Recently, as the supply of electric taxis has increased, responses like these are flooding online. Despite the advantages of being quiet and eco-friendly, more people are expressing discomfort, stating they feel nauseous during rides. Consequently, there are claims that taxi-hailing apps should include an 'exclude electric vehicle' option. Mobility corporations are not quick to implement such options, even though they are technically feasible.
◇ “Three out of 10 taxis are electric vehicles… passenger satisfaction is declining”
According to the mobility industry on the 19th, the most common customer complaints in taxi-hailing services recently have been related to ride comfort, including electric vehicle motion sickness.
The main cause of motion sickness is the unique 'regenerative braking (one-pedal driving)' system of electric vehicles. The moment the foot is removed from the accelerator pedal, the vehicle decelerates sharply as if the brake were applied, causing a mismatch between visual and bodily sensations that stimulates the central nervous system.
Some passengers complain that they experience nausea only when seated in the back because of this feature. Mobility corporations acknowledge that such complaints are steadily increasing, yet they explain that they are unable to take action due to 'social atmosphere.'
According to the Korea Automobile Mobility Industry Association, among the 111,583 newly registered taxis from 2021 to 2023, 33,400 are electric vehicles, nearly 30% of the total.
This was just 2.3% from 2018 to 2020, marking an almost 13-fold drastic growth. The Ministry of Environment and local governments supported this with subsidies and tax benefits, while mobility platforms actively utilized eco-friendly images in their marketing.
However, the complexity of interests has increased just as rapidly as the spread of electric vehicles. A mobility industry insider noted, 'Adding just one button can be done technically in a day,' but expressing concern, they added, 'If an option to exclude electric taxis is provided, it could lead to backlash from drivers, as well as conflicts with government policies.'
◇ “Reduce regenerative braking… a platform only turning the guides”
Currently, Kakao Mobility, the number one taxi-hailing market player in the country, provides guidance to lower regenerative braking. A representative from Kakao Mobility stated, 'We are notifying drivers to not set the regenerative braking level too high,' and added, 'We are operating a separate guide page containing related information.'
Overseas operators are no different. An Uber taxi representative stated, 'Korea has not long since begun the widespread adoption of electric taxi, resulting in a transitional phase where some drivers lack proficiency,' and noted, 'We are trying to establish a comfortable electric vehicle experience based on overseas examples.'
At this stage, addressing user inconveniences such as motion sickness is a priority, so Uber is implementing driving habit improvements reflecting customer feedback through training of affiliated drivers to refrain from sudden acceleration and deceleration and to change regenerative braking settings.
However, from the perspective of electric taxi drivers, regenerative braking is an element that cannot be easily relinquished. Mr. Kim (52), who operates an Ioniq 5 taxi in Seoul, stated, 'I hear about the motion sickness, but using the regenerative braking function increases the range by 10% on a single charge.'
Especially in urban areas, where heating and cooling and traffic congestion reduce efficiency, turning off this feature to minimize charging times is practically impossible. The common response from drivers is, 'The fuel cost of electric vehicles is not insignificant,' and they express that a bit of nausea is unavoidable.
Ultimately, we can only hope for the advancement of electric vehicle technology in line with the trends of the times. An industry insider remarked, 'In many foreign cases where Tesla is prevalent, issues related to ride comfort are less than in Korea,' adding, 'Once domestic electric vehicle technology improves, it seems these issues will naturally resolve.'