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Düsseldorf – Despite all the progress of electromobility, petrol stations will still exist in 2040, according to a recent study. But they will be very different from today. They could provide air taxi cabs, take over the maintenance of autonomous cars and, as a logistics center, help cope with the e-commerce boom. But of course, they will also sell gasoline, diesel and electricity for electric cars. This is the result of a study on "the service station of the future", presented on Wednesday by Aral and the German Aerospace Center (DLR) in Düsseldorf.
According to the DLR Transportation Research Institute's predictions, the future of service stations is already well founded, as gasoline and diesel engines are likely to play a significant role in road traffic for much longer than expected. many lovers of electric mobility. According to DLR estimates, even in 2040, more than two thirds of all vehicles in Germany will be equipped with an internal combustion engine.
According to Barbara Lenz, director of transportation research at DLR, gasoline and diesel hybrids are expected to account for about 68% of new pbadenger car registrations. Less than one percent of new cars would still have a purely conventional drive. But pure electric propulsion will only play a modest role. According to the expert, of the 43 million cars that Germany has on the roads, only 1.3 million will lead to purely electric driving.
Conventional fuels in commercial vehicles should play an even bigger role. More than a fifth of 3.5-tonne trucks will continue to use conventional diesel engines, predicts Lenz, simply because it's the most efficient. Traffic density is expected to increase according to DLR forecasts. Overall, the Germans are expected to have about 900 billion kilometers per year for pbadenger cars and commercial vehicles, a quarter more than in 2010. Online trade, among others, This is the reason.
Faster filling with electric cars
Nevertheless, many things will change for the service stations. Aral boss Patrick Wendeler is convinced that more efficient engines and hybrids will "significantly reduce" conventional fuel consumption. This is why the German market leader wants to sell electricity for electric vehicles at its service stations, in addition to gasoline, diesel, natural gas or LPG. The ultra-fast charging stations with a capacity of 350 kilowatts should allow charging electric vehicles in a few minutes in the future. "The refueling process should not take longer than with conventional fuel," explains Wendeler.
However, the gas station giant has not yet gained experience in the electricity sector. The first fast charging stations at five pilot stations are expected to be operational next year. However, much remains to be done for the image of the future to be brilliantly painted. First, the prototypes will have a maximum load capacity of 160 kilowatts. In any case, few cars on German roads that could really exploit this performance during the recharge, recognizes the boss of Aral. In addition, Aral is already testing a battery distributor at two stations in Berlin, which have charged batteries for electric bicycles.
In addition, service stations wish to contribute to the future as logistics hubs to cope with the e-commerce boom. Even today, there are parcel stations in about 100 of the approximately 2,500 Aral service stations where consumers can pick up their products ordered online. "In the future, the number could still increase," says the boss of Aral.
But there are also much more futuristic components of the future strategy. In the future, gas stations could serve as service stations for autonomous fleets, according to the study. Autonomous cars could be refueled and washed automatically. And if the technology is really ready, gas stations should also serve as a landing pad for air taxis. On the last meters, the customer could then switch to an autonomous car or an electric bike, according to the vision of the future. (APA / dpa)
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