High fields from electric and hybrid cars

October 25, 2025

Do you have an electric or hybrid car or are you thinking about getting one?

Then here’s something you should know.

Electric and hybrid cars can emit pulses of extremely high magnetic fields, according to new research from Germany.1

Researchers measured magnetic fields in 14 models of cars produced between 2019 and 2021.These included 11 electric cars, two hybrid cars and one car with an internal combustion engine. It involved more than 975.000 measurements in different locations and under different driving conditions.

In reporting the study, the German Federal Office for Radiation Protection (BfS) said, ‘To the BfS's knowledge, the study is the most comprehensive and detailed investigation into the occurrence of magnetic fields in electric vehicles so far.’2

According to BfS, ‘…there are many sources of such fields in modern motor vehicles – including, for example, air conditioning systems, fans, electric windows and heated seats. In the case of electric vehicles, these sources also include a larger and more powerful battery, the high-voltage cabling and the inverter for the drive current, as well as the electric drive itself.’2

The results showed that drivers could be exposed to pulses (transients) higher than 1000 milliGauss (mG). This is an extremely high level, given that the International Agency for Research on Cancer has classified magnetic fields above 4 mG as Class 2B (‘possible’) carcinogens. Nevertheless, the Australian Radiation Protection and Nuclear Safety Agency (ARPANSA) supports magnetic field limits of 2000 mG for the general public and even more for workers.

The study found that high fields were generated by driving in a ‘sporty’ manner, caused by frequent accelerating and braking and these fields were present in the foot and lower leg areas.

Commenting on the study, Microwave News says, it ‘showed that peak fields often exceeded the current European reference limits. In special cases, for instance when starting the engine, the fields could be far higher —up to 12 times those limits (measured in a hybrid).’3

The study authors pointed out the limitations of radiation protection standards. They said, ‘The fact that the largest exposure indices were caused by transient processes casts a particularly critical light on the EN IEC 62764-1 standard currently used for magnetic field measurements in vehicles, as this standard does not consider the recording of transient processes that are shorter than 200 ms. In this respect, this standard cannot be considered sufficient for a comprehensive radiation protection assessment of the magnetic fields occurring in vehicles based on the current assessment paradigm of the ICNIRP [International Commission on NonIonizing Radiation Protection], which does not provide for any temporal averaging of the magnetic field immissions regarding effects mediated by influencing the cell membrane potential.’

References

  1. Gernot Schmid et al, Determination of exposures to electromagnetic fields in electromobility: project 3620S82473, Result Report – Part 1: Electromagnetic Fields While Driving, https://doris.bfs.de/jspui/handle/urn:nbn:de:0221-2025031250843; BfS_2025_3620S82473_T1 (2).pdf
  2. German Federal Office for Radiation Protection, Media release, Radiation protection study: analysed electric cars comply with recommended maximum values for health protection, www.bfs.de/SharedDocs/Pressemi... 4.9.25
  3. Wake-Up Call for EV Industry, Microwave NEWS, HTTPS://microwavenews.com/news...

 

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