Why EVs Might Be Making You More Car Sick

Electric vehicles (EVs) are often praised for their silent, smooth ride, but for many passengers, this futuristic calm is turning into a queasy experience. If you’ve stepped into an EV in Mauritius and found yourself feeling unexpectedly uncomfortable, you’re not alone, and now, science is starting to explain why.

The Missing Cues Your Brain Relies On

Traditional petrol and diesel cars come with a lot of noise and vibration. You feel the engine rev when accelerating, hear the subtle whirring as you change gears, and sense the gentle resistance of friction braking. These are more than just background noise, they're cues your brain uses to predict the car's movement.

In an EV, these mechanical signals are largely gone. According to William Emond, a PhD researcher at France’s Université de Technologie de Belfort-Montbéliard, passengers are “used to understanding the car’s motion based on signals such as engine revs, engine vibrations, torque.” Without them, the brain struggles to estimate how the vehicle is moving, which leads to a sensory mismatch, and that’s where nausea starts to creep in.

Drivers Rarely Get Sick. Passengers Do.

Here’s an interesting twist: drivers almost never get carsick. That’s because they’re in control, and they know exactly when and how the car will move. Passengers, on the other hand, rely on external cues to mentally brace for turns, stops, and accelerations. In a petrol car, that usually works fine.

But EVs, especially with their “one-pedal driving” and regenerative braking, behave differently. They often switch from rapid acceleration to sharp deceleration without the gentle coasting phase petrol drivers are familiar with. To your brain, it can feel like the car is lurching unpredictably, even if it’s technically driving smoothly.

A Mauritius-Specific Twist

In Mauritius, where short commutes and windy coastal roads are common, the effects can be amplified. A leisurely weekend drive from Tamarin to Grand Gaube can quickly turn uncomfortable for passengers not used to the sharper, less predictable braking and acceleration of EVs. Add in the island’s stop-and-go traffic, speed bumps, and tight corners, and you’ve got the perfect recipe for a queasy backseat ride.