By Elvis Reyes, PTMP

The growth of electric vehicles is creating a major opportunity—and challenge—for the parking industry.

Parking facilities have historically been designed around one primary function: storing vehicles.

Electric vehicles are changing that model by making parking facilities part of the vehicle charging ecosystem.

Parking and Charging Are Becoming Connected

For an EV driver, parking is increasingly about more than finding an available space.

Drivers may want to know:

  • Is a charging station available?
  • What type of charger is it?
  • How long will charging take?
  • What is the cost?
  • Is the charger currently operational?
  • Can I reserve a charging space?

Parking operators must increasingly consider these questions when designing the customer experience.

The Business Opportunity

EV charging can create additional revenue opportunities for parking operators.

Charging services may be incorporated into parking fees, offered as an additional service, or integrated into broader mobility programs.

Facilities with convenient locations and reliable charging infrastructure may also become more attractive destinations for EV drivers.

The Challenge of Infrastructure

Installing EV chargers is not as simple as placing charging stations in existing parking spaces.

Operators must consider:

  • Electrical capacity
  • Infrastructure costs
  • Charger placement
  • Maintenance
  • Customer demand
  • Parking duration
  • Accessibility
  • Future expansion

A facility that installs too few chargers may struggle to meet demand.

Installing too many too quickly can result in underutilized infrastructure.

The key is developing a scalable strategy.

Charging Changes Parking Behavior

Traditional parking is measured primarily in terms of occupancy and duration.

EV charging introduces another important variable: energy consumption.

A customer may choose a parking facility specifically because they need to charge their vehicle.

This creates a new relationship between parking and energy infrastructure.

The Future Is Multi-Purpose

The successful parking facility of tomorrow may simultaneously function as:

Parking facility + charging station + mobility hub + digital platform + customer service environment.

Parking operators that begin planning for this evolution today will be better positioned for the changing transportation landscape.

Elvis Reyes, PTMP, is the Director of Operations for The Car Park. Elvis can be reached at ereyes@thecarpark.com.