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In the intense battle for market share, fuel retailers are all jockeying to attract gas customers into their C-stores. They typically don’t worry about how consumers will fuel their vehicles. As if fighting the commodity war wasn’t challenging enough, a new fuel delivery service wants to eliminate the need for the gas station altogether.
Filld is a California-based personal fuel delivery service currently being piloted in Silicon Valley. For a $7 delivery charge, plus the average cost of gas per gallon, a driver will deliver fuel to a vehicle wherever it’s parked: home, office or kid’s football game.
Industry analysts are watching the pilot program with interest to see if consumers will find value in skipping the gas station, ultimately positioning on-site delivery as the next frontier in fueling.
Filld is hoping to attract time-starved consumers who would greatly benefit from recouping the 15 minutes it takes to stop at the gas station.
The service works by downloading an iPhone app and setting up a personalized account that captures billing and vehicle location information. From there, ordering a fill-up is as easy as selecting a time frame and identifying the vehicle’s location. An alert shows when the driver is en route, as well as provides the estimated time of delivery. The only thing the vehicle owner needs to do is remember to leave the gas tank cover open.
Currently, Filld is only delivering 87-octane regular unleaded gasoline, but plans to add premium, diesel and even alternative fuels such as hydrogen and electric charging in the future.
The verdict is still out whether or not consumers will pay for such a service. While it’s progressing in California, other markets have yet to be tested. To read more about fuel delivery, visit www.filld.co.
