The risks of e-mobility: e-car parking in parking garages

With the steady share of electric cars on the roads worldwide, the importance of parking spaces that meet the specific requirements of these vehicles is also growing. Parking garages play a crucial role here, as they offer the possibility of accommodating a larger number of vehicles in urban areas. In this section, we explain why parking electric cars in parking garages is becoming increasingly relevant and what challenges this development poses.

First of all, it is important to understand that electric cars have different needs compared to conventional vehicles with internal combustion engines. In particular, they need a charging infrastructure to recharge their batteries. In densely populated cities where space for public charging infrastructure is limited, parking garages offer an ideal solution to provide both parking and charging options for e-cars.

However, parking electric cars in parking garages also presents special challenges. This includes, for example, the integration of charging infrastructures into existing parking garages, the consideration of safety aspects and the management of charging processes to avoid bottlenecks. In addition, it is important to clearly mark e-car parking spaces and distinguish them from conventional parking spaces.

Another aspect to consider when parking electric cars in parking garages is the increasing demand for fast charging stations. These enable e-car owners to charge their vehicles in a shorter time, reducing waiting times at charging stations. Therefore, it is critical that parking garages are equipped with both conventional charging options and fast charging stations to meet the needs of e-car owners.

Overcoming the challenges of parking electric cars in parking garages will require close collaboration between parking garage operators, energy providers, urban planners and vehicle manufacturers. Together, they can ensure that parking garages are future-proofed and meet the requirements of e-mobility.

In the following sections, we go into more detail about the various aspects of parking e-cars in parking garages to provide a comprehensive understanding of this issue.

E-car parking differs from conventional parking in several aspects. In this section, we describe the special features of e-car parking spaces and explain what benefits they offer to e-car owners.

A key feature of e-car parking is the charging infrastructure. This allows electric car owners to charge their vehicles while parked. There are different types of charging stations that can be installed in parking garages, such as normal charging stations (AC) and fast charging stations (DC). Choosing the right charging infrastructure depends on several factors, such as expected parking duration, number of e-cars, and available resources.

E-car parking spaces should be clearly marked to easily distinguish them from conventional parking spaces. This can be achieved through special floor markings, signs or even the use of colors. Parking accessibility is also important. Ideally, they should be located near entrances and exits and in easily accessible areas of the parking garage to increase convenience for users.

Intelligent control systems can be used to make the charging process efficient and user-friendly. These systems can monitor the charging status of vehicles, optimize energy consumption and even automate the billing of charging costs. In addition, they can also help monitor the utilization of the charging infrastructure and prioritize charging operations as needed.

Some parking garages offer the possibility to reserve e-car parking spaces in advance. This is particularly useful in large cities and when traffic is heavy, to ensure that electric car owners can find a suitable parking space with charging facilities. Reservation systems can be used via apps or online platforms, making it easy and convenient to plan parking.

E-car parking offers several benefits for electric car owners. These include:

• Time saving: charging while parking allows e-car owners to use their time more efficiently and not have to schedule time separately for charging.
• Convenience: The easily accessible placement of e-car parking spaces in parking garages facilitates access to charging infrastructure.
• Faster charging times: The availability of fast-charging stations means that vehicles can be charged in a shorter time, increasing users’ flexibility and mobility.
• Environmental friendliness: Charging electric cars in parking garages can help reduce CO2 emissions and energy consumption by using energy more efficiently.

Overall, dedicated e-car parking spaces in parking garages help to increase the attractiveness and improve the image.

In this section, we address the potential safety risks that can arise when parking electric cars in parking garages and discuss possible solutions and prevention measures to minimize these risks.

Since e-car parking lots are equipped with electric charging stations, there is a risk of electrical accidents due to faulty installations, damaged cables or improper handling. To reduce this risk, all electrical installations and components should comply with applicable safety standards and be regularly maintained and inspected. In addition, it is important to educate e-car owners on the correct handling of the charging infrastructure and provide them with clear instructions.

Defective or damaged batteries of electric cars can lead to thermal events such as fires. Such incidents can be dangerous for the vehicle involved as well as for neighboring vehicles and the parking garage itself. Older parking garages in particular are at risk here, as they lack modern security systems and are usually more narrowly built. To minimize the risk of fire, parking lots should have adequate fire protection measures in place, such as fire alarms, automatic extinguishing systems and easily accessible fire extinguishers. Regular fire safety inspections and training for parking garage staff are also recommended.

The handling of e-car parking spaces in parking garages is subject to various legal frameworks that are relevant for both parking garage operators and electric car owners. In this section, we highlight the legal requirements and responsibilities associated with e-car parking in parking garages.

When installing charging infrastructure in parking garages, the applicable building and fire safety regulations must be observed. These include, for example, sufficient ventilation to safely dissipate the heat exchange that occurs during charging processes, or the installation of fire protection equipment to minimize the risk of fires. Responsibility for compliance with these regulations generally rests with the operator of the parking garage.

The installation and operation of charging infrastructure is subject to strict electrotechnical safety requirements. This includes, for example, regular maintenance and testing of charging stations as well as correct grounding and the use of residual current circuit breakers. Responsibility for maintaining the safety of the system lies with both the parking garage operator and the charging infrastructure installer.

In many countries, it is a legal requirement that parking garages must be barrier-free. This also applies to e-car parking spaces and their charging infrastructure. Parking lot operators must ensure that people with disabilities can easily access charging facilities and that no discriminatory barriers are created.

When operating charging infrastructure in parking garages, personal data such as vehicle identification numbers or billing information is usually processed. In doing so, the responsible parties must comply with the applicable data protection laws and ensure that the users’ data is protected.

In the event of damage or accidents occurring in connection with e-car parking spaces and charging infrastructure in parking garages, the question of liability is of central importance. Depending on the situation, both the parking garage operator and the electric car owner or third parties may be held liable.

Finally, we take a look at future developments and trends in e-car parking in parking garages. These developments can have a significant impact on the design of parking garages and e-mobility as a whole.

One trend that could become more important in the coming years is automated parking and charging of electric cars. In the process, vehicles could park in and out of parking garages without human intervention and start charging processes autonomously. This would make the parking and charging process even more efficient and convenient and could help to further increase the acceptance of electromobility.

The increasing use of renewable energy, such as solar power, in conjunction with parking garages and charging infrastructure is another trend that could emerge in the coming years. For example, solar panels could be installed on the roofs of parking garages to provide electricity for the charging infrastructure. This would further reduce the environmental footprint of e-mobility and enable parking garages to contribute to the energy transition.

The increasing networking of vehicles, charging infrastructures and parking garages enables the development of new data-driven services. For example, real-time information on the availability of parking and charging options could be transmitted to drivers to facilitate the search for suitable parking spaces. The development of intelligent charging strategies that, for example, adapt the charging process to individual driving behavior or the current electricity price is also conceivable.

Another future trend in parking for electric cars could be adaptive design of parking spaces in parking garages to accommodate the decline of conventional vehicles. As more and more people switch to electric cars, parking garages need to adapt their capacities and infrastructures to the growing number of e-cars.

One approach could be to introduce flexible parking systems and smart space utilization concepts to enable a gradual conversion of conventional parking spaces into e-car parking spaces. By using modular charging infrastructure and changeable parking markings, parking garages could dynamically adjust the number of e-car parking spaces to actual demand.

Another option is to use available space more efficiently by creating parking spaces for shared use (car sharing) and multimodal transportation hubs. This would allow parking garages to better meet the needs of electric car owners as well as those of public transportation users and car-sharing services, while adapting to the changing mobility landscape.

In this article, we looked at the risks of e-mobility, especially parking electric cars in parking garages. We discussed the specifics of e-car parking and its benefits, analyzed potential safety risks, and highlighted legal frameworks. Finally, we looked at future developments and trends in e-car parking.

With a touch of optimism and humor, we can say that the future of parking in parking garages looks electrifying! So buckle up, charge your batteries, and look forward to a more sustainable, efficient, and adaptable parking landscape.