Shelter from the thunderstorm
Vehicles are built to venture out, which means they are exposed to the elements. One particular danger that is often overlooked is lightning during thunderstorms. People tend to feel safe in their vehicles. Who doesn’t enjoy the sound of raindrops on the roof of a caravan or camper? However, not all vehicles offer the same level of protection. It is well known that cars are considered safe during thunderstorms due to the ‘Faraday cage effect.’ As a result, people often assume that other vehicles, such as campers or caravans, are equally safe.
This is where the choice of material becomes important: metals, such as aluminium, are great at conducting electricity: there is a reason why power lines are made out of metal. This property is also why your car is considered a safe haven during a thunderstorm. It may seem counterintuitive, but because metals conduct electricity so well, they direct the electrical current of a lightning strike around you rather than through you, guiding it safely into the ground. This phenomenon, known as the ‘Faraday cage effect,’ effectively forms a protective shield around the people inside.
Plastics are the exact opposite and do not conduct electricity at all. This is a useful property in many contexts. For example, electric wires in everyday appliances or your home have a central copper wire protected by an insulating layer of plastic. However, in the context of your vehicle, this means that plastics can compromise the Faraday cage effect and reduce its protective capability. Consequently, vehicles with side walls or roofs made of plastic do not offer the same protection from lightning strikes.
‘Staying in a tent without metal poles or in a camper without a metal structure is just as dangerous as staying outdoors’
German Committee for Lightning Protection and Lightning Research (VDE ABB)
Stopping the spread of fire
There are many measures that can be taken to minimize the risk of fire. As with many things in life, the easiest measure is often the most effective one: using materials that are non-flammable in the first place. This is where aluminium comes in. Aluminium is a metal with a melting point of more than 650 °C, making it non-flammable and giving it the highest possible fire rating (such as an A class in EU regulations). In addition to preventing flames from spreading, aluminium has the added benefit of not releasing smoke or fumes when exposed to fire. This compares favourably to other materials, such as plastics, which achieve a B rating at best (in the case of specifically designed flame-retardant products) and C or lower for regular products. Moreover, the resins used in plastics have a high caloric value (such as polyesters or epoxies) and are known to emit large amounts of thick, black, hazardous smoke when they burn.
On your side: how Euramax coated aluminium keeps you safe
As the world’s largest supplier of coated aluminium to the mobility industry, we take pride in providing materials that meet the highest safety standards. Choose aluminium not only for its well-known properties —such as its premium automotive appearance, circularity, and lightweight nature— but also for its excellent safety characteristics. Contact our experts to find out how we can enhance the safety of your vehicle.