This Week in Unforeseen Consequences of Technology: Electric Vehicles Attract Rats

This article is news worthy how? Some guy gets ONE rat in his car and automatically it's a "Rat Magnet"? That's like stating if you find a roach in a house built in 2011 that all houses built in 2011 are "Roach Magnets." Implying that if you buy a house in 2011, no matter what you do, no matter how clean it is, it will be infested with roaches. This article should have never left the writer's desk much less the editor's. Unless you are getting kick backs from Oil companies please write unbiased articles. There are no facts, no data backing this ridiculous headline, the article itself contradicts itself, but that didn’t stop Popsci from splashing the headline “THIS WEEK IN UNFORESEEN CONSEQUENCES OF TECHNOLOGY: ELECTRIC VEHICLES ATTRACT RATS.” What a shame.

Well, it's no problem so long as we're all reading critically.

As for the battery thing, there is the *possibility* that this could become a problem in the future, and it's good to know that folks are aware of it and potentially designing for the challenge.

It is worth noting that this happened, but it probably is not serious.

I can see that the warm temps probably are an attraction in electrics vs IC engines that go from exceedingly hot to cold fairly quickly. It could also be that some byproduct of the charging process smells inviting ( this last is pure speculation). Better to find out now.

Or, it could be just an anomoly. There are lots of Toyos in Chicago, and they don't seem to have any issues.

However, it would seem that, if this is a problem, the solution would be to rodent proof the critical areas. Probably not that hard to do -- screens over openings etc. Typical pest control measures.

I smell a rat!

GM should rat proof it's wiring and it's underside to keep out unwanted pests.

But then consumer's smell a rat too with the VOLT be the most overpriced consumer economy car on the planet.

So? My mom had a mouse nest in her convental car. It was discovered when she had performance issues and my dad lifted up the hood.

I think it has more to do with the area the car was, not the car it self. any car can and will attract rats, if your in the right area.

For reference, I do believe "rat proofing" is akin to "idiot proofing", the means you'd have to go to without harming anything are more expensive than worth.

In response to the other commenter saying the Volt was the most overpriced consumer vehicle on the market... Cadillac Escalade.

We have that problem in Germany with a wiesel-like rodent called Marder. One munched up the radiator hoses on my wifes car. They like the heat on a cold evening and ,if another one was under the hood before, they will go in and investigate the scent. The fix...wash the engine after the damage is discovered and get wiring and hose protectors. I do not see this as being an insurmountable problem.

a rodent will go to any source of warmth when it is really cold outside, the same exact thing happened to my friends truck this winter.
this has nothing to do with it being an electric vehicle
this article is stupid

This car looks so good, wouldnt mind having this myself

Oh, you guys are your silly rats. /lives in one of the few rat-free places in the world

This really is an issue,especially for us rural folk.May easily be solved though,probably by a sonic whistle placed somewhere near the batteries or any other parts that stay warm.It could even be motion sensitive and computer operated to change the pitch and volume of the "squeal" so that the beasties don't get tolerant.