Russ Curry, Ministry of New Media
Swiftmile, a pioneer in micromobility charging, has announced a partnership with Shell Brands International AG, to fold micromobility charging into Shell’s wide-ranging portfolio of electric vehicle charging services.
Under the partnership, Swiftmile will expand its Berlin charging network to include Shell Recharge-branded Micromobility Hubs at Shell retail stations and within parking garages throughout the city.
Swiftmile CEO Colin Roche told us “We’ve always thought of Swiftmile as the gas station of the future, and that vision is coming to life in Berlin, We are thrilled to partner with Shell to expand its Shell Recharge offering and provide a model for sustainable transportation in cities across the globe. Micromobility can replace 60% of short-distance vehicle journeys in German cities, and this partnership is essential to unlocking that potential.”
This expansion will start in summer 2021 and bring 25 new Hubs to Berlin by fall 2021, growing Swiftmile’s citywide network to more than 30 stations with a charging capacity to support 200+ vehicles simultaneously.
While Shell already supplies EV fast chargers for battery electric cars at its retail sites in Europe, Swiftmile’s Micromobility Hubs will broaden Shell’s charging portfolio to encompass micromobility, starting with e-scooters. Berlin is the perfect place to begin; the City is home to more than 16,000 shared e-scooters, making it Europe’s largest fleet. As Berlin prioritizes new legislation to make the city more welcoming for pedestrians and two-wheeled travel, Swiftmile’s Hubs will play a critical role in helping the city decarbonize its transport sector and reinvigorate economic activity post-COVID.
Swiftmile will partner with local e-scooter operators to incentivize parking at Micromobility Hubs to keep vehicles charged and organized and reduce the congestion and emissions from van-based charging. The Hubs will be equipped with a digital screen that can display ads from local businesses, real-time transit information, and public service announcements. These digital displays allow Swiftmile partners to deploy Micromobility Hubs at little or no cost, while also providing free, secure charging to private e-scooter owners.
This deployment will build on Swiftmile’s growing charging network across Berlin, which already includes four stations in partnership with the BVG. In May, Swiftmile also partnered with micromobility operator Lime to launch stations on the outskirts of Berlin that will expand sustainable transport options to residents and businesses outside of the city center.
Follow DailyDOOH