Why some electric-car passengers feel sick remains unclear

Passengers have told BBC News they feel sick while travelling in electric cars, raising questions about whether unfamiliar movement cues and changes in speed could play a part. Specialists say research into a possible link is still at an early stage. [1]

Lola Baird, 24, said she began feeling nauseous on long journeys after her boyfriend bought an electric car two years ago. Mark Quigg said his nine-year-old daughter’s existing motion sickness became worse after he bought one. Other EV owners told the BBC that their families had no such problem, while some said they felt less sick than in conventional cars. [1]

Dr Irene Di Giulio, a lecturer at King’s College London, said research so far suggests some people experience more severe motion sickness in EVs. She suggested that the absence of familiar engine sounds and vibrations might make it harder for passengers to anticipate acceleration. Neurologist Nicholas Hac described motion sickness as a mismatch between the senses, and said a sudden change in speed could feel like rocking. [1]

Rapid acceleration or abrupt slowing during regenerative braking could also contribute, the specialists suggested. But Vicky Edmonds, chief executive of the driver association EVA England, said motion sickness had not come up as an issue among its members and pointed instead to factors such as driving style. University of Pittsburgh researcher Bill Yates described the research into a possible EV link as sparse. [1]