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Could An EMP Attack Disable Your Tesla or EV? What About a Gas Car? And How Likely Is One To Happen?

In this article, we discuss the likelihood a large scale EMP could affect your EV or gas car, as well as the science behind EMPs and what can be done to protect against them.
Could An EMP attack Disable Your Tesla or EV? What About a Gas Car? And How Likely Is One To Happen?

As electric vehicles (EVs) become increasingly prevalent on our roads, concerns regarding their vulnerability to various threats have also emerged.

One of the potential threats that often raises questions is the Electromagnetic Pulse (EMP). What is the science behind EMPs and their potential impact on electric vehicles? And, how likely is an EMP to be used or happen to an EV?

I did some digging using various sources from Quora, Reddit, YouTube, and even ChatGPT to help answer this question. Here are my findings:

Understanding EMPs

An Electromagnetic Pulse (EMP) is a burst of electromagnetic radiation that can disrupt or damage electronic devices and systems.

EMPs can occur naturally, as in the case of solar flares, or they can be generated artificially through the detonation of a nuclear weapon at high altitudes or through the use of EMP-generating devices.

The main concern surrounding EMPs is their ability to induce electric currents in electrical circuits, which can potentially damage or destroy electronic components.

EMP Effects on Electric Vehicles

Electric vehicles, like traditional gasoline-powered cars, rely heavily on electronics and electrical systems for various functions, including propulsion, navigation, and entertainment.

Notice how gasoline-powered cars are also in the equation here - modern gasoline-powered cars will also be disrupted by an EMP. Unless you have one from many decades ago, it's not just EVs that will be disrupted.

The question arises: Can an EMP disrupt or disable these critical systems in an electric vehicle?

The short answer is that it depends on the strength and proximity of the EMP event, as well as the design and shielding of the EV's electrical components. Here are some key factors to consider:

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EMP Disruption To An EV

For Tesla vehicles specifically, there is some protection against an EMP - however, a Tesla vehicle is not completely immune to an EMP.

Tesla has EMP shielding that consists of three different parts: the battery, the control unit, and the charging system.

The battery is protected by a Faraday cage, which helps to deflect and dissipate electromagnetic energy.

The control unit is also shielded with an unknown design.

The charging system may be vulnerable to EMP, especially if it is plugged in during an EMP attack.

There are AC transformers that isolate the car battery from the power line even when charging, though a big enough surge would likely require replacement of the PCS (power conversion system).

The BMS (battery management system) is relatively shielded within the metal penthouse under the back seat, but the rest of the low voltage components are just on plain copper PCBs protected by plastic clamshells within the front of the car and aren't even conformably coated (waterproof), let alone shielded for EMP.

If a solar flare occurred that was strong enough to take out an ICE car, a Tesla's denser logic boards would be absolutely fried.

An old, 1974, Chevy Suburban, with a carburetor 350 V8 would still be running through - but that is an OLD car that not many people own.

There are three primary ways to protect an EV from an EMP attack:

  • Faraday Cage: Encasing electronic components in a conductive enclosure that blocks external static and non-static electric fields.
  • Surge Protectors: Installing devices that protect against voltage spikes in the vehicle's electrical systems.
  • Fiber Optics: Using non-electrical communication channels like fiber optics for critical connections, as they are immune to EMP.

Tesla doesn't commonly document or share if it is doing any of these, however, the only way to know would be to actually test an EMP on a Tesla - of which I could find no source online doing so.

There were a variety of discussions on Quora and Reddit about EMP attacks on a Tesla, and the conclusion I came to was the following:

  • An actual EMP attack or solar flare from the sun that would cause real disruption to modern cars would be a very rare event - not impossible - but low on the list of things to worry about
  • All modern cars would be disabled by a large scale EMP - whether gas, hybrid, or EV
  • Tesla likely has some built-in protection against an EMP, but it wouldn't be enough against a large scale EMP
  • If a large scale EMP happens from the sun or an attack, there's going to be bigger problems than having your car be disrupted
  • If you are truly worried about an EMP for your car, get an ancient car before the year 2000 or add some additional protection yourself

Lastly, there is a video from a user who installed an EMP protective device, an EMP trap device, to the electronics in his Tesla vehicle. I've included that below. This might be interesting for someone looking to add a little more protection to their EV.

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What do you think about EMPs and the chance one could happen and disrupt your EV? Is there a strong likelihood of one happening?

Share this article with friends and family and on social media - or leave a comment below. You can view my most recent articles here for further reading. I am also on X/Twitter where I post more than just articles daily, as well as LinkedIn!. Thank you so much for your support!

Hi! I'm Jeremy Noel Johnson, and I am a Tesla investor and supporter and own a 2022 Model 3 RWD EV and I don't have range anxiety :). I enjoy bringing you breaking Tesla news as well as anything about Tesla or other EV companies I can find, like Aptera. Other interests of mine are AI, Tesla Energy and the Tesla Bot! You can follow me on X.COM or LinkedIn to stay in touch and follow my Tesla and EV news coverage.

Image Credit: DALL-E AI

Article Reference: Reddit | Quora | Themachinewon

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