How One Entrepreneur is Reimagining The World’s Fuel Stations for Clean Energy

Rajesh Solanki, CEO of Energos.ai, discusses transforming 1 million fuel stations globally into energy mobility hubs, starting with a groundbreaking 200-station Shell deployment

What happens to 1 million fuel stations when the vehicles they serve vanish from the roads? This question haunts executives across the energy sector, but Rajesh Solanki has found the answer. His company, Energos.ai, has proven the economics work across 200 Shell retail locations, demonstrating that existing fuel stations are the solution, not the problem. We sat down with Solanki to discuss his vision for transforming the global fuel retail industry.​​

You’ve just completed a major project with Shell across 200 fuel stations. What made this collaboration significant?

Working with Shell required precision on a scale that had never been attempted before. We constructed digital twins of each station—virtual replicas that simulate energy loads down to the kilowatt level. The models revealed something counterintuitive: more charging capacity requires fewer physical charging units when managed correctly. We analyzed the effect on energy requirements as stations add more EV chargers and reduce fuel dispensers. These are live deployments across three countries.​

We achieved 15% energy savings in convenience stores, a 20% reduction in maintenance costs, and a 30% increase in uptime. The Economic Times confirmed that Energos implemented AI-driven tools to boost energy efficiency across Shell’s retail sites.​​

Can you elaborate on the infrastructure discovery?

Most operators assume that adding ten EV chargers requires ten times the infrastructure investment. But when you use AI-driven load management and digital twin modeling, you discover massive efficiencies. Our system predicts when charging demand will peak, balances loads across multiple energy sources, and prevents grid strain during peak times.​​

This is where my U.S. patent becomes critical. It covers monitoring and controlling devices that facilitate energy and load management. Our AI models adapt in real time, learning from each station’s unique load patterns.​​

How big is this transformation opportunity?

There are approximately 1 million fuel stations worldwide, with 150,000 in the United States alone. Each one sits on premium real estate with existing electrical service and customer recognition. The Boston Consulting Group estimates that 80% of the fuel retail market could become unprofitable by 2035 if it does not adapt. These aren’t just businesses—they’re cultural landmarks at a crossroads.​​

There’s a reliability crisis in EV charging that you’ve addressed. What’s happening?

Here’s the industry’s dirty secret: 29% of EV charging attempts fail on the first try. This creates range anxiety and slows EV adoption. Field technicians lack unified visibility and standardized procedures.​​

That’s why we built the Energos Reliability Platform as a mobile-first CMMS designed specifically for distributed energy assets. We’ve reduced mean time to repair by 40% by automatically converting error codes into actionable work orders. We’ve integrated an AI-powered multilingual assistant that helps vernacular workers understand complex electrical procedures safely, accelerating training and reducing dependency on high-cost experts.​​

How did your background lead you to this problem?

I’m a first-generation repeat entrepreneur with engineering and MBA backgrounds. My previous venture in video analytics went to a profitable exit. Those experiences taught me how distributed systems fail and how to prevent it.​​

What drew me to the energy transition was the magnitude of the infrastructure challenge. This isn’t incremental improvement—it’s wholesale reinvention of a $300+ billion industry that touches every person’s daily life.​

What validation stands out?

I spoke at the UN’s AI for Good summit. We’ve been selected for prestigious accelerators, including Clean Tech Global USA, LA Cleantech Incubator, Shell E4, Nasscom Deeptech Club, and Startup Bootcamp Melbourne. Industry awards from Independent Power Producers and the Indian Smart Grid Forum validated the technical achievements.​​

But honestly, the validation that matters most is the Shell deployment. When a Fortune 500 global energy company trusts you with their transformation strategy across 200 locations, that’s the ultimate proof point.​

Looking ahead to 2030, what does success look like?

Success means the majority of the world’s fuel stations have successfully transformed into energy and mobility centers—not abandoned, but reinvented. They’re generating more revenue from electricity and expanded services than they ever did from gasoline alone.​

My role is to ensure our platform becomes the industry standard for managing this transformation. We have proven that the economics work, the technology scales, and existing assets convert profitably. Now the question shifts from whether fuel stations can survive to how quickly they’ll change.​

What’s your message to fuel station operators uncertain about this transition?

The infrastructure exists. The real estate is already there. What’s missing isn’t capital—it’s the methodology and technology to execute the transformation without breaking what already works.​​

We’ve proven this across 200 Shell stations. The 15% energy savings, 20% maintenance reduction, and 30% uptime increase aren’t projections—they’re results from live deployments. Operators who move now will define the next 30 years of energy retail. Those who wait will be managing stranded assets.​​