Data showing that damage from electric cars could be twice that of petrol vehicles means that a more robust road surface is required, manufacturers of concrete roads have said.
Analysis by the Daily Telegraph found that the average electric car, which is heavier because of the weight of batteries, more than doubles the wear on road surfaces.
The newspaper used data from University of Leeds research into non-exhaust airborne particles, which found that electric vehicles were on average 312kg heavier than petrol equivalents, based on kerbside weights, i.e. with fuel on board.
The Telegraph calculated that the average electric car puts 2.24 times more stress on roads than its petrol equivalent, and 1.95 more than diesel.
The additional stress caused by electric cars would have much less of an impact on strategic roads, which are designed to withstand axle weights for HGVs, but could have an impact on residential and rural roads.
Britpave, the British Cementitious Paving Association, said the stress would cause greater movement of asphalt road surfaces, which can create small cracks that can expand and eventually develop into potholes.
Chairman Joe Quirke said: ‘Concrete roads offer a stronger road surface, and greater long-term performance with minimum maintenance requirements, than asphalt. Furthermore, concrete eRoads offer a charging solution that can overcome the lack of charging points.
‘The long-term strength and performance of concrete makes well-suited for such roads as they do not need regular maintenance and in hot summers do not melt unlike asphalt roads. Road surface melting could dislodge and compromise the embedded coils.
‘The road network needs a surface solution that can help realise the potential for electric vehicles. Concrete eRoads that are strong enough to withstand the additional weight of electric cars, plus can charge them as they pass over, offer that solution.’
