Ask HN: In 15 years, what will a gas station visit look like?

31 points by thomassmith65 9 hours ago

This struck me as an interesting sci-fi writing exercise. Gas stations are everywhere; but they'll likely change considerably going forward.

Imagine visiting a gas station in 2040:

• will it sell gas?

• what convenience items will it sell?

• who, if anyone, will staff it?

• what payment methods will it accept?

• what signage and decor will it use?

• will it offer new services?

pradeepodela 36 minutes ago

I feel the concept of EV charging might be democratized. These are the problems with EV stations:

It takes a while to charge up.

No matter what, only a very few people can be accommodated at once.

On the flip side, setting up a gas station is hard, but that’s not the case with EV charging stations — especially if battery swapping is innovated. It also takes time to deeply penetrate the market, but EV charging is much more suitable for two-wheelers.

So there’s a clear gap — the current gas stations can’t handle the volume of people waiting for EV charging. What is the way forward? I feel anyone with an EV charger can set up an EV charging station at home. This means all your malls, houses, and parks might be converted into EV charging stations, making it much more decentralized.

I anticipate that anyone with an EV charger and good parking space can make some extra bucks from it. I feel the whole idea of gas stations might be democratized. I’m not sure — this is just what I feel. Feel free to let me know your opinion.

codegeek 7 hours ago

Not much. 15 years ago was 2010. Gas stations in 2025 are very similar to Gas stations from 2010. I doubt they will be too different in 2040. May be a few more EV chargers.

  • magicalhippo 4 hours ago

    The ones they build here in Norway has changed somewhat from 2010. For one, mainly EV chargers, with just a few, if any, pumps.

    Mostly sells food and soft drinks, so hot dogs, fresh sandwiches, baked goods, with much more seating area so you can sit and eat while your car charges.

    Has almost no car-related stuff, just one or two small sections of blinker fluid, wunder-baum and such.

    And looking at the current trend, there will be far fewer of them, mainly located at strategic positions. The small, local gas stations will go away.

    • shawn_w an hour ago

      Wait, blinker fluid is actually in stock in Norway? Gotta tell some BMW drivers I know; see if they can get it shipped over.

  • baobun 2 hours ago

    I foresee an increase in displays showing ads, as well as cameras with facial recognition.

  • raldi 3 hours ago

    That's like saying since newspapers in 1995 were very similar to newspapers in 1980, they'll be pretty much the same in 2010.

    • nocoiner 2 hours ago

      They were. Now newspapers in 1995 and 2010 - that’s definitely after the post-2000ish changes had started to bite.

  • Supermancho 7 hours ago

    I would not be surprised if it looks more like Sam's Club, but otherwise the same. ie App with QR code scanner instead of Credit Card scanner.

  • kcplate 7 hours ago

    IMO gas stations haven’t changed all that much over the last 50 years (forget the 15) beyond:

    - now having larger buildings to incorporate more convenience products (mostly foodstuffs) for sale - more pumps

    • thomassmith65 7 hours ago

      That's pushing it around a decade too far back.

      Today, every gas station is self-serve, and often you can pay by card at the pump.

      50 years ago, plenty of gas stations still had attendants. One guy would fill the tank (possibly with 'leaded'), another might give your windshield a quick wipe. You could ask for them to check your oil, too.

      Not too much has changed since the '80s though.

      • kcplate 5 hours ago

        > often you can pay by card at the pump.

        That’s definitely an innovation that creates convenience but does it really change the commercial function of the station much? You are still essentially transacting for fuel, which is what gas stations have done for decades. My guess is while a lot of stations provide that ability out of customer demand, but the owners would probably rather the customer come in and buy the over priced soda and Doritos along with the gas purchase. I don’t think owner-operators make hardly anything on the fuel sales.

        With my comment I was thinking more along the lines of overall footprint of the station and what products are being sold. I think self-service pushed the ability for stations to service more pumps and with a person anchored to a register inside instead of outside attending to the pumps, it allowed the ability of stations to expand to more a mini-mart concept easily where more profitable products (to the station owner) are sold.

        EV charging might help bring people into the food, but i suspect you don’t “turn tables” fast enough to make EV charging beneficial enough to bringing enough people inside to warrant devoting a lot of space to that activity.

      • HappMacDonald 7 hours ago

        In Oregon self-serve only became legal a few years ago so we still have plenty of full service stations and attendants to this day.

    • darknavi 6 hours ago

      Gas stations often used to be car service stations as well. We have a few local ones with 3-4 car work garages attached but they are always closed now and used for storage.

    • ks2048 7 hours ago

      It went from pay inside to pay-at-the-pump. That probably also led to the ability for more pumps at busy stations (w/o hiring more people).

  • deepsun 7 hours ago

    And more hydrogen stations. Japan keeps investing in them a lot.

    • magicalhippo 3 hours ago

      Hydrogen seems like going backwards into the future. For personal transport it surely is a dead end, there are no significant upsides to offset the large downsides compared to BEVs.

      Perhaps it can work well for certain commercial niches, time will tell.

danpalmer 5 hours ago

The gas station will be older, crappier. As the shift to electric cars takes hold new gas stations won’t be built, old ones won’t be renovated, and they’ll be squeezed harder. Expect more stuff to buy at worse prices with more advertising.

Chargers will likely rise up around a different type of venue that won’t be seen as a gas station. More cafes, places suitable to spend 15+ minutes. Places with seating.

Increasingly gas stations will just be seen as a dated concept that isn’t living up to the world of 2040. Otherwise they’ll be almost exactly the same as today.

7402 3 hours ago

See article in today's New York Times: https://www.nytimes.com/2025/06/08/business/gas-station-expa...

Gas Stations Are Adding E.V. Chargers and Reasons to Wait Around

As gas stations prepare for more electric vehicles to be on the road, they’re getting bigger. That has created tension in some communities.

  • raldi 3 hours ago

    I'm reminded of when Blockbuster wiped out all the little video rental places. Even if existing gas stations install chargers, most EV drivers are going to prefer to charge someplace where it's nice to spend an hour or two, and whoever creates those places is going to take all the business.

    • mk89 2 hours ago

      Many places here in Germany have typically 1-2 parking spots dedicated to charging EV. (Free to use)

      I believe increasing their number of chargers as the need arises is the main way this is going to develop. Basically no central gas station anymore as we know it but a shop with 1-2 chargers. If lots of shops do it, it becomes like decentralized charging.

karar01 5 hours ago

My prediction: 1) Yes, It'll sell gas but it'll also have electric stations. 2) Basic snacks and food but maybe more electric cigarettes lol 3) Only chips (either on your credit card, phone or under your skin) 4) Simplistic and white modern look 5) Cleaner restrooms as the robots clean every 30 min and no staff, more cameras with AI to detect anamoly and call 911 quickly.

protocolture 5 hours ago

In my experience Petrol stations are very smart operators that accumulate new business models very quickly.

My locals all:

Sell petrol

Sell snacks, meals and necessities (small convenience stores)

Sell firewood

Sell ice

Provide gas bottle swaps.

Sell large items that are convenient for ute tray transport (Slabs of drink and other items)

Provide free water and air, basic car wash facilities.

15 years from now I expect all of the above (It will take 20 years to get rid of petrol cars when the last one is sold)

Plus more common ev charging. Maybe battery swaps.

  • silisili 3 hours ago

    In the US at least, I feel like you hit that late 90s convenience experience.

    While it's true they still do these things, or try to, in my experience nobody actually uses them because of understaffing and underpaying of employees to the point of them not caring.

    Who wants a brown hot dog or dried out taquito that's been on a roller for who knows how many days? Who wants soda from moldy taps? Who wants to stand in line to change out propane, to be told there's only one person working, go out and wait til the line is gone? Air is still free, but you have to go in and ask for it to be turned on.

    At least that's my experience, maybe each locale is different. I literally have never seen a person buy prepared food or exchange propane at a typical gas station(wawa/buckees excluded) in my adult life.

    • protocolture 2 hours ago

      In Australia they have had a complete resurgence thanks to food delivery apps. Shit I even like our 7 Eleven petrol station coffee. And I am not the only one I often have to ask them to change the milk jugs over in the machine.

      They are open 24/7 with just enough food at only triple supermarket prices.

      Nearest 4 to me always have better than 50% empty gas bottles, and the second it gets cold they sell out of firewood.

      2/3 of their air hoses have been vandalised however, which just leaves a line up at the third.

js373054 2 hours ago

There’s a lot of active thinking in the retail energy space about this. As we shift toward electric vehicles, the traditional 3-minute fuel stop evolves into a longer dwell time due to charging. This fundamentally changes the customer journey—transforming stations into destinations designed around convenience, entertainment, and productivity. However, with rapid advances in fast charging and even battery swapping, the future form of energy retail sites is still fluid. The big question remains: what should thousands of these locations become when the "refueling" experience is no longer just about speed?

  • genocidicbunny an hour ago

    Seems to me that some of the places that are best poised to take advantage of the longer charging times (at least in the US) are places like Buc-ees which are already a sort of destination that is visited for more than just filling up with gas. The small gas stations, especially ones that are local chains, or even 'mom-and-pop' businesses will probably be much slower to adapt as they won't be able to offer as much for the people waiting for a recharge to do.

    I think fast casual restaurants, or even small strip malls which have a fast casual restaurant as a food anchor could also benefit from this -- offer more charging spots, maybe a small discount or coupon for the charging costs if you dine at the restaurant. The large fast casual chains could probably negotiate better contracts with companies that would build and administer the infrastructure than singular restaurants could, and it would help bring some additional business in at a time when people are dining out less and less.

  • nehal3m 42 minutes ago

    I think you're overestimating the amount of stations we'll need (or maybe I'm underestimating it, let's find out). People tend to carry over habits from fossil fuel vehicles to electric ones, but there's a significant difference: You have a gas station at home. A very cheap one, and using it is as easy as plugging into a standard outlet. I drive electric and on most days I use a little less than half the battery charge. When I return home a standard outlet can get it back to full by the next morning; the only time I ever stop at a public charger is when I'm on a long trip, and those are few and far between.

    I appreciate that not everybody will have the opportunity to charge their car at their own house, but a significant percentage will, and they're motivated to since it's by far the cheapest way to drive.

    But maybe I'm missing something?

  • pipifax 37 minutes ago

    Your commont really sounds like it came from ChatGPT.

    • stavros 22 minutes ago

      Including emdashes.

toomuchtodo 9 hours ago

A lounge. There are too many today, tens of thousands will close. Most charging will take place at home or at work. EVs support payment by VIN with crypto primitives negotiating with the charger over the charger cable before charging starts, so how ever you’ll fund that balance (likely instant payments).

https://www.axios.com/2022/07/15/gas-stations-prices-closing

  • thomassmith65 8 hours ago

    I agree that the petrol/diesel niche will increasingly shrink, but it could take decades to vanish.

    Perhaps some larger chain will step in, and incorporate one dinky petrol station at each location? The safety issues probably rule out a chain restaurant, but maybe Walmart will become the go-to.

  • macinjosh 8 hours ago

    most people certainly do not live in a place that has a garage with dedicated charging port. people who leave their cars outside to charge will be subject to vandalism and pranksters cutting/disconnecting the cables. electric vehicles are luxury vehicles for people with means.

    • toomuchtodo 7 hours ago

      In 2023, the U.S. had approximately 85.3 million single-family detached homes and 8.2 million single-family attached homes, totaling around 93.5 million single-family homes. This represents the majority of the nation's housing stock.

      Rebates exist for a reason to install EV chargers at home. Certainly, it will take time, but the transition is inevitable at this point. The average daily round trip commute is less than 40 miles, which is ~12 hours of charging on a 15A 120V household outlet. Electricity is ubiquitous, and installing interfaces is relatively inexpensive and straightforward.

    • nevon 7 hours ago

      This is certainly very location dependent. Where I live, outside parking is the norm, with lots of people either charging EVs or pre-heating their engine without being subjected to any vandalism.

    • troutwine 7 hours ago

      At least in the Bay Area it’s pretty common for people to park their car on the curb in front of their house and run a charge cable out over the sidewalk. Mostly just works.

      • genocidicbunny an hour ago

        *Parts of the Bay Area.

        There are parts where you'd have people drive through the neighborhood at 3am and yank/cut the charging cables for the copper in them.

pkulak 7 hours ago

Most countries will have fast chargers with one gas pump for the remaining ICE cars. That’s already happening in Norway, for example.

The US? After a decade plus of authoritarian rule and the near outlaw of EVs, we’ll have exactly the same gas stations and cars, all produced right here because the rest of the world doesn’t want them.

  • tomcam 7 hours ago

    Can you explain to me about the near outlaw of EVs?

    • pkulak 6 hours ago

      The new budget that passed the house has registration fees on EVs that will only match gas cars if you drive well over 25,000 miles a year. Maybe "outlaw" was hyperbolic, but you tax what you want less of. I would imagine that these taxes will only increase. Especially compared to the _incentives_ offered in every other country.

      We don't "outlaw" cigarettes, for example, but I would call the current taxes on them a "near" outlaw.

      • mousethatroared 6 hours ago

        You tax to finance government services. EV use roads but don't pay fuel taxes.

        We can debate how much EVs should be taxed, but they're using the bloody roads, aren't they?

        • pkulak 6 hours ago

          My point is that there's no reason to tax them more than gas cars. Gas cars create FAR more negative externalities. I'm not saying they shouldn't be taxed at all; sorry if you got that impression.

          • genocidicbunny an hour ago

            Are they being taxed more? Or is it that with gas cars, most of the tax is paid outside of registration, when they're refueled, whereas EVs only pay the taxes at registration time, and thus end up paying their share up front instead of over time?

        • bdangubic 6 hours ago

          in VA we pay EV Tax (along with 87 other car taxes to keep driving on shitty roads…) - whatever your problem is when it comes to roads, more taxes ain’t gonna solve them

    • drivingmenuts 6 hours ago

      I should also mention that a large percentage of the population is in love with ICE-mobiles. They transport the ever-shrinking middle class and lower classes that can't afford to completely replace their vehicles with EVs and, likely, never will be. Even the world's ugliest electric truck is beyond the reach of a large portion of the middle class. Removing gas stations and adding charging stations is not going to do anything except cause more panic.

      NGL, I drive a gas-powered Jetta (I wish it was diesel, but oh well) and if I can't get gas, I can't drive. While I'm lucky enough to live where there's some sort of public transit, that's not a thing in a lot of cities. Without the political will or the budget to start adding public transportation RIGHT THE HELL NOW, if ICE goes away, our economy is screwed.

    • drivingmenuts 6 hours ago

      In short, the Republican Party is in bed with oil producers and many elected politicians are heavily invested in oil or oil-adjacent companies. The same party is anti-Science in a way that is nearly impossible to comprehend and, as such, scoffs at global warming and you can work the rest out from there. The Republicans have the majority in the House, the Senate and the Oval Office. The Supreme Court is conservative. Right now, we're probably the modern equivalent of Germany in 193x.

      I think that about covers it. All of the above means an EV-hostile environment here.

      Oh, and our biggest EV maker is a Neo-Nazi supporter.

  • more_corn 6 hours ago

    It’ll be a throwback culture desperately trying to cling to the tired myth of 1950s white suburban American supremacy while China leads the way into the future with bullet trains, fast charging electric cars and solar everywhere.

mhandley 7 hours ago

The ones in towns will mostly disappear. There will be enough chargers at supermarkets, malls, restaurants, anywhere people actually want to go, and most people will charge at home or work. The remaining business won't be enough to keep in-town gas stations in business. Range anxiety will become more of an issue for gas cars.

On highways, it will be a different situation. There will be plenty of gas and diesel still available, as the remaining business from towns becomes more concentrated. You won't find a gas station without a restaurant attached though. Fast chargers will be common, but ultra-fast ones won't be as common as we'd like, as they will want to keep you just long enough to buy a meal, etc.

andy99 7 hours ago

More advertising, more intrusive tracking and personal information collection (mandatory membership in something, swipe your license or scan some biometric, no cash options), more expensive gas. More nagging from your car about things that aren't even on your radar now.

Bender 8 hours ago

will it sell gas?

Yes and especially diesel which will not go away for a few generations. There are no EV replacements for heavy trucks and they do not appear to be viable yet. 3500 through 7500 series. Battery tech will have to make science fiction level improvements. When those trucks are gone society comes to a stand-still. Comparison to earth moving equipment in mines do not apply.

what convenience items will it sell?

The popular versions of what they sell today and is known to bring in revenue.

who, if anyone, will staff it?

Mostly high-school kids, some people that do not have the confidence to move on and some with criminal backgrounds.

what payment methods will it accept?

Credit, Debit, Cash. Maybe bitcoin.

will it offer new services?

If they have the parking lot space then there may be battery swap stations to quickly swap out EV packs, offer paid upgrades to newer batteries and battery tech every few years.

  • defrost 7 hours ago

    > There are no EV replacements for heavy trucks and they do not appear to be viable yet.

    Janus Electric has been converting prime movers to electric since 2019, listed on the ASX this year, and have demonstrated viability.

    * https://primemovermag.com.au/body-electric/

    * https://www.januselectric.com.au/news/janus-unveils-first-el...

    * https://www.januselectric.com.au/

    So far they've barely made a dent in global big truck numbers but they're planning to expand over the next few years .. and there are others in the same business.

    > Comparison to earth moving equipment in mines do not apply.

    Why not? These fleets have been quasi electric since the 1970s, have serious ongoing research into fully renewable replacement paths, and are responsible for a massive chunk of transport fuel usage given the sheer number of mines in the world and numbers such as iron ore mining in one Australia state alone accounting for > than a billion tonnes moved by trucks alone (including overburden, etc).

    These aren't trucks that refuel at gas stations, but they are a considerable sink for fossil fuels.

Tika2234 3 hours ago

Will have sections for electricity charging as well or battery swaps. I think most likely somekind of humanoid robots will operate these equipments. The mini mart likely still man by human. Perhaps a human mechanics with robo asistants if there is repairs available. Likely cryptos will be accepted as well (way more common than now). You might even find Tony's LC sign there (plot twist he opened factories in USA).

bravesoul2 7 hours ago

They start to disappear in cities replaced by parking spot fast chargers. Some remain for ICE engines but fewer of them. The ICE engines ones are as now as there is no need to innovate e.g. robots filling your fuel.

Between cities they will be as now a rest stop mainly with fuel. Maybe more charging where you park.

Whether we staff or not depends on if we adopt Japanese culture. In Tokyo they have unattended fast food shops, and somewhat novelty robot servers at some restaurants.

I predict 50% chance of that happening. It may be driven to buy robots and automation becoming cheaper than labour plus mass surveillance making it less appetizing to steal.

billybuckwheat 7 hours ago

I'm hoping it'll be like the GridServe electric forecourts in the UK: a place to charge your car, have a snack, do a bit of shopping or relax, or rent an office pod for a few hours. Wishful thinking, maybe, but what good is trying to peer into the future without a bit of that kind of thinking?

https://www.gridserve.com/electric-vehicle-charging/electric...

don-code 7 hours ago

By 2040, I suspect not much will have changed. In the US, most engines that required leaded gasoline rolled off the assembly lines in the 1960s, with the legal phase-out beginning in the 1970s, and finally ending in the 1990s.

As I have a classic car that I intend to keep running, I suspect eventually (e.g. not by 2040), buying fuel for it will be similar to buying pre-mixed fuel for small two-stroke engines, like leafblowers and chainsaws: go to Auto Zone and buy a few gallons of fuel. Auto Zone and friends won't be going anywhere - EVs still need wiper blades, brake pads, and other incidentals.

fasthands9 9 hours ago

Interesting Q - though I predict they will largely look the same. They may have more battery charging stations or replacement batteries (especially for stations on an interstate) but otherwise I think it will just be a nicer version of what we have today. Maybe higher quality hot food and more interesting snacks, which I think we are already seeing today with new stations.

Most gas stations today only have one employee at a time so it seems hard to cut that down (and not much incentive tbh).

Electric cars today are still under 10%. Cars last a really long time, so even if there is a huge surge in electric self-driving cars by 2030 there will still be lots of ICE cars on the road in 15 years.

byoung2 8 hours ago

It is hard to predict a new advancement in EV technology, but if we get to a point where an EV is cheaper than the equivalent ICE and charges faster than you can gas up (so about twice as fast as the fastest EV today), and has a longer range than the equivalent ICE, then people will buy more of them. Then we will start to see more EV chargers than gas stations.

Advancements in AI might make it possible to have attendant-less stations if you can have automated sales of snacks and other merchandise, and automated payments for chargers and gas, maybe you don't need an attendant on duty 24/7

anenefan 6 hours ago

If the future doesn't get totally stupid, there will probably be a small decline in gas stations much like in areas where industry has dropped off.

There will still be fossil based fuel for sale.

There may depending on how soon the world gets over the big misconception that fuels made from plant oils have to be bio fuels - additional bowsers for regular fuel that was created though cracking (in the same petro-refineries) organic oil as the input stock to produce an almost identical fuel to that which is made from fossil based sources - it might cost a little bit more though.

Possibly an area for refuelling liquid based fuel cell powered vehicles.

kylecazar 7 hours ago

More EV docks outside, more products from YouTubers and influencers inside. Maybe no cigarettes.

  • thomassmith65 7 hours ago

    They'll probably devote the shelf-space to vapes and snus.

csomar 6 hours ago

EV share of car sales is around 10%. 15 year is around a car lifetime. So in the future, the gas stations will look roughly the same as today but we'll have, maybe, 10 or 15% less of them.

sansseriff 7 hours ago

I find it funny that the AI 2027 thing got a non-vanishing fraction of Hackernews folk to wonder if humans would be fully eradicated from Earth in 5 years (I was influenced too!)

Anyway, just funny to now be talking about gas stations in 15 years.

vehemenz 8 hours ago

2040 feels far too soon for this thought experiment, at least in the U.S. ICEs will remain the primary vehicle for most families until charging networks are built out. 40-50 years is more realistic.

  • toomuchtodo 7 hours ago

    Depends where. EVs are already 23% of light vehicle sales in California. The US won’t transition equally.

    • jeffbee 7 hours ago

      And the median car is 13 years old and getting older. If the market share is only 23% today, then in 2040 the fleet will still be overwhelmingly ICE-powered, unless the government starts pulling levers that accelerate the transition, like quadrupling the fuel taxes.

  • AnimalMuppet 8 hours ago

    The charging network could be built out in 5 years... if there was money in it.

    (No, don't ask me how that would work. I don't know. I just think that private enterprise could do it quite quickly, if they saw a way to turn a profit doing so.)

pram 4 hours ago

The gas stations of today are merely the vape/weed shops of tomorrow.

plun9 3 hours ago

It will mostly be the same. The gas station will provide fast DC charging for BEVs and perhaps hydrogen fuel.

paxys 7 hours ago

In the USA at least they'll look exactly the same as today. Probably more advertising, but that's about it.

meagher 7 hours ago

Not sure where you are, but hopefully we try harder to move away from cars in the US and adopt more rail (light, high-speed long distance, etc.) so in that world, they get replaced with housing or literally anything else.

  • SoftTalker 7 hours ago

    Gas stations are almost all hazmat sites. The underground tanks leak and years of spills accumulate. They will need to excavate and remediate before housing could be built on the sites.

    • Spooky23 5 hours ago

      The big brands are doing that. In my area, Mobil remediated the sites and sold them off.

  • discordance 7 hours ago

    Railways take 10-15 years to plan and build, so unless they are in play right now I highly doubt you will see anymore in the future

  • wavemode 7 hours ago

    Rail isn't gonna do anything to help suburbs and rural areas. Nor even cities, if they are spread out like LA.

laweijfmvo 7 hours ago

toilets. there will always be toilets.

wnc3141 4 hours ago

We will be expected to tip at self serve fuel pumps

johnea 6 hours ago

I already don't go to gas stations.

I have a really hard time understanding the pushback to elctrification.

Very fewe people (like almost none) drive more than 300 miles in a day 8-/

Most people in the plains states where the resistance is highest, live in single family homes where they could easily charge overnight.

d--b 7 hours ago

First I’d answer the question: should there be any gas stations at all? With self driving vehicles you could imagine a future where self driving gas dispensing trucks roam the highways to refill cars as they go.

Or instead of trucks you could imagine that the left lane on highways could be replaced by some kind of train on rails that your car could dock to. In that train you’d have the same crap you have in current gas stations: mostly toilets and food stuff.

Cars docking to stuff is something that really clicks with me, but you could really go one step further away. You could split cars between the part that runs and the part that carries passengers. The part that carries people could be some kind of capsule akin to a boat container that could be loaded onto something else. When on the highway, this cabin could be put on some giant train that would carry hundreds of these capsules and when you need to get off the highway, your capsule would be loaded on some independent single-capsule vehicle, that would drive you where you need to go.

It’s probably all terrible ideas because that would make everything a lot less resilient to problems in terms of operation, but you said sci fi :-)

Oh and yeah 15 years is way too short to see that kind of changes.

mc32 8 hours ago

They’ll probably keep dispensing hydrocarbon fuels. But we may see fuel stations migrate or integrate into other destinations a bit. Mostly Costco these days, but as we transition to electrically powered vehicles, we’ll see more charging + hydrocarbon fuel stations colocated with other businesses with linty of parking that also draw people for a significant amount of time, enough to charge an e-vehicle to significant degree.

mah7aighaVei 7 hours ago

would be cool if it was like an automated F1 pitstop - roll in, refuel, auto pay, roll out

xboxnolifes 7 hours ago

More gas stations will sell bubble tea.

ks2048 7 hours ago

You have to look into a camera and pledge allegiance to Baron Trump before the gas starts flowing. Insincere facial cues will be added to your permanent record.

aaron695 7 hours ago

HN is dumb as dog shit, at least Reddit has a million monkeys. What do you hope to achieve?

Step one: What is todays delta to 2010? It is a lot, so this is where smart people would start.

So we'll skip that.

Many cars bought today will be around. Many gas stations bought today will be around.

People will be driving further. Do we have to say for the stupid people it won't be electric.

People will be more isolated and not want human contact, digital payments from the pump standard. Food and beverages are as massive part of the profit. So what does that mean?

Automated fueling so your hands don't get dirty will exist. Cars will be able to communicate so they will queue you more efficiently.

There will be electric charging places. They are not "gas stations", you'll get a split. It's interesting to calculate what they would be. Land value vs time to recharge. They can be multistory. This is a whole other thing.

  • thomassmith65 6 hours ago

    I 'vouched' for that since, despite the freak-out at its start, it makes some interesting points.

pctTCRZ52y 5 hours ago

[flagged]

  • j_bum 5 hours ago

    Why are we posting LLM responses to a question?

    I’m not engaging in HN for LLM content… I would be willing to bet almost no one on this site comes here to read LLM text.

    Is there some rule against this?