A charging station at a gas station: what changes on the forecourt
The short answer
A charging station at a gas station changes three things on the forecourt. The space, because the car sits parked much longer than during fueling and can't occupy the pump. The customer's time, which is freed up for the convenience store. And the service, because the driver starts the charge by scanning the QR code on the charger's screen, and pays with a credit card or wallet balance via PIX. The gas station can give up the space, invest and operate, or invest and hand over the management.
For gas station owners and managers: where the space goes, what power to ask for, what the forecourt team does and how to have the point.
The gas station already has what a charging station needs: a place where the driver stops, easy access from the street and, often, a store open late. What changes is the forecourt's dynamic. Fueling takes minutes; charging, much longer. This text shows what changes in the space, in the service and in the convenience store when the gas station gets a charger, and the ways to have one.
Why the gas station is a natural place for charging
In describing the country's first charging rule, from 2018, ANEEL cites gas stations among those interested in providing the service. Today, under Normative Resolution No. 1,000/2021, any interested party is allowed to charge electric vehicles, including for commercial exploitation with freely negotiated prices (ANEEL, electric vehicles).
The network is also moving toward fast charging, which is the kind that pairs with a gas station. In August 2026, 38.2% of the country's 29,866 public and semi-public points were DC, and Paraná was the network's second state, with 2,513 points (ABVE study with the Tupi platform).
What changes on the forecourt
The space
The car that charges sits parked for dozens of minutes. At our Pinhais unit, for example, the 60 kW DC charger takes from 20% to 80% in about 40 minutes. That's why the space is away from the pump island, signposted and reserved for whoever is charging, in a position that doesn't block circulation or the store entrance. A space taken by a combustion car prevents charging, and the signage is what avoids that.
The customer's time
Whoever fuels up pays and leaves. Whoever charges has time to spare, and that time goes to the convenience store: coffee, a snack, a restroom, a place to sit. In Boqueirão, in Curitiba, our unit is inside Auto Posto Ilha Bela, and whoever charges uses the gas station's own convenience store and restroom.
The forecourt team
The attendant doesn't need to start or charge for the charge. The driver starts the session by scanning the QR code on the charger's screen, and pays with a credit card or wallet balance via PIX. What the team needs to know is little: where the space is, how to ask for the space to be freed when a combustion car parks in it and whom the driver calls if the charge doesn't start. That last point matters: a stopped charger that no one notices can turn into a bad review on the gas station's profile.
The hours
If the gas station is open 24 hours, the charger can open too, and that matters for those traveling at night and for fleets that drive in the small hours. The Boqueirão unit is open 24 hours, every day.
Which charger for the gas station
The stop at the gas station is short, so the charging is fast DC. A point with two connectors serves two cars, but in many chargers the connectors split the power. That is the case at Boqueirão: a 60 kW DC charger with two CCS2 connectors, which delivers the 60 kW with one car and about 30 kW each with two plugged in at the same time. When buying, it's worth asking how the model splits the power. How much the time changes from one power level to another is in what changes between 60 and 80 kW.
Energy and safety
- Energy service: fast charging demands power, and many gas stations have no surplus in the panel. The electrical assessment comes before choosing the charger, and the utility may need to do construction work. ABVE points to the timeline and the conditions for connecting new loads as the sector's current bottleneck.
- Design and inspection: since February 2026 a national Fire Department guideline for charging points has been in effect, with design and inspection parameters, according to ABVE. At the gas station, the design also defines the space's position relative to the fueling areas.
- Canopy and light: a covered and lit space makes a difference for those who charge at night or in the rain.
Three ways to have the point
As in any parking lot, the gas station can give up the space to a company that installs and operates the point, invest in the charger and operate it itself, or invest and hand the operation to a management company. The complete comparison, with who does what in each case, is in a charging station in the parking lot: three ways to have one. If the proposal that reaches the gas station is a franchise, the Velquia blog lists what the franchisor has to show and the ten questions to ask before signing: a charging station franchise, how it works and what to ask.
If the gas station already has a charger and it earns little, the most common causes and the sign of each are in a charging station with little use. And if your gas station is on the highway, with a restaurant or hotel next door, also see a charging station at a highway hotel and restaurant.
Where Elektro Charge comes in
In our network there have already been more than 4,300 charges and more than 100,000 kWh delivered. For the gas station that has the space, there are partnerships: you give up the space, and we install, operate and maintain the point, with engineering partners, and the driver support is ours, 24 hours. For the gas station that already has a charging station, there is charging station management, in which we manage the point on our platform.
Want charging at your gas station?
Send the location and a photo of the place. We'll say whether it makes sense. And, if it doesn't, we'll say that too.
I want a point at my space →Frequently asked questions
Is it worth having a charging station at a gas station?
It can be, because the gas station is already a place where the driver stops. The math depends on the flow of electric cars in the region, the energy available on the lot, the charging stations around and who will operate the point.
Where does the charger's space go at the gas station?
Away from the pump island, in a signposted space just for whoever is charging. Charging takes much longer than fueling, so the parked car can't block the forecourt or the convenience store entrance.
Does the attendant need to serve the electric driver?
Not to start or charge: the driver starts the charge by scanning the QR code on the charger's screen, and pays with a credit card or wallet balance via PIX. It's worth the team knowing how to point out the space and whom the driver calls if the charge doesn't start.
Which charger to use at a gas station?
DC fast charging, because the stop at the gas station is short. A DC charger with two connectors serves two cars, and in many models the connectors split the power when both are in use.
Can the gas station charge for charging?
It can. ANEEL allows any interested party to charge electric vehicles, including for commercial purposes and at a freely negotiated price (Normative Resolution No. 1,000/2021, Chapter V).
