While EVs wear out their tyres more quickly, experts say increased degradation does not necessarily mean more pollution – but EV-specific rubber could bring its own set of concerns. Andersson said wear and airborne emissions aren’t equivalent: “A tyre with higher overall wear does not necessarily generate proportionally more airborne particle pollution.” Yet as impending Euro 7 abrasion standards compel manufacturers to create longer-lasting compounds, solving wear may simply shift the hazard. Molden said new compound formulations “will affect the toxicity of the particles”. That chemical profile remains a critical blindspot. University of Surrey professor Prashant Kumar, who studies the impact of air pollution on health, said tyre-wear particles can contain metals and chemicals whose long-term health impact “is not very well understood”. Larger rubber fragments stay on the ground and are washed away by rain but finer particles “could become airborne” and pose a risk. Asked to comment, the BTMA pushed back, saying any changes to materials or product design are subject to “extensive technical evaluation and scrutiny”.
