Recently, George Eustice, UK Environment Minister, made some noteworthy comments that were picked up by The Daily MailThese comments were made regarding EVs, which produce more fine particulate material through brake and tire polluting than traditional ICE vehicles. Speaking to MPs on the Commons’ environment, food, and rural affairs committee last month, UK Environment Secretary George Eustice claimed that fine particulate matter might be worse with EVs due to their weight, The Daily Mail reported.
The Automobile Club of Great Britain founded the RAC. The RAC is currently working on electric vehicle adoption. commissioned Dr. Euan McTurk, a leading battery electrochemist, to address Eustice’s remarks.
Eustice stated to the committee:
The unknown is where and how much switching from diesel and petrol vehicles to electric cars will take us. There is skepticism. Some people believe that it is just wear and tear and heavier vehicles that means the gains may not be as great as some people hope. However, this is somewhat unknown at the moment.
According to The Daily Mail:
“This means the gains from switching to electric cars from petrol and diesel ones ‘may be less than some people hope’ because of particles they create which do not come out of the exhaust.”
Debunking the “EV Brakes Cause More Pollution Than ICE Vehicle Brakes” FUD
Eustice said that EVs may wear more tires and brake linings than ICE cars due to the large weight of EVs. This, he stated, produces more polluting fine particle.
Dr. McTurk addressed not only the claims made the UK Environment secretary but These myths were refuted in his report. The report also discussed brake particulate, noting the fact that all vehicles can produce particulate matter dust when they slow down cars, but the vast majority use regenerative braking to reduce the need for mechanical brake discs and pads, while adding more range. He stated:
“In EVs, the overwhelming majority of braking can be done via regenerative braking. This is where the electric car’s motor reverses the process of converting the kinetic energy of the moving vehicle to electricity. This is how the battery is charged when it slows down. This not only reduces need for mechanical brake discs or pads but also gives the vehicle more range.
“Such is the strength of regenerative braking that Volkswagen has moved from brake discs and pads to brake drumsOn the rear of the ID series of EVs and on other EVs that use its modular electric drive matrix platform (MEB), such as the Skoda ENYAQ. Most car manufacturers prefer brake pads and discs for their petrol and diesel cars because the latter is exposed to the elements and therefore dissipates heat better during repeated braking.”
Dr. McTurk noted that EV brake pads can be used for up to 100,000 miles. Dundee Taxi Rentals is an example.
“High mileage electric vehicle fleets across the country will testify to the reduced wear and increased lifespan of brakes on EVs compared to those on petrol or diesel vehicles. Dundee is a great place to start, as it has fully embraced EVs. Ryan Todd, Dundee Taxi Rentals director, notes that his 11 electric Nissan Leaf taxis have a typical brake pad lifespan between 80,000 and 100,000 miles. Discs are typically replaced due to wear rather than warping.
Zwith little consideration given to brake wear and efficiency. There is a significant reduction in particulate matter in EVs compared to diesel cars. This is evident in the extent that Dundee has embraced EVs, cars, buses, and vans. In 2018, Dundee’s city centre achieved key air quality goals. The city’s decision to switch to electric vehicles was a direct consequence..”
He pointed out that Cleevely EVs is a well-known UK EV mechanic and has seen EVs with brakes that have lasted more than 100,000 miles. Cleevely EVs pointed out that EVs often need to have their brakes replaced due to wear and tear, not lack of use.
Debunking the “EV Tires Cause More Pollution Than ICE Vehicle Tires” FUD
Dr. McTurk noted that a source of particulate matter pollution from EVs is the tires, but that the idea that EV tires cause more pollution than typical ICE vehicle tires just doesn’t make sense. Emissions analytics reported that particulate matter from tires’ wear and tear is 1,000x more than car exhaust emissions. According to the report, tires can produce up to 9.28 grams per mile. Dr. McTurk however shared calculations that disproved this.
“A typical 16 family car tyre is 9 kg.So four of them together on a vehicle will give you a total weight 36 kg. This is not just the tread but also the entire tyres. If the car actually lost 9.28g of particulate matter every mile, then the car’s tires would have disappeared. The car would then be running on its alloys in under 4,000 miles.
“In reality, the tread of a tyre is about 35% of the tyres total weight, so the tyres would be bald in less than 1,358 miles, or two months worth of driving for the average UK driver. Emissions Analytics could have mistakenly measured particulate matter from other cars that had settled on the roads and then been kicked up the by the test car’s tyres.
“So, we now know that tyre wear is nowhere near as big a contributor to particulate matter emissions as the Emissions Analytics report claimed. But, are electric vehicles more heavy than petrol or diesel cars? Do they wear their tyres quicker? Firstly, modern electric vehicles arent actually that much heavier than many modern petrol or diesel cars, especially with the recent trend towards bigger and heavier SUVs.”
The full report is available here. Here.
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