The auto industry is undergoing a major strategic shift in the world, while this transformation is expected to extend to gas stations, which are gradually disappearing in their current form, with the decline in the number of cars operating with traditional fuel. The switch to electric vehicles Which will no longer need petrol or diesel.
A report published by Bloomberg Agency and seen by Al Arabiya.net monitored this transformation in gas stations, as the report concluded that these stations on external roads will turn into places for entertainment, loitering, shopping and drinking coffee, as they will become places for charging cars with electricity, This allows the vehicle owner to leave it on charge and spend some time drinking coffee and entertainment.
And these new stations are really starting to appear, as “Bloomberg” indicates that one of the stations in southwest London that belongs to the international company “Shell” has become that drivers can stop there and get coffee, soft drinks, snacks and basic groceries such as milk and eggs, and there is one thing that is not displayed. In it, which is gasoline.
Since January, the station has been fully electric, with the old gas pumps being replaced with 10 quick chargers placed under raised wooden canopies where people can plug in and charge them.
“It gives us all a glimpse into the future of mobility,” says Istvan Kapitani, supervisor of global retail operations at Shell.
With 46,000 stations in 80 countries, Shell is the world’s largest retailer of gasoline. The Fulham plant is one of several prototypes the company is planning as more cars switch to battery power.
Shell says it has 9,000 branded charging points like those in west London and operates an additional 95,000 in places such as garages and office parks. The company aims to reach half a million by 2025, putting it ahead of its other competitors.
Bloomberg says that although electric cars can be recharged in homes, and many drivers may not need to stop at stations, one advantage that these stations can offer is faster filling processes, as the vehicle can be charged in 10 to 20 minutes. For several hours when using a standard charger at home.
These stations are expected to operate in prime locations with a lot of traffic, where tired and hungry drivers are more likely to have coffee or a snack while charging their cars, says Rob Smith, analyst at S&P Global Commodity Insight.
“In some ways, retail fuels has a greater chance of riding the energy transition wave than fuel refining or oil production,” Smith says.
“But as the demand for fuel decreases, these stations must become purposeful destinations for customers,” he continues.
US research firm McKinsey expects gasoline demand to fall to $79 billion by 2030 from $87 billion in 2019, while retail sales at stations will rise by more than a third over the same period, to $30 billion, and vehicle shipping revenues will reach Electricity to $20 billion by 2030.