Hacker News new | ask | show | jobs
by daveKoala 1164 days ago
There was a UK news story about older multi-story car parks not being able to cope with more and heavier EV and with a risk of collapse

https://www.topgear.com/car-news/suvs/uk-car-parks-are-appar...

4 comments

I'll just quote this same story:

"An article in the Telegraph points to the added weight of batteries in EVs as the main risk factor, neatly sidestepping the fact that the average petrol-powered car is twice as heavy today as it was when these car parks were built. Which we’re positive is just an oversight."

This is an issue with aircraft design also: passengers today are heavier than the designers assumed.
I think cutting legroom so they can cram in an extra 5 rows has a bigger impact.
I'd hope that any modifications done in the current era use up-to-date anthropometrics.
That's nothing compared to the risks associated with having vehicles like the Hummer EV driving over old bridges.[1]

[1] https://www.motorbiscuit.com/gmc-hummer-ev-weight-might-disq...

I doubt that UK car parks are at a significant risk of being packed full of Cadillac Escalade EVs any time soon. Yes, some early attempts at EVs are heavier than they need to be, but as the industry matures, expect to see an EV weight tax closer to 20%.
Very few American cars, even small ones, will be able to fit in a UK multi-story car park. They are uncomfortably optimised to maximise the use of space and larger cars can barely drive in them, nevert mind actually park.