Poll: Gas Station Status in 2114 (100 Years in the Future)

[Owner]

I recently visited a gas station, and got to pondering the future of these stations. Will they exist in 100 years? What will happen with all the extra real estate on street corners? Will some be converted to electric charging stations?

So I thought I would make a poll and invite comments and predictions in the future. What do you think will occur worldwide with the current 'stock' of gas stations? Or what do you think will occur in your locale?

 

[jerry33]

No way I can predict 100 years from now. However, I'd hope that gas stations would be either non-existant or just a small niche (the way blacksmiths are today).

 

[yobigd20]

Uh kind of a pointless poll. We'll have extracted out all the natural oil from the earth within 100 years. There won't be any oil left, so the poll is moot. Lithium, however, is estimated to have at least 500 years of available resources, far outreaching oil. So yes, 100% of cars will be electric in 100 years. There's no other option. Well, let me rephrase, 0% of cars will be gasoline based. 100% of cars will be "alternative fuels" aka electric or hydrogen powered or something else of the like...nuclear..who knows lol. can't wait for my 2059 Nuclear-powered Model S.

 

[Owner]

Interesting analogy. Blacksmiths? Just for fun I googled to find the closest blacksmith. There is one within 40 miles of my home.

No way I can predict 100 years from now. However, I'd hope that gas stations would be either non-existant or just a small niche (the way blacksmiths are today).

 

[richkae]

Here are my best guesses:

Passenger vehicles will use electric drive. How they will store energy is unclear. But it will not be a liquid chemical fuel that is burned. If there is a liquid chemical fuel, it won't be gasoline.

Most wheeled cargo transport will be mostly electric, energy may be delivered from some transmission method in the road or overhead wires. Some energy will be stored on board, but only used when going off a main route that has no transmission infrastructure.
Some wheeled cargo transport will use chemical fuel ( for routes that are not trafficed enough for transmission infrastructure ), but it will be mostly LPG or other forms of natural gas.

The primary chemical fuel burners left will be rail, ships, and aircraft ( spacecraft ). Rail and ships will use the lower grade fuel, and aircraft will use the higher grade fuel.
But many of those will also be electric.

In short, there will be no "gas stations" for passenger cars, the fuel stations that still exist will serve aircraft and shipping.

Liquid chemical fuel ( that doesn't need compression storage ) will be too valuable to waste on passenger cars.

 

[Doug Martoccia]

The number of gasoline stations in California (and the US) has been in decline for years. California is losing an average of about 100/yr, from a total of 9700 in 2011.

With improved fuel economy standards - and a fair share of electric cars - the number of stations should continue to decline at a rapid pace. At some point, it will be so inconvenient to find a location to pump gas that buying an electric car will be a much easier decision. Customers will see more and more charging stations and fewer and fewer gasoline stations. The next question to ask is when will we see a tipping point when refining, distributing and selling gasoline becomes massively unprofitable without sharp increases in pump prices.

Source: Retail Fuel Stations - Survey Responses and Estimated Totals by County

 

[Owner]

Fascinating. I had not realized that the trend is already happening, albeit generally for a slightly different reason. And the population in general is increasing, but not so much in the last few years.

The number of gasoline stations in California (and the US) has been in decline for years. California is losing an average of about 100/yr, from a total of 9700 in 2011.


Source: Retail Fuel Stations - Survey Responses and Estimated Totals by County

 

[VolkerP]

It will be called "gas anxiety". ICE drivers will scurry around, always hoping that the gas stations they used in their trip plans didn't cease to exist... poor souls... *sob*