What are the chances of surviving a lightning strike while driving in a...

Moseyman

New member
Mar 4, 2009
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...Chevrolet Volt? Also, would the lightning fry the electronics while your driving?

Any website links are greatly appreciated,

Thanks.
 
the rubber on your tires properly ground the car. even if a powerline fell on your hood, you would be safe untill you stepped out of the car into a puddle or something.
 
100% chance of survival and little to no damage to electronics (depending upon what the lightning bolt hits). However, the car itself may suffer some damage.

http://www.drivearabia.com/news/2009/08/11/survive-lightning-strike-storm-driving-ford-edge/
 
Same as with other cars - your chances are good because the steel safety cage provides a very good path around you. The risks to the electrical system are the same as for other cars, too. If it hits the steel safety cage instead of the radio antenna the outlook is good. The tires do not provide a path to ground, though. Quite the opposite, they are good insulators for voltages up to about 50,000 volts. Lightning, with many millions of volts behind it, doesn't even care if you have tires or not. It matters as much as tissue paper would to a train.
 
Inside any vehicle you are relatively well-protected from a lightning strike.

It's always possible that a lightning strike will disable a car's electrical system, and likewise, that can happen to any car, electric or gasoline. However, most of the electronics that involve engine or motor control would be shielded and unlikely to be affected by the strike. I say "unlikely" because lightning is unpredictable, and there's always a chance it will choose an ionization path that takes it, or part of its current close to, or even into a critical component. Lightning behaves in an almost random manner.
 
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