Are Hybrids Bad for Your Health?

When the news broke last week that a exploding Lexis hybrid SUV nearly killed an Arkansas doctor, the blogosphere erupted with fears that hybrid technology was to blame -- a concern that was put to rest when investigators announced they suspected a bomb. Yet some hybrid drivers continue to worry that sitting in traffic on top of a mound of powerful batteries might be bad for your health. And for good reason.
After the Lexis explosion, a NYT story on electro-car health concerns briefly jumped to the paper's most-read list. Explosions, it seems, are of little concern. The greatest fear (and possibly the most legitimate) stems from the magnetic fields produced by a hybrid's electric current, which studies have tied to a risk for leukemia among children. It's the same concern some people have about the health effects of high voltage power lines and substations. According to the Times, these worries can't be dismissed as the rantings of fearmongers. The National Institutes of Health and the National Cancer Institute have acknowledge the dangers of electromagnetic fields.
Here at rumblenote, we like plug-ins (especially Teslas) but we're dubious that the tech is the silver bullet that will solve thetransportation crisis. Still we can suggest a solution to the magnetic fields fear: lead racing suits.