If you’ve ever ridden in an electric car and felt a bit queasy, you’re not alone. It turns out, electric vehicles (EVs), which are usually praised for their quiet and smooth ride, might make passengers more likely to get carsick. Surprising, right?
Smooth Ride, Sicker Stomach?
Most people expect EVs to be more comfortable than regular cars with petrol or diesel engines. After all, there’s no noisy engine, no constant gear shifts, and barely any vibrations. But researchers have found that this very smoothness — the silence and lack of engine feel- can confuse your brain, especially if you’re not the one behind the wheel.
Let’s break it down; when you’re driving, your brain knows exactly what’s about to happen. You press the accelerator, you brake, you turn — your body is fully in sync with the movement of the car. That’s why drivers hardly ever get carsick.
Now flip the script. As a passenger, especially in an EV, you’re not in control. There’s no engine noise to warn you when the car is speeding up. No familiar gear sounds. And many EVs slow down using something called regenerative braking, which kicks in the moment the driver takes their foot off the accelerator — no brake pedal needed. That makes the car slow down smoothly and silently, with barely a warning. The result? Your brain starts to panic because it can’t predict what’s going to happen next. That disconnect can lead to motion sickness
Science explains why
A French PhD student, William Emond, put it perfectly in an interview with The Guardian. He said that our brains are used to picking up movement cues from traditional cars, things like engine noise, vibrations, and revving sounds. But EVs take those cues away, creating what he calls a “new motion environment” that our brains haven’t adjusted to yet.
A couple of studies back this up. One in 2020 found that the silence in EVs contributed to more people feeling carsick. Another study in 2024 looked at how the lack of seat vibrations in EVs also plays a role. Your brain is used to sensing movement through multiple signals, and now it’s flying blind.
And here’s the ironic part: even though regenerative braking in EVs is smoother than traditional braking, it seems to make motion sickness worse. Why? Because EVs often switch from quick acceleration to a gradual slowdown without a coasting phase in between. That abrupt change in pace without the usual braking signals throws your senses off even more.
Will we get used to it?
As EVs become more popular, people — especially kids growing up with them — might adjust. A child born today may never ride in a gas-powered car, meaning their brains will only learn EV cues from the start. That could help reduce motion sickness for future generations.
But for now, as more of us hop into EVs, don’t be surprised if motion sickness becomes a bit more common among passengers. It’s not just you being sensitive — it’s your brain trying to figure out a whole new way of moving.
