Every time we talk about electric cars the same fears always come up, such as bills rising on their own or batteries exploding. But what persists most of all is the question that buzzes in bar conversations and family chats: do electric vehicles emit dangerous electromagnetic fields?
To put an end to the controversy, a rather solid study has arrived, signed by ADAC together with a group of German researchers specialized in electromagnetic compatibility and public health. Their investigation was commissioned by the Ministry of the Environment and the Federal Office for Radiation Protection. In short, not exactly an improvised after-work club.
The result is simple and almost disarming in its clarity: electric cars do not expose passengers to greater risks than modern vehicles powered by petrol or diesel. Indeed, in many cases the values recorded are surprisingly low.
What the technicians discovered
The researchers tested eleven electric models, two plug-in hybrids and a traditional car. They placed ten probes on a dummy, moved it into the front and back seats, and collected data as the vehicles accelerated, braked, drifted through traffic, or charged at the charging station.
The brief peaks recorded during more decisive acceleration, or when some electrical components came into operation, never reached values considered critical. The highest measurements appeared near the footwell, where engines and wiring pass, not in the head area, which remains the “quietest” in the passenger compartment.
The surprise, however, comes from an almost comical detail: the heated seats generate more intense levels than any other element of the vehicle, regardless of the type of power. There is nothing dangerous: the values remain well below the limits, but it is curious to realize that what we consider winter comfort is more electromagnetically active than the rest of the car.
Even the recharge chapter, often the protagonist of apocalyptic tales, is much more harmless than its fame. In alternating current, slightly higher readings are recorded only when the connector “clicks”, but even in that case we remain well within the safety parameters. In direct current, despite the much higher power, the values are even lower.
It is a clear, clear picture, almost banal in its evidence: there is no risk even for those who wear pacemakers or implantable medical devices. Electric cars do not interfere and do not create critical situations. In the end, this study almost seems to remind us that many of our fears arise more from word of mouth and suspicion towards what is changing, rather than from real data. Electric, at least on this front, is less mysterious than we want to imagine.
You might also be interested in:
