How Will Major Gas Station Chain Closure Affect Drivers in Michigan?

Should we be worried?

And just as gas prices are starting to come back down too! With one of the largest gas station chains in the country set to close nearly a thousand locations, what does that mean for Michigan drivers?

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If you missed the memo one of the largest chain of gas stations, not only in Michigan but the entire U.S., announced they'd be closing nearly 1,000 nationwide. Their reasoning?

They're shifting focus!

I guess when you're in the fossil fuels game "shifting focus" must mean investing in cleaner and/or more renewable energies, such as electric vehicles (EVs).  According to Inside EVs the Shell corporation plans to,

...close 1,000 of its retail gas stations between 2024 and 2025. The closures represent the company’s shifting focus and utilization of its resources to expand services for EVs. 

Ok, but what does that mean-- really?

Do I need to hurry up and ditch my "gas guzzling" Nissan before the world declines into a Mad Max type dystopian future where guzzolene is a precious and rare resource? Sorry, I just watched Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga.

Inside EVs goes on to report that Shell, who already has global investment in EV charging, has previous experience in turning their gas stations into charging hubs for electric vehicles and is aiming to install around 70,000 public charging points by 2025.

Even though the company plans on making big changes in the future, for now I think our gas tanks are safe; as Inside EVs puts it:

Unloading 1,000 stations would be like removing a drop out of the ocean—it’s equivalent to just 4% of the company’s sites.