Yoshi: The ‘Uber For Gas’ That’s Putting Wheels On Gas Stations

We’ve found ways to save time doing just about everything. Amazon has revolutionized shopping so we can get virtually anything online, including clothes and electronics, and services like AmazonFresh and Blue Apron have changed the way we get groceries. Even taxis have been modernized, with apps like Lyft and Uber gaining widespread popularity across the country.

However, there’s one avenue that remains virtually untouched: gas stations. Despite everything, we still have to visit local chains to fuel up our cars every few days. For people with busy schedules, this is seen as a waste of valuable time.

Luckily, Yoshi is here to save the day. The mobile gas station is another Silicon Valley creation, one that’s quickly gaining traction.

Yoshi is marketing towards people with tight schedules and disposable cash and offering a mobile gas station in return. Calling themselves “the Uber for gas,” they’re fueling up hundreds of cars while their owners are away.

The idea is this: you drive to work, drop Yoshi a message letting them know you need gas, and they handle the rest. They’ll drive to where your car is parked and fill your tank, and all you have to do is pay for the gasoline and subscription.

In the recent years, Yoshi has spread to 16 cities, including bustling places like Atlanta, Los Angeles, Boston, Chicago, and Houston. They’ve even added Washing D.C. to their list of serviced regions, which puts politicians and their aides onto their list of customers. By tackling areas with lots of people and cars, they’re making strides to fill up tanks across the nation.

However, some people have brought up the risk of fire hazards regarding the “gas stations on wheels.” According to The Guardian, the division chief of the California fire marshal’s office had some concerns of his own.

“Some of the [companies] are using 1,000-gallon tanks,” Greg Anderson told interviewers. “If they’re going into the basement parking lot of a high rise, that actually is a large concern.”

However, Yoshi has reassured people that they are perfectly safe and up to safety regulations. According to The Washington Post, they reported that they haven’t experienced a single spill during their entire three-year operation.

While it will be a while until gasoline delivery is a part of everyday life, Yoshi and other mobile gas stations are aiming to replace the industry standard entirely. We’re living in an era where many innovative ideas are being thrown at the wall, so we’ll see if this one sticks.