Why Electric Cars Make Passengers Get Carsick Faster

KatadataOTO – A study mentions there are a number of reasons why many four-wheeled vehicle passengers feel nauseous when riding in an electric car.

Even though, at a glance, electric cars offer more comfort thanks to the absence of engine noise and a soundproof cabin.

In a study conducted by a French researcher, nausea when using an electric car can be caused by passengers who are not used to it, compared to the sensation of driving a conventional car.

According to him, the passenger's brain lacks accuracy in predicting the movement of the silent vehicle because it relies on previous experience with ICE (Internal Combustion Engine) cars.

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“The brain needs to readapt because there is no similar prior experience. This is an example of why many people feel nauseous in zero-gravity conditions,” said William Emond, of the Université de Technologie de Belfort-Montbéliard in France.

He further referred to separate studies conducted in 2024 and 2020.

It was mentioned that there is a strong correlation between motion sickness and the vibration in the seats of electric cars.

Another finding revealed that the absence of engine noise is a major factor in EV (Electric Vehicle) passengers quickly feeling nauseous.

For example, acceleration in a gasoline car can be anticipated by passengers because the loud roar of the engine is heard just before the car moves.

Nausea rarely occurs in electric car drivers, because as the vehicle's controller, they can anticipate the vehicle's direction of movement.

“If we are used to driving conventional cars, we are accustomed to understanding the car's movement based on signals, such as the engine's roar, vibrations, and its torque,” said Emond.

In addition, the regenerative braking feature in electric cars causes the car to decelerate slowly and gradually. This ultimately causes nausea to arise more quickly in EV passengers.

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To overcome this, Emond revealed that it certainly takes time for someone to adapt. Then, the inclusion of ambient light is claimed to help calm passengers.

Eventually, passengers can slowly understand the movement of the electric car even without signals from engine noise and so on.

“Good knowledge helps us anticipate the force of the car's movement. This is crucial when it comes to motion sickness (nausea),” Emond emphasized.