ViaVan and Shell launch EV shared ride project in Amsterdam

ViaVan and Shell are launching an electric mobility project in Amsterdam, bringing together on-demand mobility technology and operations with Shell’s charging solutions to demonstrate the viability of deploying shared, electric vehicle fleets in urban environments.

ViaVan has developed technology that enables electric vehicles to operate efficiently as part of large-scale fleets delivering shared rides. This ‘EV Operating System’ includes an EV routing algorithm that ensures electric vehicles make the most our of their batteries and maximise range.

In Amsterdam, the system will monitor the real-time battery status of all vehicles in the fleet, calculate upcoming charging tasks and intelligently route vehicles to a Shell charging station. Passengers can book an electric shared ride through an ‘eVia’ request on the ViaVan mobile app.

Making the most efficient use of this infrastructure is said to involve a complex interplay between private vehicles, mobility provider fleets and geographically dispersed charging stations. Using an operating system such as this can provide the potential for municipalities to gain further control of grid usage across a city, both through better planning and more efficient on-demand use of their charging assets. 

Amsterdam was selected as the initial market for the project because of its commitment to transport sustainability. The city has stated goals to achieve zero-emission transport by 2025. As home to both ViaVan’s first shared ride service in Europe and Shell’s Technology Centre in Amsterdam, the collaborators aim to play a key role in the realisation of this goal.

“The successful integration of electric vehicles into fleets of on-demand shared shuttles is a complex operational challenge that requires smart EV technology. We are excited to partner with Shell to demonstrate that when technology interacts with infrastructure, we have the ability to bring innovative, congestion-reducing and sustainable solutions to cities that have the potential to evolve public transportation towards a greener, shared future,” said Chris Snyder, ViaVan CEO.

“We put customers at the heart of all our solutions and are looking forward to this opportunity to prove the viability of a new solution for electric fleets in urban areas,” said Roger Hunter, VP Electric Mobility at Shell. “Partnerships will be critical to a successful energy transition and we are excited to work alongside ViaVan.”