Often the customer must walk inside the store or up to the window to pay, and obtain a receipt later. In some cases, discount brands accept cash only others may accept credit cards. Most purchase wholesale gasoline from independent suppliers or from the major petroleum companies. Discount brandsĭiscount brands are often smaller, regional chains or independent stations, offering lower prices on gasoline.

Premium gas stations tend to be highly visible from highway and freeway exits, utilizing tall signs to display their brand logos. For ease and convenience, many of them have fully automated pay-at-the-pump facilities. They tend to be more modern and cleaner and tend to have brighter lighting. These stations have numerous locations and more available pumps. fuel cards) and may charge higher prices. Premium brand stations accept credit cards, often issue their own company cards (a.k.a. Non-international premium brands include Petrobras, Petro-Canada, and Pemex. There are generally two types of filling stations in the US: premium and discount brands.įilling stations with premium brands sell well-recognized and often international brands of gasoline, including Exxon and its Esso brand, Citgo, Chevron, Mobil, Shell, Sinclair, BP, Valero and Texaco. Types of filling stations in the United States and Canada Standard Oil began erecting roadside signs of their logo to advertise their filling stations. Early on, they were known to motorists as 'filling stations'. Reighard's gas station in Altoona, Pennsylvania claims that it dates from 1909 and is the oldest existing gas station in the United States. The second gas station was constructed in 1907 by Standard Oil of California (now Chevron) in Seattle, Washington. The world's first purpose built gas station was constructed in St. The increase in automobile ownership after Henry Ford started to sell automobiles that the middle class could afford resulted in a greater demand for filling stations. In fact, the first petrol station was the city pharmacy in Wiesloch, where Bertha Benz refilled the tank of the first automobile on its maiden voyage from Mannheim to Pforzheim. The first places that sold gasoline were pharmacies, as a side business. History of filling stations in the United States In Canada, the number is on the decline to about 14,000. The USA has perhaps 200,000 gas stations

5.4 Other goods and services commonly availableĪs of 2007, there are thought to be fewer than 10,000 petrol stations in the U.K.

5 Features of gas stations in the United States/Canada.

4 Filling stations outside the United States/Canada.

3 Types of filling stations in the United States and Canada.

2 History of filling stations in the United States.

In some regions of America, filling stations usually have a mechanic on duty, but this is uncommon in other parts of the world. In Indian English, it's called a petrol pump or a petrol bunk. In Japanese English, it is called a ' gasoline stand'. Similarly, in Australia, the term service station ('servo') describes any petrol station.

In the United Kingdom the single noun garage is still commonly used, even though the petrol station may have no service/maintenance facilities which would justify this description. Elsewhere in the English-speaking world, the form 'petrol station' or 'petrol pump' are used. In some regions of Canada, the term ' gas bar' is also frequently used. The term 'gas station' is mostly used in the Western Hemisphere, including the United States and Canada, where the fuel is known as 'gasoline' or 'gas'. In recent times, filling stations have also begun to sell butane and have added shops to their primary business convenience stores are now a familiar sight alongside pumps. Some stations carry specialty fuels, such as liquified petroleum gas (LPG), compressed natural gas (CNG), hydrogen, biodiesel, ethanol, or kerosene. The most common fuels sold are gasoline (petrol) or diesel fuel. Please improve this article or discuss the issue on the talk page.Ī filling station, fueling station, gas station, service station or petrol station is a facility which sells fuel and lubricants for motor vehicles. This article or section deals primarily with the United States and does not represent a worldwide view of the subject.

Petrol stations