We asked the Department about the impact of heavier electric vehicles on road infrastructure. The Department told us that main roads are built to withstand a maximum vehicle weight (gross vehicle weight) of 44 tonnes, and although unclassified roads are built to a wide range of differing standards, the impact will not be significant with the weight of an electric car still less than a lorry. However, it has recognised that the risks are more related to electric buses and heavy good vehicles (HGVs). Given the maximum weight roads and bridges can take, and the heavier weight of electric-powered HGVs, this may reduce the payload HGVs can take and the sector is campaigning to allow heavier vehicles on the road to compensate. The Department told us that no decisions have been made about whether to increase the maximum weight that road infrastructure is expected to support and, if it does increase, how much that could cost to implement particularly in relation to bridges.77