EV and hybrid driver are less stressted, study finds

Drivers of electric cars and hybrids feel less stressed behind the wheel than drivers of gasoline or diesel vehicles, according to a new survey conducted by Stellantis' DS Automobiles division.

DS doesn't sell cars in the United States, and the results are based on responses from 2,000 drivers in the United Kingdom, but the survey seems just as relevant for the U.S.

Of the drivers surveyed, 78% said they had experienced stress by while driving. Yet 38% of hybrid and EV owners said their current car makes them feel less stress than non-electrified cars they previously owned.

Among features respondents said were most effective at reducing stress a "quiet and refined drive" was cited by 41%. That wasn't the top choice; 52% of respondents cited a comfortable interior and seats as the most effective feature for reducing stress. But it is something unique to electrified vehicles—regardless of which side of the Atlantic you're on.

The lack of engine noise from electric cars (and hybrids, when they're in electric mode) makes a major difference compared to internal-combustion vehicles.