A new problem with electric cars: why passengers are more likely to throw up
Many electric vehicles can be operated with just one gas pedal – when you release it, the car slows down on its own. This is a fun feature for the driver, but for passengers, this type of ride can cause nausea and motion sickness,state in ABC News.
“The regeneration of an electric car can make some people feel bad,” says John Volker, former editor of Green Car Reports and a contributor to Car and Driver. “The strong regenerative braking that returns maximum energy can cause motion sickness. There is a special technique for drivers that modulates the movement in an electric car… drivers should use it.”
Volker said he felt nauseous at least twice while riding in the backseat of the Tesla. “Drivers didn’t know how to modulate Tesla’s strong regenerative braking,” he recalls.
Ed Kim, president and principal analyst at AutoPacific, said Tesla are “the worst offenders” because they can be “very abrupt in acceleration and braking dynamics.”
“Most automakers adjust the throttles on electric vehicles to emphasize power, but the side effect is that some passengers find it difficult to tolerate. The driver has to be very careful with how they use the gas pedal,” Kim said.
Electric cars have a huge torque – you press the gas pedal, and the thing just takes off. A sudden power surge can cause anxiety for some people. If you also set the regenerative braking to a very high level, the vehicle will lurch forward first and lurch backwards just as hard.
Dr. DiVerre, an ENT from Texas, claims that motion sickness in electric vehicles “is a real problem. Verre noted that the lack of sound in an electric car can also worsen the experience of passengers, especially those who are already prone to motion sickness.
“The brain creates a model of what it expects in certain situations,” says the doctor. “In cars with an internal combustion engine, you hear the engine revving and realize that someone is pressing the gas pedal. The car moves forward. In an electric car, the auditory and visual cues do not match the model you are actually driving.”
Passengers are more susceptible to dizziness and nausea in an electric vehicle than drivers, especially when they are sitting in the back seat.
To reduce motion sickness, experts recommend several things. First, you should set your electric vehicles to eco-mode to make the throttle less sensitive. This will help your driving style become more relaxed.
Regenerative braking is different for every electric vehicle, and some vehicles may be better than others. However, if passengers are frequently motion sick, you should turn off the recovery system completely. This will not affect the mileage of the electric vehicle too much, but the interior will remain clean after the trip.
But the most important reason for trips that make passengers sick is the driver. If it rides more smoothly, there should be no problems.
