Hi all, After driving my Prius for hours on end I get very very tired - much more than in a conventional car. I also get a pinching sensation in my feet and arms at times. Contacting Toyota on the issue I get the standard canned message stating that the radiation given off is no more than a conventional car in the 50-60 Hz range. While that statement may be true - its misrepresenting the issue. The Prius does not operate in the 50-60Hz range!!! That's like saying... Did the cat just shit on my couch? The cat didn't pee on your couch. Is it just me or has anyone else felt out of the ordinary sensations in your Prius while driving, more so than in a conventional car? "Electromagnetic fields or EMF exposure is actually all around us. As mentioned, all of our cables are shielded and the measured EMF from inside and outside of Toyota hybrid vehicles in the 50-60 hz range are at the same low levels as conventional gasoline vehicles. Therefore there are no additional health risks to drivers, passengers or by-standers."
Firstly, I am sorry your Prius does not suit you. (This assumes you even own a Prius and are not just spreading FUD. You do not list yourself as owning a Prius) I am clueless why you would decide to blame this on EMF, as the seat being too short/long or high/low seem much more likely to be your issue. Here are actual readings taken by a PriusChatter with better toys than me. My 2008 Prius, and other things, EMF Measurements! | PriusChat
after owning a prius for 3 years, i started getting sick. and it's really never gotten much better. doc says it's a virus, maybe i should trade in on a conventional vehicle?
I get tired driving on long trips and never have before. I thought it was because it was the quietest, most comfortable and most boring driving car i have ever owned...
...in all seriousness my wife and I have not experienced any problems of this sort. Nor do I recall reading any posts about anyone else who felt this way.
You probably got a higher dose of EM radiation from sitting in front of a computer typing this up then a few hours of driving a Prius. Carry a cell phone? Use a microwave? Hmmmm
This has been discussed ad nauseum, and the Prius EMF has been found to within the range of other cars -- some others are better, some others are worse. The cars with stronger EMF have not had that linked to occupant problems. Do you have any reason to suspect EMF over more mundane factors such as poor seat fit, cockpit ergonomics, or air quality? I've had some back pain and leg tingling problems since getting the Prius. But any claim will be seriously hampered by medical records documenting initial symptoms several years before acquiring the Prius. And I'd have to explain why I added a wedge cushion to the older car to help alleviate these problems, but haven't felt a need to do so to the Prius. And also explain why my symptoms are more strongly correlated to time sitting in the office than to road trips.
50-60Hz isn't the AC frequency used in Prius. All current flowing to/from the battery is DC. AC is used from the inverter to the motor/generators, but at a varying frequency that's typically MUCH higher than 60Hz (usually toward the kHz range). Thus, measuring with traditional AC detection tools meant to detect 50/60Hz only is an invalid approach. All that said, I've never experienced any problems with the Prius that couldn't equally be contributed to sitting in front of computers, TVs, and other electronics for MANY hours per day.
Note that the OP puts this up and runs away. Hate to say this, but I wonder if it's a form of astroturfing: Ford just came out with a new hybrid, there's a gas crunch in California, and one might just imagine that there's a car salescritter or some such somewhere trying to keep the FUD going. Especially on the Prius, but maybe for any car that's not "normal". On the other hand: 'Never attribute to maliciousness that which is easier explained by ignorance or stupidity.' @Class: If you're out there, post back or something and let us know you're a human being. We promise not to bite. People are allowed to goof, especially if they're ignorant of the facts. It's a reason that the human race hasn't gone extinct: We don't kill our children for errors, and, in general, adults get a pass, too. The world is confusing enough as it is. KBeck.