Electric vehicles are well known for their potential to benefit the environment as well as your wallet, but what if they could also benefit your health? This theory is supported by a study from the University of Gothenburg. 

Electric Vehicles

The health of citizens who lived within the bus route improved when fully electric vehicles replaced the city buses. According to the study, the reduction of noise brought on by the transition to electric buses was the primary cause of this.

Seeing as low-frequency noise is more difficult to block out with walls or windows, it can have an adverse effect on health when it occurs frequently over an extended period of time. 

Low-frequency noise in the environment has been linked to a variety of health issues, including sleep disruption, fatigue, and concentration issues, according to another study from the University of Gothenburg. Therefore, it makes sense that removing the noise’s sources would have a positive effect on the health of those who are typically exposed to the noise.

In what ways do EVs affect health?

Prior to and following the switch to electric buses, people who participated in the Gothenburg study completed a questionnaire about their perceptions of their health. Half of the study participants resided close to the bus route, while the other half lived farther away and acted as a control group.

Most of those homes were subjected to low-frequency noise measurements both prior to and following the electric bus switch, and it was discovered that there was a considerable difference in the levels of noise, as perceived and measured by the participants.

hands over an electric vehicle icon

Once electric buses were introduced, there was a clear health impact on the participants who lived along the bus route. Prior to the change, 49% of participants said they experienced fatigue once or twice per week. After that, that percentage dropped to 39%. 

The percentage of people who said they were in a bad mood decreased from 22% to 17%. The results are very encouraging and suggest that reducing low-frequency noise from automobiles may improve people’s health, though it is ambiguous whether those improvements would be long-lasting.