As we well know, dogs are much more susceptible to noise than humans. In fact, they can hear four times further away than we can. Suffice to say that your ear is four times more attuned and can register 35,000 vibrations per second.
Having such a finely tuned ear gives them advantages in terms of survival, but in urban environments, where the presence of motorized vehicles is a constant, which is an advantage, it becomes a nuisance for their sense of perception.
Just to understand our furry friends a little more, CarGurus together with the University of Lincoln, United Kingdom, carried out a study that basically concluded that the electric cars are much friendlier to our pets.
The study CarGurus Dogs and EVs it was published in international scientific journals and carried out with 20 dogs in scientific observations and biometric measurements, during 10-minute journeys in diesel cars and later in electric cars.
They all traveled the same route in the same types of vehicles, which were not disclosed, focusing solely on the animal’s reactions to the noise caused by the diesel engine and electric drive.
Although the investigation does not reveal it, it is possible that the study used the same car model, since some brands in Europe have products with both engines, which makes the analysis easier.
Anyway, Dr. Daniel Mills, a professor of Veterinary Behavioral Medicine at the University of Lincoln, found that dogs felt more stressed in diesel cars.
Some of the dogs had signs of motion sickness, and the symptoms were markedly reduced in a electric car.
Mills commented: “We know that most dogs will travel by car at some point in their lives, if not every day. However, as EVs become more prevalent among drivers, no studies of their effects on dogs have been conducted to date.”.
In the study, 50% of dogs became more restless in diesel cars well before the middle of the trip.. In addition, dog owners reported over-arousal (58%), anxiety (48%), and nausea (44%) when traveling in a car.
In the comparison between diesel and electric cars, they said pets felt calmer (39%), were calmer (43%), less anxious (42%) and whined less (45%) in the latter.
