Drivers face 'triple' parking charges if they drive a 'heavier' car

Cars are getting heavier with more SUVs and electric vehicles on the road prompting fears parking costs may spike. The research found that electric cars are around 150kg heavier than petrol and diesel counterparts in the UK.

In 2016, the average weight of new road cars tested by experts was 1,553kg, whereas last year, it had grown to 1,947kg. Electric vehicles are almost 150kg heavier than conventional petrol or diesel models, Autocar research has also discovered.

The motoring publication warned smaller city cars also becoming less popular among consumers. Mark Tisshaw, editor of Autocar, said previous research showed that cars are getting too long for regular parking spaces, and the new data shows they are getting heavier too.

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He added: "This increase is being accelerated by the popularity of SUVs and EVs – which are heavier than traditional body styles and powertrains – and the declining number of lightweight city cars, which would offset heavier models. Paris recently introduced measures that triple parking costs for the heaviest models and British politicians have hinted that similar measures may find their way to the UK.

"If such legislation comes into force here, UK motorists will need to pay even closer attention to the weight of their next new car.” Structural engineer Chris Whapples told The Telegraph that there was "potential" for some older car parks in poor condition to collapse.

Mr Whapples, a structural engineer and car park consultant and the author of the new guidance, told The Telegraph: “I don’t want to be too alarmist, but there definitely is the potential for some of the early car parks in poor condition to collapse.”

“Operators need to be aware of electric vehicle weights, and get their car parks assessed from a strength point of view, and decide if they need to limit weight," he added.