Petrol stations in Singapore are changing their offerings to serve not just motorists, but also walk-in customers and nearby residents. Operators say this shift prepares them for the rise of electric vehicles (EVs), when drivers may spend more time at service stations while their cars charge.
At a Cnergy petrol kiosk along Dunman Road in Katong, which opened last month, a mural depicting Joo Chiat’s conservation shophouses pays tribute to the area’s Peranakan heritage. Plans are in place to convert a corner of the station, currently occupied by drinks and snacks vending machines, into small food stalls serving Peranakan cuisine early next year.
Cnergy is owned by Union Gas Holdings, which entered the petrol station business in 2009. Its CEO Teo Hark Piang, said, “It depends on what kind of services you provide in your stations. Like for our station (at Katong), we focus mainly on F&B. It does not just provide services for drivers … we can see an increase in walk-in customers, nearby residents coming in to grab food and drinks.”
Each of Cnergy’s two stations has four EV fast chargers, and the company plans to open two more – one in Queensway by 2026 and one in Marsiling by 2027. A direct-current fast charger can bring an EV battery to 80 per cent in about 30 minutes. EVs made up about four in 10 new car registrations in the first half of 2025, a 63 per cent rise from the same period in 2024. Singapore will stop registering new petrol cars by 2030 and aims for a fully clean-energy vehicle population by 2040.
At Shell’s Telok Blangah outlet, a compact “gym pod” allows customers to work out while their cars charge, the first such facility at a service station in Singapore. Shell has installed EV chargers at 28 of its 56 stations, with more planned.
Shell’s general manager for mobility and convenience, Mr Doong Shiwen, said, “They were asking us: ‘Can you give me something more to do to fill my time?’” Shell has also introduced McDonald’s drive-throughs, a tie-up with wine marketplace Vivino, and various pop-up concepts to offer customers more options. Mr Doong added that pop-ups help bring “a little more excitement” to kiosks and support local businesses.
Associate Professor Walter Theseira from the Singapore University of Social Sciences said the shift from petrol to EVs will be gradual, giving service stations time to adapt. He noted, “The margins on these ancillary services are often better than the petrol itself.” Operators that fail to pivot may have to exit the business.
Assoc Prof Theseira added that many petrol stations sit on prime residential land, giving them potential for community use. He also noted that “the idea of having a (dedicated) EV charging hub doesn’t make a lot of sense. In Singapore, users would prefer to bring their EV to a shopping centre, plug in the vehicle, go and eat a meal, and go and run some errands.”
According to the Urban Redevelopment Authority, Singapore has about 180 petrol stations islandwide. Future plans for these sites will consider evolving land-use needs, including the growing adoption of EVs.
