Something To Think About.

"Jacques L' Autre" (jacklauterdale)
08/14/2013 at 23:55 • Filed to: None

It's the year 2033, when electric cars reign supreme, and the fossil fueled cars of yore are just that, fossils. What happens to the filling stations we frequent so often today? Not only the actual buildings, but the people they employ? Obviously, some will be able to turn into charging stations, but I can't imagine it would be more than 50% of the current stations we have now. Sure, some could turn into convenience stores, however, we've all seen those intersections where there's a Shell, BP, Exxon, and "Your Local Non-Ethanol" gas station on all of the corners. It's rare to see a stand-a-lone convenience these days, and I highly doubt there is market for them in as high of a saturation as we have of the filling stations of today.

Obviously, this isn't a scenario that we will face tomorrow, or even in the next five years, but it could happen. What do we replace these often entry-level, and most times, minimum wage jobs that thousands of our nations students, elderly, and hard-pressed will be out of, with?

Picture credit.

DISCUSSION (14)

Lets Just Drive > Jacques L' Autre
08/14/2013 at 23:58

High Speed Porn Hubs.

Jacques L' Autre > Lets Just Drive
08/15/2013 at 00:02

Are there people still stuck with low-speed Porn Hub?

Lets Just Drive > Jacques L' Autre
08/15/2013 at 00:06

If they can give us all electric cars, I want faster porn.

daender > Jacques L' Autre
08/15/2013 at 00:08

I've seen a few gas stations be converted it all sorts of business: dry-cleaning (the covered roof is nice for getting clothes to your car without getting wet), restaurants , tax-offices, car detailing shops, and such. The buildings are already there, might as well re-use them.

Paul, Man of Mustangs > daender
08/15/2013 at 00:11

They also make great espresso stands. Just put the stand on the pump island.

Jacques L' Autre > daender
08/15/2013 at 00:16

I've seen quite a few of those as well. There's a great taco place here that is in an old gas station, but we've never seen the level of vacant stations that I think we will have.

And that still doesn't address what we do with the workforce.

Clown Shoe Pilot > Jacques L' Autre
08/15/2013 at 00:30

they'll still sell beer, cigarettes, and lotto tickets.

Dakotacowboy > Jacques L' Autre
08/15/2013 at 00:41

I seriously doubt that by then the technology will have progressed enough to eliminate long haul diesel trucks from the roads, so a large number of stations will stay open for them. I also believe some will continue to hang on as gas stations because a number of us gearheads will be unwilling to give up our internal combustion engines. We probably won't daily drive our ICE vehicles everyday, but we will still have them for weekend drives, car shows, and other fun.

trynthink > Jacques L' Autre
08/15/2013 at 00:55

I wouldn't be at all surprised if those people will just be absorbed into the general retail workforce. I'd imagine the primary difference between working in a convenience store and at Target is level of autonomy/oversight during the average day.

Also, I'd guess a lot of people asked almost the exact same question when stations switched from predominantly full service to self service (excepting OR and NJ). So far as I can tell, employment numbers in either state aren't better than their neighbors on account of that law.

Jacques L' Autre > trynthink
08/15/2013 at 00:57

True, but I still think this is will be on a larger scale than the switch from full to self serve. There are literally thousands of people working for gas stations that I'm not sure the regular retail sector would be able to absorb.

trynthink > Jacques L' Autre
08/15/2013 at 01:19

There are about 900,000 service station workers in the US ( source ). It is a lot to absorb, but it won't happen overnight. It will take decades, probably well beyond 2033, before every gas station closes. Also, some of those people will probably keep their jobs even after most retail stations close because there are some that primarily service the trucking industry. Moreover, these data are a little old, but it looks like the number of gas stations in America has been declining steadily for a while ( source ), so that trend might just continue.

Mikeado > Jacques L' Autre
08/15/2013 at 05:11

If everyone has an EV, I'd have thought all of them would become charging stations, probably with mini-supermarkets for you to browse in while it charges for 10 minutes.

But hey, maybe hydrogen combustion engines will become a thing by 2033 and they will have to be H2 filling stations as well!

f86sabre > Lets Just Drive
08/15/2013 at 08:08

If they are driver-less electric cars then this becomes a natural follow on.

f86sabre > Jacques L' Autre
08/15/2013 at 08:10

They all become taquerias. All of them.

Kinja'd!!!