Interesting article...If this technology will works as advertised, it will hopefully help stop those who try to run from the police etc.

A beam of microwave energy could stop vehicles in their tracks.

Researchers at Eureka Aerospace are turning a fictional concept from the movie 2 Fast 2 Furious into reality: they're creating an electromagnetic system that can quickly bring a vehicle to a stop. The system, which can be attached to an automobile or aircraft carrier, sends out pulses of microwave radiation to disable the microprocessors that control the central engine functions in a car. Such a device could be used by law enforcement to stop fleeing and noncooperative vehicles at security checkpoints, or as perimeter protection for military bases, communication centers, and oil platforms in the open seas.

Full story here.

Certainly viable- it is an application of a small scale EMP, directional and short range so as to protect devices other than the target.

Imagine... Popping popcorn on the front bumper of a police car.

Hmmm, A 2 gigawatt 50 nS electromagnetic pulse weapon in the hands of a Boss Hogg type LEO. 'America's Craziest Car Chases', looks to have the posibility of being even crazier, with the ubiquitous chasing helo's falling out of the sky, whole districts losing their power grid, people stuck in elevators, security systems going down within dozens of blocks, GPS satellites picking up the EM pulse leading the folks at STRATCOM to think a small nuclear detonation has occoured within the CONUS, with the perpetrator still getting away in his 1970's Diesel pick-up, all to the sound of heavy metal grunge rock music in the background. Can't wait

After reading the other comments,

I agree with Ironraven concerning the theory,

but

I think Am_Fear_Liath_Mor's version of the practical application may be more accurate in the early application period.

Sounds like a quantum leap forward from tire spikes and a 12 guage. I hope they make it work.

Or we could just do what they do in Europe--let the perps get away so as to avoid offending their delicate sensibilities.

Apparently 95% of convicted criminals are quite happy to stay within the grounds of the local open prison.

http://www.thecourier.co.uk/output/2004/09/01/newsstory6285779t0.asp

http://www.eveningtelegraph.co.uk/output/2007/10/24/story10461537t0.shtm

Good idea except unless they generator is right on top of target the pulse will radiate like a cone causing damage past the target, making it relatively useless in crowded areas. If they can make a tight narrow beam it will require a better aim and when you adrenalin is up that still leads to collateral damage. This will affect the people around the bad guys vehicle who have in the best-case scenario cell phones I-pods or other misc. electronics. Or in the worse case scenario the drivers with the pacemaker diving in the same area. Unless they have an insurance that will pay for all the electronics destroyed it won’t catch on, at least not in the near future.

Oh great! They've already got me wearing my foil hat. Now I've got to wrap my truck up in foil!

I don't think this would be the case if it works like police laser radar which has a beam width of approx 1.5' at 100'. If there are any LEO's out there, please correct me if I wrong on the beam width.