Flooding can turn car ownership into a real nightmare. Even a brief submersion of a car in water can disable electronics, damage the interior, and lead to costly repairs. Even some electric vehicles designed for short-term floating are not completely protected from the elements: a strong current can carry such a car away and damage it when the water rises or recedes.
In Japan, a rather unusual, yet surprisingly simple solution to this problem has been proposed – a parking space that rises with the car as the water level increases.
Floods in Japan highlighted the relevance of the idea
Sudden floods are not uncommon in Japan. The events of this month in the Nagoya area in the central part of the country showed how serious such a problem can be. Due to heavy rains, train traffic had to be stopped – for Japanese infrastructure, this is already an extremely serious signal. Streets in many places were flooded up to about waist level.
Car dealerships had a particularly hard time. If a car was already on the upper floors of a multi-level parking lot, it was most likely not in danger. But cars left in open areas of dealerships turned out to be much more vulnerable.
However, a solution for such situations was proposed even before the current flood – at the Tokyo Motor Show held this year.
A parking space that becomes buoyant
The system was named Monarte Floating Floor. The concept is so simple that one involuntarily wonders why such a solution did not appear earlier.
The basis of the structure is a large waterproof foam slab with a resin coating. Under normal conditions, it serves as a standard parking space. But when the water begins to rise, the platform itself, along with the car on it, floats up.
The position of the platform is controlled by four steel posts. They allow the slab to rise upwards without allowing it to shift sideways. The declared load capacity of the system exceeds 6600 pounds (3 tons).
The maximum lifting height is not specified separately. It depends on the length of the steel posts used, so the actual range of movement can be adapted to specific conditions.
Key features of Monarte Floating Floor:
- waterproof foam platform with resin coating;
- four steel guide posts;
- absence of mechanical drives and electrical sensors;
- ability to use the structure as a regular parking space.
The main advantage – the system works by itself
The most interesting feature of Monarte is that it is not a special lift that needs to be used immediately before a natural disaster.
The car owner does not need to know in advance that a flood will begin at night. In a normal situation, the car is simply placed in its usual parking space. If the water level unexpectedly begins to rise rapidly, the platform rises with the car.
At the same time, the design has no complex mechanical mechanisms, no special buoyancy tanks, and no electrical sensors. The platform reacts to the rising water level directly due to its design.
This results in a kind of insurance that does not require any action from the owner at the time of an emergency. The car remains in its usual place, but as the area floods, the platform turns into a floating platform.
That is why such a system could be of particular interest to dealerships in areas where sudden floods regularly threaten open car parks. Apart from the four steel posts, the design is practically no different from a regular parking space, but if necessary, it acquires a completely different function.
An unusual company is behind the system
The history of Monarte itself is also interesting. The company is a subsidiary of Tajima Motor.
The parent company's name is associated with its founder – Nobuhiro "Monster" Tajima, a well-known long-time participant in the Pikes Peak Hill Climb race and a record holder of this competition.
Monarte itself specializes in equipment for preventing and mitigating the consequences of floods and other natural disasters. At the same time, Tajima Motor's activities are much broader: the company is involved in everything from racing equipment to the production and sale of small electric vehicles.
Currently, the solution is only available in Japan
Today, Monarte Floating Floor is only offered in Japan. However, the idea itself seems relevant for other regions of the world where cars regularly fall victim to sudden floods.
For example, such a system could be useful for a homeowner in Florida if an expensive sports car is stored in the garage. Imagine a situation: the owner is out of the country and receives a flood warning in Miami, and the water is approaching his area.
In a normal case, one can only imagine the consequences: a damaged garage, furniture, flooring, and car interior. But with a floating parking platform, the situation would look completely different.
As the water rises around the house, the car, along with the parking space, rises above its surface. After the water recedes, the platform returns down.
For the owner of an expensive car, this can mean a fundamental difference between a total loss of the car and the need to only restore the flooded premises.
Monarte actually offers to turn the parking space itself into an additional level of protection against the elements – and without complex automation and without the need to guess in advance when exactly the flood will come.