this post was submitted on 12 Sep 2023
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Gas stations in Germany are not making much money with the gas sales themselves. The main companies behind them, like Shell, BP and co. do but the stations are usually franchised. They mostly make their money by doubling as a shop that is open atearly and late hours and on sundays, as many German muncipalities ban other shops from being open then.
So people often also buy something, or particularly in the morning get some breakfast and a coffee. Perfect time to charge the car a bit.
If the argument is that it's a good business idea, then the mandate shouldn't need to exist, since companies would do it on their own.
My own guess is that it makes more sense in restaurant parking lots. People will take a while there, whereas gas stations are aimed at quickly getting someone in and out.
Capitalism only in theory makes good business ideas happen by itself. The reality is that opportunism, stranded assets, and ideologival affiliations are in the way.
It is a good business idea, when EVs become the standard. But for the fossil lobby making that happen as lare as possible or preventing it in the first place will always be more attractive, as that is the business they are invested with hundreds of billions in, that is the business where they have the control and that is the business where they have the network of autocracies and corrupt governments doing their bidding.