Skip to main content

When it comes to particle emissions, electric cars aren’t much cleaner

no free supercharging for tesla model 3 news quotes s p90d 1356
Electric cars may give off more particulate matter than gas engine counterparts Andy Boxall/Digital Trends
Electric cars may not spew the same CO2 emissions as their internal-combustion cousins, but when it comes to another type of pollution – particle matter – they may not be as squeaky clean. A new study published by the journal ScienceDirect claims that due to their increased weight, electric cars produce about the same particle emissions as gas and diesel cars.

Particulate matter consists of small particles and liquid droplets — everything from hydrocarbons to lead, zinc, and iron — suspended in the air. Even if it’s not in a gaseous state, it’s still air pollution, and sometimes called “particle pollution.”

“Numerous scientific studies have linked particle pollution exposure to a variety of problems, including: premature death in people with heart or lung disease; nonfatal heart attacks; irregular heartbeat; aggravated asthma; decreased lung function; and increased respiratory symptoms, such as irritation of the airways, coughing or difficulty breathing,” according to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency.

Engine exhaust does contribute particulate matter, but since car manufacturers have focused on reducing engine emissions, they now only contribute 10 to 15 percent of the particulate matter from modern internal-combustion vehicles. The majority come instead from tires, brakes, and dust kicked up from road surfaces.

Electric-powered vehicles, of course, have no exhaust emissions. However, because they’re 24 percent heavier on average, the study found that EVs shed more particulate matter from tires and brakes, and also kick up more particulate matter from road surfaces.

When you combine the benefit of having no engine exhaust with the penalty of additional weight, the study claims that when it comes to total particle emissions, electric vehicles are only 1 to 3 percent cleaner than internal-combustion vehicles.

The study calls for weight reduction in all vehicles, particularly EVs, since without lighter batteries they will only get heavier as people insist on longer driving distances per charge. “Future policy should consequently focus on setting standards for non-exhaust emissions and encouraging weight reduction of all vehicles to significantly reduce PM emissions from traffic.”

Editor’s note: This article was updated on 5/10/16 to better reflect that particle emissions are only one component of environmental impact.

Bruce Brown
Digital Trends Contributing Editor Bruce Brown is a member of the Smart Homes and Commerce teams. Bruce uses smart devices…
The Apple Car was reportedly dubbed ‘the Bread Loaf’
A man checks his phone in an Apple retail store in Grand Central Terminal.

A 2020 prototype of the so-called "Apple Car" was dubbed "the Bread Loaf" for its looks, according to a Bloomberg report on Wednesday.

In a deep dive into the costly project, which Apple canceled last month, the report described the vehicle as “a white minivan with rounded sides, an all-glass roof, sliding doors, and whitewall tires [that] was designed to comfortably seat four people and inspired by the classic flower-power Volkswagen microbus.”

Read more
The Rivian R2 SUV is up for preorder for only $45,000
Rivian R2

You can now get a Rivian without spending more than $70,000. After months of rumors and leaks, Rivian has finally taken the wraps off of the Rivian R2, its newest SUV, and the first to be built on the new Rivian R2 platform. The R2 is built to be Rivian's "Model 3 moment," or its attempt to build a car that's more accessible to the general public and thus could be sold at a much higher volume than the R1S or R1T ever were.

The R2 certainly cuts some corners to achieve the lower price point, but it actually still has a lot going for it -- especially as an electric SUV in this price range. It goes up against the likes of the Tesla Model Y, Hyundai Ioniq 5, Mustang Mach-E, and Kia EV6, but it's much more of an SUV than a crossover-sized car and should appeal to those who want something larger and with Rivian's design sensibility.

Read more
The R3 is Rivian’s surprise electric crossover
Rivian R3

Rivian didn't just announce the R2 platform at its latest launch event -- in a surprise twist, it also announced the R3 crossover. The R3 is Rivian's smallest car yet, offering a size much closer to the likes of the Hyundai Ioniq 5 and Kia EV6 than the SUVs that came before it.

Of course, not only is the Rivian R3 smaller, but presumably, it's also cheaper. Rivian didn't reveal actual pricing for the car, but it did say that it would be less than the R2's $45,000 price. Also, it may be some time before we start seeing the R3 on the road -- the car will follow the R2, which isn't set to be available until the first half of 2026.

Read more