As we pointed out in January of this year, Montgomery County’s Department of Environmental Protection is obsessed with promoting “electric vehicles” (EVs) as a means to “reduce greenhouse gas emissions, and build confidence in ecofriendly transportation options among the public.”
County Executive Marc Elrich is also obsessed with “EVs” and electric / battery-powered busses. He tweeted the following in October of last year, patting himself on the back for “being there” as the MCPS transportation division (yes, the one that underwent a state audit for theft and mis-appropriated money) announced ever more electric busses for the school bus fleet.
But behind the puffery and the hot air rhetoric on MoCo’s “EV” transition in government, an actual, original news report by Reuters.com casts a direct spotlight on the eco-toxicity created by EVs.
Curious how Mr. Elrich and the rest of the local climate alarmists, nor even the MoCo Department of Environmental Protection never, ever mention these inconvenient facts?
Specifically — the faster rate of wear, tear, and degradation these heavier vehicles place on their tires dispenses tiny toxic particles onto the road’s surface (again, at a much faster clip, generally 40-50% faster, then lighter internal combustion vehicles). And this pollution then moves onward into our local ecosystems.
Again, direct from real reporters Nick Carey and Barbara Lewis [May 17, 2023] reporting at Reuters:
When tyres make contact with the road, tiny particles are abraded and emitted. The extra weight of EVs linked to their batteries means this little-discussed form of pollution – from an estimated 2 billion tyres produced globally every year – is becoming a bigger problem.
And…
Emerging research is showing the toxicity of tyres, which on average contain about 200 components and chemicals, often derived from crude oil.
While critics say tyres contain many toxic and carcinogenic chemicals, so far there is only really consensus around one – 6PPD, an antioxidant and antiozonant found in all tyres that reduces cracking.
This year, California is expected to be the first authority to demand tyre-makers demonstrate they are seeking an alternative to 6PPD – a degraded form of which is lethal to some fish and has been found in human urine in South China.
How much tire particulate pollution has Mr. Elrich’s $34,000 Chevy Bolt (taxpayer purchased, of course) emitted since 2019? Does he know? Shouldn’t he, and all EV drivers, pay much more for the increased tire pollution their vehicles emit? This pollution no doubt ends up in the local streams and water table.
Are the fish in Lake Needwood really safe from the pollution Mr. Elrich is emitting? From the tire particulate our heavier school busses are no doubt shedding at an increased clip?
Again, another pulled quote from the excellent Reuters piece: “The unintended consequence of electric cars is we’ll have more tyre pollution unless we have better tyres,” said Enso’s Erlendsson, whose tyres, in testing emit 35% less than premium EV tyres from major manufacturers.
Ah yes, the “unintended consequences” — one might even call them “externalities” that need to be cleaned up and thus paid for by the very people who are emitting all these pollutants at a faster rate. Of course, not a single thing about negative externality or increased eco-toxicity due to owning and using an EV appears on the County’s “Why Drive Electric” website. Nor does it explain how the cost of replacing an EV’s tires at an increased rate will cost more money compared to a lighter ICE vehicle.
Here is one more final excerpt from the Reuters article: Particles from tyres are expected to be the largest source of microplastics potentially harmful to aquatic life by 2050, data prepared for the European Commission shows.
Save the fish, Mr. Elrich. Or be sure to pay your “fair share” on the pollution front.
