The era of petrol cars is coming to an end with the advent of batteries and electric cars – and so is the era of gas stations and the pollution they bring to communities.
Gas stations, by their very nature, are environmental hazards. Of the 450,000 hazardous locations in the US alone, half are contaminated by oil, with much of it coming from underground tanks leaking from former gas stations, creating risks of leaks and explosions.
These hazards are not limited to tank leaks or after the gas station is no longer in use. While in operation, gas stations pose serious health risks to people in nearby homes, businesses and schools. Gas stations emit dangerous levels of the well known carcinogens benzene and ozone, which cause serious respiratory problems.
Climate change concerns have led governments in California, Canada and the EU to demand the end of gasoline car sales by 2035, while other places are going even further, implementing sales bans as early as 2030 or as late as 2025. Car companies like GM, Mazda, Volvo are following suit, setting dates for when their last gasoline vehicles will be sold.
In 2021, Petaluma, California became the first city in the world to ban new gas stations. Since then, at least four more cities have permanently banned new gas stations, and at least six more (including Los Angeles, the city of cars) are developing policies accordingly.
New Demands
By 2030, there could be 26 million electric cars in the U.S., which means that more than 10 times the number of electric vehicle chargers that exist today will be needed.
In Brazil, according to data from the Brazilian Electric Vehicle Association (ABVE), the number of electric models sold increased by 255% from 2020 to 2021. This result is well above the traditional car market as a whole, which rose by 3% In the same year.
Starbucks, with its 15,000 locations across the country, thinks it could help fill some of the gap.
In a pilot launched this year, the company is partnering with Volvo and Chargepoint to install EV chargers in their parking lots along a 1,350-mile route from Denver to Seattle, with stops available every 100 miles or so.
Having a coffee while charging the car is an interesting idea considering that the charging time of an electric vehicle is much slower than filling a tank of gasoline.
Would this solution generate a new type of urban behavior where people would stop at cafes to fill up their cars creating a structural change in urban commercial architecture?
At the same time that urban coffee shops would adapt to create supply areas, what would the land where the gas stations operate today lead to? Considering that most of the time they are located on high mobility corners in cities.
Would they be the target of real estate speculation? Or would it be possible for these electric car supply hubs to be adapted in the places where the service stations already exist today?
Charging Hubs
Parkland, a Canadian company that has 3,000 service stations spread across 25 countries, was the sponsor of an international competition that aims to create the electric service station of the future.
James Silvester, an architect from Edinburgh, Scotland, responsible for the winning design, suggests a new model that is drastically different from what we have today – a model that prioritizes the customer experience. His design proposes a long linear structure with charging terminals all around its perimeter. Downtown, it houses stores and other convenience services, as well as non-commercial spaces for drivers to take a break and relax.
Designed with a modular system that allows its structure to adapt to different terrain sizes, the Silvester station is able to provide a wide variety of services and amenities. In addition to food and beverage options available, its design offers an exercise area, massage therapy and even gardens where drivers can rest while the batteries charge.
The structure proposed by the Scottish designer is made with sustainable materials, such as timber and stone, and its roof features solar panels. He points out that with this modular structure, construction time is shorter and flexible enough to host a wide variety of services.
The winning design could be more than just smart design. Parkland is in discussions with the designer about how the new station can begin to roll out, even if slowly. The company is still in the early stages of its own transition to electric vehicles, but has plans to open a network of 25 ultra-fast electric vehicle stations in British Columbia by mid-year.
This could be the beginning of a transformation that aims to meet the needs of a community that is growing every day.
Via Tabulla
Editor's Note: This article was originally published on October 06, 2022.
