4 ms·

I wonder if anyone has thoroughly considered the impact of tens of thousands of gas stations closing their doors as the demand for petroleum goes down.

• knieveltech 10y ago
  That may not happen. According to various sources fuel sales are not where gas stations make their money. On average they are only bringing in 3 cents of profit on a gallon of fuel. They sell fuel primarily to attract customers and then make their profits on sales of snacks, cigarettes, lottery tickets, and the like. Disrupting the cycle of impulse buys by individuals lured to the store to buy fuel is likely to have a measurable impact on business, but it is unclear if this would drive any/some/most/all convenience stores out of business.
  • bjelkeman-again 10y ago
    Since I got an electric car I only go to an old gas station to wash the car. There may be ways for them to stay in business, but I still think it will be disruptive for many.
    • greglindahl 10y ago
      Occasionally I need to clean my windshield or put some air in my tires... maybe twice a year? I don't think that's going to help the gas stations stay in business.
  • solatic 10y ago
    Right, probably gas stations will either add charging capability in a supercharger fashion, or they'll just turn into convenience stores.
    • cesis 10y ago
      But who would be willing to spend a couple of hours in a gas station?
      • solatic 10y ago
        People probably wouldn't go there for full charges, but 20 minutes to go from a few percent to 20% to get home? Yeah, I see that happening.
      • pipio21 10y ago
        Anyone doing a long journey. You can use the time to eat, relax from four hours driving. I charge my electric car in my house everyday. I don't think about that. Way more convenient that going to the gas station.
      • WorldMaker 10y ago
        Long-Haul Truckers
      • Gibbon1 10y ago
        More likely road food places will simply add charging stations. Also possible someone will make a business washing peoples windows in the parking lot.
  • rplst8 10y ago
    The gas gets them in the door. People are a lot less likely to stop if they don't have to. Since electric cars take a lot longer to charge, they don't mesh well with the convenience store model. More like restaurants. I think convenience stores will go through quite a huge change in the next 20 years. Small mom and pop gas stations without much of a "store" to speak of will probably disappear entirely.
    • nedsma 10y ago
      Also we'll see many service businesses (e.g. restaurants, theaters, public garages, malls) offering electric car charging for free or for a smallish fee depending on their type. So, instead of going to a gas station, you would go to a nearest mall, let the car charging while you do the shopping.
    • camiller 10y ago
      I think we will see some development of quick charge technology this will mitigate those concerns to a certain extent.
    • HeyLaughingBoy 10y ago
      I honestly can't think of the last time I've seen a gas station that only sells gas or diesel. At least around here, they just don't exist. The "gas station" is the convenience store around here. I doubt their patronage would drop off much if they stopped selling gas. Gas stations around here sell anything from the usual cigaretter, pop & snacks to really good "home made" food. I can think of one that had a small, very good, Mexican restaurant in the back and another that made gyros, falafel, etc. to order. I would go out of my way to stop at those. But gas only? I simply can't remember seeing one in the last 10 years. The closest is the ones that are service stations that happen to have a few gas pumps.
      • WorldMaker 10y ago
        "Mostly" gas only pumps started reappearing in the last 10 years as a part of big supermarket chains. From one point of view they are mostly just gas pump islands floating in a sea of parking, but from the other point of view the nearby supermarket is simply an absurdly large convenience store.
  • ams6110 10y ago
    Who goes into the store? When I buy gas, I pay at the pump, 5 minutes and I'm gone and good for another 300+ miles.
    • knieveltech 10y ago
      People that need to use the bathroom or want to buy food, a soft drink, beer, cigarettes, lottery tickets, etc.
• hiddenkrypt 10y ago
  A classic response to this is "Did anybody consider the economic impact on ferriers when the demand for horses goes down?" And yeah, there are people projecting such impacts, but overall it's usually considered valuable to innovate. Some jobs will inevitably be left behind as older tech becomes obsolete. There's been a few different ideas on how to solve this problem, but none of them are perfect.
  • onlyrealcuzzo 10y ago
    Every time I see a gas station, my eyes see--with hope--a future mixed-use condo complex, easing the demand on housing, making the city more walkable.
    • camiller 10y ago
      I see a future place that will sell me an unsweetned iced tea while my car quick charges for 10min.
      • WorldMaker 10y ago
        The money-making part of a gas station for most of the last century has almost always been the convenience store, not the gas pumps. People will still need restroom breaks and quick snacks in an electric car present/future.
• petre 10y ago
  Yeah, the Saudis, North African states, Iran and Russia will be making a lot less money from oil. What's not to like about that? Their economies are almost entirely oil and gas reliant.