Shell enters the car wash sector in Germany

The company will launch a pilot location in Gelsenkirchen with plans to open more in Hamburg and Dresden.

Shell Deutschland GmbH is investing in car washes beyond petrol stations. The company will open its pilot facility at Daimler Strasse 26 in Gelsenkirchen next month. 

Further pilots are planned in Hamburg and Dresden. Shell is working together with an international provider of car wash technology, WashTec AG, based in Augsburg. The mobility giant is already successfully operating its own car wash projects on a similar scale in Canada.

“For us, the filling station is and will remain the place where customers can find offers for their mobility needs. That's why many Shell stations will continue to offer Shell Car Wash services in the future. However, with the ramp-up of e-mobility, the business with car-related services is also shifting to the local area. We are responding to this by providing a Shell Car Wash offer beyond the filling station,” said Linda van Schaik, head of Shell's service station business in Germany, Austria and Switzerland. 

Depending on local conditions, the locations will also be equipped with charging stations and a store offering, thus setting them apart from the competition.

The Shell Car Wash Center in Gelsenkirchen was built opposite the Shell station known as the “Schalker Tanke” on an area of 5,300 m².