Would you pay a monthly subscription to have your car tank filled up automatically when its running low?
Ask HN: Would you pay a monthly subscription for automatic gas?
1–10 of 12 posts
Re: Ask HN: Would you pay a monthly subscription for automatic gas?
#2Define "automatically" - where? how? I don't quite see the use case.
In a city (where gas stations are abundant): indicator lights up, hey look, I'll be passing (any) gas station within five minutes. Outside a city, let's say I'm an hour's drive from a gas station - now what, a gas truck drives up to me? That might be somewhat expensive...
Now, if this included periodical check-ups (lights, various fluids, pressure etc.), this might be interesting.
Re: Ask HN: Would you pay a monthly subscription for automatic gas?
#3I might depending on the price. Even though I live in the city, it still takes ten-twenty minutes to swing by a station and fill up, and always at the most inconvenient times of course. Add additional fill-up/check of fluids, tire pressures etc. and it gets interesting.
But it would have to be absolutely automatic, zero-touch, f.ex. I wouldn't give anyone my keys and I wouldn't want to instruct anyone about where my car is parked at any given time.
Re: Ask HN: Would you pay a monthly subscription for automatic gas?
#4Can you describe exactly how this "filling up automatically" would work?
Re: Ask HN: Would you pay a monthly subscription for automatic gas?
#5Can you describe exactly how this "filling up automatically" would work?
There is definitely a cost-benefit analysis to run. How much is my time worth to me, how much gas do I use up in a month, what is the price of gas, and how much we this service cost?
I think that there certainly is a market for this sort of service, however I'd need to know a little bit more about the specifics to give a better answer.
Re: Ask HN: Would you pay a monthly subscription for automatic gas?
#6Can you describe exactly how this "filling up automatically" would work?
There is definitely a cost-benefit analysis to run. How much is my time worth to me, how much gas do I use up in a month, what is the price of gas, and how much we this service cost? I think that there certainly is a market for this sort of service, however I'd need to know a little bit more about the specifics to give a better answer.
All of that PLUS if you fill up my car too often then it is going to consume more gas (since you're using up gas by carting around a full tank all of the time).
Re: Ask HN: Would you pay a monthly subscription for automatic gas?
#7I do that on an airplane. It's included in the parking services.
You are probably thinking on putting a movable gas station (read: truck) inside a private parking lot (where people pay monthly). I think that would work great in NYC.
But I see this as more of a feature.
Re: Ask HN: Would you pay a monthly subscription for automatic gas?
#8Define "automatically" - where? how? I don't quite see the use case. In a city (where gas stations are abundant): indicator lights up, hey look, I'll be passing (any) gas station within five minutes. Outside a city, let's say I'm an hour's drive from a gas station - now what, a gas truck drives up to me? That might be somewhat expensive... Now, if this included periodical check-ups (lights, various fluids, pressure e…
There are uses cases, see: My wife works in an office building and the parking lot is paid monthly. She HATES going to gas stations and once a week I do that for her. I would easily pay +10 bucks on that parking 'subscription' to have them fill the tank for me. They already do this kind of service for car washing.
Re: Ask HN: Would you pay a monthly subscription for automatic gas?
#9Earlier quoted context omitted.
There is definitely a cost-benefit analysis to run. How much is my time worth to me, how much gas do I use up in a month, what is the price of gas, and how much we this service cost? I think that there certainly is a market for this sort of service, however I'd need to know a little bit more about the specifics to give a better answer.
All of that PLUS if you fill up my car too often then it is going to consume more gas (since you're using up gas by carting around a full tank all of the time).
That extra cost can be considered negligible. http://www.newton.dep.anl.gov/askasci/eng99/eng99630.htm
Re: Ask HN: Would you pay a monthly subscription for automatic gas?
#10You can't access my tank without a key. The indicator won't show unless the car is on. How do you know my gas is running low and fill it without my key?