Dogs are more relaxed when travelling in an electric car than in a diesel-powered vehicle, according to a new study.
Online vehicle marketplace CarGurus and the University of Lincoln joined forces to look into the effects on dogs of travelling in both types of vehicles. Twenty dogs that took part in the investigation were taken on two 10-minute car journeys. During the trip, their behaviour was analysed.
Daniel Mills, Professor of Veterinary Behavioural Medicine at the University of Lincoln, said that the study found dogs were less settled in diesel cars compared with EVs. It also found that signs of car sickness were reduced in electric cars.
The investigation also found that there was no evidence to suggest that EVs have a detrimental effect on dog welfare, with the transition for dogs between travelling in a diesel car and an electric version being ‘smooth’.
While the dogs in the study lay down for around a third of the journey in both cars, in the diesel vehicles the dogs broke their laying position on average 50 per cent more than in an EV. This difference is likely down to the change in vibration levels, says the study.
Dogs behaviour was monitored in a variety of ways
Professor Mills said: “We know most dogs will travel in a car at some point in their life, if not on a daily basis. Yet as EVs become more prevalent with motorists, until now there were no studies of their effect on dogs.
“Our results clearly show that dogs seem to be more relaxed in EVs, particularly when looking at behavioural traits such as restlessness.
“During their journeys in the electric vehicles, biometric recordings of these dogs revealed their heart rates slowed markedly more than when they were in diesel cars.”
“Additionally, an interesting and somewhat unintended revelation from the study came from the dogs that we identified as having potential symptoms associated with travel sickness.”
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