London — Royal Dutch Shell is placing a bet on petrol stations and convenience stores in China, India and Mexico as it looks to boost profits in the electric car revolution. By 2025, the company plans to grow its global network of roadside stations by nearly a quarter to 55,000, targeting 40-million daily customers, Shell said on Wednesday. It will add another 5,000 convenience stores, with growth focused on emerging markets. Shell, as well as rivals such as BP, sees retail as a way to secure demand for the fuels it refines, as consumption could peak as early as the end of the next decade due to the growth in electric vehicles. "We plan to be leading through the energy transition," Shell head of downstream John Abbott said. Already one of the world’s biggest retailers with a well-known brand, Shell expects earnings from its marketing and commercial businesses to grow annually by 7% into 2025, when it will deliver $4bn in earnings. The company is also rolling out a number of experime...
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