I'm surprised to see a lot of people in the comments falling into the same trap as people on my local Nextdoor do. Just because we can't eliminate all tires and cars and trucks doesn't mean it's not hugely beneficial to reduce the scale of their use. Reducing dependence on cars would have a huge impact on this particulate matter pollution even if your food still gets trucked to the grocery store or people still drive for some less frequent trips.
Evidence mounts on toxic pollution from tires
111–120 of 120 posts
Re: Evidence mounts on toxic pollution from tires
#112and unfortunately, EV's are worse than ICE cars of similar size, because of the extra weight - so they can go thru tires 30% faster. "Increased tire wear can also contribute to air quality issues. In Oslo, Norway, where electric vehicles make two-thirds of registered vehicles but a higher proportion of traffic, the "air has unhealthy levels of microscopic particles generated partly by the abrasion of tires and asphal…
I'd like to see this normalised for internal capacity rather than external size. The layout of EVs mean they are usually 1 step up in terms of usable space e.g. quote from random car review:
> Those dimensions continue to place the model between VW's Polo and Golf in overall length, although the longer wheelbase allowed by the MEB architecture means that the interior space is actually closer to that of a Passat.
So the weight of a car you can comfortably fit a family of 5 into would be comparing apples with apples, not the weight of two cars with similar outward dimensions.
Re: Evidence mounts on toxic pollution from tires
#113Earlier quoted context omitted.
> What car owners (EV or otherwise) can do to relieve their conscience is to use tyres with the smallest possible dimensions Even better would be to drive the car less and use an e-bike for most trips instead. Most bike tyres weigh less in total than the annual emissions of a set of car tyres according to the article.
If you want your shit actually not to smell, you better make it a pedal-powered bike. With those German-made Continentals made of dandelion root, I hasten to add. (See article.)
We don’t have to back to the stone ages. Moving a 20 kilo vehicle is obviously a huge improvement to moving a 1-2t vehicle.
Re: Evidence mounts on toxic pollution from tires
#114Earlier quoted context omitted.
Smaller tyres are more revs per mile, which means more tyre wear. https://ntwonline.com/tire-shop-talk/revolutions-per-mile-ch...
Smaller tires are less total rubber, period. Less material thrown away when the tread is worn.
But the tread wears faster. A small tire contacts the road proportionally more often as it rotates.
The amount of rubber that gets shed is a function of a bunch of factors including the contact area with the road, the weight of the vehicle, the speed of the vehicle, and of course the miles done. It's hard to believe that tire size will change any of that much within the range of options for a given vehicle, so particle emissions per mile are going to be about the same regardless of tire size.
Re: Evidence mounts on toxic pollution from tires
#115Is there a place where I can lab test my soil? Just over our fence is a main road, we grow a bunch of veggies on our side of the fence. I wonder what’s being accumulated into our veggies.
The current state of understanding of microplastics is far too inadequate for there to be any useful lab testing available to consumers. For example TFA talks about 6PPD-q which is acutely toxic to fish, but "no one has studied the impact of 6PPD-q on human health." So we don't know if you should worry about that one. What we do know is that toxicity for aquatic animals is extremely different from toxicity in mammals…
>toxicity for aquatic animals is extremely different from toxicity in mammals. Soap, for example, is very toxic to fish
I dunno about that. Soap is toxic to fish because they're effectively inhaling it. Inhaled soap is toxic to humans too, and for the same reason. Our biochemistry is not radically different.
Re: Evidence mounts on toxic pollution from tires
#116and unfortunately, EV's are worse than ICE cars of similar size, because of the extra weight - so they can go thru tires 30% faster. "Increased tire wear can also contribute to air quality issues. In Oslo, Norway, where electric vehicles make two-thirds of registered vehicles but a higher proportion of traffic, the "air has unhealthy levels of microscopic particles generated partly by the abrasion of tires and asphal…
Then again, EVs often use regenerative breaking (“one pedal driving”). I have made it a habit to engage this as often as possible, avoiding to use the brakes. I wonder if this results in fewer sharp stops and is easier on the tyres. What car owners (EV or otherwise) can do to relieve their conscience is to use tyres with the smallest possible dimensions. This should reduce the amount of particle emissions from tyre a…
the stops aren't the problem. it's the friction with the road... you know, what makes it so you can move.
more weight means more friction means more tyre particulate.
Re: Evidence mounts on toxic pollution from tires
#117Vehicles have been getting heavier and heavier, but consumers doesn't seem to notice / care. Instead they go out and buy another SUV to park in their driveway next to the two SUVs they already own.
Let's compare an SUV from 2000 to one from today:
------------------------------------------
2000 Toyota 4Runner
Weight: 3,440 to 3,975 lbs
MPG: Up to 18 city / 23 highway
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2023 Toyota 4Runner
Weight: 4,400 to 4,805 lbs
MPG: Up to 16 city / 19 highway
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After 23 years of R&D the same model of SUV gained ~1000lbs of weight and lost MPG. The 2023 model does make more horsepower and that added horsepower does offset the added weight in terms of power / weight ratio. Of course horsepower can't make up for handling, braking, fuel economy, tire / mechanical wear, etc.
Electric cars push this disturbing trend even further: an SUV like the Rivian R1S weighs 7000 lbs... but don't worry you got 835 horsepower; I just hope you have some brake pads and tire tread left too.
I hope we start seeing some vehicles that benefit from technology that allows them to be lighter than the vehicles from decades ago. I fear that this will not happen because light vehicles are seen as unsafe when the potential exists to be hit by a 7000 lb under-maintained SUV whose driver lost control and jumped a divider into oncoming traffic while attempting to brake after running an 11 second quarter mile while texting.
Re: Evidence mounts on toxic pollution from tires
#118Earlier quoted context omitted.
Here we go. Funny how we are just learning this now! And EVs are the problem. Not the giant SUVs and trucks!
The elephant in the room is that the actual problem are cars.
Yeah that's my thought. EV's are better than cars but they are still cars.
The big elephant in the room for me is people having to drive long distances to work because the companies managers all want to live near each other. We could put policies into place to put workplaces closer to where people live at the expense of managers. Or we can keep doing what we do now which is blame workers for commuting.
AKA
Hector works as a maintenance tech, commutes from Vallejo to Mountain View. Drives 30,000 miles a year. Hector is the problem.
Kieth is the VP of sales. He bicycles to work from Cupertino. Good job Kieth.
Re: Evidence mounts on toxic pollution from tires
#119Earlier quoted context omitted.
Smaller tires are less total rubber, period. Less material thrown away when the tread is worn.
But the tread wears faster. A small tire contacts the road proportionally more often as it rotates. The amount of rubber that gets shed is a function of a bunch of factors including the contact area with the road, the weight of the vehicle, the speed of the vehicle, and of course the miles done. It's hard to believe that tire size will change any of that much within the range of options for a given vehicle, so partic…
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