A UK media report says that oil giant Shell is preparing to open Britain's first 'no-petrol' service station.
The Telegraph newspaper said the station is expected to offer bio-fuels, electric vehicle charge points and hydrogen fuel-cell refuelling instead of traditional petrol/gasoline and diesel pumps. The report also said energy for the station's buildings will come from renewable sources in the form of solar panels on the forecourt roof.
The report added that sources told the Telegraph that a central London site has been chosen, but the project is 'at an early stage'.
Later this year Shell plans to roll out high-speed electric vehicle charge points across a selection of its 400 UK service stations. These would allow drivers to charge their vehicle batteries by up to 80% in 30 minutes. However, that raises the question of how the service stations will be presented if motorists spend longer inside them. Shell is also planning to test new designs for stations as 'retail destinations'.
Shell is also trialling an app-based refuelling service which allows customers to order fuel and specify the time and location of the refuelling service.
