Re:In California, Electric Cars Outpace Plugs, and Sparks Fly
by masklinn on Sunday October 11, 2015 @09:31AM
(#10369183)
> Salient example is a Tesla model S, which have a curb weight of 2.1 metric tons in standard configuration [1], while comparable gasoline-powered sedan weights in at approximately 1.5 metric tons [2]. That means that applying formula above, "average", electric car causes 3.6 times more road wear than "average" CO2-belching one, just due to being 40% heavier while having same number of axles.
The comparison doesn't hold, the Model S is a full-sized sedan, the 3-series is a compact. The Model S is somewhere between the 5-Series and the 7-Series, closer to the 7-Series than the 5.
Either way, both EV and ICE car road wear is completely dwarfed by trucks.
Re:In California, Electric Cars Outpace Plugs, and Sparks Fly
by aexaey on Sunday October 11, 2015 @09:45AM
(#10369214)
It is a moot point. Having seen (but not driven) model S, I can't say it looks big enough to warrant comparison to a 7-series, and even then latter is 1800kg [0], so Model S is still 17% heavier or causing 1.85 times road wear.
Point about trucks stands of course, as you've pointed in the other comment. 3-4 orders of magnitude more road wear - that's crazy! I wonder how does that translates to truck road taxes.
[0] http://www.bmw.com/com/en/newvehicles/7series/sedan/2015/sho...
Re:In California, Electric Cars Outpace Plugs, and Sparks Fly
by mtgx on Sunday October 11, 2015 @10:28AM
(#10369351)
But is the Californian tax based on how much "wear" cars do to the highways or also on the pollution they create?
Re:In California, Electric Cars Outpace Plugs, and Sparks Fly
by URSpider94 on Sunday October 11, 2015 @11:07AM
(#10369533)
Currently, neither. It's based strictly upon how much gasoline they consume, as are all highway taxes nationwide (since they are levied per gallon of diesel or gasoline).
Sometimes even more. Of course that depends on exact car that is being compared, but as a rule of thumb, an all-electric vehicle would be significantly heavier due to battery weight, and as was pointed out:
> Road damage rises [...] to the fourth power of the axle weight [0].
Salient example is a Tesla model S, which have a curb weight of 2.1 metric tons in standard configuration [1], while comparable gasoline-powered sedan weights in at approximately 1.5 metric tons [2]. That means that applying formula above, "average", electric car causes 3.6 times more road wear than "average" CO2-belching one, just due to being 40% heavier while having same number of axles.
To make matters worse, many countries tax vehicles based on their weight (so to translate a fair share of road repair costs to the vehicle owner). And that makes subsidies (in the form of tax exemptions) to the electric vehicles even more important - otherwise electric cars would not be able to compete at all.
[0] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gross_axle_weight_rating
[1] http://www.teslamotors.com/support/model-s-specifications
[2] http://www.bmw.com/com/en/newvehicles/3series/sedan/2015/sho...