E-car: Too heavy for the roads?
Today, new vehicles weigh almost twice as much as old cars. Electric cars in particular, with their heavy battery, put too much strain on the traffic infrastructure - and raise doubts about whether parking spaces and roads can cope with the heavy weight of electric vehicles.
As many advantages as e-cars bring, the disadvantages must not be forgotten. It's not just about the range, difficulties with the green power supply or the price-performance ratio. The car itself can become a problem because of the increased weight of the battery needed to run it - and this applies to all infrastructures that have to deal with the increased weight.
Currently, the weight of the large e-car battery for ranges over 500 kilometres is up to 700 kilos. The battery of a Tesla, for example, can reach almost half a tonne, and even smaller electric cars like the Volkswagen e-Up need a battery weighing 300 kilos. With the increase of e-vehicles on the roads, it is therefore not surprising that the infrastructure system is facing a challenge in view of the developments in the electric segment. After all, this is what many works in the road and transport sector have had to orientate themselves on for decades in the calculations for structural analysis. Especially for old car parks, the British Parking Association reports, the increase in vehicle weight could cause the building structure to suffer dangerously under the weight of the many parked electric vehicles. The same applies to roads, bridges and ultimately the entire transport infrastructure.
While it is true that there has not yet been such an incident. "But one wonders whether the existing standards are sufficient" to prevent structural challenges from becoming serious safety issues. "It's only a matter of time," comments civil engineer Chris Whapples from the British Parking Association - reminding us that in Germany, as well as the rest of the world, increasing car weight could also become problematic. In the Federal Republic, too, e-car drivers are confronted with this more and more often. It is not at all uncommon for owners of electric cars to have their parking permits revoked because the vehicle is heavier than permitted under the German Road Traffic Regulations (StVO).
So what should the next step be in order to be able to guarantee infrastructure safety? Should the authorities re-examine the structural conditions and, for example, find a new balance in the construction standards together with the car industry? Are adjustments necessary for car parks, roads and bridges for the first time in city centres and within areas such as environmental zones where most e-cars travel? What is clear is that the trend in the car market is easy to see: Cars are weighing more and more - be it for the purpose of electromobility or simply to provide more equipment and comfort in the vehicle. If vehicle technology does not enable the production of lighter car batteries soon enough, the responsibility will fall on the infrastructure alone.