A recent study conducted by researchers at the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA) revealed that electric vehicles may produce emissions even more harmful than combustion engine cars.
The research team, published in the scientific journal Environment International, measured air quality around 50 fast chargers and found that the concentration of fine particles (PM 2.5) was up to twice the level found in typical urban areas.
The team, led by Professor Yifang Zhu, also found that in some cases, particle emissions reached peaks of 200 micrograms per cubic meter. This amount is well above the average of 7 to 12 recorded on city streets and at gas stations.
The researchers emphasized that the particles do not come from the charger itself but are stirred up by the powerful cooling fans of these devices, which agitate dust and debris from tires and brakes.
“There is no healthy amount of fine particles to breathe,” Zhu warned. The team noted that to reduce the impact, drivers should stay away from cars while charging or, if they need to be near the vehicle, wear masks with PM 2.5 filters.
“We measured at different distances from the chargers. Fortunately, a few meters away, concentrations drop significantly. At several hundred meters away, there is no noticeable difference compared to background pollution levels,” Zhu concluded.
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