Think exhaust emissions are bad? Tire particles are 1,850 times worse
Even EV tires cause air pollution
How are tire particles measured?
In its original tests, Emissions Analytics was concerned that the measurable mass of “tire shedding” would be too small to measure. So it intentionally tested cheap tires, ballasted the car heavily, and drove a test cycle with high speeds and a lot of cornering.
Understandably, the research had its critics in EV-land for not accurately representing common driving scenarios.
So, since the OG study, Emissions Analytics has been testing and analyzing tire wear emissions in detail across a wider range of driving conditions and performed a detailed chemical analysis of hundreds of new tires. It worked with the National Physical Laboratory in the UK objectively to quantify its chemical measurements.
The good news is that tailpipe emissions are substantially lower on new cars as exhaust filters become more efficient.
However,tirewear particles are rising as vehicles become heavier and added power and torque become available. Worse, as tires age, their emissions increase.
Further, the researchers note that half a ton of battery weight can result in tire emissions that are almost 400 times greater than real-world tailpipe emissions, everything else being equal.
Embrace regenerative braking to help the environment
However, they stress that a gentle BEV driver, usingregenerative braking, can more than cancel out the tire wear emission. Especially in comparison to an ICE vehicle driven badly at speed. It would be good to get more details on this from the researchers in more detail. It’s definitely something worth investigating further.
Currently, tire makers are investing inmaking tires specifically for EVsin response to these challenges. There’s also considerable R&D in making tires from renewable, recycled, and traceable materials. We can expect to see more growth and investment in these areas.
Emissions Analytics will soon publish the chemical composition and toxicity of hundreds of different tires in a subscription database. I think it will give tire makers a lot to talk — and get angry — about.
Story byCate Lawrence
Cate Lawrence is an Australian tech journo living in Berlin. She focuses on all things mobility: ebikes, autonomous vehicles, VTOL, smart ci(show all)Cate Lawrence is an Australian tech journo living in Berlin. She focuses on all things mobility: ebikes, autonomous vehicles, VTOL, smart cities, and the future of alternative energy sources like electric batteries, solar, and hydrogen.
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