The electric and hybrid vehicle revolution has reached Israeli roads, offering notable environmental, technological, and economic benefits. These vehicles help reduce air pollution, decrease reliance on fossil fuels, and drive rapid innovation, making electric mobility a core part of transportation strategies.
However, alongside these positives, researchers and regulators are paying closer attention to a quieter concern: exposure to low-frequency magnetic fields within the vehicle cabin. Unlike radio-frequency waves from mobile phones or Wi-Fi, which mainly cause heating, electric and hybrid vehicles produce low-frequency magnetic fields through high electrical currents.
These currents run through batteries, inverters, propulsion systems, and power cables, some of which are located directly beneath passengers’ seats. Medical studies over the past few decades have examined potential health effects from long-term exposure to these fields.
The most studied link is with childhood leukemia, but research is also ongoing into pregnancy outcomes, fetal development, and neurological impacts over time. Experts emphasize that current evidence doesn’t warrant panic but calls for careful monitoring, transparency, and managing risks as exposure sources grow. This concern has grown more relevant as modern vehicles become increasingly electrically complex.
Advanced AC-based systems, fast-charging capabilities, and powerful drivetrains can increase magnetic field levels in the cabin. Independent tests have shown wide variation between vehicle models, even within the same category, depending on design choices such as cable routing and shielding.
Automakers acknowledge the challenge, but approaches differ. Many manufacturers meet internal or voluntary standards, while others invest more heavily in reducing exposure through design optimization. Internationally, no regulation currently bans vehicles based on magnetic field levels, but several authorities recognize the issue and are exploring ways to encourage preventive measures.
China, the world’s largest automotive market, has taken a notable step by introducing an EMF pollution rating for vehicles that displays magnetic field scores to consumers. The aim is not to restrict sales but to create transparency that incentivizes safer engineering. Similar discussions are underway in South Korea and parts of Europe.
In Israel, an inter-ministerial expert committee addressed the topic more than a decade ago, recommending that consumers be given access to clear, comparable information, similar to air pollution or crash-test ratings. As electric vehicle adoption accelerates and differences between models widen, those recommendations are again drawing attention.
Some technology companies are also developing mitigation solutions. One Israeli firm, SafeFields, has introduced a system based on “active cancellation,” a concept similar to noise-canceling headphones. The system detects magnetic fields generated by vehicle components and produces a counter-field designed to reduce overall exposure.
According to the company, in-cabin levels can be lowered by 80–90%, applying a precautionary approach without altering vehicle performance. Experts emphasize that the transition to electric vehicles remains both positive and inevitable.
The central question is not whether to slow adoption, but how to manage potential risks responsibly. Greater transparency, informed regulation, and continued technological innovation may allow drivers to enjoy the benefits of electric mobility without overlooking what lies beneath the seat.