Electric vehicles trigger motion sickness in some passengers, research suggests

Lola Baird had never felt motion sickness in a car until her boyfriend bought an electric vehicle two years ago. Now, forty minutes into a journey, she finds herself overwhelmed by nausea—sick enough that she's asked him to pull over and vomited on the roadside. At 24, from north London, she's become so affected by the problem that she's asked him to change cars entirely.

She is far from alone. When BBC News asked around, other passengers reported the same experience: children and adults alike feeling more car sick in electric vehicles than in traditional combustion-engine cars. Mark Quigg, 45, from Lincolnshire, bought an EV last year for its lower running costs and found it "wonderful" to drive—until he noticed his nine-year-old daughter's motion sickness worsened dramatically. She used to feel sick only on their 600-mile drives to France during school holidays. Now even a 30-minute trip to the nearest city makes her unwell. On one recent journey, she vomited for the first time ever in a car. Lucinda Harrison, 24, from London, books taxis that turn out to be electric vehicles and dreads the experience; even a five-minute lift to a Tube station leaves her feeling "horrific," sweaty, and clammy.

Yet the picture is complicated. Many EV owners contacted BBC News to say they and their families experience no motion sickness in electric vehicles—some even report feeling less sick than in traditional cars. Vicky Edmonds, CEO of EVA England, an association for electric vehicle drivers, says the issue has never surfaced among her members. But the Chinese EV maker XPeng, which operates showrooms across the UK, has publicly acknowledged the concern, telling customers that "it's a fair question, and it's not your imagination," attributing it to "side effects of how electric cars are engineered."

Researchers are beginning to investigate. Dr. Irene Di Giulio, a senior lecturer in anatomy and biomechanics at King's College London who studies motion sickness, says research so far suggests some people do experience more severe motion sickness in electric vehicles than in conventional ones. Dr. Nicholas Hac, a neurologist at Northwestern Medicine in Chicago who specializes in dizziness and vertigo, has heard this from patients regularly—about two a month specifically mention motion sickness in EVs. "I've heard about it many, many, many times," he says. But Dr. Bill Yates, who has researched motion sickness at the University of Pittsburgh, cautions that the body of research remains "pretty sketchy at this point." There is anecdotal information, he notes, but not yet extensive, rigorous studies.

Motion sickness arises from what experts call "a mismatch in sensory cues." The body relies on three main sensory inputs to perceive movement: what the eyes see, what the inner ear's balance system detects, and what nerve fibers throughout the body sense. When these conflict—such as when looking at a phone instead of the window—nausea can result. Several features of electric vehicles may trigger this conflict. Because EVs lack the engine sound and vibrations that signal acceleration, humans have evolved to associate these auditory and tactile cues with movement. Without them, the sensory system becomes confused. Regenerative braking—the process where releasing the accelerator causes the car to slow down and feed energy back to the battery—can create a sensation of rocking back and forth if not executed smoothly. Carolyn Le, 24, from California, experiences "horrendous" motion sickness in her friend's EV during city driving, where regenerative braking "constantly feels like the car is stopping all the time." Electric vehicles also accelerate and decelerate more rapidly than conventional cars, which can intensify motion sickness.

Certain populations are more vulnerable. Women and children are more susceptible to motion sickness, and genetics play the largest role in individual susceptibility. Motion sickness typically peaks between ages eight and ten, then decreases with greater exposure, according to Prof. John Golding, who has researched the subject at the University of Westminster, the Royal Navy, and the RAF. Vicky Edmonds of EVA England suggests that other factors—such as driving style—may be responsible rather than the vehicles themselves, and notes that developments in EV design have improved acceleration moderation.

Avoiding electric vehicles is becoming increasingly difficult. The number of new zero-emission cars registered in the UK rose 40.5% in the second quarter of 2026 compared with the same period in 2025. By the end of June 2026, 5.8% of all licensed cars on UK roads were zero-emission vehicles. The sale of new purely petrol and diesel cars is set to be banned from 2030. For those affected, practical strategies exist: sit in the front passenger seat, keep your head still against the headrest, look out the front window rather than at a phone, open the window for fresh air, recline your seat, regulate your breathing, and consider travel sickness tablets. Staying hydrated, well-rested, and having eaten non-greasy food before a journey also helps. Matt Adams from BEAMA, which represents UK manufacturers of EV charge points, expressed confidence that "if future research identifies the reason for car sickness that vehicle manufacturers can respond and improve accordingly." For Lola, though, the solution remains simpler: she just wants her boyfriend to trade in his car.