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> Some uses of hydrocarbon cannot be easily replaced by renewable electricity but most can. When a cheaper substitute is available, demand and price drop. Assu
by flukus 6y ago
> Some uses of hydrocarbon cannot be easily replaced by renewable electricity but most can. When a cheaper substitute is available, demand and price drop.
Assuming they can maintain that level of supply as demand drops. Some the economies of scale they operate with will be lost as demand slows and then the logistics that requires large and ongoing investment may slow considerably, although much of the latter is probably outside the 20 year horizon.
It could play out very differently on the consumer side though. If electric vehicles became 50% (or some arbitrary significant percentage) of the market then a lot of local gas stations will close, the ones that remain may have to start charging higher prices (again losing the logistics and scale advantages of today). There may be some tipping point where the whole retail side of the industry finds itself in a death spiral where gas stations are charging more and in less locations, making oil powered cars less convenient and driving more people to electric vehicles.
- selimthegrim 6y agoDo you actually think gas stations make most profit off of gas? (The Shell down the street from me takes a cut of the drug deals in its parking lot but hardly the usual case...)
- flukus 6y agoRegardless of what they actually make profit on, people stop there for the gas. Take the gas away and the same people to go to any store or mall and make the same purchases cheaper, or not at all.