Death to the Mechanical Parking Space: A Failing System

Mechanical parking systems, long the bane of drivers’ existence, appear to be losing their grip on the market.

A recent white paper on China’s parking industry, jointly released by the Tsinghua University Tongheng Planning and Design Institute, the China Heavy Machinery Industry Association Parking Equipment Working Committee, and the China Municipal Engineering Association Urban Parking Professional Committee, paints a bleak picture.

According to the report, sales and the number of new parking spaces provided by mechanical systems in China have been on a four-year slide since 2020, plummeting to less than half of their peak.

In essence, developers’ appetite for these space-saving contraptions, once ubiquitous in shopping malls and residential complexes across the country, is rapidly waning.

Witnessing this market freefall, Jing Xiaobo, Executive Vice Chairman of the China Heavy Machinery Industry Association, urged the industry last year to ramp up R&D, boost product competitiveness, and seek opportunities abroad.

Without such measures, the future of the mechanical parking system industry looks decidedly uncertain!

Frankly, the news is a welcome relief. For too long, these wheel-rim-ravaging racks have been a parking nightmare.

It’s not just a personal gripe. A quick scan of social media reveals a near-universal disdain for mechanical parking among drivers of all experience levels. The rare exception? Someone who’s never had the misfortune of using one.

The animosity stems from their inherently user-unfriendly design.

For the uninitiated, mechanical parking systems, often found in underground garages of malls and apartment complexes, typically come in the form of stacked, side-by-side platforms – technically known as lift-slide mechanical parking systems.

Driven by chains and rails, they squeeze five cars into a space originally designed for three. The mechanics are undeniably cool.

But the execution? Less so. These things simply aren’t designed with drivers in mind.

A sign typically posted near the entrance specifies the maximum vehicle dimensions: length not exceeding 5 meters, width not exceeding 1.85 meters, and weight not exceeding 2 tons.

While the other restrictions are manageable, the 1.85-meter width limit is the real headache.

Standard parking spaces are around 2.5 meters wide. Mechanical parking spaces are significantly narrower, requiring a precise, straight-line reverse maneuver. Any deviation means a date with the wheel repair shop.

Why? Because instead of forgiving painted lines, these spaces are flanked by unforgiving steel beams.

Making matters worse, that 1.85-meter width barely exceeds the width of many modern cars.

With the rise of wider electric vehicles, the dimensions of which are even touted as selling points (think 5-meter length, 3-meter wheelbase, 2-meter width), parking in these contraptions becomes a nerve-wracking experience.

Unlike the relaxed, adjust-as-you-go approach of standard parking spaces, navigating a mechanical parking spot requires laser focus and a steady hand.

And yet, despite their inherent difficulties, these systems have proliferated in recent years, popping up in shopping mall garages, hospital parking lots, residential complexes, and even open-air parking areas.

Some claim that this expansion is policy-driven, with regulations mandating a certain percentage of mechanical parking spaces in new parking facilities.

But that’s only half the story.

A review of various city regulations reveals that policies do set minimum parking space requirements for new construction.

Hangzhou, for example, implemented a revised standard for parking facilities in urban construction projects on March 1, 2024 (DBJ33/T 1021-2023).

These regulations mandate a minimum of 0.7 parking spaces per household for new residential buildings, depending on average unit size, and up to 2.2 spaces. For shopping malls, the requirement is at least 0.4 parking spaces per 100 square meters of commercial space.

Similar minimums exist for restaurants, entertainment venues, office buildings, theaters, hotels, and other types of establishments.

However, policies don’t specify a minimum percentage for mechanical parking spaces. In fact, they often discourage their use.

Hangzhou’s supplementary implementation guidelines state that mechanical parking spaces are prohibited in new residential buildings and limited to 30% in shopping malls and 50% in other building types.

If the policies aren’t the problem, then the implementation is.

The strict parking space requirements incentivize developers who didn’t initially plan for sufficient capacity to utilize mechanical parking systems as a means to artificially inflate the number of available spaces and pass inspections.

While this approach might seem logical on the surface, the widespread adoption of mechanical parking systems as a mere compliance tool has had unintended consequences.

Mechanical parking systems, due to the inherent difficulty of parking and operating the equipment, typically require trained personnel to assist drivers, guide them into the space, and operate the machinery.

However, in order to save on maintenance costs, most shopping malls with mechanical parking systems do not provide such assistance, and many damaged spaces remain unrepaired.

This means that many mechanical parking spaces are essentially non-functional glorified parking spots that are incredibly difficult to navigate.

Furthermore, the lack of maintenance and upkeep results in frequent equipment failures, leading to vehicles plummeting from elevated platforms.

The results are consistently dramatic.

Some savvy developers have even devised temporary solutions to pass inspections.

According to Sun Xiaobo, president of the Hubei Parking Industry Association, developers sometimes rent or simply erect the frame of mechanical parking systems at a cost of 3,000 to 5,000 yuan per space, only to dismantle and remove the equipment after the inspection.

These practices have transformed mechanical parking systems from a potential solution to parking shortages into a tool for regulatory compliance.

Instead of easing parking woes, they have created a new set of problems.

It’s no wonder that mechanical parking system sales are declining. Dissatisfied users and developers focused on compliance, rather than functionality, have created a negative perception of the technology.

Consequently, numerous parking facilities that previously installed mechanical parking systems are now dismantling them and reverting to standard parking spaces.

But is the issue with the technology itself?

Not necessarily.

Many cities boast impressive automated parking garages where drivers simply pull into a designated bay, and the system takes care of the rest, retrieving the car when needed.

These systems are not only tolerated but also celebrated for their convenience and efficiency in addressing parking shortages.

If all mechanical parking systems could deliver this level of convenience and automation,

I’d be a convert for life.