Physicist Mark Moss argues that EV batteries weigh around 1,000 lb, far more than the 120 lb of gasoline they replace. This extra mass stresses aging bridges, tunnels, and roads. A 2024 parking garage collapse in Lower Manhattan that killed one person shows how heavier vehicles can trigger structural failures.
There's a massive unaddressed problem. Now, Mark Moss, a physicist and a senior fellow at Manhattan Institute, has pointed out some of the big ones, including that electric vehicles' batteries weigh around 1,000 pounds, replacing the 120 pounds of fuel in traditional cars. Think about that. Get rid of 120, but add 1,000 pounds. Now, an unintended consequence of heavier cars on the roadways, bridges, tunnels, and even parked in old garages is that they're going to put a greater burden on the already aging and crumbling infrastructure. Let's look at a case in point. On April 18th, a 3-story parking garage on Ann Street in Lower Manhattan, New York City collapsed. Person was killed, 5 people were injured. What was the cause? Well, vehicles. Vehicles getting heavier and of course the infrastructure getting older.
