ViaVan and Shell are launching an electric vehicle shared ride service in Amsterdam to enable emission-free passenger transport in the city.

The firms say the project could significantly advance the reality of EVs in on-demand public transportation systems

The project brings together ViaVan’s knowhow in on-demand services – the business currently operates with more than 90 transit partners in 20 countries – with Shell’s charging solution capabilities, in order to demonstrate the viability of deploying shared, electric vehicle fleets in urban environments.

The programme will integrate ViaVan’s on-demand technology and operations, ‘Shell Recharge’ technology, and charging station infrastructure into one seamless system. ViaVan’s ‘EV Operating System’ enables electric vehicles to operate efficiently as part of large-scale shared ride fleets, using a routing algorithm that maximises the range and battery utilisation of electric vehicles.

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 stations. Passengers can book an electric shared ride through an ‘eVia’ request on the ViaVan mobile app.

The firms say the project could significantly advance the reality of EVs in on-demand public transportation systems while ViaVan’s EV Operating System could enable municipalities to gain further control of grid usage across cities, both through better planning and more efficient on-demand use of their charging assets.

Amsterdam was selected as the initial market for the project in large part for its commitment to transport sustainability; the City has stated clear goals to achieve zero-emission transport by 2025. It’s also home to both ViaVan’s first shared ride service in Europe and Shell’s Technology Centre in Amsterdam.

“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.”