Electric vehicles pose electromagnetic risk?

Although electric mobility is rapidly rising, questions are increasingly being raised about whether drivers and passengers in electric vehicles are exposed to electromagnetic radiation compared to those in internal combustion engine vehicles.

Electric and magnetic fields exist wherever electric current flows. This occurs in both conventional vehicles and electric ones, CE Report quotes ANA-MPA.

The German Automobile Association (ADAC), in collaboration with the Research Center for Electromagnetic Environmental Compatibility, RWTH Aachen University Hospital, and Seibersdorf Labor GmbH, conducted a study to answer this question, performing over 975,000 individual measurements. The results showed that there is no health risk associated with electric cars or electric motorcycles.

There is a slight difference in high-frequency fields between electric vehicles and internal combustion vehicles, arising from the presence of electric motors, charging processes, and the electrical system. High-frequency fields are not related to the drive system but come from the car’s radio-frequency technology, such as Bluetooth, WLAN, keyless entry systems, tire pressure monitoring, or radar.

The study found no exceedance of established safety limits. The research examined the strength of magnetic fields generated during electric vehicle operation. Eleven electric cars, two plug-in hybrids, and one combustion engine vehicle, along with four electric motorcycles, were tested. Measurements were taken on ADAC’s rolling road test bench and at a test track. These were complemented by numerical calculations using vehicle body models for better assessment of effects on the human body, particularly in cases of unusually high reference values.

For the measurements, ten sensors were placed along a uniform seat, from feet to head level. An Opel Corsa with an internal combustion engine and an electric Opel Corsa-E were used. The measurements revealed that, although local and short-term magnetic field peaks above reference values may occasionally occur while driving, this happens mainly during start-up, braking, acceleration, or when electrical components are activated.

Importantly, calculations using anatomical body models showed that even in such cases, the basic limits were not exceeded, and therefore there is no indication of health risks for people with implants or for pregnant women.

Higher values were measured mainly in the foot area of the driver and passenger, while the head and torso regions showed significantly lower levels. This is due to the proximity of the feet to electrical components that generate electromagnetic fields.

However, it is not only the electric motor that produces magnetic fields. Other electrical components, such as heated seats when in use, also generate fields. Exposure to magnetic fields is not the same for all electric vehicles but varies significantly depending on the vehicle, largely influenced by how the car is constructed and the placement of electrical components.