“A silent sanitary bomb”: 46 % of electric charging stations exceed WHO thresholds
The reflection of a Tesla supercharger, captured in the mirror of an electric car. A perfect image to illustrate the unexpected pollution that certain charging infrastructures reveal. © Nadezda Murmakova
We imagine them clean, silent, almost inodores. THE Quick charging stations for electric carsthese modern post-pétrole totems, however may be less virtuous than you think. A study conducted in 50 California rapid charging stations reveals that some of them emit fine particles (PM2.5) at levels higher than those observed near petrol stations. In question? Not cars or batteries … but power cabinets themselves.
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Rapid charging cabinets emit fine particles: regulatory oblivion
It is the fixed components, not the vehicles, which generate the particles. It is an unexpected form of pollution.
The study, published in August 2025, scrutinized the electrical cabinets of 50 rapid charging stations in the County of Los Angeles, 60 % of which were Tesla superchargers. Result: 46 % of sites exceeded WHO’s recommendations in terms of PM2.5 pollution. The levels were on average 1.5 times higher than in the classic urban background. Worse, in some stations, the concentrations climbed to more than 300 µg/m³ at a point.
46 % of the stations tested exceeded the thresholds recommended by the WHO.
Comparison of the average levels of fine particles (PM2.5) measured in the study. Quick charging stations for electric vehicles (DCFC) have higher concentrations than service stations, conventional urban environments, or even official EPA measurement stations. © Yao et al., 2025 / Environmental pollution, Elsevier. Use for editorial purposes.
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“To date, no standard is important to these emissions. It is a total regulatory vacuum” explains Mr. Niu, co-author of the study.
Contrary to popular belief, no hidden diesel engine or any internal combustion is in question. The team analyzed the gases (CO, CO₂, Ozone), the volatility of the particles and their chemical composition. The most likely track? The suspension of thin dust (from braking, tires, or road) by the cabinets’s cooling fans.
Silent pollution … but located
Study protocol on a fast charging station in Los Angeles. The image (b) shows the power cupboards, identified as the main source of pollution with fine particles (PM2.5), with concentration peaks observed in the graph (E). In comparison, pollution is much lower in terms of terminals (C) or in the classic urban environment (D). © Yao et al., 2025 / Environmental pollution, Elsevier. Use for journalistic purposes.
“The transition to electric should not hide invisible pollutants”explains Y. Zhang, environmental health researcher, within the study. We are not talking here about a toxic cloud visible to the naked eye, but of micro-particles particularly harmful to the respiratory tract. And if the show remains located, it poses substantive questions on the choice of locations, especially near schools, crèches or sensitive places.
At a time when the United States provides 500,000 rapid charging stations by 2030, 50,000 in France by 2030 And that Europe follows the movement, this study arrives as a salutary reminder: all technological innovation has its dead angles. You still have to agree to face them.
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