The Future of the Car / Monocle
“In LA, you can’t do anything unless you drive,” wrote Martin Amis in 1984. Even now, getting around here still means getting behind the wheel. As a result, petrol stations are crucial; there are more than 550 dotted around the city. But in September the state of California decreed that all cars and light trucks sold in the state will be zero-emission vehicles by 2035. With other states considering similar bills, the refuelling industry faces an adapt-or-die moment.
No one will miss the eerie haze that settles over Los Angeles on a windless day but the fate of California’s 5,081 “mom-and-pop” petrol stations remains foggy. According to one projection, about half will close as the state weans itself off gasoline. “But we won’t have a lot of abandoned gas stations,” says Paul Koretz, who served on the city council and tried to ban more being built. “A lot of housing could be built on top of these old stations.” - Christopher Lord, Monocle
“In LA, you can’t do anything unless you drive,” wrote Martin Amis in 1984. Even now, getting around here still means getting behind the wheel. As a result, petrol stations are crucial; there are more than 550 dotted around the city. But in September the state of California decreed that all cars and light trucks sold in the state will be zero-emission vehicles by 2035. With other states considering similar bills, the refuelling industry faces an adapt-or-die moment.
No one will miss the eerie haze that settles over Los Angeles on a windless day but the fate of California’s 5,081 “mom-and-pop” petrol stations remains foggy. According to one projection, about half will close as the state weans itself off gasoline. “But we won’t have a lot of abandoned gas stations,” says Paul Koretz, who served on the city council and tried to ban more being built. “A lot of housing could be built on top of these old stations.” - Christopher Lord, Monocle
