Features
8 Aug 18

Shell invests in start-up that can charge an EV in minutes

The future of mobility is electric, that we can agree on. The future is also waiting very long while your electric car is being recharged - but that may be about to change.

Shell Ventures, the investment arm of oil and gas giant Royal Dutch Shell, has led a $31 million investment round in the Silicon Valley start-up Ample that states it has invented an economical, rapidly deployable and widely accessible platform that delivers a full charge to any electric car in minutes.

Nevertheless, Ample's solution hasn't been launched commercially yet. In the following months, the investment will be used to implement and roll out the technology.

“Building a scalable solution for charging electric vehicles requires a new approach to infrastructure and partners who are committed to developing electrification as the new energy downstream,” said Hassounah, Ample CEO.

More details on Ample's technology have not been disclosed but news website Electric claims it is based on exchanging batteries.

New Motion

The charging industry isn't new to Shell, having taken over charging company New Motion in 2017.

Ample was created in 2014 after its founders sold previous start-ups to big buyers like Microsoft, Merck and Symantec.

Authored by: Benjamin Uyttebroeck