Passengers in EVs Get More Car Sick - And Science Finally Knows Why

telcodad

Has anyone here ever experienced this?

You’re riding silently down the highway as a passenger in an EV, but your stomach feels like you’re on a turbulent flight. Welcome to the unexpected dark side of electric vehicle perfection—motion sickness complaints are skyrocketing, and researchers finally understand why:

Science Finally Explains Why People Get More Carsick in EVs
It turns out that the smoothness of EVs might be worsening carsickness for many passengers, rather than helping it.
By Adam Ismail, The Drive - July 20, 2025
https://www.thedrive.com/news/science-finally-explains-why-people-get-more-carsick-in-evs

One of the first things that hits you about the EV experience is its relative smoothness, compared to internal-combustion cars, with their vibrations and noise. You might assume that these attributes would make EVs more comfortable for those who tend to get carsick, but research has found that the opposite is in fact true. Electric vehicles can exacerbate sensations of motion sickness in passengers, and science tells us why.

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antdude

I get car sick easily even in non-EVs.

Somewhat-Reticent

Motion sickness also occurs in air travel, water travel, …

Astyanax

I never understood why people got car or air sick. If it was hours and hours of a bumpy road and twists and turns then maybe. That’s why I have more sympathy for seasick sufferers. When you’re on a ship or boat caught in a storm there’s nothing you can do to stop it or get relief. At least in a car you can pull over and stop. In an airplane it’s typically short enough.

The fact that the car runs smoother makes car sickness worse is really nutty.

telcodad

Astyanax I never understood why people got car or air sick. If it was hours and hours of a bumpy road and twists and turns then maybe.

The primary cause of car sickness (aka “motion sickness”) is a mismatch between the information received by the inner ear (which detects motion) and the eyes (which may be focused on a stationary object like a book or screen). causing nausea, dizziness, and sometimes vomiting.

InternetJeff

The solution is to keep your eyes on the horizon.

Astyanax

telcodad

telcodad The primary cause of car sickness (aka “motion sickness”) is a mismatch between the information received by the inner ear (which detects motion) and the eyes (which may be focused on a stationary object like a book or screen). causing nausea, dizziness, and sometimes vomiting.

I know. I read that.

Why don’t I ever get car sick when I’m a passenger and others do? Same for seasickness? I don’t take any extra precautions to prevent it either.

telcodad

Astyanax Why don’t I ever get car sick and others do? Same for seasickness?

Some individuals are naturally less susceptible to motion sickness due to a combination of genetic predisposition, neurological factors, and their ability to adapt to conflicting sensory information. Some people’s brains are simply wired to better handle motion or adapt to conflicting sensory information that causes motion sickness in others.

ugly95

telcodad Some individuals are naturally less susceptible to motion sickness due to a combination of genetic predisposition, neurological factors, and their ability to adapt to conflicting sensory information. Some people’s brains are simply wired to better handle motion or adapt to conflicting sensory information that causes motion sickness in others.

It makes sense, everybody tolerates all sorts of things differently.

This is probably obvious, but just something I’ve never thought about befire. But I wonder how effectively a person can train themselves against dizziness. Maybe every day I should stand up and do 3 sets of 20 spin reps.

Looks like you can:

Build Tolerance Through Progressive Practice
The most effective way to reduce dizziness is repeated exposure to spinning, which trains the brain to suppress the vestibular system’s false signals. A 2020 Journal of Sports Medicine study found that consistent spin practice over 12 weeks reduces dizziness perception by 20%. Start with slow, single-revolution spins and gradually increase speed and rotations as comfort improves.

Mirai Nagasu’s Tip: 2018 Olympic bronze medalist Mirai Nagasu, in a 2022 CNN interview, shared that she felt dizzy early in her career but built tolerance through daily practice. “I started with one or two spins, feeling woozy, but kept at it,” she said. “Over years, my brain learned to ignore the spin’s aftereffects.” Nagasu recommends practicing spins in short bursts—five spins, rest, repeat—three times weekly to acclimate gradually without overwhelming the system.

px_eliezer_

…The issue started to be observed in self-driving cars as long as 10 years ago.

Splitpair

InternetJeff The solution is to keep your eyes on the horizon.

Or the chick in the next seat over, while hoping for some turbulence. ;-)

Astyanax

ugly95 This is probably obvious, but just something I’ve never thought about befire. But I wonder how effectively a person can train themselves against dizziness. Maybe every day I should stand up and do 3 sets of 20 spin reps.

Looks like you can:

Do they have an adult version of one of these?

…or just go to any playground that has a merry-go-round.

ugly95

Astyanax …or just go to any playground that has a merry-go-round.

Get yourself a dirtbike and I think you’ve got yourself a car sickness prevention training class.

Sparkchaser

Astyanax go to any playground that has a merry-go-round.

Spinning never bothered me (well maybe at Disney Land).
As a geezer, I have a long history.
Fast Motorboats OK
Cabin cruiser No
Sailboats No
Only been on one ship, a troop transport. Was sick for 4 days, started getting better the last day

Used to get airsick. Did enough flying that that is no longer a problem.

Never really got car sick, front or back.

Hydraglass

Sparkchaser Spinning never bothered me (well maybe at Disney Land).

My motion sickness susceptibility is so random and unrelated -
I can go on rollercoasters and theme park rides generally with no issue - except tilt-a-whirls and the guardians of the galaxy roller coaster at epcot both get me green and vomitous.
I’ve flown on hundreds of airline flights and never once felt motion sick
I’ve been on 6 cruises, including one that went through hurricane remnants - and never got sick
I’ve been on small boats all my life - fishing boats, ski boats, pontoon boats, sea doos, etc in every imagineable sea/lake condition and never got sick.
I went on a large catamaran on a diving trip in hawaii and I hurled over the railing every 15 minutes the whole 3 hours we were out.
I have sat as a passenger in the front of cars for tens if not hundreds of thousands of miles and never had an issue. 15 minutes in the back seat of ANY car and i’m green and ready to hurl. I am absolutely fine on buses and trains - gone hundreds of hours on both zero issues.

I find riding in an EV is generally fine but is very driver dependent - one of my coworkers is anything but smooth in his accel/decel while driving his Mach-e. The constant speed up / slow down (I think he’s just not very good at one pedal driving) does bother me somewhat. On the other hand the girl I work with that has an Audi eTron I’ve had no issues riding with her - we’ve gone to stores, restaurants for lunch, etc - all fine. No different than an ICE car. I drive a PHEV and my wife said she finds it very comfortable when I’m driving in EV mode - smooth, no shifts, quiet, relaxing.