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This is the regular current taboo. Micro-dust from tires and brakes contributes to half of an ICE vehicle’s pollution, with the other half coming from exhaust emissions. The amount of this micro-dust scales with a power of the vehicle’s weight, typically between the square and cube for cars, and up to the fourth power for heavy trucks. EVs are 30–60% heavier than their ICE counterparts. Assuming all other factors remain constant, EVs thus generate more particulate pollution than ICE vehicles. This does NOT even include the environmental impact of battery production and electricity generation.



"Assuming all other factors remain constant" is doing a lot of (largely unjustified) work there. Regen braking massively reduces the amount of friction-brake usage in EVs, to the point where brakes will need to be repaired due to under use.


All other factors arent constant though: EVs use their brakes much less.


They have slimmer tires as well, right? I wonder though, do they deteriorate faster as their surface would carry more weight?

edit: https://earth.org/tyre-pollution/ answers this, as mentioned elsewhere in this thread.


EVs are heavier than similar ICE vehicles, but they also have regenerative braking, which greatly reduces wear on the brake pads. I suspect EVs produce much less particulate pollution from brake pads, but somewhat more from their tires.


My EV does not brake, redirects the power to a motor to act as a dynamo. In exceptional cases you can brake but for emergency braking and such. What you say is a lie, not sure if by ignorance or malice.


> This does NOT even include the environmental impact of battery production and electricity generation

Okay so if we're veering off particulates here anyway, why ignore that electricity generation is actually a whole lot cleaner than burning contemporary fuels?

Maybe better not to rehash the obvious, I just wanted to point out that there's more to it than downsides


Don't most EVs use regenerative braking though? That should offset their weight a fair bit I imagine.


If you are consistent then, your solution should be to move to another transportation, or to help policy transition. Because bikes, trains and bus are undiscutably better.


How about recuperation? Do electric cars use as much breaking as an ICE vehicle with the same weight?


The tyre wear has been tested as well. TLDR EVs don’t wear more tyres than ICEs, except for the Tesla. Wear is larger for FWD cars. https://www.vibilagare.se/nyheter/dackslitage-elbilar-siffro...




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