[LeifCarrotson]

Gasoline is already something of a loss leader...they're really convenience stores with attached pumps. Though without the captive audience, and without the space and infrastructure to replace the pumps with electric chargers, I doubt that the convenience stores will have the same level of traffic.

[hylaride]

Until electric cars can fully charge in less than 5 minutes, people will need something to do, so entertainment may become a thing (whether that's a coffee shop of an arcade for the kids, or just a place to sit on your phone, I have no idea).

[mikekchar]

As someone who owns an EV, but doesn't have a charger at home, I wish I could up vote this more :-) The biggest surprise for me is how much I enjoy charging the car -- it gets me out. If you put chargers around a pedestrian downtown core, it would be absolutely amazing. However, I suspect it's going to be huge at the malls in NA.

[clouddrover]

McDonald's is installing chargers at their locations in Sweden:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8QXo8TuvqQI

Presumably with the idea that they'll make money on the charging and get more business for the restaurant.

[nradov]

Standing around for 30 minutes waiting for my car to recharge while my children beg me to buy them "entertainment" and snacks sounds like torture.

[turk73]

Unless EVs can charge faster, I really don't see them taking off. Sorry to be a luddite, but time is our number one good in the world and wasting more of people's time isn't scalable.

If I need gas and I have to pick up my kids after school or haul them to any appointment or other event it's not "okay" that I have to sit and wait for 30 mins. for my car to charge. Not. Going. To. Work.

Also, I live in a place that gets extremely cold, life threateningly cold. If my EV fails in that weather I could die.

[thinkcontext]

Agreed. Because it takes longer to charge than fill up with gas they won't be able to get sufficient volume.

[ianlevesque]

But if you are bored there longer you're more likely to buy something?

[thinkcontext]

Then the format would have to change. They are optimized to sell skittles and slurpees as fast as possible, there would be no point in spending 15 more minutes at a current gas station convenience store.

Makes more sense to put chargers in places people park, like grocery stores.

[Tade0]

I think it's the slow parking-spot chargers which are going to kill gas stations eventually.

IIRC CA already requires new buildings to be prepped for charging stations.

I mean, why drive somewhere to charge when you can plug in overnight and wake up to a car with 200km+ more worth of charge?

[test6554]

Perhaps they will charge extra money to charge a car at the full speed the car is capable of and hobble charging speed for a lower price.

[BrentOzar]

> Perhaps they will charge extra money to charge a car at the full speed the car is capable of and hobble charging speed for a lower price.

This would tie up their charging infrastructure and space for a longer time, making less money. Gas stations & charging venues are usually space-constrained because they're located on expensive real estate. Their goal is to maximize revenue and throughput in small spaces.

[mulmen]

Do they do that with gas pumps?

[jnty]

No, but you can't browse in a shop while filling up with petrol (at least in the UK where we don't have those locks which keep the pump on while you walk away.)

[mulmen]

Hmm, good point, I hadn't considered that. EV charging is totally unattended.

Makes me wonder what benefits there are to convenience store sales in states where "full service" is required.

[vonmoltke]

In New Jersey, at least, the "convenience store" at many gas stations consists of a row of cigarette packs in the attendant's booth and a soda machine outside. We also have plenty of standalone convenience stores here.