Particulate matter of electric vehicles

A comparison between particulate matter caused by the use of electric vehicles and that caused by the use of conventional vehicles based on existing literature

An electric car causes emissions of particulate matter comparable with that of a recent conventional car. The reason for it is the combination of very low exhaust emissions of recent cars and the importance of non-exhaust emissions. Non exhaust emissions are caused by wear and tear of brakes, tyres and road and are responsible for 80 to 100% of the particulate matter emissions. Those non-exhaust, emissions, are furthermore very similar for electric and conventional cars. As a consequence total emissions of particulate matter are very similar between recent conventional and electric cars.