European policy makers are panicking, and with good reason. Not only does their decarbonisation policy look both ineffective and irrelevant to today’s challenges, the somewhat uncouth policy from across the Atlantic is looking better adapted every day. Of course, reducing carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions cannot be addressed in a vacuum, as it is intrinsically entwined with population trends, economic activity and power generation – as discussed in our recent newsletter – The identity crisis for net zero.
Expanded California-based event to unite leading experts in tailpipe and non-exhaust emissions.
Following the success of Tyre Emissions & Sustainability USA 2026, Emissions Analytics has announced an expanded 2027 event that will broaden the discussion beyond tyre emissions to include brake emissions and real-world tailpipe emissions measurement technologies, including Portable Emissions Measurement Systems (PEMS).
The event will take place on 25-26 March 2027 at the Beckman Center at the University of California Irvine, immediately following the long-established Coordinating Research Council (CRC) Real World Emissions Workshop in Long Beach, California.
For decades, vehicle emissions were largely understood through the exhaust pipe. Regulation, engineering priorities and public attention focused overwhelmingly on tailpipe pollutants, shaping the direction of vehicle development across the industry. But the picture is changing.
Regular readers will expect predominantly empirical data from Emissions Analytics, but this newsletter takes a detour into pure logic. More Karl Popper than David Hume. At the time of writing, vehicle decarbonisation targets across Europe are coming under serious strain, yet proponents are doubling down. The fear of invalidating the fundamental decarbonisation policy of electric vehicles powered by renewables is too great. But rather than argue over the latest facts and figures – are battery electric vehicle (BEVs) sales soaring or crashing – we can assess the situation in an alternative way. We can ask ourselves what the logical conditions would need to be to meet the various mandates. Is it logically possible?
The full program for Tyre Emissions & Sustainability USA 2026 is now live, confirming a two-day agenda dedicated to one of mobility’s most urgent and fast-evolving challenges: tyre emissions, chemical composition and lifecycle sustainability.
Taking place at the Beckman Center in Irvine, California, the conference will bring together leading scientists, regulators, material innovators and industry specialists to examine the environmental and health impacts of tyre wear and to explore practical pathways forward.
With the event fast approaching in April, delegates can now review the confirmed speaker line-up and session topics across chemistry, testing, air quality, regulation and circularity.
The full programme for the 3rd Off-Highway & Power Generation USA 2026 conference is now live, confirming a comprehensive two-day agenda focused on energy-agnostic decarbonisation across non-road machinery and stationary power.
Taking place on 20–21 May 2026 at the Sheraton Indianapolis City Centre Hotel, the event will convene regulators, OEMs, fuel specialists, powertrain engineers and technology providers to examine what meaningful emissions reduction looks like in practice.
Every morning, this shopkeeper places a sign in his window: “Workers of the world unite.” He doesn’t believe it, no-one does, but he places a sign anyway to avoid trouble, to signal compliance, to get along. And because every shopkeeper on every street does the same, the system persists – not through violence alone, but through participation of ordinary people in rituals they privately know to be false.
Mark Carney, prime minister of Canada, was quoting Czech dissident and subsequent Czech president Václav Havel in his special address at the World Economic Forum in Davos in January 2026.
Critical Mass Wins 2026 Independent Press Award
We are proud to share that Critical Mass: The One Thing You Need to Know About Green Cars has been named a 2026 Independent Press Award Winner.
In an era where climate change dominates global discussion, Critical Mass sees Felix our CEO, Nick Molden and Felix Leach unpack the complexity of vehicle emissions with clarity and rigour. Building on insights from Felix’s previous work, Racing Toward Zero, the book tackles the often-confusing landscape of automotive pollution by asking a deceptively simple question: what single piece of information best captures the true environmental impact of cars?
Industry leaders set to convene for critical discussions on tyre wear, regulation and real world emissions.
Emissions Analytics is proud to announce that the agenda for Tyre Emissions & Sustainability USA 2026 is now close to finalisation, with tickets officially available for purchase.
The conference will bring together regulators, OEMs, tyre manufacturers, material scientists and researchers to address one of the fastest-moving areas in transport sustainability. As non-exhaust emissions move firmly into the regulatory spotlight, tyre wear has become a defining challenge for the industry, with implications for air quality, environmental impact and vehicle design.
Nitrogen oxide (NOx) emissions are created in hot, high-pressure, oxygen-rich environments. Court 76 at the Royal Courts of Justice in London was certainly hot and high-pressure this week, albeit less oxygen-rich by the end of each session. Yes, the long-awaited “Dieselgate” group litigation case has kicked off in the UK, only ten years and 25 days since the scandal originally broke in connection with Volkswagen in the US. The case and damages may take a year to resolve, keeping the near-fifty lawyers in the room and others well serried and occupied. Notable by its absence is Volkswagen itself, though it casts a long shadow.
Nick Molden recognised as Fellow of the Royal Society of Chemistry. We are delighted to share that Emissions Analytics founder and CEO, Nick Molden, has been admitted as a Fellow of the Royal Society of Chemistry (FRSC).
Emissions Analytics featured on SAE Tomorrow Today podcast.
Emissions Analytics founder Nick Molden and long-time academic collaborator Professor Felix Leach from the University of Oxford have been featured on SAE International’s flagship podcast, SAE Tomorrow Today.
The special episode titled ,Critical Mass’, marks the latest instalment of the series and explores one of the most pressing challenges in transport and the environment: how to measure, understand, and reduce real-world emissions.
In this webinar, we explore:
Real-world data on tyre particles, leachates, and gaseous emissions
Emerging trends with EVs and budget tyres
How pollutants travel from roadways into rivers
Where monitoring and policy need to catch up
Our founder and CEO, Nick Molden and Dr Sasha Woods from Earthwatch Europe share data, fieldwork insights, and practical next steps for researchers, regulators, and industry.
No-one seriously doubts manmade climate change, and there is more of a scientific consensus on the range of likely effects than some of the more lurid headlines would suggest. The cost of the impacts is reasonably clear. To solve climate change, the technology options are also fairly clear and well costed. There is also consensus that we need to invest now in the solutions, even if there is some disagreement as to the total net cost over time. Why, then, is it all proving so hard to see through?
The 1983 UK General Election saw the Labour Party manifesto dubbed the longest suicide note in history. The current policy for decarbonising transport in the UK and Europe may be the most complex one. For the policy to work, it is necessary simultaneously to switch the grid to green sources and fundamentally change the relationship between consumers and their cars, in order to balance that new grid. Both are a major challenge, and if either fails, the whole policy fails. If it does go off plan, we may well end up with undesirable cars being powered by a dirty grid, and an unresolved climate change problem. Are industry and government locked in a suicide pact?
Inspired by two recent projects, Emissions Analytics is pleased to announce its support for the launch of a new service to empower citizens in testing their air and water: WHATSINMY?.
Nick explores the latest areas of research on tyre emissions, with a particular focus on tyre wear, ultra-fine particles, and gaseous emissions and dives into the complexities of tyre emissions beyond particle mass, including volatile organic compounds (VOCs) and emerging concerns such as PFAS presence in tyres.
In this episode of Molden & Schmidt - Nick and Felix Leach introduce a groundbreaking concept in sustainable transportation: taxing vehicles based on their weight and miles driven.
In the latest episode of Building Better with Brandon Bartneck, Nick Molden and Felix Leach explore the future of sustainable transportation.
Our latest webinar exploring the cutting-edge science behind tyre emissions and the growing concern around 6PPD – a key chemical preservative found in tyres. This session explores the analytical testing processes used to uncover the presence of 6PPD and its alternatives, shedding light on how these compounds impact the environment and what the future holds for tyre manufacturing and sustainability.
Our founder, Nick Molden, recently appeared on BBC Breakfast to discuss his new book, Critical Mass. In the interview, Nick shares his views on the future of transport and why he believes cars should be taxed based on their weight and the miles driven.
Recent studies conducted in the Colorado Rocky Mountains reveal that tire particles, laden with nano-sized carbon black, are being deposited on high-altitude snow, contributing to accelerated melting and atmospheric warming. Analysis by Emissions Analytics identified organic compounds in these particles that match those found in road tires, highlighting their widespread environmental presence.
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