A residential complex in Nanping, Fujian, has implemented a new rule banning all new energy vehicles (NEVs) from entering its underground garage. This decision has left many owners who previously purchased parking space usage rights, such as Mr. Zhang, who had a 20-year legal right to use a specific spot, unable to use their spaces.
The property management company stated that the ban was based on concerns over potential explosions of NEVs in the underground garage for fire safety reasons. They clarified that the rule was a formal resolution passed by the homeowners' committee through a vote at the homeowners' meeting, and staff had collected signatures of consent from many owners.
Experts from the automotive and legal fields have criticized the the move. Professor Zhu Xichan of the College of Automotive Engineering at Tongji University stated that fire safety risks depend on the same fire-fighting measures in the garage, rather than uncontrollable safety hazards inherent in the vehicles themselves.
Legal experts, including Guo Yang, Vice President of the Civil Procedure Law Research Association of the Shaanxi Provincial Law Society, argued that the restriction specifically targeting NEVs constitutes consumer discrimination. Lawyers have advised affected owners to file lawsuits to have the court declare the resolution invalid and protect their legal parking rights.
