this post was submitted on 10 Sep 2023
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This is going to get a lot worse with electric vehicles because they weigh so much more in order to accommodate batteries (source)
No matter what, automobiles are going to wreak havoc on the environment.
The problem isn't that electric cars weigh more than ICE cars, it's that people buy absolutely enormous vehicles that are way bigger than they need. The top selling vehicles in the US right now are the Chevy Silverado, the Ford F-series, the Toyota Rav-4. These aren't even cars - they're trucks. Yes, people should drive lighter vehicles. But this was a problem way before EV's. People act like conventional cars don't have tires or something. The fact that this is suddenly considered a pressing issue seems to be more FUD from people who really hate the idea of electric vehicles.
BOTH are problems. Yes people buy vehicles that are too big. But electric vehicles, whether it be trucks or sedans, weigh significantly more than their ICE counterparts. I’m in favor of EVs over ICEs, but the bigger solution is not just “more of another type of car”. We also need a world with fewer cars.
I wonder if there's any data on how much bus tires pollute in this way on a per-passenger mile basis. I'm sure it's better than cars, but if it's still a major problem, I wonder if there's another way to manufacture less problematic tires. Maybe biodegradable?
We had the solution for that 100 years ago. Streetcars were once the primary mode of public transit in hundreds of North American cities and towns.
I do not want my tires to degrade by themselves - the solution is walkable/bikeable neighborhoods and public transport
Yeah, but bikes and buses still use tires. I was just wondering how the tires we will need to use in the future can be manufactured to reduce the pollution problem
To think that the pollution from tire wear on bikes and buses is even in the same magnitude as that on cars is deluding yourself.
Im not saying they're apples to apples, I'm saying that I was just wondering if we could design tires that were less conducive to creating microparticles
No.
It doesn't matter what they're made of, either the street or the tire is going to break down due to friction. One of two things is being washed down the drain. And you don't want it to be the road.
You could design both road and wheel to be steel, those would break down the least, but steel wheels need tracks and then you're back to street cars. Which are great, by the way.
For a less disruptive solution, no current material matches the qualities of vulcanized rubber that we want for tires. The rubber we use on tires is relatively slow to break down, can hold pressure, makes good contact with rough surfaces, and is cheap.
If you can design a material that's better for the environment that does all of that, you'll be a billionaire within a year.
That’s why trams and trains are useful. Metal wheels. Upfront costs are higher but ongoing maintenance costs are much lower.