‘It’s like a giant golf cart’: Woman says this major feature in Tesla Cybertrucks can make you carsick
A woman found a new reason to hate the Tesla Cybertruck that extends beyond its "ugly" aesthetics. Driving in one makes her feel physically ill.
TikToker Ansley Rabon (@ansleech) went on a family vacation. During their travels, her father rented a Cybertruck, which she says has made her feel profoundly carsick.
She posted her criticism in a viral TikTok clip, that sparked a debate in the comments section. Some users said that this is due to her father not driving an EV properly. Others reported feeling the same way as Rabon inside electric vehicles themselves.
"My dad rented a Cybertruck for family vacation (it was significantly cheaper)," she wrote in the clip's text overlay. "And I'm here to say that the worst part is not how ugly it is but how bad it lurches and brakes. It's like a giant golf cart. I have never felt so carsick before."
Regenerative braking
There is a fundamental difference in driving dynamics between gasoline-powered and electric vehicles. That difference is the way gasoline and electric engines move the car forward.
When an ICE engine is in "drive," it will lurch forward slowly while on a flat surface. This means you have to be ready to put your foot on the brake at all times when driving, i.e. you ride the brakes.
But in an electric car, the opposite is true. Electric cars, like the Cybertruck or the Tesla Model 3, feature regenerative braking technology. This allows vehicles to charge batteries from a car's deceleration. The kinetic energy created when a car slows down or brakes is delivered back into the vehicle's system.
Hybrid cars pack this technology, too. If you've ever driven a hybrid or electric car, you may notice a regen icon pop up during your commute. You'll notice it most when you're driving downhill for extended periods of time. This signifies that there's power being transferred back into your vehicle.
Since Teslas and other EVs solely rely on battery power for their motors, regen is a key factor in hitting quoted range figures. This means that even when the car is in "drive" mode, it's not going to lurch forward. Being static or idle consumes little to no power.
As a result, you're going to ride the gas pedal, as opposed to riding the brake as you would in an internal combustion engine car.
EV driving practices
If you're used to driving gas-powered cars and then hop inside a Tesla, you'll have to adapt your driving habits. You won't need to press on your brake pedal as hard or as frequently. That's because the car slows down considerably when letting your foot off the gas.
This is why many EVs offer a one-pedal driving mode.
If you see a red light up ahead, you gradually let your foot off the gas pedal to slow down, rather than lightly pressing on the brake until you come to a stop.
Why might Teslas make you car sick?
Because the EVs natural default is to immediately slow down and stop when in drive, braking can feel harsher. But that's only if you brake the way you would in an ICE vehicle.
This is why Rabon was feeling carsick during all the harsh stop-and-go driving in the Cybertruck.
Additionally, there have been others who've complained about feeling sick while driving in electric vehicles. Due to the fact that all of an EV's horsepower is available at the first pedal press, they can launch ahead quite quickly. Gentle pedal presses mitigate this feeling. But that "lurch" forward Ansley describes has been decried by other EV commuters online as well.
One user on this Chevy Equinox forum wrote about this phenomenon. They attributed the "jumpy" nature of how EVs get off the line to the motion sickness many feel inside of EVs. Furthermore, they quoted AutoPacific's president Ed Kim as stating that Teslas are considered the "worst offenders." He says that this is because he finds them to be "very jerky and abrupt" when it comes to acceleration and deceleration.
The blog Your Life Choices says that EVs eliminate much of the stimuli present in traditional ICE vehicles. Factors such as road noise and acceleration noises of the engine are embedded into our typical driving experiences. Transitioning from this to an EV can cause problems for those prone to motion sickness. After being "trained" to think these stimuli are a part of daily driving, ridding ourselves of these sounds can be problematic. Moreover, when you add EV fast acceleration to the mix and harsher braking, drivers can begin to feel uncomfortable.
The Conversation reports that around 25-30% of car commuters experience motion sickness, which can be exacerbated in EVs. Additionally, Reddit users in this forum post shared their experiences with EVs and feeling car sick. Some stated that driving practices need to be adjusted in an EV due to regen braking in order to curb or stop this phenomenon.
@ansleech I’m so ready to get out of this toaster on wheels #cybertruck #tesla ♬ original sound - lilybilly
TikTokers weigh in
One commenter chalked Rabon's motion sickness to the way her father was driving. "This is literally driver error," they said.
Someone else echoed the aforementioned sentiment. "That’s more of a driving error than a vehicle issue," they wrote.
Another user said that the car sickness in a Tesla is considerably worse when compared to other vehicles: "Tesla car sickness hits wayyy too diff."
One commenter argued that even with modified driving practices, other factors contribute to car sickness. "Everyone saying this is driver error but I test drove one of these things," they wrote. "And if you so much as lift your foot off the gas it literally brake checks you. Especially at slow speeds. It was awful."
The Daily Dot has reached out to Tesla and Rabon via email for further comment.
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