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”.

Carolyn Le

“It’s actually horrendous,” says Carolyn Le, who blames regenerative braking for her motion sickness

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