Dave Bergin recently posted a query on LinkedIn, questioning whether multi-level parking structures were engineered with the weight of heavy electric vehicles in mind. This question appears to stem from several media outlets hypothesising the damaging effects of increasing vehicle weights on the structural integrity of multi-storey car parks in the emerging electric vehicle era. Though the origins of this story in specific UK newspapers might suggest a potential bias against electric vehicles, the concern is deemed credible given the increasing weight of cars due to the usage of heavier batteries compared to liquid fuels.
However, a close examination of the actual weights of common electric vehicles may dispel these fears. The assertions can be tested using the world’s most popular electric vehicle at the moment, the Tesla Model Y. The long-range, two-motor version of the Model Y has a kerb weight of 1,930 kg. Although not exactly lightweight, this is not considered excessively heavy in today’s terms. The Toyota RAV4 Hybrid, as a case in point, debuted in 2016 with a similar kerb weight, yet did not stir any fears regarding its potential impact on the structural strength of car parks.
The Volkswagen ID.4, the top-selling electric vehicle in Ireland, presents a comparable case. Its basic model weighs closely to the Model Y, whereas its two-motor, four-wheel drive GTX variant weighs approximately 2,256 kg. Although this is no light vehicle, it’s not a drastic increase compared to traditional combustion-engine vehicles, particularly when considering the overall increases in vehicle weight over the last decade, largely due to the rise in SUV purchases.
The perception that all electric vehicles (EVs) are colossal, influenced by outliers such as the American-exclusive Hummer EV – a whopping 4.5-tonnes of metal, with the battery alone being 1.5-tonnes – is misleading. Although the Hummer EV is incredibly large, costly and will be bought in limited quantities, not all EVs, including those available in Britain like the Mercedes-Benz EQS SUV, are as massive. With weights ranging from 2.5 to 2.7-tonnes, these EV SUVs compare reasonably to similar non-electric models.
Moreover, it’ll still be several years before EVs dominate new car sales and far longer before they are the majority on our roads. This suggests that car parks can breathe easy for now. The trend of larger electric cars may, however, necessitate some evolution in car park design, potentially encouraging more generous spaces and reduced car capacity to mitigate any risk of structural overload.
According to Link Engineering professionals, an architectural and engineering company, although modern EVs are significantly heavier than cars from when multi-level car parks first came into existence, a car park filled with EVs (each weighing approximately 3.5 tonnes) won’t surpass the typical design load for most car parks. The only caveat being the associated decrease in safety factors.
It’s essential to remember that it’s extremely improbable that car parks would collapse under the weight of multiple heavy EVs suddenly parking at the same time. Nonetheless, a regular inflow of such vehicles (including weighty petrol and diesel cars since heaviness isn’t exclusive to EVs) could accelerate wear on car park surfaces and structures, necessitating increased maintenance and repair by owners and operators.
However, to summarise: multi-storey car parks are well equipped to handle EVs, at least in the medium-term.