Out of the 11,646 petrol stations in Spain, only 882 are fully unmmaned, accounting for 7.5% of the total. According to the latest study by the National Commission on Markets and Competition (CNMC), it would be advisable for both the State and the autonomous regions to eliminate requirements or limitations that “are not really necessary” on automated petrol stations in view of their potential to reduce fuel prices.
The reduction in the number of personnel and the smaller space occupied by unmanned petrol stations would contribute to their offer being cheaper than traditional sites. However, the opposition of both the traditional operators and the authorities has resulted in their expansion in the Spanish territory being much slower than in the other countries of the European Union, where they have grown by up to 16%.
