You’re driving through a nasty summer storm. The sky turns that weird, bruised shade of purple, and suddenly, the rain is so thick you can barely see the hood of your car. Then it happens. A flash so bright it feels like it’s inside your eyeballs and a crack that shakes your teeth. You wonder: can a car be struck by lightning?
Yes. It absolutely can.
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It’s one of those things we think is a myth because "rubber tires," right? We’ve all heard that. The idea is that the rubber insulates you from the ground, making you a safe little island in a sea of electricity. Honestly, that's mostly nonsense. If a bolt of lightning has just traveled through miles of air—which is a terrible conductor—a few inches of Michelin rubber isn’t going to stop it. The real reason you aren’t crispier than a burnt piece of toast has nothing to do with your tires and everything to do with the metal cage surrounding you.
The Faraday Cage: Why you aren't actually toast
To understand why you're generally safe, we have to talk about Michael Faraday. Back in the 1830s, this guy figured out that if you have a conductive enclosure, the electric charge stays on the outside. It doesn't penetrate the interior. When lightning hits a car, it’s looking for the easiest path to the ground. Since the metal body of your car is a much better conductor than your body (or the air), the current flows around the exterior of the vehicle and jumps from the rims or the undercarriage into the pavement.
This is physics, not luck.
But there’s a catch. This only works if your car is actually made of metal. If you’re driving a Corvette with a fiberglass body, or a Jeep with a soft top, or a convertible with the roof down, you’re in trouble. In those cases, you don't have a continuous "cage" to shunt the electricity away. The lightning might just decide that the steering wheel or your head is a perfectly fine shortcut to the floorboards.
What actually happens during a strike?
It’s loud. Terrifyingly loud. People who have survived a direct hit often describe it as a bomb going off right next to their ear.
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According to the National Lightning Safety Council, when a vehicle is struck, the electricity often welds parts together. It’s not uncommon for the tires to literally explode. Not because the rubber "attracts" the lightning, but because the steel belts inside the tires heat up so fast they vaporize, and the air pressure blows the sidewalls out. You might also see "pockmarks" on the paint where the bolt made contact. It looks like someone took a tiny, superheated drill bit to your hood.
The electronics are usually the first thing to go. Modern cars are basically rolling computers. A strike can fry the Electronic Control Unit (ECU), deploy the airbags for no reason, and melt the wiring harness. You’re essentially sitting in a 3,000-pound paperweight at that point.
I remember reading a report from the National Weather Service (NWS) about a strike in Florida—the lightning capital of the US—where the driver was totally fine, but the car’s dashboard literally started smoking and every single light on the instrument cluster turned on before the engine died forever. The car was a total loss, but the person walked away with nothing but a ringing in their ears.
Can a car be struck by lightning if it's an EV?
This is the big question nowadays. People are worried that sitting on a massive lithium-ion battery during a thunderstorm is like sitting on a powder keg.
In reality, electric vehicles (EVs) have to pass the same rigorous safety standards as internal combustion cars. They are tested in "lightning labs" where engineers blast them with simulated bolts. The high-voltage battery system in a Tesla or a Ford F-150 Lightning is shielded and isolated. If a strike occurs, the car’s management system is designed to disconnect the battery immediately.
However, charging is a different story. If your car is plugged into a home charger during a storm, a strike on the power lines nearby can send a surge through the charging cable. That’s a direct path into the heart of the car. It’s the same reason you shouldn't be taking a shower or using a corded phone during a storm—anything tethered to the grid is a vulnerability.
Real-world risks and the "Don't Touch" rule
Even if you’re safe inside the cabin, you aren't invincible. The biggest danger inside the car during a strike isn't the air; it's the stuff you’re touching.
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- Door handles: If they're metal, don't touch them.
- Radios and Chargers: Physical dials and plugged-in phone cables can conduct a portion of the strike.
- Steering wheels: Most are wrapped in leather or plastic, but they're connected to a metal column.
Ideally, if you realize you’re in the middle of a severe electrical storm, pull over. Turn off the engine. Put your hands in your lap. Don't touch the radio. Just wait it out.
The Convertible Conundrum
We need to be clear about soft-tops. A fabric or plastic roof offers zero protection from lightning. None. If you’re in a convertible and a storm rolls in, you are basically standing in an open field holding a metal pole. The "Faraday Cage" effect requires a continuous metal skin to work. Without it, the lightning will likely find a path through the internal components—and that includes the occupants.
The same goes for golf carts and heavy machinery with open cabs. Every year, people get injured because they think being "in a vehicle" is enough. It’s not about being in it; it’s about being under the metal.
What to do if your car is hit
If the unthinkable happens and you take a direct hit while driving, don't panic. Easier said than done, I know.
- Don't jump out immediately. The car might be holding a static charge, or worse, there could be downed power lines nearby that you can't see because of the rain.
- Check for fire. Lightning is incredibly hot. If you smell smoke or see flames, you need to exit the vehicle, but do so carefully.
- The "hop" exit. If there are downed lines and you must leave, jump clear of the car with both feet together. Do not touch the car and the ground at the same time. Shuffle your feet away without lifting them—this prevents a "potential difference" between your legs that could let electricity flow through you.
- Call for help. Even if you feel fine, the sheer acoustic shock of a strike can cause internal ear damage or concussions.
Actionable Steps for Storm Season
- Check your tires: While they don't stop lightning, old, balding tires are more likely to fail catastrophically if a strike heats up the steel belts.
- Unplug at home: If a severe thunderstorm warning is issued, unplug your EV from the wall charger. It’s not worth the risk to the onboard inverter.
- Audit your "Safe Spaces": If you own a fiberglass vehicle (like certain campers or specialty sports cars), recognize that you are not protected by a Faraday Cage. Your plan should be to seek shelter in a substantial building.
- Stay off the phone: If your phone is plugged into the USB port or cigarette lighter, it’s a conductor. Unplug it until the lightning passes.
- Trust the metal: If you are in a standard sedan or SUV, stay inside. It is statistically one of the safest places you can be during a lightning storm, provided you keep your hands off the metal bits.
Lightning is unpredictable. It doesn't always hit the tallest object, and it doesn't care about your "rubber tires" theory. But if you’re inside a metal-roofed vehicle, physics is on your side. Respect the power of the storm, understand the limits of your car's design, and you’ll likely come out the other side with nothing but a crazy story to tell.