Xiaomi YU7 hat den "Reisekrankheit-Linderungsmodus" eingeführt. Kann man endlich in Elektroautos fahren, ohne sich übel zu fühlen?
On June 26th, Xiaomi held a "Smart Mobility, Home, and Ecosystem" press conference in Beijing, where many new products such as the Xiaomi YU7, Xiaomi MIX Flip 2, and Xiaomi AI Glasses were unveiled.
As Xiaomi's first luxury high - performance SUV, the exterior design, price, and user experience of the Xiaomi YU7 have all attracted attention. Among its many features, the "Motion Sickness Relief Mode" launched by the Xiaomi YU7 has particularly caught the attention of many people prone to motion sickness.
According to official information from Xiaomi Auto, the Xiaomi YU7 "has developed a motion sickness relief mode through exclusive tuning of power output, energy recovery, and chassis suspension. In this mode, acceleration and deceleration are smoother, cornering is more stable, and the sense of stimulation is effectively reduced." In preliminary tests conducted by hospitals, the incidence of motion sickness was reduced by 51%, and the onset time of motion sickness was delayed by 16%.
Xiaomi YU7 Launches "Motion Sickness Relief Mode" | Xiaomi Auto
On various social media platforms, many people have also complained about "getting motion sick when riding in electric cars". Are electric cars really more likely to cause motion sickness than fuel - powered cars? What could be the possible reasons? Can motion sickness really be prevented through vehicle improvements?
Motion Sickness May Be More Severe in Electric Cars
Motion sickness is a type of motion disorder. Other types include seasickness, airsickness, and even sickness caused by amusement rides.
The exact mechanism of motion sickness is not fully understood. The current mainstream medical view is that motion sickness mainly occurs due to conflicts in the "motion information" transmitted to the brain from different parts of the body. The brain's estimation of the body's motion state mainly relies on the vestibular organs, somatosensory, and vision. When a person moves actively, the motion information from various sources is usually consistent. However, during passive movement, these information may conflict, leading to motion sickness. Specific symptoms include dizziness, nausea, vomiting, pale complexion, fatigue, and cold sweats.
Data shows that the self - reported incidence of motion sickness among passengers in electric cars is 10% - 30% higher than that in fuel - powered cars. In another study, researchers collected 639 valid questionnaires in mainland China. The results showed that although the frequency of motion sickness in electric cars was not higher than that in fuel - powered cars, the symptoms of motion sickness were more severe.
Overall, electric cars may be more likely to cause severe motion sickness. As for why this happens, there is currently no clear conclusion.
One speculation is that this phenomenon is related to "experience dependence". Electric cars are becoming increasingly popular, but fuel - powered cars still dominate in daily life. Drivers and passengers have had more time to adapt to fuel - powered cars, so they are more familiar with the "cues" of such cars. For example, the roar of the engine usually means "starting" or "accelerating", and the brain will have a psychological expectation of what will happen next when these cues appear.
Research indicates that being able to predict upcoming motion can relieve motion sickness to a certain extent. If a person is used to riding in non - electric cars such as fuel - powered cars, the brain is accustomed to understanding the car's motion based on signals such as engine roar, engine vibration, and torque, that is, "experienced". However, for those who are riding in an electric car for the first time, the brain needs to adapt to a new motion environment, which may increase the feeling of motion sickness.
Another speculation is that the unique regenerative braking (RB) technology of electric cars may be an important factor exacerbating motion sickness. Regenerative braking is an energy recovery technology for electric cars. In the traditional braking process, the kinetic energy of the vehicle is converted into heat energy and dissipated through the braking device. The regenerative braking system converts the kinetic energy of the vehicle during braking into electrical energy and stores it for subsequent use. High - level regenerative braking can recover energy to the maximum extent.
In a 2024 study, researchers conducted road tests on 16 motion sickness patients and found that high - level regenerative braking can induce motion sickness. The study also found that providing auditory motion cues can reduce motion sickness when using high - level regenerative braking.
In addition, many electric cars are now equipped with various screens. The increasing number and size of screens inside the vehicle are also considered to be related to the increased incidence of motion sickness. While screens provide users with a large amount of visual information, they also weaken their ability to obtain the external scenery of the vehicle (the "correct" visual signals consistent with other senses), which may increase the risk of motion sickness.
Is Xiaomi YU7's "Motion Sickness Relief Mode" Effective?
According to official information from Xiaomi Auto, the Xiaomi YU7 has undergone "exclusive tuning of power output, energy recovery, and chassis suspension". The regenerative braking mentioned above is an energy recovery technology. Energy recovery and power output directly affect the acceleration and deceleration process of electric cars, which is closely related to the onset of motion sickness. If the "Motion Sickness Relief Mode" is activated, the acceleration and deceleration of the electric car will be smoother, and the sense of stimulation will be reduced, which may provide a better riding experience for motion sickness patients.
The suspension system is a key component of the car chassis, with functions such as buffering and supporting. It determines the amplitude of the vehicle's vibration, shaking, roll, pitching, and rear - tilting motions. Some studies suggest that the discomfort level of passengers due to motion sickness is related to the longitudinal vibration and pitching motion of the carriage. Therefore, the tuning of the chassis suspension also has the potential to reduce motion sickness.
As for the impact of the Xiaomi YU7's "Motion Sickness Relief Mode" on the likelihood and onset time of individual motion sickness, it remains to be experienced by passengers themselves.
Actually, Xiaomi is not the first company to launch relevant functions for preventing motion sickness. For example, in March this year, Dongfeng Nissan also launched a "Full - domain Intelligent Motion Sickness Prevention Mode" for electric cars. Its spokesperson mentioned that the car's intelligent system will perform a series of operations to make the car more stable, reduce vibration, and reduce roll during starting, accelerating, cruising, and cornering to prevent motion sickness.
Motion sickness is indeed unpleasant, but in modern society, we cannot do without this means of transportation. Nowadays, electric cars are becoming more and more common. In 2024, 22% of new cars globally were electric cars, compared with 18% in 2023, and the data is still increasing.
It is a good thing that car manufacturers can pay attention to users' needs for preventing motion sickness. If there are no effective means to relieve motion sickness in electric cars, the aggravated symptoms may ultimately lead some consumers to reject this type of car. However, the measures taken by car manufacturers may still have different effects on individuals. If it is difficult to adapt but one has to travel by car frequently, there are also many effective preventive measures to choose from, such as choosing a front - seat position, eating little or no greasy or strongly - scented food before getting in the car, opening the window for ventilation if possible. Patients with severe motion sickness can also use some medications to relieve symptoms (such as dimenhydrinate).
(In addition to Xiaomi, Apple has also made efforts to prevent motion sickness. Click to read the article "How Effective is Apple's New Motion Sickness Prevention Function in iOS 18?")
References
[1]Ouren X. Kuiper, Jelte E. Bos, Cyriel Diels, Eike A. Schmidt. Knowing what's coming: Anticipatory audio cues can mitigate motion sickness. Applied Ergonomics.Volume 85,2020
[2]Xie, W., Wang, Z., Jiang, Y., Huang, C., Wang, J., & He, D. (2025). Exploring the Effects of Regenerative Braking and the Auditory Cues for Alleviating Motion Sickness in Electric Vehicles. International Journal of Human–Computer Interaction, 1–13. https://doi.org/10.1080/10447318.2025.2499155
[3]https://theconversation.com/how - electric - and - automated - cars - are - aggravating - motion - sickness - 204790
[4]https://www.theguardian.com/technology/ng - interactive/2025/jun/21/electric - vehicles - carsick
[5]https://personal.hkust - gz.edu.cn/hedengbo/assets/publicationPDFs/Xie_TRB_2024a.pdf
[6]Xiangping Wu, Yongjun Pan, Gengxiang Wang, Liang Hou. Pitch motion suppression of electric vehicle active suspensions based on multibody dynamics. Mechanism and Machine Theory. Volume 198, August 2024, 105667.
[7]Deng Z, Yuan K, Xiao X. Investigative examination of motion sickness indicators for electric vehicles. Proceedings of the Institution of Mechanical Engineers, Part D: Journal of Automobile Engineering. 2024;0(0). doi:10.1177/09544070241251521
Source of the cover image: Smart Mobility, Home, and Ecosystem Press Conference & Launch of Xiaomi's First SUV, the YU7
This article is from the WeChat official account "Guokr" (ID: Guokr42). The authors are Li Xiaoqiu and Dai Tianyi. It is published by 36Kr with permission.