Parking solutions must evolve in line with new mobility trends

Parking structures in their current form will soon be a thing of the past. Environmental, social and technological advances have changed the way people think about mobility. These shifts have created an opportunity for those in the parking industry to provide solutions that will meet the changing demand.

The automotive industry is in the midst of a huge shift and the parking industry needs to evolve to  meet changing consume needs. Parking structures cannot just be a place to park anymore. They need to be able to support and interact with the next generation of vehicles that will be connected to each other, to third party apps, smart cities and the energy grid.

Technology, climate, and regulation are all contributing to the changing vehicle landscape. Regulators worldwide are investing in infrastructure to support alternative fuel vehicles. Manufactures are heavily investing in battery electric vehicles (EVs) and plug-in hybrid vehicles (PHEV), and designers and city planners need to prepare for this future. EV sales are accelerating rapidly. Last year’s sales worldwide nearly doubled while the total number of EV’s on the road reached 16.5 million, three times the number on the road in 2018. This amazing rise in EV in adoption has also created the need for large amounts of smart charging. Future parking structures could become mobility hubs that are part of microgrids providing photovoltaic panels and battery storage to ease the strain on an ageing electrical infrastructure, as well as charging for first and last mile transportation like scooters and e-bikes.