On our little trip around the mid-Atlantic and Northeast, we are visiting many little gas stations in little towns. We judge them not so much on the gas, but more on the state of the bathrooms and the coffee (let’s just say there are very few A+ stations on either front).
The person behind the counter is usually hemmed in by an overwhelming array of scratch tickets and assorted packets of cigarettes and gum. In one, there was even a well-stocked cabinet of elaborate bongs.
I love these little places - especially the locally-owned, slightly odd ones. And it occurred to me that with the rise of electric vehicles, these little places will change too.
By 2035 (only 13 years from now), Europe expects to sell zero gas-powered cars (just announced), and on the way there, cars will have to emit less and less carbon, meaning hybrid and electric cars will be the norm very soon. California has committed to the same, so has Oregon, Washington, and Massachusetts. In practice, this means that available cars even in states that don’t mandate these changes, will be increasingly electric-only. Many car manufacturers have also set a goal of selling only electric vehicles by 2035 or 2040 or 2045.
So, the gas stations will eventually die.
Or will they?
They certainly won’t be selling as much gasoline (though there will still be cars on the road that are 10 years old and will need gas). But we will still need a quick boost of electricity on our road trips, and we still need snacks!! (I mean, good lord - we’re still American!)
A quick boost of electricity might take 20 mins or more though. Longer than your typical gas stop. What will we do during that time? (Other than admire the cheetah-print glass bong collection). I like to think that in the new ‘gas’ stations we will have space to sit awhile with a better-quality sandwich than your usual gas-station fare, or play a round of really-mini golf with the kids, or connect to dog-walking paths in the town and local park, or have a little reading space with online newspapers to catch up on while you have a cup of (much better) coffee.
In the days of yore (a few decades ago) we used to call gas stations, ‘service stations’. What if we could revert to a little bit of that again? They won’t need to check your oil in an electric car, but what about tire pressure and windshield cleaning?
My picture of the new small-town gas station is that they become better embedded as a community hub and a little place of respite, rather than a spot to take a hurried bathroom break, purchase a meat stick and a bong, and be on your way. I picture them as more like cafés and corner stores than the often-a-bit-grubby packaged-snack emporiums that seem to be the norm at the moment.
I also hope we can elevate the naming a little. I’m a bit tired of ‘Mike’s Mini Mart’ (etc). How about the ‘Power Pause’, or ‘Electric Avenue’. Yeah ok, naming isn’t my forte either. But y’all can work on it.
I’m looking forward to the Next Gen ‘gas’ stations of small town America. I just hope we don’t lose those weird little characteristics that make them unique.
This made me laugh out loud.... !