How we’re powering up the Shell Recharge site to sell EV charging kits direct to consumers.
Using the BigCommerce platform, we’re helping Shell Recharge launch their online sales business, enabling consumers to research, configure and order their own electric vehicle charging kits and installation online.
The challenge
Shell Recharge is the electric vehicle (EV) charging offering from Shell, with a network of on-the-go public charge points located across the UK, Netherlands, France and Germany.
In 2017, Shell bought NewMotion, a Dutch start-up that specialises in home and workplace charging solutions, as well as offering easy access to a charge network of over 200,000 charge points across 35 countries in Europe. Under the Shell Recharge brand, they evolved their business model from B2B, to sell EV charging kits as well as installation services direct to consumers. This meant a new website was needed, not only as a source of information about the wider Shell Recharge business, but also as an e-commerce platform that could begin selling units directly to consumers.
Why Cohaesus?
Cohaesus was selected as the most suitable partner to help Shell bring this new direct-to-consumer offering to life thanks to our experience in successfully delivering similar programmes for other clients.
We have expertise in the roll out of e-commerce sites from initial conceptualisation, to design and build, as well as a deep understanding of the Big Commerce platform and how it can be leveraged to create an exceptional experience.
The solution
The Shell Recharge sites complement the Shell Recharge public charging mobile app, providing marketing pages built using BigCommerce’s page-builder tool, regional public-charging network maps and a home EV charger product configurator built in React. Each component has been integrated into Shell Recharge’s BigCommerce Stencil theme with multi-language support for each regional storefront.
The guided configurator is driven by Shell’s own NewMotion EV databases, and BigCommerce’s Storefront GraphQL, Cart and Checkout APIs. Consumers are guided through the order creation process, starting with pre-qualification questions before selecting the right hardware product to fit their vehicle make and model, which in turn allows them to view estimated charging times for a chosen charge point/vehicle combination. Further tailoring of the product enables selection of the customer’s choice of hardware colour. Installation requirements for cables and mounting, home electricity setup, charging subscription and eligibility for discounts are also taken into consideration in the process prior to order submission.
The outcome
The site was rolled out in the UK first, with three other regional language/currency variations (Dutch, German and French) to follow.
After the initial launch of the sites, further enhancements and integrations will be made to the offering to continually improve the experience for both consumers and the sales team responding to orders.
Cohaesus played a critical role in launching our online sales business.
Their understanding of the platform and commitment to delivering seamless experiences online helped us deliver one of the first self-service purchase experiences for home charge points.
That’s great for customers and great for Shell too.
Oliver van Bilsen, Global Head of Digital, eMobility
