Mina Gorgyos

Electric cars keep coming, and the major oil companies are taking notice. Exxon Mobil and BP estimate that we could see 100 million electric vehicles on the road by 2040. Some suggest electric cars could kill the modern gas station. In the light of plans from Royal Dutch Shell, France’s Total, and BP, it seems possible charging could start to take over the gas stations. How realistic is it to imagine centralized charging for electric vehicles analogous to centralized fueling for gasoline and diesel vehicles?   If your next car is going to be electric, where you might “fill up” is a good and practical question that has to be resolved. Conventional wisdom holds that home charging with Level 1 (about 20 hours to charge a typical vehicle) or Level 2 (3–4 hours to charge) is the predominant answer, covering 90% of vehicle use. Direct current (DC) fast charging (taking as little as 20 minutes to charge) is viewed as the solution of last resort, something a driver turns to in ...

Electric cars are a relatively new phenomena for many of us, yet most of us know of someone who has an electric vehicle, whether that's a Nissan Leaf, BMW i series, or a Tesla. I've been on the periphery of conversations about EVs for a few years now, and two of the biggest challenges I keep hearing about are batteries and charging. Both of these issues combine to create one of the top 4 barriers to adoption; range anxiety .   In recent years Tesla has really pushed the envelope of both battery technology and car design to achieve a range that is comparable to many family diesel cars on the market today. The chart below shows the range (distance) the top performing electric cars can travel before they need to be recharged. it should be noted that these ranges are as provided by the manufacturer and are achieved in controlled (lab) conditions, so in the real world, they might very well differ. Refuelling Electric Vehicles vs Internal Combustion The internal combu...

Independent gas stations and convenience stores have a pretty good business. People need gas regularly. They also need other small convenience items. It’s very easy to swing down to the closest and trusted store and get the things you need. Yet many of these stations could be doing even more. The location is huge. Maintaining a clean and friendly store is huge. Having the right items on the shelves is probably number one. But a little online marketing can take things even further. Especially when you’re in a competitive situation. Here are some tips to try… #1. Functional Website Many local and independent gas stations don’t have a basic website. Too many. I get it. Location is the big thing. If you have a great location near lots of people with good access and good products then you’re going to be busy. But even if you’re in that situation and doing well there are other entrepreneurs lurking to get a piece of the action. I also get that you can use Faceboo...

NEW YORK - So you think you are finally getting one over on the gas stations as you pay well under $3 a gallon for the first time in four years? Guess again. Gas stations love low prices too -- and not just because customers are nicer when they are paying less. "We're in the same shoes as the consumer, the cost of fuel is less for us," says Kevin Beyer, who owns Performance Fuels, a filling station and convenience store in Smithtown, NY. Why gas station owners love low oil prices Gas stations love low prices too -- and not just because customers are nicer when they are paying less. "We're in the same shoes as the consumer, the cost of fuel is less for us," says Kevin Beyer, who owns Performance Fuels, a filling station and convenience store in Smithtown, NY. That means profits for Beyer and the nation's 127,000 filling stations are rising. Before they sell gas t...

Why are gas stations de-branding? Typically gas stations have long-term contracts in place with major petroleum brands, and there are often good reasons for doing so. These include increased consumer recognition and trust, and sometimes more economical access to fuel. However, the introduction of the EMV liability shift left both parties considering their options when the gas station is yet to convert its at-pump payments authorisation to EMV. Many brands simply do not want to be liable for at-pump fraud, and this discomfort is only going to grow with fraudsters increasingly targeting these vendors. The result is that many brands are strongly considering terminating the contracts of gas station owners that haven’t installed chip and pin terminals for being in breach of its terms and conditions. And where they haven’t ended their relationships with gas stations that are yet to implement EMV-enabled at-pump payments altogether, it is ...