Royal Dutch Shell intends to build 50,000 on-street electric vehicle (EV) charging points by 2025.

The installations will be made via ubitricity, a German EV start-up that the fossil fuel giant acquired in February.

Royal Dutch Shell already has around 3,600 chargers in the UK.

The UK government is set to finance 75 per cent of installation costs for the chargers via the Office for Zero Emission Vehicles, with Shell covering the rest of the remaining costs on behalf of local authorities.

More than 60 per cent of urban households in England do not have off-street parking, with the number rising to 68 per cent for social housing according to statistics from the National Audit Office.

The news comes after electric vehicle (EV) sales jumped by 41 per cent in 2020, despite the wider automobile industry facing a tough year due to Covid-19.

The government has banned the sale of new petrol and diesel cars in the UK from 2030 onwards.

“It’s vital to speed up the pace of EV charger installation across the UK and this aim and financing offer is designed to help achieve that,” said UK chair at Shell, David Bunch. “We want to give drivers across the UK accessible EV charging options, so that more drivers can switch to electric.”

“Together with industry and local authorities, we can create cleaner, greener local communities – providing EV charge points for people without off-street parking across the country,” said transport minister Rachel Maclean. “As more and more people make the switch to electric, this is a great example of how private investment is being used alongside government support to ensure that our EV infrastructure is fit for the future.”

She added: “This is crucial as we build back greener and accelerate towards COP26.”

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