Washington, US

With increasing concerns about climate change, there is a rising demand for eco-friendly transportation alternatives. Electric vehicles (EVs) have garnered attention as a cleaner option compared to traditional petrol and diesel cars due to their reduced greenhouse gas emissions, but a report claimed otherwise. 

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The report published by Emission Analytics, a firm specialising in emissions data analysis, challenged the prevailing belief regarding the environmental superiority of EVs. The report touched upon the issue of particle pollution originating from brakes and tyres in both electric and fossil fuel-powered vehicles. The report was featured in a Wall Street Journal op-ed. 

The report, titled "Gaining traction, losing tread: Pollution from tyre wear now 1,850 times worse than exhaust emissions", talked about research it had filed in early 2020 claiming that tyre particulate wear emissions were 1,000 times worse than exhaust emissions. 

In the report, Emission Analytics compared real-world tailpipe particulate mass emissions to tire wear emissions in "normal" driving. It claimed that the latter is actually around 1,850 times greater than the former. 

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However, this claim appears to be untrue. A fact-check report by Science Feedback said that the particulate emissions of electric vehicles are "still poorly studied" and experimental comparisons of particulate emissions, mentioned in the Emission Analytics report, remain scarce. 

What did the Emission Analytics report claim? 

The report claimed that EVs, owing to their heavier weight, may emit significantly higher levels of particulate matter from brakes and tyres compared to modern gas-powered vehicles equipped with efficient exhaust filters. It could be as much as 1,850 times greater, it claimed. 

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Emission Analytics also tried to highlight the concern over tyre wear, attributing it to the heavier weight of EVs which accelerates tyre deterioration and releases harmful chemicals into the atmosphere. It said that the degradation is primarily linked to the synthetic rubber composition of most tyres, derived from crude oil. 

Another significant aspect highlighted in the report is the impact of battery weight on EVs. As EVs typically feature heavier batteries compared to traditional petrol engines, this additional weight exerts greater strain on brakes and tyres, hastening wear and tear. 

Is this claim even true? 

Science Feedback said in its fact-check that the company has not released a more detailed methodology and also, the report hasn't been peer-reviewed or published in the scientific literature. 

"Without a detailed methodology, it is impossible for other groups to reproduce and verify Emissions Analytics’ results. In the absence of peer review, it is very difficult to assess the credibility of Emission Analytics' study," it said. 

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"More extreme versions of the claim state that electric vehicles emit 1,850 times more "pollutants" than gasoline-powered vehicles. This completely misrepresents the study, which compared the amount of particulate emissions coming from tires and tailpipes. It also contradicts available measurements of other vehicle pollutants like CO2," Science Feedback explained in its report. 

Note: Earlier version of this article didn't include the fact-check claim by Science Feedback. 

(With inputs from agencies)