Electric cars: New studies reveal fine dust surprises!

The discussion about fine dust emissions and their sources are becoming increasingly important in politics, industry and science. Electric cars in particular are the focus, as new studies show that their influence on air quality may be larger than assumed.

An examination of emissions analytics has shown that electric cars cause considerably more tire abrasion due to their higher weight. The study estimates that the tire abrasion from electric vehicles causes 1,850 times higher fine dust values ​​than the exhaust of conventional burners. These results raise questions, since other studies, such as Michelin, point out that fine dust emissions in electric cars are 10 to 25 percent higher than in combustion engines.

increase in fine dust emissions by heavy vehicles

In particular, heavier electric cars with a range of around 500 km show a lower decrease in the PM10 emissions. A possible increase in PM2.5 emissions between 3 and 8 percent is observed here. An OECD study from 2020 came to the conclusion that lighter electric cars cause 11 to 13 percent fewer PM2.5-5-5-5- and 19 percent fewer PM10 emissions than their counterparts with combustion engine.

Despite the advantages of light electric vehicles, it can be seen that the growing number of electric cars will lead to a minimal decline in the PM emissions of road traffic, even if 4 to 8 percent of these vehicles are in use by 2030. The expected reduction will only be between 0.3 and 0.8 percent.

In addition, the Süddeutsche Zeitung The problem of microplastics and fine dust resulting from the abrasion of tires and brakes. This type of fine dust is increasingly becoming the largest source of microplastics in the environment, with a quarter of the microplastic entry to the world's oceans back to tire abrasion. In Germany, the tire abrasion is estimated at over 150,000 tons per year.

Research shows that in particular at traffic lights and in curves, tire abrasion is increasingly created - sometimes up to seven times more than on straight roads. Toxins were found in the tire abrasion, which are potentially responsible for fish deaths. In order to counteract these challenges, tire manufacturers such as Continental, BMW and Michelin develop more sustainable products, while projects such as "Urban Filter" strive for minimizing tire abrasion.

In summary, it becomes clear that fine dust emissions by electric cars and the resulting microplastic proportion in the environment are a serious problem. The efforts to improve the situation are complex and require further research and measures.