Is everything just a big iPad now? From cars to refrigerators, it seems more and more everyday objects now have screens where they didn’t before. Physical buttons are becoming a thing of the past as apps and screens take over a once very physical function.
But adding technology to something that didn't once have it isn’t always a sign of progress in many people’s eyes. When the tech goes down, everything goes with it, sometimes making for more difficult or costlier repairs. It also makes it hard to avoid the woes of technology, like the constant bombardment of content and ads.
It seems screens are potentially about to have a bigger presence at a familiar place—the gas station. How we pump gas may soon be a thing of the past.
Where Are The Exxon Buttons?
In a recent video content creator Maia (@lifewithmaia0403) shared what she saw when she pulled up to the gas station.
“Pretty cool touchscreen gas pumps,” the text overlay on the video reads.
Maia seems to be filling up at an Exxon station. Instead of the large physical buttons drivers typically press to select a fuel grade, they’re on a touchscreen.
It’s a noticeable redesign of such a familiar item and experience. While many people online are weary of the change, Maia appears impressed, calling the pump “super cool.”
“Technology just keeps getting better and better,” she said in the caption.
A commenter wrote, “Yes, but you have to watch if the pump stops and if it keeps going they’re new so ofc they’re going to have some [mistakes].”
Shields Harper, which sells one of these touchscreen pumps, promotes it by saying it can show advertisements, loyalty offers, switch languages, order food from inside, and give personalized promotions while also handling fuel selection and contactless payments.
In other words, the screen gives a gas station more ways to sell.
Touchscreen Pumps Are Spreading
Exxon isn’t the only gas station implementing touchscreens on pumps. MySA reports that newer pumps at some H-E-B fuel stations in Texas feature large touchscreens, multiple prompts and built-in advertising in place of physical buttons.
H-E-B told the outlet that it began installing the pumps in 2022, with more expected at new and existing fuel stations.
The reaction has been mixed. Some drivers told the outlet that the screens complicate a task that used to be simple, create more opportunities for advertising and can be finicky. Others were impressed by how modern the equipment looked.
A separate Reddit thread raised some of the same issues with people questioning how the display would hold up to heavy use. One driver pointed out an impracticality, saying that physical buttons can be pressed while wearing thick winter gloves, but touchscreens don’t always perform well with gloves or in bad weather.
“When it's below 0°F, I can still push a physical button through my gloves. Can't do that with a touchscreen. And in my experience, those touchscreen-friendly gloves either don't work or they're so thin that there's no way I'm wearing them when it's below 0. This is a solution in search of a problem. And when something breaks, instead of a $2 plastic button, now you're replacing a $200 touchscreen display,” a Redditor wrote.
Others didn’t love the fact that this is even more real estate for potential ads.
“Imagine how many ads they can show you before allowing you to pump gas!” a person said.
“Things that don’t need to have touchscreens. It was revolutionary for phones because it allows the phone to display endless different functions. If your touchscreen always shows the exact same thing then it should not be a touchscreen. It should be buttons,” another added.
Motor1 has reached out to Maia via email and TikTok comment and to and Exxon via phone. We’ll be sure to update this if they respond.
