A rocky road
Potholes and bumpy roads are more than an uncomfortable inconvenience on your drive into town – they are racking up damage for your vehicle too.
Auto dealers highlighted the poor state of our roads as one of their top concerns about the motor industry in Bermuda today.
“We are replacing more tyres than we’ve ever replaced,” said Glen Smith, managing director at Auto Solutions.
“It comes from wear and tear, because the roads aren’t even. We also find when the cars come in the wheel alignment is out of whack.”
Your vehicle’s suspension, carburettor and even the windscreen can also suffer.
Harry Andrews, operations manager at Auto Solutions, explained: “When you’re driving a car on these roads, there are constant vibrations. So, when your car hits a pothole, particularly in the older models, the chassis moves.
“You wonder where the crack in the windscreen is coming from – that’s where it’s coming from. In severe cases you can even bend your shock if you hit a pothole in the wrong way.”
Stephen Davidge, the general manager of Eurocar, said: “Everyone’s aware there are more potholes popping up everywhere. The rain degrades the roads everywhere, the holes get bigger, and we get more of them.
“Unfortunately, the inability to patch them up or repave the roads to make them smoother for vehicles has led to more wear and tear on suspension parts and other parts due to vibrations.”
But is all this repair work good for business?
“At the end of the day, I have a car myself – it affects everyone,” Mr Davidge said.
“It’s about trying to avoid the potholes as best you can, or slow down as you go over them.”
The Ministry of Public Works has repeatedly acknowledged the poor state of the roads but has been beset by difficulties trying to fix them.
The island’s asphalt facilities broke down in 2023, and efforts to install a replacement asphalt plant has been plagued by delays. This has been compounded by heavy rainfall and flooding.
In February, former public works minister Lieutenant-Colonel David Burch said the new plant would not be operational until 2026. In the meantime, the Highways section has been patching up potholes.
“The unreliability of these machines — the asphalt plant, and asphalt miller in particular, cause the asphalt teams to slow their production and delivery,” Colonel Burch said at that time.
Mr Smith said residents can help themselves.
“We implore people to come here and get their car serviced every six months so we can stay on top of this type of stuff,” he said.
“There are bolts that have to be tightened back up because of the vibration, for example.”
He added: “Everybody looks to Government to do something, but when I was growing up, it was up to you to maintain your property on the road. We all play a role in this. Government’s role is to maintain the highway. But we have to cut our hedges. And quite frankly if you’re doing that why wouldn’t you take out the tumbleweeds at the same time?”
Going electric
After years of frustration about the slow pace of change, the door finally opened to more electric vehicles when new legislation passed in the House of Assembly last June.
This allowed Auto Solutions to import the electric Hyundai Kona, which was 0.85 inches too wide according to the old law – and is now selling 15 to 20 per month.
“We got a very good response from Hyundai, and they sped up some orders for us,” Mr Andrews said.
“It’s very popular: very modern, the interior is finished well. The feedback from the customers has been very positive. Aesthetically it looks nice. It’s a real winner for us.”
Hybrid and electric versions of the Hyundai are available at Auto Solutions, as well as hybrid Suzuki and Honda models, and the classy custom RBW.
The search for smaller electric vehicles continues, however.
“We are hoping to get one or two in the next 12 or 18 months, because not everyone wants a big H class or I class car,” Mr Andrews said.
“If you look at the market, if we can get a hybrid in D or E class, we think it will be a winner as well.”
He praised the Department of Transport, former minister Wayne Furbert and fellow dealerships for collaborating to complete the legislation change.
Mr Smith believes the electrical revolution will continue at a gradual pace.
“Right now, worldwide, all these countries have a mandate to be all electric by 2030. My understanding is it’s not going to happen,” he said.
“The technology to build these cars and make them affordable is not there yet. There are other technologies coming into play in larger countries.”
Mr Andrews said: “We are seeing a shift towards hybrid. My ordering pattern has changed, as hybrids are gaining traction. I think model availability will dictate that more and more.”
At Eurocar, the law change has not made any difference yet, but Mr Davidge aims to bring the electric Jeep Avenger within a few months.
“It’s a very good vehicle and there’s lots of interest in it already,” he said.
He noted an international trend towards hybrids, but said fully electric vehicles could be more attractive in Bermuda, where people don’t have to drive long distances.
“We need charging stations. If more people are going to have electric vehicles, the infrastructure around that would have to be there,” he said.
Meanwhile, Bermuda Motors offers the popular electric Mini and is planning to introduce the electric Kia Niro and BMW 2 Series Active Tourer 225 plug-in hybrid.
According to general sales manager Sebastian Cornet, it’s a “patience game” while we wait for smaller vehicles to become available.
Mr Cornet said: “At some point, smaller vehicles will be electrical and will be available. We are not a priority market for these brands. It’s very expensive to put this new technology in small cars.
“I hope that with time, at some point we will have some. The question is when.”
