Electric vehicles (EVs) exhibit a 40% higher MoT tyre failure rate in comparison to petrol cars, as indicated by recent analysis.
The Institute of the Motor Industry (IMI) attributes this disparity to the greater average weight of EVs relative to other vehicles.
Additionally, the study reveals a slightly higher overall MoT failure rate for newer EVs, encompassing all causes, when compared to petrol vehicles.
The report, based on 2021 data, adds to the growing body of evidence highlighting the impact of EV weight.
Concerns have been raised about the potential exacerbation of the pothole crisis on residential roads due to EVs, a matter emphasised by the Asphalt Industry Alliance in recent weeks.
But are EVs solely responsible for the surge in UK potholes?
Dr Riccardo Maddalena, Lecturer in Civil Engineering, School of Engineering at Cardiff University told Energy Live News: “Firstly, EVs might not be the only cause to blame. Online shopping (including food, clothing and Amazon deliveries) has increased from 20% (in 2020) to 30% (in 2022) of the total sales, with an increase in the retailers’ delivery fleet, i.e. heavy goods vehicles, commercial vans and trucks, which are significantly heavier than EVs.
“On the other hand, I think that the question or issue on potholes should be flipped. We cannot limit advances in modern technologies (such as EVs) without upgrading and maintaining our infrastructures.
“There is a great deal of maintenance of the built environment that is not linked to the presence (or increase of) of EVs. In the UK, since 2010, £83,000 million has been spent on the repair of civil infrastructures (which include roads and potholes), with an increasing yearly expenditure of £8,000 million.
“We should instead adapt our built environment to accommodate for positive and environmentally sustainable changes, that is the electrification of our infrastructures and provision of EVs to the country. One way of tackling the issue directly is by developing solutions for our infrastructures, that is advanced asphalt and concrete materials. More durable and resilient.
“At Cardiff University, we have been conducting world-leading research on developing self-healing construction materials: imagine roads that are able to self-repair their cracks without external human intervention.”
