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Hybrid Vehicles Lexus GS 450h Electromagnetic Field (EMF) Exposure Problems
25 messages, Last post on May 23, 2009 at 10:15 PM
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I'm just learning about hybrid cars and EMFs. Unfortunately I have I hybrid that I'm now uncomfortable with. jhow (or anyone else who has useful info) can you give me contact info for the engineering co, that was willing to retrofit your car with emf shielding? rks6 - any word from Toyota? And is the rumor true that they fit the European Prius (especially those bound for Switzerland) with sheilding that they don't use in the US?
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Replying to: etel (Jan 25, 2008 12:52 am) I would like to hear from some overseas owners who have a thorough knowledge of their Toyota/Lexus Hybrid and could help us determine if their vehicles have shielding installed. This could be done with a thorough visual inspection. |
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Replying to: jhow (Dec 20, 2007 12:52 pm) I want to stress that I have no knowledge about levels of exposure in other Lexus or Toyota hybrid vehicles, only the GS450h (and that data has yet to be replicated by other studies). What data has yet to be replicated?
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Replying to: bouvsrus (Feb 04, 2008 9:27 pm)
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Replying to: jhow (Feb 10, 2008 5:32 pm) It is possible that so much is riding on Hybrids and EVs, they do not want to rock the boat. Without hybrids companies like Lexus and Toyota could not meet the CAFE regulations. My experience with RF and EMF are from a distance. I worked with a lot of radio techs in my career. Many died at a young age from brain cancer. I am a firm believer in electrical waves of all types being a possible hazard. I avoided getting close to MW radios just as a precaution. You may be fighting an uphill battle. Do you have any kind of reaction to florescent lighting? |
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Hi Jhow, You just spoilt my day by spilling the beans on my favourite car. I was about to purchase this car(planning for a yr now) when I stumbled on this forum. A timely discovery!. I do hope you are wrong with the EMF readings. I am waiting to see if more owners will come forward to share any health effects so far. Only problem is that this model has only been in the market for more than 2 yrs, whereas any EMF effects may take 10-20 yrs to develope. Is there a way to alert owners of the Lexus GS 450h worldwide to this potential health hazzard so as to pressure Lexus to respond to customers' concerns?
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Replying to: jbl777 (Feb 15, 2008 6:32 am) That is exactly correct. Just like RF takes years of exposure to cause problems. There are not enough studies. When someone dies from brain cancer it is rarely blamed on the RF the person may have been radiated by for years. I think the jury is still out on cell phone exposure for long periods. So far no one has come forth with the straight scoop on the EU Prius having better EMF shielding to meet the strict standards over there. This subject was brought up by at least one Insight owner in the past. He left with no solid information. Of course his Honda dealer was of NO value. They are not going to admit to anything. |
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Without making light of this single consumer experience, it is pretty clear that some have a sensitivity to this issue (via light bulbs as on example) the same way that for certain food allergens are a problem for a few but not for most. I'm happy to report that approaching 5000 miles on my 2008 450h, the car is remarkable. I spend 2-3 hours in my car each day commuting in the DC area and haven't had any problems, tingling or otherwise. We purchased one of the first Highlander Hybrids and at 55,000 miles it is steady, consistent and averages 25 mpg. The HH boards on this awesome Edmunds site are very active. Many more users/owners. With far fewer owners of the 450h, it would seem that this thread sucked the life out of the board, but to my chagrin. I do hope that fellow owners will help revive discussion on topics of mutual interest, a rate of discussion that came to a grinding halt when this current thread appeared. Everyone is entitled to their opinion. For me, the 450h is a remarkable machine. It is agile, high performance, loaded, nimble, comfortable, fairly quiet and produces a consistent 25-26 mpg. My old TL was 19-20 under identical driving conditions. The TL was one heck of a value. The Lexus 450h is more than any right thinking person would spend on a car. But with the money spent, oh what a ride!
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Replying to: bouvsrus (Feb 19, 2008 10:36 pm) This is my dream car & I would love to own one soon. Your enjoyment of the 450h just confirms what I love about this car . Here in Australia, only about 1000 450h were sold so far. It is a small market here & no one seems to know or care about the EMF effects. A friend who works in the car industry has advised me to look elsewhere so I am torn between love & fear. Let's hope more 450h owners will join this thread & share their experiences with this car. |
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Replying to: rks6 (Dec 23, 2007 11:39 am) You can find the presentation here under "Past Events": http://www.apeg.bc.ca/services/divisions/med/index.html Mr. Stremler’s talk was entitled “Hybrid Vehicles for Municipal Fleets.” In the linked slideshow (“The Hybrid World”), Mr. Stremler, on slide 23, presents six “Hybid Myths.” Myth #5: “Electromagnetic Fields in hybrids are harmful to human health.” Immediately below, Mr. Stremler refutes this “myth” in the sub-bullet, stating: “EMFs inside and outside of Toyota hybrids are at the same low levels as conventional gasoline vehicles. Therefore there are no additional health risks to drivers, passengers or by-standers.” What? First, that doesn’t refute the “myth” that “Electromagnetic Fields in hybrids are harmful to human health.” In fact, it suggests that at elevated levels EMF in hybrids may be harmful. Second, and most disturbing, this statement, according to data that has been collected, this is simply not true. I understand what is at stake for Toyota, but statements like the one in this slideshow are misleading at best. If Mr. Stremler and Toyota have the independent research to indicate that this is the case, they should produce it and make it public.(It is possible, of course, that they have and I am not aware of it.) If his statement that, “EMFs inside and outside of Toyota hybrids are at the same low levels as conventional gasoline vehicles," proves to be true, I would be relieved and happy to be wrong, but I have not been able to produce a EMF reading in any "conventional gasoline vehicle" even remotely similar to the levels found in the 450h. (The highest non-hybrid reading has been around 3.2mG.) Thought you might find Toyota Canada's statements in the slideshow interesting.
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