A 2019 report by BCG predicts that 80% of conventional gas stations could be driven (pun intended) out of business by 2035. Fast forward to 2013, and station numbers had decreased by 25% or almost 50,000, and by 2020 that number had shrunk to 115,200. Louis in 1905, and by 1994 there were 202,800 across the country. The first gas station in the United States opened in St. The number of gas stations has been declining for decades The rise of mobile fuel delivery companies is proof enough that we’d rather pay a premium to not have to fill up ourselves. Pumping gas is tedious, smelly, and storing highly combustible fuel in the heart of communities is an insurance nightmare.Īdd to that the 63,000 violent crimes that occur at gas stations in the US each year, and the (highly topical) fact that a 2011 study found pump handles to be the most germ encrusted public surface, and there is little to endear us to these facilities. We go to gas stations because we have to, not because we actually enjoy doing so. Gas stations themselves already rarely occupy our attention, as their uniformity, utilitarian function, and unglamorous decor make them an overlooked interruption in our journeys to and from more interesting places. The electric vehicle narrative tends to focus on the technological and economic impact of EVs regarding emissions, grid load, and noise pollution, but we tend to forget about gas stations. Gas stations will have to adopt new business models, including ditching gas altogether in order to carve out a new role for themselves.Just switching stations to electric charging is harder than it sounds, and may be impractical as most people charge at home, work, and on the street.Gas stations are likely to fall into a death spiral, as more electric vehicles (EVs) and ride sharing means less demand for gas which puts more stations out of business.With the rise of electric vehicles, gas stations are going to become electric stations right? It’s not actually that simple.
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