What automatic parking looks like at a price of half a million dollars per parking space (video)
The cost of a robotic parking space in luxury buildings in New York ranges from 300 to 595 thousand US dollars.
Driving a car in a big city like New York can be a real pain, but it’s nothing compared to trying to park it. There are parking lots under the buildings, but they are tight, so drivers don’t like to use them.
Some developers have come up with a high-tech solution by squeezing an actual car vending machine into some of the city’s most luxurious apartment buildings.
However, this pleasure is not cheap. According to a report by CNBC, spaces in robo-parks cost between $300,000 and $595,000, and the apartments themselves reach several million dollars.
“As crazy as it sounds, $300,000 for a residential parking space is considered a reasonable price in New York,” Senada Adzem, a real estate broker at Douglas Elliman, told CNBC.
Here’s how it works: You drive your car up to the garage entrance, using a radio frequency identification tag to unlock access. Pressing the button sends an empty pallet from the level below, which the driver places his car on. Cameras scan the car to check that the doors and trunk are closed, and then send it to a racking system for storage. When a resident wants to pick up their vehicle, they simply swipe the transmitter tag again. The robot delivers the car, turned 180 degrees, meaning the owner does not need to drive in reverse – in a little more than two minutes.
Not having to back up really appeals to residents, especially since people with that kind of money are more likely to drive large SUVs than Chevy Sparks. And developers like these systems because they can accommodate more cars per square foot without the need for ramps and two-way lanes.
One of the buildings equipped with robotic parking systems is located at 121 East 22nd Street, where Toll Brothers is building a 140-unit condominium.
