Roads Are Having Trouble Handling Increasingly Heavy Electric Vehicles
There has been much controversy over the weight of electric vehicles and their impact on roadways.
Compared to their internal combustion engine counterparts. EVs can weigh a few hundred to thousands of pounds more, and that means the tax they impose on pavement can be significant. In China, these vehicles—SUVs in particular—are taking their toll on the roads, and it might mean higher taxes for owners of these vehicles.
A report from the China Passenger Car Association tells us that since the start of 2026, over 60 percent of the new vehicles launched within the country are longer than 5 meters (16 feet). More problematic is their weight, which can tally up to three tons (6,000 pounds).
Historically, Chinese cars have been small and light, so the rapidly ballooning size and mass of the new cars on roads that weren't designed to withstand said vehicles has problematic implications for pavement conditions.
The consequence is that Chinese roads now need more frequent and more intensive repairs, the burden of which was previously funded through a fuel tax. As EV uptake has increased, revenue from the fuel tax has naturally declined, Bloomberg reports that the country's road repair fund is falling around 50 percent short.
Additionally, China’s Transport Ministry notes that 40 percent of local roadways that need repairs are still waiting for a fix as the funding—to the tune of 300 billion yuan ($44 billion)—just isn't there.
Sustaining such a massive financial deficit isn't viable, so China is now considering other options for collecting the money it needs. One proposal includes a mileage-based road charge, and another entails cutting the tax discount for new energy vehicles (NEVs) in half (bringing it down to 5 percent). The discount would also be capped at 15,000 yuan (around $2,250).
More worrisome is the potential for increased tracking and potential personal privacy infringements that could be used to level out the financial gap. Hainan province, for example, is testing the use of navigation systems to track user driving habits, which in turn would result in a mileage-based tax. The province is also testing a vehicle class-based tax, meaning heavier vehicles would be taxed more.
China is also working to make the auto manufacturers build smaller and lighter cars again, as the detriment to its infrastructure is noticeable and increasingly problematic. Though EVs may not be polluting, they clearly do cause problems for roadways.
This isn't limited to China, though, and the rationale for weight-based tax should be surveyed elsewhere as well. Perhaps it's also time to look into the exemptions in places like California, where you can buy an electric G-Wagen (G 580 with EQ Technology SUV) and write it off as a business expense due to its ultra-heavy weight.
Based in Connecticut, Ross hosts The Hooniverse Podcast. He has been in the off-road world since he was a kid riding in the back of his dad’s YJ Wrangler. He works in marketing by day and in his free time contributes to Hooniverse, AutoGuide, and ATV.com, and in the past has contributed to UTV Driver, ATV Rider, and Everyday Driver. Ross drives a 2018 Lexus GX460 that is an ongoing build project featured on multiple websites and the podcast.
More by Ross Ballot
Comments
Join the conversation
Ha! My '63 Austin Mini was 850 lb's or so. Never hurt a fly, but every once in awhile I'd come out to the parking lot to find it parked on someone's grass or wedged into a corner etc (gotta love your buddies who they have a sense of humor!
This information is being supplied by the oil and gas propaganda departments. EVs are no heavier than most pickup trucks, delivery vehicles, or semi trucks. They also don't spew oil and gas onto the roadways that cause significant damage to the roads and surrounding land. If Autoguide editors and writers actually do any real reporting, follow up on that information and confirm your sources.