Automotive: EV tires pollute far more than people realize

Heavy electric vehicles produce even more toxic tire particles than combustion cars and it is a far bigger problem than you might realize.

EVs do not have any tailpipe emissions, but it’s another kind of emissions that’s the focus of a recent article by David Zipper in The Atlantic.

He reminds us that while EVs produce no tailpipe emissions they do generate other toxic substances into the environment, just like ICE cars, only they spew even bigger quantities.

We’re talking tire emissions, and by that we don’t mean the plumes of smoke produced by LS-powered sedans at a street takeover. The emissions we’re referring to here are far less visible, but highly toxic and they’re produced simply by the act of a tire rolling along a pavement at regular driving speeds.

These particles float through the air and get into our lungs and our waterways, causing health problems to humans and wildlife. A University of Washington study in 2020 tracked a collapse in Northwestern-coho-salmon populations back to a chemical called 6PPD, which is added to tires to reduce wear rates, and particles have also been linked to respiratory problems, kidney and neurological damage and birth defects in people.

The Atlantic reminds us that EVs are even bigger culprits thanks to their bigger curb weights and resulting greater tire wear.  Like for like, an EV is always much heavier than an ICE of similar size.

The GM Electric Hummer weighs over 9,000 pounds. The amount of tire dust it puts into the atmosphere is massive.