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It turns out ICE cars are just as risky
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- Germany’s ADAC auto club tested electromagnetic fields in EVs
- Findings suggest radiation exposure isn’t a risk
- DC fast charging isn’t an issue, either
There have been a number social media posts and YouTube videos that have attempted to garner views with bold claims that driving an EV exposes occupants to “unhealthy” levels of radiation due to their battery packs and motors emitting extremely low frequency (ELF) radiation, sometimes called 'electrosmog'.
Guess what? It turns out there’s very little to worry about, because Germany's ADAC auto club, Europe’s largest automobile association, recently tested 11 electric vehicles while driving and charging to see what kind of radiation they emit.
The research, which was commissioned by Germany’s Federal Office for Radiation Protection, saw dummies placed in the driver and passenger seats of 11 modern EVs, alongside several hybrid and ICE vehicles.
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These test subjects were fitted with probes and sensors to see what body parts were exposed to radiation risks, if any. The results were pretty conclusive, with any brief spikes in the magnetic fields produced by the electrified powertrains falling well below the recommended limits.
What’s more, any elevated reading occurred chiefly in the footwell of the vehicle, not anywhere near sensitive brains, torsos or pacemakers, potential issues that have been touted by a few EV skeptics in the past.
Surprisingly, Germany’s ADAC found that heated seats actually produced some of the strongest electromagnetic readings in the test, and this was true not only in electric cars but also in plug-in hybrids and even the lone combustion model in the study, according to CarScoops.
But predictably, these readings were still nowhere near the recommended safety thresholds, and proved no threat to occupants.
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The study went on to test electromagnetic fields around both AC and DC charging sites, concluding that faster DC charging actually produced weaker electromagnetic fields than its slower AC counterparts.
Regardless, all charging sessions still fell safely within recommended guidelines, despite some spikes in readings at the very moment a charging session begins.
Chinese EV manufacturers have also been keen to dispel any myths around electromagnetic fields and electric vehicles, with the China Automotive Technology & Research Centre (CATARC) conducting numerous research projects into the safety of EV charging and operation.
Its own studies has found that more than 20 of China’s top electric vehicles operate at only 1%–1.3% of China’s national standard safely limit for radiation exposure, which has been found to be less than some rival internal combustion engine cars, according to Car News China.
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Leon PoultneyEVs correspondentLeon has been navigating a world where automotive and tech collide for almost 20 years, reporting on everything from in-car entertainment to robotised manufacturing plants. Currently, EVs are the focus of his attentions, but give it a few years and it will be electric vertical take-off and landing craft. Outside of work hours, he can be found tinkering with distinctly analogue motorcycles, because electric motors are no replacement for an old Honda inline four.
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