I was just reading an article about the "possible" negative health effects of driving a hybrid vehicle due to high electrical waves/radiation given off by the powerful electrical systems found in hybrid vehicles. Does anyone have any feedback on this or has anyone done any research to figure out whether or not this is a valid claim? Everything else I've heard about the FEH from a safety standpoint has been positive, but I certainly don't feel comfortable about driving a car on a daily basis that might possibly increase the risk of either myself or my family getting cancer someday. I can't seem to find too many facts about this, only general articles saying it "might" be a problem, so anyone that could provide any feedback of substance would be greatly appreciated.

 

Maybe Ford will make the HV lines a twisted pair on the 09....

It might be a problem if you operate in pure EV at high speeds for oh, a few hundred years or so. But alas, only a Hummer will last for 350,000 miles.

If you're worried about EMI harming you, ditch your cell phone, wireless LAN, microwave oven, TV (LCD might be OK), your 230V lines to your A/C, dryer, water heater, etc. Oh, and get everyone else to do the same.

More absolute bunk. Makes for a nice alarmist article, though.

 

In today's world, with high tension powerlines, cell phones, WiFi, satellite dishes, TV transmissions, etc. we are exposed to so many electromagnetic fields and I sincerely doubt that two relatively small electric motors and a couple hundred D-cell NiMH batteries could even be considered remotely dangerous or unhealthy. Electric motors have been around for a LONG time. Are you afraid of your dishwasher? Hot tub? Dryer? Air Conditioner? They all have electric motors in them.

There are no federal guidelines for EMF exposure and I certainly wouldn't be put off by a couple of people on the internet who tested their own cars using equipment they bought that isn't designed for that purpose, and then determined that they were getting unsafe levels of something that "safe levels" of haven't been determined yet.... sounds to me like the kind of people who believe in conspiracy theories.

 

I would imagine your electric hair dryer is more dangerous to your health than the Escape. I am not ready to dismiss their theory about possible safety issues as bunk, but then I do worry a bit about all the WiFi in the neighborhood, I turn my base station off when not in use, use a low emi hair dryer, and use an earpiece with my cell phone. Basically not having federal guidelines means nothing to real safety, I just don't think we live in the hybrid vehicle long enough to cause any damage. I also doubt anyone here will be able to say with 100% certainty there is NO potential safety issue. Just like I couldn't say there is.

My guess is some people are searching for more reasons to diss the hybrid vehicle. More FUD (fear, uncertainty, doubt.)

 

It's bunk. When inside a car with a metal body, you are inside what's called a "Faraday cage." The high voltage wiring is outside of the cabin and any electric fields are blocked by the metal. See the Wikipedia article http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Faraday_cage.

 

Wel, your car really isn't that good of a Farady Cage. Also, the magnetic fields are static in nature because the DC-AC inversion happens in the eCVT. That was my tongue-in-cheek twisted pair comment. But still bunk, because usually you're looking at only 20A or so DC currents when in EV, and very briefly larger when charging a depleted battery. The vast majority of people don't spend very much time in high speed EV mode anyhow.

 

It's NiMH, not NiCd.

I'll go so far as to call it alarmist bunk. Back in '06 there was an article that somehow gained some traction about how if you have a pacemaker, you can't ride in a hybrid or it'll kill you due to the EMF.

 

Doh! Yes, not sure why I was thinking NiCd....those are so '80s....

 

Just to be sure DetroitMike understands, EMI is Electro Magnetic Interferrence, and EMF is Electro Magnetic Force. As desert dog so aptly put it, it's bunk. Neither EMI or EMF are concerns with hybrid ownership. EMI is essentially Radio Frequency radiation, and EMF can be likened to the energy radiated from a nuclar explosion, or any other similar high voltage source explosion/implosion. I'm talking really high voltage, many times higher than the hybrid battery. Close proximity to very high voltage power lines falls into the EMF/EMI catagory too, but this is thousands of volts, not 330V.

The hybrid 330VDC battery could cause severe shock if you were able to come in contact with this across your body, but safety interlocks prevent this, plus the battery is concealed. Putting either or both hands on your stove's heating element is also dangerous, but you'd have to go out of you way to do that too.

I'm a hundred times more concerned about positioning my head directly in front of my microwave oven in the kitchen than anything in the hybrid vehicle.

Myths are born with every new technology.

 

Time to submit to Mythbusters?
Who else wants to see Kerri driving our FEH's?