The portal, called Go Shell, will offer city guides, road-maps, news, competitions and a shopping channel that will provide links to a number of commercial partners.
Shell is also considering leveraging its brand to resell cars on the site, as a European Commission committee prepares changes to the so-called 'block exemption' law that could sharply weaken manufacturer control over dealerships and open up the car market to third-party retailers.
The portal's launch will be overseen by director of Go Shell Anthony Ellis, former chief executive at Taste, the ill-fated online food venture between Carlton and Sainsbury's, and Neil Sansom, vice-president of digital at Shell Consumer. Sansom was previously marketing director at internet service provider Freeserve.
Go Shell started as a key project from the company's digital arm Shell Internet Works, which housed venture funds, business-to-business and consumer internet sites.
However the company folded the division into Shell Consumer after deciding to concentrate its internet interests on the consumer arena.
The company launched the Go Shell portal in Argentina last year at go-shell.com.ar just before the country plunged into its current economic crisis. It is planning to roll it out in a number of its other key markets such as India.
The UK version has been in the pipeline for several months, but its launch has been delayed as a result of the restructure. No fixed date has been set for the launch but it is likely to happen by the end of the year.
Go Shell will enter a crowded market, competing with sites such as theAA.com and Channel Four's motoring portal 4car.co.uk as well as sites from the major car manufacturers, which aim to bundle lifestyle-type content in with transactional services for car owners.
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