Anyone wanting to drive from Singapore to Bangkok can do so on nice highways through Malaysia and Thailand. Like other highways around the world, there are petrol stations all along the way so refuelling is not a concern.
The situation is a bit different for those with electric vehicles (EVs) as they need electricity rather than liquid fuel. It is only in the past couple of years that EV sales have started and the need for recharging stations has taken on an urgency. Unless there is a comprehensive network of stations around the country, EV owners will be unable to travel far and this will discourage buying such vehicles.
The private sector has been giving its support to the government’s call to establish this network and Shell Malaysia has collaborated with Porsche Asia Pacific to set up stations not just in Malaysia but also in Singapore and Thailand. The network is along the North-South Expressway in Malaysia and then highways in Thailand, the longest cross-country high-performance charging (HPC) infrastructure EV network in Southeast Asia.
Ever since the Industrial Revolution began in the 19th century, emissions of carbon dioxide (CO2)have kept increasing in the environment from industrial activities and products. The gas, often referred to as a ‘greenhouse gas’, has been identified as the main contributor to global warming. Although nature has had processes to remove CO2, the increase of the gas has exceeded the capability of natural systems to remove it, leading to accumulation that has reached levels where the climate is being changed.
The warning signs are clear and depending on who you listen to, we could be very close to the tipping point when the change will not be reversible. But regardless of the timeline, it is clear that global warming is occurring and action needs to be taken. Scientists believe that preventing an increase of more than 1.5 degrees C. is crucial for the planet’s future and some 200 countries have given commitments to do their part to achieve this goal.
Industries, most of which generate CO2 through their activities and products, have also made a similar commitment to help prevent climate change. Many have already stated goals to stop generating greenhouse gases – becoming carbon-neutral – in their activities and products during the next couple of decades.
Among these companies is Shell, the global energy company, which has long had activities upstream and downstream as well as products – fuels and lubricants, in particular – which have generated CO2. The company has declared that it will become a net-zero emissions energy business by 2050.
Malaysia is a bright spot on Shell’s global radar and we often get new products or services before many other markets. Even with promotional campaigns, Malaysia might be chosen to be a pilot market before it is rolled out more widely. The latest campaign is the Limited Edition Shell Motorsports Collection which the energy company is offering only in a few countries.
The seven competition cars in the collection have not been randomly selected but are models where their manufacturers or racing teams have a partnership with Shell. They represent not only Shell’s diverse involvement in motorsports today but also reflect on a long historical relationship the company has had with racing machines, including Formula 1 and the World Rally Championship.
For a long time now, it has been possible to drive from Singapore on the southern tip of Peninsular Malaysia all the way to Bangkok (and beyond) – a distance of around 2,200 kms. And the highway/road network had many petrol stations along the way so there’s no fear of not having enough fuel to make the journey.
However, with electric vehicles (EVs), it’s a different matter because the ‘fuel’ that such vehicles need is not readily available along the way. Unlike the petrol station network which is the product of over 100 years of development, the network of recharging stations in the region is only just being established.
By the first half of 2023, owners of EVs will be able to embark on road journeys between Bangkok and Singapore with the assurance that they can ‘fuel’ along the way when necessary. This will be possible with the establishment of recharging points at 11 Shell stations in Thailand.
From this month Shell Malaysia and BonusLink are offering their Extra rewards and loyalty programme with enhancements. The consumer rewards programme, now having more than 14.9 million members nationwide, has a new 4-level structure – Member, Silver, Gold and Platinum – which increases the level of rewards as members collect more BonusLink points at Shell stations nationwide.
Get points with card or app
As always, getting Bonuslink points can be done by fuelling up, or buying snacks or lubricants at the stores in the stations. Points can be collected either by using the BonusLink card or the BLINK App with each purchase.
Depending on the tier status, members are entitled to enjoy customer-exclusive rewards and various perks of up to 3X BonusLink Points multiplier, Deli2Go and Upsize Coffee promo, discounts on Shell products, birthday treats and more.
Extra rewarding experience
“As a mobility retailer, we are constantly evolving with our customers and striving to provide quality at every touchpoint. Our partnership with BonusLink allows us to give our customers an extra rewarding experience every time they fuel and shop at our stations,” said Seow Lee Ming, General Manager Mobility, Shell Malaysia & Singapore.
“Starting July 2022, BonusLink is taking the loyalty services one step further to reward our loyalty members. This is an exciting time for us as we begin to transform our service offerings to add value and to offer more rewards to our members based on their level. With this, members can enjoy an array of goodies and Extra Points simply by continuing to swipe their BonusLink Card or their Virtual Card via BLINK App at Shell,” explained Melvin Ooi, CEO of BonusLink.
Soon, thousands of Malaysians will be travelling across the country as they head to their hometowns to reconnect with relatives and friends during Hari Raya festivities and the school holidays. Others will be taking a holiday break to once again enjoy the freedom of being able to go further than the state boundaries after two years of restrictions.
Whatever the reason for travel, Shell is offering Malaysian motorists the chance to refuel and enjoy their favourite snacks on-the-go with the ‘Ekstra KM Belanja’ campaign. This campaign enables customers to use their Kilometres (KM) with Shell fuels as a ‘currency’ to buy items at any Shell SELECT, deli2go or Shell Lubricants store.
The more they fuel at a Shell outlet, the more KM they will be rewarded with. As an added bonus, 40 lucky customers will be rewarded with one year worth of free fuel from Shell.
“I am very much anticipating the upcoming festive period and I believe many Malaysians are too. We imagine many would be travelling back to their hometowns after missing out from celebrating with their families and relatives for the past 2 years,” said Seow Lee Ming, General Manager, Mobility Malaysia and Singapore.
“Shell will continue to accompany Malaysians wherever they choose to travel this Hari Raya season, giving them extra value on their journey. Now our customers ‘Ekstra KM’ can be used to purchase their travelling necessities when on the road, adding on that extra joy to their holiday journey. Wishing Everyone a safe journey this coming holidays, Selamat Hari Raya!” she said.
The campaign period runs from May 1 until June 30, 2022 and during this period, customers can pay for Shell SELECT and deli2go snacks using their KM as ‘currency’. All they have to do is pump RM40 worth of Shell FuelSave 95, or collect 390KM with Shell V-Power or Shell V-Power Racing. Once they scan the QR code and upload photos of receipts to the Shell ‘Ekstra KM Belanja’ microsite, they can start redeeming Shell SELECT offers instantly. The redemption period lasts until July 10, 2022.
Customers can choose from a wide array of offers including favourites such as Maggi Hot Cup, Nescafe, fresh pastries, and many more roadtrip essentials available from Shell SELECT, deli2go, and Shell lubricants outlets. In addition, they can use their KM to redeem items from deli2go’s new range of hot and fresh food for those who prefer a more wholesome meal at their pit stops, come this May.
Sunshine contains energy and it’s free and abundantly available, so it makes sense that it can be used to power facilities. Modern technology had made it possible to collect sunshine and convert it into energy and Shell Malaysia is making use of this technology in efforts to lower carbon emissions.
The company has installed solar panels at 216 of its retail stations around the country as is part of the drive to adopt a combination of measures to improve its energy efficiency and reduce its carbon footprint. Installation of solar panels at retail stations help supplement and reduce dependability on local utilities, resulting in increased electrical savings for the stations in the long run.
216 stations to date
Shell is working with Cleantech Solar to install the solar panels at its retail stations in Malaysia. So far, a total of 22,505 solar Photo Voltaic panels with a total capacity of 10.12 megawatt (MWp) have been installed on the roofs of 216 stations as part of the company’s commitment to run a safe, efficient, responsible, and profitable business. Exemplifying this, the current number of solar panels in the stations can generate 12,939 MWh of electrical energy, enough to power roughly 3,740 households in a year.
“At Shell, we aim to make the transition towards a low-carbon future possible for our operations and will always look out for initiatives that will enable us to provide cleaner and sustainable energy solutions for our customers. We have fitted 216 of our stations with solar panels and we will be progressing towards about 350 stations by the end of 2022,” said Seow Lee Ming, General Manager of Mobility Shell.
Green Building Index Certification
In 2019, Shell Damansara Jaya and Shell Taman Connaught were the first two retail stations in Malaysia to receive the Green Building Index (GBI) Certification. The GBI is the country’s industry-recognised green rating tool for buildings to promote sustainability in the built environment by saving energy and resources. These two Shell stations mark the first entries in the new retail fuel category introduced for the certification standard. The company is also the first in the Asia Pacific region to receive this GBI certification.
Shell also opened what is an example of ‘the station of the future’ – Shell Mint Hotel – which is Malaysia’s First Gold GBI Certified Petrol Station. Apart from being powered by solar, this station has sustainable features such as a food waste composting machine that converts food waste into fertilisers, energy-efficient air-conditioners and chillers, recycling facilities and a smart LED lighting system at the forecourt. To lessen the station’s usage of water from municipal systems, a rainwater harvesting system is utilised to collect and store rainwater to be reused in its facilities such as the toilets.
Shell has now received GBI certification for 5 of its stations in Malaysia. They are Shell Taman Connaught, Shell Damansara Jaya, Shell Mint Hotel, Shell Tangkak Lay-by and Shell Alor Pongsu.
The Shell Group has set a target to become a net-zero emissions energy business by 2050, in step with society. This is also in line with the government’s ambition towards Malaysia achieving Carbon Neutral in the same year. By powering Malaysia with cleaner energy and innovation mobility solutions, Shell hopes to mobilise the energy sector and increase its efficiency by offering products and services with lower carbon emissions.
Shell has been in Malaysia for over 110 years, initially starting with exploration operations and then moving downstream to establish a nationwide network of retail outlets selling fuel and other products.
One of the brand’s oldest stations is in Penang and has existed since the 1920s, serving many generations of motorists on the island. With ambitions to preserve Penang’s living heritage whilst maintaining an important connection to the past, Shell has carried out restoration of the station and unveiled the new look recently.
The station has served the community through thick and thin, as exemplified by the station surviving World War II and witnessing Malaysia’s independence Situated along Penang Road in the Buffer Zone of the Penang Heritage zone, an area popular with tourists for its rich historical context, Shell Penang Road will be listed under the Penang Heritage directory, reflecting its significance as an important cultural landmark. Shell is collaborating with Penang Global Tourism to elevate Shell Penang Road as a tourist landmark.
“Shell Penang Road has been a part of Penang’s colourful history and heritage for 100 years, and I am pleased that Shell continues to preserve the heritage of this station while innovating to cater to all of its customers’ needs. I hope that this latest addition to the Penang Heritage zone will encourage Malaysians to visit Penang and support local tourism and businesses,” said Yeoh Soon Hin, Penang State Executive Councillor.
While the station’s new look retains elements of colonial architecture, it also embraces modernity within. The convenience store offers modern comforts for motorists and provides food, snacks and other services.
“As we evolve to meet our customers’ dynamic demands and needs, it is important to remember our roots and hold on to our core values. Shell Penang Road stands as a testament to Penang and Shell’s history in Malaysia, reflecting how far we have come together. This station truly reflects Shell’s commitment to continue providing the best for the communities that we operate in,” said Seow Lee Ming, General Manager, Mobility Malaysia and Singapore.
To commemorate the launch, Shell is offering BonusLink members a limited-edition Shell Heritage Jute Bag, which features Penang’s cultural elements. Exclusively available at Shell Penang Road, the Shell Heritage Jute Bag is redeemable with 1,200 BonusLink points. Customers who sign up to be a BonusLink member at Shell Penang Road will be able to purchase the bag for RM15 (while stocks last).
‘Range anxiety’ is a concern of those who drive battery electric vehicles (BEVs), which run only on electricity. Unlike vehicles with conventional petrol or diesel engines that can be refuelled at the thousands of stations around the country, a BEV requires a charging station to ‘refuel’ its battery pack with electricity. At this time, the network of charging stations is still being developed so there are not many (around 500) and most are in urban areas, especially in the Klang Valley.
Thus, for the owner of a BEV, going long-distance is something which sounds risky as you might run out of electricity in the battery pack and get stranded somewhere remote. Fortunately, battery technology is advancing all the time and battery capacities are increasing while BEV technologies are also increasing the distance that can be travelled. But still, range anxiety will be at the back of the motorist’s mind until such time when the network of charging station is visibly extensive and people know they are not far from a station.
Shell, together with Porsche Asia Pacific, have collaborated to set up a high-performance charging (HPC) infrastructure EV network along the North-South Expressway. This is a first in Southeast Asia and Shell’s first cross-country EV infrastructure in the region, enabling BEV owners to drive from Singapore up the west coast of Peninsular Malaysia to Penang and on to Thailand.
The establishment of this network is timely as the government is also promoting the use of BEVs. By allowing them to be imported and sold duty-free (and also exempting them from roadtax), it is hoped that adoption of BEVs will be faster. This means that the charging station infrastructure will need to grow quickly and this Shell/Porsche Asia Pacific initiative will contribute towards it.
The HPC network will have a total of 12 charging stations at 6 Shell stations along the North-South Expressway, two stations located in each of the states of Johor, Negri Sembilan and Perak. Porsche owners passing through Selangor will also be able to use the charging station at Porsche Malaysia’s showrooms at Sime Darby Auto Performance (SDAP) in Sime Darby Motors City in Ara Damansara and Sg. Besi (Kuala Lumpur). After Perak, they can use a charging station at a SDAP showroom in Penang.
The first HPC station located a Shell station near Tangkak, Johor, began operations today and will be followed by 12 stations at 6 Shell stations strategically located along the North-South Expressway. All the charging stations will have 180kW high-performance chargers which are capable of charging BEVs at super-fast speeds. This helps partially address the issue of long recharging times and in the case of the Porsche Taycan, a completely empty battery pack can be recharged to 80% capacity in around 30 minutes. This will provide a range of up to 390 kms although, like a combustion engine vehicle, the distance depends on driving conditions.
While HPC and its short recharging time is great, not all BEVs might be able to use it if they are not designed for DC rapid-charging systems. The newer models in the market will be designed with this capability but some of the older ones might not. Then there is also the issue of different charging connectors as the industry has not yet come to a common type. It would be nice if all BEVs had the same common connector like all computers have USB ports that are identical.
Although, for now, there may be places where BEV owners can just plug in their vehicle’s cable and get electricity without paying, it is still energy that has a cost and recharging will be just like refuelling petrol or diesel. With Shell’s Recharge HPC network, there is the option of a pay-per-use service or an exclusive membership plan by making reservations via an online booking app (ParkEasy).
The charges (shown in the chart below) start from RM20 or RM12 for every 5 minutes in the first 25 minutes of charging, depending on whether it is a pay-per-use service or with a subscription which costs RM835 a year. Those who buy a Taycan get a complimentary 3-year subscription with special benefits but still have to pay for their electricity at a rate of RM10 for 5 minutes during the first 25 minutes. There’s also a RM4 fee for each charging session.
How long a vehicle is recharged depends on the owner’s preference although it is unlikely that recharging will be from zero. Quite likely, the battery pack will be ‘topped up’ along the way to keep its capacity maximised. In this case, the charging time might not be long so the cost will not be high. Anyway, there are the Shell SELECT stores at the stations where drinks and snacks are available while waiting.
Those who purchase a Taycan (which is now available tax-free in Malaysia) will get a 3-year complimentary subscription to use the Shell Recharge HPC network at special rates as well as enjoy additional privileges.
We once took for granted the freedom of being able to drive wherever in the country we wanted to go, whether to balik kampung, have a holiday or just look for new eating places. And then came the Movement Control Order which stopped all interstate crossings as one measure to stop the spread of the COVID-19 coronavirus. Then we realised how much we missed the freedom of travel.
Now that the restrictions are lifted and we can go everywhere again, Malaysians are starting to travel for leisure again. Seemingly to celebrate this, Shell Malaysia is offering its customers RM5 Shell e-vouchers for BonusLink Points collected at Shell stations nationwide in the months of November and December 2021.
The ‘Every Little Point Counts’ campaign, as it is known, applies not just to fuel purchases but for every purchase made at Shell station nationwide. Customers can accelerate their BonusLink Point collection by getting their must-have road trip necessities at Shell stations. Be it big or small, every transaction at a Shell station earns BonusLink Points.
To participate, customers simply need to swipe their BonusLink card or use the BLINK app with any purchase and receive BonusLink Points. Once they accumulate 200 standard points, a RM5 e-voucher will be sent to them on the BLINK app or to the email address which is registered with BonusLink. The e-voucher can be used immediately at any Shell station in Malaysia. It can be redeemed for purchases from as low as 100 points. The Shell voucher for 200 standard BonusLink Points is given once in the month of November and December, respectively
If you do not already have a BonusLink account, you can sign up for one at any Shell station or use the BLINK app that can be downloaded from the Apple App Store or Google Play Store. First-time users will be rewarded with a RM4 Shell voucher and 100 BonusLink Points as a welcome offer.
