At several older hypermarkets, Carrefour now directs electric vehicles away from elevated parking levels and into ground-floor spaces. The policy, already in effect at select Belgian locations, applies only to upper-level parking and reflects the age and design of the buildings.
The company cites two reasons for the change: structural safety and fire prevention. Lithium-ion batteries make electric cars significantly heavier, by about 30%, than their petrol or diesel counterparts. Concentrated on upper decks built decades ago, that extra weight could test the limits of what the structures were designed to bear. Carrefour’s management says the measure responds to engineering assessments and aims to prevent long-term fatigue or potential failures in older concrete slabs.
Fire risk is the other reason for the policy. If a battery fire broke out on an upper parking level, putting it out would be far more complex than tackling a typical car fire. Electric vehicle batteries require much more water to cool, while the limited height and access in older parking structures can slow fire crews. That increases the risk of a blaze spreading through the building, a scenario Carrefour wants to prevent.
The move has sparked debate across the retail and mobility sectors, exposing a lack of unified standards among major supermarket chains. Carrefour Belgium has introduced the restrictions, but the company’s French division has publicly rejected similar measures. It argues that newer stores, with structural reinforcement, can handle the additional weight of electric vehicles. French management also points to hundreds of fast-charging stations in its car parks as evidence of its commitment to clean mobility.
Some experts question whether weight differences alone justify such restrictions. Sector studies suggest that many modern combustion SUVs and other large vehicles weigh as much as, or more than, compact electric cars. Some engineers so argue that the real issue may be the upkeep and condition of older buildings, not the type of vehicle parked inside.
Carrefour’s decision is not an isolated case. In several European cities, including at some private car parks in central Madrid, signs have appeared banning electric vehicles over battery fire concerns. The trend is creating legal friction: regulations in many countries require a certain percentage of parking spaces to have EV chargers, a requirement that directly conflicts with outright bans.
Tension between the rapid adoption of electric vehicles and the limits of existing infrastructure is becoming increasingly visible. A recent analysis of political rhetoric around electric cars, including Donald Trump’s public criticism of EV owners (see this report), notes that the debate extends beyond technical questions into cultural and regulatory ones.
Carrefour’s approach highlights a growing gap between Europe’s green transition ambitions and the physical realities of aging commercial buildings. Operators face a choice: invest in costly structural upgrades or keep restrictions that complicate parking for electric car drivers. As electric mobility expands, pressure to modernize infrastructure or rethink parking policies will intensify.
