Electric cars emit more toxic particles into the atmosphere than gasoline-powered cars, harming the environment, according to a resurfaced study.
the studypublished by emissions data company Emission Analytics and published in 2022, has gained attention this week after being cited in a paper. wall street journal Sunday editorial.
As a result, EV brakes and tires emit 1,850 times more particulate pollution than modern tailpipes with “efficient” exhaust filters, pushing gasoline car emissions to new lows. It turned out that
Currently, most vehicle-related pollution comes from tire wear.
According to Emission Analytics, when large vehicles drive on lightweight tires (most often made with synthetic rubber made from crude oil and other fillers and additives), the tires deteriorate and are exposed to harmful chemicals. The substance is released into the air.
Because EVs are on average 30% heavier, battery-powered cars’ brakes and tires wear out faster than standard cars.
Emission Analytics found that tire wear emissions per half ton of EV battery weight are more than 400 times higher than direct exhaust particulate emissions.
For reference, half a ton is equivalent to approximately 1,100 pounds.
America’s most popular electric vehicle, Tesla’s Model Y, is powered by a lithium-ion battery that weighs 1,836 pounds.
Another popular electric model, Ford’s F-150 Lightning pickup truck, also has a battery weighing about 1,800 pounds.
The study calls into question the reality of the Biden administration’s EV mandate, which touts electric vehicles as “zero-emission vehicles” by requiring two-thirds of new cars in the U.S. to be fully electric by 2032. I’m throwing it.
California lawmakers similarly noted that electric cars produce “zero emissions” because they don’t have tailpipes, adding that the label is “deceptive,” according to the magazine.
Electric cars still use tires made from petroleum, which create particulate pollution as they wear out.
Still, “this doesn’t stop electrification,” Nick Molden, founder and CEO of Emissions Analytics, told the Post.
“You have a trade-off. At the moment, the political agenda is very strong towards reducing climate change. EVs reduce CO2 by about 50%. [affects] climate change. “
“However, EVs have the downside of increasing particle pollution. Air pollution is about what we breathe and its effects on our health,” Molden said, adding that the toxins in tires have a negative impact on climate change. It assured that the impact would be much smaller than the impact on “what we eat and ingest.”
Increased exposure to these toxins “may increase the risk of health problems such as heart disease, asthma, and low birth weight,” the report states. New York State Department of Healthpointed out that pollution from sources such as car exhaust can travel long distances from the source and still cause health problems at unhealthy levels.
“lots of [chemicals] They enter the soil and water and affect animals and fish. And because we go out to eat animals and fish, we’re ingesting tire pollutants,” Molden added.
“Tires are made up of many harmful chemicals.”
Molden says that “the best thing to do first” to address this problem is to “change the recipe and minimize the number of toxic chemicals in the tire. That way you get the best of both worlds.” We can take advantage of it.”
Still, the magazine said that when analyzing the impact of the ban, the California Department of Aviation used a model that assumed the same amount of tire wear for electric and gasoline vehicles.
The public quickly realized the mistake, but officials doubled down on their position, saying it was “speculative” to assume that electric cars are always heavier than gasoline cars.
The California Air Resources Board (CARB) argued that: “Final statement of reasons for rulemaking” Automakers say they can “offset” the weight of heavy batteries by “reducing the weight of other components and the vehicle body,” but authorities have not said how.
The Environmental Protection Agency also shared plans to gradually raise emissions standards starting with the 2027 model year, forcing automakers to sell fewer gasoline-powered and even hybrid vehicles than ever before.
The Journal has reached out to CARB and the Environmental Protection Agency for comment.
