[ChiragM]

According to a media report, a petrol station in Takoma Park, Maryland, US has been fully converted to an electric vehicle charging station. This is said to be the first petrol station in the country to be converted to a charging station.



The station, called RS Automotives, is reported to have opened in 1958. The report suggests that the owner of the petrol station was unhappy with the way oil companies structure contracts. These included limiting the use of multiple suppliers, including clauses that extend contracts when a certain volume of sales is not met and limiting maintenance support.

There are more than 20,700 EVs in Maryland and Takoma Park also has an electric taxi service. However, there were just two charging stations in the area - in the community centre parking lot and at a street location. The conversion of the petrol station to a charging station was funded by the Electric Vehicle Institute and the Maryland Energy Administration. The station features four dispensers connected to a 200 kW system. Four cars can charge at a time and can charge to 80% in 20 to 30 minutes. Drivers can monitor the charging status via screens in the convenience store.

Link to Team-BHP News

Source: CNBC

[Rehaan]

Excellent! Sign of things to come...

However, I can't imagine this being good from a business point of view:

1) When you're selling 100 Gallons of fluid per hour for ~$250 - the profits make sense. However, when you're selling $5 of electricity every hour, I can't see the profit margin being there.

2) Due to the lack of charging infra at the moment, people might stop at this "pump" for the specific purpose of charging. However, that's going to change - with charging infra being available everywhere, and usually as an ancillary to another activity (office, mall, grocery store).

3) A charging station makes more sense when it's an added incentive to another attraction. Eg. A Cafe

[tejas2323]

It will be wonderful if Indian Government comes up with some scheme providing charging facilities at Gas stations. There is good amount of free space at gas stations. 8 to 10 vehicles can easliy be charged at a time. Setting up new charging stations will requre large amount of new resources. Providing such facility at existing Gas stations will be relatively easy and time saving.

[Sebring]

Bangalore old timers will remember, but we actually had a 'drive-in-theater' on Bannerghatta road. They tore it down. So I guess these things will come back.

Originally Posted by Rehaan

A charging station makes more sense when it's an added incentive to another attraction. Eg. A Cafe

[HKap]

I think this model will start making sense once the fast chargers become more common. You can literally charge for 10-15 mins and go back to over 80% charge (assuming you had 20% or so to begin with). The convenience store becomes a good source of revenue in this case. People will want to go get a cup of coffee or something to munch on while the car charges. Right now the stop for petrol is hardly 2 minutes so the visit to the convenience store is not so convenient.

[landcruiser123]

They should start giving tax credits (for a specified period like 24 months) to businesses which have EV chargers. The problem is that most businesses don't have parking inside in India.

Even this MK Ahmed Bazaar-https://goo.gl/maps/i6QahjisGaGTPHa97 near my old house doesn't have an EV charging station.

[Nitrous Power]

Originally Posted by Rehaan

Excellent! Sign of things to come...

However, I can't imagine this being good from a business point of view:

1) When you're selling 100 Gallons of fluid per hour for ~$250 - the profits make sense. However, when you're selling $5 of electricity every hour, I can't see the profit margin being there.

Profit margin on gas is very low for majority of gas stations in USA. Matter of fact, most gas stations have profit margins of barely 4-5 cents per gallon; unless there isn’t any competition around. I have seen cases where gas station owners sell gas at loss also. The reason is: for gas stations, profit comes from soda/coffee, grocery sales from convince stor attached to gas station. Selling gas is a way to get customers into your convenience store.

I still see that it can be a profitable business due to lack of charging options available - specially if you are living in apartments. Once EVs become more cheaper and affordable for middle class of USA, these kind of gas stations will start seeing business as not everyone can have access to charging.

Off course, not all Gas Stations will convert to EV charging station but it can be profitable if EV density is high in your area.

[libranof1987]

Quite interesting that has happened in Maryland first, and not in the uber-environment-conscious California. I wonder if this is more of a study than an actual business model. Far too many things, in the current EV landscape, that prevent it from being sustainable.

EV charging points/park/spaces make sense where people can spend a few hours: business parks, restaurants, malls and so on. And some states already are providing that infrastructure.

Originally Posted by Rehaan

However, I can't imagine this being good from a business point of view

There you go!

Originally Posted by ChiragM

The conversion of the petrol station to a charging station was funded by the Electric Vehicle Institute and the Maryland Energy Administration.

[emkay.india]

Originally Posted by Sebring

Bangalore old timers will remember, but we actually had a 'drive-in-theater' on Bannerghatta road. They tore it down. So I guess these things will come back.

This would be excellent if implemented! Charge your car while watching a movie

[RajeevSharma]

The volume of sales will be less but same profit margin can be maintained as there has to be a business model for all these electric charging stations to come up. The fossil fuel could also become cheaper as a result if we harness more wind, solar and hydro power to generate electricity.

Move to electric vehicles will be disruptive to all the oil companies and the gasoline stations but they have to be intelligent and innovate to stay ahead. It is sure that some other industries will have to create a lot more jobs to compensate for job losses.

Originally Posted by Rehaan

Excellent! Sign of things to come...

However, I can't imagine this being good from a business point of view:

1) When you're selling 100 Gallons of fluid per hour for ~$250 - the profits make sense. However, when you're selling $5 of electricity every hour, I can't see the profit margin being there.

2) Due to the lack of charging infra at the moment, people might stop at this "pump" for the specific purpose of charging. However, that's going to change - with charging infra being available everywhere, and usually as an ancillary to another activity (office, mall, grocery store).

3) A charging station makes more sense when it's an added incentive to another attraction. Eg. A Cafe

[Jeroen]

I am not sure how it works exactly in the USA, but certainly in most of Europe it is impossible to run a petrol pump profitable, unless it is unmanned. We have a lot of those these days as well.

Most petrol stations along busy roads make their money not through margin on petrol or diesel, but on food, coffee and other stuff. So the customers just filling up and driving on are never the best customers. In the USA even at manned stations you can very often pay at the pump directly with your credit card.

But the attractive customers are those that come in to pay, because they nearly always end up spending some more. Coffee, tea, soft drinks, sandwiches.

Shell works with Starbucks, so more and more Shell stations not only serve Starbucks coffee but have a proper Starbuck establisment next door.

The trend in Europe is at both sides of the spectrum; Either unmanned or manned with lots of additional facilities. I can see the latter working well with EVs. Stopping for 20 minutes to get a descent charge, stretch you legs, have a coffee and a decent, freshly made sandwich, use the bathroom etc.

Jeroen

[sajaijayan]

Sign of things to come. 15% margins on electricity (100% if solar) + convenience store/eatery makes perfect sense in the long term vis a vis minimal margins selling fuel.

[.HEM]

This can be a viable solution on the Highways, though it may be successful on the longer run. In the city, I dont think it may make any profits.

Also, for countries like India, with Tigor EV launched, the petrol stations close to the city can allocate 2 or 3 bays for charging EV's.