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Comment by toxik | Hacker News Reader

Good thing we’re moving to PHEVs and other cars that have more axle pressure and generates more tire and brake dust. Wait, that’s not a good thing at all.

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Not to detract for your overall statement as you make an excellent point...

> ... brake dust ...

I would hope/assume that EVs would primarily use regenerative braking and only use friction brakes for emergency stops, thereby dramatically reducing brake pad wear

I bet most cars are used most times in traffic, hence the traffic. Although you can try to get through it avoiding the brakes, ’round here if you leave any kind of gap ahead of you, you’re gonna be slamming on the brakes instead of gradually braking every other minute. Also the extra weight in stop/start conditions can’t be ignored; it takes a lot of energy to get moving from a stop.

Fair point but I was talking about cars in general, which are all increasing in weight. EVs just helped make it palatable to have 2000+ kg tanks for personal use. Not singlehanded but certainly contributed.

This is one of those slow motion train wrecks that will make lead and asbestos proud

Don’t forget that every family needs a huge truck and a three row SUV!

Brake dust? I know the misinformation campaign is in full swing about battery vehicles, but are they really claiming they cause more brake dust with a straight face? That’s famously where regenerative braking causes less wear.

https://www.rac.co.uk/drive/electric-cars/running/do-electri...

> his 11 electric Nissan Leaf taxis typically have a brake pad lifespan of 80,000 to 100,000 miles, with discs typically being changed because of warping rather than wear.

> Those brake pad and disc lifespans are four times and two times those of the brakes on his diesel taxis, respectively, and that’s on a type of vehicle that is known to be driven with little thought given to brake wear or efficiency.

Not only are EVs going up in weight, all cars are. That does increase brake dust. I also don’t think it’s even close to offsetting the road damage and tire dust caused by increased axle pressure, which is famously a cubic relationship.

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