this post was submitted on 20 Mar 2025
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Disclaimer - not an electromagnetic scientist wizard
My understanding is that EMPs are more of a concern for the tiny electronics on computers versus relatively large motors or batteries. So, an electric vehicle is still at risk, but I don’t think it’d be any more at risk than any ICE car that’s all computerized anyways.
It would probably mess up the controlling computer though.
Occasionally cars get hit by lightning and that usually causes a lot of errors and glitches and sometimes it totally writes off the vehicle.
“Everything’s computer”
From what I understand, the vulnerability of a chip has to do with the operating voltage of the chip. As chips have become smaller, and more efficient, they have also become less vulnerable to EMP. Higher voltage components are more vulnerable, like the motors, but I don't think you are going to get a man-portable device that will damage them. Maybe one that would fit in a vehicle, but you would have to be very close (inverse square law) and you would have to find a way to not fry your own vehicle.
Not a chip designer, nor an electrician, if anyone with more credibility wants to jump in here, please do.
With all the touch screens and computer controlled door handles I wouldn‘t bet on a Tesla in this showdown.
thats one of the many downsides of making everything computer
Nuke type EMPs are a threat to very long wires, like miles long ones used to transmit power. The blast causes a ripple in the earths magnetic field that induces current over huge distances. But I don't know what a more handheld device would affect.
Got it, so it's best to use a nuke just to be safe.
Electric motors work by inducing a magnetic field with coils of wire, so I’m sure a strong enough EMP would disrupt it temporarily, but I don’t know if it would meaningfully damage anything after the EMP ceased.
They're made specifically to deal with high electromagnetic flux, so it definitely wouldn't hurt them long term. Best bet would be something higher frequency to mess with the computers.