As the transportation landscape shifts—shaped by electrification, alternative fuels and evolving consumer expectations—fuel retailers are rethinking what it means to be an energy destination.
While gasoline and diesel remain critical traffic drivers today, the rise of electric vehicles (EVs), hybrids and lower-carbon options is forcing operators to balance long-term innovation with near-term realities.
To understand how leaders are navigating that transition, CSP asked retailers how they see the role of fuel evolving within their broader business strategies as alternative energy options and EV infrastructure continue to expand. Their answers reveal a pragmatic, market-by-market approach focused less on replacement and more on diversification, experience and resilience.
- Love’s Travel Stops & Country Stores is No. 15 on CSP’s 2025 Top 202 ranking of U.S. c-store chains by store count. Pilot Co. is No. 16. Englefield Oil is No. 59. Parker Cos. is No. 73. Weigel's is No. 84.
These answers have been edited for length and clarity.
Brad Anderson, president of retail, Pilot Co.
“We recognize that the future of the road is diverse, and our strategy has shifted to reflect that. Pilot is already one of the largest providers of biodiesel and renewable fuels, and we continue to prioritize lower-carbon fueling alternatives for our professional drivers.
For EV drivers, the expansion of our coast-to-coast EV fast-charging network has been essential for their journeys, but the challenge and the opportunity lie in the dwell time. Unlike traditional fueling, EV stops require 20 to 30 minutes, which means the guest experience has to be exceptional. We’re not just adding chargers; we’re integrating the best amenities, including canopies, comfortable lounges, Wi-Fi and frictionless mobile ordering access to our quality fresh food options to provide a best-in-class charging experience. This ensures we are prepared to fuel every kind of journey, no matter the power source.” —Chuck Ulie
John Rhine, CFO, Parker’s
“Fuel will remain a cornerstone of our business for the foreseeable future. Nationally, fuel demand has been remarkably resilient—U.S. gasoline consumption has declined less than 1% annually over the last decade, even with gains in fuel efficiency and EV adoption. And because our expansion strategy focuses on high-growth corridors in Georgia, South Carolina and Florida, we expect to maintain stable or even increasing volumes relative to the industry.
EV adoption will certainly grow, but the pace is slower than many anticipated. Current forecasts show EVs adoption rates are slowing, with growth constrained by infrastructure limitations. The public charging network is still significantly underbuilt—today, the U.S. has roughly 180,000 public chargers, but studies indicate we need 10 times that to support a meaningful transition away from internal combustion engines.
What we are seeing, however, is accelerated adoption of hybrid vehicles, which now represent the fastest-growing segment in light-duty vehicles. Hybrids still rely on gasoline, and because they often have smaller tanks, they refuel more frequently. If we continue to capture those fill-ups, we continue to capture the in-store trips that come with them.
So while the market will evolve, the data suggests a long runway where fuel remains a major trip driver—and with our focus on high-growth markets, we’re well positioned to outperform the broader industry trend.” —Diane Adam
Doug Yawberry, president and CEO, Weigel’s
“I think everything's going to have its place. EV will have its place. We're in Tennessee, so the adoption rate on EV is not a whole lot in our state. We’ve got two stores that have EV chargers in them. And I think [there] will be more. And I think there'll be a place in our lot and a place in our forecourt that will cater to EV, and it'll be widespread. Fossil fuels, the internal combustion engine, will be around a long time. I think I won't ever see it completely go away. But gas mileage standards will continue to increase, hybrids will probably have a bigger play as we move forward, so I think [consumption] will decrease, but it'll be a long time before goes away. For our industry, we just need to figure out what that niche is that brings our guests to us. And I think a lot of people, they're hanging that on food, or whatever the case may be, and we continue to move down that path. We'll always be an energy supplier for vehicles. It may change some format to some degree, and it may be less. But what we offer from a benefit to a customer on the convenience side, I think we just need to focus on how we make that work.” —Hannah Hammond
Patrick McLean, chief marketing officer, Love’s Travel Stops & Country Stores
“The way we look at it is we want to be the travel stop alternative for all vehicles. So, if you're a commercial trucker, if you're a EV on the road, if you're an RV on the road, even if you're a natural gas-powered commercial vehicle, we have solutions for all of those things. And so, I think that's the way we look at it. Obviously, economics come into play in terms of the speed with which we can afford the capital rollout for some of these categories. EV is an interesting example because there's been some government subsidy programs that have been on again, off again and over the last few years that have impacted the pace at which those have been rolled out. We're kind of back in the game in terms of some of those government programs, and so that's good news for that whole industry. We look at the market holistically. We're a travel stop, and I think when you're a travel stop you want to continue to think of different ways to attract different customer segments. And I think EV, RV are clearly growth opportunities for us. The commercial trucking space has changed a lot with the introduction of DEF [diesel exhaust fluid], so that's a dynamic marketplace. So there's just a lot happening in the fuel marketplace right now, so we want to stay at the forefront of it.” —Hannah Hammond
Ashley Englefield DeWitt, president, Englefield Retail
“We don’t offer EV right now, but we’re watching the trends. When the demand is there in our markets, we’ll look at how it fits into our overall strategy and store design.” —Chuck Ulie
F.W. (Will) Englefield V, president, Englefield Energy
“I think EV in the Midwest is still behind other parts of the country currently. I don’t see that being an immediate threat. However, we need to work to make our c-stores stand on their own and not count on the profits from fuel.” —Chuck Ulie
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