PSA: EV Weight Does Not Matter in Pavement Design or Maintenance
BLUF: Stop saying that EV weights make a difference to road construction and maintenance compared to ICE vehicles - it does not matter.
I am a civil engineer dealing with pavement design and maintenance and have significant experience working for multiple agencies and organizations. The weight of your electric (or ICE) car, truck, or SUV does not affect how much that road costs to build or maintain.
- Pavements on highways are designed for commercial trucks in most cases. These are much heavier per axle than any light duty truck (ex. a Ford F-150).
- The cost of pavement is a small line item in the cost to construct a road. Other factors contribute to the high cost of roads. Only a few are tied to vehicle weight and those are again designed for commercial trucks.
- Pavement damage requiring maintenance is affected by weight but not the small weight of passenger vehicles. That is why a neighborhood road can last 20+ years before needing significant repair. Heavy trucks or equipment that is stationary will affect a pavement much faster (look at truck stops).
- Weathering and freeze-thaw cycles are murder on a pavement and keep maintenance crews in business. Diesel fuel breaks down the bitumen in asphalt so spills from trucks are also a concern.
None of this has to do with the weight of your EV...all taxes on passenger and light duty vehicles are simply to help fund roads designed and maintained for commercial trucks. I am not here to suggest we change the system, just enlighten folks on the logical inconsistency of suggesting EVs pay more taxes etc to help defray the imaginary cost of the additional 100-400 Lbs of vehicle compared to a similar ICE vehicle.