For a long while now, we’ve been hearing about how bad fossil fuels and, therefore, gas-powered vehicles are for our environment and humankind. According to the political left, the burning of fossil fuels, be it in our cars, to heat our homes, or to light up our businesses, is what is causing “global warming” or “climate change” issues.
And to be sure, trying to limit our CO2 footprint should be a goal. After all, we only have one planet, and if we expect it to be around for generations to come, we have to learn to take care of it.
However, what the left-leaning has devised as an answer, the simple cancellation of fossil fuels and the introduction of more electric-powered products, such as our vehicles, isn’t really solving much.
In fact, as one study just proved, electric vehicles could actually be doing even more damage to the environment than their gas-guzzling counterparts.
According to a piece recently published in Green Car Reports, an independent, British-based emissions testing firm just found that particulate matter is being emitted in much greater quantities on most EVs than from the tailpipes of your gas-powered car.
If particulate matter sounds pretty foreign to you, the Environmental Protection Agency defines this type of pollutant as “microscopic solids and liquid droplets that are so small that they can be inhaled and cause serious health problems.” In particular, they are known to cause the increasing “reduced visibility (haze) in parts of the United States.”
Basically, they are pollutants that are not only affecting the air quality all over the country but also directly affecting your health.
Now, you might be thinking, how is that possible? First, there isn’t anything emitted from EV tailpipes. In fact, most don’t even have that part.
True. But particulate matter isn’t about what’s coming out of the engine. As Emissions Analytics explains, tires also produce this particular pollutant. And EVs definitely have those, as do gas-powered cars.
But with EVs, the particulate matter being emitted is up to 1,850 times more than the traditional combustible engine.
Why?
Basically, it all comes down to weight. According to Emissions Analytics, the heavier the car or more aggressively driven, the more particulate matter is emitted. And because of those heavy electric batteries, EVs are by far heavier than gas-powered ones, at least they are now.
When EVs first hit the market, that wasn’t necessarily the case. But those first models also couldn’t travel very far or long without being charged. This meant bigger batteries were needed to achieve a greater range.
According to BattteryStory.com, the average weight of current EV batteries is about 1,000 pounds. And as the innovation of EVs continues, the trend of even bigger and, therefore, heavier batteries is only likely to continue.
So, how does this translate to particulate matter emissions? According to the study, emissions of particulate matter are increased by almost 400 times what your average gas-powered vehicle emits from its tailpipe when just one-half of a metric ton, or 1,100 pounds, is added.
Just to put this into perspective for you, CNN reported that the electric version of the Ford F-150 weighs 1,600 more than the regular one. Similarly, the Volvo XC40 Recharge weighs about 1,000 pounds more than its non-electric counterpart.
And if that wasn’t bad enough, the study notes that all those horrible tailpipe emissions from gas-guzzling models are decreasing as battery size increases. Basically, the exhaust filters on newer cars are more efficient than ever, causing a severe drop in tailpipe emissions.
Now, it is noted that tire particle emissions tend to “go straight to soil and water,” unlike their tailpipe emitted counterparts, which tend to hang around in the air for a time.
However, I don’t see how this is really any better. You might not be inhaling them directly, but if they are getting into the water you drink and the soil our foods are grown from, you can be sure you are still ingesting them – that and who knows what havoc they are wreaking on nature.
But according to the political left, these vehicles are supposed to be better for us and the environment? Yeah, I’m not seeing that… Especially when you consider the literal earth-damaging mining it takes to acquire the lithium needed for those heavy batteries.
