In Automobile Propre, since the beginning of August, Carrefour has prohibited electric vehicles from accessing rooftop parking facilities at several of its supermarkets in Belgium. According to RTL Info, the restriction affects roughly 18 to forty supermarkets across the country.
Carrefour Bans Electric Vehicles from Aging Rooftop Parkings in Belgium
The retailer presents the decision as a precautionary measure designed to guarantee the safety of its customers and employees. Rather than expressing distrust toward electric motorization, the company stated that the restriction solely targets older rooftop parking structures whose original design did not anticipate the arrival of significantly heavier vehicles. Motorists driving electric vehicles are still permitted to visit the stores but must use ground-level parking spaces located directly in front of the buildings.
Weight Disparities and Structural Concerns
The primary argument put forward by Carrefour involves the weight of electric vehicles, which are on average 30 percent heavier—or 250 to 500 kilograms heavier—than comparable internal combustion engine models due to the presence of heavy batteries.
Some of these rooftop parking structures were constructed decades ago, when vehicle weights were lower. Damien Bytebier, spokesperson for Carrefour in Belgium, explained that building structures are not necessarily adapted to the additional load imposed by these newer vehicles. The company fears that the repeated passage of heavy electric models could exert greater stresses than those planned during construction, potentially leading to structural degradation such as cracks in the parking facilities.
While Carrefour emphasized that no immediate danger has been identified, it noted that it currently has no plans to launch generalized construction work to reinforce the affected structures, though adaptations may become necessary in the coming years as the electric fleet grows.
Firefighting Challenges on Supermarket Roofs
The second major motivation cited by the retailer involves emergency response difficulties in the event of a fire. Carrefour clarified that it does not claim electric vehicles catch fire more frequently than thermal vehicles. Instead, the challenge lies in the nature of lithium-ion battery fires, which require prolonged intervention and large volumes of water for cooling.
Damien Bytebier pointed out that the configuration of rooftop locations makes it much more complicated for emergency services vehicles to intervene during a fire compared to ground-level parking lots. Hissing heavy firefighting equipment onto a store roof poses significant logistical hurdles.
Infrastructure Deficits and Sector Reactions
The decision has highlighted broader questions regarding commercial real estate and the ongoing energy transition. Philippe Vangeel, head of the sectoral federation EV Belgium, raised critical questions regarding whether the core issue is the weight of electric cars or the fact that certain parking facilities were designed for an automotive fleet that no longer exists today.
Because Carrefour has admitted that no renovation projects are currently planned to upgrade the aging concrete slabs, critics note that the retailer has chosen a restrictive policy rather than investing in infrastructural modernization to accommodate the changing vehicle landscape.
