Do electric cars make passengers more dizzy? Science says so.

The electric car is still largely unknown to most drivers. While its sales growth is undeniable—in 2024, 22% of new cars registered worldwide were electric—there are still many doubts and misgivings surrounding it . Criticism typically focuses on the limited range, the purchase price, or the lack of charging stations . But there is another, less obvious drawback that has barely been discussed so far: the motion sickness that some passengers and drivers experience when traveling in these zero-emission vehicles.

Social media is beginning to feature repeated testimonials. Passengers experiencing nausea after a trip in an electric car, or potential buyers asking if this is a common effect. This perception isn't just anecdotal. A series of recent studies confirm that, under certain circumstances, traveling in an electric vehicle can increase the likelihood of experiencing motion sickness compared to a combustion-powered car.

The phenomenon has a scientific explanation. According to William Emond, a researcher at the Belfort-Montbéliard University of Technology (France) who specializes in motion sickness—the technical term for motion sickness—“the higher number of cases of motion sickness in electric cars can be attributed to a lack of prior experience, both among the driver and passengers.”

Speaking to the British newspaper The Guardian , he explains that in this type of vehicle, "the brain lacks the precision to estimate the forces of movement based on previous experience with other types of cars." That is, since we have many more hours of experience in combustion-engine vehicles, our brains are trained to interpret their signals and anticipate movements.

A gasoline or diesel engine provides warnings through sound and vibrations. After revving the engine, the car will speed up. In an electric vehicle, these warnings are minimal or nonexistent. The consequence, Emond explains, is that "if we are used to traveling in non-electric vehicles, we understand the car's movement from signals such as engine speed, engine vibrations, engine torque, etc. However, traveling for the first time in an electric vehicle is a new movement environment for the brain, which needs to adapt."

This lack of stimulation creates a sensory conflict between what the eyes, inner ear, and the rest of the body perceive. It's a well-documented phenomenon: motion sickness occurs when these signals don't match. The inner ear reports movement, but vision doesn't confirm it, or vice versa. If the discrepancy persists, the body reacts with symptoms associated with nausea, cold sweats, or dizziness.

The problem is exacerbated for passengers, especially those in the back seats. The driver anticipates each maneuver and their brain can prepare for the forces ahead, but the passenger receives the movements without warning.

There's another element unique to electric vehicles that contributes to this discomfort: regenerative braking. This system, designed to recover energy during deceleration and recharge the battery, causes the vehicle to brake more smoothly and steadily, rather than in short, sharp bursts. Research from the Hong Kong University of Science and Technology published in 2024 points to this as one of the main triggers. "Our results confirmed that higher levels of regenerative braking can cause motion sickness."

Experts agree that the brain needs time to adapt to these new movement patterns. The same thing happens in extreme environments, such as weightlessness, where almost everyone gets motion sickness the first time. The good news is that adaptation does occur, as some electric vehicle users report that, after several trips, the symptoms diminish or disappear.

Meanwhile, the industry is looking for solutions. Some academic papers propose introducing visual cues—screens with real-time information and adaptive ambient lighting—or gentle vibrations to warn of changes in speed and direction. The idea is simple: if travelers can anticipate what's coming, their brains will better manage the movement and avoid sensory conflict.