Shell Mobility will focus on both legacy auto fuels, EV'S, says director

Shell Mobility India seeks to strengthen its focus on traditional fossil fuels alongside its cutting-edge electric vehicle (EV) solutions at a time of rising demand for auto fuels and rising EV adoption, a top company executive said.

“It will be dependent on the market...both (conventional fuels and electric mobility) are growing, so, we need to serve both customers and it will be part of our 2050 commitment, making sure we meet emission norms of Shell globally. So, we will continue to do both and make sure that we are available for customers while adhering to our powering progress and emission commitments," Sanjay Varkey, director, 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 had recently launched an improved variant of regular petrol and Shell V-Power premium petrol, touted to offer more efficiency, enabling vehicles to run up to an additional 15 km per full tank compared with other petrol variants. The new fuel variants would also act as a cleaning agent for system components.

Demand for liquid fuel vehicles, primarily petrol, continues to rise, alongside the growing penetration of EVs, offering a robust potential for both liquid fuels and EV charging infrastructure in India, he added.

India has witnessed a strong surge in demand for petrol and diesel over the past couple of years following a covid-led slowdown. Beginning mid-October, oil product demand increased by 80,000 barrels a day during the month due to rising 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%, recording a new high of 233.80 million tonnes from 222.30 million tonnes in FY23.

“What we are finding now is an ‘and-and’ situation with both growing. There is demand for liquid fuel vehicles, that is, petrol vehicles are growing, as well as EVs. For us, it’s about being there with the fuel of choice—what customers prefer to use. If customers want EVs, we must have it. If the customer wants liquid fuels, we would be there, too, given that both are growing," he added.

“EVs are really growing. The adoption we see 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 out. These are promising times for both, and EVs specifically are always encouraging. People are making 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 chargers for two-wheelers. Back then it had said that 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 fuels, charging facilities, vehicle care services, beverages, fresh food, and convenience items.

As appeared in Mint