Gas stations are one of the driving forces behind the development of EV charging infrastructure. Gas stations ensure seamless car functioning and are among the services that drivers use 24/7. However, many fill companies have not yet equipped their locations with EV chargers, losing valuable time and additional perks. Operators that have already started equipping their gas stations with electric charging often face certain problems (e.g. charging stations do not function properly) and, therefore, fail to enjoy the expected benefits.
Why Gas Stations Should Have EV Chargers
EV charging at gas stations offers a number of advantages for operators. First of all, this is monetization. Basically, fuel comprise the major part of the gas station income. Gas stations also earn money from related services: selling food, drinks, etc. But if gas station ev chargers are added to this list, operators will receive one more source of income.
Besides, EV charging at gas stations helps attract new and retain current customers.
Current customers are those drivers who have switched from an ICE car to an electric car, and if their favourite gas station installs EV chargers, they will be happy to visit it to enjoy high-quality service and a cup of coffee. New customers are EV owners who did not visit the gas station until it was equipped with a charging station.
After all, equipping gas stations with EV charging is a matter of survival in the future. The number of EVs is keeps growing and this trend is expected to continue. This is facilitated, in particular, by the ban on the sale of new ICE cars in Europe (which should become effective in 2035), the reduction in the ICE car lineup and, of course, the customers' choice. There will come a time when the share of ICE cars will significantly decrease. Thus, gas stations risk losing their profits.
At the same time, by installing gas station EV chargers, operators join the global movement toward sustainability, become socially responsible and increase visibility of their brands.
For example, Shell plc noticed the trend a few years ago. Since 2018, this multinational oil and gas company featuring a gas station network of the same name has been developing its own charging station network. Since then, chargers have been installed at the filling stations, as well as separate charging hubs have been created (the first Shell hub was founded in London in 2021). Another oil and gas company, British Petroleum, is working in a similar direction: by 2024, it intends to install 8,000 gas station EV chargers around the world. One more example –Subway: recently, the world's largest fast-food chain, whose restaurants are often located at gas stations, announced the opening of "EV charging oasis” – charging areas equipped with picnic tables, Wi-Fi, toilets and playgrounds for children.
So, as you can see, gas stations with electric charging is the right and necessary solution. However, buying and installing charging stations are only the first steps to creating a high-quality charging location. To ensure the efficient operation of the EV chargers, the latter requires efficient software.
Optimizing the Work of Gas Stations Combined with Electric Charging
A lot of gas stations with EV charging have encountered a significant problem. Refueling of an ICE car takes up to 10 minutes, while EV is charged up during 22-55 minutes. As a result, queues are created at the charging stations. As the number of EVs is constantly increasing, the queues are getting longer, and the efficiency of charging stations drops.
A comprehensive GO TO-U solution helps deal with this issue. Our solution features two main components:
GO TO-U mobile app. Our app, which offers more than 330,000 charges in 64 countries, features a unique reservation technology. With the help of the GO TO-U app, the EV driver can see the current status of the charging station (free/busy) in real time, as well as the time, when the charger will become available again. The most important advantage of the app is the opportunity to reserve a station for a specific day (up to 7 days in advance) and time. The driver can change the reservation time if needed.
By the way, the problem of queues at charging stations has recently been highlighted on Kris Rifa's YouTube channel, who conducted a comparative test drive of the Volvo C40 Recharge and Hyundai Ioniq 5 on a 600-kilometer run with charging stops:
Thus, the app helps eliminate the issue of queues for both an EV driver and a gas stations with electric charging. Our platform is the only one offering a unique reservation technology.
Back Office GO TO-U is a smart charging station management system that helps companies automate all the necessary processes to ensure seamless EV charging. The software solution allows one to monitor the status of the chargers, identify users, track accrual sessions, and keep records. The solution offers the following opportunities:
- Managing charging sessions;
- Access control: you can create user groups with different access levels;
- Price adjustment: you can set different prices depending on the access level / day / time;
- Using marketing, remarketing, and PR tools.
Thus, with the help of Back Office GO TO-U, companies can distribute all customers as evenly as possible over available time slots and provide a comfortable service for each of them.
The GO TO-U software solution is compatible with any equipment, so operators can connect AC and DC stations from any manufacturer.
Developing EV Infrastructure at Gas Stations Together
As you can see, equipping gas stations with EV charging is beneficial for both EV drivers and operators. At the same time, the GO TO-U solution makes the use and management of charging stations more convenient, comfortable and simple, ensuring reliable service to all interested parties.
In addition to our comprehensive software solution, we also offer services for the sale and installation of charging stations. Our store features chargers from reliable and certified manufacturers with different parameters to choose from: i.e. power, connector type, price, etc. Due to varied selection, the customer can choose the solution depending on their needs.
