New EU project aims to reduce particulate emission

As exhaust emissions decrease due to electrification, the focus on other emissions is increasing. A new EU project – in which VTI (Swedish National Road and Transport Research Institute) plays an important role – is now focusing on reducing particulate emissions from road surfaces, tyres and brakes.

Tighter emission standards and an increasing number of electric cars are reducing exhaust emissions of particles, nitrogen dioxide, ozone and carbon dioxide. At the same time, heavier and more powerful vehicles – and increased vehicle traffic in general – are increasing emissions of non-exhaust particulate matter from tyres, road surfaces and brakes. So far, these emissions are completely unregulated, although upcoming Euro 7 regulations will set limits for brake and tyre particles.

The total emissions of wear particles are enormous – tyre wear alone accounts for about 500,000 tonnes every year in the EU, of which 11,000 tonnes are in Sweden.

In the EU project NEEVE, ten partners in Spain, Germany and Sweden are working together to reduce these amounts in different ways in the future. The goals are ambitious: develop asphalt with 20 percent lower emissions, develop brake materials with 30 percent lower emissions and identify tyres with 10 percent lower particulate emissions.

The project will also raise awareness and disseminate information on non-exhaust emissions and their impact on health.

“This is an ambitious project with high-set goals. There is clearly a lot to do, and we hope to achieve these goals,” says Mats Gustafsson, research leader, who is leading VTI's part of the project together with research leader Ulf Sandberg.

In the project, VTI will primarily be responsible for the tyre-related work packages and contribute to the development of road pavement materials with lower emissions. At the same time, other properties, such as drainage, rolling resistance and friction, should not be adversely affected. VTI may also conduct field measurements of wear particles on a number of Spanish and German roads.

VTI is also responsible for the project's communication work package, which includes a website, a LinkedIn page and various communication initiatives. The target group here is primarily decision-makers, other researchers, companies in the automotive industry and drivers.

“The project was launched in May 2024, and the greatest focus of our work, thus far, has been on the communication elements. At VTI, we are also currently working on a literature review as part of the project,” says Mats Gustafsson.

NEEVE is part of the EU's LIFE programme for environment and climate research. The four-year project was launched in May 2024 and is led by the University of Seville. It has a total turnover of EUR 4.6 million.
The EU estimates that all types of air pollution from transport and industry are the cause of 400,000 premature deaths in the EU every year. The economic cost is estimated to be at least EUR 330 billion.

Text: Mikael Sönne

Translation: CBG

Read more: About NEEVE (in English) External link.