Ready or not, electric vehicles are here, and they're here to stay. The question is whether or not we are prepared for them. And if we're not, we need to get it together because there are several unexpected issues the public is running into as EV sales surge throughout America.

The most crucial issue is that as EV sales take off, cars are becoming larger, which means that parking garages and infrastructure will have to adapt to these changes. 

Heavier Vehicles

In 1974 the average car weighed 1.5 metric tons, and infrastructure was built accordingly. Now, in 2023, the average weight of a vehicle has increased to almost two metric tons, which is a significant increase. This weight increase is a result of electric and hybrid batteries as well as larger vehicle sizes as modern vehicle design changes. 

Structural Concerns

There is beginning to be a concern that some parking garages face the risk of collapse due to the weight of heavier vehicles. In fact, the London-based Institution of Structural Engineers updated their design guidance for parking garages (known as car parks in the UK) because of the increase that we are seeing in vehicle weight. 

Chris Whapples, a fellow of the institution and contributor to the guidance as an author and overseeing consultant, told CNBC, “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.”

Electric Vehicles Aren't The Only Issue

There are gas and diesel-powered vehicles that are also contributing to the issue. As SUVs, large executive cars, and pickup trucks get heavier, they will contribute just as much to the issue as electric cars do. Some of these larger vehicles can weigh up to 3 metric tons, which is almost twice the weight that cars were in 1974. 

Potential Solutions

One of the easiest ways to remedy this is to screen vehicles for weight limits to keep heavy vehicles on the ground floor. There are also institutions like the Institution of Structural Engineers that are working to accommodate EVs and other larger vehicles to ensure that parking structures can cope with the changing landscape of transportation.