What happens when the last petrol station closes?

Petrol stations have had a stable customer base for decades. But as road transport is electrified, demand for fuel will fall. Petrol stations will become less profitable and risk closure. How will this affect accessibility, especially for people living in rural areas?

This question is being studied in the project Mackdeath - accessibility in the countryside when the last gas station (“Mack”) disappears.

The purpose of the project is to increase knowledge of what the reduced demand for fuel caused by electrification means for accessibility in different rural areas, as well as to identify possible control instruments and measures to achieve a fairer and smoother transition to electric mobility for everyone, not least for transport disadvantaged groups in rural areas that are currently dependent on cars

Admittedly, residents in smaller urban areas and rural municipalities are far behind in the electrification of the vehicle fleet and, on average, have much older cars.

Beginning with mapping

However, the expected development is that fuel stations will be closed to a greater extent, even if the development is slower than in urban areas. It is also expected that change differs depending on which part of the population you belong to – residents with better finances can be assumed to have an easier time switching to a new car, perhaps an electric car, but not everyone can afford it.

The project maps the current situation for vehicle fleets, fuel use, fuel stations and charging stations in selected rural municipalities and in the country. It will also conduct three to five case studies in rural municipalities with a low proportion of electric cars and long distances to the nearest petrol station. They are more common in northern Sweden. Co-creative dialogue with municipalities, regions and authorities, experts and citizens is important to develop likely future scenarios and proposals for regulations, policy instruments and other measures.

The project also looks internationally to the neighbouring countries of Norway and Finland, which have similar geography and long distances.