Shocking Study: Electric Vehicles Cause Double the Road Damage

A surprising new study shows that electric vehicles create double the pothole damage to roads and bridges compared to gas powered cars. Before you get upset one way or the other - let’s take a deeper look at this study and what it says.

Analysis by The Telegraph in Britain has found that the average electric car more than doubles the wear on road surfaces, which in turn could increase the number of potholes. The country is suffering from a pothole crisis, with half as many filled last year compared to a decade ago amid an estimated $12 billion price tag to fill them all.

The study shows that, on a global basis, electric vehicles put 2.24 times more stress on roads as gas vehicles, potentially worsening the pothole crisis on all roads. The impact is even bigger with larger EVs, which can leave to up to 2.32 times more damage to road infrastructure.

15 popular EVs were compared to their gas and diesel counterparts, revealing an average weight difference of 689 pounds. The increased weight of EVs can be primarily attributed to their heavy batteries, as electric vehicles weigh more than their gas counterparts.

Scientists note that this heightened stress on roads results in the increased movement of asphalt, leading to the formation of small cracks that can eventually develop into problematic potholes. A previous report by the Asphalt Industry Alliance estimated that this cost could mean that nearly $80,000 in additional costs needed to be spent for every mile of a local road, this will lead to increased taxes and fees to cover the costs.

With half as many potholes filled last year compared to a decade ago amid an estimated $15 million price tag to fill them all. That is the cost in the UK imagine how many more roads and highways the USA has and the repair costs.

Civil and environmental engineering professor Kevin Heaslip, director of the University of Tennessee’s Center for Transportation Research, said EVs often weigh 30% more than gas-powered vehicles. The main reason is the weight of their batteries, which can add hundreds of pounds or more. 

Kelley Blue Book states a Ford F150, the gas truck weighs 4,060 pounds, while the electric truck weighs, 6,015 pounds. Hyundai their average gas-powered car is 2,899 pounds - electric 3,715 pounds and Volvo, their average gas-powered car is, 3,726 pounds - electric, 4,662 pounds

Rick Green, chair of AIA, told the Telegraph: "Principal roads are already designed to deal with the axle weights for big trucks.” However, local roads are not designed for heavy trucks and that is where roads will have the largest damage to the roads. Experts have said the proliferation of heavier electric cars on smaller residential and rural roads could have more of an impact.

Separate research from the University of Edinburgh found that the roll-out of electric delivery trucks could increase the damage to roads. Last month, a report by the think tank The Centre for Policy Studies, raised the issue of electric vehicles causing more damage to roads, and suggested taxing vehicles based on weight.

We all know what this means, grab your wallet! By-the-mile taxes are coming to take more of motorists’ money. If you think congestion pricing and speed cameras are bad, wait for the next tax zooming down the road at us, for charging motorists for every mile that they drive.

Three states, Oregon, Utah and Virginia, are currently making money via pilot programs that charge motorists a vehicle miles traveled tax for every mile they drive, according to the AP.

Iowa is about to adopt an additional “electric fuel excise tax”, meaning EVs in the state will now pay “fuel” taxes two different ways, whereas gas cars only pay one – and both of these taxes are higher than what a gas car pays.

If the study is true, and it makes sense that it is true, then expect your taxes to increase to cover for these repairs no matter what you drive. I don’t see this as a cynical ploy to steer people away from EVs, I see it as admission of the inevitability involved with widespread EV adoption.

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[erty]

Parking garages draw new concerns too.

[malph]

And all these additional pot holes are repaired by tarmac/asphalt patching made with fossil fuels transported by diesel vehicles. They really didn't think the whole EV thing couldn't make this stuff up!

[swinglow]

I can remember a time when auto manufacturers were making their cars lighter and thus more efficient. We’re headed in the wrong direction.

[bobbybishop]

The issue is pretty easy to understand. As vehicle weights increase the rubber compounds are harder and the sidewall is made stiffer to carry the required weight. Its simple physics. Heavier vehicle, harder rubber compounds and stiffer side walls equal more wear to the road surface.

[jevgeniardassov]

And yet they pay no road tax, fuel excess tax. A great idea indeed.

[bextar]

Was told that they wear out tires faster.
Plus - Registration and insurance are more costly ?

[jeromep]

If that’s the case then I guess it’s safe to assume that’s the Tesla semi will really be damaging the roads

[sirifail]

Here in California, EVs don’t pay the $1/gallon excise tax - which is supposed to be used for road maintenance.

[alexalex]

The problem is an EV traveling fast over a pothole might scratch the battery and it's goodbye EV either via repair or thermo runaway a few weeks later.

[freedomforever]

And then there's the issue of higher tire rubber particulates being released into the environment.

[pbwmanagement]

Maybe the "greens" can cycle around with fallen leaf's and Pine sap to fill the pot holes

[ericwangler]

I'm starting to see potholes on highways like never before.

[hench]

Potholes existed before the recent EVs and they'll continue to exist. But no road tax for EVs exist yet...

[JorgeBachtold]

In recent years, manufacturers have increasingly used plastic and aluminum to reduce the weight of vehicles, making them more efficient. Then EVs came and added hundreds of extra kilograms because of the batteries.

[lukeknowles]

Wow, Lauren, I just found your channel and really appreciate your ability to do a brief report and make sense of things quickly and succinctly. Great channel host.

[timsmith]

In my area, those damn SUVs cause the potholes. We don't have many EVs. - Zoomer

[AndrewTSq]

I am not surprised!!!. I was thinking the other week that there is potholes more than usual here!, not to mention they redo the asphalt like every 4 years.. so I guess its a mix of worse asphalt quality and heavier cars (both ev and ice). I used to live in a place where they used high quality asphalt (the roads were supposed to be able to land jet fighters on, in case of war), and never remembered I saw a pothole back then.. now it is everywhere. Need a monster truck soon to be able to not damage wheel alignment and suspension of the car.

[yamamancha]

All that weight, all that torque. Existing infrastructure simply was not built to accommodate EVs.

[levelboy]

Don't forget all the massive amounts of instance torque and those hard tyre compounds easting into the tarmac constantly.

[MuffHam]

Dont worry. The Canadian government just announced no more money for roads. Bjt is still pushing EVs.