Shell starts to close gas stations.

[Viajeros]

Interesting read.

Shell to close 1,000 gas stations to focus on EV charging deployment

Gas giant Shell is looking to close as many as 1,000 gas stations in the coming years, as it pivots toward deployment of EV charging stations...

www.teslarati.com

 

[Onyrlef]

Interesting read.

Shell to close 1,000 gas stations to focus on EV charging deployment

Gas giant Shell is looking to close as many as 1,000 gas stations in the coming years, as it pivots toward deployment of EV charging stations...

www.teslarati.com

The economist Neil Schumpeter circulated the theory "creative destruction" in the 60's. Shell's iniative is interesting, convert a gas station into an ev charging site with tables, wifi, maybe a Starbucks, food, etc. It solves some of the logistic issues for ev owners who don't have access to home charging.

 

[DonTom]

The economist Neil Schumpeter circulated the theory "creative destruction" in the 60's. Shell's iniative is interesting, convert a gas station into an ev charging site with tables, wifi, maybe a Starbucks, food, etc. It solves some of the logistic issues for ev owners who don't have access to home charging.

I hear that gas stations make very little profit on gas sales. They make more profit from their stores. So perhaps their store sales will increase with more people staying there longer than it takes to fill up a gas tank.

-Don- Reno, NV

 

[Skookum]

1,000 gas stations is literally a drop in the bucket compared to the number of Shell Stations out there, so I'm sure this is a little market test to see if it's a viable concept in the US. I'm excited to see one in the flesh.

Not that a station has to be just one or the other. We went to a nice Circle K (not sure of the gas brand, unless it's their own?) with fuel pumps and EV charging stations.

 

[DonTom]

1,000 gas stations is literally a drop in the bucket compared to the number of Shell Stations out there,

What bugs me is that nobody does them all. For an example, when I first heard that Wal*Mart was going to install charge stations, I assumed it meant every Wall*Mart.

What it really meant was every Wall*mart except for where needed the most. For an example, not a single CCS charger in Susanville, CA, yet they do have a Wal*Mart there with no chargers.

While I hear about the large number of new chargers, all they do is double them up in the more populated areas leaving no charging where needed the most for travelers away from the more populated areas.

Charging has become worse, not better, even with the larger number of chargers.

Examples:

I used to be able to charge up in Incline Village, Hawthorne, NV and Donner Summit, CA. All these locations have been broken for more than a year. And all the Harley shops no longer have charging. I could go more places on my electric motorcycles years ago than I can today.

-Don- Reno, NV

 

[Chef Duane]

I hear that gas stations make very little profit on gas sales. They make more profit from their stores. So perhaps their store sales will increase with more people staying there longer than it takes to fill up a gas tank.

-Don- Reno, NV

This is correct. My BIL owned an ARCO station back in the day and margins were very low. He wanted to open up a minimart at the location to generate a little better income. ARCO determined the location was too small to support a minimart primarily due to parking and he eventually sold the location.

 

[Skookum]

There must be good money in gas stations even if most profit is generated through convenience item sales. Gas stations list for sale around here for millions and millions of dollars. It's gotta be better than owning a job, like making Subway sandwiches. Subway franchises don't sell for nearly as much unless it's in a highly coveted location. Of course the capital required to put in a Subway shop versus a gas station is quite different as well.

 

[Gary RV_Wizard]

One source reports that Shell has 12,252 stations in the 50 states, so a 1000 is significant but not a huge percentage.

 

[Viajeros]

One source reports that Shell has 12,252 stations in the 50 states, so a 1000 is significant but not a huge percentage.

And I think most of the first two phases are in Europe.

This is more a reflection of worldwide gasoline use in general. Some sources indicate that “peak gas” has already been reached.

Interesting times.

 

[Onyrlef]

And I think most of the first two phases are in Europe.

This is more a reflection of worldwide gasoline use in general. Some sources indicate that “peak gas” has already been reached.

Interesting times.

New EV initiatives were just announced by the feds and big oil is now officially on the warpath. It's also becoming a tribal general election issue, especially on cable ( affirmation TV) news. One side just announced a 100% tariff on Chinese cars, whether EV or ICE. China is responding by cutting off access to the raw materials US mfg'ers of EV's require to build high capacity batteries.

 

[DeckArtist]

What bugs me is that nobody does them all. For an example, when I first heard that Wal*Mart was going to install charge stations, I assumed it meant every Wall*Mart.

What it really meant was every Wall*mart except for where needed the most. For an example, not a single CCS charger in Susanville, CA, yet they do have a Wal*Mart there with no chargers.

While I hear about the large number of new chargers, all they do is double them up in the more populated areas leaving no charging where needed the most for travelers away from the more populated areas.

Charging has become worse, not better, even with the larger number of chargers.

Examples:

I used to be able to charge up in Incline Village, Hawthorne, NV and Donner Summit, CA. All these locations have been broken for more than a year. And all the Harley shops no longer have charging. I could go more places on my electric motorcycles years ago than I can today.

-Don- Reno, NV

They will concentrate on cities and towns close to cities first. You won't find them much out in the country for quite awhile.

 

[Onyrlef]

They will concentrate on cities and towns close to cities first. You won't find them much out in the country for quite awhile.

Likely for the same reasons no one builds a Starbucks with a tractor drive thru on a dirt road. Serving 7 coffees a day isn’t a great business plan.

 

[Viajeros]

Roughly 70 percent of the chargers in BC are private enterprise. FLO, Shell, Chevron, Tesla, ChargePoint, Electrify Canada (which is Volkswagen) etc. But they tend to cluster their chargers and not usually on the off the beaten path routes.

But BC hydro has been good at covering many of those routes so we have been able to access much of the province. They operate 162 super reliable chargers and there are 80 more under construction including the alcan highway and Yukon routes.

Yesterday our minister of energy announced an additional 500 chargers in about 160 locations and most of them rural secondary and tertiary routes. Very good news.

I have to say. With the exception of tesla I can’t think of a more reliable network than the BC hydro network either. And they keep the snow plowed as well. And their pricing is fair and they just switched to kWh pricing vice time pricing.

Chargers in BC will continue to be mostly private enterprise but nice to see BC hydro staying active in the game.

 

[Oldgator73]

My uncle and his son, my cousin owned a gas station from before I was born to way after I joined the Air Force. They installed hitches and rented Uhauls.

 

[DonTom]

They will concentrate on cities and towns close to cities first. You won't find them much out in the country for quite awhile.

I would think if a town could justify having a Wal*Mart, they would be able to justify the chargers. Such as the Wal*Mart in Susanville, CA where they have none.

-Don- Reno, NV

 

[Gary RV_Wizard]

I can think of lots of possible reasons a particular Walmart location might not be able or willing to provide EV chargers. Or at least not make them a priority. After-all, it's not like dropping in a kiosk by the store front. Availability of a major power source, routing wiring, local building permits, permission from the mall owner, 24 hour security, and yes, cost vs benefit for their customer set.

 

[Onyrlef]

I can think of lots of possible reasons a particular Walmart location might not be able or willing to provide EV chargers. Or at least not make them a priority. After-all, it's not like dropping in a kiosk by the store front. Availability of a major power source, routing wiring, local building permits, permission from the mall owner, 24 hour security, and yes, cost vs benefit for their customer set.

And WalMart rarely commits 100% to anything until it’s a proven strategy, even then sometimes the law of unintended consequences intrudes. Target is now limiting self checkout to 15 items and Family Dollar is doing away with them altogether. Losses due to unintended and intended shrink at the self checkouts is apparently costing them more than they’re saving by eliminating traditional checkouts.

 

[DonTom]

I can think of lots of possible reasons a particular Walmart location might not be able or willing to provide EV chargers. Or at least not make them a priority. After-all, it's not like dropping in a kiosk by the store front. Availability of a major power source, routing wiring, local building permits, permission from the mall owner, 24 hour security, and yes, cost vs benefit for their customer set.

Then it would be nice if they could simply install a few J-1772 stations. All that takes is what they already have, 240 VAC and should be cheap to install.

-Don- Reno, NV

 

[Onyrlef]

Then it would be nice if they could simply install a few J-1772 stations. All that takes is what they already have, 240 VAC and should be cheap to install.

-Don- Reno, NV

There ain’t 240v out where that charger would be. I’ve worked for WM Corporation. Were the board in Bentonville to propose a hologram of the messiah, Sam Walton, turning water into wine at the entrance to every store it would be unanimously approved. A nickel an hour raise for the guy cleaning the restrooms, not so much.

 

[DonTom]

There ain’t 240v out where that charger would be.

It shouldn't be that difficult. Almost every casino here in NV has done such, so have the city halls as well as many other places.

And they could put them anywhere people can park.

-Don- Reno, NV