Why some passengers feel sick in a moving EV

Lola Baird has just asked her boyfriend to pull over. Forty minutes into a journey and she's feeling "overwhelmed" by nausea - and can't stop herself throwing up on the ground next to his car.

Lola, 24, from north London, had never experienced motion sickness until her boyfriend bought an electric vehicle (EV) two years ago. Ever since, she's been feeling "very nauseous" when he takes her on long car journeys.

It's become so severe she's even asked him to change his car.

Lola isn't alone. Other people told BBC News that they or their children notice feeling more car sick when sitting as a passenger in an electric vehicle. But at the same time, many EV drivers say it's not been a concern.

So what could explain these reports of motion sickness?

Dr Irene Di Giulio, senior lecturer in anatomy and biomechanics at King's College London whose research includes motion sickness, says research so far suggests some people experience more severe motion sickness in electric vehicles than in non-electric vehicles.

It's something Dr Nicholas Hac, a neurologist at Northwestern Medicine in Chicago who specialises in dizziness and vertigo, has also heard from some of his patients. "They just notice that they're much more likely or prone to be motion sick" in electric vehicles, he says.

"I've heard about it many, many, many times," he adds, saying about two patients a month specifically reference feeling motion sick in electric vehicles.

But research into any possible link is still in its early stages, and some academics say there isn't sufficient evidence to say anything definitive.

Dr Bill Yates, who has researched motion sickness at the University of Pittsburgh, says the body of research is "pretty sketchy at this point".

"There's some anecdotal information, but not a lot of really serious, extensive studies done yet," he says.
'Wonderful to drive... but my daughter gets unwell'

When Mark Quigg was looking at options for a new car last year, an electric vehicle seemed like the best choice because of the lower running costs.

Mark, 45, from Lincolnshire, says his shiny new electric vehicle has been "wonderful" to drive - but he quickly noticed that his nine-year-old daughter's motion sickness got much worse in it.

She only used to get motion sick on their 600-mile drives to France during the school holidays, but now he says even the 30-minute trip to the nearest city makes his daughter feel unwell.

On one recent journey, he says his daughter even threw up, which had never happened before.

Motion sickness doesn't affect all EV passengers - many owners got in touch with BBC News to say they and their relatives don't get sick in electric vehicles. Others said they felt less sick in EVs compared with traditional combustion engine cars.

Vicky Edmonds, the CEO of EVA England, an association for electric vehicle drivers, says motion sickness isn't a concern among her members. "This has never come up as an issue," she says.

But Chinese electric vehicle maker XPeng, which has showrooms across the UK, has previously publicly addressed the issue, telling people who've noticed a link between electric vehicles and travel sickness that "it's a fair question, and it's not your imagination". It's caused by "side effects of how electric cars are engineered," it adds.
What could cause it?

Motion sickness is caused by "a mismatch in sensory cues," Hac says. Our bodies rely on three main sensory inputs to show that we're moving, which come from what we see, what our inner ear's balance system perceives, and what fibres in our body sense, he says. When one of these is in conflict with the others - like if you're looking at your phone so you don't see visual signs of movement out of the window - that can cause motion sickness.

Research suggests several reasons why it may be more severe in electric vehicles.

Humans have adapted to associate sound with movement in vehicles, experts explain. Because electric vehicles don't have the auditory cues and vibrations from the engine that we're used to, which indicate when the car is accelerating, this could trigger motion sickness, Di Giulio says.

Another reason is regenerative braking, the process whereby when drivers release the accelerator, the motor starts acting as a generator. This creates resistance that slows the car down and also produces electricity that can be stored in the battery. The accelerator needs to be released gently, or it can lead to harsh deceleration.

"It forces the person to perhaps feel like they're rocking back and forth for that brief moment when the speed of the car suddenly changes," says Hac.

This is something Carolyn Le, 24, from California, has noticed. She gets "horrendous" motion sickness when her friend drives her in his electric vehicle in busy cities, she says. The regenerative braking means it "constantly feels like the car is stopping all the time".

Electric vehicles can also accelerate and decelerate much more quickly than conventional combustion cars, which Di Giulio says can cause motion sickness.

Edmonds, of EVA England, says developments in electric vehicle design have made them better at moderating the acceleration so they don't gain speed as rapidly.

She adds that the association thinks motion sickness in an electric vehicle is caused by "other factors" like the motorist's driving style rather than the vehicle itself.

Some features of electric cars may feel unfamiliar to drivers at first, adds Mike Hawes, head of the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders.

He says EVs can offer a different driving experience. "However, drivers typically adjust quickly to these characteristics, and many models also allow regenerative braking to be tailored to individual preferences."

Some people are also just more prone to motion sickness, and genetics have the biggest influence on this, according to Hac, and experts say women and children are more susceptible.

Motion sickness typically peaks between the ages of eight and 10, after which it decreases through more exposure, says Prof John Golding, who has researched the subject at the University of Westminster, the Royal Navy and the RAF.
Hold your head still and open the window

As their popularity increases, avoiding electric vehicles can be a challenge - the number of new zero-emission cars registered in the UK rose by 40.5% in April to June 2026 compared with the same period in 2025, latest Department for Transport figures show.

At the end of June 2026, 5.8% of all licensed cars on UK roads were zero-emission vehicles, the data shows. The sale of new purely petrol or diesel cars is set to be banned from 2030.

Lucinda Harrison, 24, from London says she often books taxis that turn out to be electric vehicles, and has to endure the trip feeling nauseous, sweaty and clammy.

The thought of travelling in an EV fills her with dread, she says. Even just a five-minute lift from a colleague to a Tube station recently was enough to make her feel "horrific".

Academics say there are several steps passengers can take to reduce feelings of motion sickness.

    Look out of the front window and don't look at your phone or read a book
    Sit in the front passenger seat rather than in the back, if possible. If you do have to sit in the back, opt for the middle seat so you can still see out the front window
    Keep your head still by holding it against the headrest
    Recline your seat
    Regulate your breathing
    Open the window to let in fresh air
    Take travel sickness tablets if needed, though these can cause drowsiness
    Before a long journey, make sure you're hydrated, have slept well and have eaten non-greasy food

Experts also say we can become desensitised to motion sickness through prolonged exposure. The more journeys you take in electric vehicles, the less likely you are to become motion sick as your body adjusts, Golding says.

There are also things carmakers can do to alleviate motion sickness in electric vehicles, says Prof Cyriel Diels, professor of mobility design at the Royal College of Art. These include having software that smooths out rapid acceleration, adding sound systems and subtle seat vibrations to signal to passengers that the car is moving, and offering adaptive regenerative braking that reduces sudden deceleration.

In some EVs, regenerative braking can also often be turned off.

Matt Adams from BEAMA, which represents UK manufacturers of electric vehicle charge points, says he's confident that "if future research identifies the reason for car sickness that vehicle manufacturers can respond and improve accordingly".

But for Lola, she just wants her boyfriend to trade in his car. She says that day can't come soon enough.