I imagine them transitioning to more mini-QSR+convenience stores. Really, the ideal amenity for a charging lot is a coffee shop/sandwich place with convenience store. Car washes will remain popular as long as we have high levels of private ownership. The biggest change to the retail footprint would be to expand to provide a bit of seating if people want to sit inside while charging.
Sounds a lot like today’s laundromat - bored people waiting for the spin cycle to end. One would hope that those waiting areas have amenities - wifi at least, good washrooms, enough space for physical activity. (Great opportunity for yoga or workout)
The wait-to-charge thing is one of the biggest con’s I envision with the technology. If there are charging stations everywhere, one might be able to keep ahead of consumption while running errands, buying groceries, etc. But if one’s drive is a long one, with few or no stops intended, then whatever time is spent waiting for a charge will be more penalty than opportunity. Charging locations also need to have security.... someone waiting for a charge is a sitting duck for panhandlers (and worse).
The loss of gas stations is another good reason for the push for walkable corner stores in residential urban areas. Smokes and lottery tickets are exactly the sort of product that one might walk a block or two for, better there than at my local gas station.
I still can’t understand the belief that AV will decimate private ownership. Surely fleet management companies will emerge that offer affordable “service protection plans” for privately owned vehicles, such that ownership costs remain attractive... along with an option to release the vehicle into a general pool at the owner’s convenience. No different than Air bnb or cottage rental....many prefer to retain ownership and enjoy through personal use. Earning enough rental to cover basic costs, while retaining the control over availability for personal use, seems attractive. Let the car roam while I’m at work, just ge back when I need to go home. On street parking will continue, especially if the vehicle will drop me off and find its own parking space.
Even today, my family’s lightly-used second car makes no economic sense, compared to taxi or rideshare and periodic short term rental. We keep it, at a hit on our disposable income, as it represents convenience (no waiting) comfort and hygeine (taxi? ugh) safety (female family members with taxi driver stories) and personal space (trunk full of things I leave there eg PPE for work, camera tripod, hiking gear, blanket, first aid kit). Proponents for AV argue that reduced mobility prices will transform demand to a pooled model. In a society that has disposable income to secure personal amenities, I’m not so sure. Price alone is unlikely to remove the desire to personalize and control amenities during mobility . (Or maybe not.... I have never understood the trend to ultra cheap air fares which make flying such a cramped, amenity-absent experience).
- Paul
