Never want to see a gas station again? Volvo may be able to help you

By Stephen Edelstein February 4, 2015

2015 Volvo XC90 — Image used with permission by copyright holder

Makers of electric cars like to tout the perk of never having to visit a gas station again, but what if you could pull that off while still driving a car that runs on petrol?

That’s the idea behind a new service Volvo is reportedly looking into. According to the Daily Mail, the Swedish carmaker could launch a service that tops off customers’ tanks.

According to the report, when a car’s tank is close to empty it would send a message to a mobile fuel supplier, who would show up wherever the car happens to be parked and use a one-off code to open the fuel cap.

The service would be an extension of a system Volvo has already tested, where owners can opt to have packages delivered to their cars instead of their houses.

Called Roam Delivery, it allows mail carriers to use a similar one-off code and drop packages in a Volvo’s trunk while the driver is at work or otherwise on the move.

Volvo is trying to move further into luxury territory, but if it ever offers these services to the general public, it will take things to a whole new level.

Luxury-car owners like to be pampered, but none of the established brands have gone so far as to offer a fuel chauffeur.

While that’s sure to pique the interest of some consumers, it’s hard to tell if self-refueling vehicles would really prove worthwhile. Sure, stopping for gas can be inconvenient, but it takes the same amount of time to refuel a car whether you do it, or someone else does.

There’s also the matter of roving fuel trucks stopping to top off cars in random parking lots. That just might make people a bit uneasy.

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Stephen Edelstein

Contributing Editor

Stephen is a freelance automotive journalist covering all things cars. He likes anything with four wheels, from classic cars…

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