Honda is developing technology aimed at reducing motion sickness in electric vehicles, Car magazine reported.
The publication said Honda’s work involves acceleration-mapping software that it’s introduced in the e:Ny1 compact sports utility vehicle and will include in its electric sports cars.
The report said Honda points to motion sickness as a problem in EVs.
Car magazine said it tested the technology’s effect in the e:Ny1 and experienced no motion sickness. It said the software reigns in the vehicle at up to 10 miles per hour but is unsure if that’s what did the trick or the fact that the model has just 201 brake horsepower and a 0-to-62-mph time of 7.6 seconds.
The report said Honda’s technology in part makes acceleration more linear like that in internal-combustion-engine vehicles. It quoted a Honda technical consultant as saying that motion sickness results from an EV “moving in a way you were not expected it to.”
The consultant further explained that motion sickness follows EVs’ high torque at low speeds that produces roughness when moving to higher speeds, a roughness that must be smoothed out to avoid nausea.
Honda says the software doesn’t affect performance.
