ALEXANDRIA, Va. – On this week’s episode of Convenience Matters, “Global Initiatives on Fuels and Vehicles,” NACS hosts John Eichberger, executive director for the Fuels Institute, and Donovan Woods, director of operations for the Fuels Institute, talk with Tammy Klein, principal consultant with Future Fuel Strategies, about how what’s happening around the world could impact fuel retailers.

While the United States tends to focus on issues like the Renewable Fuel Standard and fuel-efficiency standards, “there is a larger picture, which I do feel like is kind of being missed by the market players in this country,” Klein said. Part of that big picture has to do with electric vehicles (EVs). “China’s really driving electrification … through investment in the technology and development of new energy vehicle policies essential to facilitating growth.”

Europe is driving much of the coming disruptions to the fuel retailing industry, which can be traced to consumer and local government anger over air pollution and climate change. Klein gave the example of “dieselgate,” Volkswagon’s emissions scandal, as part of the driving force behind changes like car bans.

“More and more information coming out to consumers in the public domain about the health impacts of air pollution, … and cities and national-level governments realize they can’t handle the cars anymore—all of these factors are driving issues [like car bans],” she said.

Each week a new Convenience Matters episode is released. The weekly podcast can be downloaded on iTunes, Google Play Music and Stitcher and at www.conveniencematters.com. Episodes have been downloaded by listeners more than 39,000 times in more than 95 countries.