Old garages are at risk of collapse due to heavy electric vehicles

The change from a combustion engine to an electric vehicle is considered timely. What is often not mentioned, however, is that electric cars are heavy vehicles. Sometimes they weigh twice as much as old conventional cars.

This can become a problem for the streets, but especially for multi-storey car parks. That’s why the British Parking Association is now warning, according to Focus, that parking garages can collapse due to heavy vehicles.

Because e-car batteries with a range of more than 500 km can quickly weigh up to 700 kg. The Tesla Model 3 battery weighs half a ton, and the Mercedes EQC battery weighs up to 650 kg.

Problematic: Many car parks have been set up in England for cars weighing up to 1,000kg. But today cars weigh much more than that. The Tesla Model 3, for example, weighs a total of 1.8 tons, and a modern E-SUV often weighs more than two tons.

“We haven’t had any accidents yet, but I suspect it’s only a matter of time. Owners of old car parks are advised to carry out checks,” advises civil engineer Chris Waples, a member of the British Parking Association.

An example from Germany shows that the problem does not only affect Great Britain. For example, Henrik Friedmann had to return his parking permit in Offenbach a few days after it was issued. The reason: his Audi e-tron is about three tons heavier than German road traffic regulations allow.

With this weight, he is not allowed to stand on the sidewalk, as is allowed in Offenbach (d).