Future transport
Transport is essential to modern living. It drives economic growth, allowing countries to trade goods and communities to connect with one another. We are innovating to help people and goods move around an ever more crowded world more cleanly and efficiently.
Advances in mobility over the past century have helped to drive global economic growth, transforming countries and lives. Now, fast-growing populations and emerging economies are boosting demand.
And global trends such as urbanisation and internet connectivity are transforming the way people and products move around the world. By 2050, the number of people living in cities could double as the world population passes 9 billion, and the number of cars could double from 1 billion today.
There is a need to improve fuel efficiency and air quality by reducing emissions; both local emissions that cause air pollution in our towns and cities and the carbon dioxide (CO2) that contributes to global climate change. We see a mosaic of fuels and engines developing: some will be suited to short journeys within urban areas, while others could be better for longer journeys between cities.
Future Transport: the road ahead
The future of transport in Asia
Mobility in Asia is at a crossroads - rapid urbanisation, a growing middle class, congestion and air pollution are creating renewed demand for better transportation. Against this backdrop, evolving customer demands, digitalisation and sustainable recovery are critical frictions at the heart of Asia’s mobility challenge.
Cities on the Move is a report that provides insights into the key mobility trends across Asia, exploring how successful partnerships between governments, industry and society can improve transport for everyone.
Introducing cleaner ways of moving around
Did you know that transport makes up nearly 30% of the world’s energy use and around a quarter of global CO2 emissions? That’s a lot of energy...
So, it’s no surprise that more and more people are switching to cleaner modes of transport to get around.
Shell is investing in lower-carbon options to add to the global energy mix. Everything from more electric vehicle charging points to cleaner ways of moving around like hydrogen fuel.
Natural gas and alternative energies
Natural gas, the cleanest-burning hydrocarbon, could also play an important role in cleaner mobility.
Liquefied natural gas (LNG) in particular is emerging as fuel for ships and trucks. LNG is gas that is chilled to a liquid, which shrinks its volume 600 times, making it easier to store and ship. It is cleaner than diesel and heavy fuel oil because it produces less sulphur, particulates and nitrogen oxides, and can help reduce greenhouse gas emissions from production to use.
Fuelling a future on Europe's waterways
Our gas-to-liquids (GTL) process turns natural gas into high-quality liquid products for use in fuels and lubricants. Our GTL Gasoil, for example, burns with lower sulphur dioxide and fewer nitrogen oxides and particulate emissions than conventional oil-based diesel. It can be used to power trucks, buses and taxis.
Trials with Airbus, Qatar Airways and Rolls Royce led to the creation of gas-to-liquids GTL Jet Fuel, which reduces particulate emissions.
Hydrogen and advanced biofuels have the potential to play an important role in the future fuel mix. In Germany and the USA we have refuelling stations for hydrogen fuel cell vehicles – these vehicles produce no exhaust emissions at all. We continue to develop advanced biofuels from non-food plants at our technology centre in Houston USA.
In the meantime, our biofuels joint venture Raízen in Brazil is one of the world’s largest producers of low-emission ethanol made from sugar cane.
Increasing efficiency together
Shell started developing improved fuel economy formulas as early as the 1920s. We employ more than 300 scientists and engineers around the world dedicated to research and development (R&D) in lubricants and fuels for vehicles, shipping and aircraft.
To develop new fuels and engines for the future requires collaboration between energy suppliers and fuel retailers such as Shell, vehicle manufacturers, consumers, governments and city authorities. We need to work together to improve the fuel efficiency of road, air and sea transport in the future and reduce their CO2 emissions.
We already work closely with some of the biggest vehicle manufacturers including BMW, Chrysler, Daimler, Honda and Hyundai. Our collaborations have led to new engines using our advanced lubricants to reduce friction and achieve better fuel efficiency.
For the past 60 years, we have partnered with Ferrari to develop more efficient fuels and lubricants for its Formula One racing cars. These have led to Shell Helix lubricants and Shell V-Power fuels for motorists.
Inspiring others to save energy
We help drivers go further with less fuel. Our Fuel Save Driver Education Programme helps them to improve their fuel economy by up to 24%. The most efficient commercial drivers can reduce fuel consumption by as much as 30%.
Since 1985, Shell Eco-marathon has challenged students to design, build and drive the most energy-efficient cars, helping raise awareness about the future of mobility and inspire young engineers to rethink ways of using energy.
Shell in transport facts
- Shell has been innovating to help people and goods move around the world for more than a century.
- We own the largest branded network of retail refuelling stations in the world, with around 43,000 service stations in more than 70 countries.
- In aviation, Shell refuels an aircraft every 12 seconds and supplies fuel at around 800 airports globally.
- In shipping, we provide fuels and lubricants to vessels ranging from container ships to fishing boats, serving more than 600 ports around the world.
- Our petrochemicals plants produce the raw materials that make plastic and synthetic materials, including those used to make vehicles.
- And, we are the world's largest producer of refined bitumen that surfaces roads and creates safer infrastructure.
