As electric vehicle adoption grows, attention is turning to the environmental impact of tyre wear, which may represent a significant and underappreciated source of pollution from in-use vehicles, according to Nick Molden, CEO of Emissions Analytics and Honorary Senior Research Fellow at Imperial College London.
Speaking in a recent interview on Emissions Analytics’ YouTube channel, Molden said: “Tyres are the great unappreciated source of vehicle pollution, threatening soil, water and air quality.” His comments follow extensive analysis of emissions from over 500 tyre types and real-world testing of hundreds of vehicles globally.
The research highlights that while electrification reduces tailpipe emissions, heavier electric vehicles generate roughly 25% more tyre emissions due to increased weight. Molden explained, “Tyres shed around 100 mg for every kilometre travelled, which takes the form of both microplastics and ultrafine nanoscale particles which are so fine that they stay in the air for longer, can travel deeper into the lungs, and can easily pass into the blood and into the brain.”
Emissions Analytics warns that much of this pollution comes from particles smaller than current regulatory standards, meaning local air quality measurements may underestimate the true risk. In addition, the chemical composition of tyre particulates could pose hazards to soil and water, though their long-term environmental and health effects remain poorly understood.
Molden called for further research and collaboration between academia, industry, and regulators to address the issue. Emissions Analytics supports this effort through its quarterly Tyre Insights reports and the upcoming Tyre Emissions & Sustainability 2026 conference, which aims to bring stakeholders together to exchange knowledge and best practices on mitigating tyre-related pollution.