A recently resurfaced study concludes that Electric Vehicles Are Worse Than Gas Cars and have a greater negative impact on the environment. Emission Analytics reveals that EVs emit 1,850 times more particle pollution from their brakes and tires than modern tailpipes equipped with efficient exhaust filters.
Emission Analytics, a firm specializing in emissions data, released this study in 2022. Research has revealed that electric vehicles emit 1,850 times more particle pollution from their brakes and tires as compared to modern tailpipes equipped with efficient exhaust filters.
According to Emission Analytics, today, the primary source of vehicle pollution is tire wear. When heavy cars run on light-duty tires, typically made with synthetic rubber derived from crude oil, along with various fillers and additives, they gradually break down and emit harmful substances into the atmosphere.
Another research published in early 2020, revealed tire particulate wear emissions to be 1,000 times more detrimental than exhaust emissions. Emissions Analytics has conducted extensive testing and analysis of tire wear emissions, considering a broader range of driving conditions. Moreover, the company has carried out a thorough chemical analysis of hundreds of brand-new tires.
Additionally, they collaborated with the National Physical Laboratory, UK to objectively assess the uncertainties in their measurements of chemical composition. They concluded that in normal driving, tire wear emissions are about 1,850 times greater than tailpipe particulate mass emissions. This ratio is almost double compared to aggressive driving.
How Are Tires More Toxic than Tailpipe Emissions?
Car emissions from the tailpipe are decreasing because exhaust filters are getting better. However, pollution from tire wear are increasing as vehicles become heavier and more powerful. And the researchers estimate that this trend is expected to continue.
Electric vehicles weigh more than standard cars, leading to faster wear and tear on brakes and tires. Emission Analytics discovered that tire wear emit ranges from half a metric ton (roughly around 1,100 pounds) of battery weight in an EV. This is more than 400 times greater than direct exhaust particulate emissions.
How Did They Measure Tire and Tailpipe Emissions?
Emissions Analytics uses state-of-the-art high-precision scales that weigh all four tires and rims as a single unit, without requiring detachment. This was done for over at least 1,000 miles (about 1609.34 km) on actual roads. This process ensures precise and reliable data collection, contributing to comprehensive understanding of tire pollution.
All tire emission statistics mentioned here pertain to the entire vehicle, encompassing wear and tear from all 4 tires.
Tires and Brake Emissions Measurement
Step 1 – This technology was paired with a proprietary sampling system that captures particles directly behind each tire at a fixed point.
Step 2 – These particles are then drawn into a real-time detector through a sample line, where their size distribution is measured by mass and number.
Step 3 – Typically, this device measures particles ranging from 10 microns down to 6 nanometers. This combination enables the calibration of the real-time signal to accurately represent the mass loss.
Also See: Tearing Down Misconceptions: Most Common Electric Vehicle Tire Myths Busted
Tailpipe Emission Measurement
Step 1 – Particles emitted are measured using different instruments for their mass and number concentration.
Step 2 – These are then connected to a standard Portable Emissions Measurement System (PEMS) to measure total exhaust flow.
This helped in calculating a distance-specific mass and number of emissions, which can be compared to equivalent tire metrics. The table and chart below present a summary of the results.
| Parameters | Particulate mass emissions mg/km) | Proportion of tailpipe emissions |
| Aggressive legal driving | 5,760 | 1,280 |
| Normal Driving – New tire wear | 73 | 16.222 |
| Normal Driving – Old tire wear | 36.50 | 8.111 |
| Normal Driving (new tires) – Airborne tire particles | 8.03 | 1784 |
| Additional tire wear (+500 kg vehicle mass) | 7.67 | 1703 |
| Tailpipe particulates – Legal (maximum) | 4.50 | 1000 |
| Tailpipe particulates – Real world | 0.02 | 0.004 |
The comparison is most effectively demonstrated through a bar chart featuring a logarithmic vertical scale, as presented below.
Emissions Analytics’ results show that about 11% of tire emissions mass is smaller than 2.5 microns, making airborne tire emissions around 8 mg/km, over 400 times higher than tailpipe emissions.
How bad do Tires’ Particulates Affect Our Health?
The body of research on the health effects of ultrafine particles is expanding rapidly, and the severity of these effects is expected to be determined by the toxicity of the particles.
Tires and tailpipe emissions are different as most tire emissions directly enter the soil and water. Whereas most tailpipe emissions remain suspended in the air for a significant duration. Thus, exerting a detrimental impact on the quality of the air.
Light-duty tires are usually composed of synthetic rubber, derived from crude oil, not natural rubber. These tires are also formulated with a combination of different fillers and additives.
The research indicates that some tires are one-third as toxic as the worst. Therefore, tires differ not only in how quickly they wear out, but also in their chemical composition and toxicity. This ultimately supports the study’s conclusion that electric vehicles are worse than gas cars. This suggests that economic incentives and regulations could be effective in reducing both wear and toxicity.
Source: Gaining traction, losing tread Pollution from tire wear now 1,850 times worse than exhaust emissions
