Electric cars not to blame for Britain’s pothole crisis

Industry and government call for focus on long-term road maintenance solutions

Electric cars not to blame for Britain’s pothole crisis

Road surface company The Asphalt Group and Bill Esterson, Shadow Minister for Roads and Transport, are urging the public not to blame electric vehicles (EVs) for the UK’s worsening pothole problem.

This follows recent speculation suggesting the weight of EVs, particularly SUVs, is a major contributor to damaged roads. However, the Asphalt Group insists “EVs are not the cause of the current state of the UK’s roads.”

Industry experts point to a lack of investment in long-term road maintenance solutions as the primary reason behind our crumbling road network. Stephen Cooke, Managing Director of Asphalt Group, emphasises the need for “prevent, reinforce and spray treatment” methods over traditional “patch-and-pray” pothole repairs.

The Asphalt Group proposes a collaborative approach involving road surface companies, government agencies, and potentially the electric vehicle industry to achieve a more affordable, environmentally friendly, and long-lasting road network.

Both Mr. Cooke and Mr. Esterson believe the focus should be on fixing the existing problems, not assigning blame. Mr. Esterson highlights the UK’s “£16.3 billion backlog of repairs” as an unacceptable situation requiring immediate attention.

The rise in pothole-related breakdowns reported by the RAC (10% increase year-on-year) coincides with increased EV adoption. However, experts like Quentin Willson of FairCharge argue that EVs represent only 3% of vehicles on the road. He emphasises the need for “facts and accuracy” when discussing the impact of EVs on road wear.

The focus, industry leaders suggest, should be on tackling the current pothole crisis with long-term solutions and investing in a sustainable future for Britain’s road network.

Source: Mail Online

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

You may use these HTML tags and attributes: <a href="" title=""> <abbr title=""> <acronym title=""> <b> <blockquote cite=""> <cite> <code> <del datetime=""> <em> <i> <q cite=""> <s> <strike> <strong>


The reCAPTCHA verification period has expired. Please reload the page.

Have your say!

0 0

Lost Password

Please enter your username or email address. You will receive a link to create a new password via email.