Royal Dutch Shell makes its money selling oil, gasoline and other petroleum products. But when it comes to its employees traveling between Houston and other major Texas cities, how does one of the world’s largest oil companies transport them?

Electric cars.

Earlier this week, Shell approved $40,000 in vouchers for employees to use ElecTrip, a Tesla-based ride-sharing service headquartered in Houston. The vouchers will pay for about 400 zero-emission rides to meetings in Austin, Dallas San Antonio and other Texas cities.

Observers might view an oil company supporting one of the biggest threats to its business as ironic, but experts say that the Shell program is not as self-defeating as it might seem. As the oil and gas industry prepares for a low-carbon future, major companies are investing in ventures that might diversify and support their businesses as demand for fossil fuels declines in the face of efforts to slow climate change, said Ben Kellison, an analyst at the energy research firm Wood Mackenzie.

On HoustonChronicle.com: Traveling between Texas cities? Call a Tesla.

The global research firm estimates that there will be 280 million electric vehicles in use around the world by 2040 — figures that have not been lost on oil majors that own oil production, refineries and retail-level gas stations around the world.

Shell bought the Dutch electric vehicle charging company NewMotion in Oct. 2017 and it bought the Los Angeles electric vehicle charging company Greenlots in January. Chevron partnered with Los Angeles-based EVgo to add electric vehicle charging stations to Chevron gas stations in California. British oil major BP bought the British electric vehicle charging station company Chargemaster in Jan. 2018 while French oil major Total bought the French electric vehicle charging company G2mobility in Sept. 2018.

“Right now, it’s a testing phase discussion for them,” Kellison said. “They’re getting a better sense of how these businesses operate and how they can utilize capital to scale and build these businesses up. They’re getting a better understanding of how some of these technologies touch other types of technologies.”

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Shell first learned about ElecTrip through its sponsorship of the Future of Energy Challenge. Organized by California nonprofit organization Net Impact, the annual event asks college students to develop energy-related technology that reduces carbon dioxide emissions. Founded by University of Texas at Austin students Mandeep Patel and Eliott Lee, ElecTrip won the competition in May.

In addition to Shell, ElecTrip has picked up several other corporate clients including ExxonMobil, Deloitte, Houston Methodist Hospital and Apple. Patel, who serves as the company’s CEO, said the company’s goal for 2019 is give at least 10 rides per day and generate $75,000 of revenue per month.

Each of ElecTrip’s Teslas is equipped with Wi-Fi and stocked with snacks and water, meaning that Shell employees get to update presentations, work on reports and catch up on emails in comfort. Drivers recharge the car’s batteries while Shell employees are in their meeting, pick them up at the agreed time and take them back to Houston.

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Adam Harrison, a recruiter for Shell, used ElecTrip for a recent visit to the Texas A&M University campus in College Station. The driver picked him up at home early in the morning. Harrison logged into the Wi-Fi. On the way there, he did some brainstorming and worked on two projects. On the way back, he processed employment applications and offer letters.

“What was really nice for me was being able to work during that hour and a half each way,” Harrison said. “The whole time, I was working in the back seat and it was uninterrupted time. Here at the office, I can’t stay as focused because people come by and stop at my desk. Working from home, it’s easy to get distracted. But when you’re in the car, you can focus on work.”

Aside from turning drive time into productive work time, Shell said it selected the Tesla-based service for its environmental benefits. Shell also has installed electric vehicle charging stations at Shell gas stations around the world and its Woodcreek campus in Houston.

“Electric mobility is one of the solutions that will help meet growing demand for transport in a lower-carbon world,” Shell spokeswoman Natalie Gunnell said in a statement. “Shell is exploring how to serve an increasing number of electric vehicle drivers, on our forecourts and beyond. These initiatives are part of Shell’s wider drive to provide more and cleaner energy solutions around the world.”

sergio.chapa@chron.com

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