There is hidden engineering behind every gas station. To understand it, let’s travel back to the year 1913.
Imagine you’re driving your brand-new Ford Model T, the first mass-produced car in human history. The roof is open, the sun is shining, life feels wonderful—until you realize you’re almost out of fuel. Panic sets in… but fortunately, the world’s first gas station has just opened nearby. You pull over and refuel within seconds.
This was an astonishingly new concept at the time—one that would eventually transform the world. The automobile market exploded. Soon, more than 150,000 gas stations were built across the United States, giving people unprecedented freedom to travel.
Since then, gas stations have evolved from dangerous roadside fire hazards into highly efficient fueling hubs that pump 3 billion gallons of fuel every single day across the globe.
In this video, we’ll illustrate the hidden engineering intentionally built into gas stations—a 100-year journey of brilliant mechanisms that keep them operating safely even today.
Before Gas Stations Existed
Before gas stations, most people didn’t own cars. But kerosene was widely used for lamps and stoves. To get it, you’d go to a hardware store, where a worker would pour kerosene into a can for you.
When automobiles arrived, people used the same method—kerosene was poured into a can, and then the customer would use a funnel to fill the car.
This was slow and dangerous, and the world needed a safer and more efficient method.
The First Fuel Pump
Enter Silvanus Bowser, an American inventor. He created the very first fuel pump—a hand-operated mechanism that pushed kerosene through a one-way valve and out through a nozzle.
One full turn dispensed exactly one gallon of fuel.
These pumps soon appeared on city streets, allowing attendants to fill cars more easily. But customers still had no way of knowing whether they were getting the correct amount of fuel.
The Visible-Glass Fuel Pump
Several years later, visible glass fuel pumps were introduced.
Here’s how they worked:
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The attendant pumped fuel into a clear glass chamber at the top, allowing customers to see and measure exactly how much fuel they were buying.
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Opening a valve allowed gravity to deliver the fuel into the car.
These pumps were effective in the early years. In 1900, the U.S. had only 8,000 cars, but by 1912 that number skyrocketed to 1.2 million. Lines began forming, and the small 50-gallon tanks couldn’t keep up. Worse, fuel was still stored above ground, making accidents potentially disastrous.
The First True Gas Station (1913)
In 1913, Gulf Oil opened the world’s first dedicated gas station in Pittsburgh.
Instead of one small pump, they buried large fuel tanks underground and connected them to six pumps, allowing multiple cars to refuel at once.
On its first day, it sold only 30 gallons. But word spread quickly. By the weekend, it was selling 350 gallons per day at 27 cents per gallon.
Stations like this soon spread across America.
The Shift to Gasoline—and a New Problem
By the 1920s, automobiles switched from kerosene to gasoline, which was more efficient but also more dangerous.
The issue? Vapor.
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Kerosene vaporizes at around 38°C, so it doesn’t release flammable vapor at lower temperatures.
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Gasoline vaporizes at -40°C, meaning it always releases flammable vapor, even in cold weather.
These vapors accumulated in underground tanks and escaped into the air when customers refueled—one spark could cause disaster.
Self-Service Stations: A New Era
Until then, only trained attendants handled fueling. But as competition increased, station owners wanted to cut costs.
In 1947, Frank Olrich opened the first self-service gas station, reducing gas prices from 23¢ to 18¢ per gallon by eliminating staff. But many states banned self-service because:
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Customers didn’t know when tanks were full
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Fuel frequently overflowed, creating hazards
Engineers solved this by inventing the automatic shut-off valve—a simple mechanical float inside the nozzle. When the tank fills up, the float rises and automatically stops the fuel flow.
The Problem Underground
Large underground steel tanks still had two big issues:
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Gasoline vapor buildup created dangerous pockets of flammable gas.
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Steel tanks corroded over time, leading to leaks that contaminated soil and groundwater.
Modern Underground Fuel Tanks
Today’s underground tanks are made of fiberglass and equipped with numerous safety features.
Here’s how they work:
When the fuel truck arrives
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A hose connects to the surface valve, pumping fuel down into the tank.
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When the fuel level reaches 95%, a float valve automatically closes to prevent overfilling.
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A second hose connects to the vapor return system.
As fuel enters, vapors exit through this hose and return to the truck, where they’re cooled and converted back into usable fuel.
When a customer refuels
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A pump at the bottom of the tank pushes fuel through pipes and filters, up into the dispenser, and finally into the vehicle.
The Hidden Technology Inside the Fuel Nozzle
Today’s nozzle is a masterpiece of mechanical engineering designed to make overfilling almost impossible.
Here’s what happens inside:
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Fuel flows through a narrow passage.
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Tiny holes create a Venturi effect, lowering pressure and pulling air through a thin tube into the nozzle.
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A second tube leads to a chamber containing a sealed membrane.
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When the trigger is pressed, balls lock the mechanism in place and fuel flows.
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When the car’s tank fills, fuel covers the small hole at the tip, blocking airflow.
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The pressure change creates a vacuum, lifting the membrane.
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The steel balls fall out of place, the trigger snaps shut, and fuel flow instantly stops.
Gas Stations Today
After the 2000s, cars became more fuel-efficient and refueled less often, so the number of gas stations decreased.
Yet thanks to a century of engineering, today’s stations are incredibly safe and feel ordinary—even though they are filled with complex, hidden mechanisms.
Thank you for watching, and stay tuned for more educational videos from Cemilan Edukasi.