Some Shell service stations will be rebranded as Z later this year.
Greenstone Energy, a partnership between Infratil and the New Zealand Superannuation Fund, paid almost $700 million for Shell's retail and distribution assets in April last year and has been researching a brand change ever since.
The company will test the new brand in a pilot scheme across 10 North and South Island service stations from early June.
It it goes to plan, it will rebrand the rest of its 226 service stations by June 2012.
Chief executive Mike Bennetts says the $35 million cost of rebranding will be balanced over the years by not having to pay a fee to use the Shell brand.
