Hey Mr. Green,

I have an electric Fiat 500e that I love. I have been hearing flack from some people saying that electric cars are “radiation boxes” and that the radioactivity caused by the electric engine is unhealthy. Your thoughts on this issue?  

—Mary Anne in Encinitas, California

Various authorities ranging from bioengineers to Consumer Reports affirm that there is no risk of unhealthy radiation exposure from electric vehicles. The Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers studied radiation near an electric vehicle’s floor and found only 20 percent of the limit recommended by the International Commission on Non-Ionizing Radiation Protection. The only precautions I have found are that people with implanted devices such as cardioverter-defibrillators should avoid getting too close to the motors or battery packs of electric vehicles when they are generating a lot of power.

There can be more significant radiation exposure from other forms of travel, such as flying. About 11 percent of the average American’s total exposure to radiation can occur on one coast-to-coast flight, according to the Centers for Disease Control. While this is less than the exposure from one chest X-ray, some studies indicate that flight crews and frequent fliers have an elevated rate of many types of cancer.

When it comes to the hazards of car travel, you’re better off focusing on the basic fact that car crashes remain one of the most common ways people get hurt in this country, whether the car is powered by polluting gasoline or squeaky-clean electrons. The National Safety Council estimates that last year alone, 40,000 people died in car crashes, while a mind-boggling 4.5 million were seriously injured.