Around the time of the invention of the gasoline powered automobile, gasoline was known to be a fairly dangerous liquid, inflammable at all temperatures as a liquid and with highly inflammable vapors. At the time, there was a public discussion about the safety and practicality of gasoline-fueled vehicles, especially in comparison with the horse-powered carriages of the time. In the mean time, appropriate measures were developed, and the entire world has become accustomed to using, handling and storing gasoline.

Similarly, the new electric and hybrid-electric vehicles have their own sets of safety challenges, some of which are now being aired in the public arena. For instance, in an article in the New York Times from May 29th, Jim Motavalli discusses the “Fear, but Few Facts, on Hybrid Risk”.   http://www.nytimes.com/2008/04/27/...   The article asks the question “Are hybrids healthy for drivers?”, and discusses scientific, consumer and advocacy group input on whether the flow of electrical current in such vehicles poses serious health concerns due to the resulting Electro Magnetic Fields or EMF. 

EMF shielding is not a new field.  Since around 1910, EMF shielding has been under development and implemented for electric trains, subways, electric trolleys, submarines, buses, etc. It doesn’t take an inordinate amount of shielding to reduce EMF to quite low levels, especially with the low frequency and DC signals present in electric and hybrid vehicles coming from well-defined sources (cables and wiring harness).  Of course, as with anything else, it is a question how much cost and weight must be added to achieve the desired results.  

Modern vehicles already incorporate systems which generate a significant amount of EMF at many different frequencies, in fact also microwave frequencies and other fairly well-understood but potentially harmful frequencies.  Quite a bit of complexity is already incorporated into vehicles to deal with this, and because of liability concerns, manufacturers generally prefer to err on the "safe" side, incorporating EMF shielding to any system or wiring harness which might present a problem.

While one can assume that large manufacturers, (for instance Toyota and Honda, coming from Japan where electric vehicles of all descriptions are common such as trains, bicycles, etc.) take appropriate precautions, it is certainly appropriate to investigate further and establish appropriate standards.

There are other safety challenges in electric and hybrid-electric vehicles, in order to to lessen the chances of electric sparks (especially concerning if gasoline is present), acid burns, electrical fires and even electrocution, due to:

1. •battery overheating or technical defects.
   

2. •collisions (a heightened concern if gasoline has spilled).
   

3. •rescue operations (jaws of life, etc.).
   

4. •partial submersion in water (floods, accidents, etc.).
   

5. •wiring damage due to vehicle age, animals, or undercarriage damage.
   

6. •improperly executed repair in garages or body shops.
   

7. •improperly installed entertainment systems (already a leading cause of gasoline vehicle fires)
   

8. 
   

As increasing numbers of electric and hybrid vehicles come into use, the industry redoubles its efforts to reduce the chances of headline-catching accidents or recall campaigns, either of which could act as a significant public-relations-related impediment to progress.

Numerous complex technical measures are in place and more will be needed, such as systems which automatically isolate each battery cell in a collision, careful monitoring of cell temperatures, automatic disconnection of electrical power, etc.  On the training side, appropriate measures include widespread, in-depth technical training of dealer and independent service and body-shop personnel, police, EMT, fire and rescue personnel (http://cms.firehouse.com/...), inspection and certification personnel, entertainment system installers, and someday also battery station personnel.

These are fresh challenges for a changing automotive world, but not insurmountable.  And certainly worth pursuing in order to decrease dependence on fossil fuels and decrease global warming.

-Bert Holland