No, study doesn't show electric cars pollute 1,850 times as much as gas cars | Fact check
The claim: Study shows EVs pollute 1,850 times more than fuel-powered vehicles
A March 14 Instagram video (direct link, archive link) shows a person talking about the purported results of a 2022 study conducted by the U.K.-based private research group Emissions Analytics.
"During a 1,000 mile journey, electric vehicles release 1,850 times more pollutants into the surrounding environment than gas-powered vehicles," the person says.
The video, which was posted on social media by Lifesite News, showed the headline and text from a since-deleted article on the Lifesite News website.
The video garnered more than 100 likes in three weeks.
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Our rating: False
The post misrepresents the study, which did not compare gas vehicles to electric vehicles. Instead, it compared particulate pollution emissions from gas car tailpipes to particulate pollution emissions from tires. Electric vehicles were not included in the study, according to the Emissions Analytics CEO.
Study did not analyze pollution from EVs
Particulate pollution − tiny bits of material − shed from car tires cause water pollution and wildlife deaths.
The 2022 study, which was not peer-reviewed, compared the amount of particulate pollution shed from gas car tires to the amount emitted by gas car tailpipes. It concluded that tires shed 1,850 times as much particulate pollution as the tailpipes of new gas-powered vehicles under the conditions analyzed in the study.
Electric vehicles weren't included in the study at all, Nick Molden, the CEO of Emissions Analytics told USA TODAY. However, Molden said that, without intervention, the EV transition stands to worsen tire pollution because EVs allow drivers to apply more torque to tires and EV batteries increase the weight of the vehicles − both factors that contribute to tire wear.
Reducing EV size, weight and acceleration ability as well as the use of special wear-resistant tires are potential options to help mitigate this issue, according to reporting by The Atlantic.
Fact check: CO2 emissions from gas cars outweigh electric, even with battery manufacturing
USA TODAY reached out to the Instagram user who shared the post for comment but did not immediately receive a response.
AFP also debunked the post.
Our fact-check sources:
Nick Molden, April 1, Interview with USA TODAY
Environmental Protection Agency, accessed April 2, Particulate Matter (PM) Basics
Los Angeles Times, Oct. 2, 2019, The biggest likely source of microplastics in California coastal waters? Our car tires
University of Washington, Dec. 3, 2020, Tire-related chemical is largely responsible for adult coho salmon deaths in urban streams
Bloomberg, Jan. 6, 2023, Extreme Acceleration Is the New Traffic Safety Frontier
Axios, April 28, 2023, EVs are much heavier than gas vehicles, and that's posing safety problems
Atlantic, July 19, 2023, EVs Are Sending Toxic Tire Particles Into the Water, Soil, and Air
Emissions Analytics, accessed April 3, Gaining traction, losing tread Pollution from tire wear now 1,850 times worse than exhaust emissions
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This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: False claim study shows EVs pollute 1,850 times more | Fact check
