Third-Largest Fuel Provider in Michigan to Close Hundreds of Locations

It's tough to believe that a gas station chain would be in a position to close hundreds of stores.

Gas prices have spiked in recent weeks as the weather turned a bit warmer around the country and Spring Break travelers take to the roads. That's on top of gas prices already being higher than most Americans are comfortable with in the first place.

While inflation is surely at the center of the issue, it's not a secret that many fuel companies are price gouging for major profits.

But a lack of profit isn't why Shell is closing hundreds of stores across the country.

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According to The Street.com, Shell will "divest" nearly 500 gas stations across the country as Shell prepares to accommodate electric vehicles on a larger scale.

Shell released its Energy Transition Strategy for 2024, indicating it wants to reduce their customers' carbon emissions by as much as 20% in the next six years.

Shell is Michigan's third-largest gas station company in the state behind BP and Exxon. According to Scrape Hero data, Shell has 413 locations in the Mitten State in 232 cities. In all, Shell has 13,000 U.S. locations and 45,000 Shell-branded locations worldwide.

There is no indication of which retail locations will be impacted or closed entirely. Shell also didn't disclose exactly why the closures were happening, just that they will happen congruently with the implementation of more charging stations that are set to take place over the year and into 2025.

It does appear that Shell will only close locations that are corporately owned by Shell directly. Locally owned convenience stores that sell Shell-branded fuel do not appear to be impacted now or during this process.

According to MichAuto.com, Michigan has 33,100 electric vehicles on the road in 2024, but the state ranks 24th in the country for EV infrastructure despite Michigan being the #1 investor of electric vehicle production. With those statistics in mind, it wouldn't be too surprising to see a handful of Shell Stations close and those that remain to become more accommodating to electric vehicles.