Electric cars are rising in popularity, promising to reduce the environmental damage caused by gasoline-powered transportation. Environmental groups support the new technology, and the government offers incentives to spur sales. Automakers also provide twice as many electric vehicle models as before the pandemic.
The enthusiasm for electric vehicles (EVs) is warranted. The urgency to reverse climate change requires electrifying 278 million personal cars in the US as quickly as possible. After all, electric vehicles are more climate-friendly than gas-powered models since they eliminate tailpipe emissions. However, a resurfaced study suggests that electric vehicles may release more particulate matter than their gas-powered counterparts.
The Downside of Electric Vehicles
The study, conducted by Emissions Analytics, was published in 2022 but has begun circulating again after being cited in the Wall Street Journal. It explains that the main difference between tailpipe and tire emissions is that most particulate emissions from the tire directly go into the soil and water, while exhaust negatively affects air quality.
It reveals that the brakes and tires of electric vehicles release 1,850 times more particulate matter than modern tailpipes, which contain filters for reduced emissions. Electric vehicles were also found to be 30% heavier than gas-powered vehicles on average. This causes the brakes and tire treads to wear out faster than standard vehicles, releasing tiny, toxic particles into the atmosphere.
Virginia Tech Professor Hesham Rakha says the study is only 'partially correct.' While electric vehicles are heavier, tires emitting more microplastics into the air could also be true for sedans versus SUVs.
Rakha further noted that it is very challenging to determine the difference between the amount of microplastics released from EV tire treads and gas-powered vehicles. You must separate the microplastics already in the air from other sources with what is coming off the tires.
Rakha and his Virginia Tech colleagues are conducting field tests to determine the amount of microplastics emitted from electric vehicles and gas cars. They use traffic simulators to mimic an urban setting. He reported that he does not expect a major difference between electric and gas-powered vehicles since they have not been measured yet. However, he expects the difference to be about 20%.
This does not mean people should avoid using electric vehicles because they are more efficient at zero emissions. But it must be considered that the new mode of transportation also generates a lot of carbon dioxide when charging.
READ ALSO: Is Urgently Shifting to Electric Vehicle An Expensive Mistake? Here's What Experts Say
Sources of Undesirable Emissions
Electric vehicle batteries weigh about 1,000 pounds (454 kilograms), causing tire treads to wear out faster. This can result in tire emissions, almost 400 times more than tailpipe emissions.
The average Hyundai EV weighs over 3,700 pounds (1,678 kilograms) compared to its gas-powered counterpart, which weighs 3,000 pounds (1,361 kilograms). Volvo's electric vehicle weighs 4,662 pounds (2,115 kilograms), while the Ford F150 electric vehicle truck weighs 6,000 pounds (2,722 kilograms).
The effects of tire composition involve the material from which the tire is made. Light-duty tires are usually made from synthetic rubber developed using crude oil. Natural rubber requires the addition of fillers and additives, some of which are identified as carcinogens. Moreover, lithium-ion batteries, which power electric vehicles, are made of materials such as lithium and cobalt, both of which are linked to environmental problems.
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