Driving (Some) Electric Cars Could Be Hazardous to Your Health
Just when you thought you were helping the environment.
Cadmium is a highly toxic cancer-causing metal that is a usually a by-product of zinc production. It has also just been found to be present in 124,000 VW plug-in hybrid and electric vehicles, prompting a production shutdown and possible recall. Kraftfahrt-Bundesamt (KBA), Germany’s Federal Transport Authority, may force a recall of all affected vehicles due to the presence of the carcinogenic material in high-voltage battery chargers – roughly 0.008 grams per device. The material is largely prohibited by the German government for use in vehicles, due to the damage it can potentially do to the environment when the car is recycled or scrapped. Looks like VW will be pulling the plug on its plug-in cars.
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