Trend: Advanced Fuel Strategies

Retailers have been increasing their investment in advanced fuel strategies and offerings lately, looking to cover as many customer fueling demands as possible.

In response, we expanded the grade select capability on the Encore 700 S from 5 grades to 6, allowing retailers to optimize their fuel strategies, differentiate their offerings, and drive customers towards more profitable products.

"One of the biggest features that we've released lately is we expanded our grade capability from 5 to 6. 6th grade has come in and allowed retailers to take their fueling strategies to that next level.” - Joe Leonard, Global Product Manager at Gilbarco Veeder-Root

Gas Dispensers with Flex Fuel
Gilbarco Fueling Dispenser 700S

Trend: Next-Gen OPTs

The average driver now demands payment with the least friction possible. That means implementing Outdoor Payment Terminals (OPTs) that offer contactless and mobile wallet payments, and even drive promotions and potential selling opportunities right at the pump.

With the help of Invenco by GVR, we’re rolling out two FlexPay 6 OPTs in our Encore 700S dispensers:

  • M1-15: A modular payment terminal with rich-media touchscreen and an open platform suited to any self-service or unattended payment environment. It comes with a 15.6 inch touchscreen built for the outdoors.
  • A2-09: An All-In-One payment device, made for the outdoors that provides a rich array of features, including contactless as standard, high-res touch enabled display, printer and barcode reader. It can display easy-to-follow user prompts, promotional advertising, and upsell opportunities.

Trend: DEFinite Convenience

Selling Diesel Exhaust Fluid (DEF) in plastic jugs is OUT; offering DEF at the dispenser is IN.

Encore dispensers can now integrate standard flow DEF to make fueling as convenient as possible on the forecourt.

With the new dual DEF option, drivers in truck lanes get the same, familiar fueling experience as a typical car customer, while accommodating two-way traffic at truck stops. We've also made continuous enhancements to DEF cabinets based on field data and customer feedback, making it more reliable than ever.

DEF Dispenser

Tomorrow: Innovations on the Horizon

So, what’s next for Gilbarco Veeder-Root Encore dispensers? Some upcoming features and innovations to watch out for include:

  • Continuing with FlexPay 6: We’re working towards additional integrated releases with the FlexPay 6 portfolio, starting with the M2-15 all-in-one OPT, which is the second generation of the 15-inch touch display OPT.
  • Connectivity Hub Expansion: We’re expanding the connectivity hub within the dispenser to connect with other devices around your site, enhancing insight and analytics capabilities.
  • Redesigning Pump Electronics: We’re redesigning our Pump Control Node (PCN) to move away from an older platform that has been in use for over 20 years, to a newer one that unlocks new capabilities like advanced fraud detection and remote management.
  • Category 3 Connectivity: Category 3 connectivity will allow remote changes to dispenser settings, turning the dispenser into a smart device for site monitoring and adjustments.

 

The Future: Vision and Long-Term Goals

Looking further into the future, here are some of the ideas still on the drawing board:

  • Future Fuel Blending Capabilities: We're exploring different approaches to blending, allowing for more precise ethanol and octane levels and packing more hydraulic flexibility into fewer models.
  • Remote Reprogramming: We’re envisioning a future where fuel strategies can be changed remotely without physical modifications, to help optimize service resources across networks and reduce overall costs.
  • Experimentation and Optimization: We’re empowering retailers to simplify and streamline their processes for experimenting with different fuel strategies to help optimize their offerings and drive customers to more profitable products.

 

The Bottom Line

Count on our Fueling Solutions team to stay on the trends and engineer solutions that make your operations work as efficiently as possible. 

As the fuel dispenser landscape evolves, we are continually adapting to keep pace with both technological advancements and consumer expectations. With each advancement, we’re  paving the way for a more efficient and convenient future, together.

The information from this blog was first presented at RTC24. Stay tuned for dates and location for RTC25 to gain early access to information like this.