02/21/2002 - Updated 01:44 AM ET
Report prompts Volvo to plan design changes
By David Kiley, USA TODAY
DETROIT - Carmaker Volvo says it will change three of its models after a Swedish magazine reported that electromagnetic fields in the cars were higher than in other cars, posing a possible health threat.
The automaker did not specify what changes it would make, nor did it say what it would do for owners of cars already on the road.
Volvo, a unit of Ford Motor, said there is no health hazard, but it will lower the measurable electromagnetic fields in its cars to placate customers and avoid ongoing publicity.
"For us, this is not a safety-related question. We act on customers' worries. We don't want to be mixed in a discussion like this," said spokesman Lennart Strom in Sweden.
Dan Johnston, spokesman for Volvo Cars of North America, said he was unaware of any questions from U.S. customers.
"We are still sorting it out but we do know that there is no proven health hazard at issue here," he said.
Swedish auto magazine Vi Bilagare said its tests showed the Volvo S60, V70 and S80 models exposed drivers to 12 to 18 microtesla.
A microtesla is a unit measuring magnetic field strength. A normal level in Swedish apartments is 0.1 microtesla, but in a workplace, the level may be twice that due to electronic appliances such as computers, according to Vi Bilagare .
There aren't comparable home and workplace standards in the USA. But household appliances put out higher electromagnetic fields than were measured in the cars. A vacuum cleaner puts out 800 microtesla.
The magazine also tested BMWs, Saabs, Volkswagens, Renaults and Toyotas. The cars with the worst scores had one thing in common - the battery mounted in the back of the car with a high-voltage wire running under the passenger compartment to the front.
The BMW 5 Series, for example, which has a rear-mounted battery, had scores of 3 and 5 microtesla at different places in the passenger area.
The Saab vehicles, with front-mounted batteries, had scores below 1 microtesla. BMW said it is examining the study.
There is no scientific consensus on whether electromagnetic fields cause cancer. But because some studies suggest a connection, consumers have been advised to stay at least a foot away from computer screens and to use headsets with cell phones.
Volvo, which dismissed the study last week, changed direction after receiving hundreds of inquiries from customers.
http://www.usatoday.com/money/autos/2002/02/21/volvo.htm
Report prompts Volvo to plan design changes
By David Kiley, USA TODAY
DETROIT - Carmaker Volvo says it will change three of its models after a Swedish magazine reported that electromagnetic fields in the cars were higher than in other cars, posing a possible health threat.
The automaker did not specify what changes it would make, nor did it say what it would do for owners of cars already on the road.
Volvo, a unit of Ford Motor, said there is no health hazard, but it will lower the measurable electromagnetic fields in its cars to placate customers and avoid ongoing publicity.
"For us, this is not a safety-related question. We act on customers' worries. We don't want to be mixed in a discussion like this," said spokesman Lennart Strom in Sweden.
Dan Johnston, spokesman for Volvo Cars of North America, said he was unaware of any questions from U.S. customers.
"We are still sorting it out but we do know that there is no proven health hazard at issue here," he said.
Swedish auto magazine Vi Bilagare said its tests showed the Volvo S60, V70 and S80 models exposed drivers to 12 to 18 microtesla.
A microtesla is a unit measuring magnetic field strength. A normal level in Swedish apartments is 0.1 microtesla, but in a workplace, the level may be twice that due to electronic appliances such as computers, according to Vi Bilagare .
There aren't comparable home and workplace standards in the USA. But household appliances put out higher electromagnetic fields than were measured in the cars. A vacuum cleaner puts out 800 microtesla.
The magazine also tested BMWs, Saabs, Volkswagens, Renaults and Toyotas. The cars with the worst scores had one thing in common - the battery mounted in the back of the car with a high-voltage wire running under the passenger compartment to the front.
The BMW 5 Series, for example, which has a rear-mounted battery, had scores of 3 and 5 microtesla at different places in the passenger area.
The Saab vehicles, with front-mounted batteries, had scores below 1 microtesla. BMW said it is examining the study.
There is no scientific consensus on whether electromagnetic fields cause cancer. But because some studies suggest a connection, consumers have been advised to stay at least a foot away from computer screens and to use headsets with cell phones.
Volvo, which dismissed the study last week, changed direction after receiving hundreds of inquiries from customers.
http://www.usatoday.com/money/autos/2002/02/21/volvo.htm
