Electric cars provide owners with a number of benefits; they are clean, efficient, quick and quiet. The vehicles have a smaller environmental impact than conventional vehicles, with no tailpipe emissions or dependence on fossil fuels. This is a primary reason for their growing popularity worldwide and certainly in the United States, the global leader in electric car adoption. Electric motors give the cars instant torque, creating strong and smooth acceleration. They are also very quiet and three times as efficient as cars with an internal combustion engine.

In response to a growing number of client requests, PARKPLUS has implemented Electric Vehicle Chargers (EVCs) on its Automated Guided Vehicle (AGV) systems. This provides owners of electric cars that use PARKPLUS AGVs with the ability to charge their vehicles on-site, whilst in storage. It also ensures that these owners always have the same parking space, due to the charging facility only being available on 25% of spaces in an automated parking facility.

Andreas Wastel, Vice President at PARKPLUS, said: “typically we are seeing between 10 & 25% of vehicles are electric in our main areas of New York, Miami and especially in Los Angeles”.

The PARKPLUS AGV systems transfer vehicles on platforms via an omni-directional robot using traffic management software, markers, vision systems and lasers for self-guidance. Automated Parking has seen significant growth in the United States in recent years, particularly in high density urban areas where they maximize parking capacity and efficiency. The platforms or trays now have a cable with plugs on either side that are connected to the vehicle’s charging socket and one of 4 plug openings located on the vehicle tray. These 4 plug openings ensure that all types of electric cars are covered as the socket placement differs from car to car; the plugs are universal, their placement isn’t. As the tray is lowered onto its parking space, it connects to a charger that charges the vehicle.

“At this point in time there is no revenue control in place, the building does not know how much power each vehicle owner is using. Going forward the buildings will meter the supply to the chargers and bill the car owner’s accordingly. We are poised to roll this out to a number of the big developers and anticipate a systematic introduction of these practices over time”, said Andreas Wastel.

Established in 1969, PARKPLUS designs, installs and maintains patented solutions for mechanical car stackers, automated robotic vehicle storage systems, and display units. PARKPLUS provides complete service across every project, employing professional full-time staff dedicated to design, manufacturing, installation and support. PARKPLUS has unparalleled experience in creating cutting-edge products and executing the most complex projects.

For more information on this article, contact:
Andreas Wastel
VICE PRESIDENT
TOLL FREE: 844-472-7575
andreas.wastel@parkplusinc.com