Fact-checking Trump’s claims about EV trucks
On the campaign trail, former President Donald Trump has said that American bridges and roads can’t handle a boom in electric trucks, which are heavier than gas-powered models because of their batteries.
“You would have to rebuild every bridge in this country,” Trump said in a news conference at Mar-a-Lago in August about the possibility of wide use of electric trucks. He's since made similar claims in rallies around the country.
While there are significant concerns that the vehicles could cause more strain on the nation's roads than traditional fossil-fuel powered ones, the risk is not as dire as Trump claims, according to multiple experts.
That's because federal and state law currently limits the weights that vehicles can carry, regardless of how they are powered.
Because of the rules, “electric-powered trucks of legal load should do no more damage on the nation’s roadways than a comparable non-electric-powered vehicle,” the Federal Highway Administration said in a statement.
Yet some analysts say the rules might not always be enforced, which could lead to dangerous damage to roadways. The shift to electrification also could lead to more trucks on the road overall, increasing the wear and tear on pavement.
