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What about possible health risks posed by the electromagnetic field generated by the batteries?

If someone working at a computer needs to sit at least two feet away from the screen, if it’s unshielded, to be considered safe, how about a person who’s riding atop an unshielded 900-pound battery pack for 10 to 20 hours a week?

I’m eager to use a vehicle that will help reduce pollution. I’m not willing, however, to be an unwitting guinea pig who finds out, 15 years from now, that the engineers suspected a health risk from the beginning and knew how to install an adequate shield, but were told not to do so because it would have added a few dollars to the sticker price or slowed the acceleration rate by a half second or so.

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LAUREN HANSON

Los Angeles

Marla Cone responds: The controversy over electromagnetic fields is worthy of attention. General Motors says it is seeking ways to shield EMFs or reconfigure components to keep them away from passengers. Southern California Edison says it has measured its electric vans’ EMFs and found them to be negligible.

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