How Outdated Engineering Models Distort Today’s EV & Road Charges Debate - CleanTechnica

The article from CleanTechnica challenges the common belief that heavier vehicles, such as electric vehicles (EVs) or large SUVs, cause significantly more road damage due to their weight. While this intuition seems straightforward, modern pavement engineering research shows that most passenger vehicles operate well below the axle load limits that cause meaningful road wear. The longstanding Fourth Power Law, which claims road damage increases with the fourth power of axle weight, originated from a limited 1950s study under specific conditions and has since been shown to be an oversimplification. Contemporary studies highlight that pavement deterioration depends on multiple factors beyond static axle load, including dynamic forces from suspension, road surface conditions, tire design, vehicle speed, and environmental influences like temperature and moisture. The article also discusses the broader context of road funding, noting that gas taxes cover only about 20% of road maintenance costs, with the remainder funded by general government revenue and tolls. The author proposes a rational road usage charge system based on annual distance driven and societal