Antoinette Milienos For Daily Mail Australia
Updated 04/11/2023 07:51, 04/11/2023 10:40
- Experts warn that old parking structures could collapse
- Building guidelines do not address heavy EVs
- EVs are typically heavier than petrol and diesel vehicles
Multi-storey car parks across Australia may be at risk of collapsing as the country’s aging infrastructure struggles to hold up to the increased weight of electric vehicles and large American-made vehicles. I have.
Electric cars have no internal combustion engine and have fewer moving parts than standard petrol or diesel cars, yet they are very heavy.
High-tech vehicles are much heavier than their traditional counterparts due to the vehicle’s heavy battery pack.
Australia is also seeing increased adoption of giant US-made utes and SUVs (vehicles that typically occupy two spaces), further raising concerns about weight stress in parking lots.
According to the EV Council, Australia has more than 83,000 electric vehicles, with battery-powered vehicles accounting for 6.8% of all new car sales in February.
Australia is making a transition to electric vehicles, with a target of 3.8 million EVs on the road by 2030, but the increasing weight of high-tech cars was the same as that of smaller and lighter cars decades ago. can cause serious problems for parking lots built for
The Australian Parking Facility Standards, published in 2004, do not specify weight limits for multi-storey car parks, nor do they recommend specific weight limits for each vehicle.
Each state and territory has its own engineering and design requirements, but weight limits are not included.
The UK is proposing new guidelines recommending higher load bearing weights to accommodate heavier vehicles.
These guidelines raise the weight limit that a parking lot floor can withstand. Experts warn that older structures could collapse under the weight of EVs.
Structural engineer and parking consultant Chris Whapples is at the forefront of these new measures, which will be rolled out in the coming weeks.
“I don’t want to make too much of a fuss, but it’s definitely possible that the early car parks in poor condition will collapse,” Wapples told The Telegraph.
“If the car park is heavier than the car was originally designed for, the effects can be devastating.
“Operators need to be aware of the weight of electric vehicles and evaluate parking lots in terms of strength to determine if weight should be restricted.
“We are recommending loading checks on all older parking lots, and the industry is responding.”
The weight of electric vehicles is primarily due to the batteries used to power them and the enhanced framework and suspension required to accommodate them.
The Tesla Model X has a Gross Vehicle Weight of 2,467kg and a Gross Vehicle Weight Rating (GVWR) of 3,069kg, exceeding previously anticipated requirements.
Other models, including the GMC Hummer EV, weigh over 4,000kg with a GVWR of 4,800kg.
This model, which is not yet available in Australia, has a battery pack weighing over 1,300kg. This corresponds to a small car with an internal combustion engine.
Confirmed for Australia, the RAM 150 REV has a 229kWh battery and an expected vehicle weight of over 4,000kg.
The weight of EVs combined with poor building maintenance, concrete guns, corrosion and other problems found in aging buildings make Australia need updated parking guidelines and recommendations.
The problem arises when all the spaces are occupied by large vehicles. Many suggest that EVs are no different than the dual cabs found in parking lots and roads across the country today.
But dual cabs like this will be the last as state governments plan to kick out petrol and diesel in favor of electric vehicles.
In the next 15 to 20 years, most of the new cars sold will be electric, and the current 2,500kg internal combustion engine cars will eventually be replaced by 3,500kg electric cars.
Australia has lagged behind the rest of the world in adopting EVs, but the industry boosted demand after a law was passed last year exempting low- and zero-emission vehicles from the fringe benefit tax. .
New South Wales and Victoria want 50% of new car sales to be EVs by 2030, while Queensland wants 50% of new passenger car sales to be zero-emissions by 2030. and plans to reach 100% by 2036.
South Australia wants all new passenger cars sold to be fully electric by 2035, while Western Australia wants a minimum of 25% of light and small electric passenger cars by 2025. I am aiming for
The Australian Capital Territory is targeting 80-90% zero-emission vehicles by 2030 and plans to phase out new petrol and diesel vehicle registrations by 2035.
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