6 Affordable Electric Cars With Park Assist (With Prices)

Have you ever had difficulty getting out of a tight position or perhaps you need to make parallel parking without the worry of scratches or accidents?

If yes, the more reason ‌you should opt for a vehicle that has a park assist technology. The park assist feature uses sensors to inform and guide a driver on the best way to maneuver the vehicle.

In this article, we have compiled 6 electric cars and their park assists technology.

What Is a Car Park Assist?

Before going further, it is crucial to understand what this park technology is all about. This feature is a part of the driver assistance technology. It is an automatic aid that helps the driver make calculated moves while trying to park.

If you’d like more options, then you should also know about compact SUVs with park assist.

It uses sensors and cameras placed at the front, back and sides of the car to detect objects, blind spots and obstructions. There are different park assist technology. They vary with the type of car and level of automation. They include:

Steering Assist Parking

As the name suggests, it controls the steering while your input is needed on the brake and accelerator. This assistance also sends signals and instructions to tell you when to move or stop.

Park and Exit Assistance

This is similar to the steering assist, only that it adds the luxury of squeezing you out of a tight position. It controls the steering, but needs your input on the accelerator and brakes.

Fully Automated Parking

This system is fully autonomous. It takes full control of the steering, brakes and accelerator. While this doesn’t need the input of the driver, sometimes it may require that the driver hold down the park button throughout the entire process.

However, even with a fully autonomous system, car experts advise that car owners should be on the lookout, as no technology system is entirely perfect.

Electric Cars That Have the Park Assistance Technology

Here are 6 electric cars that come with park assist:

1. BMW 5 series

The 5 series uses the BMW parking assistance to help drivers navigate their way while trying to park.

It uses the push of a button for its activation and the car takes control. It is crucial to know that the BMW assistance uses only the steering assist.

This means that it controls the steering while you are in full charge of your gear, accelerator and brakes. The floor price of the BMW 5 is $54,200 according to caranddriver.

How to Activate the BMW Assistance

 Turn on the automatic park distance (AUTO PDC) and the system will be activated. When this is enabled, it sends alerts and visual instructions to the driver.

The park distance assistance also has emergency braking as a safety system. However, this only works when the car is in reverse. If there’s an incoming collision, it can take over and apply the brakes.

2. Hyundai Ioniq 5

The Hyundai Ioniq 5 uses a remote smart parking assist. This Hyundai features a fully autonomous system which makes it take full charge of the car while the driver is outside.

It uses a key button to control and maneuver the car safely. The floor price of the Hyundai Ioniq is $42,000 according to caranddriver.

How to Operate the Remote Smart Parking Assist

Even though the Hyundai park assist requires little or no input from you, it is still important to know how it operates.

1. Find a space you want to park.
2. Put the vehicle in park.
3. Press the Remote Smart Parking Assist (RSPA) on your console. This will show some icons on your digital gauge.
4. Click on the Smart Key Icon. This will either move your vehicle forward or backward.
5. Exit the car and stand within 13 feet.
6. Then press the forward or backward button on the Smart Key.

 It requires that you press down the button throughout the entire process. The car can go 23 feet with this assist and would automatically detect any obstacle in its way.

3. Kia EV6

The parking assist in the EV6 is one of the easiest features to control and it is of great help, especially when you park in a cramped space. The floor price of the Kia EV6 is $42,695 according to caranddriver.

How to Operate and Use the EV6 Park Assist

Follow these steps to use the EV6’s park assist feature:

1. Align the wheels of the vehicle in the cramped space.
2. Press the parking assist button on the center console. This button is directly beside the auto-hold button.
3. Pressing this button will make instructions show up on the center screen. It notifies you that the assist feature has been activated.
4. Step out of the car and use your key fob to control the movement of the car. It features the forward and backward buttons.
5. To reverse, all you need to do is press the back button till your car gets out.

The EV6 also requires that you keep pressing the assist buttons till you get your desired results. The car will also delay a few seconds before moving as a way of avoiding collisions if there’s an accidental press on the controls.

Related: 3 Affordable Electric Cars With All Wheel Drive (With Prices)

4. Volkswagen ID

Volkswagen brands are known for their great car technologies. Added to this tech feature is their Volkswagen Electronic Parking Aid. This helps drivers to park and move out of any positions.

However, the Volkswagen parking aid uses only the steering assist. It is semi-automatic as you would have to press the accelerator and brake yourself. The floor price of the Volkswagen ID is $35,000 according to caranddriver.

How to Operate the Volkswagen Electronic Parking Aid

Here’s the steps required to use VW’s parking aid:

1. Press the park assist button. One press will give you parallel parking while two presses will make the car move in a vertical space.
2. Reduce your speed to 25 mph, as it needs to scan the road thoroughly.
3. Having located the right spot, activate the turn signal. This will take control of the steering and will ‌maneuver the car while your legs are on the accelerator or brake.

The Volkswagen ID also features a Park Distance Control that monitors the front and back of the vehicle. It majorly works when the car is in reverse and at a speed less than 9 mph. It sends guidelines, audio and visual alerts that notify you of any obstruction.

Related: 8 Electric Cars With Large Cabin Space (With Prices)

5. Chevrolet Bolt

This is an electric SUV with a lot of in-car tech and driver assistance features. It features a Rear Park Assist and Automatic Parking Assist.

The floor price of the Chevrolet Bolt is $26,595 according to caranddriver. The Rear Park Assist provides an accurate guide when the car is in reverse. It detects objects using the sensors at the bumper and the distance needed from another vehicle to avoid collisions. The signals come up when:

1. There’s an object within 8 feet. It gives a subtle sound from the speakers. 
2. If you get closer to the objects, the signal will then show on your screen display in the ‘Distance To Object’ icon.
3. As the vehicle gets closer to the object (within one or two feet), the signal becomes repeated and will bring up a hazard light on the camera display if it’s about to collide with the object. To turn off this feature, either use the Assist Control or through the menu settings.

The Automatic Parking Assist searches for a parallel space and moves your vehicle there. It is semi-automatic, so you would have to brake or accelerate by yourself as it directs you. Experts still recommend that you check your surroundings as the cameras don’t detect children.

Related: 5 Popular Electric Cars With Head-Up Display (With Prices)

6. Nissan Leaf 

The Parking Assist in the Nissan Leaf uses its Pro-Pilot System to function. It uses the camera around to give the driver a clear view of all sides of the vehicle.

These cameras are located at the front, back and the two mirror sides.

The Park Assist in the Nissan is fully autonomous. The floor price of the Nissan Leaf is $27,800 according to cars.usnews.com.

How to Operate the Nissan Park Assist

Follow these steps to use the Nissan Leaf Park Assist feature:

1. When you get near the parking lot, press the Pro-Pilot button and move the car directly in front of the parking space.
2. The car will automatically detect this and would bring up a (P) icon on the display screen.
3. Press the start button and the car takes full control to park itself.

For front and back movements, it steers the wheel automatically to get itself into the parking space. The Nissan Intelligent Park Assist requires the driver to check the surroundings because it doesn’t reduce the chance of collisions to zero, even though it is programmed to stop if there’s any obstruction.

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