More and more are experiencing an unfortunate side benefit of having jumped on the green switch. Electric cars cause more people to get motion sickness.
TEXT Simon Hallenslev COVER Bilbasen/Getty Images
Most people have experienced motion sickness. For some it occurs on winding roads, while others cannot lose themselves in a smartphone or crime novel without nausea. Thanks to electric cars, however, motion sickness is a growing problem, and according to a chief physician at Rigshospitalet, there is a good explanation for this.
As the number of electric cars increases, Danish hospitals are experiencing an increasing number of inquiries regarding motion sickness, writes TV2 Kosmopol. Even the National Police reports several nauseous officers from the passenger seats of the electric patrol cars.
The sound is missing
Motion sickness in electric cars is caused by a combination of several things. Electric cars are still a relatively new addition to the Danish vehicle fleet. They move differently than we are used to from fossil cars, which is why there will naturally be a higher incidence of motion sickness. At least until we get used to the new movements.
In electric cars, the full torque is delivered immediately. This can cause a more violent acceleration, which according to Mads Klokker, head of the Center for Hearing and Balance at Rigshospitalet, is a contributing factor to motion sickness. Also, deceleration using regeneration is a new movement that, together with acceleration, can provide a staccato driving experience.
According to the chief physician, it is these new and more violent movements that affect the human balance organ in the inner ear, and which can cause motion sickness. If we are to stay by the ear, the lack of sound in electric cars can help to cause motion sickness.
For TV2 Kosmopol, Mads Klokker explains about the so-called mismatch theory, which can be a contributing factor to motion sickness in electric cars. The challenge arises when what we hear does not match what we see. The ear sends information to the brain and can function as a form of accelerometer. In electric cars there is no sound. Therefore, you can get sick when the eye sees an acceleration that the ears do not pick up.
Driving sick police officers
In 2023, the National Police purchased 10 electric VW ID.4 GTX for four police districts as part of a pilot project. A project that will give the police experience with the use of electric cars in daily emergency situations. And while the final evaluation of the project is still pending, the National Police has revealed a few of the conclusions to the Motor magazine. One of them is motion sickness.
Although motion sickness can be a natural side effect of deployment and postponements, the four police districts have reported a greater tendency for motion sickness in the electric cars.
In combination with how a patrol car is typically driven, it is also here the more violent acceleration that is supposed to be the scapegoat. In that way, it is double-edged. The acceleration is also mentioned as a definite plus for the electric patrol cars by Jens Yndgaard, who is head of the center at the National Police.
Practice makes perfect
Just because the electric cars as a result of their technical structure can move differently, no one is saying that they bowl move differently. The ability to accelerate quickly can be beneficial for the police, but it need not be beneficial in an everyday situation where fellow passengers get sick. Here, moderation of the accelerator pedal must be part of the solution.
The same can be said about regeneration. In most electric cars, the level of regeneration is adjustable. If you have a tendency to motion sickness, you can start by reducing or completely removing regeneration, although this may affect the range a little. If you have a car where it cannot be adjusted, for example a Tesla, it must take practice to master keeping acceleration and deceleration as seamless as possible.
