From Guest Blogger Jordan: Researchers Say Magnetic Fields in Electric Cars Are Not Dangerous

While electric and hybrid cars clearly bring some very significant environmental benefits, and they help improve people’s health by reducing air pollution, which makes them a great alternative to conventional cars, there are those who are saying that they might be dangerous to people, claiming that the magnetic fields they create can be very harmful. Ever since they were first introduced to the market, there have been concerns about the potential negative impacts they can have on people’s health, due to the magnetic fields they produce, which, according to various studies, can cause cancer and other health problems.

Although the issue of magnetic fields of electric cars is not the biggest factor that’s preventing a wider adoption of these vehicles, an increasing number of consumers have been asking whether electromagnetic radiation they generate is really harmful to passengers. That’s why SINTEF, an independent research organization based in Trondheim, Norway, decided to conduct a study about the intensity of magnetic fields in electric cars, and see how it compares against cars powered by diesel, gasoline and hydrogen.

SINTEF led a research project which was funded by the EU, and included several other research organizations from Europe. They used seven electric cars and measured how strong their magnetic fields are, and how they affect vehicle occupants. They did a series of road and laboratory tests, using a test dummy with sensors in the head, chest and feet.

Researchers found that the intensity of magnetic fields in electric cars was highest near the floor and the battery, but exposure is lower than 20 percent of the limit that is recommended by the International Commission on Non-Ionizing Radiation Protection (ICNIRP), whereas measurements taken at head-hight are less than 2 percent of the limiting value. When it comes to gasoline- and diesel-powered cars, they said that exposure levels were 10 percent of that value, which means that exposure levels of electric cars and cars powered by petrol or diesel.

This is perhaps the most significant finding of this study, given that the prevailing opinion among the general public was that exposure levels in electric vehicles are much higher than in conventional cars, because of the electric motors. If this suspicion over the health risks that passengers in electric vehicles are exposed to persists, it could seriously hurt the EV market in the future. That’s why the results of this study are so important, as they can help end the debate over the dangers from magnetic fields and put people’s minds at ease. “There is a good deal of public concern about exposure to magnetic fields. The subject crops up regularly in the media. With the number of electric-powered vehicles increasing, this project is very relevant,” Kari Schjølberg-Henriksen, a physicist at SINTEF, said.

These facts should convince potential electric car buyers that there is absolutely no reason to be concerned about the electromagnetic radiation that electric motors produce, which should encourage more people to switch from conventional cars to these alternative, eco-friendly vehicles, and contribute to a more widespread adoption.  It should also be a relief for investors in the electric vehicle space.