Ask HN: In 15 years, what will a gas station visit look like?

[thomassmith65]

This struck me as an interesting sci-fi writing exercise. Gas stations are everywhere; but they'll likely change considerably going forward.

Imagine visiting a gas station in 2040:

• will it sell gas?

• what convenience items will it sell?

• who, if anyone, will staff it?

• what payment methods will it accept?

• what signage and decor will it use?

• will it offer new services?

[codegeek]

Not much. 15 years ago was 2010. Gas stations in 2025 are very similar to Gas stations from 2010. I doubt they will be too different in 2040. May be a few more EV chargers.

[magicalhippo]

The ones they build here in Norway has changed somewhat from 2010. For one, mainly EV chargers, with just a few, if any, pumps.

Mostly sells food and soft drinks, so hot dogs, fresh sandwiches, baked goods, with much more seating area so you can sit and eat while your car charges.

Has almost no car-related stuff, just one or two small sections of blinker fluid, wunder-baum and such.

And looking at the current trend, there will be far fewer of them, mainly located at strategic positions. The small, local gas stations will go away.

[Supermancho]

I would not be surprised if it looks more like Sam's Club, but otherwise the same. ie App with QR code scanner instead of Credit Card scanner.

[raldi]

That's like saying since newspapers in 1995 were very similar to newspapers in 1980, they'll be pretty much the same in 2010.

[baobun]

I foresee an increase in displays showing ads, as well as cameras with facial recognition.

[kcplate]

IMO gas stations haven’t changed all that much over the last 50 years (forget the 15) beyond:

- now having larger buildings to incorporate more convenience products (mostly foodstuffs) for sale - more pumps

[Symbiote]

2040 will be five years after the ban on petrol car sales in the EU, unless that is changed.

With cars lasting around 15 years, we can expect many gas stations to have closed by 2040.

[deepsun]

And more hydrogen stations. Japan keeps investing in them a lot.

[chrismatheson]

I know my view will be affected by the UK being generally a small country...

most people aren't driving 200+ miles a day, which means 90% of charging will be at home.

Driving longer that 200 miles means you probably want a decent break. So I would imagine that most "local" places will disappear / pivot into shops with EV charging also.

Motorway services will also change I think. Fast food isnt as much of an appeal when you're stuck there for an hour or so anyway. So I could see a rise in retrain complexes with charging abilities.

possibly changes in behaviour will also affect things. If im traveling 4-6hrs in a day, id be ok with stopping of for an hour at a shopping centre where I could charge and also do some shopping, maybe let the kids play in a softplay or whatever

The first clever folks to stick a bull ring within 5 minutes drive of the M6 will 200+ charging points will do VERY well I think.

[roryirvine]

The process has already begun - UK petrol station numbers are down by a third since the beginning of the century.

As you say, they'll all but cease to exist in urban areas, with the process mostly complete by the end of the 2030s. I'm not sure that dedicated EV charging stations will be all that common in cities, though. Why not use existing car parks for that?

Some probably will end up being used as surface car parks where there's demand for it, but urban land values are such that I suspect most will be knocked down and replaced with apartments or larger retail units. A few may retain the forecourt structures as a form of kitsch (think of the florists beside Regents Park in London, or the Hyde Park Book Club in Leeds).

There'll probably be a growing niche for domestic fuel delivery services. You might also see a minor resurgence of the very small neighbourhood filling stations that mostly died out in the 1970s/80s - the sort of place that does MOT checks or tyre changes today. Some might end up installing a pump or two, to cater for vintage car enthusiasts.

[Symbiote]

Fosse Park shopping center is practically on the M1 (Leicester) but only has 16 chargers. (Plus some at adjacent businesses like McDonald's).

This seems like an easy way for them to draw in customers.

Meadowhall in Sheffield is similarly close to the motorway, and has 36 chargers.

[danpalmer]

The gas station will be older, crappier. As the shift to electric cars takes hold new gas stations won’t be built, old ones won’t be renovated, and they’ll be squeezed harder. Expect more stuff to buy at worse prices with more advertising.

Chargers will likely rise up around a different type of venue that won’t be seen as a gas station. More cafes, places suitable to spend 15+ minutes. Places with seating.

Increasingly gas stations will just be seen as a dated concept that isn’t living up to the world of 2040. Otherwise they’ll be almost exactly the same as today.

[jasondigitized]

I am seeing the exact opposite in Texas. Bucees's and QT are causing a lot of gas stations to up level both the amenities and merchandising. If anything the experience is getting a lot nicer. If you haven't been to a Bucee's you should.

[cerlo_team]

I’m on board.

[d--b]

First I’d answer the question: should there be any gas stations at all? With self driving vehicles you could imagine a future where self driving gas dispensing trucks roam the highways to refill cars as they go.

Or instead of trucks you could imagine that the left lane on highways could be replaced by some kind of train on rails that your car could dock to. In that train you’d have the same crap you have in current gas stations: mostly toilets and food stuff.

Cars docking to stuff is something that really clicks with me, but you could really go one step further away. You could split cars between the part that runs and the part that carries passengers. The part that carries people could be some kind of capsule akin to a boat container that could be loaded onto something else. When on the highway, this cabin could be put on some giant train that would carry hundreds of these capsules and when you need to get off the highway, your capsule would be loaded on some independent single-capsule vehicle, that would drive you where you need to go.

It’s probably all terrible ideas because that would make everything a lot less resilient to problems in terms of operation, but you said sci fi :-)

Oh and yeah 15 years is way too short to see that kind of changes.

[karar01]

My prediction: 1) Yes, It'll sell gas but it'll also have electric stations. 2) Basic snacks and food but maybe more electric cigarettes lol 3) Only chips (either on your credit card, phone or under your skin) 4) Simplistic and white modern look 5) Cleaner restrooms as the robots clean every 30 min and no staff, more cameras with AI to detect anamoly and call 911 quickly.

[protocolture]

In my experience Petrol stations are very smart operators that accumulate new business models very quickly.

My locals all:

Sell petrol

Sell snacks, meals and necessities (small convenience stores)

Sell firewood

Sell ice

Provide gas bottle swaps.

Sell large items that are convenient for ute tray transport (Slabs of drink and other items)

Provide free water and air, basic car wash facilities.

15 years from now I expect all of the above (It will take 20 years to get rid of petrol cars when the last one is sold)

Plus more common ev charging. Maybe battery swaps.

[silisili]

In the US at least, I feel like you hit that late 90s convenience experience.

While it's true they still do these things, or try to, in my experience nobody actually uses them because of understaffing and underpaying of employees to the point of them not caring.

Who wants a brown hot dog or dried out taquito that's been on a roller for who knows how many days? Who wants soda from moldy taps? Who wants to stand in line to change out propane, to be told there's only one person working, go out and wait til the line is gone? Air is still free, but you have to go in and ask for it to be turned on.

At least that's my experience, maybe each locale is different. I literally have never seen a person buy prepared food or exchange propane at a typical gas station(wawa/buckees excluded) in my adult life.

[tonyedgecombe]

> Provide free water and air, basic car wash facilities.

In the UK you have to pay for water and air pretty much everywhere now.

[bravesoul2]

They start to disappear in cities replaced by parking spot fast chargers. Some remain for ICE engines but fewer of them. The ICE engines ones are as now as there is no need to innovate e.g. robots filling your fuel.

Between cities they will be as now a rest stop mainly with fuel. Maybe more charging where you park.

Whether we staff or not depends on if we adopt Japanese culture. In Tokyo they have unattended fast food shops, and somewhat novelty robot servers at some restaurants.

I predict 50% chance of that happening. It may be driven to buy robots and automation becoming cheaper than labour plus mass surveillance making it less appetizing to steal.

[dark__paladin]

Speaking as an American.

They will be virtually identical, except that there will be far more ads. Perhaps stations in super urban areas will integrate AI into the pump, using your name and level 3 data to market to you hyper-specifically.

Also Arizona teas will no longer say 99¢ on the can.

[idontwantthis]

I’m pretty close to spraying something into the speakers to destroy them. I had to get gas at an ad blasting station yesterday and got just 3 gallons and left.

[7402]

See article in today's New York Times: https://www.nytimes.com/2025/06/08/business/gas-station-expa...

Gas Stations Are Adding E.V. Chargers and Reasons to Wait Around

As gas stations prepare for more electric vehicles to be on the road, they’re getting bigger. That has created tension in some communities.

[raldi]

I'm reminded of when Blockbuster wiped out all the little video rental places. Even if existing gas stations install chargers, most EV drivers are going to prefer to charge someplace where it's nice to spend an hour or two, and whoever creates those places is going to take all the business.

[mc32]

They’ll probably keep dispensing hydrocarbon fuels. But we may see fuel stations migrate or integrate into other destinations a bit. Mostly Costco these days, but as we transition to electrically powered vehicles, we’ll see more charging + hydrocarbon fuel stations colocated with other businesses with linty of parking that also draw people for a significant amount of time, enough to charge an e-vehicle to significant degree.

[pradeepodela]

I feel the concept of EV charging might be democratized. These are the problems with EV stations:

It takes a while to charge up.

No matter what, only a very few people can be accommodated at once.

On the flip side, setting up a gas station is hard, but that’s not the case with EV charging stations — especially if battery swapping is innovated. It also takes time to deeply penetrate the market, but EV charging is much more suitable for two-wheelers.

So there’s a clear gap — the current gas stations can’t handle the volume of people waiting for EV charging. What is the way forward? I feel anyone with an EV charger can set up an EV charging station at home. This means all your malls, houses, and parks might be converted into EV charging stations, making it much more decentralized.

I anticipate that anyone with an EV charger and good parking space can make some extra bucks from it. I feel the whole idea of gas stations might be democratized. I’m not sure — this is just what I feel. Feel free to let me know your opinion.

[Delphiza]

Connecting EV charging stations to the grid is a significant problem. Balancing the peak grid maximum demand* against EV charging demand. While it may be okay to have a busy highway/motorway service station properly hooked up, it get's more difficult to apply that more broadly. How much charging capacity should a shopping centre provide? What about a occasionally-used sports venue?

I have worked with customers that have distribution centres in city locations to charge online-shopping vehicles overnight for the next day. All vehicles are plugged in and the software needs to charge different vehicles up at different times and rates, in order to spread the load.

It is far easier to dig a hole in the ground and fill a tank with delivered fuel - all the logistics for this already exists.

* Maximum demand is a well-known concept that relates to the maximum current draw in a 30-minute period, which is used to provide the necessary infrastructure from the electricity supplier.

[Bender]

will it sell gas?

Yes and especially diesel which will not go away for a few generations. There are no EV replacements for heavy trucks and they do not appear to be viable yet. 3500 through 7500 series. Battery tech will have to make science fiction level improvements. When those trucks are gone society comes to a stand-still. Comparison to earth moving equipment in mines do not apply.

what convenience items will it sell?

The popular versions of what they sell today and is known to bring in revenue.

who, if anyone, will staff it?

Mostly high-school kids, some people that do not have the confidence to move on and some with criminal backgrounds.

what payment methods will it accept?

Credit, Debit, Cash. Maybe bitcoin.

will it offer new services?

If they have the parking lot space then there may be battery swap stations to quickly swap out EV packs, offer paid upgrades to newer batteries and battery tech every few years.

[defrost]

> There are no EV replacements for heavy trucks and they do not appear to be viable yet.

Janus Electric has been converting prime movers to electric since 2019, listed on the ASX this year, and have demonstrated viability.

* https://primemovermag.com.au/body-electric/

* https://www.januselectric.com.au/news/janus-unveils-first-el...

* https://www.januselectric.com.au/

So far they've barely made a dent in global big truck numbers but they're planning to expand over the next few years .. and there are others in the same business.

> Comparison to earth moving equipment in mines do not apply.

Why not? These fleets have been quasi electric since the 1970s, have serious ongoing research into fully renewable replacement paths, and are responsible for a massive chunk of transport fuel usage given the sheer number of mines in the world and numbers such as iron ore mining in one Australia state alone accounting for > than a billion tonnes moved by trucks alone (including overburden, etc).

These aren't trucks that refuel at gas stations, but they are a considerable sink for fossil fuels.

[misterjensen]

Gas station convenience stores in Brazil have for the most part replaced regular convenience stores, especially outside regular work hours. Gas stations in Brazil tend to be well lit spaces with ample parking, surveillance and frequent police presence. I wouldn't be surprised if gas stations in the northern hemisphere become a little more like Brazilian gas stations as time goes by and urban violence increases in Europe, USA and Canada. I also don't buy on the inevitability of electric vehicles. I am pretty sure at least diesel and ethanol will be around for a long time.

[johnea]

I already don't go to gas stations.

I have a really hard time understanding the pushback to elctrification.

Very fewe people (like almost none) drive more than 300 miles in a day 8-/

Most people in the plains states where the resistance is highest, live in single family homes where they could easily charge overnight.

[poulsbohemian]

Do you live somewhere in the east where states are close together? If I want to travel across my state, I'd have to plan a recharge somewhere along the way for nearly any electric vehicle. To fill up with gas would take ten minutes; as far as I can tell, any EV is going to take >30 minutes. Not saying that's a gating factor, but it's certainly something to consider. Likewise in states with more continental weather, there also appears to be some concern about extreme cold causing issues with charging and/or battery service life.

[andy99]

More advertising, more intrusive tracking and personal information collection (mandatory membership in something, swipe your license or scan some biometric, no cash options), more expensive gas. More nagging from your car about things that aren't even on your radar now.

[mhandley]

The ones in towns will mostly disappear. There will be enough chargers at supermarkets, malls, restaurants, anywhere people actually want to go, and most people will charge at home or work. The remaining business won't be enough to keep in-town gas stations in business. Range anxiety will become more of an issue for gas cars.

On highways, it will be a different situation. There will be plenty of gas and diesel still available, as the remaining business from towns becomes more concentrated. You won't find a gas station without a restaurant attached though. Fast chargers will be common, but ultra-fast ones won't be as common as we'd like, as they will want to keep you just long enough to buy a meal, etc.

[PaulShin]

A fascinating thought exercise. It mirrors a question we obsess over every day at my startup: "In 15 years, what will an 'office' visit look like?"

My bet for the gas station: they become high-density "Service Hubs." The main product won't be selling gas, but selling time and convenience back to the driver. Think ultra-fast EV charging bays, automated Amazon package return kiosks, a great coffee subscription service, and maybe even quick biometric health check pods. They'll be data-driven, hyper-efficient service points.

I believe the traditional office is facing the same existential shift. Its core "product" a desk to sit at from 9 to 5 is becoming as obsolete as the gasoline pump.

The "office" of the future isn't a physical place; it's a system. A Workspace OS where the most important flow isn't people commuting to a building, but information flowing seamlessly from conversation → to idea → to action. It's a space where an AI teammate handles the repetitive work (summarizing meetings, tracking tasks), freeing up humans to do the deep, creative work that truly matters.

So, in 2040, perhaps the best gas stations and the best offices will have one thing in common: you'll barely notice they're there. They'll just be a seamless, intelligent system that helps you get where you need to go whether that's across the country, or from a great idea to a finished product.

[fasthands9]

Interesting Q - though I predict they will largely look the same. They may have more battery charging stations or replacement batteries (especially for stations on an interstate) but otherwise I think it will just be a nicer version of what we have today. Maybe higher quality hot food and more interesting snacks, which I think we are already seeing today with new stations.

Most gas stations today only have one employee at a time so it seems hard to cut that down (and not much incentive tbh).

Electric cars today are still under 10%. Cars last a really long time, so even if there is a huge surge in electric self-driving cars by 2030 there will still be lots of ICE cars on the road in 15 years.

[amai]

Have a look at Norway:

"many service center operators are removing one or more gas pumps and installing EV chargers instead. According to Bloomberg Hyperdrive, at the Uno-X Furuset service area on the outskirts of Oslo, four gas pumps have become three. ... At some service areas, the fuel pumps are all being removed to make way for EV chargers. "

https://cleantechnica.com/2025/03/28/trading-gas-pumps-for-e...

[varsketiz]

Such a cool question! My perspective as a Lithuanian:

I think they will continue to sell both petrol and diesel in 15 years. I think gas (we have some cars running on literally gas) will not be there anymore. There will be more EV chargers, I would think in every station.

I would think in 15 years someone will try and succeed to create a "destination gas station", like a cool restaurant, that people will go out of their route to visit.

I don't think we will be on self driving trucks in 15 years. But once we get there, gas stations will service them in whatevet service they will need.

[throwaway1854]

> I would think in 15 years someone will try and succeed to create a "destination gas station", like a cool restaurant, that people will go out of their route to visit.

This has already happened in the U.S. Southeast. It's called "Bucc-ee's". They're very large gas stations with 50+ pumps. They have a squirrel for a mascot and sometimes if you go there's someone dressed up as the mascot there.

Inside, it's not a traditional restaurant but they're well known for selling barbecue (e.g. brisket). They also have large sections of the inner store dedicated to selling lots of rustic and outdoor type things that you'd traditionally get at a department store--things like grills, tents, etc.

It's a destination for sure.