Car Sick

[Msjulie]

It’s probably a mind game for me, I know if I don’t drink the can of ginger ale, I will surely feel queasy out at sea, when I do drink the can I am fine.

Fred

I always felt it was the sugar in various soda that did the trick - hmm, ginger safe for dogs I wonder

 

[EnrgyNDpndnce]

Yes. I have a Model 3 with 18” Aeros and even so my wife will get motion sickness when a passenger in my car. We discovered early on that setting it to Chill Mode + Low Regen helps a lot. Or as we call it in my house, boring mode.

 

[NmbrsNvrLie]

Switch to chill and low regen. Seemed to help. Time will tell.

 

[megant113]

I'd just like to point out that some kids (like my 7 year old) are just prone to car sickness. My 'spirited driving' style surely doesn't help, but I've made him sick with gas powered cars just as easily as the Tesla.

When your kiddo turns 2, you can use Dramamine. That's my best solution. Or avoiding fun drives with him in the car.

 

[run-the-joules]

I'd just like to point out that some kids (like my 7 year old) are just prone to car sickness. My 'spirited driving' style surely doesn't help, but I've made him sick with gas powered cars just as easily as the Tesla.

When your kiddo turns 2, you can use Dramamine. That's my best solution. Or avoiding fun drives with him in the car.

or sell the kid!

 

[Mo City]

I've gotten motion sickness from riding in taxis (specifically in NYC). The cause was excessive acceleration and braking by the driver. This happened before I knew Tesla existed. I also experienced it for 3-4 weeks after picking up my Model 3.

Chill mode may not help because regen braking is the primary cause.

Regen braking is so awesome I don't suggest turning it off. Always remain aware the car will "brake" if you remove your foot from the accelerator. Make a conscious effort to accelerate and decelerate smoothly without jerking. This should solve the problem.

 

[arnolddeleon]

most motion sickness isn't the bumpiness, its the forward/backward nodding caused by the drivers right foot.
As others have suggested, try chill mode and low regen until you get used to the sensitivity of the go pedal and can smooth the transitions.
An EV is much more sensitive to the transition between stopping and going.

This!

I get motion sick real easily. I had to start in chill and low regen until I retrained my foot. I used to do a lot of pulse and coast in my previous EVs. That was fine because they didn't accelerate as quickly and had minimal regen on the accelerator. BTW I now drive with standard acceleration and regen

In other words you want to minimize jerk (one of my favorite physics term)

 

[Twiglett]

TLDR - hard to admit it - but if chill mode and low regen helps - then the problem is the driver

 

[Xambler]

Kids in car seats tend to look sideways a lot unless they are in the center seat. That causes the same problem as a passenger would have if they were looking out a side window while you were driving through hilly winding roads (or looking sideways during the mars experience at Epcot center ). Wife made the mistake of not looking ahead while we were driving through tail of the dragon and we had to stop fast for her vomit break. Dog looked a little green and wobbly also.

 

[Taliesin]

My kids wear Sea Bands in the car. Whether its real, voodoo, or placebo, it doesn't really matter because it works for them. Before discovering Sea Bands, there was lots of vomiting. My car is well-stocked with those blue emesis bags.

 

[jasonh4451]

2 years with Model 3. On our fist road trip up the twisty California coast, whole family had mild motion sickness but it seemed to particularly effect the kids in the back (5 year old and 11 year old at the time). Had to pull over twice over the long weekend for the 11 year old to throw-up. That was in the first few months of owning the car.

Now 2 years later and many great road trips everyone is fine and love riding in the car. I suspect that as the primary driver I’ve become better at modulating the acceleration and regen deceleration. I went from a slow Prius to the Model 3 and I guess I had to get used to driving a car with so much more performance.

 

[SMAlset]

Switch to chill and low regen. Seemed to help. Time will tell.

Interested to see how it works longer term for you. I'm pretty sure you can set up two profiles for yourself - one your regular driving set up and one for when you are driving your family. That way you still get to have some fun.

 

[Cardi3]

I find that most kids go through phases of increased motion sickness around that age. At one point, I remember paying 100$ 4 times in one month to get my car professionally cleaned after vomit incidents in the back seat. Put the seat in the middle if possible, adjust the angle of the rear-facing seat to a more upright position (within seat parameters, of course), make sure the straps are well-adjusted and that the kid is not wearing anything near their neck, teach them to look in front of them, not through the side windows, play around with music settings (some kids feel better with music, others without). Other than that, try to drive as smoothly as possible until this phase is over and, if possible, try having someone else in the back to supervise.

If you just read that and thought "rear-facing?", please look up why it is crucial to keep kids rear-facing as long as possible, but at the very least until they turn 2.

 

[ItsNotAboutTheMoney]

I suppose there's also a possibility that the OP's child has an ear infection that's inducing the nausea, and it'll pass.

 

[KenC]

My pediatrician sister gave each kid a throw up cup. Less cleaning afterward.

 

[SilverString]

When using Autopilot I have had this complaint big-time from the back seat crowd.

 

[Wennfred]

TLDR - hard to admit it - but if chill mode and low regen helps - then the problem is the driver

Twiglett, you guys are getting the TeraWatt factory there, must be so cool! Tons of new jobs for the area. Keep us posted.

Fred

 

[Mr. Frodo]

I'm certain it's the regen braking and not the wheels. Everyone I've driven around has felt a lot better as long as autopilot is OFF and I have regen braking set to chill or I ease off the gas when slowing down. Otherwise, the regen braking comes on too strong as I let off the gas, so I have to ease up on the gas pedal release when passengers are in.

 

[StellarRat]

My friend says it's the acceleration and cornering. Teslas invite the driver to throw the car around more than a tamer vehicle. My suggestion is to try "chill", low regen, and set the steering to less than "sport".

 

[SMAlset]

I find that most kids go through phases of increased motion sickness around that age. At one point, I remember paying 100$ 4 times in one month to get my car professionally cleaned after vomit incidents in the back seat. Put the seat in the middle if possible, adjust the angle of the rear-facing seat to a more upright position (within seat parameters, of course), make sure the straps are well-adjusted and that the kid is not wearing anything near their neck, teach them to look in front of them, not through the side windows, play around with music settings (some kids feel better with music, others without). Other than that, try to drive as smoothly as possible until this phase is over and, if possible, try having someone else in the back to supervise.

If you just read that and thought "rear-facing?", please look up why it is crucial to keep kids rear-facing as long as possible, but at the very least until they turn 2.

Hmm. if looking out a side window is contributing to the problem maybe adding those window shades to those window might help. Keep in mind when you open the door the window will go down slightly so plan for it. As a driver you can lock the rear side windows so they can't be accidentally retracted by a back seat passenger which would interfere with those screens that are attached to the window with suction cups. From the Model 3 manual:

Locking Rear Windows
To prevent passengers from using the rear window switches, touch Controls > Quick Controls > Window Lock. To unlock the rear windows, touch Window Lock again.
Warning: To ensure safety, it is recommended that you lock the rear window switches whenever children are seated in the rear seats.
Warning: Never leave children unattended in Model 3.