‘Does the asphalt wear faster because of all those electric cars?’ † Question answer

Car editor Niek Schenk answers: ‘There is a risk involved. Rijkswaterstaat has already started research, because this development can significantly increase the maintenance costs for the asphalt. After all, according to Rijkswaterstaat, the vehicle weight is one of the main causes of wear on the asphalt. For example, the consequences of many and (too) heavy lorries are regularly reflected in damage to the road surface.’

‘Funnily enough, electric cars are exempt from road tax. In Norway, the electric car has been on the rise for some time and there is thinking about a special road tax for electric cars weighing more than 2000 kilos, to pay for the extra road maintenance. The consequences for the Dutch road network have not yet been clearly mapped out. Relatively speaking, the number of electric cars is still limited.’

Our auto editors answer reader questions every week. Mail your question to Niek Schenk.

More questions and answers can be found in our file.

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