The Telegraph (who funded this study) have a huge list of anti-EV articles, nearly all of which are technically incorrect and often self-contradictory. They clearly have an agenda and it's likely funded by the oil industry.
It's not entirely untrue. Electric vehicles tend to be heavier than petrol or diesel vehicles, and heavier vehicles cause more wear to road surfaces than lighter ones.
That isn't to say electric vehicles are bad idea because of that though.
But still fractionally as heavy as lorries, which /do/ cause most of the potholes. But the article is designed to trigger our base feelings of anger about paying for a road surface that's often in poor condition.
The car park argument is pretty silly too. Older multi-stories have greater problems from cars being wider, longer and taller than what they were designed for. But again, with the news of the multistorey car park collapsing in New York not that long ago, it's triggering fear, uncertainty and doubt amongst the reader.
Objectively, it's a really good example of how to write a manipulative 'news' story that preys on human emotion. That doesn't make it /true/ though.
Can't recall the figures off the top of my head, but even the BMW 3-Series (G20) is about as heavy as equivalent Tesla's. Of course you'll find lighter Japanese vehicles with smaller engines, but the article does seem to ignore how heavy ICE vehicles can get and how light BEV's can be...
Electric cars, which are roughly twice as heavy as standard models, could also cause serious damage to car park floors with especially older, unloved structures most at risk of buckling, experts have said.
The research was done by the Asphalt Industry Alliance (https://www.asphaltuk.org) who complain that there is a 1.30bn shortfall in the carriageway budget.
They have a point - potholes are worse than they’ve ever been - but one has to wonder if they would bump up the numbers to try and get more funding 🤔
You see a lot of these kind of 'EVs don't solve all the problems of ICE cars and therefore a waste of time/money' articles. It seems to be echoed when talking to people as well (probably why you see the articles). It's an odd view in my opinion - EVs have many advantages, but obviously still, you know, cars...
@Benjamin_Kenobi
The petrol equivalent of my EV is a Range Rover - similar weight.
That's mostly what determines wear on the roads - "damage" appears to be wear which is not repaired, a speciality of our current government.
And yes, it is funded by people who wish to be the richest regardless of megadeaths and their own children.