Electric cars release MORE toxic emissions than gas-powered vehicles and are ... trends now
Electric vehicles may release more pollution than gas-powered vehicles, according to a shock new study.
Independent researchers said that while exhaust fumes have historically been been blamed for carbon emission pollution, the biggest polluter is now tires and brakes.
They found that brakes and tires release 1,850 times more particulate matter - which is air pollution - compared to modern tailpipes which have filters that reduce emissions.
The problem, they say, is that EVs are 30 percent heavier on average than gas vehicles, which causes the brakes and tire treads to wear out faster than standard cars and releases tiny, often toxic particles into the atmosphere.
EVs release more pollution than gas-powered vehicles according to a new study
EV batteries weigh about 1,000 pounds, and can result in tire emissions that are nearly 400 times more than tailpipe emissions.
Particle 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 vehicles by 2035, claiming that exhaust emissions are the root cause of pollution even though the air pollution released from brakes and tires are 400 times greater.
New gasoline-powered vehicles don’t release the same amount of emissions as older vehicles, emitting only one percent of all particulate matter (air pollution) in California, with the majority of emissions coming from older vehicles.
New gasoline cars are created to be 'cleaner,' by updating the trims of their internal combustion engines to include particulate filters that reduce emissions to below 1/1000th of a gram per mile.
The EVs increased weight due to their lithium-ion batteries cause the tire treads to wear faster, ultimately producing more emissions.
The study, conducted by the firm Emissions Analytics, said the main difference between tailpipe and tire emissions is that the majority of particulate emissions released from the tire go directly into the soil and water, while exhaust negatively affects the air quality.
The effects of tire composition come down to the materials the tire is made from, the study reported.
Light-duty tires are typically made from synthetic rubber which is developed using crude oil natural rubber adds fillers and additives, some of which are recognized carcinogens.
Emissions Analytics tested the tire wear on both EV and gas-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.
It found that the greater the vehicle's mass and weight, the more rapidly the tire particulate emissions would be released due to the increased torque between the tires and the
