Car Stackers

As adult children stay at home for longer, it’s not uncommon to have four or five car households fighting for coveted garage positions.

Swapping your car for a bike or public transport isn’t everyone’s ideal lifestyle, so what’s the answer?

Car stacking devices can solve the problem of whose car takes priority in the garage and car stackers have become more popular additions to homes and luxury apartments all over the world.

In cities such as New York, infamous for its car parking problems, the technology is already widely adopted and now it’s becoming more popular in Melbourne.

In Australia, there are two main systems for domestic use – the pit design and the duplex.

The pit allows one car to be parked and then lowered into a pit – often deployed in a home’s driveway. You can park another car on top plus have the surface to feature an interesting finish such as stone, timber or artificial grass – like your own secret lair.

The duplex is a two level system that has one single lifting post. This system is free standing, and the single post is installed on the passenger side of the vehicle and allows the driver to get in and out of their vehicle without the worry of damaging their car door. This can be installed in a standard garage and you can get a system like this to lift two cars on each level.

Car stackers may also increase your property value because when it comes time to sell your property it opens up the market to more potential purchasers by offering two car parks instead of one, or four parks instead of two.

Car stacking systems are also attractive for empty nesters. Moving out of a large family home to an apartment or townhouse doesn’t have to mean moving back to a single car or fighting for on-street parking.

If you’re considering a car stacking system, make sure your installer complies with Australian Standards as there are a number of standards that apply to this equipment. In 2017, a South Yarra woman was trapped inside her car when their car stacker fell more than a metre, so you need to ensure your installer complies with the relevant standard – AS5124.

However wait a few more years and you might have a parking robot. Gatwick Airport in the UK employs the “Stan” robot which rolls to the front of the car and lifts it up. You don’t need to hand over your keys – just provide your flight details so the robots can automatically retrieve their car when you return.