Gas station Facts for Kids

A modern gas station, Preem, in Karlskrona, Sweden.

Not all gas stations are for cars only; this one in Stockholm, Sweden is for motor boats.

A gas station is a place where you can buy fuel for your cars, motorcycles, and other vehicles. You might also hear it called a filling station, fueling station, service station, or petrol station. These stations sell different types of fuel, like gasoline (also known as petrol) and diesel fuel. They also often sell lubricants, which are special oils that help engines work smoothly.

Most gas stations have a convenience store right next to the pumps. These stores sell snacks, drinks, and other useful items. Some stations even have a car wash where you can clean your vehicle.

What Fuels Do Gas Stations Sell?
- Common Types of Fuel
- Less Common Fuels
Images for kids
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What Fuels Do Gas Stations Sell?

Gas stations offer many kinds of fuel for different vehicles. The most common ones are gasoline and diesel. These are used by most cars and trucks.

Common Types of Fuel

Gasoline (petrol): This is the most widely used fuel for cars.
Diesel: Often used by trucks, buses, and some cars.
CNG: A natural gas stored under high pressure.
LPG (GPL): A mix of propane and butane, used in some vehicles.
Ethanol fuel: A type of alcohol fuel, often mixed with gasoline (like E10 or E85).
Biogas and Biodiesel: These are fuels made from natural, renewable sources.

Less Common Fuels

Some stations might also offer newer or less common fuels. These include:

CGH₂
HCNG
LH₂
Biobutanol

Images for kids

A Shell filling station in Sabah, Malaysia.
The Skovshoved Filling Station in Copenhagen, Denmark, has been open since 1935.
A portable filling station made by Robotanks LLC.
An MOL filling station in Luduș, Transylvania, Romania.
An Orlen station for refueling boats in Poland.
A Royal Dutch Shell filling station and garage in Mijnsheerenland, The Netherlands, in the late 1970s.
A pre-fabricated gas station in Culver City, California, US, in 1977.
The world's first "filling station" was the City Pharmacy in Wiesloch, Germany.
A modern gas station column in Russia.
A Shell station near Lost Hills, California, US.
An IndianOil filling station near Dera Bassi in Punjab, India.
A hydrogen fueling nozzle.
A station on the road from the Thai border to Siem Reap, Cambodia.
An ENEOS filling station near Mount Fuji in Japan.
A small independent filling station in Boston Spa, West Yorkshire, England. These types of stations are becoming rare in the United Kingdom.
A Royal Dutch Shell station in Feira de Santana, Brazil.
A Lawson self-service station with an attached convenience store in Shingū, Fukuoka, Japan.
A typical US filling station, like this Mobil station in Belmont, California.
A typical Canadian station, like this Petro-Canada station in Saskatoon, Saskatchewan.
A Sheetz station with several pumps in Breezewood, Pennsylvania, US.
A Spar express convenience store inside a Shell station in Wattens, Austria.
Fuel prices in Germany, shown in cents per liter.
Many supermarkets in Europe now sell gasoline, like this Morrisons filling station in Wetherby, West Yorkshire, England.
A pay-at-the-pump gasoline pump in Indiana, USA.
Retail markup over crude oil and wholesale gasoline, from 2014 to 2019.
Like many gasoline stands in Japan, this Shell filling station has hoses that hang from above.
A Shell station in Columbus, Ohio in 2020. The building used to be a service station but was changed into a convenience store.
A US service station around the 1950s.
Linnatuuli, a highway service center in Janakkala, Finland, along the Tampere Highway (E12).
A state petroleum inspector visiting a Mobil station in Port Charlotte, Florida.
An unstaffed Asda self-service filling station where you pay at the pump with a card. This one is in Middleton, Leeds, England.
A no smoking sign at a filling station.

Gas station facts for kids

Contents

What Fuels Do Gas Stations Sell?

Common Types of Fuel

Less Common Fuels

Images for kids

See also