I was recently taken aback at a Brunswick Town Council meeting when two people spoke against the adoption of the Climate Action Team’s proposed greenhouse gas reduction goals because of tire dust from electric vehicles. What?

I found reliable sources online and learned that the weight of EV batteries and EVs’ ability to briskly accelerate means that tiny but harmful particulates shed from these vehicles’ tires are greater than those shed from lighter vehicles. But could this really be a reason to oppose greenhouse gas reductions and the adoption of EVs, when dirty fossil fuel emissions are ruining our climate? No.

It’s the weight of vehicles and the aggressiveness with which they are driven that cause greater tire dust pollution, not their means of propulsion. Blaming EVs, with no mention of tire dust from heavy trucks and SUVs, is unfair. Our electric Bolt weighs about 3,600 pounds. A Ford F-150 truck can weigh as much as 5,700 pounds. Large SUVs that so many people drive these days weigh up to 6,000 pounds. And while EVs can accelerate quickly if driven aggressively, owners like me accelerate with reserve to extend battery life and save money.

According to Canary Media, nine out of the 10 best selling cars in the U.S. last year were trucks or SUVs. The solution​ to tire dust pollution lies in promoting more reasonably sized vehicles, calming traffic with safer road design, enforcing speed limits more consistently and developing tires made from fewer dangerous materials.

Sam Saltonstall
Brunswick

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