Shell Recharge - anyone use? know how?

[spokey]

I was at a park today charging (lvl 2 chargepoint) while riding my bike. They are putting in some fast charging and the stations have "Shell Recharge".

So I looked that up and figured maybe this is another charging solution. So I downloaded their app and although it is a bit hard to use I managed to create an account. I also went on the computer and can't log in.

I think part of the problem is the shellrecharge.com might be europe only. US might be shellrechargesolutions. But neither site really says.

I was able to reset my pwd on the computer but still couldn't log in. I can now use that new password on my phone app.

So I was wondering if anyone here has tried this and understands how this works. I must say that if my experience so far is indicative of Shell's entre into charging, I'm not impressed.

 

[RayK]

From what I can tell, this is the US site: Shell Recharge Solutions I Shell Recharge Driver App

It specifically mentions US and Canada charging points.

Edit: You should also double check the flag icon at the upper right corner of their page (next to the Login text). It should show a US flag. You can change locality by clicking on the flag.

 

[spokey]

Just tried that one and got 'Invalid username and/or password. Cleared my cache, same error. Went back to my phone, checked the password against the desktop (I use a password manager). Logged in fine. Back on the PC Instead of Firefox, tried it in chrome. That failed as well.

I think I had tried that site before. It's weird. I think that is the address where I reset the password. So I did another reset using the same password. Still didn't work.

However, the password reset had a different subdomain in the URL - https://sky.shellrecharge.com/evowner/account/sign-in. That worked. I've logged in and ot a couple times now including going on chrome with a google userid that I've not used in this stuff at all and the logon still works.

Hopefully their charging infrastructure works better than their software.

BTW the URL that works doesn't have a 'flag' at all.

thanks for the help. Your URL doesn't seem to work but got me digging deeper / again and I think I've got it.

I'll also have to check your URL tomorrow or the next day to see if it's something stupid like servers not syncing until some old fashioned overnight batch run or something.

 

[RayK]

@spokey I was using my desktop Firefox browser on a ThinkPad W520 (1920x1080 resolution screen). I just looked at it again and discovered this:

What I see when browser is expanded to at least 1529 pixels across (my default when using a browser is full screen)

When browser is only 1514 pixels wide. Everything that's missing from header is now in the triple bar icon ^

Don't know about your troubles logging in.

 

[srs5694]

FWIW, in the US at least, what is now Shell Recharge used to be known as Greenlots. Shell (the oil company) bought up Greenlots in 2022. There used to be a Greenlots app; I think I originally installed it as such and it was re-branded after I installed it. When I searched on "Greenlots" in the Google Play store, it brought up the listing for the Shell Recharge app.

According to the Alternative Fuels Data Center, Shell Recharge currently has 1,128 stations and 3,045 ports; however, most of these are Level 2. They have 339 DC fast charging stations and 614 DC fast charging ports. By default, the app shows "roaming networks," including ChargePoint and EVgo, which are much more plentiful in my area, so it's hard (for me, at least) to spot the Shell Recharge stations per se in their own app. You can disable the roaming networks individually in the settings, though, which makes this easier.

I haven't looked into this, but if the roaming agreement goes both ways, you might be able to pay for a charge at a Shell Recharge station with a ChargePoint or EVgo account. That might be easier than dealing with yet another app and account. I've never used a Greenlots/Shell Recharge station, and there are none all that close to me -- the closest, according to PlugShare, is at a liquor store about 21 miles from my home. Thus, I can't verify that a ChargePoint or EVgo card or app would work. The liquor store EVSE does show up in my ChargePoint app, complete with a "Start Charge" button, so that's promising; but I don't see it in my EVgo app.

 

[spokey]

What got me going is this park. It's part of the Duke estate. It has had 2x2 level 2 chargers for some years. Was at least pre-pandemic. Rumor has it they are solar powered and the rates is significantly cheaper during the day. $.16/kwh which is cheaper than my lowest tier. So I tend to use those when I'm there (my preferred off-road bicycling these days).

They are putting in new stations on the other side of the parking lot and I noticed the Shell logo yesterday. Nothing operational yet. But there are two x 2 lvl 2 stations and 2 fast (don't know how fast) with two plug per unit. Also two empties that look like they will handle fast charging. Don't know if those just are not installed yet or whether it's expansion for a later date.

Anyway, I figured I'd install the app and take a look. I use a password manager for long complex passwords but keep the master on my PC. So I initially installed this Shell app which a poor / easy password. Went on the PC at home to change it and that's where I troubles began. But it does look like I have the right URL now. IMHO though Shell is screwing up if they have similar looking sites some of which can handle my logon and some which can't.

The two existing stations are chargepoint. So when these new ones go live I'll try my chargepoint app in both places and see what happens. Although I've never seen a fast Chargepoint their app/stations seem more reliable than the others I have which at this point is Chargepoint, EVGO, EA, & now Shell. I do have the S Korean combo adapter so I have used EA & EVGO fast chargers in my area and do find some amount of broken stations. As opposed to Tesla where I have only seen non-functional chargers once and there was a tech working on them at that time. There also was no wait due to the two(?) out of 8(?) at that location.

 

[Rocky_H]

@spokey Well, the most notorious, difficult travel route near me was over 250 miles without a Supercharger and was served only by a Shell Recharge station. It's in McDermitt, NV. @THEbuz used it recently. Here is his experience:

Supercharger - McDermitt, NV

And I remember from the reports of the one in McDermitt that the station closer to the road frequently has activation problems while the one farther from the road is more reliable. That’s peculiar.

teslamotorsclub.com

I used that station also a year or two ago, but didn't use the Shell Recharge app. I tried the credit card reader, but it just gave errors. I tried my Chargepoint app, since they do have a roaming agreement. It gave errors a few times, but then did finally work.

 

[spokey]

Doesn't sound like Shell is the top of the reliability game. Maybe I'll have a card sent and toss it in the glove box. I think that is where my Chargepoint is.

My first choice is of course superchargers but like the idea of lots of choices. I use the non-tesla from time to time to keep up the accounts and keep in practice with the adapters.

 

[THEbuz]

Doesn't sound like Shell is the top of the reliability game. Maybe I'll have a card sent and toss it in the glove box. I think that is where my Chargepoint is.

My first choice is of course superchargers but like the idea of lots of choices. I use the non-tesla from time to time to keep up the accounts and keep in practice with the adapters.

Having a Shell Recharge membership card may come in handy when in remote areas with poor or no cell phone reception, but it doesn’t come without a cost, as I’ve noticed that most of these third-party companies offer better charge rates and a physical membership card to “member users”; however, they also require a revolving balance on the member’s account. I believe that Shell Recharge requires a $20.00 MIN (revolving) balance on your account if you become a member. For non-member customers, we pay a higher rate to recharge and cannot have a physical card that corresponds to our account. Personally, I am turned off by the $20.00 MIN revolving balance, as I do not road trip often enough to justify a revolving balance, let alone would use Shell Recharge frequently enough in so doing.

In the same way, I also hate that Starbucks requires a $5.00 MIN recharge amount with my “Starbucks gold card”. I call it the “green bank”. Consider the hundreds of millions of Starbucks gold cardholders the world over—the vast majority of whom likely have a revolving balance on their gold cards! From a finance perspective, it’s an interest-free loan to Starbucks provided by the “consumer collective”! It’s not that I’m cheap (at “only $5.00”), but rather it’s the principle and the fact that I don’t like arcane restrictions or requirements being imposed upon me—including revolving MIN balances!

 

[spokey]

I am going NJ->Denver in a few days and will probably put the EA+ on that card for a month. That has a recharge feature but I don't think a minimum.. I think it just replenishes at $10 so if I manage to charge exactly 9.99 I'd leave a penny. At least I think that is how EA works. I currently have about $13 on both Charepoint and EA. I actually use Chargepont at a place where I go ride my bicycle because it's cheaper than my residential home rate. I'll probably pass on the Shell card if it has a $20 min.

- - - edit

Also have an EVGO account which I've only used once but it appears to just charge each session.

 

[Tinkerin]

I use the Shell Recharge app here in Seattle regularly (no home charging) - they have the lowest DCFC rate around ($.22/KWh evenings and all day Sunday). There are several former greenlots sites that Shell Recharge took over here which have been reliable enough. I never tried anything other than the app - works good for me.

Now if the cables would quit disappearing….even when they do the Recharge app does usually show the units as offline.