There are plenty of compelling reasons to make the switch to an electric vehicle, but here’s a new one that nobody saw coming. Research shows that dogs like them way better.
According to a study commissioned by online car marketplace CarGurus and carried out by the University of Lincoln in England, dogs vastly preferred a trip in an electric vehicle to an equivalent one in a standard fuel-powered car.
The researchers took 20 dogs on a 10-minute trip in each type of car, with a one-hour break in between trips so the dogs could reset, and found that the dogs’ heart rates were 30 percent lower while riding electric vehicles. That should catch the attention of dog owners, as dogs’ elevated heart rates in cars are associated with motion sickness.
In addition, the researchers found that the dogs stood up from their lying positions 50 percent more often in fuel-powered cars, indicating more agitation and restlessness. They theorized that the smoother ride in the electric vehicles, with less vibration and road noise, accounted for the notable difference.
“Our results clearly show that dogs seem to be more relaxed in electric vehicles,” Daniel Mills, the professor of Veterinary Behaviour Medicine who led the study, said, “particularly when looking at behavioural traits such as restlessness.”
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