It’s no secret that extracting the raw materials for batteries and manufacturing EVs have a negative environmental impact, but a recent study showed that charging isn’t the cleanest activity, either. Fast-charging stations create air pollution, which may become a more significant issue as their numbers grow across the country.
The University of California, Los Angeles’ Fielding School of Public Health conducted the study. It determined that fast chargers’ emissions are most likely related to their cooling fans, which can kick up particles like brake dust and tire fragments into the air. Researchers looked at 50 DC fast chargers, most of which were Tesla Superchargers, finding that the air around them was slightly dirtier than the air at gas stations and much dirtier than neighborhoods and parks nearby.
The study’s authors said charger manufacturers can help mitigate the issue by installing filters, and they noted that installing the chargers away from schools and residential areas can help. ChargePoint is already working on the problem, saying it would add filters to its “DC chargers to further reduce the risk of dust or water entering the system, or particulates being expelled.”
All of that said, the researchers were clear that gas stations pose a much more significant health risk. They can produce carcinogens and a range of volatile organic compounds, leading the team to agree that they’d rather charge an EV than pump a tank of fuel.
[Images: Tada Images via Shutterstock, F Armstrong photography via Shutterstock]
Become a TTAC insider. Get the latest news, features, TTAC takes, and everything else that gets to the truth about cars first by subscribing to our newsletter.
