Whither the Gas Station

The downstream impacts of electrification

A ‘what if’ piece of speculative fiction about a possible future that could result from the systemic forces changing our world.

// What might happen to gas stations if the United States shifts to electric consumer vehicles?

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// 2050 - A Zoom Call 

In the pinned presenter tab, a hand bangs an ornate gavel onto a marble plinth. 

“Order Order!! Welcome to the national convention of the American Gas Station, Convenience, And Liquor Store Owners (https://apca.us/)

“I know times have been tough. Back in 2022, there were ~72,000 gas stations in the United States. In 2035 all new vehicles sold in California had to be either electric or plug-in hybrid electrics. And as I don’t need to remind any of you, over 11% of all new passenger car sales nationally happen in California.

<A wave of crab and thumbs down emojis flood the screen>

“The car makers listened, and they started making more and more electric vehicles, and fewer and fewer all-gas cars. Demand for gasoline plummeted while carbon taxes and import costs have risen. More and more folks threw their hands up and exited the industry.

“Our theme for this convention is to give you ideas on what you can do with your gas station, and how you might transform it into a thriving business in this new electric vehicle economy. Topics for this years convention include:

• Accessing Federal and State grants for underground storage tank stabilization and/or removal

• Mechanics and legal issues of growing mushrooms and marijuana underground

• Templates for funding and building multi-story infill housing on an eighth of an acre 

• Revenue opportunities from 8G hotspots

• Building a thriving classic car community and becoming their physical hub for meetups, drives, and talks

• Harnessing the arts: Creating an art gallery and capturing influencer and micro-community attention

• Converting to a self-driving vehicle charging, repair, and dispatch center

• The Urban Folly: Turning a station into a “Destination” with designer drinks and decoration

• The Mini Drive-In: Capturing drive in movie theater nostalgia with automated charging

“As a side note, we know that the vulture capitalists, hedge funds, and real estate investors have been circling, looking for moments of financial weakness to swoop in and buy your land. Any of the known actors in this space are labeled as such in the chat groups. If you suspect someone, please let our community team know. We believe in building generational wealth, so don’t sell - transform!