CStore Decisions January 2024 Digital Edition is sponsored by National Retail Solutions .

Electric vehicles offer c-store retailers an opportunity to expand their customer base and promote sustainability, but questions on customer adoption, infrastructure, timeline and profitability remain.

The past year has seen shifting trends in gas demand and fluctuating oil prices, inflation increases, a federal push for electric vehicle (EV) adoption and charger implementation, and growth in biofuel usage. These factors have all contributed to the fuel landscape in 2023 and its trajectory for 2024.

Since one of the biggest draws bringing customers into the convenience store space is the need for fuel, c-store retailers are keeping abreast of news and trends regarding what the fuel environment looks like today and where it’s heading.

EV adoption is one of the bigger topics of interest for c-store operators as they consider how to improve the forecourt. The percentage of zero-emission vehicles in operation by 2035 is forecasted to be 16.5% with an aggressive outlook, whereas a conservative lens has a forecast of 5.6%, according to Transportation Energy Institute research.

For those retailers that have entered the playing field, they have taken multiple pathways.