Are electric cars the cause of the UK’s pothole problem?

A leading road surfacing company wants to put an end to speculation over whether electric vehicles are the cause of the increase in potholes on the country’s roads.

The Asphalt Group – one of the UK’s largest road surface treatment companies – has called for a better long-term solution to the ongoing problem of Britain’s crumbling road network.

It comes after some have argued that the proliferation of electric vehicles – particularly the hulking SUV versions – is the biggest contributor to our cratered routes.

A recent report from trade body Asphalt Industry Alliance (AIA) estimates the bill for pothole-related payouts at £15.2 million

The group is clear that the switch to electric is not the cause of the poor quality of our roads.

Stephen Cooke, MD of Asphalt Group, took a combative stance on the subject: ‘Let’s be crystal clear: EVs are not the cause of the current state of the UK’s roads.’

What then causes the shameful state of our streets and busy routes?

“The real reason is a lack of investment in the solutions of the future and a lack of awareness of what is available,” Cooke explains.

‘Traditional ‘sticky plaster’ solutions to potholes are simply unacceptable, we need to look at the bigger picture. Prevention, reinforcement and injection is the way forward – not just filling and hoping.’

The group is convinced that a road network that is more affordable, has less impact on the environment and lasts longer can be achieved if road surface and maintenance companies and the government work together.

Road improvements are one of the biggest talking points in the automotive sector in the run-up to the election, with each party trying to find a way to tackle the ongoing problem.

But to achieve this, the current debt narrative must move away from electric cars – something Shadow Roads and Transport Minister Bill Esterson echoes: “There are a hundred times as many potholes as craters on the moon.

‘Instead of looking for conspiracy theories and scapegoats, we need a plan to fix the roads. That means replacing the band-aids and gimmicks with a sustainable approach and long-term resurfacing and prevention instead.

‘The UK has a £16.3 billion backlog of repairs, this is simply unacceptable.’

A recent study has found that there is a lack of consistency in the way local authorities determine when a pothole needs to be repaired. 206 councils used a variety of different approaches to identifying and repairing potholes

This is Money recently reported how Britain’s pothole epidemic is getting worse, with the RAC causing 10 per cent more breakdowns from motorists driving through potholes than a year ago.

In the year to the end of March, the RAC received around 27,205 calls for breakdowns due to poor road conditions in the UK, compared to 24,906 in the previous 12 months.

In addition, Channel 4’s Dispatches programme and the RAC found that local authorities take widely varying approaches to classifying potholes and what determines whether or not they are repaired.

The research found that a third of municipalities only repair potholes in the road surface if they reach a certain depth, regardless of how wide they are.

This means that many dangerous potholes are not repaired, posing an ongoing risk to road users.

Of the 206 councils contacted by the RAC and Dispatches, only 76 (37%) are taking a ‘risk-based approach’ to deciding which potholes need to be repaired and how quickly.

While the problem with Britain’s roads is not new, there are myths that blame electric vehicles, particularly their weight.

A combination of misleading national press speculation about how the weight of electric cars will affect roads and bridges, and MPs questioning whether tests are needed to determine this, has led to widespread concern that our roads could support the increase in electric vehicles. cars can’t handle.

The RAC responded to ‘misleading’ information by saying: ‘Any attempt to claim that the weight of electric vehicles is responsible for the decline in the quality of our roads distracts from the reality that our roads have been neglected for too long. ‘

In 2022, the University of Edinburgh published a research paper called Hidden costs of road maintenance due to the increased weight of battery and hydrogen trucks and buses – a perspective.

Earlier this year, The Guardian pointed out that the University of Edinburgh analysis did not include real-world testing, and the newspaper stated that any additional wear and tear “is caused overwhelmingly by larger vehicles – buses, lorries” and that road wear from cars, lorries and motorcycles “is so low as to be immaterial”.

Quentin Willson, founder of FairCharge, said today: ‘It’s laughable to blame electric vehicles for potholes when they only make up around 3% of all vehicles on UK roads.

‘I am pleased that road maintenance experts, Asphalt Group and the Shadow Minister for Roads, Bill Esterson, have joined FairCharge’s call for facts and accuracy to the exaggerated media reports linking the weight of EV batteries to damage to the roads.

“Instead, we must focus on creating long-term solutions to solve the worst amount of potholes the asphalt industry has seen in 29 years.”