that charging network coverage and interoperability is still a significant concern for people considering buying an EV.

With demand for EVs growing globally, this infrastructural challenge is likewise becoming global in scope. When the world’s largest businesses look to decarbonise their fleets, they will benefit most from a holistic outlook which anticipates solutions that operate everywhere they do.

That’s why it’s so exciting that NewMotion is unifying under one single identity with our North American counterpart Greenlots and existing Shell-branded charging services as Shell Recharge Solutions. Our aim will be to offer a future-proof one-stop-shop for organisations of any size to build out the infrastructure they need to drive EV adoption forwards.

It’s a move which reflects the need to pool the best of our innovations and talents, create a globally-recognised platform for EV charging, and translate the lessons learned in more mature markets to those where the journey to electric mobility is just beginning.

It’s also a move which comes with ambitious goals for the new business. With a target of 500,000 operated charge points by 2025, the rapid growth that NewMotion has enjoyed in recent years will be carried forward to create a network which covers the rapidly growing needs and uses of EVs. And, ultimately, it’s a move which recognises the big picture of EV adoption. Mobility doesn’t exist in a vacuum: it is a system which interacts with all of the other ways we generate and use power, and as we grow with Shell, we will strive to offer solutions which support the full energy ecosystem more effectively.

While customers will soon become familiar with the name Shell Recharge Solutions, nothing will change overnight. The full rebrand is set to be put into place in early 2022, and our relationships with existing customers and partners will not be affected. In the months and years which follow, however, we will be building up the business’s headcount and activity to pursue more strongly the vision that NewMotion was founded with all that time ago. Together, we are enabling cleaner transportation for everyone, to drive a low carbon future.

-Melanie Lane