Electric vehicles can release more pollution than gasoline-powered vehicles, according to a shocking new study.
Independent researchers said that while exhaust gases have historically been blamed for carbon emissions pollution, the biggest polluter now is tires and brakes.
They found that brakes and tires release 1,850 times more particles (which constitutes air pollution) compared to modern exhaust pipes that have filters that reduce emissions.
The problem, they say, is that electric vehicles are, on average, 30 percent heavier than gasoline vehicles, causing brakes and tire treads to wear out faster than cars. standard and release tiny, often toxic particles into the atmosphere.
Electric Vehicles Emit More Pollution Than Gasoline-Powered Vehicles, New Study Finds
Electric vehicle batteries weigh about 1,000 pounds and can generate tire emissions that are nearly 400 times greater than tailpipe emissions.
Particulate pollution can increase health problems including heart disease, asthma, lung disease, and in extreme cases can lead to hospitalization, cancer, and premature death.
The study comes as California is working to impose a complete ban on all gas-powered vehicles by 2035, claiming that tailpipe emissions are the root cause of pollution, even though air pollution released by brakes and tires It is 400 times greater.
New gasoline-powered vehicles do not release the same amount of emissions as older vehicles, emitting only one percent of all particulate matter (air pollution) in California, and the majority of emissions come from vehicles older.
New gasoline cars are created to be “cleaner,” upgrading their internal combustion engines to include particulate filters that reduce emissions to less than 1/1000 of a gram per mile.
The increased weight of electric vehicles due to their lithium-ion batteries causes tire treads to wear out faster and ultimately produce more emissions.
He study, Conducted by the firm Emissions Analytics, it said that the main difference between tailpipe emissions and those from tires is that most of the particulate emissions released by the tire go directly to the ground and water, while exhaust gases exhaust negatively affect air quality.
The effects of tire composition come down to the materials from which they are made, the study reported.
Light-duty tires are generally made of synthetic rubber that is developed using crude oil, natural rubber, and added fillers and additives, some of which are recognized carcinogens.
Emissions Analytics tested tire wear on both electric vehicles and gasoline-powered vehicles after driving them at least 1,000 miles.
The researchers used a sampling system to collect particles immediately behind each tire and then measured the size of the particles emitted from the tread.
He found that the greater the mass and weight of the vehicle, the more quickly particulate emissions would be released from the tires due to the greater torque between the tires and the road.
A new study revealed that tire wear causes more carbon emissions than an exhaust pipe, despite California’s claims that electric vehicles produce no emissions.
A seperation 2020 report of the firm Emissions Analytics said tires are likely to be a major concern in the coming years as “consumers opt for larger, heavier cars.”
“Research shows that they contribute to marine pollution from microplastics, as well as air pollution from finer particles,” the report continues.
The average Hyundai electric vehicle weighs more than 3,700 pounds compared to the gasoline alternative which weighs 3,000 pounds.
Meanwhile, Volvo’s electric vehicle weighs 4,662 pounds while its gas vehicle weighs 3,726, but the Ford F150 EV pickup weighs a whopping 6,000 pounds, 2,000 pounds more than the gas option.
California claims that banning gasoline-powered vehicles would protect public health from airborne pollutants like dust, dirt and soot, and calls electric vehicles “zero-emission vehicles,” but the increased weight dramatically affects the how quickly tire tread wears out.
However, the state proposalpresented by the Air Resources Board, suggested that the tire treads of electric vehicles and gasoline-powered vehicles wear out at the same rate, which was criticized by the public, but the state said “it would be speculative project” that electric vehicles would not weigh less in the future.
It added that the weight of future electric vehicle models could be “offset” by a “weight reduction in other components or the vehicle body,” although the agency did not provide examples of how weight would be reduced.
The electricity used to power an electric vehicle can cause further environmental concerns and air pollution.
California has claimed that electric vehicles produce no emissions because they have no exhaust, but that is reportedly misleading because the large amount of electricity used to power the cars creates additional particulate pollution.
“Coal tends to be the critical factor,” said Jeremy Michalek, an engineering professor at Carnegie Mellon University. The New York Times.
‘If there are electric cars in Pittsburgh that plug in at night and force nearby coal plants to burn more coal to charge them, then the climate benefits won’t be as great and may even lead to more air pollution. ‘
Additionally, the lithium-ion batteries that power electric vehicles are made from materials such as cobalt and lithium, which have been linked to environmental concerns.
Mining cobalt emits toxic chemicals and gases that leak into the environment, and extracting metals from ore emits sulfur oxide and pollutes the air.
Last month, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) updated the national air quality standards with a new standard to reduce the amount of air pollution.
“Today’s action is a critical step forward that will better protect workers, families and communities from the dangerous and costly impacts of fine particle pollution,” said EPA Administrator Michael Regan.
“The science is clear: soot pollution is one of the most dangerous forms of air pollution and is linked to a number of serious and life-threatening diseases, including asthma and heart attacks.”
Electric vehicles are beneficial to the environment because they emit no tailpipe emissions, so they produce fewer greenhouse gases than the average gasoline-powered car.
According to the EPAOver the life of an electric vehicle, the total greenhouse gas emissions associated with manufacturing, charging and driving the vehicle are typically lower than those of the standard vehicle.