A student team at TU Eindhoven's TU/ecomotive programme has built VENTRA, a concept electric vehicle aimed at tackling non-exhaust emissions – the particulate matter generated by tyre, brake, and road surface wear that EVs do not eliminate simply by removing a tailpipe. Rather than mechanical filtration, the system electrically charges particles near the wheel area and draws them to a grounded collection surface, from which they can later be removed with a vacuum or water. Simulation data, not yet validated on the road, suggest capture rates of roughly 24% at 50-80 km/h, rising to as much as 42% at lower speeds.
The team paired the capture system with measures to cut wear generation at the source. Carbon-fibre-reinforced thermoplastic body panels trim about 100 kg from the vehicle, reducing load on tyres and brakes. A Clean-Drive assistance feature monitors driving behaviour and prompts the driver via the dashboard to accelerate and brake more smoothly and limit unnecessary steering inputs, further lowering abrasive wear.
Captured particulate material is intended for collection and potential recycling; the demonstrator already incorporates some of this reclaimed material into interior trim components.
The timing is relevant given that Euro 7, taking effect from November 2026, introduces the EU's first regulatory limits on brake and tyre wear particle emissions. VENTRA is positioned purely as a research and demonstration platform, with no production plans or OEM partnership disclosed. It follows Aria, TU/ecomotive's late-2025 concept focused on repairability and service life, continuing the team's pattern of addressing discrete sustainability challenges in electromobility through successive student-built demonstrators.
Source: electrive.com — read the original article