Economic Daily: How to resolve the dilemma of "big cars taking up small parking spaces"

Recently, many car owners have reported encountering the parking difficulty of "big car, small space", finding it difficult to park in the space and inconvenient to open and close the car door. An article in the Economic Daily pointed out that the urgent task to resolve the "big car, small space" dilemma is to unify standards and clarify bottom lines. Currently, the width dimensions of public parking spaces in China are mainly based on the "Garage Building Design Code" issued by the Ministry of Housing and Urban-Rural Development in 2015. The standard width of a small car space designed by this code is only 2.4 meters, while the width of the mainstream new energy SUVs is generally close to 2 meters, leaving very limited space when parked side by side. Furthermore, this standard is only a recommended standard and is often compromised in actual implementation. In 2024, the Ministry of Housing and Urban-Rural Development has initiated the drafting of the "Urban Parking Special Planning Standards", which will emphasize the adaptability of parking spaces for new energy vehicles. During the process of revising the standards, it is necessary to fully solicit opinions from all parties, set strict bottom lines for new projects, and provide flexible space for existing renovations. Resolving the dilemma of "big car, small space" also requires systematic coordination and the promotion of comprehensive short- and long-term strategies. In the short term, parking spaces that meet the conditions can be renovated to meet the parking needs of larger vehicles. In the long term, it is important to encourage urban planning, housing construction, transportation departments to establish a coordinated mechanism, and incorporate parking space construction standards into land transfer conditions, project acceptance, and other strict constraints. Additionally, in the process of automobile production and promotion, further optimization of product design, strengthening of public opinion guidance, and breaking the one-sided perception that "big cars are upscale" are needed in order to provide consumers with more reasonably sized and balanced performance car products.