The Future of Fuels 2025

Fossil fuels will not go quietly or quickly. Changes in federal policies led by the Trump administration, including this year’s pause of the government program to fund more electric vehicle charging stations have made that clear. 

Electric vehicles have been the most prominent option to the internal combustion engine requiring petroleum fuels, and the administration is in no hurry to move drivers to EVs. In 2025, the drive is for cheap, U.S.-produced liquid fuel and increasing demand. For convenience retailers, that reality is a mixed bag as they try to anticipate what consumers will need and want to fuel their vehicles. 

Today, only about 12% of vehicles on U.S. roads—or about 33 million of the estimated 282 million light-duty vehicles—use alternative fuels other than conventional gasoline or diesel, according to USA Facts, the research company founded by former Microsoft CEO Steve Ballmer. It reported there are nearly 100 registered gasoline-powered vehicles for every EV in the United States. 

Convenience retailers account for about 80% of all retail fuel sales in the United States, according to the National Association of Convenience Stores (NACS). Fuel industry experts predict that any significant move to alternative fuels is at least 20, 30 or more years in the future. 

Carbon emissions and other threats to the environment are real concerns, said Dolores Santos, a consultant with a nearly 50-year career in fuels, but, she added, “I'm not so sure fossil fuel is the culprit.” Instead, she said, it’s society’s relentless quest for convenience. “Everything is throw-away now. That takes energy, and demand for energy is not slowing down,” Santos said. “We need all sources of energy in order to maintain the pace we want to go.”