This scenario is a fathomable reality. Service stations will remain important points of contact in everyday mobile life for the next twenty years and are set to become hubs of mobility through new and improved services. Ongoing electrification, automation and changing behaviours are driving the need for service stations to rethink new business models that will shape their future.  

These are some of the main projections of the “Station service of the future”, a new Aral study conducted in Berlin in May 2019 by Prof. Dr. Barbara Lenz, Director of the Transportation Research Institute of the German Aerospace Center (DLR) and Patrick Wendeler, President of Aral AG.

"In twenty years we will be mobile until our old age. In addition, the new mobility offerings and the growing online business are contributing to increased driving performance"

Barbara Lenz, Director of the Transportation Research Institute of the German Aerospace Center (DLR) 

The station of the big cities

Credit : Aral AG

With a greater mix of vehicles in 2040, the study shows that the demand for both conventional and alternative fuels will grow. For the fuel industry, this means expanding the variety of products on offer. Service stations will develop in order to accommodate a wider range of fuels to meet demand.  

Meeting market needs and climate goals

"A broad fuel mix not only meets future market needs, but is also key to achieving climate goals in the transportation sector," says Patrick Wendeler. According to the study, there will be more and more hybrid cars in 2040. Petrol and diesel hybrids will account for the largest share of total passenger car fleets at 58%. Rechargeable hybrids will represent 16%, while petrol and diesel vehicles will represent just under a quarter of automobiles.

Counting petrol and diesel hybrid cars, two-thirds of the passenger car fleet will regularly refuel with conventional fuels increasingly combined with advanced biocomponents and synthetic fuels. Without regulatory measures, according to DLR forecasts, approximately 3% of passenger cars and 13% of commercial vehicles will be powered exclusively by battery electric vehicles in 2040. Alternatively, service stations will offer liquefied and compressed natural gas (LNG, CNG), hydrogen and possibly autogas (LPG).

Service oriented mobility hubs

Service oriented mobility hubs

New mobility trends are fastest in dense urban traffic and therefore it is in cities that we will see the biggest changes. Mobility hubs in urban areas will benefit from a multi-storey design to facilitate a variety of services. While the core fuel, shop and car wash elements continue to thrive due to more traffic and corresponding demand, each if these will evolve. Service stations of the future will include many of these products: electric bicycles, sharing and pooling vehicles, air taxi loading and maintenance zones. Cyclists will be able to exchange their batteries at vending machines.

For those waiting, whether for a pooling vehicle or a battery to charge, the bistros will offer fresh, ready-to-eat meals and drinks. The growing number of shared vehicles will keep the car wash busy, as cars will need to be cleaned more often. The shop can offer autonomous vehicles for providing home deliveries of purchases. Business people will also be able to rent meeting rooms, further making these centres true hubs of mobility and activity.  

More info on the service station of the future here