Environment

As EV sales surge and cars get heavier, parking garages will have to change

Published

2 years ago

October 3, 2023

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Charging points at an underground car park in England. The number of EVs on our roads is increasing.

Peter Titmuss/UCG | Universal Images Group | Getty Images

Driving is changing. Today, hybrids and pure electric vehicles are a common sight around the world, and the overall size and heft of cars — whether they’re fully electric or use internal combustion engines — is increasing.

From the accessibility of EV charging points to noise levels, new designs and technologies have already created a range of issues that will need to be addressed in the years ahead.

Parking garages (known as multistory car parks in the U.K.) are one area where the proliferation of EVs and bigger vehicles is expected to have a major impact.

Earlier this year, the London-based Institution of Structural Engineers published updated design guidance for car parks.

The wide-ranging document covers all structures where cars can be parked — including those on multiple levels, underground or within residential and office buildings — and how they are designed, built and maintained. The guidance has been written for all stakeholders involved in car park design.

One potential issue relates to the load of what we drive. According to the institution, the average vehicle’s weight has increased from 1.5 metric tons in 1974 to nearly 2 metric tons in 2023.

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The cumulative load of these vehicles in parking garages could present some challenges in certain circumstances.

“If one pickup is significantly overloaded and that car park is weak, that’s a potential disaster waiting to happen,” Whapples said. Planning and preparation is, therefore, key — hence the updated guidance.

“We said, as an industry, we must actually check our car parks out and make sure that that’s not going to happen,” Whapples said. “Because what we want is the public to maintain confidence in our car parks and structural engineers.”

One way of doing this is to make sure that garages are structurally assessed.

“If it’s not strong enough, then it will need strengthening,” he added. “It may not need strengthening everywhere, it might be just individual elements.”

If this option turned out to be “prohibitively expensive,” Whapples said that vehicles could potentially be screened before entering these garages. Another possible solution could see the “heavyweights” remaining on the ground floor.

Fire safety and sprinklers

When it comes to electric vehicles, another area of concern relates to fire safety. That’s because while EV fires aren’t common, putting them out can be challenging.

“To actually extinguish an EV fire is very, very difficult — particularly if the battery is on fire, because you’ve got so much energy that’s locked in,” Whapples said.

He went on to highlight the potentially crucial role sprinkler systems could play going forward, especially in underground facilities.

“Although the sprinkler system will not put out the car fire, it will reduce the rate of spread within the car park, so it’s constantly … ‘quenching’ the car next to the one that’s on fire, and stopping that one from catching fire.”

This should give the fire service time to get to the site and tackle the flames.

While EV fires are a “worry,” Whapples highlighted that vehicles using gasoline also have the potential to ignite and create challenging situations.

Not ‘anti-EV’

Discussions about how parking lots and garages need to change to accommodate new types and sizes of vehicle extend beyond the U.K.

In Feb. 2023, the European Commission, the EU’s executive branch, launched a task force focused on developments related to the “fire safe deployment of recharging points in covered parking garages.”

AVERE, The European Association for Electromobility, co-leads the task force alongside the Commission.

In a statement sent to CNBC, the Brussels-headquartered organization said the task force “aims to create guidelines to help national and local authorities implement rules to welcome EVs in covered car parks while maintaining fire safety.”

The statement also said the “rise of e-mobility … helps us mitigate climate change and brings new questions, including weight and the impact on car parks.”

EV charging and parking spots at a site in England. The number of EVs on our roads is increasing, creating challenges and opportunities for parking lot design.

Dana Kenedy | Istock | Getty Images

Among other things, AVERE stressed the importance of establishing a discussion involving a wide range of stakeholders — from parking operators and firefighters to EV representatives, insurers and companies that manufacture and operate charging points.

“There is no one-size-fits-all solution to tackle fire safety and weight/size increase for all buildings,” its statement noted. “It is easier to change the structures of future car parks, but existing car parks represent a different challenge.”

“That being said, we need to ensure that the rules for existing buildings find the right balance to allow parking operators to operate them at a reasonable cost while increasing fire safety.”

More than 10 million electric cars — a figure that includes plug-in hybrid and battery electric vehicles — were sold in 2022, according to the International Energy Agency.

Looking ahead, the Paris-based organization, which is viewed by many as an authority on the energy transition, estimates that nearly one in five new cars sold this year will be electric.

Back in the U.K., Chris Whapples was keen to look at the bigger picture. “The Institution of Structural Engineers, and myself in particular, are not anti-EV,” he said.

“We’re really trying to facilitate new car parks to actually cope with EVs and the general increase in size of vehicles across the board.”

Environment

New Chevy Bolt undercuts “affordable” Tesla by $10K, wins on features

Published

2 hours ago

October 10, 2025

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On today’s extreme episode of Quick Charge, we’ve got the most affordable new EV in America packing 255 miles of range, sub-30 minute charging, V2H support, and more – all that for a price about $10,000 LESS than that new “affordable” Tesla.

We’ve also got specs for the all-new, all-electric Ferrari Elettrica and a world’s first, hydrogen-powered autonomous farm tractor from Kubota.

Today’s episode is brought to you by Climate XChange, a nonpartisan nonprofit working to help states pass effective, equitable climate policies. The nonprofit just kicked off its 10th annual EV raffle, where participants have multiple opportunities to win their dream model. Visit CarbonRaffle.org/Electrek to learn more.

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New episodes of Quick Charge are recorded, usually, Monday through Thursday (most weeks, anyway). We’ll be posting bonus audio content from time to time as well, so be sure to follow and subscribe so you don’t miss a minute of Electrek’s high-voltage daily news.

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Drop us a line at tips@electrek.co. You can also rate us on Apple Podcasts and Spotify, or recommend us in Overcast to help more people discover the show.

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Environment

Momentum unveils upgraded Vida E+ e-bike with throttle and bigger motor

Published

3 hours ago

October 10, 2025

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Momentum unveils upgraded Vida E+ e-bike with throttle and bigger motor

Momentum, the lifestyle-focused urban bike brand under Giant Group, has just launched the latest version of its popular Vida E+ electric bike – and this one’s all about making e-biking smoother, safer, and more accessible to riders of all experience levels.

The updated Vida E+ features a new 500W SyncDrive Move S motor offering 60Nm of torque and pedal assist up to 28 mph, designed to provide natural-feeling power whether you’re cruising to work or just exploring around town. The system uses a combination of sensors to analyze torque, speed, and cadence, automatically adjusting power output to match your pedaling effort.

According to Momentum, the motor engages with as little as 4Nm of pedal pressure and just 10° of crank movement, giving riders what they describe as an ultra-smooth and effortless start every time.

A new optional throttle adds another layer of convenience, letting riders cruise at speeds up to 20 mph without pedaling, which should be perfect for hills, traffic-heavy starts, or when you just want to relax and take it easy on the way home. The bike’s EnergyPak 700 battery provides up to a claimed 55 miles (88 km) of range on pedal assist or 43 miles (69 km) on throttle-only riding.

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The Vida E+ also leans hard into comfort and safety. It sports a low-step aluminum frame for easy on-and-off, an 80 mm suspension fork, and wide 26×2.4-inch tires for stability and plushness. Four-piston hydraulic disc brakes ensure solid stopping power, while a new automatic motor cutoff feature stops assistance as soon as the brakes engage. The bike is UL 2849 certified, meaning it meets top-tier safety standards for batteries and electronics, which is a growing priority in the e-bike world as more cities and states consider requiring safety certification as a prerequisite.

With support for up to 300 pounds (136 kg) total load and optional racks front and rear, the Vida E+ is also built for everyday utility. And on the tech side, momentum’s RideControl app lets riders fine-tune speed and assistance, lock or unlock the bike electronically, and monitor battery health.

The new Momentum Vida E+ is available now through Giant Group’s nationwide dealer network with an MSRP of US$2,480.

Returning from a recall on its previous bike, Giant Group will now have an opportunity to see how the new version of the Momentum Vida E+ will fare.

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Environment

VW just nuked its EV lease deals – while rivals sweeten theirs

Published

4 hours ago

October 9, 2025

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VW just nuked its EV lease deals – while rivals sweeten theirs

2025 VW ID.4 lease — Photo: Volkswagen of America

VW’s US EV lease deals just went from hero to zero. Federal tax credits are now dead, the automaker has wiped out up to $12,000 in lease incentives on the ID.4, and ended $10,500 in discounts on the ID. Buzz. The move bucks the trend as other brands continue to sweeten their EV lease offers.

As of September 30, 2025, Volkswagen offered up to $12,350 in lease cash on the ID.4, depending on configuration. That included a $7,500 federal lease tax credit for lessees as Bonus Customer Cash, plus $3,500 to $4,850 in Dealer Lease Cash. It made the ID.4 one of the top EV lease deals around.

On October 1, those incentives vanished. While the ID.4 still has a 0% APR equivalent lease rate, drivers lost more than $12,000 in savings overnight. The ID. Buzz took a similar hit. Last month, the 2025 ID. Buzz offered $10,500 off MSRP between the $7,500 tax credit and $3,000 Dealer Lease Cash. Now, almost all lease cash is gone. VW Credit is offering just $750 in Dealer Lease Cash, and weirdly, not on models with two-tone paint. According to CarsDirect’s lease calculator, the lowest-priced ID. Buzz trim now carries an effective monthly cost topping $1,000 — a considerable jump.

For comparison, the ID. Buzz Pro S was previously advertised at $589 a month for 36 months with $5,999 due at signing, or an effective monthly cost of $756.

The ID.4 lease once cost just $233 a month, making it one of the cheapest EVs to lease. According to updated estimates, that figure is now north of $800 – that’s hair-raising.

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Meanwhile, VW’s rivals are going in the opposite direction. Ford extended its Mustang Mach-E lease deals through early January. Subaru’s updated 2026 Solterra still qualifies for the $7,500 lease credit, and Jeep replaced the expiring EV lease credit with equivalent bonus cash.

If you really want a Volkswagen, though, there’s some good news: financing deals haven’t changed. The 2025 ID.4 continues to offer 0% APR for 72 months, and buyers of the ID. Buzz can still get up to $3,250 in Bonus Customer Cash through November 3, a perk unavailable to lessees.

It kinda seems like VW doesn’t want to lease their EVs anymore…?? Let me know your thoughts in the comments below.

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Your personalized solar quotes are easy to compare online and you’ll get access to unbiased Energy Advisors to help you every step of the way. Get started here.

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