Electric vehicles (EVs) are widely celebrated for helping clean up our air by eliminating tailpipe emissions—but a new study shows there’s more to the story. While EVs drastically reduce harmful exhaust gases and cut brake dust pollution by over 80% thanks to regenerative braking, their heavier weight—on average 20% more than gas-powered cars—is causing more wear and tear on tires and roads. This leads to the release of tiny particles into the air from tyres, asphalt, and road surfaces, which contribute to air pollution in ways that are less visible but still harmful to health and the environment.
The good news is that, overall, EVs still produce about 38% less of this kind of pollution compared to traditional vehicles. But as more EVs hit the roads, these so-called “non-exhaust” emissions are becoming a bigger slice of the pollution pie. The study also highlights a surprising safety issue: because EVs are so quiet, they are nearly twice as likely to hit pedestrians in cities, especially young people and those with visual impairments. Experts are now urging policymakers and carmakers to design better tyres, improve alert systems for quiet cars, and rethink how we manage air quality in the EV era. So while electric cars are a big win for the planet, this research reminds us that even clean technology comes with new responsibilities More